Harnessing Multiple Internal Reflections to Design Highly Absorptive Acoustic Metasurfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Chen; Cummer, Steven A.

2018-05-01

The rapid development of metasurfaces has enabled numerous intriguing applications with acoustically thin sheets. Here we report the theory and experimental realization of a nonresonant sound-absorbing strategy using metasurfaces by harnessing multiple internal reflections. We theoretically and numerically show that the higher-order diffraction of thin gradient-index metasurfaces is tied to multiple internal reflections inside the unit cells. Highly absorbing acoustic metasurfaces can be realized by enforcing multiple internal reflections together with a small amount of loss. A reflective gradient-index acoustic metasurface is designed based on the theory, and we further experimentally verify the performance using a three-dimensional printed prototype. Measurements show over 99% energy absorption at the peak frequency and a 95% energy absorption bandwidth of around 600 Hz. The proposed mechanism provides an alternative route for sound absorption without the necessity of high absorption of the individual unit cells.

Parallelism measurement for base plate of standard artifact with multiple tactile approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Xiuling; Zhao, Yan; Wang, Yiwen; Wang, Zhong; Fu, Luhua; Liu, Changjie

2018-01-01

Nowadays, as workpieces become more precise and more specialized which results in more sophisticated structures and higher accuracy for the artifacts, higher requirements have been put forward for measuring accuracy and measuring methods. As an important method to obtain the size of workpieces, coordinate measuring machine (CMM) has been widely used in many industries. In order to achieve the calibration of a self-developed CMM, it is found that the parallelism of the base plate used for fixing the standard artifact is an important factor which affects the measurement accuracy in the process of studying self-made high-precision standard artifact. And aimed to measure the parallelism of the base plate, by using the existing high-precision CMM, gauge blocks, dial gauge and marble platform with the tactile approach, three methods for parallelism measurement of workpieces are employed, and comparisons are made within the measurement results. The results of experiments show that the final accuracy of all the three methods is able to reach micron level and meets the measurement requirements. Simultaneously, these three approaches are suitable for different measurement conditions which provide a basis for rapid and high-precision measurement under different equipment conditions.

Motion Artifact Quantification and Sensor Fusion for Unobtrusive Health Monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoog Antink, Christoph; Schulz, Florian; Leonhardt, Steffen; Walter, Marian

2017-12-25

Sensors integrated into objects of everyday life potentially allow unobtrusive health monitoring at home. However, since the coupling of sensors and subject is not as well-defined as compared to a clinical setting, the signal quality is much more variable and can be disturbed significantly by motion artifacts. One way of tackling this challenge is the combined evaluation of multiple channels via sensor fusion. For robust and accurate sensor fusion, analyzing the influence of motion on different modalities is crucial. In this work, a multimodal sensor setup integrated into an armchair is presented that combines capacitively coupled electrocardiography, reflective photoplethysmography, two high-frequency impedance sensors and two types of ballistocardiography sensors. To quantify motion artifacts, a motion protocol performed by healthy volunteers is recorded with a motion capture system, and reference sensors perform cardiorespiratory monitoring. The shape-based signal-to-noise ratio SNR S is introduced and used to quantify the effect on motion on different sensing modalities. Based on this analysis, an optimal combination of sensors and fusion methodology is developed and evaluated. Using the proposed approach, beat-to-beat heart-rate is estimated with a coverage of 99.5% and a mean absolute error of 7.9 ms on 425 min of data from seven volunteers in a proof-of-concept measurement scenario.

FlexiView: A Magnet-Based Approach for Visualizing Requirements Artifacts

OpenAIRE

Ghazi, Parisa; Seyff, Norbert; Glinz, Martin

2015-01-01

Requirements engineers create large numbers of artifacts when eliciting and documenting requirements. They need to navigate through these artifacts and display information details at points of interest for reviewing or editing information. [Question/problem] Traditional visualization mechanisms such as scrolling and opening multiple windows lose context when navigating and can be cumbersome to use, hence. On the other hand, focus+context approaches can display details in context, but they dis...

Awe and Artifacts: Religious and Scientific Endeavor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ionut Untea

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The article takes as its point of departure the reflections of Henry Adams and Jacques Ellul on the possible gradual replacement of objects used in religious worship with objects used in technological worship, and advances the hypothesis that such a substitution is unlikely. Using information from psychology, history of religions, and history of science, the perspective proposed is that of a parallel historical analogous development of both religious and scientific attitudes of awe by the use of artifacts carrying two functions: firstly, to coagulate social participation around questions dealing with humanity’s destiny and interpersonal relationships across communities, and secondly to offer cultural coherence through a communal sense of social stability, comfort, and security. I argue that, though animated by attitudes of awe (“awefull”, both leading scientists and religious founders have encountered the difficulty in representing and introducing this awe to the large public via “awesome” artifacts. The failure to represent coherently the initial awe via artifacts may give rise to “anomalous awefullness”: intolerance, persecutions, global conflicts.

An Approach for Multi-Artifact Testing Through an Ontological Perspective for Behavior-Driven Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thiago Rocha Silva

2016-07-01

Full Text Available In a user-centered development process, artifacts evolve in iterative cycles until they meet users’ requirements and then become the final product. Every cycle gives the opportunity to revise the design and to introduce new requirements which might affect the specification of artifacts that have been set in former development phases. Testing the consistency of multiple artifacts used to develop interactive systems every time that new requirements are introduced is a cumbersome activity, especially if it is done manually. This paper proposes an approach based on Behavior-Driven Development (BDD to support the automated assessment of artifacts along the development process of interactive systems. The paper uses an ontology for specifying tests that can run over multiple artifacts sharing similar concepts. A case study testing Task Models, Prototypes, and Final User Interfaces is presented to demonstrate the feasibility of this approach from the early phases of the design process, providing a continuous quality assurance of requirements, and helping clients and development teams to identify potential problems and inconsistencies before commitments with software implementation are made.

Artifact-based reflective interviews for identifying pragmatic epistemological resources

Science.gov (United States)

Shubert, Christopher Walden

Physics Education Research studies the science of teaching and learning physics. The process of student learning is complex, and the factors that affect it are numerous. Describing students' understanding of physics knowledge and reasoning is the basis for much productive research; however, such research fails to account for certain types of student learning difficulties. In this dissertation, I explore one source of student difficulty: personal epistemology, students' ideas about knowledge and knowing. Epistemology traditionally answers three questions: What is knowledge? How is knowledge created? And, how do we know what we know? An individual's responses to these questions can affect learning in terms of how they approach tasks involving the construction and application of knowledge. The key issue addressed in this dissertation is the effect of methodological choices on the validity and reliability of claims concerning personal epistemology. My central concern is contextual validity, how what is said about one's epistemology is not identical to how one behaves epistemologically. In response to these issues, I present here a new methodology for research on student epistemology: video artifact-based reflective interview protocols. These protocols begin with video taping students in their natural classroom activities, and then asking the participants epistemological questions immediately after watching selected scenes from their activity, contextually anchoring them in their actual learning experience. The data from these interviews is viewed in the framework of Epistemological Resource Theory, a framework of small bits of knowledge whose coordination in a given context is used to describe personal epistemology. I claim that the privileged data from these interviews allows detailed epistemological resources to be identified, and that these resources can provide greater insight into how student epistemologies are applied in learning activities. This research

Mesoscale hybrid calibration artifact

Science.gov (United States)

Tran, Hy D.; Claudet, Andre A.; Oliver, Andrew D.

2010-09-07

A mesoscale calibration artifact, also called a hybrid artifact, suitable for hybrid dimensional measurement and the method for make the artifact. The hybrid artifact has structural characteristics that make it suitable for dimensional measurement in both vision-based systems and touch-probe-based systems. The hybrid artifact employs the intersection of bulk-micromachined planes to fabricate edges that are sharp to the nanometer level and intersecting planes with crystal-lattice-defined angles.

Ripple artifact reduction using slice overlap in slice encoding for metal artifact correction.

Science.gov (United States)

den Harder, J Chiel; van Yperen, Gert H; Blume, Ulrike A; Bos, Clemens

2015-01-01

Multispectral imaging (MSI) significantly reduces metal artifacts. Yet, especially in techniques that use gradient selection, such as slice encoding for metal artifact correction (SEMAC), a residual ripple artifact may be prominent. Here, an analysis is presented of the ripple artifact and of slice overlap as an approach to reduce the artifact. The ripple artifact was analyzed theoretically to clarify its cause. Slice overlap, conceptually similar to spectral bin overlap in multi-acquisition with variable resonances image combination (MAVRIC), was achieved by reducing the selection gradient and, thus, increasing the slice profile width. Time domain simulations and phantom experiments were performed to validate the analyses and proposed solution. Discontinuities between slices are aggravated by signal displacement in the frequency encoding direction in areas with deviating B0. Specifically, it was demonstrated that ripple artifacts appear only where B0 varies both in-plane and through-plane. Simulations and phantom studies of metal implants confirmed the efficacy of slice overlap to reduce the artifact. The ripple artifact is an important limitation of gradient selection based MSI techniques, and can be understood using the presented simulations. At a scan-time penalty, slice overlap effectively addressed the artifact, thereby improving image quality near metal implants. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

From Ecological Sounding Artifacts Towards Sonic Artifact Ecologies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Erkut, Cumhur; Serafin, Stefania

2016-01-01

The discipline of sonic interaction design has been focused on the interaction between a single user and an artifact. This strongly limits one of the fundamental aspects of music as a social and interactive experience. In this paper we propose sonic artifact ecologies as a mean to examine interac...

The Human-Artifact Model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bødker, Susanne; Klokmose, Clemens Nylandsted

2011-01-01

Although devices of all shapes and sizes currently dominate the technological landscape, human–computer interaction (HCI) as a field is not yet theoretically equipped to match this reality. In this article we develop the human–artifact model, which has its roots in activity theoretical HCI....... By reinterpreting the activity theoretical foundation, we present a framework that helps addressing the analysis of individual interactive artifacts while embracing that they are part of a larger ecology of artifacts. We show how the human–artifact model helps structuring the understanding of an artifact's action......-possibilities in relation to the artifact ecology surrounding it. Essential to the model is that it provides four interconnected levels of analysis and addresses the possibilities and problems at these four levels. Artifacts and their use are constantly developing, and we address development in, and of, use. The framework...

Motion Artifact Quantification and Sensor Fusion for Unobtrusive Health Monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Hoog Antink, Christoph; Schulz, Florian; Walter, Marian

2017-01-01

Sensors integrated into objects of everyday life potentially allow unobtrusive health monitoring at home. However, since the coupling of sensors and subject is not as well-defined as compared to a clinical setting, the signal quality is much more variable and can be disturbed significantly by motion artifacts. One way of tackling this challenge is the combined evaluation of multiple channels via sensor fusion. For robust and accurate sensor fusion, analyzing the influence of motion on different modalities is crucial. In this work, a multimodal sensor setup integrated into an armchair is presented that combines capacitively coupled electrocardiography, reflective photoplethysmography, two high-frequency impedance sensors and two types of ballistocardiography sensors. To quantify motion artifacts, a motion protocol performed by healthy volunteers is recorded with a motion capture system, and reference sensors perform cardiorespiratory monitoring. The shape-based signal-to-noise ratio SNRS is introduced and used to quantify the effect on motion on different sensing modalities. Based on this analysis, an optimal combination of sensors and fusion methodology is developed and evaluated. Using the proposed approach, beat-to-beat heart-rate is estimated with a coverage of 99.5% and a mean absolute error of 7.9 ms on 425 min of data from seven volunteers in a proof-of-concept measurement scenario. PMID:29295594

Motion Artifact Quantification and Sensor Fusion for Unobtrusive Health Monitoring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christoph Hoog Antink

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Sensors integrated into objects of everyday life potentially allow unobtrusive health monitoring at home. However, since the coupling of sensors and subject is not as well-defined as compared to a clinical setting, the signal quality is much more variable and can be disturbed significantly by motion artifacts. One way of tackling this challenge is the combined evaluation of multiple channels via sensor fusion. For robust and accurate sensor fusion, analyzing the influence of motion on different modalities is crucial. In this work, a multimodal sensor setup integrated into an armchair is presented that combines capacitively coupled electrocardiography, reflective photoplethysmography, two high-frequency impedance sensors and two types of ballistocardiography sensors. To quantify motion artifacts, a motion protocol performed by healthy volunteers is recorded with a motion capture system, and reference sensors perform cardiorespiratory monitoring. The shape-based signal-to-noise ratio SNR S is introduced and used to quantify the effect on motion on different sensing modalities. Based on this analysis, an optimal combination of sensors and fusion methodology is developed and evaluated. Using the proposed approach, beat-to-beat heart-rate is estimated with a coverage of 99.5% and a mean absolute error of 7.9 ms on 425 min of data from seven volunteers in a proof-of-concept measurement scenario.

Artificial neural network for suppression of banding artifacts in balanced steady-state free precession MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Ki Hwan; Park, Sung-Hong

2017-04-01

The balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) MR sequence is frequently used in clinics, but is sensitive to off-resonance effects, which can cause banding artifacts. Often multiple bSSFP datasets are acquired at different phase cycling (PC) angles and then combined in a special way for banding artifact suppression. Many strategies of combining the datasets have been suggested for banding artifact suppression, but there are still limitations in their performance, especially when the number of phase-cycled bSSFP datasets is small. The purpose of this study is to develop a learning-based model to combine the multiple phase-cycled bSSFP datasets for better banding artifact suppression. Multilayer perceptron (MLP) is a feedforward artificial neural network consisting of three layers of input, hidden, and output layers. MLP models were trained by input bSSFP datasets acquired from human brain and knee at 3T, which were separately performed for two and four PC angles. Banding-free bSSFP images were generated by maximum-intensity projection (MIP) of 8 or 12 phase-cycled datasets and were used as targets for training the output layer. The trained MLP models were applied to another brain and knee datasets acquired with different scan parameters and also to multiple phase-cycled bSSFP functional MRI datasets acquired on rat brain at 9.4T, in comparison with the conventional MIP method. Simulations were also performed to validate the MLP approach. Both the simulations and human experiments demonstrated that MLP suppressed banding artifacts significantly, superior to MIP in both banding artifact suppression and SNR efficiency. MLP demonstrated superior performance over MIP for the 9.4T fMRI data as well, which was not used for training the models, while visually preserving the fMRI maps very well. Artificial neural network is a promising technique for combining multiple phase-cycled bSSFP datasets for banding artifact suppression. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All

Automated Classification and Removal of EEG Artifacts With SVM and Wavelet-ICA.

Science.gov (United States)

Sai, Chong Yeh; Mokhtar, Norrima; Arof, Hamzah; Cumming, Paul; Iwahashi, Masahiro

2018-05-01

Brain electrical activity recordings by electroencephalography (EEG) are often contaminated with signal artifacts. Procedures for automated removal of EEG artifacts are frequently sought for clinical diagnostics and brain-computer interface applications. In recent years, a combination of independent component analysis (ICA) and discrete wavelet transform has been introduced as standard technique for EEG artifact removal. However, in performing the wavelet-ICA procedure, visual inspection or arbitrary thresholding may be required for identifying artifactual components in the EEG signal. We now propose a novel approach for identifying artifactual components separated by wavelet-ICA using a pretrained support vector machine (SVM). Our method presents a robust and extendable system that enables fully automated identification and removal of artifacts from EEG signals, without applying any arbitrary thresholding. Using test data contaminated by eye blink artifacts, we show that our method performed better in identifying artifactual components than did existing thresholding methods. Furthermore, wavelet-ICA in conjunction with SVM successfully removed target artifacts, while largely retaining the EEG source signals of interest. We propose a set of features including kurtosis, variance, Shannon's entropy, and range of amplitude as training and test data of SVM to identify eye blink artifacts in EEG signals. This combinatorial method is also extendable to accommodate multiple types of artifacts present in multichannel EEG. We envision future research to explore other descriptive features corresponding to other types of artifactual components.

Artifact Reduction of Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging Using a Short-Echo Phase Mask

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishimori, Y.; Monma, M.; Kohno, Y.

2009-01-01

Background: Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) is utilized in magnetic resonance (MR) venography and other applications, but can include artifacts caused by the phase-masking process. Purpose: To demonstrate risks of filter processes used in making phase masks for SWI, and to propose a simple method for reducing artifacts. Material and Methods: Phase linearity related to echo time (TE) was evaluated for the original phase and high-pass-filtered phase using a CuSO 4 -doped water phantom. Effect of filter size of the Hanning window and background homogeneity were also evaluated in a phantom study. Use of a phase mask generated by data with differing magnitudes of TE was attempted in a human study. Shorter TE was used for making the phase mask, and the number of multiplications was increased. As short and long TEs were necessary simultaneously for phase mask and T2* contrast, a dual-echo technique was used. Results: Linearity of TE and phase value collapsed, and an unexpected negative phase appeared in the high-pass-filtered phase. Using a short-TE phase mask, phase-aliasing artifacts were reduced and visibility of deep veins was equivalent to that under conventional methods with an increased number of multiplications. Conclusion: Use of a short-echo phase mask in SWI is useful for reducing artifacts

Color enhanced pipelines for reality-based 3D modeling of on site medium sized archeological artifacts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabrizio I. Apollonio

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The paper describes a color enhanced processing system - applied as case study on an artifact of the Pompeii archaeological area - developed in order to enhance different techniques for reality-based 3D models construction and visualization of archaeological artifacts. This processing allows rendering reflectance properties with perceptual fidelity on a consumer display and presents two main improvements over existing techniques: a. the color definition of the archaeological artifacts; b. the comparison between the range-based and photogrammetry-based pipelines to understand the limits of use and suitability to specific objects.

Discrimination of common myocardial tomography artifacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi Hongcheng; Chen Shaoliang; Yao Zhifeng; Zhu Weimin; Liu Wenguan

2002-01-01

To study the characteristics of common myocardial tomography artifacts so as to increase the diagnosis accuracy, 132 patients with myocardial perfusion were reviewed. With careful recognition of artifacts, the patients were re-diagnosed and compared with previous results. It was found that attenuation artifacts and motion artifacts were found frequently in thallium SPECT images. Artifacts caused by thoracic wall were frequent in female and showed a fixed defect in anterior or lateral wall; attenuation artifacts caused by left hemi diaphragm were always found in male and showed that the inferior wall became thinner gradually from apex to bottom in vertical long axis slices. The coexistence of defects and hot areas was the characteristics of motion artifacts. Artifacts caused by non-target organs, liver and/or gastrointestinal tracts, were frequently seen in 99m Tc-MIBI SPECT image. By recognizing the artifacts, misdiagnosis rate decreased significantly from 13.6% to 6.8%. Authors' studies show that all kinds of artifacts have their prevalence rate and imaging feature, the artifacts could be eliminated effectively by careful analysis and some correction measures

Archaeology Through Computational Linguistics: Inscription Statistics Predict Excavation Sites of Indus Valley Artifacts.

Science.gov (United States)

Recchia, Gabriel L; Louwerse, Max M

2016-11-01

Computational techniques comparing co-occurrences of city names in texts allow the relative longitudes and latitudes of cities to be estimated algorithmically. However, these techniques have not been applied to estimate the provenance of artifacts with unknown origins. Here, we estimate the geographic origin of artifacts from the Indus Valley Civilization, applying methods commonly used in cognitive science to the Indus script. We show that these methods can accurately predict the relative locations of archeological sites on the basis of artifacts of known provenance, and we further apply these techniques to determine the most probable excavation sites of four sealings of unknown provenance. These findings suggest that inscription statistics reflect historical interactions among locations in the Indus Valley region, and they illustrate how computational methods can help localize inscribed archeological artifacts of unknown origin. The success of this method offers opportunities for the cognitive sciences in general and for computational anthropology specifically. Copyright © 2015 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Artifact Reduction of Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging Using a Short-Echo Phase Mask

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ishimori, Y.; Monma, M. (Dept. of Radiological Sciences, Ibaraki Prefectural Univ. of Health Sciences, Inashiki-gun, Ibaraki (Japan)); Kohno, Y. (Dept. of Neurology, Ibaraki Prefectural Univ. of Health Sciences, Inashiki-gun, Ibaraki (Japan))

2009-11-15

Background: Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) is utilized in magnetic resonance (MR) venography and other applications, but can include artifacts caused by the phase-masking process. Purpose: To demonstrate risks of filter processes used in making phase masks for SWI, and to propose a simple method for reducing artifacts. Material and Methods: Phase linearity related to echo time (TE) was evaluated for the original phase and high-pass-filtered phase using a CuSO{sub 4}-doped water phantom. Effect of filter size of the Hanning window and background homogeneity were also evaluated in a phantom study. Use of a phase mask generated by data with differing magnitudes of TE was attempted in a human study. Shorter TE was used for making the phase mask, and the number of multiplications was increased. As short and long TEs were necessary simultaneously for phase mask and T2 contrast, a dual-echo technique was used. Results: Linearity of TE and phase value collapsed, and an unexpected negative phase appeared in the high-pass-filtered phase. Using a short-TE phase mask, phase-aliasing artifacts were reduced and visibility of deep veins was equivalent to that under conventional methods with an increased number of multiplications. Conclusion: Use of a short-echo phase mask in SWI is useful for reducing artifacts

Quantitative analysis of titanium-induced artifacts and correlated factors during micro-CT scanning.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jun Yuan; Pow, Edmond Ho Nang; Zheng, Li Wu; Ma, Li; Kwong, Dora Lai Wan; Cheung, Lim Kwong

2014-04-01

To investigate the impact of cover screw, resin embedment, and implant angulation on artifact of microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) scanning for implant. A total of twelve implants were randomly divided into 4 groups: (i) implant only; (ii) implant with cover screw; (iii) implant with resin embedment; and (iv) implants with cover screw and resin embedment. Implants angulation at 0°, 45°, and 90° were scanned by micro-CT. Images were assessed, and the ratio of artifact volume to total volume (AV/TV) was calculated. A multiple regression analysis in stepwise model was used to determine the significance of different factors. One-way ANOVA was performed to identify which combination of factors could minimize the artifact. In the regression analysis, implant angulation was identified as the best predictor for artifact among the factors (P  0.05). Non-embedded implants with the axis parallel to X-ray source of micro-CT produced minimal artifact. Implant angulation and resin embedment affected the artifact volume of micro-CT scanning for implant, while cover screw did not. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Multiples least-squares reverse time migration

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Dongliang

2013-01-01

To enhance the image quality, we propose multiples least-squares reverse time migration (MLSRTM) that transforms each hydrophone into a virtual point source with a time history equal to that of the recorded data. Since each recorded trace is treated as a virtual source, knowledge of the source wavelet is not required. Numerical tests on synthetic data for the Sigsbee2B model and field data from Gulf of Mexico show that MLSRTM can improve the image quality by removing artifacts, balancing amplitudes, and suppressing crosstalk compared to standard migration of the free-surface multiples. The potential liability of this method is that multiples require several roundtrips between the reflector and the free surface, so that high frequencies in the multiples are attenuated compared to the primary reflections. This can lead to lower resolution in the migration image compared to that computed from primaries.

Artifacts in Magnetic Resonance Imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krupa, Katarzyna; Bekiesińska-Figatowska, Monika

2015-01-01

Artifacts in magnetic resonance imaging and foreign bodies within the patient’s body may be confused with a pathology or may reduce the quality of examinations. Radiologists are frequently not informed about the medical history of patients and face postoperative/other images they are not familiar with. A gallery of such images was presented in this manuscript. A truncation artifact in the spinal cord could be misinterpreted as a syrinx. Motion artifacts caused by breathing, cardiac movement, CSF pulsation/blood flow create a ghost artifact which can be reduced by patient immobilization, or cardiac/respiratory gating. Aliasing artifacts can be eliminated by increasing the field of view. An artificially hyperintense signal on FLAIR images can result from magnetic susceptibility artifacts, CSF/vascular pulsation, motion, but can also be found in patients undergoing MRI examinations while receiving supplemental oxygen. Metallic and other foreign bodies which may be found on and in patients’ bodies are the main group of artifacts and these are the focus of this study: e.g. make-up, tattoos, hairbands, clothes, endovascular embolization, prostheses, surgical clips, intraorbital and other medical implants, etc. Knowledge of different types of artifacts and their origin, and of possible foreign bodies is necessary to eliminate them or to reduce their negative influence on MR images by adjusting acquisition parameters. It is also necessary to take them into consideration when interpreting the images. Some proposals of reducing artifacts have been mentioned. Describing in detail the procedures to avoid or limit the artifacts would go beyond the scope of this paper but technical ways to reduce them can be found in the cited literature

Fast solar radiation pressure modelling with ray tracing and multiple reflections

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhen; Ziebart, Marek; Bhattarai, Santosh; Harrison, David; Grey, Stuart

2018-05-01

Physics based SRP (Solar Radiation Pressure) models using ray tracing methods are powerful tools when modelling the forces on complex real world space vehicles. Currently high resolution (1 mm) ray tracing with secondary intersections is done on high performance computers at UCL (University College London). This study introduces the BVH (Bounding Volume Hierarchy) into the ray tracing approach for physics based SRP modelling and makes it possible to run high resolution analysis on personal computers. The ray tracer is both general and efficient enough to cope with the complex shape of satellites and multiple reflections (three or more, with no upper limit). In this study, the traditional ray tracing technique is introduced in the first place and then the BVH is integrated into the ray tracing. Four aspects of the ray tracer were tested for investigating the performance including runtime, accuracy, the effects of multiple reflections and the effects of pixel array resolution.Test results in runtime on GPS IIR and Galileo IOV (In Orbit Validation) satellites show that the BVH can make the force model computation 30-50 times faster. The ray tracer has an absolute accuracy of several nanonewtons by comparing the test results for spheres and planes with the analytical computations. The multiple reflection effects are investigated both in the intersection number and acceleration on GPS IIR, Galileo IOV and Sentinel-1 spacecraft. Considering the number of intersections, the 3rd reflection can capture 99.12 %, 99.14 % , and 91.34 % of the total reflections for GPS IIR, Galileo IOV satellite bus and the Sentinel-1 spacecraft respectively. In terms of the multiple reflection effects on the acceleration, the secondary reflection effect for Galileo IOV satellite and Sentinel-1 can reach 0.2 nm /s2 and 0.4 nm /s2 respectively. The error percentage in the accelerations magnitude results show that the 3rd reflection should be considered in order to make it less than 0.035 % . The

Off-resonance artifacts correction with convolution in k-space (ORACLE).

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Wei; Huang, Feng; Simonotto, Enrico; Duensing, George R; Reykowski, Arne

2012-06-01

Off-resonance artifacts hinder the wider applicability of echo-planar imaging and non-Cartesian MRI methods such as radial and spiral. In this work, a general and rapid method is proposed for off-resonance artifacts correction based on data convolution in k-space. The acquired k-space is divided into multiple segments based on their acquisition times. Off-resonance-induced artifact within each segment is removed by applying a convolution kernel, which is the Fourier transform of an off-resonance correcting spatial phase modulation term. The field map is determined from the inverse Fourier transform of a basis kernel, which is calibrated from data fitting in k-space. The technique was demonstrated in phantom and in vivo studies for radial, spiral and echo-planar imaging datasets. For radial acquisitions, the proposed method allows the self-calibration of the field map from the imaging data, when an alternating view-angle ordering scheme is used. An additional advantage for off-resonance artifacts correction based on data convolution in k-space is the reusability of convolution kernels to images acquired with the same sequence but different contrasts. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Language and other artifacts: socio-cultural dynamics of niche construction.

Science.gov (United States)

Sinha, Chris

2015-01-01

Niche construction theory is a relatively new approach in evolutionary biology that seeks to integrate an ecological dimension into the Darwinian theory of evolution by natural selection. It is regarded by many evolutionary biologists as providing a significant revision of the Neo-Darwinian modern synthesis that unified Darwin's theory of natural and sexual selection with 20th century population genetics. Niche construction theory has been invoked as a processual mediator of social cognitive evolution and of the emergence and evolution of language. I argue that language itself can be considered as a biocultural niche and evolutionary artifact. I provide both a general analysis of the cognitive and semiotic status of artifacts, and a formal analysis of language as a social and semiotic institution, based upon a distinction between the fundamental semiotic relations of "counting as" and "standing for." I explore the consequences for theories of language and language learning of viewing language as a biocultural niche. I suggest that not only do niches mediate organism-organism interactions, but also that organisms mediate niche-niche interactions in ways that affect evolutionary processes, with the evolution of human infancy and childhood as a key example. I argue that language as a social and semiotic system is not only grounded in embodied engagements with the material and social-interactional world, but also grounds a sub-class of artifacts of particular significance in the cultural history of human cognition. Symbolic cognitive artifacts materially and semiotically mediate human cognition, and are not merely informational repositories, but co-agentively constitutive of culturally and historically emergent cognitive domains. I provide examples of the constitutive cognitive role of symbolic cognitive artifacts drawn from my research with my colleagues on cultural and linguistic conceptualizations of time, and their cultural variability. I conclude by reflecting on

Language and other artifacts: socio-cultural dynamics of niche construction.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chris eSinha

2015-10-01

by reflecting on the philosophical and social implications of understanding artifacts co-agentively.

DNA suspension arrays: silencing discrete artifacts for high-sensitivity applications.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew S Lalonde

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Detection of low frequency single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs has important implications in early screening for tumorgenesis, genetic disorders and pathogen drug resistance. Nucleic acid arrays are a powerful tool for genome-scale SNP analysis, but detection of low-frequency SNPs in a mixed population on an array is problematic. We demonstrate a model assay for HIV-1 drug resistance mutations, wherein ligase discrimination products are collected on a suspension array. In developing this system, we discovered that signal from multiple polymorphisms was obscured by two discrete hybridization artifacts. Specifically: 1 tethering of unligated probes on the template DNA elicited false signal and 2 unpredictable probe secondary structures impaired probe capture and suppressed legitimate signal from the array. Two sets of oligonucleotides were used to disrupt these structures; one to displace unligated reporter labels from the bead-bound species and another to occupy sequences which interfered with array hybridization. This artifact silencing system resulted in a mean 21-fold increased sensitivity for 29 minority variants of 17 codons in our model assay for mutations most commonly associated with HIV-1 drug resistance. Furthermore, since the artifacts we characterized are not unique to our system, their specific inhibition might improve the quality of data from solid-state microarrays as well as from the growing number of multiple analyte suspension arrays relying on sequence-specific nucleic acid target capture.

Home-Explorer: Ontology-Based Physical Artifact Search and Hidden Object Detection System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bin Guo

2008-01-01

Full Text Available A new system named Home-Explorer that searches and finds physical artifacts in a smart indoor environment is proposed. The view on which it is based is artifact-centered and uses sensors attached to the everyday artifacts (called smart objects in the real world. This paper makes two main contributions: First, it addresses, the robustness of the embedded sensors, which is seldom discussed in previous smart artifact research. Because sensors may sometimes be broken or fail to work under certain conditions, smart objects become hidden ones. However, current systems provide no mechanism to detect and manage objects when this problem occurs. Second, there is no common context infrastructure for building smart artifact systems, which makes it difficult for separately developed applications to interact with each other and uneasy for them to share and reuse knowledge. Unlike previous systems, Home-Explorer builds on an ontology-based knowledge infrastructure named Sixth-Sense, which makes it easy for the system to interact with other applications or agents also based on this ontology. The hidden object problem is also reflected in our ontology, which enables Home-Explorer to deal with both smart objects and hidden objects. A set of rules for deducing an object's status or location information and for locating hidden objects are described and evaluated.

Metal artifact reduction in x-ray computed tomography (CT) by constrained optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Xiaomeng; Wang Jing; Xing Lei

2011-01-01

Purpose: The streak artifacts caused by metal implants have long been recognized as a problem that limits various applications of CT imaging. In this work, the authors propose an iterative metal artifact reduction algorithm based on constrained optimization. Methods: After the shape and location of metal objects in the image domain is determined automatically by the binary metal identification algorithm and the segmentation of ''metal shadows'' in projection domain is done, constrained optimization is used for image reconstruction. It minimizes a predefined function that reflects a priori knowledge of the image, subject to the constraint that the estimated projection data are within a specified tolerance of the available metal-shadow-excluded projection data, with image non-negativity enforced. The minimization problem is solved through the alternation of projection-onto-convex-sets and the steepest gradient descent of the objective function. The constrained optimization algorithm is evaluated with a penalized smoothness objective. Results: The study shows that the proposed method is capable of significantly reducing metal artifacts, suppressing noise, and improving soft-tissue visibility. It outperforms the FBP-type methods and ART and EM methods and yields artifacts-free images. Conclusions: Constrained optimization is an effective way to deal with CT reconstruction with embedded metal objects. Although the method is presented in the context of metal artifacts, it is applicable to general ''missing data'' image reconstruction problems.

Beam Hardening Artifacts: Comparison between Two Cone Beam Computed Tomography Scanners

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Farzad Esmaeili

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Background and aims. At present, cone beam computed tomography (CBCT has become a substitute for computed tomography (CT in dental procedures. The metallic materials used in dentistry can produce artifacts due to the beam hardening phenomenon. These artifacts decrease the quality of images. In the present study, the number of artifacts as a result of beam hardening in the images of dental implants was compared between two NewTom VG and Planmeca Promax 3D Max CBCT machines. Materials and methods. An implant drilling model was used in the present study. The implants (Dentis were placed in the canine, premolar and molar areas. Scanning procedures were carried out by two CBCT machines. The corresponding sections (coronal and axial of the implants were evaluated by two radiologists. The number of artifacts in each image was determined using the scale provided. Mann-Whitney U test was used for two-by-two comparisons at a significance level of P<0.05. Results. There were statistically significant differences in beam hardening artifacts in axial and coronal sections between the two x-ray machines (P<0.001, with a higher quality in the images produced by the NewTom VG. Conclusion. Given the higher quality of the images produced by the NewTom VG x-ray machine, it is recommended for imaging of patients with extensive restorations, multiple prostheses or previous implant treatments.

MADR: metal artifact detection and reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Jaiswal, Sunil Prasad; Ha, Sungsoo; Mueller, Klaus

2016-04-01

Metal in CT-imaged objects drastically reduces the quality of these images due to the severe artifacts it can cause. Most metal artifacts reduction (MAR) algorithms consider the metal-affected sinogram portions as the corrupted data and replace them via sophisticated interpolation methods. While these schemes are successful in removing the metal artifacts, they fail to recover some of the edge information. To address these problems, the frequency shift metal artifact reduction algorithm (FSMAR) was recently proposed. It exploits the information hidden in the uncorrected image and combines the high frequency (edge) components of the uncorrected image with the low frequency components of the corrected image. Although this can effectively transfer the edge information of the uncorrected image, it also introduces some unwanted artifacts. The essential problem of these algorithms is that they lack the capability of detecting the artifacts and as a result cannot discriminate between desired and undesired edges. We propose a scheme that does better in these respects. Our Metal Artifact Detection and Reduction (MADR) scheme constructs a weight map which stores whether a pixel in the uncorrected image belongs to an artifact region or a non-artifact region. This weight matrix is optimal in the Linear Minimum Mean Square Sense (LMMSE). Our results demonstrate that MADR outperforms the existing algorithms and ensures that the anatomical structures close to metal implants are better preserved.

Multiple wall-reflection effect in adaptive-array differential-phase reflectometry on QUEST

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Idei, H.; Fujisawa, A.; Nagashima, Y.; Onchi, T.; Hanada, K.; Zushi, H.; Mishra, K.; Hamasaki, M.; Hayashi, Y.; Yamamoto, M.K.

2016-01-01

A phased array antenna and Software-Defined Radio (SDR) heterodyne-detection systems have been developed for adaptive array approaches in reflectometry on the QUEST. In the QUEST device considered as a large oversized cavity, standing wave (multiple wall-reflection) effect was significantly observed with distorted amplitude and phase evolution even if the adaptive array analyses were applied. The distorted fields were analyzed by Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) in wavenumber domain to treat separately the components with and without wall reflections. The differential phase evolution was properly obtained from the distorted field evolution by the FFT procedures. A frequency derivative method has been proposed to overcome the multiple-wall reflection effect, and SDR super-heterodyned components with small frequency difference for the derivative method were correctly obtained using the FFT analysis

Personality Trait Differences Between Young and Middle-Aged Adults: Measurement Artifacts or Actual Trends?

Science.gov (United States)

Nye, Christopher D; Allemand, Mathias; Gosling, Samuel D; Potter, Jeff; Roberts, Brent W

2016-08-01

A growing body of research demonstrates that older individuals tend to score differently on personality measures than younger adults. However, recent research using item response theory (IRT) has questioned these findings, suggesting that apparent age differences in personality traits merely reflect artifacts of the response process rather than true differences in the latent constructs. Conversely, other studies have found the opposite-age differences appear to be true differences rather than response artifacts. Given these contradictory findings, the goal of the present study was to examine the measurement equivalence of personality ratings drawn from large groups of young and middle-aged adults (a) to examine whether age differences in personality traits could be completely explained by measurement nonequivalence and (b) to illustrate the comparability of IRT and confirmatory factor analysis approaches to testing equivalence in this context. Self-ratings of personality traits were analyzed in two groups of Internet respondents aged 20 and 50 (n = 15,726 in each age group). Measurement nonequivalence across these groups was negligible. The effect sizes of the mean differences due to nonequivalence ranged from -.16 to .15. Results indicate that personality trait differences across age groups reflect actual differences rather than merely response artifacts. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Artifacts in magnetic resonance imaging of the head

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iwama, Toru; Andoh, Takashi; Sakai, Noboru; Yamada, Hiromu [Gifu Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Medicine; Funakoshi, Takashi; Akiyama, Shigeru; Yoshida, Kakuro

1989-08-01

The results of 505 magnetic resonance (MR) imaging examinations of the head disclosed several different types of artifact. Various artifacts observed with two-dimentional Fourier transformation are described and illustrated. All images were obtained with a 0.5 Tesla superconducting MR imager. About 70% of all images contained artifacts. Phase encoding artifacts due to motion or flow were most frequently observed. Center, 'zipper,' truncation, radiofrequency, and ferromagnetic artifacts and contrast error on inversion recovery (IR) images were noted less frequently. Phase encoding artifacts and contrast errors on IR images totally degraded the images, and 'zipper' artifacts were regional. Center artifacts resembled small infarctions, and ferromagnetic artifacts sometimes mimicked hematmas. It is important to recognize these artifacts and to devise methods to avoid their influence on the region of interest. (author).

Language and other artifacts: socio-cultural dynamics of niche construction

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Sinha, Chris

2015-01-01

reflecting on the philosophical and social implications of understanding artifacts co-agentively. PMID:26539144

Use of cognitive artifacts in chemistry learning

Science.gov (United States)

Yengin, Ilker

In everyday life, we interact with cognitive artifacts to receive and/or manipulate information so as to alter our thinking processes. CHEM/TEAC 869Q is a distance course that includes extensive explicit instruction in the use of a cognitive artifact. This study investigates issues related to the design of that online artifact. In order to understand design implications and how cognitive artifacts contribute to students' thinking and learning, a qualitative research methodology was engaged that utilized think aloud sessions. Participants' described constrained and structured cognitive models while using the artifact. The study also was informed by interviews and researcher's field notes. A purposeful sampling method led to the selection of participants, four males and two females, who had no prior history of using a course from the 869 series but who had experienced the scientific content covered by the CHEM869Q course. Analysis of the results showed both that a cognitive artifact may lead users' minds in decision making, and that problem solving processes were affected by cognitive artifact's design. When there is no design flaw, users generally thought that the cognitive artifact was helpful by simplifying steps, overcoming other limitations, and reducing errors in a reliable, effective, and easy to use way. Moreover, results showed that successful implementation of cognitive artifacts into teaching --learning practices depended on user willingness to transfer a task to the artifact. While users may like the idea of benefiting from a cognitive artifact, nevertheless, they may tend to limit their usage. They sometimes think that delegating a task to a cognitive artifact makes them dependent, and that they may not learn how to perform the tasks by themselves. They appear more willing to use a cognitive artifact after they have done the task by themselves.

Small Artifacts - Big Technologies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kreiner, Kristian

2005-01-01

The computer IC is the heart of the information and telecommunication technology. It is a tiny artifact, but with incredible organizing powers. We use this physical artifact as the location for studying central problems of the knowledge economy. First, the paper describes the history of chip design...

Incorporating a Soil Science Artifact into a University ePortfolio Assessment Tool

Science.gov (United States)

Mikhailova, Elena; Werts, Joshua; Post, Christopher; Ring, Gail

2014-01-01

The ePortfolio is a useful educational tool that is utilized in many educational institutions to showcase student accomplishments and provide students with an opportunity to reflect on their educational progress. The objective of this study was to develop and test an artifact from an introductory soil science course to be included in the…

Packaging Design. A Systemic Approach to a Complex Artifact

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Erik Ciravegna

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Packaging is a complex artifact, which has considerably expanded its functions over time. It is an object of use (instrumental prosthesis, which allows to contain the product, protect it, store it, transport it, and at the same time, facilitate its physical interaction with the user. Also, it is communication device (communication prosthesis, characterized by functions, among others, of appellative, persuasive, informative and prescriptive kind. For its multifaceted nature, the project of a package requires different skills and the intervention of multiple disciplines: for that reason, should be understood as the result of an integrated set of choices made by a plurality of actors, where each performs a specific role – direct or indirect – in its definition. These actors, together with the relationships that are established throughout the product life cycle, define the so-called “packaging-system”. Within this system, Design –and specifically Communication Design– may play an important role in direction and mediation, potentially giving shape through the project synthesis to solutions which are an expression of the confluence of the needs of the different parties involved and the multiple functions of the artifact, connecting the communicative dimension to a strictly instrumental dimension.

LAI inversion from optical reflectance using a neural network trained with a multiple scattering model

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, James A.

1992-01-01

The inversion of the leaf area index (LAI) canopy parameter from optical spectral reflectance measurements is obtained using a backpropagation artificial neural network trained using input-output pairs generated by a multiple scattering reflectance model. The problem of LAI estimation over sparse canopies (LAI 1000 percent for low LAI. Minimization methods applied to merit functions constructed from differences between measured reflectances and predicted reflectances using multiple-scattering models are unacceptably sensitive to a good initial guess for the desired parameter. In contrast, the neural network reported generally yields absolute percentage errors of <30 percent when weighting coefficients trained on one soil type were applied to predicted canopy reflectance at a different soil background.

An extension to artifact-free projection overlaps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Jianyu

2015-01-01

Purpose: In multipinhole single photon emission computed tomography, the overlapping of projections has been used to increase sensitivity. Avoiding artifacts in the reconstructed image associated with projection overlaps (multiplexing) is a critical issue. In our previous report, two types of artifact-free projection overlaps, i.e., projection overlaps that do not lead to artifacts in the reconstructed image, were formally defined and proved, and were validated via simulations. In this work, a new proposition is introduced to extend the previously defined type-II artifact-free projection overlaps so that a broader range of artifact-free overlaps is accommodated. One practical purpose of the new extension is to design a baffle window multipinhole system with artifact-free projection overlaps. Methods: First, the extended type-II artifact-free overlap was theoretically defined and proved. The new proposition accommodates the situation where the extended type-II artifact-free projection overlaps can be produced with incorrectly reconstructed portions in the reconstructed image. Next, to validate the theory, the extended-type-II artifact-free overlaps were employed in designing the multiplexing multipinhole spiral orbit imaging systems with a baffle window. Numerical validations were performed via simulations, where the corresponding 1-pinhole nonmultiplexing reconstruction results were used as the benchmark for artifact-free reconstructions. The mean square error (MSE) was the metric used for comparisons of noise-free reconstructed images. Noisy reconstructions were also performed as part of the validations. Results: Simulation results show that for noise-free reconstructions, the MSEs of the reconstructed images of the artifact-free multiplexing systems are very similar to those of the corresponding 1-pinhole systems. No artifacts were observed in the reconstructed images. Therefore, the testing results for artifact-free multiplexing systems designed using the

Conceptual Model of Artifacts for Design Science Research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bækgaard, Lars

2015-01-01

We present a conceptual model of design science research artifacts. The model views an artifact at three levels. At the artifact level a selected artifact is viewed as a combination of material and immaterial aspects and a set of representations hereof. At the design level the selected artifact...

Experimental procedures to mitigate electron beam induced artifacts during in situ fluid imaging of nanomaterials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woehl, Taylor J.; Jungjohann, Katherine L.; Evans, James E.; Arslan, Ilke; Ristenpart, William D.; Browning, Nigel D.

2013-01-01

Scanning transmission electron microscopy of various fluid and hydrated nanomaterial samples has revealed multiple imaging artifacts and electron beam–fluid interactions. These phenomena include growth of crystals on the fluid stage windows, repulsion of particles from the irradiated area, bubble formation, and the loss of atomic information during prolonged imaging of individual nanoparticles. Here we provide a comprehensive review of these fluid stage artifacts, and we present new experimental evidence that sheds light on their origins in terms of experimental apparatus issues and indirect electron beam sample interactions with the fluid layer. A key finding is that many artifacts are a result of indirect electron beam interactions, such as production of reactive radicals in the water by radiolysis, and the associated crystal growth. The results presented here will provide a methodology for minimizing fluid stage imaging artifacts and acquiring quantitative in situ observations of nanomaterial behavior in a liquid environment

Experimental procedures to mitigate electron beam induced artifacts during in situ fluid imaging of nanomaterials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Woehl, Taylor J., E-mail: tjwoehl@ucdavis.edu [Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616 (United States); Jungjohann, Katherine L. [Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616 (United States); Evans, James E. [Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616 (United States); Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352 (United States); Arslan, Ilke [Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616 (United States); Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352 (United States); Ristenpart, William D. [Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616 (United States); Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616 (United States); Browning, Nigel D. [Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616 (United States); Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616 (United States); Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352 (United States)

2013-04-15

Scanning transmission electron microscopy of various fluid and hydrated nanomaterial samples has revealed multiple imaging artifacts and electron beam–fluid interactions. These phenomena include growth of crystals on the fluid stage windows, repulsion of particles from the irradiated area, bubble formation, and the loss of atomic information during prolonged imaging of individual nanoparticles. Here we provide a comprehensive review of these fluid stage artifacts, and we present new experimental evidence that sheds light on their origins in terms of experimental apparatus issues and indirect electron beam sample interactions with the fluid layer. A key finding is that many artifacts are a result of indirect electron beam interactions, such as production of reactive radicals in the water by radiolysis, and the associated crystal growth. The results presented here will provide a methodology for minimizing fluid stage imaging artifacts and acquiring quantitative in situ observations of nanomaterial behavior in a liquid environment.

Investigating media artifacts with children

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chimirri, Niklas Alexander

The dissertation’s aim is to explore the everyday relevance media artifacts have for young children. It discusses and further develops analytical concepts that are committed to taking the children’s perspectives on possibilities and limitations of such artifacts seriously. These conceptual...... developments are rooted in the author’s participation in a daycare practice in Berlin, Germany. The daycare’s situational approach precisely attempted to draw on the children’s everyday life experiences so as to engage in problem-oriented learning projects, on media artifacts and beyond....

Angular distribution of diffuse reflectance from incoherent multiple scattering in turbid media.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, M; Huang, X; Yang, P; Kattawar, G W

2013-08-20

The angular distribution of diffuse reflection is elucidated with greater understanding by studying a homogeneous turbid medium. We modeled the medium as an infinite slab and studied the reflection dependence on the following three parameters: the incident direction, optical depth, and asymmetry factor. The diffuse reflection is produced by incoherent multiple scattering and is solved through radiative transfer theory. At large optical depths, the angular distribution of the diffuse reflection with small incident angles is similar to that of a Lambertian surface, but, with incident angles larger than 60°, the angular distributions have a prominent reflection peak around the specular reflection angle. These reflection peaks are found originating from the scattering within one transport mean free path in the top layer of the medium. The maximum reflection angles for different incident angles are analyzed and can characterize the structure of angular distributions for different asymmetry factors and optical depths. The properties of the angular distribution can be applied to more complex systems for a better understanding of diffuse reflection.

Archaic artifacts resembling celestial spheres

Science.gov (United States)

Dimitrakoudis, S.; Papaspyrou, P.; Petoussis, V.; Moussas, X.

We present several bronze artifacts from the Archaic Age in Greece (750-480 BC) that resemble celestial spheres or forms of other astronomical significance. They are studied in the context of the Dark Age transition from Mycenaean Age astronomical themes to the philosophical and practical revival of astronomy in the Classical Age with its plethora of astronomical devices. These artifacts, mostly votive in nature are spherical in shape and appear in a variety of forms their most striking characteristic being the depiction of meridians and/or an equator. Most of those artifacts come from Thessaly, and more specifically from the temple of Itonia Athena at Philia, a religious center of pan-Hellenic significance. Celestial spheres, similar in form to the small artifacts presented in this study, could be used to measure latitudes, or estimate the time at a known place, and were thus very useful in navigation.

Artifacts as Authoritative Actors in Educational Reform

Science.gov (United States)

März, Virginie; Kelchtermans, Geert; Vermeir, Karen

2017-01-01

Educational reforms are often translated in and implemented through artifacts. Although research has frequently treated artifacts as merely functional, more recent work acknowledges the complex relationship between material artifacts and human/organizational behavior. This article aims at disentangling this relationship in order to deepen our…

A New Method for Simultaneous Measurement of the Integrated Reflectivity of Crystals at Multiple Orders of Reflection and Comparison with New Theoretical Calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, S.G.; Bak, J.G.; Jung, Y.S.; Bitter, M.; Hill, K.W.; Hoelzer, G.; Wehrhan, O.; Foerster, E.

2003-01-01

This paper describes a new method for the simultaneous measurement of the integrated reflectivity of a crystal for multiple orders of reflection at a predefined Bragg angle. The technique is demonstrated with a mica crystal for Bragg angles of 43 o , 47 o , and 50 o . The measured integrated reflectivity for Bragg reflections up to the 24th order is compared with new theoretical predictions, which are also presented in this paper

Detection of movement artifact in recorded pulse oximeter saturation.

Science.gov (United States)

Poets, C F; Stebbens, V A

1997-10-01

Movement artifact (MA) must be detected when analysing recordings of pulse oximeter saturation (SpO2). Visual analysis of individual pulse waveforms is the safest, but also the most tedious, method for this purpose. We wanted to test the reliability of a computer algorithm (Edentec Motion Annotation System), based on a comparison between pulse and heart rate, for MA detection. Ten 12-h recordings of SpO2, pulse waveforms and heart rate from ten preterm infants were analysed for the presence of MA on the pulse waveform signal. These data were used to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the computer algorithm, and of the oximeter itself, in detecting MA. Recordings were divided into segments of 2.5 s duration to compare the movement identification methods. Of the segments 31% +/- 6% (mean +/- SD) contained MA. The computer algorithm identified 95% +/- 3% of these segments, the pulse oximeter only 18% +/- 11%. Specificity was 85% +/- 4% and 99% +/- 0%, respectively. SpO2 was signal showed MA during this time, leaving a significant potential for erroneous identification of hypoxaemia. Recordings of SpO2 do not allow a reliable identification of MA. Without additional information about movement artifact, a significant proportion of recording time of pulse oximeter signal may be regarded as demonstrating hypoxaemia which, in fact, simply reflects poor measurement conditions. The computer algorithm used in this study identified periods of movement artifact reliably.

Weighted least-square approach for simultaneous measurement of multiple reflective surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Shouhong; Bills, Richard E.; Freischlad, Klaus

2007-09-01

Phase shifting interferometry (PSI) is a highly accurate method for measuring the nanometer-scale relative surface height of a semi-reflective test surface. PSI is effectively used in conjunction with Fizeau interferometers for optical testing, hard disk inspection, and semiconductor wafer flatness. However, commonly-used PSI algorithms are unable to produce an accurate phase measurement if more than one reflective surface is present in the Fizeau interferometer test cavity. Examples of test parts that fall into this category include lithography mask blanks and their protective pellicles, and plane parallel optical beam splitters. The plane parallel surfaces of these parts generate multiple interferograms that are superimposed in the recording plane of the Fizeau interferometer. When using wavelength shifting in PSI the phase shifting speed of each interferogram is proportional to the optical path difference (OPD) between the two reflective surfaces. The proposed method is able to differentiate each underlying interferogram from each other in an optimal manner. In this paper, we present a method for simultaneously measuring the multiple test surfaces of all underlying interferograms from these superimposed interferograms through the use of a weighted least-square fitting technique. The theoretical analysis of weighted least-square technique and the measurement results will be described in this paper.

sEMG during Whole-Body Vibration Contains Motion Artifacts and Reflex Activity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karin Lienhard

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to determine whether the excessive spikes observed in the surface electromyography (sEMG spectrum recorded during whole-body vibration (WBV exercises contain motion artifacts and/or reflex activity. The occurrence of motion artifacts was tested by electrical recordings of the patella. The involvement of reflex activity was investigated by analyzing the magnitude of the isolated spikes during changes in voluntary background muscle activity. Eighteen physically active volunteers performed static squats while the sEMG was measured of five lower limb muscles during vertical WBV using no load and an additional load of 33 kg. In order to record motion artifacts during WBV, a pair of electrodes was positioned on the patella with several layers of tape between skin and electrodes. Spectral analysis of the patella signal revealed recordings of motion artifacts as high peaks at the vibration frequency (fundamental and marginal peaks at the multiple harmonics were observed. For the sEMG recordings, the root mean square of the spikes increased with increasing additional loads (p < 0.05, and was significantly correlated to the sEMG signal without the spikes of the respective muscle (r range: 0.54 - 0.92, p < 0.05. This finding indicates that reflex activity might be contained in the isolated spikes, as identical behavior has been found for stretch reflex responses evoked during direct vibration. In conclusion, the spikes visible in the sEMG spectrum during WBV exercises contain motion artifacts and possibly reflex activity.

Metallic artifacts in magnetic resonance imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abe, Eiji; Okuyama, Koichiro; Ishikawa, Noriyuki; Hongo, Michio; Sato, Kozo; Sashi, Ryuji; Ishikawa, Eijiro.

1995-01-01

Seven metallic implants with different content of magnetic materials were compared in terms of the degree of MRI artifact. The degree of artifact well correlated with the total content of iron and cobalt than the total content of ferromagnets (iron, cobalt, nickel). No significant difference was observed regarding artifact among 4 titanium alloys containing very small amount of ferromagnet (0.058%-2.5%). Pedicle screws were made from different alloys in the same shape. Those screws were inserted into the swine vertebrae and artifact was evaluated by MRI. The degree of artifact was SUS316 (stainless steel)>MP-35N (cobalt alloy)>Ti-6AI-4V (titanium alloy), 1.5 Tesla>0.5 Tesla as for magnetic intensity, and T2 (gradient echo)>T2 (long SE)>proton density>T1 as for exposure condition. The condition of the site screw was inserted in the vertebral canal was detectable by T1-weighted images of titanium alloy and cobalt alloy in 0.5 Tesla and T1-weighted images of titanium alloy in 1.5 Tesla. (S.Y)

Capillary Electrophoresis Artifact Due to Eosin

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Kathleen M.; Berg, Karin D.; Geiger, Tanya; Hafez, Michael; Flickinger, Katie A.; Cooper, Lisa; Pearson, Patrick; Eshleman, James R.

2005-01-01

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is a commonly used tool in the analysis of fluorescently labeled PCR amplification products. We have identified a CE artifact caused by the tissue stain eosin that can complicate the interpretation of CE data. The artifact was detected during routine analysis of a DNA sample isolated from a formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sample considered histologically suspicious for a B-cell neoplasm. A standard clinical PCR and CE assay for immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) gene rearrangement revealed a weak polyclonal population of rearranged IGH genes and a 71 base peak suspicious for IGH clonality. The spectral properties of the 71 base peak were unusual in that although the dominant fluorescence of the peak was blue, it also fluoresced in green and yellow (blue>green>yellow), raising the suspicion that the peak might represent an artifact. CE analysis of the genomic DNA sample without PCR amplification demonstrated the presence of the 71 base peak, suggesting that the artifact was caused by a contaminant within the DNA sample itself. We demonstrate that eosin, which was used to stain the formalin-fixed tissue during processing, yields a discrete 71 base peak of similar morphology to the contaminant peak on CE analysis. The data suggest that eosin in the fixed tissue was not completely eliminated during nucleic acid extraction, resulting in the artifact peak. We discuss the implications of this potentially common contaminant on the interpretation of CE data and demonstrate that artifacts caused by eosin can be avoided by using more stringent DNA purification steps. Histological dyes may fluoresce, and artifacts from them should be considered when primary peaks contain additional underlying peaks of other colors. PMID:15681487

Prior-based artifact correction (PBAC) in computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heußer, Thorsten; Brehm, Marcus; Ritschl, Ludwig; Sawall, Stefan; Kachelrieß, Marc

2014-01-01

Purpose: Image quality in computed tomography (CT) often suffers from artifacts which may reduce the diagnostic value of the image. In many cases, these artifacts result from missing or corrupt regions in the projection data, e.g., in the case of metal, truncation, and limited angle artifacts. The authors propose a generalized correction method for different kinds of artifacts resulting from missing or corrupt data by making use of available prior knowledge to perform data completion. Methods: The proposed prior-based artifact correction (PBAC) method requires prior knowledge in form of a planning CT of the same patient or in form of a CT scan of a different patient showing the same body region. In both cases, the prior image is registered to the patient image using a deformable transformation. The registered prior is forward projected and data completion of the patient projections is performed using smooth sinogram inpainting. The obtained projection data are used to reconstruct the corrected image. Results: The authors investigate metal and truncation artifacts in patient data sets acquired with a clinical CT and limited angle artifacts in an anthropomorphic head phantom data set acquired with a gantry-based flat detector CT device. In all cases, the corrected images obtained by PBAC are nearly artifact-free. Compared to conventional correction methods, PBAC achieves better artifact suppression while preserving the patient-specific anatomy at the same time. Further, the authors show that prominent anatomical details in the prior image seem to have only minor impact on the correction result. Conclusions: The results show that PBAC has the potential to effectively correct for metal, truncation, and limited angle artifacts if adequate prior data are available. Since the proposed method makes use of a generalized algorithm, PBAC may also be applicable to other artifacts resulting from missing or corrupt data

Practical implementation of spectral-intensity dispersion-canceled optical coherence tomography with artifact suppression

Science.gov (United States)

Shirai, Tomohiro; Friberg, Ari T.

2018-04-01

Dispersion-canceled optical coherence tomography (OCT) based on spectral intensity interferometry was devised as a classical counterpart of quantum OCT to enhance the basic performance of conventional OCT. In this paper, we demonstrate experimentally that an alternative method of realizing this kind of OCT by means of two optical fiber couplers and a single spectrometer is a more practical and reliable option than the existing methods proposed previously. Furthermore, we develop a recipe for reducing multiple artifacts simultaneously on the basis of simple averaging and verify experimentally that it works successfully in the sense that all the artifacts are mitigated effectively and only the true signals carrying structural information about the sample survive.

Voting strategy for artifact reduction in digital breast tomosynthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Tao; Moore, Richard H.; Kopans, Daniel B.

2006-01-01

Artifacts are observed in digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) reconstructions due to the small number of projections and the narrow angular range that are typically employed in tomosynthesis imaging. In this work, we investigate the reconstruction artifacts that are caused by high-attenuation features in breast and develop several artifact reduction methods based on a 'voting strategy'. The voting strategy identifies the projection(s) that would introduce artifacts to a voxel and rejects the projection(s) when reconstructing the voxel. Four approaches to the voting strategy were compared, including projection segmentation, maximum contribution deduction, one-step classification, and iterative classification. The projection segmentation method, based on segmentation of high-attenuation features from the projections, effectively reduces artifacts caused by metal and large calcifications that can be reliably detected and segmented from projections. The other three methods are based on the observation that contributions from artifact-inducing projections have higher value than those from normal projections. These methods attempt to identify the projection(s) that would cause artifacts by comparing contributions from different projections. Among the three methods, the iterative classification method provides the best artifact reduction; however, it can generate many false positive classifications that degrade the image quality. The maximum contribution deduction method and one-step classification method both reduce artifacts well from small calcifications, although the performance of artifact reduction is slightly better with the one-step classification. The combination of one-step classification and projection segmentation removes artifacts from both large and small calcifications

Small-displacement sensing system based on multiple total internal reflections in heterodyne interferometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shinn-Fwu; Chiu, Ming-Hung; Chen, Wei-Wu; Kao, Fu-Hsi; Chang, Rong-Seng

2009-05-01

A small-displacement sensing system based on multiple total internal reflections in heterodyne interferometry is proposed. In this paper, a small displacement can be obtained only by measuring the variation in phase difference between s- and p-polarization states for the total internal reflection effect. In order to improve the sensitivity, we increase the number of total internal reflections by using a parallelogram prism. The theoretical resolution of the method is better than 0.417 nm. The method has some merits, e.g., high resolution, high sensitivity, and real-time measurement. Also, its feasibility is demonstrated.

Guided interaction exploration in artifact-centric process models

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Eck, M.L.; Sidorova, N.; van der Aalst, W.M.P.

2017-01-01

Artifact-centric process models aim to describe complex processes as a collection of interacting artifacts. Recent development in process mining allow for the discovery of such models. However, the focus is often on the representation of the individual artifacts rather than their interactions. Based

Reducing artifacts from varying projection truncations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borg, Leise; Jørgensen, Jakob Sauer; Frikel, Jürgen

We study samples with full and partial occlusion causing streak artifacts, and propose two modifications of filtered backprojection for artifact removal. Data is obtained by the SPring-8 synchrotron using a monochromatic parallel-beam scan [1]. Thresholding in the sinogram segments the metal...

An index of beam hardening artifact for two-dimensional cone-beam CT tomographic images: establishment and preliminary evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Fusong; Lv, Peijun; Yang, Huifang; Wang, Yong; Sun, Yuchun

2015-07-01

Objectives: Based on the pixel gray value measurements, establish a beam-hardening artifacts index of the cone-beam CT tomographic image, and preliminarily evaluate its applicability. Methods: The 5mm-diameter metal ball and resin ball were fixed on the light-cured resin base plate respectively, while four vitro molars were fixed above and below the ball, on the left and right respectively, which have 10mm distance with the metal ball. Then, cone beam CT was used to scan the fixed base plate twice. The same layer tomographic images were selected from the two data and imported into the Photoshop software. The circle boundary was built through the determination of the center and radius of the circle, according to the artifact-free images section. Grayscale measurement tools were used to measure the internal boundary gray value G0, gray value G1 and G2 of 1mm and 20mm artifacts outside the circular boundary, the length L1 of the arc with artifacts in the circular boundary, the circumference L2. Hardening artifacts index was set A = (G1 / G0) * 0.5 + (G2 / G1) * 0.4 + (L2 / L1) * 0.1. Then, the A values of metal and resin materials were calculated respectively. Results: The A value of cobalt-chromium alloy material is 1, and resin material is 0. Conclusion: The A value reflects comprehensively the three factors of hardening artifacts influencing normal oral tissue image sharpness of cone beam CT. The three factors include relative gray value, the decay rate and range of artifacts.

Artifacts Quantification of Metal Implants in MRI

Science.gov (United States)

Vrachnis, I. N.; Vlachopoulos, G. F.; Maris, T. G.; Costaridou, L. I.

2017-11-01

The presence of materials with different magnetic properties, such as metal implants, causes distortion of the magnetic field locally, resulting in signal voids and pile ups, i.e. susceptibility artifacts in MRI. Quantitative and unbiased measurement of the artifact is prerequisite for optimization of acquisition parameters. In this study an image gradient based segmentation method is proposed for susceptibility artifact quantification. The method captures abrupt signal alterations by calculation of the image gradient. Then the artifact is quantified in terms of its extent by an automated cross entropy thresholding method as image area percentage. The proposed method for artifact quantification was tested in phantoms containing two orthopedic implants with significantly different magnetic permeabilities. The method was compared against a method proposed in the literature, considered as a reference, demonstrating moderate to good correlation (Spearman’s rho = 0.62 and 0.802 in case of titanium and stainless steel implants). The automated character of the proposed quantification method seems promising towards MRI acquisition parameter optimization.

MSVAT-SPACE-STIR and SEMAC-STIR for Reduction of Metallic Artifacts in 3T Head and Neck MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Hilgenfeld, T; Prager, M; Schwindling, F S; Nittka, M; Rammelsberg, P; Bendszus, M; Heiland, S; Juerchott, A

2018-05-24

The incidence of metallic dental restorations and implants is increasing, and head and neck MR imaging is becoming challenging regarding artifacts. Our aim was to evaluate whether multiple-slab acquisition with view angle tilting gradient based on a sampling perfection with application-optimized contrasts by using different flip angle evolution (MSVAT-SPACE)-STIR and slice-encoding for metal artifact correction (SEMAC)-STIR are beneficial regarding artifact suppression compared with the SPACE-STIR and TSE-STIR in vitro and in vivo. At 3T, 3D artifacts of 2 dental implants, supporting different single crowns, were evaluated. Image quality was evaluated quantitatively (normalized signal-to-noise ratio) and qualitatively (2 reads by 2 blinded radiologists). Feasibility was tested in vivo in 5 volunteers and 5 patients, respectively. Maximum achievable resolution and the normalized signal-to-noise ratio of MSVAT-SPACE-STIR were higher compared with SEMAC-STIR. Performance in terms of artifact correction was dependent on the material composition. For highly paramagnetic materials, SEMAC-STIR was superior to MSVAT-SPACE-STIR (27.8% smaller artifact volume) and TSE-STIR (93.2% less slice distortion). However, MSVAT-SPACE-STIR reduced the artifact size compared with SPACE-STIR by 71.5%. For low-paramagnetic materials, MSVAT-SPACE-STIR performed as well as SEMAC-STIR. Furthermore, MSVAT-SPACE-STIR decreased artifact volume by 69.5% compared with SPACE-STIR. The image quality of all sequences did not differ systematically. In vivo results were comparable with in vitro results. Regarding susceptibility artifacts and acquisition time, MSVAT-SPACE-STIR might be advantageous over SPACE-STIR for high-resolution and isotropic head and neck imaging. Only for materials with high-susceptibility differences to soft tissue, the use of SEMAC-STIR might be beneficial. Within limited acquisition times, SEMAC-STIR cannot exploit its full advantage over TSE-STIR regarding artifact

Preliminary Study on the Provenance Interpretation of Obsidian Artifacts using Neutron Activation Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jin, Mi Eun; Jwa, Yong Joo [Gyeongsang National University, Jinju (Korea, Republic of); Sun, Gwang Min; Baek, Ha Ni; Moon, Jong Hwa; Chung, Yong Sam [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

In the case that the obsidian artifacts are treated as a prehistoric cultural property, we cannot analyze them using destructive analytical methods. In this study, we compared geochemical data obtained by NAA with that by the other method, and examined the applicability of the NAA method to interpret the provenance of the obsidian artifacts. Both the NAA and the LA-ICP-MS data show a general similarity in elemental variation. In particular, it is possible to distinguish Baekdusan obsidians from Kyushu obsidians. This kind of contrast between the Baekdusan and the Kyushu obsidians would reflect the different magma composition at the different tectonic and geologic settings. In general the geochemical composition of obsidian is closely related to the accompanied volcanic rocks. For more detailed estimation of obsidian provenance, we should use the geochemical compositions of obsidians as well as volcanic rocks.

Born reflection kernel analysis and wave-equation reflection traveltime inversion in elastic media

KAUST Repository

Wang, Tengfei

2017-08-17

Elastic reflection waveform inversion (ERWI) utilize the reflections to update the low and intermediate wavenumbers in the deeper part of model. However, ERWI suffers from the cycle-skipping problem due to the objective function of waveform residual. Since traveltime information relates to the background model more linearly, we use the traveltime residuals as objective function to update background velocity model using wave equation reflected traveltime inversion (WERTI). The reflection kernel analysis shows that mode decomposition can suppress the artifacts in gradient calculation. We design a two-step inversion strategy, in which PP reflections are firstly used to invert P wave velocity (Vp), followed by S wave velocity (Vs) inversion with PS reflections. P/S separation of multi-component seismograms and spatial wave mode decomposition can reduce the nonlinearity of inversion effectively by selecting suitable P or S wave subsets for hierarchical inversion. Numerical example of Sigsbee2A model validates the effectiveness of the algorithms and strategies for elastic WERTI (E-WERTI).

Mitigation of near-band balanced steady-state free precession through-plane flow artifacts using partial dephasing.

Science.gov (United States)

Datta, Anjali; Cheng, Joseph Y; Hargreaves, Brian A; Baron, Corey A; Nishimura, Dwight G

2018-06-01

To mitigate artifacts from through-plane flow at the locations of steady-state stopbands in balanced steady-state free precession (SSFP) using partial dephasing. A 60° range in the phase accrual during a TR was created over the voxel by slightly unbalancing the slice-select dephaser. The spectral profiles of SSFP with partial dephasing for various constant flow rates and during pulsatile flow were simulated to determine if partial dephasing decreases through-plane flow artifacts originating near SSFP dark bands while maintaining on-resonant signal. Simulations were then validated in a flow phantom. Lastly, phase-cycled SSFP cardiac cine images were acquired with and without partial dephasing in six subjects. Partial dephasing decreased the strength and non-linearity of the dependence of the signal at the stopbands on the through-plane flow rate. It thus mitigated hyper-enhancement from out-of-slice signal contributions and transient-related artifacts caused by variable flow both in the phantom and in vivo. In six volunteers, partial dephasing noticeably decreased artifacts in all of the phase-cycled cardiac cine datasets. Partial dephasing can mitigate the flow artifacts seen at the stopbands in balanced SSFP while maintaining the sequence's desired signal. By mitigating hyper-enhancement and transient-related artifacts originating from the stopbands, partial dephasing facilitates robust multiple-acquisition phase-cycled SSFP in the heart. Magn Reson Med 79:2944-2953, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Metallic artifact in MRI after removal of orthopedic implants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bagheri, Mohammad Hadi; Hosseini, Mehrdad Mohammad; Emami, Mohammad Jafar; Foroughi, Amin Aiboulhassani

2012-01-01

Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the metallic artifacts in MRI of the orthopedic patients after removal of metallic implants. Subjects and methods: From March to August 2009, 40 orthopedic patients operated for removal of orthopedic metallic implants were studied by post-operative MRI from the site of removal of implants. A grading scale of 0–3 was assigned for artifact in MR images whereby 0 was considered no artifact; and I–III were considered mild, moderate, and severe metallic artifacts, respectively. These grading records were correlated with other variables including the type, size, number, and composition of metallic devices; and the site and duration of orthopedic devices stay in the body. Results: Metallic susceptibly artifacts were detected in MRI of 18 of 40 cases (45%). Screws and pins in removed hardware were the most important factors for causing artifacts in MRI. The artifacts were found more frequently in the patients who had more screws and pins in the removed implants. Gender, age, site of implantation of the device, length of the hardware, composition of the metallic implants (stainless steel versus titanium), and duration of implantation of the hardware exerted no effect in producing metallic artifacts after removal of implants. Short TE sequences of MRI (such as T1 weighted) showed fewer artifacts. Conclusion: Susceptibility of metallic artifacts is a frequent phenomenon in MRI of patients upon removal of metallic orthopedic implants.

Metallic artifact in MRI after removal of orthopedic implants.

Science.gov (United States)

Bagheri, Mohammad Hadi; Hosseini, Mehrdad Mohammad; Emami, Mohammad Jafar; Foroughi, Amin Aiboulhassani

2012-03-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the metallic artifacts in MRI of the orthopedic patients after removal of metallic implants. From March to August 2009, 40 orthopedic patients operated for removal of orthopedic metallic implants were studied by post-operative MRI from the site of removal of implants. A grading scale of 0-3 was assigned for artifact in MR images whereby 0 was considered no artifact; and I-III were considered mild, moderate, and severe metallic artifacts, respectively. These grading records were correlated with other variables including the type, size, number, and composition of metallic devices; and the site and duration of orthopedic devices stay in the body. Metallic susceptibly artifacts were detected in MRI of 18 of 40 cases (45%). Screws and pins in removed hardware were the most important factors for causing artifacts in MRI. The artifacts were found more frequently in the patients who had more screws and pins in the removed implants. Gender, age, site of implantation of the device, length of the hardware, composition of the metallic implants (stainless steel versus titanium), and duration of implantation of the hardware exerted no effect in producing metallic artifacts after removal of implants. Short TE sequences of MRI (such as T1 weighted) showed fewer artifacts. Susceptibility of metallic artifacts is a frequent phenomenon in MRI of patients upon removal of metallic orthopedic implants. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of aliasing artifacts in 16-slice helical CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Wei; Liu Jingkang; Ou Xiaoguang; Li Wenzheng; Liao Weihua; Yan Ang

2006-01-01

Objective: To recognize the features of aliasing artifacts on CT images, and to investigate the effects of imaging parameters on the magnitude of this artifacts. Methods: An adult dry skull was placed in a plastic water-filled container and scanned with a PHILIPS 16-slice helical CT. All the acquired transaxial images by using several different acquisition or reconstruction parameters were examined for comparative assessment of the aliasing artifacts. Results: The aliasing artifacts could be seen in most instances and characterized as the spokewise patterns emanating from the edges of high contrast structure as its radius varies sharply in the longitudinal direction. The images that scanned with pitch of 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9, respectively, showed aliasing artifacts, and its severities increased with pitches escalated (detector combination 16 x 1.5, reconstruction thickness 2 mm); There were more significant aliasing artifacts on the images reconstructed with 0.8 mm slice width compared with 1-mm slice width, and no aliasing artifacts were observed on the images reconstructed with 2-mm slice width (detector combination 16 x 0.75, pitch 0.6); No artifacts were perceived on the images scanned with detector combination 16 x 0.75, while presented evidently with the use of detector combination 16 x 1.5 (pitch 0.6, reconstruction thickness 2 mm); The degrees of aliasing artifacts were unaltered when reconstruction interval and tube current changed. Conclusions: Aliasing artifacts are caused by undersampling. When the operator choose the thinner sampling thickness, lower pitch and a much wider reconstruction thickness judiciously, aliasing artifacts could be effectively mitigated or suppressed. (authors)

A novel method for device-related electroencephalography artifact suppression to explore cochlear implant-related cortical changes in single-sided deafness.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kyungsoo; Punte, Andrea Kleine; Mertens, Griet; Van de Heyning, Paul; Park, Kyung-Joon; Choi, Hongsoo; Choi, Ji-Woong; Song, Jae-Jin

2015-11-30

Quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) is effective when used to analyze ongoing cortical oscillations in cochlear implant (CI) users. However, localization of cortical activity in such users via qEEG is confounded by the presence of artifacts produced by the device itself. Typically, independent component analysis (ICA) is used to remove CI artifacts in auditory evoked EEG signals collected upon brief stimulation and it is effective for auditory evoked potentials (AEPs). However, AEPs do not reflect the daily environments of patients, and thus, continuous EEG data that are closer to such environments are desirable. In this case, device-related artifacts in EEG data are difficult to remove selectively via ICA due to over-completion of EEG data removal in the absence of preprocessing. EEGs were recorded for a long time under conditions of continuous auditory stimulation. To obviate the over-completion problem, we limited the frequency of CI artifacts to a significant characteristic peak and apply ICA artifact removal. Topographic brain mapping results analyzed via band-limited (BL)-ICA exhibited a better energy distribution, matched to the CI location, than data obtained using conventional ICA. Also, source localization data verified that BL-ICA effectively removed CI artifacts. The proposed method selectively removes CI artifacts from continuous EEG recordings, while ICA removal method shows residual peak and removes important brain activity signals. CI artifacts in EEG data obtained during continuous passive listening can be effectively removed with the aid of BL-ICA, opening up new EEG research possibilities in subjects with CIs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Teaching and Learning the Nature of Technical Artifacts

Science.gov (United States)

Frederik, Ineke; Sonneveld, Wim; de Vries, Marc J.

2011-01-01

Artifacts are probably our most obvious everyday encounter with technology. Therefore, a good understanding of the nature of technical artifacts is a relevant part of technological literacy. In this article we draw from the philosophy of technology to develop a conceptualization of technical artifacts that can be used for educational purposes.…

Metal and calcification artifact reduction for digital breast tomosynthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Wicklein, Julia; Jerebko, Anna; Ritschl, Ludwig; Mertelmeier, Thomas

2017-03-01

Tomosynthesis images of the breast suffer from artifacts caused by the presence of highly absorbing materials. These can be either induced by metal objects like needles or clips inserted during biopsy devices, or larger calcifications inside the examined breast. Mainly two different kinds of artifacts appear after the filtered backprojection procedure. The first type is undershooting artifacts near edges of high-contrast objects caused by the filtering step. The second type is out-of-plane (ripple) artifacts that appear even in slices where the metal object or macrocalcifications does not exist. Due to the limited angular range of tomosynthesis systems, overlapping structures have high influence on neighboring regions. To overcome these problems, a segmentation of artifact introducing objects is performed on the projection images. Both projection versions, with and without high-contrast objects are filtered independently to avoid undershootings. During backprojection a decision is made for each reconstructed voxel, if it is artifact or high-contrast object. This is based on a mask image, gained from the segmentation of high-contrast objects. This procedure avoids undershooting artifacts and additionally reduces out-of-plane ripple. Results are demonstrated for different kinds of artifact inducing objects and calcifications.

Iterative image-domain ring artifact removal in cone-beam CT

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Xiaokun; Zhang, Zhicheng; Niu, Tianye; Yu, Shaode; Wu, Shibin; Li, Zhicheng; Zhang, Huailing; Xie, Yaoqin

2017-07-01

Ring artifacts in cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images are caused by pixel gain variations using flat-panel detectors, and may lead to structured non-uniformities and deterioration of image quality. The purpose of this study is to propose a method of general ring artifact removal in CBCT images. This method is based on the polar coordinate system, where the ring artifacts manifest as stripe artifacts. Using relative total variation, the CBCT images are first smoothed to generate template images with fewer image details and ring artifacts. By subtracting the template images from the CBCT images, residual images with image details and ring artifacts are generated. As the ring artifact manifests as a stripe artifact in a polar coordinate system, the artifact image can be extracted by mean value from the residual image; the image details are generated by subtracting the artifact image from the residual image. Finally, the image details are compensated to the template image to generate the corrected images. The proposed framework is iterated until the differences in the extracted ring artifacts are minimized. We use a 3D Shepp-Logan phantom, Catphan©504 phantom, uniform acrylic cylinder, and images from a head patient to evaluate the proposed method. In the experiments using simulated data, the spatial uniformity is increased by 1.68 times and the structural similarity index is increased from 87.12% to 95.50% using the proposed method. In the experiment using clinical data, our method shows high efficiency in ring artifact removal while preserving the image structure and detail. The iterative approach we propose for ring artifact removal in cone-beam CT is practical and attractive for CBCT guided radiation therapy.

Physiological artifacts in scalp EEG and ear-EEG.

Science.gov (United States)

Kappel, Simon L; Looney, David; Mandic, Danilo P; Kidmose, Preben

2017-08-11

A problem inherent to recording EEG is the interference arising from noise and artifacts. While in a laboratory environment, artifacts and interference can, to a large extent, be avoided or controlled, in real-life scenarios this is a challenge. Ear-EEG is a concept where EEG is acquired from electrodes in the ear. We present a characterization of physiological artifacts generated in a controlled environment for nine subjects. The influence of the artifacts was quantified in terms of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) deterioration of the auditory steady-state response. Alpha band modulation was also studied in an open/closed eyes paradigm. Artifacts related to jaw muscle contractions were present all over the scalp and in the ear, with the highest SNR deteriorations in the gamma band. The SNR deterioration for jaw artifacts were in general higher in the ear compared to the scalp. Whereas eye-blinking did not influence the SNR in the ear, it was significant for all groups of scalps electrodes in the delta and theta bands. Eye movements resulted in statistical significant SNR deterioration in both frontal, temporal and ear electrodes. Recordings of alpha band modulation showed increased power and coherence of the EEG for ear and scalp electrodes in the closed-eyes periods. Ear-EEG is a method developed for unobtrusive and discreet recording over long periods of time and in real-life environments. This study investigated the influence of the most important types of physiological artifacts, and demonstrated that spontaneous activity, in terms of alpha band oscillations, could be recorded from the ear-EEG platform. In its present form ear-EEG was more prone to jaw related artifacts and less prone to eye-blinking artifacts compared to state-of-the-art scalp based systems.

Pitfalls and artifacts in magnetic resonance imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kulkarni, M.V.; Patton, J.A.

1986-01-01

As a new imaging technique, MRI is subject to new and unfamiliar artifacts. Because of the wide range of pulse sequences used in MRI, the technique is prone to some artifacts, such as even echo rephasing, which are not found in other imaging systems. With newer and stronger magnetic fields, artifacts such as those caused by chemical shift will be more pronounced. For the maintenance of high quality images, new techniques controlling quality are essential. These techniques include the development of new phantoms and new procedures. The American Association of Physicists in Medicine is currently developing guidelines for quality assurance programs. As with other imaging modalities, these quality assurance guidelines could be unique to MRI. The daily or weekly evaluation of signal-to-noise ratio, image uniformity, signal linearity, spatial linearity, spatial resolution, frequencies, etc. is essential. Some guidelines are described in the current literature. With further modifications and improvements in MRI techniques, new artifacts may be discovered. Identification of these artifacts will improve the interpretation of the image and patient management

Motion artifacts in functional near-infrared spectroscopy: a comparison of motion correction techniques applied to real cognitive data

Science.gov (United States)

Brigadoi, Sabrina; Ceccherini, Lisa; Cutini, Simone; Scarpa, Fabio; Scatturin, Pietro; Selb, Juliette; Gagnon, Louis; Boas, David A.; Cooper, Robert J.

2013-01-01

Motion artifacts are a significant source of noise in many functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) experiments. Despite this, there is no well-established method for their removal. Instead, functional trials of fNIRS data containing a motion artifact are often rejected completely. However, in most experimental circumstances the number of trials is limited, and multiple motion artifacts are common, particularly in challenging populations. Many methods have been proposed recently to correct for motion artifacts, including principle component analysis, spline interpolation, Kalman filtering, wavelet filtering and correlation-based signal improvement. The performance of different techniques has been often compared in simulations, but only rarely has it been assessed on real functional data. Here, we compare the performance of these motion correction techniques on real functional data acquired during a cognitive task, which required the participant to speak aloud, leading to a low-frequency, low-amplitude motion artifact that is correlated with the hemodynamic response. To compare the efficacy of these methods, objective metrics related to the physiology of the hemodynamic response have been derived. Our results show that it is always better to correct for motion artifacts than reject trials, and that wavelet filtering is the most effective approach to correcting this type of artifact, reducing the area under the curve where the artifact is present in 93% of the cases. Our results therefore support previous studies that have shown wavelet filtering to be the most promising and powerful technique for the correction of motion artifacts in fNIRS data. The analyses performed here can serve as a guide for others to objectively test the impact of different motion correction algorithms and therefore select the most appropriate for the analysis of their own fNIRS experiment. PMID:23639260

TH-C-BRD-06: A Novel MRI Based CT Artifact Correction Method for Improving Proton Range Calculation in the Presence of Severe CT Artifacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, P; Schreibmann, E; Fox, T; Roper, J; Elder, E; Tejani, M; Crocker, I; Curran, W; Dhabaan, A

2014-01-01

Purpose: Severe CT artifacts can impair our ability to accurately calculate proton range thereby resulting in a clinically unacceptable treatment plan. In this work, we investigated a novel CT artifact correction method based on a coregistered MRI and investigated its ability to estimate CT HU and proton range in the presence of severe CT artifacts. Methods: The proposed method corrects corrupted CT data using a coregistered MRI to guide the mapping of CT values from a nearby artifact-free region. First patient MRI and CT images were registered using 3D deformable image registration software based on B-spline and mutual information. The CT slice with severe artifacts was selected as well as a nearby slice free of artifacts (e.g. 1cm away from the artifact). The two sets of paired MRI and CT images at different slice locations were further registered by applying 2D deformable image registration. Based on the artifact free paired MRI and CT images, a comprehensive geospatial analysis was performed to predict the correct CT HU of the CT image with severe artifact. For a proof of concept, a known artifact was introduced that changed the ground truth CT HU value up to 30% and up to 5cm error in proton range. The ability of the proposed method to recover the ground truth was quantified using a selected head and neck case. Results: A significant improvement in image quality was observed visually. Our proof of concept study showed that 90% of area that had 30% errors in CT HU was corrected to 3% of its ground truth value. Furthermore, the maximum proton range error up to 5cm was reduced to 4mm error. Conclusion: MRI based CT artifact correction method can improve CT image quality and proton range calculation for patients with severe CT artifacts

Observation of multiple Bragg reflections of neutrons in bent perfect crystals

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mikula, Pavol; Vrána, Miroslav; Šaroun, Jan; Seong, B. S.; Moon, MK.

2011-01-01

Roč. 634, č. 1 (2011), S108-S111 ISSN 0168-9002. [International Workshop on Neutron Optics. Grenoble, 17.03.2010-19.03.2010] R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP204/10/0654 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10480505 Keywords : Neutron diffraction * Bent perfect crystal * Multiple reflections Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.207, year: 2011

Optimized simultaneous inversion of primary and multiple reflections; Inversion linearisee simultanee des reflexions primaires et des reflexions multiples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pelle, L.

2003-12-01

The removal of multiple reflections remains a real problem in seismic imaging. Many preprocessing methods have been developed to attenuate multiples in seismic data but none of them is satisfactory in 3D. The objective of this thesis is to develop a new method to remove multiples, extensible in 3D. Contrary to the existing methods, our approach is not a preprocessing step: we directly include the multiple removal in the imaging process by means of a simultaneous inversion of primaries and multiples. We then propose to improve the standard linearized inversion so as to make it insensitive to the presence of multiples in the data. We exploit kinematics differences between primaries and multiples. We propose to pick in the data the kinematics of the multiples we want to remove. The wave field is decomposed into primaries and multiples. Primaries are modeled by the Ray+Born operator from perturbations of the logarithm of impedance, given the velocity field. Multiples are modeled by the Transport operator from an initial trace, given the picking. The inverse problem simultaneously fits primaries and multiples to the data. To solve this problem with two unknowns, we take advantage of the isometric nature of the Transport operator, which allows to drastically reduce the CPU time: this simultaneous inversion is this almost as fast as the standard linearized inversion. This gain of time opens the way to different applications to multiple removal and in particular, allows to foresee the straightforward 3D extension. (author)

Detection of artifacts from high energy bursts in neonatal EEG.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharyya, Sourya; Biswas, Arunava; Mukherjee, Jayanta; Majumdar, Arun Kumar; Majumdar, Bandana; Mukherjee, Suchandra; Singh, Arun Kumar

2013-11-01

Detection of non-cerebral activities or artifacts, intermixed within the background EEG, is essential to discard them from subsequent pattern analysis. The problem is much harder in neonatal EEG, where the background EEG contains spikes, waves, and rapid fluctuations in amplitude and frequency. Existing artifact detection methods are mostly limited to detect only a subset of artifacts such as ocular, muscle or power line artifacts. Few methods integrate different modules, each for detection of one specific category of artifact. Furthermore, most of the reference approaches are implemented and tested on adult EEG recordings. Direct application of those methods on neonatal EEG causes performance deterioration, due to greater pattern variation and inherent complexity. A method for detection of a wide range of artifact categories in neonatal EEG is thus required. At the same time, the method should be specific enough to preserve the background EEG information. The current study describes a feature based classification approach to detect both repetitive (generated from ECG, EMG, pulse, respiration, etc.) and transient (generated from eye blinking, eye movement, patient movement, etc.) artifacts. It focuses on artifact detection within high energy burst patterns, instead of detecting artifacts within the complete background EEG with wide pattern variation. The objective is to find true burst patterns, which can later be used to identify the Burst-Suppression (BS) pattern, which is commonly observed during newborn seizure. Such selective artifact detection is proven to be more sensitive to artifacts and specific to bursts, compared to the existing artifact detection approaches applied on the complete background EEG. Several time domain, frequency domain, statistical features, and features generated by wavelet decomposition are analyzed to model the proposed bi-classification between burst and artifact segments. A feature selection method is also applied to select the

Ring artifact correction for high-resolution micro CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kyriakou, Yiannis; Prell, Daniel; Kalender, Willi A

2009-01-01

In high-resolution micro CT using flat detectors (FD), imperfect or defect detector elements may cause concentric-ring artifacts due to their continuous over- or underestimation of attenuation values, which often disturb image quality. We here present a dedicated image-based ring artifact correction method for high-resolution micro CT, based on median filtering of the reconstructed image and working on a transformed version of the reconstructed images in polar coordinates. This post-processing method reduced ring artifacts in the reconstructed images and improved image quality for phantom and in in vivo scans. Noise and artifacts were reduced both in transversal and in multi-planar reformations along the longitudinal axis. (note)

Universal artifacts affect the branching of phylogenetic trees, not universal scaling laws.

Science.gov (United States)

Altaba, Cristian R

2009-01-01

The superficial resemblance of phylogenetic trees to other branching structures allows searching for macroevolutionary patterns. However, such trees are just statistical inferences of particular historical events. Recent meta-analyses report finding regularities in the branching pattern of phylogenetic trees. But is this supported by evidence, or are such regularities just methodological artifacts? If so, is there any signal in a phylogeny? In order to evaluate the impact of polytomies and imbalance on tree shape, the distribution of all binary and polytomic trees of up to 7 taxa was assessed in tree-shape space. The relationship between the proportion of outgroups and the amount of imbalance introduced with them was assessed applying four different tree-building methods to 100 combinations from a set of 10 ingroup and 9 outgroup species, and performing covariance analyses. The relevance of this analysis was explored taking 61 published phylogenies, based on nucleic acid sequences and involving various taxa, taxonomic levels, and tree-building methods. All methods of phylogenetic inference are quite sensitive to the artifacts introduced by outgroups. However, published phylogenies appear to be subject to a rather effective, albeit rather intuitive control against such artifacts. The data and methods used to build phylogenetic trees are varied, so any meta-analysis is subject to pitfalls due to their uneven intrinsic merits, which translate into artifacts in tree shape. The binary branching pattern is an imposition of methods, and seldom reflects true relationships in intraspecific analyses, yielding artifactual polytomies in short trees. Above the species level, the departure of real trees from simplistic random models is caused at least by two natural factors--uneven speciation and extinction rates; and artifacts such as choice of taxa included in the analysis, and imbalance introduced by outgroups and basal paraphyletic taxa. This artifactual imbalance accounts

Investigation of multiple Bragg reflections at a constant neutron wavelength and their possible separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mikula, P; Vrána, M; Šaroun, J; Em, V; Seong, B S

2012-01-01

Multiple Bragg reflections (MBR) realized in one bent-perfect crystal (BPC) slab by sets of different lattice planes behave differently in comparison to the case of perfect nondeformed or mosaic crystal. Individual sets of lattice planes are mutually in dispersive diffraction geometry and the kinematical approach can be applied on this MBR process. It has been found that contrary to the perfect nondeformed or mosaic crystal, individual reflections participating in the MBR process can be spatially separated.

Artifact in Pediatric Oculomotor Findings during Videonystagmography: A Retrospective Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Doettl, Steven M; Plyler, Patrick N; McCaslin, Devin L

2017-04-01

Accurate measurement of oculomotor function using videonystagmography (VNG) is imperative for diagnosis and management of patients with reported dizziness. The oculomotor evaluation during VNG utilizes video-oculography providing valuable information regarding the central structures and pathways that control eye movements. Artifact may have an effect on the overall validity and reliability of VNG oculomotor tracings and can result from patient and/or recording errors. It is postulated that artifact could occur more frequently in the pediatric population due to both patient and equipment factors. The purpose of this study was to systematically evaluate the occurrence and impact of artifact on saccades, smooth pursuit, and optokinetic (OPK) testing in normal pediatric and adult subjects using commercially available clinical VNG equipment and standard clinical protocols for oculomotor testing. The present study utilized a retrospective analysis of a repeated measures design. Oculomotor results from a total of 62 participants were analyzed. Portions of these data have been presented in a previous research study. Group 1 consisted of twenty-nine 4- to 6-yr-olds with an average age of 4.86 (SD = 0.88) yr. Group 2 consisted of thirty-three 22- to 44-yr-olds with an average age of 25.2 (SD = 5.34) yr. Raw oculomotor recordings were analyzed "offline" by a single masked, trained investigator. Each tracing was evaluated for instances of artifact including eye blinks, eye closure, eyes moving in opposite direction of the target, eye tracking software problems, and overall poor morphology. The number of instances of artifact were noted and recorded for each participant in both groups. Individual eye movements not affected by artifact were included for final analysis. Artifact rejection techniques were also compared. The results indicated increased artifact for the pediatric group for saccade and smooth pursuit testing. Additionally, a significant decrease in instances of

Cultural Artifact Detection in Long Wave Infrared Imagery.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anderson, Dylan Zachary [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Craven, Julia M. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Ramon, Eric [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2017-01-01

Detection of cultural artifacts from airborne remotely sensed data is an important task in the context of on-site inspections. Airborne artifact detection can reduce the size of the search area the ground based inspection team must visit, thereby improving the efficiency of the inspection process. This report details two algorithms for detection of cultural artifacts in aerial long wave infrared imagery. The first algorithm creates an explicit model for cultural artifacts, and finds data that fits the model. The second algorithm creates a model of the background and finds data that does not fit the model. Both algorithms are applied to orthomosaic imagery generated as part of the MSFE13 data collection campaign under the spectral technology evaluation project.

Virtual computed tomography colonoscopy: artifacts, image quality and radiation dose load in a cadaver study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Springer, P.; Stoehr, B.; Giacomuzzi, S.M.; Bodner, G.; Jaschke, W.; Nedden, D. zur; Klingler, A.

2000-01-01

The purpose of our study was to evaluate the interdependency of spatial resolution, image reconstruction artifacts, and radiation doses in virtual CT colonoscopy by comparing various CT scanning protocols. A pig's colon with several artificial polypoid lesions was imaged after air insufflation with helical CT scanning using 1-, 3-, and 5-mm collimation, and pitch values varying from 1.0 to 3.0. Virtual endoscopic images and ''fly through'' sequences were calculated on a Sun Sparc 20 workstation (Navigator Software, GE Medical Systems, Milwaukee, Wis.). Several reconstruction artifacts as well as overall image quality were evaluated by three independent reviewers. In addition, radiation doses for the different CT protocols were measured as multiple-scan average dose using a 10-cm ion chamber and a standard Plexiglass body phantom. Generally, image quality and reconstruction artifacts were less affected by pitch values than by beam collimation. Thus, narrow beam collimation at higher pitch values (e. g. 3 mm/2.0) seems to be a reasonable compromise between quality of virtual endoscopic images and radiation dose load. (orig.)

Artifact detection in electrodermal activity using sparse recovery

Science.gov (United States)

Kelsey, Malia; Palumbo, Richard Vincent; Urbaneja, Alberto; Akcakaya, Murat; Huang, Jeannie; Kleckner, Ian R.; Barrett, Lisa Feldman; Quigley, Karen S.; Sejdic, Ervin; Goodwin, Matthew S.

2017-05-01

Electrodermal Activity (EDA) - a peripheral index of sympathetic nervous system activity - is a primary measure used in psychophysiology. EDA is widely accepted as an indicator of physiological arousal, and it has been shown to reveal when psychologically novel events occur. Traditionally, EDA data is collected in controlled laboratory experiments. However, recent developments in wireless biosensing have led to an increase in out-of-lab studies. This transition to ambulatory data collection has introduced challenges. In particular, artifacts such as wearer motion, changes in temperature, and electrical interference can be misidentified as true EDA responses. The inability to distinguish artifact from signal hinders analyses of ambulatory EDA data. Though manual procedures for identifying and removing EDA artifacts exist, they are time consuming - which is problematic for the types of longitudinal data sets represented in modern ambulatory studies. This manuscript presents a novel technique to automatically identify and remove artifacts in EDA data using curve fitting and sparse recovery methods. Our method was evaluated using labeled data to determine the accuracy of artifact identification. Procedures, results, conclusions, and future directions are presented.

Ensemble Artifact Design For Context Sensitive Decision Support

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shah J Miah

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Although an improvement of design knowledge is an essential goal of design research, current design research predominantly focuses on knowledge concerning the IT artifact (tool design process, rather than a more holistic understanding encompassing the dynamic usage contexts of a technological artifact. Conceptualising a design in context as an “ensemble artifact” (Sein et al., 2011 provides the basis for a more rigorous treatment. This paper describes an IS artifact design framework that has been generated from the development of several practitioner-oriented decision support systems (DSS in which contextual aspects relevant to practitioners’ decision making are considered as integral design themes. We describe five key dimensions of an ensemble artifact design and show their value in designing practitioner-oriented DSS. The features are user centredness, knowledge sharing, situation-specific customisation, reduced model orientation, and practice based secondary design abilities. It is argued that this understanding can contribute to design research knowledge more effectively both to develop dynamic DSS, and by its extensibility to other artifact designs.

Automatic removal of eye-movement and blink artifacts from EEG signals.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Jun Feng; Yang, Yong; Lin, Pan; Wang, Pei; Zheng, Chong Xun

2010-03-01

Frequent occurrence of electrooculography (EOG) artifacts leads to serious problems in interpreting and analyzing the electroencephalogram (EEG). In this paper, a robust method is presented to automatically eliminate eye-movement and eye-blink artifacts from EEG signals. Independent Component Analysis (ICA) is used to decompose EEG signals into independent components. Moreover, the features of topographies and power spectral densities of those components are extracted to identify eye-movement artifact components, and a support vector machine (SVM) classifier is adopted because it has higher performance than several other classifiers. The classification results show that feature-extraction methods are unsuitable for identifying eye-blink artifact components, and then a novel peak detection algorithm of independent component (PDAIC) is proposed to identify eye-blink artifact components. Finally, the artifact removal method proposed here is evaluated by the comparisons of EEG data before and after artifact removal. The results indicate that the method proposed could remove EOG artifacts effectively from EEG signals with little distortion of the underlying brain signals.

Correction of Bowtie-Filter Normalization and Crescent Artifacts for a Clinical CBCT System.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hong; Kong, Vic; Huang, Ke; Jin, Jian-Yue

2017-02-01

To present our experiences in understanding and minimizing bowtie-filter crescent artifacts and bowtie-filter normalization artifacts in a clinical cone beam computed tomography system. Bowtie-filter position and profile variations during gantry rotation were studied. Two previously proposed strategies (A and B) were applied to the clinical cone beam computed tomography system to correct bowtie-filter crescent artifacts. Physical calibration and analytical approaches were used to minimize the norm phantom misalignment and to correct for bowtie-filter normalization artifacts. A combined procedure to reduce bowtie-filter crescent artifacts and bowtie-filter normalization artifacts was proposed and tested on a norm phantom, CatPhan, and a patient and evaluated using standard deviation of Hounsfield unit along a sampling line. The bowtie-filter exhibited not only a translational shift but also an amplitude variation in its projection profile during gantry rotation. Strategy B was better than strategy A slightly in minimizing bowtie-filter crescent artifacts, possibly because it corrected the amplitude variation, suggesting that the amplitude variation plays a role in bowtie-filter crescent artifacts. The physical calibration largely reduced the misalignment-induced bowtie-filter normalization artifacts, and the analytical approach further reduced bowtie-filter normalization artifacts. The combined procedure minimized both bowtie-filter crescent artifacts and bowtie-filter normalization artifacts, with Hounsfield unit standard deviation being 63.2, 45.0, 35.0, and 18.8 Hounsfield unit for the best correction approaches of none, bowtie-filter crescent artifacts, bowtie-filter normalization artifacts, and bowtie-filter normalization artifacts + bowtie-filter crescent artifacts, respectively. The combined procedure also demonstrated reduction of bowtie-filter crescent artifacts and bowtie-filter normalization artifacts in a CatPhan and a patient. We have developed a step

A study of metal artifacts on MR imaging. Evaluation of scanning parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamashiro, Mitsuaki

1999-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate scanning parameters on MR imaging for reducing metal artifacts using phantom study. Metal artifacts on sagittal images, perpendicular to static magnetic direction showed round shape in the relationship between shape of metal artifacts on MR images and scanning direction. Metal artifacts on both axial and coronal images, parallel to static magnetic direction showed oval shape in the direction of X-axis. In spin echo sequences, the largest dimension of metal artifacts was coronal image, followed by axial image and then sagittal image. In gradient echo sequences, the largest dimension of metal artifacts was axial image, followed by coronal image and then sagittal image. The best scanning plane for reducing metal artifacts was perpendicular to static magnetic direction. In scanning sequences, the largest dimensions of metal artifacts were gradient echo sequences, followed by T2-weighted spin echo sequence and then proton density-weighted and T1-weighted spin echo sequences. Large flip angle increased much metal artifacts on both axial and coronal images in gradient echo sequences. Small flip angle was useful for reducing metal artifacts on both axial and coronal images. The influence of flip angle on metal artifacts in sagittal images perpendicular static magnetic direction was less than for images in coronal and axial planes on gradient echo sequences. These results suggested that a study of metal artifacts on MR imaging about evaluation of scanning parameters was useful to reduce metal artifacts on MR images. (K.H.)

Using pulse oximetry to account for high and low frequency physiological artifacts in the BOLD signal.

Science.gov (United States)

Verstynen, Timothy D; Deshpande, Vibhas

2011-04-15

The BOLD signal not only reflects changes in local neural activity, but also exhibits variability from physiological processes like cardiac rhythms and breathing. We investigated how both of these physiological sources are reflected in the pulse oximetry (PO) signal, a direct measure of blood oxygenation, and how this information can be used to account for different types of noise in the BOLD response. Measures of heart rate, respiration and PO were simultaneously recorded while neurologically healthy participants performed an eye-movement task in a 3T MRI. PO exhibited power in frequencies that matched those found in the independently recorded cardiac and respiration signals. Using the phasic and aphasic properties of these signals as nuisance regressors, we found that the different frequency components of the PO signal could be used to identify different types of physiological artifacts in the BOLD response. A comparison of different physiological noise models found that a simple, down-sampled version of the PO signal improves the estimation of task-relevant statistics nearly as well as more established noise models that may run the risk of over-parameterization. These findings suggest that the PO signal captures multiple sources of physiological noise in the BOLD response and provides a simple and efficient way of modeling these noise sources in subsequent analysis. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Full counting statistics of multiple Andreev reflections in incoherent diffusive superconducting junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samuelsson, P.

2007-01-01

We present a theory for the full distribution of current fluctuations in incoherent diffusive superconducting junctions, subjected to a voltage bias. This theory of full counting statistics of incoherent multiple Andreev reflections is valid for an arbitrary applied voltage. We present a detailed discussion of the properties of the first four cumulants as well as the low and high voltage regimes of the full counting statistics. (orig.)

Modeling and validation of multiple joint reflections for ultra- narrow gap laser welding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Milewski, J.; Keel, G. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States); Sklar, E. [Opticad Corp., Santa Fe, New Mexico (United States)

1995-12-01

The effects of multiple internal reflections within a laser weld joint as a function of joint geometry and processing conditions have been characterized. A computer model utilizing optical ray tracing is used to predict the reflective propagation of laser beam energy focused into the narrow gap of a metal joint for the purpose of predicting the location of melting and coalescence which form the weld. The model allows quantitative analysis of the effects of changes to joint geometry, laser design, materials and processing variables. This analysis method is proposed as a way to enhance process efficiency and design laser welds which display deep penetration and high depth to width aspect ratios, reduced occurrence of defects and enhanced melting. Of particular interest to laser welding is the enhancement of energy coupling to highly reflective materials. The weld joint is designed to act as an optical element which propagates and concentrates the laser energy deep within the joint to be welded. Experimentation has shown that it is possible to produce welds using multiple passes to achieve deep penetration and high depth to width aspect ratios without the use of filler material. The enhanced laser melting and welding of aluminum has been demonstrated. Optimization through modeling and experimental validation has resulted in the development of a laser welding process variant we refer to as Ultra-Narrow Gap Laser Welding.

On a possible use of multiple Bragg reflections for high-resolution monochromatization of neutrons

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mikula, Pavol; Vrána, Miroslav; Wagner, V.

2004-01-01

Roč. 350, - (2004), e667-e670 ISSN 0921-4526 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA202/03/0891 Keywords : neutron diffraction * multiple reflections * higg-resolution monochromator Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 0.679, year: 2004

Picking Up Artifacts: Storyboarding as a Gateway to Reuse

Science.gov (United States)

Wahid, Shahtab; Branham, Stacy M.; Cairco, Lauren; McCrickard, D. Scott; Harrison, Steve

Storyboarding offers designers the opportunity to illustrate a visual narrative of use. Because designers often refer to past ideas, we argue storyboards can be constructed by reusing shared artifacts. We present a study in which we explore how designers reuse artifacts consisting of images and rationale during storyboard construction. We find images can aid in accessing rationale and that connections among features aid in deciding what to reuse, creating new artifacts, and constructing. Based on requirements derived from our findings, we present a storyboarding tool, PIC-UP, to facilitate artifact sharing and reuse and evaluate its use in an exploratory study. We conclude with remarks on facilitating reuse and future work.

Artifact removal from EEG signals using adaptive filters in cascade

Science.gov (United States)

Garcés Correa, A.; Laciar, E.; Patiño, H. D.; Valentinuzzi, M. E.

2007-11-01

Artifacts in EEG (electroencephalogram) records are caused by various factors, like line interference, EOG (electro-oculogram) and ECG (electrocardiogram). These noise sources increase the difficulty in analyzing the EEG and to obtaining clinical information. For this reason, it is necessary to design specific filters to decrease such artifacts in EEG records. In this paper, a cascade of three adaptive filters based on a least mean squares (LMS) algorithm is proposed. The first one eliminates line interference, the second adaptive filter removes the ECG artifacts and the last one cancels EOG spikes. Each stage uses a finite impulse response (FIR) filter, which adjusts its coefficients to produce an output similar to the artifacts present in the EEG. The proposed cascade adaptive filter was tested in five real EEG records acquired in polysomnographic studies. In all cases, line-frequency, ECG and EOG artifacts were attenuated. It is concluded that the proposed filter reduces the common artifacts present in EEG signals without removing significant information embedded in these records.

Artifact removal from EEG signals using adaptive filters in cascade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garces Correa, A; Laciar, E; Patino, H D; Valentinuzzi, M E

2007-01-01

Artifacts in EEG (electroencephalogram) records are caused by various factors, like line interference, EOG (electro-oculogram) and ECG (electrocardiogram). These noise sources increase the difficulty in analyzing the EEG and to obtaining clinical information. For this reason, it is necessary to design specific filters to decrease such artifacts in EEG records. In this paper, a cascade of three adaptive filters based on a least mean squares (LMS) algorithm is proposed. The first one eliminates line interference, the second adaptive filter removes the ECG artifacts and the last one cancels EOG spikes. Each stage uses a finite impulse response (FIR) filter, which adjusts its coefficients to produce an output similar to the artifacts present in the EEG. The proposed cascade adaptive filter was tested in five real EEG records acquired in polysomnographic studies. In all cases, line-frequency, ECG and EOG artifacts were attenuated. It is concluded that the proposed filter reduces the common artifacts present in EEG signals without removing significant information embedded in these records

Artifact removal from EEG signals using adaptive filters in cascade

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garces Correa, A [Gabinete de TecnologIa Medica, Facultad de Ingenieria, Universidad Nacional de San Juan (Argentina); Laciar, E [Gabinete de TecnologIa Medica, Facultad de Ingenieria, Universidad Nacional de San Juan (Argentina); Patino, H D [Instituto de Automatica, Facultad de Ingenieria, Universidad Nacional de San Juan (Argentina); Valentinuzzi, M E [Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biologicas (INSIBIO), UNT-CONICET, Tucuman (Argentina)

2007-11-15

Artifacts in EEG (electroencephalogram) records are caused by various factors, like line interference, EOG (electro-oculogram) and ECG (electrocardiogram). These noise sources increase the difficulty in analyzing the EEG and to obtaining clinical information. For this reason, it is necessary to design specific filters to decrease such artifacts in EEG records. In this paper, a cascade of three adaptive filters based on a least mean squares (LMS) algorithm is proposed. The first one eliminates line interference, the second adaptive filter removes the ECG artifacts and the last one cancels EOG spikes. Each stage uses a finite impulse response (FIR) filter, which adjusts its coefficients to produce an output similar to the artifacts present in the EEG. The proposed cascade adaptive filter was tested in five real EEG records acquired in polysomnographic studies. In all cases, line-frequency, ECG and EOG artifacts were attenuated. It is concluded that the proposed filter reduces the common artifacts present in EEG signals without removing significant information embedded in these records.

How Do Artifact Models Help Direct SPI Projects?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kuhrmann, Marco; Richardson, Ita

2015-01-01

To overcome shortcomings associated with software process improvement (SPI), we previously recommended that process engineers focus on the artifacts to be developed in SPI projects. These artifacts should define desired outcomes, rather than specific methods. During this prior research, we develo...

Contrast artifacts in tapping tip atomic force microscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kyhle, Anders; Sørensen, Alexis Hammer; Zandbergen, Julie Bjerring

1998-01-01

When recording images with an atomic force microscope using the resonant vibrating cantilever mode, surprising strange results are often achieved. Typical artifacts are strange contours, unexpected height shifts, and sudden changes of the apparent resolution in the acquired images. Such artifacts...

Distributed Cognition and Distributed Morality: Agency, Artifacts and Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Heersmink, Richard

2017-04-01

There are various philosophical approaches and theories describing the intimate relation people have to artifacts. In this paper, I explore the relation between two such theories, namely distributed cognition and distributed morality theory. I point out a number of similarities and differences in these views regarding the ontological status they attribute to artifacts and the larger systems they are part of. Having evaluated and compared these views, I continue by focussing on the way cognitive artifacts are used in moral practice. I specifically conceptualise how such artifacts (a) scaffold and extend moral reasoning and decision-making processes, (b) have a certain moral status which is contingent on their cognitive status, and (c) whether responsibility can be attributed to distributed systems. This paper is primarily written for those interested in the intersection of cognitive and moral theory as it relates to artifacts, but also for those independently interested in philosophical debates in extended and distributed cognition and ethics of (cognitive) technology.

Automatic detection and classification of artifacts in single-channel EEG

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olund, Thomas; Duun-Henriksen, Jonas; Kjaer, Troels W.

2014-01-01

Ambulatory EEG monitoring can provide medical doctors important diagnostic information, without hospitalizing the patient. These recordings are however more exposed to noise and artifacts compared to clinically recorded EEG. An automatic artifact detection and classification algorithm for single......-channel EEG is proposed to help identifying these artifacts. Features are extracted from the EEG signal and wavelet subbands. Subsequently a selection algorithm is applied in order to identify the best discriminating features. A non-linear support vector machine is used to discriminate among different...... artifact classes using the selected features. Single-channel (Fp1-F7) EEG recordings are obtained from experiments with 12 healthy subjects performing artifact inducing movements. The dataset was used to construct and validate the model. Both subject-specific and generic implementation, are investigated...

Time-of-flight studies of multiple Bragg reflections in cylindrically bent perfect crystals

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mikula, Pavol; Furusaka, M.; Ohkubob, K.; Šaroun, Jan

2012-01-01

Roč. 45, č. 12 (2012), s. 1248-1253 ISSN 0021-8898 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KJB100480901; GA ČR GAP204/10/0654 Institutional support: RVO:61389005 Keywords : neutron diffraction * time-of-flight method * multiple reflections * bent perfect crystals Subject RIV: BG - Nuclear, Atomic and Molecular Physics, Colliders Impact factor: 3.343, year: 2012

Motion artifacts in computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, C.K.

1979-01-01

In the year 1972, the first Computed Tomography Scanner (or CT) was introduced and caused a revolution in the field of Diagnostic Radiology. A tomogram is a cross-sectional image of a three-dimensional object obtained through non-invasive measurements. The image that is presented is very similar to what would be seen if a thin cross-sectional slice of the patient was examined. In Computed Tomography, x-rays are passed through the body of a patient in many different directions and their attenuation is detected. By using some mathematical theorems, the attenuation information can be converted into the density of the patient along the x-ray path. Combined with modern sophisticated computer signal processing technology, a cross-sectional image can be generated and displayed on a TV monitor. Usually a good CT image relies on the patient not moving during the x-ray scanning. However, for some unconscious or severely ill patients, this is very difficult to achieve. Thus, the motion during the scan causes the so-called motion artifacts which distort the displayed image and sometimes these motion artifacts make diagnosis impossible. Today, to remove or avoid motion artifacts is one of the major efforts in developing new scanner systems. In this thesis, a better understanding of the motion artifacts problem in CT scaning is gained through computer simulations, real scanner experiments and theoretical analyses. The methods by which the distorted image can be improved are simulated also. In particular, it is assumed that perfect knowledge of the patient motion is known since this represents the theoretical limit on how well the distorted image can be improved

Artifacts by dental materials on magnetic resonance imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Hyun Sook; Choi, Deuk Lin; Kim, Ki Jung; Suh, Won Hyuck

1992-01-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has proved to be a valuable method for evaluation of the head and neck. Unfortunately, metallic devices associated with certain dental fillings and appliances often cause variable artifacts that can obscure normal or pathologic conditions on MR and computed tomography. In this work, we assessed the MR appearance of dental prosthetic materials in vitro and in vivo including precious alloys, nonprecions alloys, resin, amalgam and titanium alloy. For in vivo studies, these materials were placed in healthy volunteer's mouths and then images were assessed. Analysis of the appearance of shape and extent of artifact, and observed influence of these artifacts on the image interpretation at 0.2 Tesla permanent type MR scanner were valuated. Material used as temporary or permanent filling of crowns such as amalgam, precious alloy and, microfilled resin did not cause artifact on the image. The size of the artifact produced by the nonprecious alloys was influenced by the ferromagnetism of the object and the volume prosthesis, and was related to the scanning sequence. Nonprecious alloys produced minimal local signal distortion, where precious alloys, and dental resin had no effect on the MR images in vivo. These results were mainly from a low field strength MR scanner used in this study

Correction of CT artifacts and its influence on Monte Carlo dose calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bazalova, Magdalena; Beaulieu, Luc; Palefsky, Steven; Verhaegen, Frank

2007-01-01

Computed tomography (CT) images of patients having metallic implants or dental fillings exhibit severe streaking artifacts. These artifacts may disallow tumor and organ delineation and compromise dose calculation outcomes in radiotherapy. We used a sinogram interpolation metal streaking artifact correction algorithm on several phantoms of exact-known compositions and on a prostate patient with two hip prostheses. We compared original CT images and artifact-corrected images of both. To evaluate the effect of the artifact correction on dose calculations, we performed Monte Carlo dose calculation in the EGSnrc/DOSXYZnrc code. For the phantoms, we performed calculations in the exact geometry, in the original CT geometry and in the artifact-corrected geometry for photon and electron beams. The maximum errors in 6 MV photon beam dose calculation were found to exceed 25% in original CT images when the standard DOSXYZnrc/CTCREATE calibration is used but less than 2% in artifact-corrected images when an extended calibration is used. The extended calibration includes an extra calibration point for a metal. The patient dose volume histograms of a hypothetical target irradiated by five 18 MV photon beams in a hypothetical treatment differ significantly in the original CT geometry and in the artifact-corrected geometry. This was found to be mostly due to miss-assignment of tissue voxels to air due to metal artifacts. We also developed a simple Monte Carlo model for a CT scanner and we simulated the contribution of scatter and beam hardening to metal streaking artifacts. We found that whereas beam hardening has a minor effect on metal artifacts, scatter is an important cause of these artifacts

Edge artifact correction for industrial computed tomography images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai Yufang; Li Dan; Wang Jue

2013-01-01

To eliminate the edge artifacts of industrial CT images, and improve the identification ability of the image and the precision of the dimension measurement, a coefficient adjusting method for reducing crosstalk noise is proposed. It is concluded from theoretical analysis that crosstalk generated from adjacent detectors by Compton scattering is the major reason for the edge artifacts. According to the mathematic model of the detector crosstalk, we design a special detector system configuration and stair-step phantom for estimating the quantity of crosstalk noise. The relationship between crosstalk ratio and intensity of the incident X-ray is acquired by regressing experimental data with least square method. The experimental result shows that the first-order crosstalk ratio between detectors is about 9.0%, and the second-order crosstalk ratio is about 1.2%. Thus the first-order crosstalk is the main factor causing edge artifacts. The proposed method can reduce the edge artifacts significantly, and meanwhile maintain the detail and edge of CT images. (authors)

Reduced aliasing artifacts using shaking projection k-space sampling trajectory

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yan-Chun; Du, Jiang; Yang, Wen-Chao; Duan, Chai-Jie; Wang, Hao-Yu; Gao, Song; Bao, Shang-Lian

2014-03-01

Radial imaging techniques, such as projection-reconstruction (PR), are used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for dynamic imaging, angiography, and short-T2 imaging. They are less sensitive to flow and motion artifacts, and support fast imaging with short echo times. However, aliasing and streaking artifacts are two main sources which degrade radial imaging quality. For a given fixed number of k-space projections, data distributions along radial and angular directions will influence the level of aliasing and streaking artifacts. Conventional radial k-space sampling trajectory introduces an aliasing artifact at the first principal ring of point spread function (PSF). In this paper, a shaking projection (SP) k-space sampling trajectory was proposed to reduce aliasing artifacts in MR images. SP sampling trajectory shifts the projection alternately along the k-space center, which separates k-space data in the azimuthal direction. Simulations based on conventional and SP sampling trajectories were compared with the same number projections. A significant reduction of aliasing artifacts was observed using the SP sampling trajectory. These two trajectories were also compared with different sampling frequencies. A SP trajectory has the same aliasing character when using half sampling frequency (or half data) for reconstruction. SNR comparisons with different white noise levels show that these two trajectories have the same SNR character. In conclusion, the SP trajectory can reduce the aliasing artifact without decreasing SNR and also provide a way for undersampling reconstruction. Furthermore, this method can be applied to three-dimensional (3D) hybrid or spherical radial k-space sampling for a more efficient reduction of aliasing artifacts.

Reduced aliasing artifacts using shaking projection k-space sampling trajectory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Yan-Chun; Yang Wen-Chao; Wang Hao-Yu; Gao Song; Bao Shang-Lian; Du Jiang; Duan Chai-Jie

2014-01-01

Radial imaging techniques, such as projection-reconstruction (PR), are used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for dynamic imaging, angiography, and short-T2 imaging. They are less sensitive to flow and motion artifacts, and support fast imaging with short echo times. However, aliasing and streaking artifacts are two main sources which degrade radial imaging quality. For a given fixed number of k-space projections, data distributions along radial and angular directions will influence the level of aliasing and streaking artifacts. Conventional radial k-space sampling trajectory introduces an aliasing artifact at the first principal ring of point spread function (PSF). In this paper, a shaking projection (SP) k-space sampling trajectory was proposed to reduce aliasing artifacts in MR images. SP sampling trajectory shifts the projection alternately along the k-space center, which separates k-space data in the azimuthal direction. Simulations based on conventional and SP sampling trajectories were compared with the same number projections. A significant reduction of aliasing artifacts was observed using the SP sampling trajectory. These two trajectories were also compared with different sampling frequencies. A SP trajectory has the same aliasing character when using half sampling frequency (or half data) for reconstruction. SNR comparisons with different white noise levels show that these two trajectories have the same SNR character. In conclusion, the SP trajectory can reduce the aliasing artifact without decreasing SNR and also provide a way for undersampling reconstruction. Furthermore, this method can be applied to three-dimensional (3D) hybrid or spherical radial k-space sampling for a more efficient reduction of aliasing artifacts

Reduction of metal artifacts: beam hardening and photon starvation effects

Science.gov (United States)

Yadava, Girijesh K.; Pal, Debashish; Hsieh, Jiang

2014-03-01

The presence of metal-artifacts in CT imaging can obscure relevant anatomy and interfere with disease diagnosis. The cause and occurrence of metal-artifacts are primarily due to beam hardening, scatter, partial volume and photon starvation; however, the contribution to the artifacts from each of them depends on the type of hardware. A comparison of CT images obtained with different metallic hardware in various applications, along with acquisition and reconstruction parameters, helps understand methods for reducing or overcoming such artifacts. In this work, a metal beam hardening correction (BHC) and a projection-completion based metal artifact reduction (MAR) algorithms were developed, and applied on phantom and clinical CT scans with various metallic implants. Stainless-steel and Titanium were used to model and correct for metal beam hardening effect. In the MAR algorithm, the corrupted projection samples are replaced by the combination of original projections and in-painted data obtained by forward projecting a prior image. The data included spine fixation screws, hip-implants, dental-filling, and body extremity fixations, covering range of clinically used metal implants. Comparison of BHC and MAR on different metallic implants was used to characterize dominant source of the artifacts, and conceivable methods to overcome those. Results of the study indicate that beam hardening could be a dominant source of artifact in many spine and extremity fixations, whereas dental and hip implants could be dominant source of photon starvation. The BHC algorithm could significantly improve image quality in CT scans with metallic screws, whereas MAR algorithm could alleviate artifacts in hip-implants and dentalfillings.

iPhone 4s photoplethysmography: which light color yields the most accurate heart rate and normalized pulse volume using the iPhysioMeter Application in the presence of motion artifact?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kenta Matsumura

Full Text Available Recent progress in information and communication technologies has made it possible to measure heart rate (HR and normalized pulse volume (NPV, which are important physiological indices, using only a smartphone. This has been achieved with reflection mode photoplethysmography (PPG, by using a smartphone's embedded flash as a light source and the camera as a light sensor. Despite its widespread use, the method of PPG is susceptible to motion artifacts as physical displacements influence photon propagation phenomena and, thereby, the effective optical path length. Further, it is known that the wavelength of light used for PPG influences the photon penetration depth and we therefore hypothesized that influences of motion artifact could be wavelength-dependant. To test this hypothesis, we made measurements in 12 healthy volunteers of HR and NPV derived from reflection mode plethysmograms recorded simultaneously at three different spectral regions (red, green and blue at the same physical location with a smartphone. We then assessed the accuracy of the HR and NPV measurements under the influence of motion artifacts. The analyses revealed that the accuracy of HR was acceptably high with all three wavelengths (all rs > 0.996, fixed biases: -0.12 to 0.10 beats per minute, proportional biases: r =  -0.29 to 0.03, but that of NPV was the best with green light (r = 0.791, fixed biases: -0.01 arbitrary units, proportional bias: r = 0.11. Moreover, the signal-to-noise ratio obtained with green and blue light PPG was higher than that of red light PPG. These findings suggest that green is the most suitable color for measuring HR and NPV from the reflection mode photoplethysmogram under motion artifact conditions. We conclude that the use of green light PPG could be of particular benefit in ambulatory monitoring where motion artifacts are a significant issue.

Adiabatic Low-Pass J Filters for Artifact Suppression in Heteronuclear NMR

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meier, Sebastian; Benie, Andrew J; Duus, Jens Øllgaard

2009-01-01

NMR artifact purging: Modern NMR experiments depend on efficient coherence transfer pathways for their sensitivity and on suppression of undesired pathways leading to artifacts for their spectral clarity. A novel robust adiabatic element suppresses hard-to-get-at artifacts....

Ring artifacts removal from synchrotron CT image slices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei Zhouping; Chapman, Dean; Wiebe, Sheldon

2013-01-01

Ring artifacts can occur in reconstructed images from x-ray Computerized Tomography (CT) as full or partial concentric rings superimposed on the scanned structures. Due to the data corruption by those ring artifacts in CT images, qualitative and quantitative analysis of these images are compromised. In this paper, we propose to correct the ring artifacts on the reconstructed synchrotron radiation (SR) CT image slices. The proposed correction procedure includes the following steps: (1). transform the reconstructed CT images into polar coordinates; (2) apply discrete two-dimensional (2D) wavelet transform to the polar image to decompose it into four image components: low pass band image component, as well as the components from horizontal, vertical and diagonal details bands; (3). apply 2D Fourier transform to the vertical details band image component only, since the ring artifacts become vertical lines in the polar coordinates; (4). apply Gaussian filtering in Fourier domain along the abscissa direction to suppress the vertical lines, since the information of the vertical lines in Fourier domain is completely condensed to that direction; (5). perform inverse Fourier transform to get the corrected vertical details band image component; (6). perform inverse wavelet transform to get the corrected polar image; (7). transform the corrected polar image back to Cartesian coordinates to get the CT image slice with reduced ring artifacts. This approach has been successfully used on CT data acquired from the Biomedical Imaging and Therapy (BMIT) beamline in Canadian Light Source (CLS), and the results show that the ring artifacts in original SR CT images have been effectively suppressed with all the structure information in the image preserved.

Density, ultrasound velocity, acoustic impedance, reflection and absorption coefficient determination of liquids via multiple reflection method.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoche, S; Hussein, M A; Becker, T

2015-03-01

The accuracy of density, reflection coefficient, and acoustic impedance determination via multiple reflection method was validated experimentally. The ternary system water-maltose-ethanol was used to execute a systematic, temperature dependent study over a wide range of densities and viscosities aiming an application as inline sensor in beverage industries. The validation results of the presented method and setup show root mean square errors of: 1.201E-3 g cm(-3) (±0.12%) density, 0.515E-3 (0.15%) reflection coefficient and 1.851E+3 kg s(-1) m(-2) (0.12%) specific acoustic impedance. The results of the diffraction corrected absorption showed an average standard deviation of only 0.12%. It was found that the absorption change shows a good correlation to concentration variations and may be useful for laboratory analysis of sufficiently pure liquids. The main part of the observed errors can be explained by the observed noise, temperature variation and the low signal resolution of 50 MHz. In particular, the poor signal-to-noise ratio of the second reflector echo was found to be a main accuracy limitation. Concerning the investigation of liquids the unstable properties of the reference material PMMA, due to hygroscopicity, were identified to be an additional, unpredictable source of uncertainty. While dimensional changes can be considered by adequate methodology, the impact of the time and temperature dependent water absorption on relevant reference properties like the buffer's sound velocity and density could not be considered and may explain part of the observed deviations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Grain-boundary, glassy-phase identification and possible artifacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simpson, Y.K.; Carter, C.B.; Sklad, P.; Bentley, J.

1985-01-01

Specimen artifacts such as grain boundary grooving, surface damage of the specimen, and Si contamination are shown experimentally to arise from the ion milling used in the preparation of transmission electron microscopy specimens. These artifacts in polycrystalline, ceramic specimens can cause clean grain boundaries to appear to contain a glassy phase when the dark-field diffuse scattering technique, the Fresnel fringe technique, and analytical electron microscopy (energy dispersive spectroscopy) are used to identify glassy phases at a grain boundary. The ambiguity in interpreting each of these techniques due to the ion milling artifacts will be discussed from a theoretical view point and compared to experimental results obtained for alumina

Historical Artifact Collection at the East Tennessee Technology Park

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goodpasture, S.T.; Wood, S.K.

2009-01-01

The East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP) was originally built during World War II as part of the Manhattan Project. Known as the K-25 Site, its primary mission was to enrich uranium for use in atomic weapons. During the Cold War, the site's mission was changed to include the enrichment of uranium for nuclear reactor fuel elements and to recycle spent fuel. In the 1980's, a reduction in the demand for nuclear fuel resulted in the shutdown of the enrichment process and production ceased. The emphasis of the mission for the ETTP was then changed to environmental management and restoration operation. Beginning in the 1990's, re-industrialization (conversion of under-utilized government facilities for use by the private sector) became a major mission at the ETTP. These activities involve cleaning and demolishing facilities. Decommission and demolition (D and D) of facilities at the ETTP or Manhattan Project K-25 Gaseous Diffusion Plant on the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) presented significant challenges complying with the requirements of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that was negotiated with the stakeholders. Development of a process to identify, record and preserve the artifacts and the cooperation of several agencies and contractors were critical to completing the collection of the artifacts without impacting the D and D project schedule. Additional challenges included contaminated and classified artifacts, entry to facilities with hazardous conditions, schedule pressures and funding for collection and permanent storage. A process was developed to achieve compliance with the requirements of the NHPA. The NHPA requirements and implementing instruments at the ETTP as well as the process developed to preserve significant Manhattan Project era artifacts at the ETTP will be discussed. Implementation of the artifact collection process is also summarized. The challenge of complying with the

Image statistics and nonlinear artifacts in composed transmission x-ray tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duerinckx, A.J.G.

1979-01-01

Knowledge of the image quality and image statistics in Computed Tomography (CT) images obtained with transmission x-ray CT scanners can increase the amount of clinically useful information that can be retrieved. Artifacts caused by nonlinear shadows are strongly object-dependent and are visible over larger areas of the image. No simple technique exists for their complete elimination. One source of artifacts in the first order statistics is the nonlinearities in the measured shadow or projection data used to reconstruct the image. One of the leading causes is the polychromaticity of the x-ray beam used in transmission CT scanners. Ways to improve the resulting image quality and techniques to extract additional information using dual energy scanning are discussed. A unique formalism consisting of a vector representation of the material dependence of the photon-tissue interactions is generalized to allow an in depth analysis. Poly-correction algorithms are compared using this analytic approach. Both quantum and detector electronic noise decrease the quality or information content of first order statistics. Preliminary results are presented using an heuristic adaptive nonlinear noise filter system for projection data. This filter system can be improved and/or modified to remove artifacts in both first and second order image statistics. Artifacts in the second order image statistics arise from the contribution of quantum noise. This can be described with a nonlinear detection equivalent model, similar to the model used to study artifacts in first order statistics. When analyzing these artifacts in second order statistics, one can divide them into linear artifacts, which do not present any problem of interpretation, and nonlinear artifacts, referred to as noise artifacts. A study of noise artifacts is presented together with a discussion of their relative importance in diagnostic radiology

A generic EEG artifact removal algorithm based on the multi-channel Wiener filter

Science.gov (United States)

Somers, Ben; Francart, Tom; Bertrand, Alexander

2018-06-01

Objective. The electroencephalogram (EEG) is an essential neuro-monitoring tool for both clinical and research purposes, but is susceptible to a wide variety of undesired artifacts. Removal of these artifacts is often done using blind source separation techniques, relying on a purely data-driven transformation, which may sometimes fail to sufficiently isolate artifacts in only one or a few components. Furthermore, some algorithms perform well for specific artifacts, but not for others. In this paper, we aim to develop a generic EEG artifact removal algorithm, which allows the user to annotate a few artifact segments in the EEG recordings to inform the algorithm. Approach. We propose an algorithm based on the multi-channel Wiener filter (MWF), in which the artifact covariance matrix is replaced by a low-rank approximation based on the generalized eigenvalue decomposition. The algorithm is validated using both hybrid and real EEG data, and is compared to other algorithms frequently used for artifact removal. Main results. The MWF-based algorithm successfully removes a wide variety of artifacts with better performance than current state-of-the-art methods. Significance. Current EEG artifact removal techniques often have limited applicability due to their specificity to one kind of artifact, their complexity, or simply because they are too ‘blind’. This paper demonstrates a fast, robust and generic algorithm for removal of EEG artifacts of various types, i.e. those that were annotated as unwanted by the user.

Artifact Elimination Technique in Tomogram of X-ray Computed Tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasif Mohd Zain

2015-01-01

Artifacts of tomogram are main commonly problems occurred in x-ray computed tomography. The artifacts will be appearing in tomogram due to noise, beam hardening, and scattered radiation. The study has been carried out using CdTe time pix detector. The new technique has been developed to eliminate the artifact occurred in hardware and software. The hardware setup involved the careful alignment all of the components of the system and the introduction of a collimator beam. Meanwhile, in software development deal with the flat field correction, noise filter and data projection algorithm. The results show the technique developed produce good quality images and eliminate the artifacts. (author)

The Information Systems Artifact

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chatterjee, Surtirtha; Xiao, Xiao; Elbanna, Amany

2017-01-01

Passionate debates regarding the defining characteristic of the “IT artifact” continue. Such debates, and also the lack of explicit consideration of the “information” element in the IT artifact, motivate us to propose a revised conception, drawing upon concepts from General Systems Theory (GST). ...

A dialectical take on artifact ecologies and the physical - digital divide

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bødker, Susanne; Klokmose, Clemens Nylandsted

In this position paper, we will present and discuss our understanding of artifact ecologies as we have developed it, rooted in activity theoretical HCI and dialectical thinking . Our basis is in the Human-Artifact Model, as well as well as cases where we have worked with artifact ecologies...

Towards a concept of community artifact ecology in HCI?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Saad-Sulonen, Joanna; Korsgaard, Henrik

or workplaces do. This has implications on understanding how to research and design HCI for communities but also on refining the ecological perspective in HCI. We look in particular at examples from preliminary research on a local self-organised urban community and discuss what existing concepts in the ecology......In this paper we introduce the concept of community artifact ecology. We argue that taking a community perspective on the concept of artifact ecologies is relevant in HCI because communities are also dealing with multitudes of artifacts, in ways di↵erent that individuals, organizations...

Thermoluminescent determination of prehistoric heat treatment of chert artifacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melcher, C.L.; Zimmerman, D.W.

1977-01-01

In recent years archeologists have become interested in the extent to which prehistoric peoples heat-treated chert prior to shaping it into tools. Thermoluminescent determination of the radiation dose accumulated by an artifact since it was formed or last heated provides a simple, reliable test for such heat treatment. This test can be applied to single artifacts without the need for raw source material for comparison. Results on 25 artifacts from four sites indicate that, for many chert sources, color and luster are not useful indicators of heat treatment by prehistoric peoples

Panning artifacts in digital pathology images

Science.gov (United States)

Avanaki, Ali R. N.; Lanciault, Christian; Espig, Kathryn S.; Xthona, Albert; Kimpe, Tom R. L.

2017-03-01

In making a pathologic diagnosis, a pathologist uses cognitive processes: perception, attention, memory, and search (Pena and Andrade-Filho, 2009). Typically, this involves focus while panning from one region of a slide to another, using either a microscope in a traditional workflow or software program and display in a digital pathology workflow (DICOM Standard Committee, 2010). We theorize that during panning operation, the pathologist receives information important to diagnosis efficiency and/or correctness. As compared to an optical microscope, panning in a digital pathology image involves some visual artifacts due to the following: (i) the frame rate is finite; (ii) time varying visual signals are reconstructed using imperfect zero-order hold. Specifically, after pixel's digital drive is changed, it takes time for a pixel to emit the expected amount of light. Previous work suggests that 49% of navigation is conducted in low-power/overview with digital pathology (Molin et al., 2015), but the influence of display factors has not been measured. We conducted a reader study to establish a relationship between display frame rate, panel response time, and threshold panning speed (above which the artifacts become noticeable). Our results suggest visual tasks that involve tissue structure are more impacted by the simulated panning artifacts than those that only involve color (e.g., staining intensity estimation), and that the panning artifacts versus normalized panning speed has a peak behavior which is surprising and may change for a diagnostic task. This is work in progress and our final findings should be considered in designing future digital pathology systems.

Spectral CT metal artifact reduction with an optimization-based reconstruction algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Gilat Schmidt, Taly; Barber, Rina F.; Sidky, Emil Y.

2017-03-01

Metal objects cause artifacts in computed tomography (CT) images. This work investigated the feasibility of a spectral CT method to reduce metal artifacts. Spectral CT acquisition combined with optimization-based reconstruction is proposed to reduce artifacts by modeling the physical effects that cause metal artifacts and by providing the flexibility to selectively remove corrupted spectral measurements in the spectral-sinogram space. The proposed Constrained `One-Step' Spectral CT Image Reconstruction (cOSSCIR) algorithm directly estimates the basis material maps while enforcing convex constraints. The incorporation of constraints on the reconstructed basis material maps is expected to mitigate undersampling effects that occur when corrupted data is excluded from reconstruction. The feasibility of the cOSSCIR algorithm to reduce metal artifacts was investigated through simulations of a pelvis phantom. The cOSSCIR algorithm was investigated with and without the use of a third basis material representing metal. The effects of excluding data corrupted by metal were also investigated. The results demonstrated that the proposed cOSSCIR algorithm reduced metal artifacts and improved CT number accuracy. For example, CT number error in a bright shading artifact region was reduced from 403 HU in the reference filtered backprojection reconstruction to 33 HU using the proposed algorithm in simulation. In the dark shading regions, the error was reduced from 1141 HU to 25 HU. Of the investigated approaches, decomposing the data into three basis material maps and excluding the corrupted data demonstrated the greatest reduction in metal artifacts.

Obtaining local reflectivity at two-way travel time by filtering acoustic reflection data

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Slob, E.C.; Zhang, L.; Wapenaar, C.P.A.; Mihai Popovici, A.; Fomel, S.

2017-01-01

A modified implementation of Marchenko redatuming leads to a filter that removes internal multiples from reflection data. It produces local reflectivity at two-way travel time. The method creates new primary reflections resulting from emitted events that eliminate internal multiples. We call these

WE-D-18C-01: Art of Imaging: Diagnostic Ultrasound Image Artifacts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zagzebski, J [University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Lu, Z [University of Chicago, Chicago, IL (United States)

2014-06-15

Assumptions followed during construction of B-mode and color flow images are that the pulse-echo transit time can be converted to reflector depth through uniform tissue models, echoes originate only from locations along the transmit-receive axes of pulse propagation, and first order correction schemes adequately account for acoustic wave attenuation and absorption. The latter allows the display brightness to encode tissue echogenicity. This course will challenge participants to identify imaging artifacts whose origins stem from the more complex and realistic propagating and scattering conditions common in clinical ultrasound. Speckle, a very common artifact but a clinically employed feature, originates from simultaneous echoes from diffuse scatterers and is a result of coherent detection of signals. One of the most bothersome artifacts are those due to reverberations especially that originating from superficial tissue interfaces. Methods to overcome these will be discussed. This presentation also will describe and illustrate speed of sound, refraction, enhancement, shadowing, mirroring, beam width, beam-forming, and slice thickness artifacts. All are useful examples of limitations introduced by acoustic waves propagating through complex tissue paths. New formats for physician board certification exams are demanding the inclusion of image-based examples of ultrasound physics. Instructors' knowledge of, and access to examples of ultrasound artifacts are important in this effort. The presentation will incorporate an audience response system to challenge participants in correct identification of some of these artifacts. Learning Objectives: Review basic mechanisms for producing ultrasound images. Identify the etiology of speckle, reverberation noise, beam width and slice thickness artifacts, and artifacts associated with pulse propagation. Discuss methods that reduce the impact of artifacts OR employ artifacts effectively to facilitate clinical diagnosis.

A level set method for cupping artifact correction in cone-beam CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, Shipeng; Li, Haibo; Ge, Qi; Li, Chunming

2015-01-01

Purpose: To reduce cupping artifacts and improve the contrast-to-noise ratio in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Methods: A level set method is proposed to reduce cupping artifacts in the reconstructed image of CBCT. The authors derive a local intensity clustering property of the CBCT image and define a local clustering criterion function of the image intensities in a neighborhood of each point. This criterion function defines an energy in terms of the level set functions, which represent a segmentation result and the cupping artifacts. The cupping artifacts are estimated as a result of minimizing this energy. Results: The cupping artifacts in CBCT are reduced by an average of 90%. The results indicate that the level set-based algorithm is practical and effective for reducing the cupping artifacts and preserving the quality of the reconstructed image. Conclusions: The proposed method focuses on the reconstructed image without requiring any additional physical equipment, is easily implemented, and provides cupping correction through a single-scan acquisition. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method successfully reduces the cupping artifacts

Making Digital Artifacts on the Web Verifiable and Reliable

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuhn, T.; Dumontier, M.

2015-01-01

The current Web has no general mechanisms to make digital artifacts - such as datasets, code, texts, and images - verifiable and permanent. For digital artifacts that are supposed to be immutable, there is moreover no commonly accepted method to enforce this immutability. These shortcomings have a

An evaluation of three commercially available metal artifact reduction methods for CT imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Jessie Y; Kerns, James R; Balter, Peter A; Followill, David S; Mirkovic, Dragan; Howell, Rebecca M; Kry, Stephen F; Nute, Jessica L; Liu, Xinming; Stingo, Francesco C

2015-01-01

Three commercial metal artifact reduction methods were evaluated for use in computed tomography (CT) imaging in the presence of clinically realistic metal implants: Philips O-MAR, GE’s monochromatic gemstone spectral imaging (GSI) using dual-energy CT, and GSI monochromatic imaging with metal artifact reduction software applied (MARs). Each method was evaluated according to CT number accuracy, metal size accuracy, and streak artifact severity reduction by using several phantoms, including three anthropomorphic phantoms containing metal implants (hip prosthesis, dental fillings and spinal fixation rods). All three methods showed varying degrees of success for the hip prosthesis and spinal fixation rod cases, while none were particularly beneficial for dental artifacts. Limitations of the methods were also observed. MARs underestimated the size of metal implants and introduced new artifacts in imaging planes beyond the metal implant when applied to dental artifacts, and both the O-MAR and MARs algorithms induced artifacts for spinal fixation rods in a thoracic phantom. Our findings suggest that all three artifact mitigation methods may benefit patients with metal implants, though they should be used with caution in certain scenarios. (paper)

Artifacts

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Samantha

2009-01-01

NASA Headquarters sent a list of items to KSC that were deemed potential artifacts. These items played arole in the Shuttle Program's development and maintenance. Because these items are national assets, many are of interest to museums, schools, other government entities, etc. upon the Space Shuttle's retirement. The list contains over 500 items. All of these items need to be located, photographed, and catalogued with accompanying specific data that needs to be gathered. Initial research suggests that this is a time, labor, and cost intensive project. The purpose of my project was to focus on 20-60 of these 500 items, gather the necessary data, and compile them in a way that can be added to by other users when/if the project goes into full effect.

Spectral CT with monochromatic imaging and metal artifacts reduction software for artifacts reduction of ¹²⁵I radioactive seeds in liver brachytherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Qiuxia; Peng, Sheng; Wu, Jing; Ban, Xiaohua; He, Mingyan; Xie, Chuanmiao; Zhang, Rong

2015-11-01

To investigate the optimal monochromatic energy for artifacts reduction from (125)I seeds as well as image improvement in the vicinity of seeds on monochromatic images with and without metal artifacts reduction software (MARS) and to compare this with traditional 120-kVp images, so as to evaluate the application value of gemstone spectral imaging for reducing artifacts from (125)I seeds in liver brachytherapy. A total of 45 tumors from 25 patients treated with (125)I seed brachytherapy in the liver were enrolled in this study. Multiphasic spectral computed tomography (CT) scanning was performed for each patient. After a delay time of 15 s of portal vein phase, a traditional 120-kVp scan was performed, focusing on several planes of (125)I seeds only. The artifact index (AI) in the vicinity of seeds and the standard deviation (SD) of the CT density of region of interest in the outside liver parenchyma were calculated. Artifact appearance was evaluated and classified on reconstructed monochromatic S and 120-kVp images. Image quality in the vicinity of seeds of three data sets were evaluated using a 1-5 scale scoring method. The Friedman rank-sum test was used to estimate the scoring results of image quality. The greatest noise in monochromatic images was found at 40 keV (SD = 27.38, AI = 206.40). The optimal monochromatic energy was found at 75 keV, which provided almost the least image noise (SD = 10.01) and good performance in artifact reduction (AI = 102.73). Image noise and AI reduction at 75 keV was decreased by 63.44 and 50.23%, compared with at 40 keV. Near-field thick artifacts were obvious in all 45 lesions, in 120-kVp images, and 75-keV images, but basically reduced in 75 keV MARS images and artifacts completely invisible in 7 lesions. The number of diagnosable images (score ≥3) was significantly more in the 75-keV MARS group (28/45), and the 75-keV group (22/45) than in the 120-kVp group (11/45) (p improve image quality, even to a state of being

Deep learning methods for CT image-domain metal artifact reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Gjesteby, Lars; Yang, Qingsong; Xi, Yan; Shan, Hongming; Claus, Bernhard; Jin, Yannan; De Man, Bruno; Wang, Ge

2017-09-01

Artifacts resulting from metal objects have been a persistent problem in CT images over the last four decades. A common approach to overcome their effects is to replace corrupt projection data with values synthesized from an interpolation scheme or by reprojection of a prior image. State-of-the-art correction methods, such as the interpolation- and normalization-based algorithm NMAR, often do not produce clinically satisfactory results. Residual image artifacts remain in challenging cases and even new artifacts can be introduced by the interpolation scheme. Metal artifacts continue to be a major impediment, particularly in radiation and proton therapy planning as well as orthopedic imaging. A new solution to the long-standing metal artifact reduction (MAR) problem is deep learning, which has been successfully applied to medical image processing and analysis tasks. In this study, we combine a convolutional neural network (CNN) with the state-of-the-art NMAR algorithm to reduce metal streaks in critical image regions. Training data was synthesized from CT simulation scans of a phantom derived from real patient images. The CNN is able to map metal-corrupted images to artifact-free monoenergetic images to achieve additional correction on top of NMAR for improved image quality. Our results indicate that deep learning is a novel tool to address CT reconstruction challenges, and may enable more accurate tumor volume estimation for radiation therapy planning.

SU-F-J-74: High Z Geometric Integrity and Beam Hardening Artifact Assessment Using a Retrospective Metal Artifact Reduction (MAR) Reconstruction Algorithm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Woods, K; DiCostanzo, D; Gupta, N [Ohio State University Columbus, OH (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: To test the efficacy of a retrospective metal artifact reduction (MAR) reconstruction algorithm for a commercial computed tomography (CT) scanner for radiation therapy purposes. Methods: High Z geometric integrity and artifact reduction analysis was performed with three phantoms using General Electric’s (GE) Discovery CT. The three phantoms included: a Computerized Imaging Reference Systems (CIRS) electron density phantom (Model 062) with a 6.5 mm diameter titanium rod insert, a custom spine phantom using Synthes Spine hardware submerged in water, and a dental phantom with various high Z fillings submerged in water. Each phantom was reconstructed using MAR and compared against the original scan. Furthermore, each scenario was tested using standard and extended Hounsfield Unit (HU) ranges. High Z geometric integrity was performed using the CIRS phantom, while the artifact reduction was performed using all three phantoms. Results: Geometric integrity of the 6.5 mm diameter rod was slightly overestimated for non-MAR scans for both standard and extended HU. With MAR reconstruction, the rod was underestimated for both standard and extended HU. For artifact reduction, the mean and standard deviation was compared in a volume of interest (VOI) in the surrounding material (water and water equivalent material, ∼0HU). Overall, the mean value of the VOI was closer to 0 HU for the MAR reconstruction compared to the non-MAR scan for most phantoms. Additionally, the standard deviations for all phantoms were greatly reduced using MAR reconstruction. Conclusion: GE’s MAR reconstruction algorithm improves image quality with the presence of high Z material with minimal degradation of its geometric integrity. High Z delineation can be carried out with proper contouring techniques. The effects of beam hardening artifacts are greatly reduced with MAR reconstruction. Tissue corrections due to these artifacts can be eliminated for simple high Z geometries and greatly

SU-F-J-74: High Z Geometric Integrity and Beam Hardening Artifact Assessment Using a Retrospective Metal Artifact Reduction (MAR) Reconstruction Algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woods, K; DiCostanzo, D; Gupta, N

2016-01-01

Purpose: To test the efficacy of a retrospective metal artifact reduction (MAR) reconstruction algorithm for a commercial computed tomography (CT) scanner for radiation therapy purposes. Methods: High Z geometric integrity and artifact reduction analysis was performed with three phantoms using General Electric’s (GE) Discovery CT. The three phantoms included: a Computerized Imaging Reference Systems (CIRS) electron density phantom (Model 062) with a 6.5 mm diameter titanium rod insert, a custom spine phantom using Synthes Spine hardware submerged in water, and a dental phantom with various high Z fillings submerged in water. Each phantom was reconstructed using MAR and compared against the original scan. Furthermore, each scenario was tested using standard and extended Hounsfield Unit (HU) ranges. High Z geometric integrity was performed using the CIRS phantom, while the artifact reduction was performed using all three phantoms. Results: Geometric integrity of the 6.5 mm diameter rod was slightly overestimated for non-MAR scans for both standard and extended HU. With MAR reconstruction, the rod was underestimated for both standard and extended HU. For artifact reduction, the mean and standard deviation was compared in a volume of interest (VOI) in the surrounding material (water and water equivalent material, ∼0HU). Overall, the mean value of the VOI was closer to 0 HU for the MAR reconstruction compared to the non-MAR scan for most phantoms. Additionally, the standard deviations for all phantoms were greatly reduced using MAR reconstruction. Conclusion: GE’s MAR reconstruction algorithm improves image quality with the presence of high Z material with minimal degradation of its geometric integrity. High Z delineation can be carried out with proper contouring techniques. The effects of beam hardening artifacts are greatly reduced with MAR reconstruction. Tissue corrections due to these artifacts can be eliminated for simple high Z geometries and greatly

Simulation-based artifact correction (SBAC) for metrological computed tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Maier, Joscha; Leinweber, Carsten; Sawall, Stefan; Stoschus, Henning; Ballach, Frederic; Müller, Tobias; Hammer, Michael; Christoph, Ralf; Kachelrieß, Marc

2017-06-01

Computed tomography (CT) is a valuable tool for the metrolocical assessment of industrial components. However, the application of CT to the investigation of highly attenuating objects or multi-material components is often restricted by the presence of CT artifacts caused by beam hardening, x-ray scatter, off-focal radiation, partial volume effects or the cone-beam reconstruction itself. In order to overcome this limitation, this paper proposes an approach to calculate a correction term that compensates for the contribution of artifacts and thus enables an appropriate assessment of these components using CT. Therefore, we make use of computer simulations of the CT measurement process. Based on an appropriate model of the object, e.g. an initial reconstruction or a CAD model, two simulations are carried out. One simulation considers all physical effects that cause artifacts using dedicated analytic methods as well as Monte Carlo-based models. The other one represents an ideal CT measurement i.e. a measurement in parallel beam geometry with a monochromatic, point-like x-ray source and no x-ray scattering. Thus, the difference between these simulations is an estimate for the present artifacts and can be used to correct the acquired projection data or the corresponding CT reconstruction, respectively. The performance of the proposed approach is evaluated using simulated as well as measured data of single and multi-material components. Our approach yields CT reconstructions that are nearly free of artifacts and thereby clearly outperforms commonly used artifact reduction algorithms in terms of image quality. A comparison against tactile reference measurements demonstrates the ability of the proposed approach to increase the accuracy of the metrological assessment significantly.

Adaptive noise canceling of electrocardiogram artifacts in single channel electroencephalogram.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Sung Pil; Song, Mi Hye; Park, Young Cheol; Choi, Ho Seon; Lee, Kyoung Joung

2007-01-01

A new method for estimating and eliminating electrocardiogram (ECG) artifacts from single channel scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) is proposed. The proposed method consists of emphasis of QRS complex from EEG using least squares acceleration (LSA) filter, generation of synchronized pulse with R-peak and ECG artifacts estimation and elimination using adaptive filter. The performance of the proposed method was evaluated using simulated and real EEG recordings, we found that the ECG artifacts were successfully estimated and eliminated in comparison with the conventional multi-channel techniques, which are independent component analysis (ICA) and ensemble average (EA) method. From this we can conclude that the proposed method is useful for the detecting and eliminating the ECG artifacts from single channel EEG and simple to use for ambulatory/portable EEG monitoring system.

Medical image of the week: DBS polysomnogram artifact

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shetty S,

2015-10-01

Full Text Available A 79-year-old man with known Parkinson’s disease and status post deep brain stimulator (DBS implantation underwent an overnight polysomnogram for clinical suspicion of obstructive sleep apnea. Artifact was seen on the polysomnogram recording (Figures 1 & 2. Patient-related electrical artifacts may be seen from devices such as pacemakers, deep brain stimulators and vagal nerve simulators. Abrupt discontinuation of DBS is associated with a high likelihood of worsening of symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s disease (1. Patients with DBS are most commonly programmed in monopolar mode. Bipolar configuration, forms a short electrical dipole that affects a relatively smaller volume of tissue and generates far less artifact, suggesting that this may be an effective option in a Parkinsonian patient with indications for polysomnography (2.

Polarization resolved imaging with a reflection near-field optical microscope

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bozhevolnyi, Sergey I.; Xiao, Mufei; Hvam, Jørn Märcher

1999-01-01

Using a rigorous microscopic point-dipole description of probe-sample interactions, we study imaging with a reflection scanning near-field optical microscope. Optical content, topographical artifacts, sensitivity window-i.e., the scale on which near-field optical images represent mainly optical...... configuration is preferable to the cross-linear one, since it ensures more isotropic (in the surface plane) near-field imaging of surface features. The numerical results are supported with experimental near-field images obtained by using a reflection microscope with an uncoated fiber tip....

System and method for determination of the reflection wavelength of multiple low-reflectivity bragg gratings in a sensing optical fiber

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Jason P. (Inventor)

2009-01-01

A system and method for determining a reflection wavelength of multiple Bragg gratings in a sensing optical fiber comprise: (1) a source laser; (2) an optical detector configured to detect a reflected signal from the sensing optical fiber; (3) a plurality of frequency generators configured to generate a signal having a frequency corresponding to an interferometer frequency of a different one of the plurality of Bragg gratings; (4) a plurality of demodulation elements, each demodulation element configured to combine the signal produced by a different one of the plurality of frequency generators with the detected signal from the sensing optical fiber; (5) a plurality of peak detectors, each peak detector configured to detect a peak of the combined signal from a different one of the demodulation elements; and (6) a laser wavenumber detection element configured to determine a wavenumber of the laser when any of the peak detectors detects a peak.

Metal artifact reduction algorithm based on model images and spatial information

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Jay [Institute of Radiological Science, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan (China); Shih, Cheng-Ting [Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing-Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (China); Chang, Shu-Jun [Health Physics Division, Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, Taoyuan, Taiwan (China); Huang, Tzung-Chi [Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan (China); Sun, Jing-Yi [Institute of Radiological Science, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan (China); Wu, Tung-Hsin, E-mail: tung@ym.edu.tw [Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, No.155, Sec. 2, Linong Street, Taipei 112, Taiwan (China)

2011-10-01

Computed tomography (CT) has become one of the most favorable choices for diagnosis of trauma. However, high-density metal implants can induce metal artifacts in CT images, compromising image quality. In this study, we proposed a model-based metal artifact reduction (MAR) algorithm. First, we built a model image using the k-means clustering technique with spatial information and calculated the difference between the original image and the model image. Then, the projection data of these two images were combined using an exponential weighting function. At last, the corrected image was reconstructed using the filter back-projection algorithm. Two metal-artifact contaminated images were studied. For the cylindrical water phantom image, the metal artifact was effectively removed. The mean CT number of water was improved from -28.95{+-}97.97 to -4.76{+-}4.28. For the clinical pelvic CT image, the dark band and the metal line were removed, and the continuity and uniformity of the soft tissue were recovered as well. These results indicate that the proposed MAR algorithm is useful for reducing metal artifact and could improve the diagnostic value of metal-artifact contaminated CT images.

A simple system for detection of EEG artifacts in polysomnographic recordings.

Science.gov (United States)

Durka, P J; Klekowicz, H; Blinowska, K J; Szelenberger, W; Niemcewicz, Sz

2003-04-01

We present an efficient parametric system for automatic detection of electroencephalogram (EEG) artifacts in polysomnographic recordings. For each of the selected types of artifacts, a relevant parameter was calculated for a given epoch. If any of these parameters exceeded a threshold, the epoch was marked as an artifact. Performance of the system, evaluated on 18 overnight polysomnographic recordings, revealed concordance with decisions of human experts close to the interexpert agreement and the repeatability of expert's decisions, assessed via a double-blind test. Complete software (Matlab source code) for the presented system is freely available from the Internet at http://brain.fuw.edu.pl/artifacts.

Implementation of real-time multiple reflection and Fresnel absorption of laser beam in keyhole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Jung-Ho; Na, Suck-Joo

2006-01-01

A computational analysis of laser keyhole welding is achieved. The main driving force to make the molten pool as a narrow and deep keyhole is the recoil pressure induced by evaporation of the material. Also, the multiple reflection effect on the keyhole wall plays an important role in making the keyhole deeper and raising its total energy absorption rate. Multiple reflection and Fresnel absorption are implemented simultaneously with the proposed ray tracing technique in a discrete grid cell system during the simulation for every single time step. In particular, the Fresnel absorption model is chosen as an energy transfer mechanism from laser beam to workpiece. With all the governing equations including continuity, momentum and energy equation, the VOF method is adopted to trace the free surface of the molten pool. Simulation results are compared with the experimental ones to verify its validity. A pulsed Nd : YAG laser was used for keyhole welding experiments on mild steel plates of 7 mm thickness. It was observed that the generated keyhole maintains its solidified shape without any closing phenomenon both in the experiments and in the simulations

Implementation of real-time multiple reflection and Fresnel absorption of laser beam in keyhole

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cho, Jung-Ho; Na, Suck-Joo [Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST, 373-1 Guseong-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701 (Korea, Republic of)

2006-12-21

A computational analysis of laser keyhole welding is achieved. The main driving force to make the molten pool as a narrow and deep keyhole is the recoil pressure induced by evaporation of the material. Also, the multiple reflection effect on the keyhole wall plays an important role in making the keyhole deeper and raising its total energy absorption rate. Multiple reflection and Fresnel absorption are implemented simultaneously with the proposed ray tracing technique in a discrete grid cell system during the simulation for every single time step. In particular, the Fresnel absorption model is chosen as an energy transfer mechanism from laser beam to workpiece. With all the governing equations including continuity, momentum and energy equation, the VOF method is adopted to trace the free surface of the molten pool. Simulation results are compared with the experimental ones to verify its validity. A pulsed Nd : YAG laser was used for keyhole welding experiments on mild steel plates of 7 mm thickness. It was observed that the generated keyhole maintains its solidified shape without any closing phenomenon both in the experiments and in the simulations.

Artifacts Affecting Musculoskeletal Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Their Origins and Solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Roth, Eira; Hoff, Michael; Richardson, Michael L; Ha, Alice S; Porrino, Jack

2016-01-01

Among articles within the radiology literature, few present the manifestations of magnetic resonance imaging artifacts in a clinically oriented manner. Recognizing such artifacts is imperative given the increasing clinical use of magnetic resonance imaging and the emphasis by the American Board of Radiology on practical physics applications. The purpose of this article is to present magnetic resonance physics principles visually and conceptually in the context of common musculoskeletal radiology artifacts and their solutions, described using nonmathematical explanations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Metal artifact reduction method using metal streaks image subtraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pua, Rizza D.; Cho, Seung Ryong

2014-01-01

Many studies have been dedicated for metal artifact reduction (MAR); however, the methods are successful to varying degrees depending on situations. Sinogram in-painting, filtering, iterative method are some of the major categories of MAR. Each has its own merits and weaknesses. A combination of these methods or hybrid methods have also been developed to make use of the different benefits of two techniques and minimize the unfavorable results. Our method focuses on the in-paitning approach and a hybrid MAR described by Xia et al. Although in-painting scheme is an effective technique in reducing the primary metal artifacts, a major drawback is the reintroduction of new artifacts that can be caused by an inaccurate interpolation process. Furthermore, combining the segmented metal image to the corrected nonmetal image in the final step of a conventional inpainting approach causes an issue of incorrect metal pixel values. Our proposed method begins with a sinogram in-painting approach and ends with an image-based metal artifact reduction scheme. This work provides a simple, yet effective solution for reducing metal artifacts and acquiring the original metal pixel information. The proposed method demonstrated its effectiveness in a simulation setting. The proposed method showed image quality that is comparable to the standard MAR; however, quantitatively more accurate than the standard MAR

Generalization as creative and reflective act

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tateo, Luca

2013-01-01

It is argued that generalization in psychology is a creative, interpretative, and reflective act of thought, by accessing a higher level of abstraction from meaningful events. In the context of clarification of this claim, a fresh look at Lewin’s argumentation about the “Aristotelian” and “Galile...... in psychology can provide a relevant starting point to foster contemporary reflexivity in psychology. Scientific method provides conceptual artifacts, constraints, and norms of sharing that enable this particular type of sense-making process....

Methods for artifact detection and removal from scalp EEG: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Islam, Md Kafiul; Rastegarnia, Amir; Yang, Zhi

2016-11-01

Electroencephalography (EEG) is the most popular brain activity recording technique used in wide range of applications. One of the commonly faced problems in EEG recordings is the presence of artifacts that come from sources other than brain and contaminate the acquired signals significantly. Therefore, much research over the past 15 years has focused on identifying ways for handling such artifacts in the preprocessing stage. However, this is still an active area of research as no single existing artifact detection/removal method is complete or universal. This article presents an extensive review of the existing state-of-the-art artifact detection and removal methods from scalp EEG for all potential EEG-based applications and analyses the pros and cons of each method. First, a general overview of the different artifact types that are found in scalp EEG and their effect on particular applications are presented. In addition, the methods are compared based on their ability to remove certain types of artifacts and their suitability in relevant applications (only functional comparison is provided not performance evaluation of methods). Finally, the future direction and expected challenges of current research is discussed. Therefore, this review is expected to be helpful for interested researchers who will develop and/or apply artifact handling algorithm/technique in future for their applications as well as for those willing to improve the existing algorithms or propose a new solution in this particular area of research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Filtration of human EEG recordings from physiological artifacts with empirical mode method

Science.gov (United States)

Grubov, Vadim V.; Runnova, Anastasiya E.; Khramova, Marina V.

2017-03-01

In the paper we propose the new method for dealing with noise and physiological artifacts in experimental human EEG recordings. The method is based on analysis of EEG signals with empirical mode decomposition (Hilbert-Huang transform). We consider noises and physiological artifacts on EEG as specific oscillatory patterns that cause problems during EEG analysis and can be detected with additional signals recorded simultaneously with EEG (ECG, EMG, EOG, etc.) We introduce the algorithm of the method with following steps: empirical mode decomposition of EEG signal, choosing of empirical modes with artifacts, removing empirical modes with artifacts, reconstruction of the initial EEG signal. We test the method on filtration of experimental human EEG signals from eye-moving artifacts and show high efficiency of the method.

A comparative evaluation of adaptive noise cancellation algorithms for minimizing motion artifacts in a forehead-mounted wearable pulse oximeter.

Science.gov (United States)

Comtois, Gary; Mendelson, Yitzhak; Ramuka, Piyush

2007-01-01

Wearable physiological monitoring using a pulse oximeter would enable field medics to monitor multiple injuries simultaneously, thereby prioritizing medical intervention when resources are limited. However, a primary factor limiting the accuracy of pulse oximetry is poor signal-to-noise ratio since photoplethysmographic (PPG) signals, from which arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) and heart rate (HR) measurements are derived, are compromised by movement artifacts. This study was undertaken to quantify SpO2 and HR errors induced by certain motion artifacts utilizing accelerometry-based adaptive noise cancellation (ANC). Since the fingers are generally more vulnerable to motion artifacts, measurements were performed using a custom forehead-mounted wearable pulse oximeter developed for real-time remote physiological monitoring and triage applications. This study revealed that processing motion-corrupted PPG signals by least mean squares (LMS) and recursive least squares (RLS) algorithms can be effective to reduce SpO2 and HR errors during jogging, but the degree of improvement depends on filter order. Although both algorithms produced similar improvements, implementing the adaptive LMS algorithm is advantageous since it requires significantly less operations.

Preliminary experimental insights into differential heat impact among lithic artifacts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guillermo Bustos-Pérez

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The presence of thermally altered and broken flint artifacts is common at archaeological sites. Most studies focus their attention on the effects of heat treatment on flint to improve knapping qualities, disregarding the effects of fire over flint under uncontrolled conditions. This paper aims to show how under uncontrolled heating processes flint artifacts develop different heat alterations (such as levels of breakage, presence of scales, etc. as a result of vertical distribution, volume or raw material and to establish a gradient of rock changes and behavior. Artifacts where macroscopically analyzed and a series of uncontrolled heating experiments through the distribution of flint blanks under two hearths were carried out, allowing a comparison of the before and after of the blanks. Preliminary results show how levels of breakage, surface alteration or development of heat alteration features can be differentiated according to artifact volume, vertical distribution and level of surface alteration. Results also show how two different raw materials react differently to similar thermal impact, and how surface alteration reacts at different rhythm in the case of recycled artifacts. We conclude that levels of thermal alteration can be differentiated through macroscopic analysis of flint surface.

Identification of a unique cause of ring artifact seen in computed tomography trans-axial images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jha, Ashish Kumar; Purandare, Nilendu C; Shah, Sneha; Agrawal, Archi; Puranik, Ameya D; Rangarajan, Venkatesh

2013-01-01

Artifacts present in computed tomography (CT) image often degrade the image quality and ultimately, the diagnostic outcome. Ring artifact in trans-axial image is caused by either miscalibrated or defective detector element of detector row, which is often categorized as scanner based artifact. A ring artifact detected on trans-axial CT image of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), was caused by contamination of CT tube aperture by droplet of injectable contrast medium. This artifact was corrected by removal of contrast droplet from CT tube aperture. The ring artifact is a very common artifact, commonly cited in the literature. Our case puts forward an uncommon cause of this artifact and its method of correction, which also, has no mention in the existing literature

Quantification of Rain Induced Artifacts on Digital Satellite Television ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The presence of artifacts on the high definition television (TV) content and the eventual loss of the digital TV signals to rain is still a major concern to satellite operators, digital satellite television (DSTV) and terrestrial television content providers. In this paper, the artifacts present in a typical DSTV signal is examined on a ...

Reduction of artifacts caused by orthopedic hardware in the spine in spectral detector CT examinations using virtual monoenergetic image reconstructions and metal-artifact-reduction algorithms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grosse Hokamp, Nils; Neuhaus, V.; Abdullayev, N.; Laukamp, K.; Lennartz, S.; Mpotsaris, A.; Borggrefe, J. [University Hospital Cologne, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Cologne (Germany)

2018-02-15

Aim of this study was to assess the artifact reduction in patients with orthopedic hardware in the spine as provided by (1) metal-artifact-reduction algorithms (O-MAR) and (2) virtual monoenergetic images (MonoE) as provided by spectral detector CT (SDCT) compared to conventional iterative reconstruction (CI). In all, 28 consecutive patients with orthopedic hardware in the spine who underwent SDCT-examinations were included. CI, O-MAR and MonoE (40-200 keV) images were reconstructed. Attenuation (HU) and noise (SD) were measured in order to calculate signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of paravertebral muscle and spinal canal. Subjective image quality was assessed by two radiologists in terms of image quality and extent of artifact reduction. O-MAR and high-keV MonoE showed significant decrease of hypodense artifacts in terms of higher attenuation as compared to CI (CI vs O-MAR, 200 keV MonoE: -396.5HU vs. -115.2HU, -48.1HU; both p ≤ 0.001). Further, artifacts as depicted by noise were reduced in O-MAR and high-keV MonoE as compared to CI in (1) paravertebral muscle and (2) spinal canal - CI vs. O-MAR/200 keV: (1) 34.7 ± 19.0 HU vs. 26.4 ± 14.4 HU, p ≤ 0.05/27.4 ± 16.1, n.s.; (2) 103.4 ± 61.3 HU vs. 72.6 ± 62.6 HU/60.9 ± 40.1 HU, both p ≤ 0.001. Subjectively both O-MAR and high-keV images yielded an artifact reduction in up to 24/28 patients. Both, O-MAR and high-keV MonoE reconstructions as provided by SDCT lead to objective and subjective artifact reduction, thus the combination of O-MAR and MonoE seems promising for further reduction. (orig.)

Multiple-band reflective polarization converter using U-shaped metamaterial

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Xiaojun; Yang, Dong; Yang, Helin

2014-01-01

A multiple-band metamaterial reflective polarization converter (RPC) is proposed, which is composed of the dielectric substrate sandwiched with U-shaped metallic patterns and continuous metal film. The proposed U-shaped metamaterial RPC (UMM-RPC) can convert a linearly polarized wave to its cross polarized wave at the three resonant frequencies, which also can convert the linearly polarized wave to circularly polarized wave at other three resonant frequencies. Furthermore, the proposed UMM-RPC can maintain the same conversional direction at the three resonant frequencies when incident on a circularly polarized wave. The simulated and measured results are in agreement in the entire frequency range, and the polarization conversion ratio is over 90% for both linear and circular polarizations. The surface current distributions of the UMM-RPC are discussed to look into the physical mechanism. The proposed UMM-RPC has simple geometry but more operating frequency bands compared to the previous designs and can be used in applications such as antenna radome, remote sensors, and radiometer

Multiple-band reflective polarization converter using U-shaped metamaterial

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Xiaojun [College of Physical Science and Technology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079 (China); Department of Physics, Kashgar Teachers College, Kashgar 844000 (China); Yang, Dong [College of Physics and Electronics Science, Hubei Normal University, Huangshi 435002 (China); Yang, Helin, E-mail: emyang@mail.ccnu.edu.cn [College of Physical Science and Technology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079 (China)

2014-03-14

A multiple-band metamaterial reflective polarization converter (RPC) is proposed, which is composed of the dielectric substrate sandwiched with U-shaped metallic patterns and continuous metal film. The proposed U-shaped metamaterial RPC (UMM-RPC) can convert a linearly polarized wave to its cross polarized wave at the three resonant frequencies, which also can convert the linearly polarized wave to circularly polarized wave at other three resonant frequencies. Furthermore, the proposed UMM-RPC can maintain the same conversional direction at the three resonant frequencies when incident on a circularly polarized wave. The simulated and measured results are in agreement in the entire frequency range, and the polarization conversion ratio is over 90% for both linear and circular polarizations. The surface current distributions of the UMM-RPC are discussed to look into the physical mechanism. The proposed UMM-RPC has simple geometry but more operating frequency bands compared to the previous designs and can be used in applications such as antenna radome, remote sensors, and radiometer.

Reverse time migration of multiples for OBS data

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Dongliang

2014-01-01

Reverse time migration of multiples (RTMM) is applied to OBS data with sparse receiver spacing. RTMM for OBS data unlike a marine streamer acquisition is implemented in the common receiver gathers (CRG) and provides a wider and denser illumination for each CRG than the conventional RTM of primaries. Hence, while the the conventional RTM image contains strong aliasing artifacts due to a sparser receiver interval, the RTMM image suffers from this artifacts less. This benefit of RTMM is demonstrated with numerical test on the Marmousi model for sparsely sampled OBS data.

Reverse time migration of multiples for OBS data

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Dongliang

2014-08-05

Reverse time migration of multiples (RTMM) is applied to OBS data with sparse receiver spacing. RTMM for OBS data unlike a marine streamer acquisition is implemented in the common receiver gathers (CRG) and provides a wider and denser illumination for each CRG than the conventional RTM of primaries. Hence, while the the conventional RTM image contains strong aliasing artifacts due to a sparser receiver interval, the RTMM image suffers from this artifacts less. This benefit of RTMM is demonstrated with numerical test on the Marmousi model for sparsely sampled OBS data.

MARSAME Radiological Release Report for Archaeological Artifacts Excavated from Area L

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruedig, Elizabeth [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Whicker, Jeffrey Jay [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Gillis, Jessica Mcdonnel [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2016-06-03

In 1991 Los Alamos National Laboratory’s (LANL’s) cultural resources team excavated archaeological site LA 4618 located at Technical Area 54, within Material Disposal Area L (MDA L). MDA L received non-radioactive chemical waste from the early 1960s until 1985. Further development of the MDA required excavation of several cultural sites under National Historic Preservation Act requirements; artifacts from these sites have been subsequently stored at LANL. The LANL cultural resources group would now like to release these artifacts to the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe for curation. The history of disposal at Area L suggests that the artifact pool is unlikely to be chemically contaminated and LANL staff washed each artifact at least once following excavation. Thus, it is unlikely that the artifacts present a chemical hazard. LANL’s Environmental Stewardship group (EPC-ES) has evaluated the radiological survey results for the Area L artifact pool and found that the items described in this report meet the criteria for unrestricted radiological release under Department of Energy (DOE) Order 458.1 Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment and are candidates for release without restriction from LANL control. This conclusion is based on the known history of MDA L and on radiation survey data.

Gamma irradiation of cultural artifacts for disinfection using Monte Carlo simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Jong-il; Yoon, Minchul; Kim, Dongho

2012-01-01

In this study, it has been investigated the disinfection of Korean cultural artifacts by gamma irradiation, simulating the absorbed dose distribution on the object with the Monte Carlo methodology. Fungal contamination was identified on two traditional Korean agricultural tools, Hongdukkae and Holtae, which had been stored in a museum. Nine primary species were identified from these items: Bjerkandera adusta, Dothideomycetes sp., Penicillium sp., Cladosporium tenuissimum, Aspergillus versicolor, Penicillium sp., Entrophospora sp., Aspergillus sydowii, and Corynascus sepedonium. However, these fungi were completely inactivated by gamma irradiation at an absorbed dose of 20 kGy on the front side. Monte Carlo N Particle Transport Code was used to simulate the doses applied to these cultural artifacts, and the measured dose distributions were well predicted by the simulations. These results show that irradiation is effective for the disinfection of cultural artifacts and that dose distribution can be predicted with Monte Carlo simulations, allowing the optimization of the radiation treatment. - Highlights: ► Radiation was applied for the disinfection of Korean cultural artifacts. ► Fungi on the artifacts were completely inactivated by the irradiation. ► Monte Carlo N Particle Transport Code was used to predict the dose distribution. ► This study is applicable for the preservation of cultural artifacts by irradiation.

Individuality evaluation for paper based artifact-metrics using transmitted light image

Science.gov (United States)

Yamakoshi, Manabu; Tanaka, Junichi; Furuie, Makoto; Hirabayashi, Masashi; Matsumoto, Tsutomu

2008-02-01

Artifact-metrics is an automated method of authenticating artifacts based on a measurable intrinsic characteristic. Intrinsic characters, such as microscopic random-patterns made during the manufacturing process, are very difficult to copy. A transmitted light image of the distribution can be used for artifact-metrics, since the fiber distribution of paper is random. Little is known about the individuality of the transmitted light image although it is an important requirement for intrinsic characteristic artifact-metrics. Measuring individuality requires that the intrinsic characteristic of each artifact significantly differs, so having sufficient individuality can make an artifact-metric system highly resistant to brute force attack. Here we investigate the influence of paper category, matching size of sample, and image-resolution on the individuality of a transmitted light image of paper through a matching test using those images. More concretely, we evaluate FMR/FNMR curves by calculating similarity scores with matches using correlation coefficients between pairs of scanner input images, and the individuality of paper by way of estimated EER with probabilistic measure through a matching method based on line segments, which can localize the influence of rotation gaps of a sample in the case of large matching size. As a result, we found that the transmitted light image of paper has a sufficient individuality.

Metal artifact reduction in CT using tissue-class modeling and adaptive prefiltering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bal, Matthieu; Spies, Lothar

2006-01-01

High-density objects such as metal prostheses, surgical clips, or dental fillings generate streak-like artifacts in computed tomography images. We present a novel method for metal artifact reduction by in-painting missing information into the corrupted sinogram. The information is provided by a tissue-class model extracted from the distorted image. To this end the image is first adaptively filtered to reduce the noise content and to smooth out streak artifacts. Consecutively, the image is segmented into different material classes using a clustering algorithm. The corrupted and missing information in the original sinogram is completed using the forward projected information from the tissue-class model. The performance of the correction method is assessed on phantom images. Clinical images featuring a broad spectrum of metal artifacts are studied. Phantom and clinical studies show that metal artifacts, such as streaks, are significantly reduced and shadows in the image are eliminated. Furthermore, the novel approach improves detectability of organ contours. This can be of great relevance, for instance, in radiation therapy planning, where images affected by metal artifacts may lead to suboptimal treatment plans

Multiple order reflections in crystal neutron monochromators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fulfaro, R.

1976-01-01

A study of the higher order reflections in neutron crystal monochromators was made in order to obtain, for the IEA single crystal spectrometer, the operation range of 1,0eV to 0,01eV. Two crystals were studied, an Al(III) near 1,0eV and a Ge(III) in lower energies. For the Ge(III) case the higher order contaminations in the reflected beam were determined using as standard the gold total neutron cross section and performing the crystal reflectivity calculation for several orders of reflection. The knowledge of the contamination for each order as a function of neutron wavelength allows the optimization of the filter thickness in order to avoid higher order neutrons. The Ge(III) crystal was used because its second order reflections are theoretically forbidden, giving an advantage on other crystals, since measurements can be made until 0.02eV directly without filters. In the energy range 0.02 to 0.01eV, order contaminations higher than the second are present, therefore, either quartz filters are employed or calculated corrections are applied to the experimental data. The Al(III) crystal was used in order to estimate the second order contamination effect, in the iridium resonance measurements, at E 0 = 0.654eV. In that region, approximations can be made and it was not necessary to make the crystal reflectivity calculation for the filters thickness optimization. Since only the second order affects the results in that region, tellurium was used for the filtration, because this element has a resonance in the range of neutrons with energy 4E [pt

Multiplication factor evaluation of bare and reflected small fast assemblies using variational methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dwivedi, S.R.; Jain, D.

1979-01-01

The multigroup collision probability equations were solved by the variational method to derive a simple relation between the multiplication factor and the size of a small spherical bare or reflected fast reactor. This relation was verified by a number of 26-group, S 4 , transport theory calculations in one-dimensional spherical geometry for enriched uranium and plutonium systems. It has been shown that further approximations to the above relation lead to the universal empirical relation obtained by Anil Kumar. (orig.) [de

WE-G-209-00: Identifying Image Artifacts, Their Causes, and How to Fix Them

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2016-06-15

Digital radiography, CT, PET, and MR are complicated imaging modalities which are composed of many hardware and software components. These components work together in a highly coordinated chain of events with the intent to produce high quality images. Acquisition, processing and reconstruction of data must occur in a precise way for optimum image quality to be achieved. Any error or unexpected event in the entire process can produce unwanted pixel intensities in the final images which may contribute to visible image artifacts. The diagnostic imaging physicist is uniquely qualified to investigate and contribute to resolution of image artifacts. This course will teach the participant to identify common artifacts found clinically in digital radiography, CT, PET, and MR, to determine the causes of artifacts, and to make recommendations for how to resolve artifacts. Learning Objectives: Identify common artifacts found clinically in digital radiography, CT, PET and MR. Determine causes of various clinical artifacts from digital radiography, CT, PET and MR. Describe how to resolve various clinical artifacts from digital radiography, CT, PET and MR.

WE-G-209-00: Identifying Image Artifacts, Their Causes, and How to Fix Them

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-01-01

Digital radiography, CT, PET, and MR are complicated imaging modalities which are composed of many hardware and software components. These components work together in a highly coordinated chain of events with the intent to produce high quality images. Acquisition, processing and reconstruction of data must occur in a precise way for optimum image quality to be achieved. Any error or unexpected event in the entire process can produce unwanted pixel intensities in the final images which may contribute to visible image artifacts. The diagnostic imaging physicist is uniquely qualified to investigate and contribute to resolution of image artifacts. This course will teach the participant to identify common artifacts found clinically in digital radiography, CT, PET, and MR, to determine the causes of artifacts, and to make recommendations for how to resolve artifacts. Learning Objectives: Identify common artifacts found clinically in digital radiography, CT, PET and MR. Determine causes of various clinical artifacts from digital radiography, CT, PET and MR. Describe how to resolve various clinical artifacts from digital radiography, CT, PET and MR.

Automated 3-D method for the correction of axial artifacts in spectral-domain optical coherence tomography images

Science.gov (United States)

Antony, Bhavna; Abràmoff, Michael D.; Tang, Li; Ramdas, Wishal D.; Vingerling, Johannes R.; Jansonius, Nomdo M.; Lee, Kyungmoo; Kwon, Young H.; Sonka, Milan; Garvin, Mona K.

2011-01-01

The 3-D spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) images of the retina often do not reflect the true shape of the retina and are distorted differently along the x and y axes. In this paper, we propose a novel technique that uses thin-plate splines in two stages to estimate and correct the distinct axial artifacts in SD-OCT images. The method was quantitatively validated using nine pairs of OCT scans obtained with orthogonal fast-scanning axes, where a segmented surface was compared after both datasets had been corrected. The mean unsigned difference computed between the locations of this artifact-corrected surface after the single-spline and dual-spline correction was 23.36 ± 4.04 μm and 5.94 ± 1.09 μm, respectively, and showed a significant difference (p < 0.001 from two-tailed paired t-test). The method was also validated using depth maps constructed from stereo fundus photographs of the optic nerve head, which were compared to the flattened top surface from the OCT datasets. Significant differences (p < 0.001) were noted between the artifact-corrected datasets and the original datasets, where the mean unsigned differences computed over 30 optic-nerve-head-centered scans (in normalized units) were 0.134 ± 0.035 and 0.302 ± 0.134, respectively. PMID:21833377

Adaptive cancellation of motion artifact in wearable biosensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Yousefi, Rasoul; Nourani, Mehrdad; Panahi, Issa

2012-01-01

The performance of wearable biosensors is highly influenced by motion artifact. In this paper, a model is proposed for analysis of motion artifact in wearable photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors. Using this model, we proposed a robust real-time technique to estimate fundamental frequency and generate a noise reference signal. A Least Mean Square (LMS) adaptive noise canceler is then designed and validated using our synthetic noise generator. The analysis and results on proposed technique for noise cancellation shows promising performance.

Jigsaw puzzle metasurface for multiple functions: polarization conversion, anomalous reflection and diffusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yi; Cao, Xiangyu; Gao, Jun; Liu, Xiao; Li, Sijia

2016-05-16

We demonstrate a simple reconfigurable metasurface with multiple functions. Anisotropic tiles are investigated and manufactured as fundamental elements. Then, the tiles are combined in a certain sequence to construct a metasurface. Each of the tiles can be adjusted independently which is like a jigsaw puzzle and the whole metasurface can achieve diverse functions by different layouts. For demonstration purposes, we realize polarization conversion, anomalous reflection and diffusion by a jigsaw puzzle metasurface with 6 × 6 pieces of anisotropic tile. Simulated and measured results prove that our method offers a simple and effective strategy for metasurface design.

Metal Artifact Suppression in Dental Cone Beam Computed Tomography Images Using Image Processing Techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Johari, Masoumeh; Abdollahzadeh, Milad; Esmaeili, Farzad; Sakhamanesh, Vahideh

2018-01-01

Dental cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images suffer from severe metal artifacts. These artifacts degrade the quality of acquired image and in some cases make it unsuitable to use. Streaking artifacts and cavities around teeth are the main reason of degradation. In this article, we have proposed a new artifact reduction algorithm which has three parallel components. The first component extracts teeth based on the modeling of image histogram with a Gaussian mixture model. Striking artifact reduction component reduces artifacts using converting image into the polar domain and applying morphological filtering. The third component fills cavities through a simple but effective morphological filtering operation. Finally, results of these three components are combined into a fusion step to create a visually good image which is more compatible to human visual system. Results show that the proposed algorithm reduces artifacts of dental CBCT images and produces clean images.

[E-MTAB-587] PCR_artifacts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Muino Acuna, J.M.

2011-01-01

WARNING: This library was yield low amount of material and it was over-amplified by PCR. This libraries are used study the robustness of several statitical methods against PCR artifacts. ChIP experiments were performed on Arabidopsis wildtype inflorescences using an antibody raised against a

Checking behavioral conformance of artifacts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fahland, D.; Leoni, de M.; Dongen, van B.F.; Aalst, van der W.M.P.

2011-01-01

The usefulness of process models (e.g., for analysis, improvement, or execution) strongly depends on their ability to describe reality. Conformance checking is a technique to validate how good a given process model describes recorded executions of the actual process. Recently, artifacts have been

Positron emission tomography/computed tomography--imaging protocols, artifacts, and pitfalls.

Science.gov (United States)

Bockisch, Andreas; Beyer, Thomas; Antoch, Gerald; Freudenberg, Lutz S; Kühl, Hilmar; Debatin, Jörg F; Müller, Stefan P

2004-01-01

There has been a longstanding interest in fused images of anatomical information, such as that provided by computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems, with biological information obtainable by positron emission tomography (PET). The near-simultaneous data acquisition in a fixed combination of a PET and a CT scanner in a combined PET/CT imaging system minimizes spatial and temporal mismatches between the modalities by eliminating the need to move the patient in between exams. In addition, using the fast CT scan for PET attenuation correction, the duration of the examination is significantly reduced compared to standalone PET imaging with standard rod-transmission sources. The main source of artifacts arises from the use of the CT-data for scatter and attenuation correction of the PET images. Today, CT reconstruction algorithms cannot account for the presence of metal implants, such as dental fillings or prostheses, properly, thus resulting in streak artifacts, which are propagated into the PET image by the attenuation correction. The transformation of attenuation coefficients at X-ray energies to those at 511 keV works well for soft tissues, bone, and air, but again is insufficient for dense CT contrast agents, such as iodine or barium. Finally, mismatches, for example, due to uncoordinated respiration result in incorrect attenuation-corrected PET images. These artifacts, however, can be minimized or avoided prospectively by careful acquisition protocol considerations. In doubt, the uncorrected images almost always allow discrimination between true and artificial finding. PET/CT has to be integrated into the diagnostic workflow for harvesting the full potential of the new modality. In particular, the diagnostic power of both, the CT and the PET within the combination must not be underestimated. By combining multiple diagnostic studies within a single examination, significant logistic advantages can be expected if the combined PET

Effect of response format on cognitive reflection: Validating a two- and four-option multiple choice question version of the Cognitive Reflection Test.

Science.gov (United States)

Sirota, Miroslav; Juanchich, Marie

2018-03-27

The Cognitive Reflection Test, measuring intuition inhibition and cognitive reflection, has become extremely popular because it reliably predicts reasoning performance, decision-making, and beliefs. Across studies, the response format of CRT items sometimes differs, based on the assumed construct equivalence of tests with open-ended versus multiple-choice items (the equivalence hypothesis). Evidence and theoretical reasons, however, suggest that the cognitive processes measured by these response formats and their associated performances might differ (the nonequivalence hypothesis). We tested the two hypotheses experimentally by assessing the performance in tests with different response formats and by comparing their predictive and construct validity. In a between-subjects experiment (n = 452), participants answered stem-equivalent CRT items in an open-ended, a two-option, or a four-option response format and then completed tasks on belief bias, denominator neglect, and paranormal beliefs (benchmark indicators of predictive validity), as well as on actively open-minded thinking and numeracy (benchmark indicators of construct validity). We found no significant differences between the three response formats in the numbers of correct responses, the numbers of intuitive responses (with the exception of the two-option version, which had a higher number than the other tests), and the correlational patterns of the indicators of predictive and construct validity. All three test versions were similarly reliable, but the multiple-choice formats were completed more quickly. We speculate that the specific nature of the CRT items helps build construct equivalence among the different response formats. We recommend using the validated multiple-choice version of the CRT presented here, particularly the four-option CRT, for practical and methodological reasons. Supplementary materials and data are available at https://osf.io/mzhyc/ .

Simultaneous ocular and muscle artifact removal from EEG data by exploiting diverse statistics.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xun; Liu, Aiping; Chen, Qiang; Liu, Yu; Zou, Liang; McKeown, Martin J

2017-09-01

Electroencephalography (EEG) recordings are frequently contaminated by both ocular and muscle artifacts. These are normally dealt with separately, by employing blind source separation (BSS) techniques relying on either second-order or higher-order statistics (SOS & HOS respectively). When HOS-based methods are used, it is usually in the setting of assuming artifacts are statistically independent to the EEG. When SOS-based methods are used, it is assumed that artifacts have autocorrelation characteristics distinct from the EEG. In reality, ocular and muscle artifacts do not completely follow the assumptions of strict temporal independence to the EEG nor completely unique autocorrelation characteristics, suggesting that exploiting HOS or SOS alone may be insufficient to remove these artifacts. Here we employ a novel BSS technique, independent vector analysis (IVA), to jointly employ HOS and SOS simultaneously to remove ocular and muscle artifacts. Numerical simulations and application to real EEG recordings were used to explore the utility of the IVA approach. IVA was superior in isolating both ocular and muscle artifacts, especially for raw EEG data with low signal-to-noise ratio, and also integrated usually separate SOS and HOS steps into a single unified step. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Artifact reduction of different metallic implants in flat detector C-arm CT.

Science.gov (United States)

Hung, S-C; Wu, C-C; Lin, C-J; Guo, W-Y; Luo, C-B; Chang, F-C; Chang, C-Y

2014-07-01

Flat detector CT has been increasingly used as a follow-up examination after endovascular intervention. Metal artifact reduction has been successfully demonstrated in coil mass cases, but only in a small series. We attempted to objectively and subjectively evaluate the feasibility of metal artifact reduction with various metallic objects and coil lengths. We retrospectively reprocessed the flat detector CT data of 28 patients (15 men, 13 women; mean age, 55.6 years) after they underwent endovascular treatment (20 coiling ± stent placement, 6 liquid embolizers) or shunt drainage (n = 2) between January 2009 and November 2011 by using a metal artifact reduction correction algorithm. We measured CT value ranges and noise by using region-of-interest methods, and 2 experienced neuroradiologists rated the degrees of improved imaging quality and artifact reduction by comparing uncorrected and corrected images. After we applied the metal artifact reduction algorithm, the CT value ranges and the noise were substantially reduced (1815.3 ± 793.7 versus 231.7 ± 95.9 and 319.9 ± 136.6 versus 45.9 ± 14.0; both P metallic objects and various sizes of coil masses. The rater study achieved an overall improvement of imaging quality and artifact reduction (85.7% and 78.6% of cases by 2 raters, respectively), with the greatest improvement in the coiling group, moderate improvement in the liquid embolizers, and the smallest improvement in ventricular shunting (overall agreement, 0.857). The metal artifact reduction algorithm substantially reduced artifacts and improved the objective image quality in every studied case. It also allowed improved diagnostic confidence in most cases. © 2014 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

The effect of averaging adjacent planes for artifact reduction in matrix inversion tomosynthesis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Godfrey, Devon J. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27705 (United States); Page McAdams, H. [Carl E. Ravin Advanced Imaging Laboratories, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27705 (United States); Dobbins, James T. III [Carl E. Ravin Advanced Imaging Laboratories, Department of Radiology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Physics, and Medical Physics Graduate Program, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27705 (United States)

2013-02-15

planes must be averaged to sufficiently remove partial-pixel artifacts. MITSa7 does appear to subtly reduce the contrast of high-frequency 'edge' information, but the removal of partial-pixel artifacts makes the appearance of low-contrast, fine-detail anatomy even more conspicuous in MITSa7 slices. MITSa7 also appears to render simulated subtle 5 mm pulmonary nodules with greater visibility than MITS alone, in both the open lung and regions overlying the mediastinum. Finally, the MITSa7 technique reduces stochastic image variance, though the in-plane stochastic SNR (for very thin objects which do not span multiple MITS planes) is only improved at spatial frequencies between 0.05 and 0.20 cycles/mm. Conclusions: The MITSa7 method is an improvement over traditional single-plane MITS for thoracic imaging and the pulmonary nodule detection task, and thus the authors plan to use the MITSa7 approach for all future MITS research at the authors' institution.

The effect of averaging adjacent planes for artifact reduction in matrix inversion tomosynthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Godfrey, Devon J.; Page McAdams, H.; Dobbins, James T.

2013-01-01

averaged to sufficiently remove partial-pixel artifacts. MITSa7 does appear to subtly reduce the contrast of high-frequency “edge” information, but the removal of partial-pixel artifacts makes the appearance of low-contrast, fine-detail anatomy even more conspicuous in MITSa7 slices. MITSa7 also appears to render simulated subtle 5 mm pulmonary nodules with greater visibility than MITS alone, in both the open lung and regions overlying the mediastinum. Finally, the MITSa7 technique reduces stochastic image variance, though the in-plane stochastic SNR (for very thin objects which do not span multiple MITS planes) is only improved at spatial frequencies between 0.05 and 0.20 cycles/mm. Conclusions: The MITSa7 method is an improvement over traditional single-plane MITS for thoracic imaging and the pulmonary nodule detection task, and thus the authors plan to use the MITSa7 approach for all future MITS research at the authors’ institution. PMID:23387755

The effect of averaging adjacent planes for artifact reduction in matrix inversion tomosynthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Godfrey, Devon J; McAdams, H Page; Dobbins, James T

2013-02-01

remove partial-pixel artifacts. MITSa7 does appear to subtly reduce the contrast of high-frequency "edge" information, but the removal of partial-pixel artifacts makes the appearance of low-contrast, fine-detail anatomy even more conspicuous in MITSa7 slices. MITSa7 also appears to render simulated subtle 5 mm pulmonary nodules with greater visibility than MITS alone, in both the open lung and regions overlying the mediastinum. Finally, the MITSa7 technique reduces stochastic image variance, though the in-plane stochastic SNR (for very thin objects which do not span multiple MITS planes) is only improved at spatial frequencies between 0.05 and 0.20 cycles∕mm. The MITSa7 method is an improvement over traditional single-plane MITS for thoracic imaging and the pulmonary nodule detection task, and thus the authors plan to use the MITSa7 approach for all future MITS research at the authors' institution.

The effect of averaging adjacent planes for artifact reduction in matrix inversion tomosynthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Godfrey, Devon J.; Page McAdams, H.; Dobbins, James T. III

2013-01-01

averaged to sufficiently remove partial-pixel artifacts. MITSa7 does appear to subtly reduce the contrast of high-frequency “edge” information, but the removal of partial-pixel artifacts makes the appearance of low-contrast, fine-detail anatomy even more conspicuous in MITSa7 slices. MITSa7 also appears to render simulated subtle 5 mm pulmonary nodules with greater visibility than MITS alone, in both the open lung and regions overlying the mediastinum. Finally, the MITSa7 technique reduces stochastic image variance, though the in-plane stochastic SNR (for very thin objects which do not span multiple MITS planes) is only improved at spatial frequencies between 0.05 and 0.20 cycles/mm. Conclusions: The MITSa7 method is an improvement over traditional single-plane MITS for thoracic imaging and the pulmonary nodule detection task, and thus the authors plan to use the MITSa7 approach for all future MITS research at the authors’ institution.

Analysis of metal artifact reduction tools for dental hardware in CT scans of the oral cavity: kVp, iterative reconstruction, dual-energy CT, metal artifact reduction software: does it make a difference?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crop, An de; Hoof, Tom van; Herde, Katharina d' ; Thierens, Hubert; Bacher, Klaus [Ghent University, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Gent (Belgium); Casselman, Jan; Vereecke, Elke; Bossu, Nicolas [AZ Sint Jan Bruges Ostend AV, Department of Radiology, Bruges (Belgium); Dierens, Melissa [Ghent University, Dental School, Unit for Oral and Maxillofacial Imaging, Ghent (Belgium); Pamplona, Jaime [Hospital Lisboa Central, Department of Neuroradiology, Lisbon (Portugal)

2015-08-15

Metal artifacts may negatively affect radiologic assessment in the oral cavity. The aim of this study was to evaluate different metal artifact reduction techniques for metal artifacts induced by dental hardware in CT scans of the oral cavity. Clinical image quality was assessed using a Thiel-embalmed cadaver. A Catphan phantom and a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) phantom were used to evaluate physical-technical image quality parameters such as artifact area, artifact index (AI), and contrast detail (IQF{sub inv}). Metal cylinders were inserted in each phantom to create metal artifacts. CT images of both phantoms and the Thiel-embalmed cadaver were acquired on a multislice CT scanner using 80, 100, 120, and 140 kVp; model-based iterative reconstruction (Veo); and synthesized monochromatic keV images with and without metal artifact reduction software (MARs). Four radiologists assessed the clinical image quality, using an image criteria score (ICS). Significant influence of increasing kVp and the use of Veo was found on clinical image quality (p = 0.007 and p = 0.014, respectively). Application of MARs resulted in a smaller artifact area (p < 0.05). However, MARs reconstructed images resulted in lower ICS. Of all investigated techniques, Veo shows to be most promising, with a significant improvement of both the clinical and physical-technical image quality without adversely affecting contrast detail. MARs reconstruction in CT images of the oral cavity to reduce dental hardware metallic artifacts is not sufficient and may even adversely influence the image quality. (orig.)

Assessment of metal artifact reduction methods in pelvic CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abdoli, Mehrsima [Department of Radiation Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, Amsterdam 1066 CX (Netherlands); Mehranian, Abolfazl [Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva CH-1211 (Switzerland); Ailianou, Angeliki; Becker, Minerva [Division of Radiology, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva CH-1211 (Switzerland); Zaidi, Habib, E-mail: habib.zaidi@hcuge.ch [Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva CH-1211 (Switzerland); Geneva Neuroscience Center, Geneva University, Geneva CH-1205 (Switzerland); Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, Groningen 9700 RB (Netherlands)

2016-04-15

Purpose: Metal artifact reduction (MAR) produces images with improved quality potentially leading to confident and reliable clinical diagnosis and therapy planning. In this work, the authors evaluate the performance of five MAR techniques for the assessment of computed tomography images of patients with hip prostheses. Methods: Five MAR algorithms were evaluated using simulation and clinical studies. The algorithms included one-dimensional linear interpolation (LI) of the corrupted projection bins in the sinogram, two-dimensional interpolation (2D), a normalized metal artifact reduction (NMAR) technique, a metal deletion technique, and a maximum a posteriori completion (MAPC) approach. The algorithms were applied to ten simulated datasets as well as 30 clinical studies of patients with metallic hip implants. Qualitative evaluations were performed by two blinded experienced radiologists who ranked overall artifact severity and pelvic organ recognition for each algorithm by assigning scores from zero to five (zero indicating totally obscured organs with no structures identifiable and five indicating recognition with high confidence). Results: Simulation studies revealed that 2D, NMAR, and MAPC techniques performed almost equally well in all regions. LI falls behind the other approaches in terms of reducing dark streaking artifacts as well as preserving unaffected regions (p < 0.05). Visual assessment of clinical datasets revealed the superiority of NMAR and MAPC in the evaluated pelvic organs and in terms of overall image quality. Conclusions: Overall, all methods, except LI, performed equally well in artifact-free regions. Considering both clinical and simulation studies, 2D, NMAR, and MAPC seem to outperform the other techniques.

Cyber Event Artifact Investigation Training in a Virtual Environment

Science.gov (United States)

2017-12-01

information was desired in the logs as well as best practices provided by Microsoft: 1. Every Success or Failure for: Account Logon Events, Account ...use this artifact in conjunction with information discovered through investigation of other artifacts, such as logs and accounts . For instance, the...when coupled with logs, accounts , and process data, this information may provide enough evidence for transition into the reporting and Preliminary

View-Angle Tilting and Slice-Encoding Metal Artifact Correction for Artifact Reduction in MRI: Experimental Sequence Optimization for Orthopaedic Tumor Endoprostheses and Clinical Application.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pia M Jungmann

Full Text Available MRI plays a major role in follow-up of patients with malignant bone tumors. However, after limb salvage surgery, orthopaedic tumor endoprostheses might cause significant metal-induced susceptibility artifacts.To evaluate the benefit of view-angle tilting (VAT and slice-encoding metal artifact correction (SEMAC for MRI of large-sized orthopaedic tumor endoprostheses in an experimental model and to demonstrate clinical benefits for assessment of periprosthetic soft tissue abnormalities.In an experimental setting, tumor endoprostheses (n=4 were scanned at 1.5T with three versions of optimized high-bandwidth turbo-spin-echo pulse sequences: (i standard, (ii VAT and (iii combined VAT and SEMAC (VAT&SEMAC. Pulse sequences included coronal short-tau-inversion-recovery (STIR, coronal T1-weighted (w, transverse T1-w and T2-w TSE sequences. For clinical evaluation, VAT&SEMAC was compared to conventional metal artifact-reducing MR sequences (conventional MR in n=25 patients with metal implants and clinical suspicion of tumor recurrence or infection. Diameters of artifacts were measured quantitatively. Qualitative parameters were assessed on a five-point scale (1=best, 5=worst: "image distortion", "artificial signal changes at the edges" and "diagnostic confidence". Imaging findings were correlated with pathology. T-tests and Wilcoxon-signed rank tests were used for statistical analyses.The true size of the prostheses was overestimated on MRI (P<0.05. A significant reduction of artifacts was achieved by VAT (P<0.001 and VAT&SEMAC (P=0.003 compared to the standard group. Quantitative scores improved in the VAT and VAT&SEMAC group (P<0.05. On clinical MR images, artifact diameters were significantly reduced in the VAT&SEMAC-group as compared with the conventional-group (P<0.001. Distortion and artificial signal changes were reduced and diagnostic confidence improved (P<0.05. In two cases, tumor-recurrence, in ten cases infection and in thirteen cases other

["Long-branch Attraction" artifact in phylogenetic reconstruction].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yi-Wei; Yu, Li; Zhang, Ya-Ping

2007-06-01

Phylogenetic reconstruction among various organisms not only helps understand their evolutionary history but also reveal several fundamental evolutionary questions. Understanding of the evolutionary relationships among organisms establishes the foundation for the investigations of other biological disciplines. However, almost all the widely used phylogenetic methods have limitations which fail to eliminate systematic errors effectively, preventing the reconstruction of true organismal relationships. "Long-branch Attraction" (LBA) artifact is one of the most disturbing factors in phylogenetic reconstruction. In this review, the conception and analytic method as well as the avoidance strategy of LBA were summarized. In addition, several typical examples were provided. The approach to avoid and resolve LBA artifact has been discussed.

A Language of Objects and Artifacts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svabo, Connie

This is a conceptual inquiry about materiality. It gives an introductory overview to the vocabulary of materiality in a chosen selection of theories. The paper shows a language of artifacts and objects as it is used within practice-based approaches to organizational knowing. The examined...... intellectual traditions are interpretive-cultural approaches; activity theory; and sociology of translation. Similarities and differences are presented in the way these three distinct intellectual traditions conceptualize the array of material objects and artifacts which are central in the tales of practice...... concepts do the theories attempt to grasp tools and design objects – furniture, graphics, flutes-in-making and built space? The paper shows which concepts are used and it demonstrates how the interaction between social and material realities are viewed. Furthermore it highlights some of the ontological...

Tissue artifact removal from respiratory signals based on empirical mode decomposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Shaopeng; Gao, Robert X; John, Dinesh; Staudenmayer, John; Freedson, Patty

2013-05-01

On-line measurement of respiration plays an important role in monitoring human physical activities. Such measurement commonly employs sensing belts secured around the rib cage and abdomen of the test object. Affected by the movement of body tissues, respiratory signals typically have a low signal-to-noise ratio. Removing tissue artifacts therefore is critical to ensuring effective respiration analysis. This paper presents a signal decomposition technique for tissue artifact removal from respiratory signals, based on the empirical mode decomposition (EMD). An algorithm based on the mutual information and power criteria was devised to automatically select appropriate intrinsic mode functions for tissue artifact removal and respiratory signal reconstruction. Performance of the EMD-algorithm was evaluated through simulations and real-life experiments (N = 105). Comparison with low-pass filtering that has been conventionally applied confirmed the effectiveness of the technique in tissue artifacts removal.

SU-F-I-08: CT Image Ring Artifact Reduction Based On Prior Image

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yuan, C; Qi, H; Chen, Z; Wu, S; Xu, Y; Zhou, L [Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong (China)

2016-06-15

Purpose: In computed tomography (CT) system, CT images with ring artifacts will be reconstructed when some adjacent bins of detector don’t work. The ring artifacts severely degrade CT image quality. We present a useful CT ring artifacts reduction based on projection data correction, aiming at estimating the missing data of projection data accurately, thus removing the ring artifacts of CT images. Methods: The method consists of ten steps: 1) Identification of abnormal pixel line in projection sinogram; 2) Linear interpolation within the pixel line of projection sinogram; 3) FBP reconstruction using interpolated projection data; 4) Filtering FBP image using mean filter; 5) Forwarding projection of filtered FBP image; 6) Subtraction forwarded projection from original projection; 7) Linear interpolation of abnormal pixel line area in the subtraction projection; 8) Adding the interpolated subtraction projection on the forwarded projection; 9) FBP reconstruction using corrected projection data; 10) Return to step 4 until the pre-set iteration number is reached. The method is validated on simulated and real data to restore missing projection data and reconstruct ring artifact-free CT images. Results: We have studied impact of amount of dead bins of CT detector on the accuracy of missing data estimation in projection sinogram. For the simulated case with a resolution of 256 by 256 Shepp-Logan phantom, three iterations are sufficient to restore projection data and reconstruct ring artifact-free images when the dead bins rating is under 30%. The dead-bin-induced artifacts are substantially reduced. More iteration number is needed to reconstruct satisfactory images while the rating of dead bins increases. Similar results were found for a real head phantom case. Conclusion: A practical CT image ring artifact correction scheme based on projection data is developed. This method can produce ring artifact-free CT images feasibly and effectively.

SU-F-I-08: CT Image Ring Artifact Reduction Based On Prior Image

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan, C; Qi, H; Chen, Z; Wu, S; Xu, Y; Zhou, L

2016-01-01

Purpose: In computed tomography (CT) system, CT images with ring artifacts will be reconstructed when some adjacent bins of detector don’t work. The ring artifacts severely degrade CT image quality. We present a useful CT ring artifacts reduction based on projection data correction, aiming at estimating the missing data of projection data accurately, thus removing the ring artifacts of CT images. Methods: The method consists of ten steps: 1) Identification of abnormal pixel line in projection sinogram; 2) Linear interpolation within the pixel line of projection sinogram; 3) FBP reconstruction using interpolated projection data; 4) Filtering FBP image using mean filter; 5) Forwarding projection of filtered FBP image; 6) Subtraction forwarded projection from original projection; 7) Linear interpolation of abnormal pixel line area in the subtraction projection; 8) Adding the interpolated subtraction projection on the forwarded projection; 9) FBP reconstruction using corrected projection data; 10) Return to step 4 until the pre-set iteration number is reached. The method is validated on simulated and real data to restore missing projection data and reconstruct ring artifact-free CT images. Results: We have studied impact of amount of dead bins of CT detector on the accuracy of missing data estimation in projection sinogram. For the simulated case with a resolution of 256 by 256 Shepp-Logan phantom, three iterations are sufficient to restore projection data and reconstruct ring artifact-free images when the dead bins rating is under 30%. The dead-bin-induced artifacts are substantially reduced. More iteration number is needed to reconstruct satisfactory images while the rating of dead bins increases. Similar results were found for a real head phantom case. Conclusion: A practical CT image ring artifact correction scheme based on projection data is developed. This method can produce ring artifact-free CT images feasibly and effectively.

Signal processing methods for reducing artifacts in microelectrode brain recordings caused by functional electrical stimulation

Science.gov (United States)

Young, D.; Willett, F.; Memberg, W. D.; Murphy, B.; Walter, B.; Sweet, J.; Miller, J.; Hochberg, L. R.; Kirsch, R. F.; Ajiboye, A. B.

2018-04-01

Objective. Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a promising technology for restoring movement to paralyzed limbs. Intracortical brain-computer interfaces (iBCIs) have enabled intuitive control over virtual and robotic movements, and more recently over upper extremity FES neuroprostheses. However, electrical stimulation of muscles creates artifacts in intracortical microelectrode recordings that could degrade iBCI performance. Here, we investigate methods for reducing the cortically recorded artifacts that result from peripheral electrical stimulation. Approach. One participant in the BrainGate2 pilot clinical trial had two intracortical microelectrode arrays placed in the motor cortex, and thirty-six stimulating intramuscular electrodes placed in the muscles of the contralateral limb. We characterized intracortically recorded electrical artifacts during both intramuscular and surface stimulation. We compared the performance of three artifact reduction methods: blanking, common average reference (CAR) and linear regression reference (LRR), which creates channel-specific reference signals, composed of weighted sums of other channels. Main results. Electrical artifacts resulting from surface stimulation were 175  ×  larger than baseline neural recordings (which were 110 µV peak-to-peak), while intramuscular stimulation artifacts were only 4  ×  larger. The artifact waveforms were highly consistent across electrodes within each array. Application of LRR reduced artifact magnitudes to less than 10 µV and largely preserved the original neural feature values used for decoding. Unmitigated stimulation artifacts decreased iBCI decoding performance, but performance was almost completely recovered using LRR, which outperformed CAR and blanking and extracted useful neural information during stimulation artifact periods. Significance. The LRR method was effective at reducing electrical artifacts resulting from both intramuscular and surface FES, and

Inter-deriving Semantic Artifacts for Object-Oriented Programming

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Danvy, Olivier; Johannsen, Jacob

2008-01-01

We present a new abstract machine for Abadi and Cardelli's untyped calculus of objects. What is special about this semantic artifact (i.e., man-made construct) is that is mechanically corresponds to both the reduction semantics (i.e., small-step operational semantics) and the natural semantics (i...... actual substitutions, we then represent object methods as closures and in the same inter-derivational spirit, we present three new semantic artifacts: a reduction semantics for a version of Abadi and Cardelli's untyped calculus of objects with explicit substitutions, an environment-based abstract machine...

EEG Artifact Removal Using a Wavelet Neural Network

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Hoang-Anh T.; Musson, John; Li, Jiang; McKenzie, Frederick; Zhang, Guangfan; Xu, Roger; Richey, Carl; Schnell, Tom

2011-01-01

!n this paper we developed a wavelet neural network. (WNN) algorithm for Electroencephalogram (EEG) artifact removal without electrooculographic (EOG) recordings. The algorithm combines the universal approximation characteristics of neural network and the time/frequency property of wavelet. We. compared the WNN algorithm with .the ICA technique ,and a wavelet thresholding method, which was realized by using the Stein's unbiased risk estimate (SURE) with an adaptive gradient-based optimal threshold. Experimental results on a driving test data set show that WNN can remove EEG artifacts effectively without diminishing useful EEG information even for very noisy data.

Iterative Covariance-Based Removal of Time-Synchronous Artifacts: Application to Gastrointestinal Electrical Recordings.

Science.gov (United States)

Erickson, Jonathan C; Putney, Joy; Hilbert, Douglas; Paskaranandavadivel, Niranchan; Cheng, Leo K; O'Grady, Greg; Angeli, Timothy R

2016-11-01

The aim of this study was to develop, validate, and apply a fully automated method for reducing large temporally synchronous artifacts present in electrical recordings made from the gastrointestinal (GI) serosa, which are problematic for properly assessing slow wave dynamics. Such artifacts routinely arise in experimental and clinical settings from motion, switching behavior of medical instruments, or electrode array manipulation. A novel iterative Covariance-Based Reduction of Artifacts (COBRA) algorithm sequentially reduced artifact waveforms using an updating across-channel median as a noise template, scaled and subtracted from each channel based on their covariance. Application of COBRA substantially increased the signal-to-artifact ratio (12.8 ± 2.5 dB), while minimally attenuating the energy of the underlying source signal by 7.9% on average ( -11.1 ± 3.9 dB). COBRA was shown to be highly effective for aiding recovery and accurate marking of slow wave events (sensitivity = 0.90 ± 0.04; positive-predictive value = 0.74 ± 0.08) from large segments of in vivo porcine GI electrical mapping data that would otherwise be lost due to a broad range of contaminating artifact waveforms. Strongly reducing artifacts with COBRA ultimately allowed for rapid production of accurate isochronal activation maps detailing the dynamics of slow wave propagation in the porcine intestine. Such mapping studies can help characterize differences between normal and dysrhythmic events, which have been associated with GI abnormalities, such as intestinal ischemia and gastroparesis. The COBRA method may be generally applicable for removing temporally synchronous artifacts in other biosignal processing domains.

Ring artifact reduction in synchrotron X-ray tomography through helical acquisition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

D.M. Pelt (Daniël); D.Y. Parkinson (Dilworth)

2017-01-01

textabstractIn synchrotron X-ray tomography, systematic defects in certain detector elements can result in arc-shaped artifacts in the final reconstructed image of the scanned sample. These ring artifacts are commonly found in many applications of synchrotron tomography, and can make

Analysis of artifact and infrequent physiological uptake in 18F-FDG PET/CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Tianran; Zhao Chunlei; Qian Gennian; Chen Ziqian; Wang Kaitang; You Xueyu; Zheng Chunyu

2006-01-01

Objective: To explore the artifact and infrequent physiological uptake in PET/CT with its imaging and formation features. Methods: The data of PET/CT imaging were retrospectively analyzed and classified based on their cause. Besides, the infrequent physiological uptakes were also analyzed. Results: Artifacts could be classified into natural and technological causes. In natural causes, respiratory movement and high-density matters artifacts were frequently found, whereas in technological cause, the truncation, radioactive leakage and pollution commonly appeared. Infrequent physiological uptakes included uterine endometrium, breast and fat uptakes. Conclusions: The imaging features of artifact in PET can be divided into 'hot' or 'cold' area while infrequent physiological uptakes mainly are 'hot' area. Among the cause of artifact formation, CT-based attenuation corrected physical factor is the commonest. The infrequent physiological uptake somewhat relates to technological error. (authors)

Image-based metal artifact reduction in x-ray computed tomography utilizing local anatomical similarity

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Xue; Yang, Xiaofeng; Rosenfield, Jonathan; Elder, Eric; Dhabaan, Anees

2017-03-01

X-ray computed tomography (CT) is widely used in radiation therapy treatment planning in recent years. However, metal implants such as dental fillings and hip prostheses can cause severe bright and dark streaking artifacts in reconstructed CT images. These artifacts decrease image contrast and degrade HU accuracy, leading to inaccuracies in target delineation and dose calculation. In this work, a metal artifact reduction method is proposed based on the intrinsic anatomical similarity between neighboring CT slices. Neighboring CT slices from the same patient exhibit similar anatomical features. Exploiting this anatomical similarity, a gamma map is calculated as a weighted summation of relative HU error and distance error for each pixel in an artifact-corrupted CT image relative to a neighboring, artifactfree image. The minimum value in the gamma map for each pixel is used to identify an appropriate pixel from the artifact-free CT slice to replace the corresponding artifact-corrupted pixel. With the proposed method, the mean CT HU error was reduced from 360 HU and 460 HU to 24 HU and 34 HU on head and pelvis CT images, respectively. Dose calculation accuracy also improved, as the dose difference was reduced from greater than 20% to less than 4%. Using 3%/3mm criteria, the gamma analysis failure rate was reduced from 23.25% to 0.02%. An image-based metal artifact reduction method is proposed that replaces corrupted image pixels with pixels from neighboring CT slices free of metal artifacts. This method is shown to be capable of suppressing streaking artifacts, thereby improving HU and dose calculation accuracy.

The relation between respiratory motion artifact correction and lung standardized uptake value

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin Lijie; Liu Xiaojian; Liu Jie; Xu Rui; Yan Jue

2014-01-01

PET/CT is playing an important role in disease diagnosis and therapeutic evaluation. But the respiratory motion artifact may bring trouble in diagnosis and therapy. There are many methods to correct the respiratory motion artifact. Respiratory gated PET/CT is applied most extensively of them. Using respiratory gated PET/CT to correct respiratory motion artifact can increase the maximum standardized uptake value of lung lesion obviously, thereby improving the quality of image and accuracy of diagnosis. (authors)

Histologic processing artifacts and inter-pathologist variation in measurement of inked margins of canine mast cell tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Kiser, Patti K; Löhr, Christiane V; Meritet, Danielle; Spagnoli, Sean T; Milovancev, Milan; Russell, Duncan S

2018-05-01

Although quantitative assessment of margins is recommended for describing excision of cutaneous malignancies, there is poor understanding of limitations associated with this technique. We described and quantified histologic artifacts in inked margins and determined the association between artifacts and variance in histologic tumor-free margin (HTFM) measurements based on a novel grading scheme applied to 50 sections of normal canine skin and 56 radial margins taken from 15 different canine mast cell tumors (MCTs). Three broad categories of artifact were 1) tissue deformation at inked edges, 2) ink-associated artifacts, and 3) sectioning-associated artifacts. The most common artifacts in MCT margins were ink-associated artifacts, specifically ink absent from an edge (mean prevalence: 50%) and inappropriate ink coloring (mean: 45%). The prevalence of other artifacts in MCT skin was 4-50%. In MCT margins, frequency-adjusted kappa statistics found fair or better inter-rater reliability for 9 of 10 artifacts; intra-rater reliability was moderate or better in 9 of 10 artifacts. Digital HTFM measurements by 5 blinded pathologists had a median standard deviation (SD) of 1.9 mm (interquartile range: 0.8-3.6 mm; range: 0-6.2 mm). Intraclass correlation coefficients demonstrated good inter-pathologist reliability in HTFM measurement (κ = 0.81). Spearman rank correlation coefficients found negligible correlation between artifacts and HTFM SDs ( r ≤ 0.3). These data confirm that although histologic artifacts commonly occur in inked margin specimens, artifacts are not meaningfully associated with variation in HTFM measurements. Investigators can use the grading scheme presented herein to identify artifacts associated with tissue processing.

Clinical evaluation of TOF versus non-TOF on PET artifacts in simultaneous PET/MR: a dual centre experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Voert, Edwin E.G.W. ter [University Hospital Zurich, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Zurich (Switzerland); University of Zurich, Zurich (Switzerland); Veit-Haibach, Patrick [University Hospital Zurich, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Zurich (Switzerland); University of Zurich, Zurich (Switzerland); University Hospital Zurich, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Zurich (Switzerland); Ahn, Sangtae [GE Global Research, Niskayuna, NY (United States); Wiesinger, Florian [GE Global Research, Muenchen (Germany); Khalighi, M.M.; Delso, Gaspar [GE Healthcare, Waukesha, WI (United States); Levin, Craig S. [Stanford University, Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Stanford, CA (United States); Iagaru, Andrei H. [Stanford University, Department of Radiology, Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Stanford, CA (United States); Zaharchuk, Greg [Stanford University, Department of Radiology, Neuroradiology, Stanford, CA (United States); Huellner, Martin [University Hospital Zurich, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Zurich (Switzerland); University of Zurich, Zurich (Switzerland); University Hospital Zurich, Department of Neuroradiology, Zurich (Switzerland)

2017-07-15

Our objective was to determine clinically the value of time-of-flight (TOF) information in reducing PET artifacts and improving PET image quality and accuracy in simultaneous TOF PET/MR scanning. A total 65 patients who underwent a comparative scan in a simultaneous TOF PET/MR scanner were included. TOF and non-TOF PET images were reconstructed, clinically examined, compared and scored. PET imaging artifacts were categorized as large or small implant-related artifacts, as dental implant-related artifacts, and as implant-unrelated artifacts. Differences in image quality, especially those related to (implant) artifacts, were assessed using a scale ranging from 0 (no artifact) to 4 (severe artifact). A total of 87 image artifacts were found and evaluated. Four patients had large and eight patients small implant-related artifacts, 27 patients had dental implants/fillings, and 48 patients had implant-unrelated artifacts. The average score was 1.14 ± 0.82 for non-TOF PET images and 0.53 ± 0.66 for TOF images (p < 0.01) indicating that artifacts were less noticeable when TOF information was included. Our study indicates that PET image artifacts are significantly mitigated with integration of TOF information in simultaneous PET/MR. The impact is predominantly seen in patients with significant artifacts due to metal implants. (orig.)

Presenting Cultural Artifacts in the Art Museum: A University-Museum Collaboration

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Sheng Kuan

2009-01-01

With increasing emphasis on multicultural art education and integrative pedagogy, educators have incorporated community resources, such as cultural artifacts exhibited in art museums, to enrich their programs. Cultural artifacts are human-made objects which generally reveal historic information about cultural values, beliefs, and traditions.…

A preliminary study of muscular artifact cancellation in single-channel EEG.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xun; Liu, Aiping; Peng, Hu; Ward, Rabab K

2014-10-01

Electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings are often contaminated with muscular artifacts that strongly obscure the EEG signals and complicates their analysis. For the conventional case, where the EEG recordings are obtained simultaneously over many EEG channels, there exists a considerable range of methods for removing muscular artifacts. In recent years, there has been an increasing trend to use EEG information in ambulatory healthcare and related physiological signal monitoring systems. For practical reasons, a single EEG channel system must be used in these situations. Unfortunately, there exist few studies for muscular artifact cancellation in single-channel EEG recordings. To address this issue, in this preliminary study, we propose a simple, yet effective, method to achieve the muscular artifact cancellation for the single-channel EEG case. This method is a combination of the ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) and the joint blind source separation (JBSS) techniques. We also conduct a study that compares and investigates all possible single-channel solutions and demonstrate the performance of these methods using numerical simulations and real-life applications. The proposed method is shown to significantly outperform all other methods. It can successfully remove muscular artifacts without altering the underlying EEG activity. It is thus a promising tool for use in ambulatory healthcare systems.

Metal artifact reduction using a patch-based reconstruction for digital breast tomosynthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Borges, Lucas R.; Bakic, Predrag R.; Maidment, Andrew D. A.; Vieira, Marcelo A. C.

2017-03-01

Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is rapidly emerging as the main clinical tool for breast cancer screening. Although several reconstruction methods for DBT are described by the literature, one common issue is the interplane artifacts caused by out-of-focus features. For breasts containing highly attenuating features, such as surgical clips and large calcifications, the artifacts are even more apparent and can limit the detection and characterization of lesions by the radiologist. In this work, we propose a novel method of combining backprojected data into tomographic slices using a patch-based approach, commonly used in denoising. Preliminary tests were performed on a geometry phantom and on an anthropomorphic phantom containing metal inserts. The reconstructed images were compared to a commercial reconstruction solution. Qualitative assessment of the reconstructed images provides evidence that the proposed method reduces artifacts while maintaining low noise levels. Objective assessment supports the visual findings. The artifact spread function shows that the proposed method is capable of suppressing artifacts generated by highly attenuating features. The signal difference to noise ratio shows that the noise levels of the proposed and commercial methods are comparable, even though the commercial method applies post-processing filtering steps, which were not implemented on the proposed method. Thus, the proposed method can produce tomosynthesis reconstructions with reduced artifacts and low noise levels.

The Removal of EOG Artifacts From EEG Signals Using Independent Component Analysis and Multivariate Empirical Mode Decomposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Gang; Teng, Chaolin; Li, Kuo; Zhang, Zhonglin; Yan, Xiangguo

2016-09-01

The recorded electroencephalography (EEG) signals are usually contaminated by electrooculography (EOG) artifacts. In this paper, by using independent component analysis (ICA) and multivariate empirical mode decomposition (MEMD), the ICA-based MEMD method was proposed to remove EOG artifacts (EOAs) from multichannel EEG signals. First, the EEG signals were decomposed by the MEMD into multiple multivariate intrinsic mode functions (MIMFs). The EOG-related components were then extracted by reconstructing the MIMFs corresponding to EOAs. After performing the ICA of EOG-related signals, the EOG-linked independent components were distinguished and rejected. Finally, the clean EEG signals were reconstructed by implementing the inverse transform of ICA and MEMD. The results of simulated and real data suggested that the proposed method could successfully eliminate EOAs from EEG signals and preserve useful EEG information with little loss. By comparing with other existing techniques, the proposed method achieved much improvement in terms of the increase of signal-to-noise and the decrease of mean square error after removing EOAs.

Mitigation of artifacts in rtm with migration kernel decomposition

KAUST Repository

Zhan, Ge

2012-01-01

The migration kernel for reverse-time migration (RTM) can be decomposed into four component kernels using Born scattering and migration theory. Each component kernel has a unique physical interpretation and can be interpreted differently. In this paper, we present a generalized diffraction-stack migration approach for reducing RTM artifacts via decomposition of migration kernel. The decomposition leads to an improved understanding of migration artifacts and, therefore, presents us with opportunities for improving the quality of RTM images.

Magnetic resonance imaging metallic artifact of commonly encountered surgical implants and foreign material.

Science.gov (United States)

Sutherland-Smith, James; Tilley, Brenda

2012-01-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) artifacts secondary to metallic implants and foreign bodies are well described. Herein, we provide quantitative data from veterinary implants including total hip arthroplasty implants, cranial cruciate repair implants, surgical screws, a skin staple, ligation clips, an identification microchip, ameroid constrictor, and potential foreign bodies including air gun and BB projectiles and a sewing needle. The objects were scanned in a gelatin phantom with plastic grid using standardized T2-weighted turbo-spin echo (TSE), T1-weighted spin echo, and T2*-weighted gradient recalled echo (GRE) image acquisitions at 1.5 T. Maximum linear dimensions and areas of signal voiding and grid distortion were calculated using a DICOM workstation for each sequence and object. Artifact severity was similar between the T2-weighted TSE and T1-weighted images, while the T2*-weighted images were most susceptible to artifact. Metal type influenced artifact size with the largest artifacts arising from steel objects followed by surgical stainless steel, titanium, and lead. For animals with metallic surgical implants or foreign bodies, the quantification of the artifact size will help guide clinicians on the viability of MRI. © 2012 Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound.

Combination of fat saturation and variable bandwidth imaging to increase signal-to-noise ratio and decrease motion artifacts for body MR imaging at high field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chew, W.M.

1989-01-01

The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the MR imaging examination is a critical component of the quality of the image. Standard methods to increase SNR include signal averaging with multiple excitations, at the expense of imaging time (which on T2-weighted images could be quite significant), or increasing pixel volume by manipulation of field of view, matrix size, and/or section thickness, all at the expense of resolution. Another available method to increase SNR is to reduce the bandwidth of the receiver, which increases SNR by the square root of the amount of the reduction. The penalty imposed on high-field-strength MR examinations of the body is an unacceptable increase in chemical shift artifact. However, presaturating the fat resonance eliminates the chemical shift artifact. Thus, a combination of imaging techniques, fat suppression, and decreased bandwidth imaging can produce images free of chemical shift artifact with increased SNR and no penalty in resolution or imaging time. Early studies also show a reduction in motion artifact when fat saturation is used. This paper reports MR imaging performed with a 1.5-T Signa imager. With this technique, T2-weighted images (2,500/20/80 [repetition time msec/echo time msec/inversion time msec]) illustrating the increase in SNR and T1-weighted images (600/20) demonstrating a decrease in motion artifact are shown

Correction of ring artifacts in X-ray tomographic images

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lyckegaard, Allan; Johnson, G.; Tafforeau, P.

2011-01-01

Ring artifacts are systematic intensity distortions located on concentric circles in reconstructed tomographic X-ray images. When using X-ray tomography to study for instance low-contrast grain boundaries in metals it is crucial to correct for the ring artifacts in the images as they may have...... the same intensity level as the grain boundaries and thus make it impossible to perform grain segmentation. This paper describes an implementation of a method for correcting the ring artifacts in tomographic X-ray images of simple objects such as metal samples where the object and the background...... are separable. The method is implemented in Matlab, it works with very little user interaction and may run in parallel on a cluster if applied to a whole stack of images. The strength and robustness of the method implemented will be demonstrated on three tomographic X-ray data sets: a mono-phase β...

Dealing with noise and physiological artifacts in human EEG recordings: empirical mode methods

Science.gov (United States)

Runnova, Anastasiya E.; Grubov, Vadim V.; Khramova, Marina V.; Hramov, Alexander E.

2017-04-01

In the paper we propose the new method for removing noise and physiological artifacts in human EEG recordings based on empirical mode decomposition (Hilbert-Huang transform). As physiological artifacts we consider specific oscillatory patterns that cause problems during EEG analysis and can be detected with additional signals recorded simultaneously with EEG (ECG, EMG, EOG, etc.) We introduce the algorithm of the proposed method with steps including empirical mode decomposition of EEG signal, choosing of empirical modes with artifacts, removing these empirical modes and reconstructing of initial EEG signal. We show the efficiency of the method on the example of filtration of human EEG signal from eye-moving artifacts.

Artifacts in MR angiography of the intracranial vessels using the 3D TOF and 3D PC techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Dong Woo; Lee, Seung Ro; Hahm, Chang Kok; Kim, Yong Soo; Park, Choong Ki

1997-01-01

To classify artifacts and to assess their frequency in magnetic resonance angiography of intracranial vessels using three- dimensional time-of-flight and phase-contrast techniques. One hundred and eleven patients with suspected cerebrovascular disease were imaged on a 1.5T superconducting magnetic resonance machine employing three- dimensional time-of-flight and phase-contrast magnetic resonance angiographic techniques. We retrospectively reviewed the artifacts in three- dimensional time-of-flight and phase-contrast magnetic resonance angiography of the intracranial circulatory system, comparing them with routine spin-echo magnetic resonance images and magnetic resonance angiography source images, and partially with conventional angiography. Artifacts in magnetic resonance angiography were classified as flow-related, and flow-unrealted, by patient, hardware, magnetic resonance angiography acquisition and postprocessing techniques. Type and frequency of flow-related artifacts included saturation artifact (100%), dephasing artifact (100%), phase-encoding ghost artifact (97%), turbulence artifact (14%) and flow displacement artifact (5%) on three- dimensional time-of-flight and phase-contrast magnetic resonance angiography, and phase aliasing artifact (2%) on three-dimensional phase-contrast magnetic resonance angiography. Type and frequency of flow-unrelated artifacts included stair-step artifact (100%) by three- dimensional reconstruction process, magnetic susceptibility artifact by carotid canal (69%) and metal (4%), maximum intensity projection artifact (30%) by maximum intensity projection algorithm, and motion artifact by respiration (20%) and voluntary movement (8%); these were seen on both time-of-flight and phase-contrast magnetic resonance angiography. Paramagnetic substance artifact by fat and paranasal sinus mucosa (100%), hematoma (14%) and gadolinium (5%) were seen on time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography. In three- dimensional time-of-flight and

Artifacts, intentions, and contraceptives: the problem with having a plan B for plan B.

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, Philip A

2013-12-01

It is commonly proposed that artifacts cannot be understood without reference to human intentions. This fact, I contend, has relevance to the use of artifacts in intentional action. I argue that because artifacts have intentions embedded into them antecedently, when we use artifacts we are sometimes compelled to intend descriptions of our actions that we might, for various reasons, be inclined to believe that we do not intend. I focus this argument to a specific set of artifacts, namely, medical devices, before considering an extended application to emergency contraceptive devices. Although there is some debate about whether emergency contraception has an abortifacient effect, I argue that if there is an abortifacient effect, then the effect cannot normally be a side effect of one's action.

Toddlers View Artifact Function Normatively

Science.gov (United States)

Casler, Krista; Terziyan, Treysi; Greene, Kimberly

2009-01-01

When children use objects like adults, are they simply tracking regularities in others' object use, or are they demonstrating a normatively defined awareness that there are right and wrong ways to act? This study provides the first evidence for the latter possibility. Young 2- and 3-year-olds (n = 32) learned functions of 6 artifacts, both…

Mitigation of Selected Hanford Site Manhattan Project and Cold War Era Artifacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prendergast-Kennedy, Ellen L.; Harvey, David W.

2006-01-01

This document is the first time that Manhattan Project and Cold War era artifacts from the Hanford Site have been assembled within a publication. The publication presents photographic and written documentation of a number of Manhattan Project and Cold War era artifacts that were identified and tagged during assessment walk throughs of historic buildings on the Hanford Site but which could not be curated within the Hanford collection because they were too large for long-term storage and/or exhibit purposes or were radiologically contaminated. The significance of the artifacts in this publication and a proposed future appendix is based not on the individual significance of any single artifact but on their collective contribution to the science and engineering of creating plutonium and advancing nuclear technology in nuclear fuel and power.

Mitigation of Selected Hanford Site Manhattan Project and Cold War Era Artifacts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kennedy, Ellen P.; Harvey, David W.

2006-09-08

This document is the first time that Manhattan Project and Cold War era artifacts from the Hanford Site have been assembled within a publication. The publication presents photographic and written documentation of a number of Manhattan Project and Cold War era artifacts that were identified and tagged during assessment walk throughs of historic buildings on the Hanford Site but which could not be curated within the Hanford collection because they were too large for long-term storage and/or exhibit purposes or were radiologically contaminated. The significance of the artifacts in this publication and a proposed future appendix is based not on the individual significance of any single artifact but on their collective contribution to the science and engineering of creating plutonium and advancing nuclear technology in nuclear fuel and power.

Renal streaky artifact during contrast-enhanced abdominal and pelvic CT: Comparison of high versus low osmolality contrast media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Dae Hong; Kim, Jong Chul; Lee, Chung Keun; Shin, Kyoung Suk

1994-01-01

Introduction of low osmolality contrast agent(LOCA) has allowed safer, more comfortable contrast-enhanced CT examination, but there has been significant increase in image degradation when evaluating the kidneys due to streaky artifact. The authors reviewed findings of contrast- enhanced abdominal and pelvic computed tomography(CT) to know the difference of renal streaky artifact between a high osmolality contrast agent (HOCA) and LOCA. This study included two hundred contrast-enhanced CT in 200 patients, 100 performed with HOCA(meglumine ioglicate, 150 ml) and 100 performed with LOCA (iopromide,150 ml). The severity of renal streaky artifact was compared between HOCA and LOCA groups. Of the scans performed with HOCA, 40 had no artifact, 52 had grade I artifact, 6 had grade II artifact, and 2 had grade III artifact. Of the scans preformed with LOCA, 23 had no artifact, 44 had grade I artifact, 29 had grade II artifact, and 4 had grade III artifact. There was significant difference in the degree of the streaky artifact depending upon the osmolality of the contrast media used(by χ 2 -test, P=.0001). The results of this study revealed a statistically significant increased incidence of artifacts and distortions of renal image with LOCA when compared with HOCA

A robust post-processing workflow for datasets with motion artifacts in diffusion kurtosis imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xianjun; Yang, Jian; Gao, Jie; Luo, Xue; Zhou, Zhenyu; Hu, Yajie; Wu, Ed X; Wan, Mingxi

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to develop a robust post-processing workflow for motion-corrupted datasets in diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI). The proposed workflow consisted of brain extraction, rigid registration, distortion correction, artifacts rejection, spatial smoothing and tensor estimation. Rigid registration was utilized to correct misalignments. Motion artifacts were rejected by using local Pearson correlation coefficient (LPCC). The performance of LPCC in characterizing relative differences between artifacts and artifact-free images was compared with that of the conventional correlation coefficient in 10 randomly selected DKI datasets. The influence of rejected artifacts with information of gradient directions and b values for the parameter estimation was investigated by using mean square error (MSE). The variance of noise was used as the criterion for MSEs. The clinical practicality of the proposed workflow was evaluated by the image quality and measurements in regions of interest on 36 DKI datasets, including 18 artifact-free (18 pediatric subjects) and 18 motion-corrupted datasets (15 pediatric subjects and 3 essential tremor patients). The relative difference between artifacts and artifact-free images calculated by LPCC was larger than that of the conventional correlation coefficient (pworkflow improved the image quality and reduced the measurement biases significantly on motion-corrupted datasets (pworkflow was reliable to improve the image quality and the measurement precision of the derived parameters on motion-corrupted DKI datasets. The workflow provided an effective post-processing method for clinical applications of DKI in subjects with involuntary movements.

TU-F-CAMPUS-J-04: Evaluation of Metal Artifact Reduction Technique for the Radiation Therapy Planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, K; Kuo, H; Ritter, J; Shen, J; Basavatia, A; Yaparpalvi, R; Kalnicki, S; Tome, W

2015-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of using a metal artifact reduction technique in depleting metal artifact and its application in improving dose calculation in External Radiation Therapy Planning. Methods: CIRS electron density phantom was scanned with and without steel drill bits placed in some plug holes. Meta artifact reduction software with Metal Deletion Technique (MDT) was used to remove metal artifacts for scanned image with metal. Hounsfield units of electron density plugs from artifact free reference image and MDT processed images were compared. To test the dose calculation improvement after the MDT processed images, clinically approved head and neck plan with manual dental artifact correction was tested. Patient images were exported and processed with MDT and plan was recalculated with new MDT image without manual correction. Dose profiles near the metal artifacts were compared. Results: The MDT used in this study effectively reduced the metal artifact caused by beam hardening and scatter. The windmill around the metal drill was greatly improved with smooth rounded view. Difference of the mean HU in each density plug between reference and MDT images were less than 10 HU in most of the plugs. Dose difference between original plan and MDT images were minimal. Conclusion: Most metal artifact reduction methods were developed for diagnostic improvement purpose. Hence Hounsfield unit accuracy was not rigorously tested before. In our test, MDT effectively eliminated metal artifacts with good HU reproduciblity. However, it can introduce new mild artifacts so the MDT images should be checked with original images

Removal of eye blink artifacts in wireless EEG sensor networks using reduced-bandwidth canonical correlation analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Somers, Ben; Bertrand, Alexander

2016-12-01

Chronic, 24/7 EEG monitoring requires the use of highly miniaturized EEG modules, which only measure a few EEG channels over a small area. For improved spatial coverage, a wireless EEG sensor network (WESN) can be deployed, consisting of multiple EEG modules, which interact through short-distance wireless communication. In this paper, we aim to remove eye blink artifacts in each EEG channel of a WESN by optimally exploiting the correlation between EEG signals from different modules, under stringent communication bandwidth constraints. We apply a distributed canonical correlation analysis (CCA-)based algorithm, in which each module only transmits an optimal linear combination of its local EEG channels to the other modules. The method is validated on both synthetic and real EEG data sets, with emulated wireless transmissions. While strongly reducing the amount of data that is shared between nodes, we demonstrate that the algorithm achieves the same eye blink artifact removal performance as the equivalent centralized CCA algorithm, which is at least as good as other state-of-the-art multi-channel algorithms that require a transmission of all channels. Due to their potential for extreme miniaturization, WESNs are viewed as an enabling technology for chronic EEG monitoring. However, multi-channel analysis is hampered in WESNs due to the high energy cost for wireless communication. This paper shows that multi-channel eye blink artifact removal is possible with a significantly reduced wireless communication between EEG modules.

Automatic Removal of Physiological Artifacts in EEG: The Optimized Fingerprint Method for Sports Science Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Stone, David B; Tamburro, Gabriella; Fiedler, Patrique; Haueisen, Jens; Comani, Silvia

2018-01-01

Data contamination due to physiological artifacts such as those generated by eyeblinks, eye movements, and muscle activity continues to be a central concern in the acquisition and analysis of electroencephalographic (EEG) data. This issue is further compounded in EEG sports science applications where the presence of artifacts is notoriously difficult to control because behaviors that generate these interferences are often the behaviors under investigation. Therefore, there is a need to develop effective and efficient methods to identify physiological artifacts in EEG recordings during sports applications so that they can be isolated from cerebral activity related to the activities of interest. We have developed an EEG artifact detection model, the Fingerprint Method, which identifies different spatial, temporal, spectral, and statistical features indicative of physiological artifacts and uses these features to automatically classify artifactual independent components in EEG based on a machine leaning approach. Here, we optimized our method using artifact-rich training data and a procedure to determine which features were best suited to identify eyeblinks, eye movements, and muscle artifacts. We then applied our model to an experimental dataset collected during endurance cycling. Results reveal that unique sets of features are suitable for the detection of distinct types of artifacts and that the Optimized Fingerprint Method was able to correctly identify over 90% of the artifactual components with physiological origin present in the experimental data. These results represent a significant advancement in the search for effective means to address artifact contamination in EEG sports science applications.

Distinction of Fly Artifacts from Human Blood using Immunodetection.

Science.gov (United States)

Rivers, David B; Acca, Gillian; Fink, Marc; Brogan, Rebecca; Chen, Dorothy; Schoeffield, Andrew

2018-02-21

Insect stains produced by necrophagous flies are indistinguishable morphologically from human bloodstains. At present, no diagnostic tests exist to overcome this deficiency. As the first step toward developing a chemical test to recognize fly artifacts, polyclonal antisera were generated in rats against three distinct antigenic sequences of fly cathepsin D-like proteinase, an enzyme that is structurally distinct in cyclorrhaphous Diptera from other animals. The resulting rat antisera bound to artifacts produced by Protophormia terraenovae and synthetic peptides used to generate the polyclonal antisera, but not with any type of mammalian blood tested in immunoassays. Among the three antisera, anti-md3 serum displayed the highest reactivity for fly stains, demonstrated cross-reactivity for all synthetic peptides representing antigenic sequences of the mature fly enzyme, and bound artifacts originating from the fly digestive tract. Further work is needed to determine whether the antisera are suitable for non-laboratory conditions. © 2018 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Artifact removal algorithms for stroke detection using a multistatic MIST beamforming algorithm.

Science.gov (United States)

Ricci, E; Di Domenico, S; Cianca, E; Rossi, T

2015-01-01

Microwave imaging (MWI) has been recently proved as a promising imaging modality for low-complexity, low-cost and fast brain imaging tools, which could play a fundamental role to efficiently manage emergencies related to stroke and hemorrhages. This paper focuses on the UWB radar imaging approach and in particular on the processing algorithms of the backscattered signals. Assuming the use of the multistatic version of the MIST (Microwave Imaging Space-Time) beamforming algorithm, developed by Hagness et al. for the early detection of breast cancer, the paper proposes and compares two artifact removal algorithms. Artifacts removal is an essential step of any UWB radar imaging system and currently considered artifact removal algorithms have been shown not to be effective in the specific scenario of brain imaging. First of all, the paper proposes modifications of a known artifact removal algorithm. These modifications are shown to be effective to achieve good localization accuracy and lower false positives. However, the main contribution is the proposal of an artifact removal algorithm based on statistical methods, which allows to achieve even better performance but with much lower computational complexity.

TARGETED PRINCIPLE COMPONENT ANALYSIS: A NEW MOTION ARTIFACT CORRECTION APPROACH FOR NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY

Science.gov (United States)

YÜCEL, MERYEM A.; SELB, JULIETTE; COOPER, ROBERT J.; BOAS, DAVID A.

2014-01-01

As near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) broadens its application area to different age and disease groups, motion artifacts in the NIRS signal due to subject movement is becoming an important challenge. Motion artifacts generally produce signal fluctuations that are larger than physiological NIRS signals, thus it is crucial to correct for them before obtaining an estimate of stimulus evoked hemodynamic responses. There are various methods for correction such as principle component analysis (PCA), wavelet-based filtering and spline interpolation. Here, we introduce a new approach to motion artifact correction, targeted principle component analysis (tPCA), which incorporates a PCA filter only on the segments of data identified as motion artifacts. It is expected that this will overcome the issues of filtering desired signals that plagues standard PCA filtering of entire data sets. We compared the new approach with the most effective motion artifact correction algorithms on a set of data acquired simultaneously with a collodion-fixed probe (low motion artifact content) and a standard Velcro probe (high motion artifact content). Our results show that tPCA gives statistically better results in recovering hemodynamic response function (HRF) as compared to wavelet-based filtering and spline interpolation for the Velcro probe. It results in a significant reduction in mean-squared error (MSE) and significant enhancement in Pearson’s correlation coefficient to the true HRF. The collodion-fixed fiber probe with no motion correction performed better than the Velcro probe corrected for motion artifacts in terms of MSE and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Thus, if the experimental study permits, the use of a collodion-fixed fiber probe may be desirable. If the use of a collodion-fixed probe is not feasible, then we suggest the use of tPCA in the processing of motion artifact contaminated data. PMID:25360181

TARGETED PRINCIPLE COMPONENT ANALYSIS: A NEW MOTION ARTIFACT CORRECTION APPROACH FOR NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY.

Science.gov (United States)

Yücel, Meryem A; Selb, Juliette; Cooper, Robert J; Boas, David A

2014-03-01

As near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) broadens its application area to different age and disease groups, motion artifacts in the NIRS signal due to subject movement is becoming an important challenge. Motion artifacts generally produce signal fluctuations that are larger than physiological NIRS signals, thus it is crucial to correct for them before obtaining an estimate of stimulus evoked hemodynamic responses. There are various methods for correction such as principle component analysis (PCA), wavelet-based filtering and spline interpolation. Here, we introduce a new approach to motion artifact correction, targeted principle component analysis (tPCA), which incorporates a PCA filter only on the segments of data identified as motion artifacts. It is expected that this will overcome the issues of filtering desired signals that plagues standard PCA filtering of entire data sets. We compared the new approach with the most effective motion artifact correction algorithms on a set of data acquired simultaneously with a collodion-fixed probe (low motion artifact content) and a standard Velcro probe (high motion artifact content). Our results show that tPCA gives statistically better results in recovering hemodynamic response function (HRF) as compared to wavelet-based filtering and spline interpolation for the Velcro probe. It results in a significant reduction in mean-squared error (MSE) and significant enhancement in Pearson's correlation coefficient to the true HRF. The collodion-fixed fiber probe with no motion correction performed better than the Velcro probe corrected for motion artifacts in terms of MSE and Pearson's correlation coefficient. Thus, if the experimental study permits, the use of a collodion-fixed fiber probe may be desirable. If the use of a collodion-fixed probe is not feasible, then we suggest the use of tPCA in the processing of motion artifact contaminated data.

SU-E-J-233: Effect of Brachytherapy Seed Artifacts in T2 and Proton Density Maps in MR Images

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mashouf, S [Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); University of Toronto, Dept of Radiation Oncology, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Fatemi-Ardekani, A [Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Song, W [Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); University of Toronto, Dept of Radiation Oncology, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario (Canada)

2015-06-15

Purpose: This study aims at investigating the influence of brachytherapy seeds on T2 and proton density (PD) maps generated from MR images. Proton density maps can be used to extract water content. Since dose absorbed in tissue surrounding low energy brachytherapy seeds are highly influenced by tissue composition, knowing the water content is a first step towards implementing a heterogeneity correction algorithm using MR images. Methods: An LDR brachytherapy (IsoAid Advantage Pd-103) seed was placed in the middle of an agar-based gel phantom and imaged using a 3T Philips MR scanner with a 168-channel head coil. A multiple echo sequence with TE=20, 40, 60, 80, 100 (ms) with large repetition time (TR=6259ms) was used to extract T2 and PD maps. Results: Seed artifacts were considerably reduced on T2 maps compared to PD maps. The variation of PD around the mean was obtained as −97% to 125% (±1%) while for T2 it was recorded as −71% to 24% (±1%). Conclusion: PD maps which are required for heterogeneity corrections are susceptible to artifacts from seeds. Seed artifacts on T2 maps, however, are significantly reduced due to not being sensitive to B0 field variation.

Material-Dependent Implant Artifact Reduction Using SEMAC-VAT and MAVRIC: A Prospective MRI Phantom Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Filli, Lukas; Jud, Lukas; Luechinger, Roger; Nanz, Daniel; Andreisek, Gustav; Runge, Val M; Kozerke, Sebastian; Farshad-Amacker, Nadja A

2017-06-01

The aim of this study was to compare the degree of artifact reduction in magnetic resonance imaging achieved with slice encoding for metal artifact correction (SEMAC) in combination with view angle tilting (VAT) and multiacquisition variable resonance image combination (MAVRIC) for standard contrast weightings and different metallic materials. Four identically shaped rods made of the most commonly used prosthetic materials (stainless steel, SS; titanium, Ti; cobalt-chromium-molybdenum, CoCr; and oxidized zirconium, oxZi) were scanned at 3 T. In addition to conventional fast spin-echo sequences, metal artifact reduction sequences (SEMAC-VAT and MAVRIC) with varying degrees of artifact suppression were applied at different contrast weightings (T1w, T2w, PDw). Two independent readers measured in-plane and through-plane artifacts in a standardized manner. In addition, theoretical frequency-offset and frequency-offset-gradient maps were calculated. Interobserver agreement was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficient. Interobserver agreement was almost perfect (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.86-0.99). Stainless steel caused the greatest artifacts, followed by CoCr, Ti, and oxZi regardless of the imaging sequence. While for Ti and oxZi rods scanning with weak SEMAC-VAT showed some advantage, for SS and CoCr, higher modes of SEMAC-VAT or MAVRIC were necessary to achieve artifact reduction. MAVRIC achieved better artifact reduction than SEMAC-VAT at the cost of longer acquisition times. Simulations matched well with the apparent geometry of the frequency-offset maps. For Ti and oxZi implants, weak SEMAC-VAT may be preferred as it is faster and produces less artifact than conventional fast spin-echo. Medium or strong SEMAC-VAT or MAVRIC modes are necessary for significant artifact reduction for SS and CoCr implants.

Motion-induced dose artifacts in helical tomotherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Bryan; Chen, Jeff; Battista, Jerry [London Regional Cancer Program, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON (Canada); Kron, Tomas [Peter MacCallum Cancer Center, Melbourne (Australia)], E-mail: bryan.kim@lhsc.on.ca

2009-10-07

Tumor motion is a particular concern for a complex treatment modality such as helical tomotherapy, where couch position, gantry rotation and MLC leaf opening all change with time. In the present study, we have investigated the impact of tumor motion for helical tomotherapy, which could result in three distinct motion-induced dose artifacts, namely (1) dose rounding, (2) dose rippling and (3) IMRT leaf opening asynchronization effect. Dose rounding and dose rippling effects have been previously described, while the IMRT leaf opening asynchronization effect is a newly discovered motion-induced dose artifact. Dose rounding is the penumbral widening of a delivered dose distribution near the edges of a target volume along the direction of tumor motion. Dose rippling is a series of periodic dose peaks and valleys observed within the target region along the direction of couch motion, due to an asynchronous interplay between the couch motion and the longitudinal component of tumor motion. The IMRT leaf opening asynchronization effect is caused by an asynchronous interplay between the temporal patterns of leaf openings and tumor motion. The characteristics of each dose artifact were investigated individually as functions of target motion amplitude and period for both non-IMRT and IMRT helical tomotherapy cases, through computer simulation modeling and experimental verification. The longitudinal dose profiles generated by the simulation program agreed with the experimental data within {+-}0.5% and {+-}1.5% inside the PTV region for the non-IMRT and IMRT cases, respectively. The dose rounding effect produced a penumbral increase up to 20.5 mm for peak-to-peak target motion amplitudes ranging from 1.0 cm to 5.0 cm. Maximum dose rippling magnitude of 25% was calculated, when the target motion period approached an unusually high value of 10 s. The IMRT leaf opening asynchronization effect produced dose differences ranging from -29% to 7% inside the PTV region. This information

Inspection about the corrosion of metallic archaeological artifacts in ground. 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Honda, Takashi; Yamaguchi, Shingo [Hitachi Engineering Co., Ltd., Hitachi, Ibaraki (Japan)

2002-02-01

The corrosion of iron-base archaeological artifacts, which were dug out in Iyomai-7 (Chitose-shi, Hokkaido) and Izumo-Ooyashiro-Keidai (Taisha-machi, Shimane-ken) sites, was investigated by using X-ray CT, XRD, atomic absorption spectroscopy and EDX techniques. While the artifacts such as swords in Iyomai-7 site had been buried in the ground for 400-500 years, metallic iron remained in the swords and the corrosion amounts were estimated to be 2-5 mm. Several artifacts were investigated among a lot of iron rings and nails buried beside huge pillars of the ancient shrine. Those artifacts had been in ground for 730-750 years. The corrosion amounts were estimated to be 3-5 mm. As the both soil environments are supposed to be oxidizing, the outer oxide layers of all species are composed of goethite and soil. Further, it was clarified that perfectly corroded ones had hollow structures. In this study, the sampling method of species, the corrosion environmental factors, and the corrosion kinetic models were also evaluated. (author)

A New Approach to Eliminate High Amplitude Artifacts in EEG Signals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Rita Teixeira

2016-09-01

Full Text Available High amplitude artifacts represent a problem during EEG recordings in neuroscience research. Taking this into account, this paper proposes a method to identify high amplitude artifacts with no requirement for visual inspection, electrooscillogram (EOG reference channel or user assigned parameters. A potential solution to the high amplitude artifacts (HAA elimination is presented based on blind source separation methods. The assumption underlying the selection of components is that HAA are independent of the EEG signal and different HAA can be generated during the EEG recordings. Therefore, the number of components related to HAA is variable and depends on the processed signal, which means that the method is adaptable to the input signal. The results show, when removing the HAA artifacts, the delta band is distorted but all the other frequency bands are preserved. A case study with EEG signals recorded while participants performed on the Halstead Category Test (HCT is presented. After HAA removal, data analysis revealed, as expected, an error-related frontal ERP wave: the feedback-related negativity (FRN in response to feedback stimuli.

Twinkling artifact on color Doppler ultrasound: an advantage or a pitfall?

Science.gov (United States)

Ozan, Ebru; Atac, Gokce Kaan; Gundogdu, Sadi

2016-07-01

The twinkling artifact (TA) or color comet-tail artifact is characterized by a rapidly changing mixture of red and blue color Doppler signals. Even though many diseases and clinical conditions have been shown to produce this artifact, its source is not clearly understood yet. The TA may provide additional information to gray-scale ultrasound findings in several clinical situations. However, there may be pitfalls to keep in mind. We must first be aware of the TA to benefit from the advantages and avoid the pitfalls. In this review, we aim to give practicing radiologists an overview of the mechanisms and clinical applications of the TA by illustrating sample cases we have encountered.

Independent component analysis for cochlear implant artifacts attenuation from electrically evoked auditory steady-state response measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Deprez, Hanne; Gransier, Robin; Hofmann, Michael; van Wieringen, Astrid; Wouters, Jan; Moonen, Marc

2018-02-01

Objective. Electrically evoked auditory steady-state responses (EASSRs) are potentially useful for objective cochlear implant (CI) fitting and follow-up of the auditory maturation in infants and children with a CI. EASSRs are recorded in the electro-encephalogram (EEG) in response to electrical stimulation with continuous pulse trains, and are distorted by significant CI artifacts related to this electrical stimulation. The aim of this study is to evaluate a CI artifacts attenuation method based on independent component analysis (ICA) for three EASSR datasets. Approach. ICA has often been used to remove CI artifacts from the EEG to record transient auditory responses, such as cortical evoked auditory potentials. Independent components (ICs) corresponding to CI artifacts are then often manually identified. In this study, an ICA based CI artifacts attenuation method was developed and evaluated for EASSR measurements with varying CI artifacts and EASSR characteristics. Artifactual ICs were automatically identified based on their spectrum. Main results. For 40 Hz amplitude modulation (AM) stimulation at comfort level, in high SNR recordings, ICA succeeded in removing CI artifacts from all recording channels, without distorting the EASSR. For lower SNR recordings, with 40 Hz AM stimulation at lower levels, or 90 Hz AM stimulation, ICA either distorted the EASSR or could not remove all CI artifacts in most subjects, except for two of the seven subjects tested with low level 40 Hz AM stimulation. Noise levels were reduced after ICA was applied, and up to 29 ICs were rejected, suggesting poor ICA separation quality. Significance. We hypothesize that ICA is capable of separating CI artifacts and EASSR in case the contralateral hemisphere is EASSR dominated. For small EASSRs or large CI artifact amplitudes, ICA separation quality is insufficient to ensure complete CI artifacts attenuation without EASSR distortion.

ERAASR: an algorithm for removing electrical stimulation artifacts from multielectrode array recordings

Science.gov (United States)

O'Shea, Daniel J.; Shenoy, Krishna V.

2018-04-01

Objective. Electrical stimulation is a widely used and effective tool in systems neuroscience, neural prosthetics, and clinical neurostimulation. However, electrical artifacts evoked by stimulation prevent the detection of spiking activity on nearby recording electrodes, which obscures the neural population response evoked by stimulation. We sought to develop a method to clean artifact-corrupted electrode signals recorded on multielectrode arrays in order to recover the underlying neural spiking activity. Approach. We created an algorithm, which performs estimation and removal of array artifacts via sequential principal components regression (ERAASR). This approach leverages the similar structure of artifact transients, but not spiking activity, across simultaneously recorded channels on the array, across pulses within a train, and across trials. The ERAASR algorithm requires no special hardware, imposes no requirements on the shape of the artifact or the multielectrode array geometry, and comprises sequential application of straightforward linear methods with intuitive parameters. The approach should be readily applicable to most datasets where stimulation does not saturate the recording amplifier. Main results. The effectiveness of the algorithm is demonstrated in macaque dorsal premotor cortex using acute linear multielectrode array recordings and single electrode stimulation. Large electrical artifacts appeared on all channels during stimulation. After application of ERAASR, the cleaned signals were quiescent on channels with no spontaneous spiking activity, whereas spontaneously active channels exhibited evoked spikes which closely resembled spontaneously occurring spiking waveforms. Significance. We hope that enabling simultaneous electrical stimulation and multielectrode array recording will help elucidate the causal links between neural activity and cognition and facilitate naturalistic sensory protheses.

"Diabetes and literacy: negotiating control through artifacts of medicalization".

Science.gov (United States)

Martins, David S

2009-06-01

My experience with the California Department of Motor Vehicles offers a case to explore how bureaucratic institutions monitor, classify, and control individuals. By examining artifacts created for and used by the DMV through the lens of literacy studies, I discuss the variety of rhetorical strategies used in each document and the effects and implications of those strategies, for example on subjectivity or identity, and move beyond the language of the artifacts themselves to attend to how they are invested with power in the management and control of populations.

Quantitative assessment of image artifacts from root filling materials on CBCT scans made using several exposure parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rabelo, Katharina Alves; Cavalcanti, Yuri Wanderley; De Oliveira Pinto, Martina Gerlane; De Melo, Daniela Pita; Melo, Saulo Leonardo Sousa; Campos, Paulo Sergio Flores; De Andrade Freitas Oliveira, Luciana Soares

2017-01-01

To quantify artifacts from different root filling materials in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images acquired using different exposure parameters. Fifteen single-rooted teeth were scanned using 8 different exposure protocols with 3 different filling materials and once without filling material as a control group. Artifact quantification was performed by a trained observer who made measurements in the central axial slice of all acquired images in a fixed region of interest using ImageJ. Hyperdense artifacts, hypodense artifacts, and the remaining tooth area were identified, and the percentages of hyperdense and hypodense artifacts, remaining tooth area, and tooth area affected by the artifacts were calculated. Artifacts were analyzed qualitatively by 2 observers using the following scores: absence (0), moderate presence (1), and high presence (2) for hypodense halos, hypodense lines, and hyperdense lines. Two-way ANOVA and the post-hoc Tukey test were used for quantitative and qualitative artifact analysis. The Dunnet test was also used for qualitative analysis. The significance level was set at P .05). Different exposure parameters did not affect the objective or subjective observations of artifacts in CBCT images; however, the filling materials used in endodontic restorations did affect both types of assessments

Preliminary experimental insights into differential heat impact among lithic artifacts

OpenAIRE

Guillermo Bustos-Pérez; Javier Baena Preysler

2016-01-01

The presence of thermally altered and broken flint artifacts is common at archaeological sites. Most studies focus their attention on the effects of heat treatment on flint to improve knapping qualities, disregarding the effects of fire over flint under uncontrolled conditions. This paper aims to show how under uncontrolled heating processes flint artifacts develop different heat alterations (such as levels of breakage, presence of scales, etc.) as a result of vertical distribution, volume or...

How to bring a technical artifact into use: A micro-developmental perspective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Overdijk, Maarten; Van Diggelen, Wouter; Andriessen, Jerry; Kirschner, Paul A.

2018-01-01

In order to understand how technical artifacts are attuned to, interacted with, and shaped in various and varied classrooms, it is necessary to construct detailed accounts of the use of particular artifacts in particular classrooms. This paper presents a descriptive account of how a shared

A formal ontological perspective on the behaviors and functions of technical artifacts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Borgo, S.; Carrara, M.; Garbacz, P.; Vermaas, P.E.

2008-01-01

In this paper we present a formal characterization of the engineering concepts of behavior and function of technical artifacts. We capture the meanings that engineers attach to these concepts by formalizing, within the formal ontology DOLCE, the five meanings of artifact behavior and the two

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

Reduction of variable-truncation artifacts from beam occlusion during in situ x-ray tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Borg, Leise; Jørgensen, Jakob S.; Frikel, Jürgen; Sporring, Jon

2017-12-01

Many in situ x-ray tomography studies require experimental rigs which may partially occlude the beam and cause parts of the projection data to be missing. In a study of fluid flow in porous chalk using a percolation cell with four metal bars drastic streak artifacts arise in the filtered backprojection (FBP) reconstruction at certain orientations. Projections with non-trivial variable truncation caused by the metal bars are the source of these variable-truncation artifacts. To understand the artifacts a mathematical model of variable-truncation data as a function of metal bar radius and distance to sample is derived and verified numerically and with experimental data. The model accurately describes the arising variable-truncation artifacts across simulated variations of the experimental setup. Three variable-truncation artifact-reduction methods are proposed, all aimed at addressing sinogram discontinuities that are shown to be the source of the streaks. The ‘reduction to limited angle’ (RLA) method simply keeps only non-truncated projections; the ‘detector-directed smoothing’ (DDS) method smooths the discontinuities; while the ‘reflexive boundary condition’ (RBC) method enforces a zero derivative at the discontinuities. Experimental results using both simulated and real data show that the proposed methods effectively reduce variable-truncation artifacts. The RBC method is found to provide the best artifact reduction and preservation of image features using both visual and quantitative assessment. The analysis and artifact-reduction methods are designed in context of FBP reconstruction motivated by computational efficiency practical for large, real synchrotron data. While a specific variable-truncation case is considered, the proposed methods can be applied to general data cut-offs arising in different in situ x-ray tomography experiments.

Statistical feature extraction for artifact removal from concurrent fMRI-EEG recordings.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zhongming; de Zwart, Jacco A; van Gelderen, Peter; Kuo, Li-Wei; Duyn, Jeff H

2012-02-01

We propose a set of algorithms for sequentially removing artifacts related to MRI gradient switching and cardiac pulsations from electroencephalography (EEG) data recorded during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Special emphasis is directed upon the use of statistical metrics and methods for the extraction and selection of features that characterize gradient and pulse artifacts. To remove gradient artifacts, we use channel-wise filtering based on singular value decomposition (SVD). To remove pulse artifacts, we first decompose data into temporally independent components and then select a compact cluster of components that possess sustained high mutual information with the electrocardiogram (ECG). After the removal of these components, the time courses of remaining components are filtered by SVD to remove the temporal patterns phase-locked to the cardiac timing markers derived from the ECG. The filtered component time courses are then inversely transformed into multi-channel EEG time series free of pulse artifacts. Evaluation based on a large set of simultaneous EEG-fMRI data obtained during a variety of behavioral tasks, sensory stimulations and resting conditions showed excellent data quality and robust performance attainable with the proposed methods. These algorithms have been implemented as a Matlab-based toolbox made freely available for public access and research use. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Removing ECG Artifact from the Surface EMG Signal Using Adaptive Subtraction Technique

Science.gov (United States)

Abbaspour, S; Fallah, A

2014-01-01

Background: The electrocardiogram artifact is a major contamination in the electromyogram signals when electromyogram signal is recorded from upper trunk muscles and because of that the contaminated electromyogram is not useful. Objective: Removing electrocardiogram contamination from electromyogram signals. Methods: In this paper, the clean electromyogram signal, electrocardiogram artifact and electrocardiogram signal were recorded from leg muscles, the pectoralis major muscle of the left side and V4, respectively. After the pre-processing, contaminated electromyogram signal is simulated with a combination of clean electromyogram and electrocardiogram artifact. Then, contaminated electromyogram is cleaned using adaptive subtraction method. This method contains some steps; (1) QRS detection, (2) formation of electrocardiogram template by averaging the electrocardiogram complexes, (3) using low pass filter to remove undesirable artifacts, (4) subtraction. Results: Performance of our method is evaluated using qualitative criteria, power spectrum density and coherence and quantitative criteria signal to noise ratio, relative error and cross correlation. The result of signal to noise ratio, relative error and cross correlation is equal to 10.493, 0.04 and %97 respectively. Finally, there is a comparison between proposed method and some existing methods. Conclusion: The result indicates that adaptive subtraction method is somewhat effective to remove electrocardiogram artifact from contaminated electromyogram signal and has an acceptable result. PMID:25505766

The Smoothing Artifact of Spatially Constrained Canonical Correlation Analysis in Functional MRI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dietmar Cordes

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A wide range of studies show the capacity of multivariate statistical methods for fMRI to improve mapping of brain activations in a noisy environment. An advanced method uses local canonical correlation analysis (CCA to encompass a group of neighboring voxels instead of looking at the single voxel time course. The value of a suitable test statistic is used as a measure of activation. It is customary to assign the value to the center voxel; however, this is a choice of convenience and without constraints introduces artifacts, especially in regions of strong localized activation. To compensate for these deficiencies, different spatial constraints in CCA have been introduced to enforce dominance of the center voxel. However, even if the dominance condition for the center voxel is satisfied, constrained CCA can still lead to a smoothing artifact, often called the “bleeding artifact of CCA”, in fMRI activation patterns. In this paper a new method is introduced to measure and correct for the smoothing artifact for constrained CCA methods. It is shown that constrained CCA methods corrected for the smoothing artifact lead to more plausible activation patterns in fMRI as shown using data from a motor task and a memory task.

Self-calibrated multiple-echo acquisition with radial trajectories using the conjugate gradient method (SMART-CG).

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Youngkyoo; Samsonov, Alexey A; Bydder, Mark; Block, Walter F

2011-04-01

To remove phase inconsistencies between multiple echoes, an algorithm using a radial acquisition to provide inherent phase and magnitude information for self correction was developed. The information also allows simultaneous support for parallel imaging for multiple coil acquisitions. Without a separate field map acquisition, a phase estimate from each echo in multiple echo train was generated. When using a multiple channel coil, magnitude and phase estimates from each echo provide in vivo coil sensitivities. An algorithm based on the conjugate gradient method uses these estimates to simultaneously remove phase inconsistencies between echoes, and in the case of multiple coil acquisition, simultaneously provides parallel imaging benefits. The algorithm is demonstrated on single channel, multiple channel, and undersampled data. Substantial image quality improvements were demonstrated. Signal dropouts were completely removed and undersampling artifacts were well suppressed. The suggested algorithm is able to remove phase cancellation and undersampling artifacts simultaneously and to improve image quality of multiecho radial imaging, the important technique for fast three-dimensional MRI data acquisition. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

A standardized evaluation of artifacts from metallic compounds during fast MR imaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Murakami, Shumei; Verdonschot, Rinus G; Kataoka, Miyoshi

2016-01-01

according to the ASTM-F2119 standard and artifact volumes were assessed using OsiriX MD software Results: Tukey-Kramer post-hoc tests were used for statistical comparisons. For most materials, scanning sequences eliciting artifact volumes in the following (ascending) order FSE-T1/FSE-T2

Real-time out-of-plane artifact subtraction tomosynthesis imaging using prior CT for scanning beam digital x-ray system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Meng, E-mail: mengwu@stanford.edu [Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States); Fahrig, Rebecca [Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States)

2014-11-01

Purpose: The scanning beam digital x-ray system (SBDX) is an inverse geometry fluoroscopic system with high dose efficiency and the ability to perform continuous real-time tomosynthesis in multiple planes. This system could be used for image guidance during lung nodule biopsy. However, the reconstructed images suffer from strong out-of-plane artifact due to the small tomographic angle of the system. Methods: The authors propose an out-of-plane artifact subtraction tomosynthesis (OPAST) algorithm that utilizes a prior CT volume to augment the run-time image processing. A blur-and-add (BAA) analytical model, derived from the project-to-backproject physical model, permits the generation of tomosynthesis images that are a good approximation to the shift-and-add (SAA) reconstructed image. A computationally practical algorithm is proposed to simulate images and out-of-plane artifacts from patient-specific prior CT volumes using the BAA model. A 3D image registration algorithm to align the simulated and reconstructed images is described. The accuracy of the BAA analytical model and the OPAST algorithm was evaluated using three lung cancer patients’ CT data. The OPAST and image registration algorithms were also tested with added nonrigid respiratory motions. Results: Image similarity measurements, including the correlation coefficient, mean squared error, and structural similarity index, indicated that the BAA model is very accurate in simulating the SAA images from the prior CT for the SBDX system. The shift-variant effect of the BAA model can be ignored when the shifts between SBDX images and CT volumes are within ±10 mm in the x and y directions. The nodule visibility and depth resolution are improved by subtracting simulated artifacts from the reconstructions. The image registration and OPAST are robust in the presence of added respiratory motions. The dominant artifacts in the subtraction images are caused by the mismatches between the real object and the prior CT

Björk-Shiley convexoconcave valves: susceptibility artifacts at brain MR imaging and mechanical valve fractures.

Science.gov (United States)

van Gorp, Maarten J; van der Graaf, Yolanda; de Mol, Bas A J M; Bakker, Chris J G; Witkamp, Theo D; Ramos, Lino M P; Mali, Willem P T M

2004-03-01

To assess the relationship between heart valve history and susceptibility artifacts at magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the brain in patients with Björk-Shiley convexoconcave (BSCC) valves. MR images of the brain were obtained in 58 patients with prosthetic heart valves: 20 patients had BSCC valve replacements, and 38 had other types of heart valves. Two experienced neuroradiologists determined the presence or absence of susceptibility artifacts in a consensus reading. Artifacts were defined as characteristic black spots that were visible on T2*-weighted gradient-echo MR images. The statuses of the 20 explanted BSCC valves-specifically, whether they were intact or had an outlet strut fracture (OSF) or a single-leg fracture (SLF)-had been determined earlier. Number of artifacts seen at brain MR imaging was correlated with explanted valve status, and differences were analyzed with nonparametric statistical tests. Significantly more patients with BSCC valves (17 [85%] of 20 patients) than patients with other types of prosthetic valves (18 [47%] of 38 patients) had susceptibility artifacts at MR imaging (P =.005). BSCC valve OSFs were associated with a significantly higher number of artifacts than were intact BSCC valves (P =.01). No significant relationship between SLF and number of artifacts was observed. Susceptibility artifacts at brain MR imaging are not restricted to patients with BSCC valves. These artifacts can be seen on images obtained in patients with various other types of fractured and intact prosthetic heart valves. Copyright RSNA, 2004

Reducing Interpolation Artifacts for Mutual Information Based Image Registration

Science.gov (United States)

Soleimani, H.; Khosravifard, M.A.

2011-01-01

Medical image registration methods which use mutual information as similarity measure have been improved in recent decades. Mutual Information is a basic concept of Information theory which indicates the dependency of two random variables (or two images). In order to evaluate the mutual information of two images their joint probability distribution is required. Several interpolation methods, such as Partial Volume (PV) and bilinear, are used to estimate joint probability distribution. Both of these two methods yield some artifacts on mutual information function. Partial Volume-Hanning window (PVH) and Generalized Partial Volume (GPV) methods are introduced to remove such artifacts. In this paper we show that the acceptable performance of these methods is not due to their kernel function. It's because of the number of pixels which incorporate in interpolation. Since using more pixels requires more complex and time consuming interpolation process, we propose a new interpolation method which uses only four pixels (the same as PV and bilinear interpolations) and removes most of the artifacts. Experimental results of the registration of Computed Tomography (CT) images show superiority of the proposed scheme. PMID:22606673

ADJUST: An automatic EEG artifact detector based on the joint use of spatial and temporal features.

Science.gov (United States)

Mognon, Andrea; Jovicich, Jorge; Bruzzone, Lorenzo; Buiatti, Marco

2011-02-01

A successful method for removing artifacts from electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings is Independent Component Analysis (ICA), but its implementation remains largely user-dependent. Here, we propose a completely automatic algorithm (ADJUST) that identifies artifacted independent components by combining stereotyped artifact-specific spatial and temporal features. Features were optimized to capture blinks, eye movements, and generic discontinuities on a feature selection dataset. Validation on a totally different EEG dataset shows that (1) ADJUST's classification of independent components largely matches a manual one by experts (agreement on 95.2% of the data variance), and (2) Removal of the artifacted components detected by ADJUST leads to neat reconstruction of visual and auditory event-related potentials from heavily artifacted data. These results demonstrate that ADJUST provides a fast, efficient, and automatic way to use ICA for artifact removal. Copyright © 2010 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

Image quality analysis to reduce dental artifacts in head and neck imaging with dual-source computed tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ketelsen, D.; Werner, M.K.; Thomas, C.; Tsiflikas, I.; Reimann, A.; Claussen, C.D.; Heuschmid, M. [Tuebingen Univ. (Germany). Abt. fuer Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie; Koitschev, A. [Tuebingen Univ. (Germany). Abt. fuer Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde

2009-01-15

Purpose: Important oropharyngeal structures can be superimposed by metallic artifacts due to dental implants. The aim of this study was to compare the image quality of multiplanar reconstructions and an angulated spiral in dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) of the neck. Materials and Methods: Sixty-two patients were included for neck imaging with DSCT. MPRs from an axial dataset and an additional short spiral parallel to the mouth floor were acquired. Leading anatomical structures were then evaluated with respect to the extent to which they were affected by dental artifacts using a visual scale, ranging from 1 (least artifacts) to 4 (most artifacts). Results: In MPR, 87.1 % of anatomical structures had significant artifacts (3.12 {+-} 0.86), while in angulated slices leading anatomical structures of the oropharynx showed negligible artifacts (1.28 {+-} 0.46). The diagnostic growth due to primarily angulated slices concerning artifact severity was significant (p < 0.01). Conclusion: MPRs are not capable of reducing dental artifacts sufficiently. In patients with dental artifacts overlying the anatomical structures of the oropharynx, an additional short angulated spiral parallel to the floor of the mouth is recommended and should be applied for daily routine. As a result of the static gantry design of DSCT, the use of a flexible head holder is essential. (orig.)

Learning in Home Care: A Digital Artifact as a Designated Boundary Object-in-Use

Science.gov (United States)

Islind, Anna Sigridur; Lundh Snis, Ulrika

2017-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to understand how the role of an mHealth artifact plays out in home care settings. An mHealth artifact, in terms of a mobile app, was tested to see how the quality of home care work practice was enhanced and changed. The research question is: In what ways does an mHealth artifact re-shape a home care practice and…

Independent component analysis of gait-related movement artifact recorded using EEG electrodes during treadmill walking.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristine Lynne Snyder

2015-12-01

Full Text Available There has been a recent surge in the use of electroencephalography (EEG as a tool for mobile brain imaging due to its portability and fine time resolution. When EEG is combined with independent component analysis (ICA and source localization techniques, it can model electrocortical activity as arising from temporally independent signals located in spatially distinct cortical areas. However, for mobile tasks, it is not clear how movement artifacts influence ICA and source localization. We devised a novel method to collect pure movement artifact data (devoid of any electrophysiological signals with a 256-channel EEG system. We first blocked true electrocortical activity using a silicone swim cap. Over the silicone layer, we placed a simulated scalp with electrical properties similar to real human scalp. We collected EEG movement artifact signals from ten healthy, young subjects wearing this setup as they walked on a treadmill at speeds from 0.4-1.6 m/s. We performed ICA and dipole fitting on the EEG movement artifact data to quantify how accurately these methods would identify the artifact signals as non-neural. ICA and dipole fitting accurately localized 99% of the independent components in non-neural locations or lacked dipolar characteristics. The remaining 1% of sources had locations within the brain volume and low residual variances, but had topographical maps, power spectra, time courses, and event related spectral perturbations typical of non-neural sources. Caution should be exercised when interpreting ICA for data that includes semi-periodic artifacts including artifact arising from human walking. Alternative methods are needed for the identification and separation of movement artifact in mobile EEG signals, especially methods that can be performed in real time. Separating true brain signals from motion artifact could clear the way for EEG brain computer interfaces for assistance during mobile activities, such as walking.

An image-based approach to understanding the physics of MR artifacts.

Science.gov (United States)

Morelli, John N; Runge, Val M; Ai, Fei; Attenberger, Ulrike; Vu, Lan; Schmeets, Stuart H; Nitz, Wolfgang R; Kirsch, John E

2011-01-01

As clinical magnetic resonance (MR) imaging becomes more versatile and more complex, it is increasingly difficult to develop and maintain a thorough understanding of the physical principles that govern the changing technology. This is particularly true for practicing radiologists, whose primary obligation is to interpret clinical images and not necessarily to understand complex equations describing the underlying physics. Nevertheless, the physics of MR imaging plays an important role in clinical practice because it determines image quality, and suboptimal image quality may hinder accurate diagnosis. This article provides an image-based explanation of the physics underlying common MR imaging artifacts, offering simple solutions for remedying each type of artifact. Solutions that have emerged from recent technologic advances with which radiologists may not yet be familiar are described in detail. Types of artifacts discussed include those resulting from voluntary and involuntary patient motion, magnetic susceptibility, magnetic field inhomogeneities, gradient nonlinearity, standing waves, aliasing, chemical shift, and signal truncation. With an improved awareness and understanding of these artifacts, radiologists will be better able to modify MR imaging protocols so as to optimize clinical image quality, allowing greater confidence in diagnosis. Copyright © RSNA, 2011.

Studies of the Reflection, Refraction and Internal Reflection of Light

Science.gov (United States)

Lanchester, P. C.

2014-01-01

An inexpensive apparatus and associated experiments are described for studying the basic laws of reflection and refraction of light at an air-glass interface, and multiple internal reflections within a glass block. In order to motivate students and encourage their active participation, a novel technique is described for determining the refractive…

Spinal cord atrophy in anterior-posterior direction reflects impairment in multiple sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lundell, H; Svolgaard, O; Dogonowski, A-M; Romme Christensen, J; Selleberg, F; Soelberg Sørensen, P; Blinkenberg, M; Siebner, H R; Garde, E

2017-10-01

To investigate how atrophy is distributed over the cross section of the upper cervical spinal cord and how this relates to functional impairment in multiple sclerosis (MS). We analysed the structural brain MRI scans of 54 patients with relapsing-remitting MS (n=22), primary progressive MS (n=9), secondary progressive MS (n=23) and 23 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. We measured the cross-sectional area (CSA), left-right width (LRW) and anterior-posterior width (APW) of the spinal cord at the segmental level C2. We tested for a nonparametric linear relationship between these atrophy measures and clinical impairments as reflected by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and Multiple Sclerosis Impairment Scale (MSIS). In patients with MS, CSA and APW but not LRW were reduced compared to healthy controls (P<.02) and showed significant correlations with EDSS, MSIS and specific MSIS subscores. In patients with MS, atrophy of the upper cervical cord is most evident in the antero-posterior direction. As APW of the cervical cord can be readily derived from standard structural MRI of the brain, APW constitutes a clinically useful neuroimaging marker of disease-related neurodegeneration in MS. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Relation between chemical shift artifact and infiltration on MR imaging of renal cell carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshigoe, Fukuo; Makino, Hideki; Yanada, Syuichi; Ohishi, Yukihiko; Mashima, Yasuoki; Yamada, Hideo.

1994-01-01

Retrospective study on the relation between existence of the interruption and disturbance of chemical shift artifact and tumor infiltration at the periphery of the kidney on MR imaging was evaluated in 28 cases with renal cell carcinoma. Judgement was possible in 9 out of the 11 cases with pathological stage below pT2 and 14 cases out of 17 pT3 cases. Judgement was impracticable in 5 cases because the peripheral fat tissue of the kidney was too less to observe chemical shift artifact and the tumor was spreading at the side opposite to the chemical shift artifact. Chemical shift artifact on MRI in this study correlated well with renal tumor infiltration. (author)

Technical Note: On GAFChromic EBT-XD film and the lateral response artifact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewis, David F.; Chan, Maria F.

2016-01-01

Purpose: The new radiochromic film, GAFChromic EBT-XD, contains the same active material, lithium-10,12-pentacosadiynoate, as GAFChromic EBT3, but the crystalline form is different. This work investigates the effect of this change on the well-known lateral response artifact when EBT-XD film is digitized on a flatbed scanner. Methods: The dose response of a single production lot of EBT-XD was characterized by scanning an unexposed film plus a set of films exposed to doses between 2.5 and 50 Gy using 6 MV photons. To characterize the lateral response artifact, the authors used the unexposed film plus a subset of samples exposed to doses between 20 and 50 Gy. Digital images of these films were acquired at seven discrete lateral locations perpendicular to the scan direction on three Epson 10000XL scanners. Using measurements at the discrete lateral positions, the scanner responses were determined as a function of the lateral position of the film. From the data for each scanner, a set of coefficients were derived whereby measured response values could be corrected to remove the effects of the lateral response artifact. The EBT-XD data were analyzed as in their previous work and compared to results reported for EBT3 in that paper. Results: For films scanned in the same orientation and having equal responses, the authors found that the lateral response artifact for EBT-XD and EBT3 films was remarkably similar. For both films, the artifact increases with increased net response. However, as EBT-XD is less sensitive than EBT3, a greater exposure dose is required to reach the same net response. On this basis, the lower sensitivity of EBT-XD relative to EBT3 results in less net response change for equal exposure and a reduction in the impact of the lateral response artifact. Conclusions: The shape of the crystalline active component in EBT-XD and EBT3 does not affect the fundamental existence of the lateral response artifact when the films are digitized on flatbed scanners

Technical Note: On GAFChromic EBT-XD film and the lateral response artifact.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, David F; Chan, Maria F

2016-02-01

The new radiochromic film, GAFChromic EBT-XD, contains the same active material, lithium-10,12-pentacosadiynoate, as GAFChromic EBT3, but the crystalline form is different. This work investigates the effect of this change on the well-known lateral response artifact when EBT-XD film is digitized on a flatbed scanner. The dose response of a single production lot of EBT-XD was characterized by scanning an unexposed film plus a set of films exposed to doses between 2.5 and 50 Gy using 6 MV photons. To characterize the lateral response artifact, the authors used the unexposed film plus a subset of samples exposed to doses between 20 and 50 Gy. Digital images of these films were acquired at seven discrete lateral locations perpendicular to the scan direction on three Epson 10000XL scanners. Using measurements at the discrete lateral positions, the scanner responses were determined as a function of the lateral position of the film. From the data for each scanner, a set of coefficients were derived whereby measured response values could be corrected to remove the effects of the lateral response artifact. The EBT-XD data were analyzed as in their previous work and compared to results reported for EBT3 in that paper. For films scanned in the same orientation and having equal responses, the authors found that the lateral response artifact for EBT-XD and EBT3 films was remarkably similar. For both films, the artifact increases with increased net response. However, as EBT-XD is less sensitive than EBT3, a greater exposure dose is required to reach the same net response. On this basis, the lower sensitivity of EBT-XD relative to EBT3 results in less net response change for equal exposure and a reduction in the impact of the lateral response artifact. The shape of the crystalline active component in EBT-XD and EBT3 does not affect the fundamental existence of the lateral response artifact when the films are digitized on flatbed scanners. Owing its lower sensitivity, EBT-XD film

Technical Note: On GAFChromic EBT-XD film and the lateral response artifact

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lewis, David F., E-mail: rcfilmconsulting@gmail.com [RC Film Consulting LLC, 54 Benedict Road, Monroe, Connecticut 06468 (United States); Chan, Maria F. [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 136 Mountain View Boulevard, Basking Ridge, New Jersey 07920 (United States)

2016-02-15

Purpose: The new radiochromic film, GAFChromic EBT-XD, contains the same active material, lithium-10,12-pentacosadiynoate, as GAFChromic EBT3, but the crystalline form is different. This work investigates the effect of this change on the well-known lateral response artifact when EBT-XD film is digitized on a flatbed scanner. Methods: The dose response of a single production lot of EBT-XD was characterized by scanning an unexposed film plus a set of films exposed to doses between 2.5 and 50 Gy using 6 MV photons. To characterize the lateral response artifact, the authors used the unexposed film plus a subset of samples exposed to doses between 20 and 50 Gy. Digital images of these films were acquired at seven discrete lateral locations perpendicular to the scan direction on three Epson 10000XL scanners. Using measurements at the discrete lateral positions, the scanner responses were determined as a function of the lateral position of the film. From the data for each scanner, a set of coefficients were derived whereby measured response values could be corrected to remove the effects of the lateral response artifact. The EBT-XD data were analyzed as in their previous work and compared to results reported for EBT3 in that paper. Results: For films scanned in the same orientation and having equal responses, the authors found that the lateral response artifact for EBT-XD and EBT3 films was remarkably similar. For both films, the artifact increases with increased net response. However, as EBT-XD is less sensitive than EBT3, a greater exposure dose is required to reach the same net response. On this basis, the lower sensitivity of EBT-XD relative to EBT3 results in less net response change for equal exposure and a reduction in the impact of the lateral response artifact. Conclusions: The shape of the crystalline active component in EBT-XD and EBT3 does not affect the fundamental existence of the lateral response artifact when the films are digitized on flatbed scanners

Negligible motion artifacts in scalp electroencephalography (EEG during treadmill walking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kevin eNathan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Recent Mobile Brain/Body Imaging (MoBI techniques based on active electrode scalp electroencephalogram (EEG allow the acquisition and real-time analysis of brain dynamics during active unrestrained motor behavior involving whole body movements such as treadmill walking, over-ground walking and other locomotive and non-locomotive tasks. Unfortunately, MoBI protocols are prone to physiological and non-physiological artifacts, including motion artifacts that may contaminate the EEG recordings. A few attempts have been made to quantify these artifacts during locomotion tasks but with inconclusive results due in part to methodological pitfalls. In this paper, we investigate the potential contributions of motion artifacts in scalp EEG during treadmill walking at three different speeds (1.5, 3.0, and 4.5 km/h using a wireless 64 channel active EEG system and a wireless inertial sensor attached to the subject’s head. The experimental setup was designed according to good measurement practices using state-of-the-art commercially-available instruments, and the measurements were analyzed using Fourier analysis and wavelet coherence approaches. Contrary to prior claims, the subjects’ motion did not significantly affect their EEG during treadmill walking although precaution should be taken when gait speeds approach 4.5 km/h. Overall, these findings suggest how MoBI methods may be safely deployed in neural, cognitive, and rehabilitation engineering applications.

Artifact suppression and analysis of brain activities with electroencephalography signals.

Science.gov (United States)

Rashed-Al-Mahfuz, Md; Islam, Md Rabiul; Hirose, Keikichi; Molla, Md Khademul Islam

2013-06-05

Brain-computer interface is a communication system that connects the brain with computer (or other devices) but is not dependent on the normal output of the brain (i.e., peripheral nerve and muscle). Electro-oculogram is a dominant artifact which has a significant negative influence on further analysis of real electroencephalography data. This paper presented a data adaptive technique for artifact suppression and brain wave extraction from electroencephalography signals to detect regional brain activities. Empirical mode decomposition based adaptive thresholding approach was employed here to suppress the electro-oculogram artifact. Fractional Gaussian noise was used to determine the threshold level derived from the analysis data without any training. The purified electroencephalography signal was composed of the brain waves also called rhythmic components which represent the brain activities. The rhythmic components were extracted from each electroencephalography channel using adaptive wiener filter with the original scale. The regional brain activities were mapped on the basis of the spatial distribution of rhythmic components, and the results showed that different regions of the brain are activated in response to different stimuli. This research analyzed the activities of a single rhythmic component, alpha with respect to different motor imaginations. The experimental results showed that the proposed method is very efficient in artifact suppression and identifying individual motor imagery based on the activities of alpha component.

Analysis of main artifacts in scanning probe microscopy (1)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alekperov, S.D.; Alekperov, S.D.

2012-01-01

The analysis of experiment carrying methodology in the scanning probe microscopy (SPM) region is carried out, the main parameters influencing on image quality are revealed. In order to reveal the artifact reason the main components of SPM signal which are divided on 5 groups : the useful signal; noises connected with external influences and temperature drift; distortions connected with piezoceramics and piezo-scanner non-ideality; probe geometry influence; apparatus noises are considered. The main methods of removal and minimization of the given artifacts are considered. The second and third groups of main components of SPM signal are considered in the articles first part

Depolarization artifacts in dual rotating-compensator Mueller matrix ellipsometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Weiqi; Zhang, Chuanwei; Jiang, Hao; Chen, Xiuguo; Liu, Shiyuan

2016-01-01

Noticeable depolarization effects are observed in the measurement of the air using an in-house developed dual rotating-compensator Mueller matrix ellipsometer. We demonstrate that these depolarization effects are essentially artifacts and mainly induced when the compensator with wavelength-dependent optical properties is integrated with the finite bandwidth detector. We define a general formula to represent the actual Mueller matrix of the compensator by taking into account the depolarization artifacts. After incorporating this formula into the system model, a correction method is further proposed, and consequently, improved accuracy can be achieved in the Mueller matrix measurement. (paper)

Survey on the artifacts of magnetic resonance imaging in the maxillo-facial regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arita, Masahiro; Okayosi, Tetsuo; Sakamoto, Fumihiko; Furuhasi, Kaiji; Wakuta, Kazunari; Ohba, Takeshi; Morikawa, Masao; Han, Dongwei

2000-01-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is accepted as a valuable method for evaluating and diagnosing various diseases in medical and dental area. On the other hand, dental magnetic attachments have been applied as one of the most suitable retainers of removable prostheses. The dental magnetic attachment is an advanced procedure for the restoration, whereas the dental magnetic attachment is one of the causes of MRI artifacts and/or distortions. In this study the results obtained by a survey in general hospitals on MRI artifacts caused by dental metals, especially dental magnetic attachments, are reported. The results obtained were as follows; MRI artifacts are experienced in most hospitals. Most radiologists did not regard the effect of the magnetic alloy as the cause, although they thought dental metals in oral cavity were the main cause of MRI artifact. Although about a half of radiologist were aware of the presence of the magnetic attachments, few of them had little experience in taking pictures of the patients with magnetic attachment or magnetic keepers by using MRI. Even when dental metals and magnetic keepers in oral cavity were considered to produce the MRI artifacts, none of radiologists asked dentists to remove them. They tried to solve the trouble of MRI artifacts by themselves. Prothodontists should give much more information about the dental magnetic attachment to radiologists and medical doctors in addition to improving the magnetic attachment and investigating materials to minimize the effect on MRI. (author)

Evaluation of the effects of an arm artifact reduction filter in computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nozaki, Fumie; Ohno, Hajime; Hirako, Tetsuya

2002-01-01

While performing CT during arterial portography (CTAP) or CT arteriography (CTA), we have instructed patients to in order to reduce streak artifacts. However the repetitive raising and lowering their arms has made it difficult to keep a clean zone and as well as to maintain the position of a target organ. An arm artifact reduction (AAR) filter developed by GE Yokokawa Medical System has been reported to be useful for reducing streak artifacts in CTAP and CTA. The purpose of this study was to estimate the effectiveness of the AAR filter in terms of artifact reduction ratio, CT value, standard deviation and spatial resolution. The use of an AAR filter reduced streak artifacts on images by 15-22% compared with those on images obtained by without the use of the filter and limited deterioration of spatial resolution to within 1%. Moreover, CT value in examination using AAR filter showed no significant change compared with that in non-filter's examination. It is concluded that the use of an AAR filter reduces the burden for the patient and increase the accuracy and flexibility of CT examination while minimizing the reduction in the image quality in CTAP and CTA. (author)

Wavelet-Based Artifact Identification and Separation Technique for EEG Signals during Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation

Science.gov (United States)

Adib, Mani; Cretu, Edmond

2013-01-01

We present a new method for removing artifacts in electroencephalography (EEG) records during Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS). The main challenge in exploiting GVS is to understand how the stimulus acts as an input to brain. We used EEG to monitor the brain and elicit the GVS reflexes. However, GVS current distribution throughout the scalp generates an artifact on EEG signals. We need to eliminate this artifact to be able to analyze the EEG signals during GVS. We propose a novel method to estimate the contribution of the GVS current in the EEG signals at each electrode by combining time-series regression methods with wavelet decomposition methods. We use wavelet transform to project the recorded EEG signal into various frequency bands and then estimate the GVS current distribution in each frequency band. The proposed method was optimized using simulated signals, and its performance was compared to well-accepted artifact removal methods such as ICA-based methods and adaptive filters. The results show that the proposed method has better performance in removing GVS artifacts, compared to the others. Using the proposed method, a higher signal to artifact ratio of −1.625 dB was achieved, which outperformed other methods such as ICA-based methods, regression methods, and adaptive filters. PMID:23956786

Wavelet-Based Artifact Identification and Separation Technique for EEG Signals during Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mani Adib

2013-01-01

Full Text Available We present a new method for removing artifacts in electroencephalography (EEG records during Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS. The main challenge in exploiting GVS is to understand how the stimulus acts as an input to brain. We used EEG to monitor the brain and elicit the GVS reflexes. However, GVS current distribution throughout the scalp generates an artifact on EEG signals. We need to eliminate this artifact to be able to analyze the EEG signals during GVS. We propose a novel method to estimate the contribution of the GVS current in the EEG signals at each electrode by combining time-series regression methods with wavelet decomposition methods. We use wavelet transform to project the recorded EEG signal into various frequency bands and then estimate the GVS current distribution in each frequency band. The proposed method was optimized using simulated signals, and its performance was compared to well-accepted artifact removal methods such as ICA-based methods and adaptive filters. The results show that the proposed method has better performance in removing GVS artifacts, compared to the others. Using the proposed method, a higher signal to artifact ratio of −1.625 dB was achieved, which outperformed other methods such as ICA-based methods, regression methods, and adaptive filters.

Evaluating an artifact in design science research

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Herselman, M

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we describe the iterative evaluation of an artifact developed through the application of Design Science Research (DSR) methodology in a resource constrained environment. In the DSR process the aspect of evaluation is often done...

Improved Image Quality in Head and Neck CT Using a 3D Iterative Approach to Reduce Metal Artifact.

Science.gov (United States)

Wuest, W; May, M S; Brand, M; Bayerl, N; Krauss, A; Uder, M; Lell, M

2015-10-01

Metal artifacts from dental fillings and other devices degrade image quality and may compromise the detection and evaluation of lesions in the oral cavity and oropharynx by CT. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of iterative metal artifact reduction on CT of the oral cavity and oropharynx. Data from 50 consecutive patients with metal artifacts from dental hardware were reconstructed with standard filtered back-projection, linear interpolation metal artifact reduction (LIMAR), and iterative metal artifact reduction. The image quality of sections that contained metal was analyzed for the severity of artifacts and diagnostic value. A total of 455 sections (mean ± standard deviation, 9.1 ± 4.1 sections per patient) contained metal and were evaluated with each reconstruction method. Sections without metal were not affected by the algorithms and demonstrated image quality identical to each other. Of these sections, 38% were considered nondiagnostic with filtered back-projection, 31% with LIMAR, and only 7% with iterative metal artifact reduction. Thirty-three percent of the sections had poor image quality with filtered back-projection, 46% with LIMAR, and 10% with iterative metal artifact reduction. Thirteen percent of the sections with filtered back-projection, 17% with LIMAR, and 22% with iterative metal artifact reduction were of moderate image quality, 16% of the sections with filtered back-projection, 5% with LIMAR, and 30% with iterative metal artifact reduction were of good image quality, and 1% of the sections with LIMAR and 31% with iterative metal artifact reduction were of excellent image quality. Iterative metal artifact reduction yields the highest image quality in comparison with filtered back-projection and linear interpolation metal artifact reduction in patients with metal hardware in the head and neck area. © 2015 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

Study of the Subjective Visibility of Packet Loss Artifacts in Decoded Video Sequences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Korhonen, Jari

2018-01-01

Packet loss is a significant cause of visual impairments in video broadcasting over packet-switched networks. There are several subjective and objective video quality assessment methods focused on the overall perception of video quality. However, less attention has been paid on the visibility...... of packet loss artifacts appearing in spatially and temporally limited regions of a video sequence. In this paper, we present the results of a subjective study, using a methodology where a video sequence is displayed on a touchscreen and the users tap it in the positions where they observe artifacts. We...... also analyze the objective features derived from those artifacts, and propose different models for combining those features into an objective metric for assessing the noticeability of the artifacts. The practical results show that the proposed metric predicts visibility of packet loss impairments...

Mediating Artifact in Teacher Professional Development

Science.gov (United States)

Svendsen, Bodil

2015-01-01

This article focuses on teacher professional development (TPD) in natural science through the 5E model as mediating artifact. The study was conducted in an upper secondary school, grounded in a school-based intervention research project. My contribution to the field of research on TPD is founded on the hypothesis that teachers would be best…

Multiple Case Study of STEM in School-Based Agricultural Education

Science.gov (United States)

Stubbs, Eric A.; Myers, Brian E.

2015-01-01

This multiple case study investigated the integration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in three Florida high school agriculture programs. Observations, interviews, documents, and artifacts provided qualitative data that indicated the types of STEM knowledge taught. Variables of interest included student and teacher…

Novel technique for addressing streak artifact in gated dual-source MDCT angiography utilizing ECG-editing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meyer, Laura T.; Boll, Daniel T. [Duke University Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Box 3808, Durham, NC (United States)

2008-11-15

Streak artifact is an important source of image degradation in computed tomographic imaging. In coronary MDCT angiography, streak artifact from pacemaker leads in the SVC can render segments of the right coronary artery uninterpretable. With current technology in clinical practice, there is no effective way to eliminate streak artifact in coronary MDCT angiography entirely. We propose a technique to minimize the impact of streak artifact in retrospectively gated coronary MDCT angiography by utilizing small shifts in the reconstruction window. In our experience, previously degraded portions of the coronary vasculature were able to be well evaluated using this technique. (orig.)

Some properties of the neutron monochromatic beams obtained by multiple Bragg reflections realized in bent perfect single crystals

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mikula, Pavol; Vrána, Miroslav; Šaroun, Jan; Krejčí, F.; Seong, B. S.; Woo, W.; Furusaka, M.

2013-01-01

Roč. 46, č. 1 (2013), s. 128-134 ISSN 0021-8898 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP204/10/0654; GA MŠk LM2010011 Institutional support: RVO:61389005 Keywords : multiple reflections * bent perfect crystals * neutron diffraction Subject RIV: BG - Nuclear, Atomic and Molecular Physics, Colliders Impact factor: 3.950, year: 2013

Influence of orthodontic appliance-derived artifacts on 3-T MRI movies.

Science.gov (United States)

Ozawa, Erika; Honda, Ei-Ichi; Parakonthun, Kulthida Nunthayanon; Ohmori, Hiroko; Shimazaki, Kazuo; Kurabayashi, Tohru; Ono, Takashi

2018-02-19

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been used to study configurations of speech organs in the resting state. However, MRI is sensitive to metals, and numerous types of metallic appliances, most of which have a large magnetic susceptibility, are used in orthodontic treatment and may cause severe artifacts on MRI. We have developed techniques for obtaining MRI movies of the oral region, to evaluate articulatory changes, especially movement of the tongue, palate, and teeth, pre- and post-orthodontic/orthognathic treatment. We evaluated the influence of artifacts caused by orthodontic appliances, including fixed retainers, metal brackets, and wires, on measurements in 3-T MRI movies. Sixteen healthy young adults (nine males, seven females; average age, 27 years) with normal occlusion were recruited. Four types of customized maxillary and mandibular plates were prepared by incorporating one of the following into the plate: (a) nothing, (b) a fixed canine-to-canine retainer, (c) metal brackets for the anterior and molar teeth, or (d) clear brackets for the anterior teeth and metal brackets for molars. A 3-T MRI movie, in segmented cine mode, was generated for each plate condition while participants pronounced a vowel-consonant-vowel syllable (/asa/). The size of the artifact due to the metallic brackets was measured. The face size and orthodontically important anatomical structures, such as the velum, the hard palate, and the laryngeal ventricle, were also measured. A large artifact was observed over the entire oral region around orthodontic appliances, altering regional visibility. The velopharyngeal height was measured as significantly longer in the presence of metal brackets. The maximum artifact size due to a metallic bracket was > 8 cm. Our results show that even if it is possible to obtain the measurements of palate length, nasion to sella, and nasion to basion in individuals wearing metal brackets for molars, the measurements might be affected due to the

On the influence of high-pass filtering on ICA-based artifact reduction in EEG-ERP.

Science.gov (United States)

Winkler, Irene; Debener, Stefan; Müller, Klaus-Robert; Tangermann, Michael

2015-01-01

Standard artifact removal methods for electroencephalographic (EEG) signals are either based on Independent Component Analysis (ICA) or they regress out ocular activity measured at electrooculogram (EOG) channels. Successful ICA-based artifact reduction relies on suitable pre-processing. Here we systematically evaluate the effects of high-pass filtering at different frequencies. Offline analyses were based on event-related potential data from 21 participants performing a standard auditory oddball task and an automatic artifactual component classifier method (MARA). As a pre-processing step for ICA, high-pass filtering between 1-2 Hz consistently produced good results in terms of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), single-trial classification accuracy and the percentage of `near-dipolar' ICA components. Relative to no artifact reduction, ICA-based artifact removal significantly improved SNR and classification accuracy. This was not the case for a regression-based approach to remove EOG artifacts.

Streak artifacts on Kidney CT: Ionic vs nonionic contrast media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Eun Ok; Kim, Won Hong; Jung, Myung Suk; Kim, Yong Hoon; Hur, Gham

1993-01-01

The authors reviewed findings of enhanced abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans to know the difference between a higher dose of conventional ionic contrast media(iothalamate meglumine) and a lower dose of a new, nonionic contrast material(ioversol). One hundred adult patients were divided into two groups. Each group consisted of 50 patients. Iothalamate meglumine and ioversol were intravenously administered in each group. The radio of the male to female in the former was 28:22, and the latter 29:21. We examine the degree of renal streak artifact and measure the Hounsfield number of urine in renal collecting system. There were significant differences of the degree of the streak artifact depending upon the osmolality of contrast media used and that was related with urine CT number(P value<0.005). We authors conclude that nonionic low osmolar contrast media is prone to cause streak artifacts and distortions of renal image than conventional ionic high osmolar contrast media

Evaluation of artifact-corrected electroencephalographic (EEG) training: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

La Marca, Jeffry P; Cruz, Daniel; Fandino, Jennifer; Cacciaguerra, Fabiana R; Fresco, Joseph J; Guerra, Austin T

2018-07-01

This double-blind study examined the effect of electromyographical (EMG) artifacts, which contaminate electroencephalographical (EEG) signals, by comparing artifact-corrected (AC) and non-artifact-corrected (NAC) neurofeedback (NF) training procedures. 14 unmedicated college students were randomly assigned to two groups: AC (n = 7) or NAC (n = 7). Both groups received 12 sessions of NF and were trained using identical NF treatment protocols to reduce their theta/beta power ratios (TBPR). Outcomes on a continuous performance test revealed that the AC group had statistically significant increases across measures of auditory and visual attention. The NAC group showed smaller gains that only reached statistical significance on measures of visual attention. Only the AC group reduced their TBPR, the NAC group did not. AC NF appears to play an important role during training that leads to improvements in both auditory and visual attention. Additional research is required to confirm the results of this study.

Reduction of ring artifacts in CBCT: Detection and correction of pixel gain variations in flat panel detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Altunbas, Cem; Lai, Chao-Jen; Zhong, Yuncheng; Shaw, Chris C.

2014-01-01

Purpose: In using flat panel detectors (FPD) for cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), pixel gain variations may lead to structured nonuniformities in projections and ring artifacts in CBCT images. Such gain variations can be caused by change in detector entrance exposure levels or beam hardening, and they are not accounted by conventional flat field correction methods. In this work, the authors presented a method to identify isolated pixel clusters that exhibit gain variations and proposed a pixel gain correction (PGC) method to suppress both beam hardening and exposure level dependent gain variations. Methods: To modulate both beam spectrum and entrance exposure, flood field FPD projections were acquired using beam filters with varying thicknesses. “Ideal” pixel values were estimated by performing polynomial fits in both raw and flat field corrected projections. Residuals were calculated by taking the difference between measured and ideal pixel values to identify clustered image and FPD artifacts in flat field corrected and raw images, respectively. To correct clustered image artifacts, the ratio of ideal to measured pixel values in filtered images were utilized as pixel-specific gain correction factors, referred as PGC method, and they were tabulated as a function of pixel value in a look-up table. Results: 0.035% of detector pixels lead to clustered image artifacts in flat field corrected projections, where 80% of these pixels were traced back and linked to artifacts in the FPD. The performance of PGC method was tested in variety of imaging conditions and phantoms. The PGC method reduced clustered image artifacts and fixed pattern noise in projections, and ring artifacts in CBCT images. Conclusions: Clustered projection image artifacts that lead to ring artifacts in CBCT can be better identified with our artifact detection approach. When compared to the conventional flat field correction method, the proposed PGC method enables characterization of nonlinear

ARTiiFACT: a tool for heart rate artifact processing and heart rate variability analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaufmann, Tobias; Sütterlin, Stefan; Schulz, Stefan M; Vögele, Claus

2011-12-01

The importance of appropriate handling of artifacts in interbeat interval (IBI) data must not be underestimated. Even a single artifact may cause unreliable heart rate variability (HRV) results. Thus, a robust artifact detection algorithm and the option for manual intervention by the researcher form key components for confident HRV analysis. Here, we present ARTiiFACT, a software tool for processing electrocardiogram and IBI data. Both automated and manual artifact detection and correction are available in a graphical user interface. In addition, ARTiiFACT includes time- and frequency-based HRV analyses and descriptive statistics, thus offering the basic tools for HRV analysis. Notably, all program steps can be executed separately and allow for data export, thus offering high flexibility and interoperability with a whole range of applications.

Optically controlled reflection modulator using GaAs-AlGaAs n-i-p-i/multiple-quantum-well structures

Science.gov (United States)

Law, K.-K.; Simes, R. J.; Coldren, L. A.; Gossard, A. C.; Maserjian, J.

1989-01-01

An optically controlled reflection modulator has been demonstrated that consists of a combination of a GaAs-AlGaAs n-i-p-i doping structure with a multiple-quantum-well structures on top of a distributed Bragg reflector, all grown by MBE. A modulation of approximately 60 percent is obtained on the test structure, corresponding to a differential change of absorption coefficient in the quantum wells of approximately 7500/cm. Changes in reflectance can be observed with a control beam power as low as 1.5 microW. This device structure has the potential of being developed as an optically addressed spatial light modulator for optical information processing.

A Preliminary Study of Muscular Artifact Cancellation in Single-Channel EEG

OpenAIRE

Chen, Xun; Liu, Aiping; Peng, Hu; Ward, Rabab K.

2014-01-01

Electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings are often contaminated with muscular artifacts that strongly obscure the EEG signals and complicates their analysis. For the conventional case, where the EEG recordings are obtained simultaneously over many EEG channels, there exists a considerable range of methods for removing muscular artifacts. In recent years, there has been an increasing trend to use EEG information in ambulatory healthcare and related physiological signal monitoring systems. For pra...

EEG windowed statistical wavelet scoring for evaluation and discrimination of muscular artifacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vialatte, François-Benoit; Cichocki, Andrzej; Solé-Casals, Jordi

2008-01-01

EEG recordings are usually corrupted by spurious extra-cerebral artifacts, which should be rejected or cleaned up by the practitioner. Since manual screening of human EEGs is inherently error prone and might induce experimental bias, automatic artifact detection is an issue of importance. Automatic artifact detection is the best guarantee for objective and clean results. We present a new approach, based on the time–frequency shape of muscular artifacts, to achieve reliable and automatic scoring. The impact of muscular activity on the signal can be evaluated using this methodology by placing emphasis on the analysis of EEG activity. The method is used to discriminate evoked potentials from several types of recorded muscular artifacts—with a sensitivity of 98.8% and a specificity of 92.2%. Automatic cleaning of EEG data is then successfully realized using this method, combined with independent component analysis. The outcome of the automatic cleaning is then compared with the Slepian multitaper spectrum based technique introduced by Delorme et al (2007 Neuroimage 34 1443–9)

Correcting for motion artifact in handheld laser speckle images

Science.gov (United States)

Lertsakdadet, Ben; Yang, Bruce Y.; Dunn, Cody E.; Ponticorvo, Adrien; Crouzet, Christian; Bernal, Nicole; Durkin, Anthony J.; Choi, Bernard

2018-03-01

Laser speckle imaging (LSI) is a wide-field optical technique that enables superficial blood flow quantification. LSI is normally performed in a mounted configuration to decrease the likelihood of motion artifact. However, mounted LSI systems are cumbersome and difficult to transport quickly in a clinical setting for which portability is essential in providing bedside patient care. To address this issue, we created a handheld LSI device using scientific grade components. To account for motion artifact of the LSI device used in a handheld setup, we incorporated a fiducial marker (FM) into our imaging protocol and determined the difference between highest and lowest speckle contrast values for the FM within each data set (Kbest and Kworst). The difference between Kbest and Kworst in mounted and handheld setups was 8% and 52%, respectively, thereby reinforcing the need for motion artifact quantification. When using a threshold FM speckle contrast value (KFM) to identify a subset of images with an acceptable level of motion artifact, mounted and handheld LSI measurements of speckle contrast of a flow region (KFLOW) in in vitro flow phantom experiments differed by 8%. Without the use of the FM, mounted and handheld KFLOW values differed by 20%. To further validate our handheld LSI device, we compared mounted and handheld data from an in vivo porcine burn model of superficial and full thickness burns. The speckle contrast within the burn region (KBURN) of the mounted and handheld LSI data differed by burns. Collectively, our results suggest the potential of handheld LSI with an FM as a suitable alternative to mounted LSI, especially in challenging clinical settings with space limitations such as the intensive care unit.

Compton scattering artifacts in electron excited X-ray spectra measured with a silicon drift detector.

Science.gov (United States)

Ritchie, Nicholas W M; Newbury, Dale E; Lindstrom, Abigail P

2011-12-01

Artifacts are the nemesis of trace element analysis in electron-excited energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. Peaks that result from nonideal behavior in the detector or sample can fool even an experienced microanalyst into believing that they have trace amounts of an element that is not present. Many artifacts, such as the Si escape peak, absorption edges, and coincidence peaks, can be traced to the detector. Others, such as secondary fluorescence peaks and scatter peaks, can be traced to the sample. We have identified a new sample-dependent artifact that we attribute to Compton scattering of energetic X-rays generated in a small feature and subsequently scattered from a low atomic number matrix. It seems likely that this artifact has not previously been reported because it only occurs under specific conditions and represents a relatively small signal. However, with the advent of silicon drift detectors and their utility for trace element analysis, we anticipate that more people will observe it and possibly misidentify it. Though small, the artifact is not inconsequential. Under some conditions, it is possible to mistakenly identify the Compton scatter artifact as approximately 1% of an element that is not present.

Reference geometry-based detection of (4D-)CT motion artifacts: a feasibility study

Science.gov (United States)

Werner, René; Gauer, Tobias

2015-03-01

Respiration-correlated computed tomography (4D or 3D+t CT) can be considered as standard of care in radiation therapy treatment planning for lung and liver lesions. The decision about an application of motion management devices and the estimation of patient-specific motion effects on the dose distribution relies on precise motion assessment in the planning 4D CT data { which is impeded in case of CT motion artifacts. The development of image-based/post-processing approaches to reduce motion artifacts would benefit from precise detection and localization of the artifacts. Simple slice-by-slice comparison of intensity values and threshold-based analysis of related metrics suffer from- depending on the threshold- high false-positive or -negative rates. In this work, we propose exploiting prior knowledge about `ideal' (= artifact free) reference geometries to stabilize metric-based artifact detection by transferring (multi-)atlas-based concepts to this specific task. Two variants are introduced and evaluated: (S1) analysis and comparison of warped atlas data obtained by repeated non-linear atlas-to-patient registration with different levels of regularization; (S2) direct analysis of vector field properties (divergence, curl magnitude) of the atlas-to-patient transformation. Feasibility of approaches (S1) and (S2) is evaluated by motion-phantom data and intra-subject experiments (four patients) as well as - adopting a multi-atlas strategy- inter-subject investigations (twelve patients involved). It is demonstrated that especially sorting/double structure artifacts can be precisely detected and localized by (S1). In contrast, (S2) suffers from high false positive rates.

Removal of the ballistocardiographic artifact from EEG-fMRI data: a canonical correlation approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Assecondi, Sara; Hallez, Hans; Staelens, Steven; Lemahieu, Ignace; Bianchi, Anna M; Huiskamp, Geertjan M

2009-01-01

The simultaneous recording of electroencephalogram (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can give new insights into how the brain functions. However, the strong electromagnetic field of the MR scanner generates artifacts that obscure the EEG and diminish its readability. Among them, the ballistocardiographic artifact (BCGa) that appears on the EEG is believed to be related to blood flow in scalp arteries leading to electrode movements. Average artifact subtraction (AAS) techniques, used to remove the BCGa, assume a deterministic nature of the artifact. This assumption may be too strong, considering the blood flow related nature of the phenomenon. In this work we propose a new method, based on canonical correlation analysis (CCA) and blind source separation (BSS) techniques, to reduce the BCGa from simultaneously recorded EEG-fMRI. We optimized the method to reduce the user's interaction to a minimum. When tested on six subjects, recorded in 1.5 T or 3 T, the average artifact extracted with BSS-CCA and AAS did not show significant differences, proving the absence of systematic errors. On the other hand, when compared on the basis of intra-subject variability, we found significant differences and better performance of the proposed method with respect to AAS. We demonstrated that our method deals with the intrinsic subject variability specific to the artifact that may cause averaging techniques to fail.

Magnetospheric Response Associated With Multiple Atmospheric Reflections of Precipitated Electrons in Aurora.

Science.gov (United States)

Khazanov, G. V.; Merkin, V. G.; Zesta, E.; Sibeck, D. G.; Grubbs, G. A., II; Chu, M.; Wiltberger, M. J.

2017-12-01

The magnetosphere and ionosphere are strongly coupled by precipitating electrons during storm times. Therefore, first principle simulations of precipitating electron fluxes are required to understand storm time variations of ionospheric conductances and related electric fields. As has been discussed by Khazanov et al. [2015 - 2017], the first step in such simulations is initiation of electron precipitation from the Earth's plasma sheet via wave particle interaction processes into both magnetically conjugate points, and the step 2 is the follow up of multiple atmospheric reflections of electron fluxes formed at the boundary between the ionosphere and magnetosphere of two magnetically conjugate points. To demonstrate this effect on the global magnetospheric response the Lyon-Fedder-Mobarry global magnetosphere model coupled with the Rice Convection Model of the inner magnetosphere has been used and run for the geomagnetic storm of 17 March 2013.

Correction of computed tomography motion artifacts using pixel-specific back-projection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ritchie, C.J.; Crawford, C.R.; Godwin, J.D.; Kim, Y. King, K.F.

1996-01-01

Cardiac and respiratory motion can cause artifacts in computed tomography scans of the chest. The authors describe a new method for reducing these artifacts called pixel-specific back-projection (PSBP). PSBP reduces artifacts caused by in-plane motion by reconstructing each pixel in a frame of reference that moves with the in-plane motion in the volume being scanned. The motion of the frame of reference is specified by constructing maps that describe the motion of each pixel in the image at the time each projection was measured; these maps are based on measurements of the in-plane motion. PSBP has been tested in computer simulations and with volunteer data. In computer simulations, PSBP removed the structured artifacts caused by motion. In scans of two volunteers, PSBP reduced doubling and streaking in chest scans to a level that made the images clinically useful. PSBP corrections of liver scans were less satisfactory because the motion of the liver is predominantly superior-inferior (S-I). PSBP uses a unique set of motion parameters to describe the motion at each point in the chest as opposed to requiring that the motion be described by a single set of parameters. Therefore, PSBP may be more useful in correcting clinical scans than are other correction techniques previously described

Two-dimensional analysis of motion artifacts, including flow effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Litt, A.M.; Brody, A.S.; Spangler, R.A.; Scott, P.D.

1990-01-01

The effects of motion on magnetic resonance images have been theoretically analyzed for the case of a point-like object in simple harmonic motion and for other one-dimensional trajectories. The authors of this paper extend this analysis to a generalized two-dimensional magnetization with an arbitrary motion trajectory. The authors provide specific solutions for the clinically relevant cases of the cross-sections of cylindrical objects in the body, such as the aorta, which has a roughly one-dimensional, simple harmonic motion during respiration. By extending the solution to include inhomogeneous magnetizations, the authors present a model which allows the effects of motion artifacts and flow artifacts to be analyzed simultaneously

Elimination of motion and pulsation artifacts using BLADE sequences in shoulder MR imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lavdas, E.; Zaloni, E.; Vlychou, M.; Vassiou, K.; Fezoulidis, I.; Tsagkalis, A.; Dailiana, Z.

2015-01-01

To evaluate the ability of proton-density with fat-suppression BLADE (proprietary name for periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction in MR systems from Siemens Healthcare, PDFS BLADE) and turbo inversion recovery magnitude-BLADE (TIRM BLADE) sequences to reduce motion and pulsation artifacts in shoulder magnetic resonance examinations. Forty-one consecutive patients who had been routinely scanned for shoulder examination participated in the study. The following pairs of sequences with and without BLADE were compared: (a) Oblique coronal proton-density sequence with fat saturation of 25 patients and (b) oblique sagittal T2 TIRM-weighed sequence of 20 patients. Qualitative analysis was performed by two experienced radiologists. Image motion and pulsation artifacts were also evaluated. In oblique coronal PDFS BLADE sequences, motion artifacts have been significantly eliminated, even in five cases of non-diagnostic value with conventional imaging. Similarly, in oblique sagittal T2 TIRM BLADE sequences, image quality has been improved, even in six cases of non-diagnostic value with conventional imaging. Furthermore, flow artifacts have been improved in more than 80% of all the cases. The use of BLADE sequences is recommended in shoulder imaging, especially in uncooperative patients because it effectively eliminates motion and pulsation artifacts. (orig.)

Investigating the possible effect of electrode support structure on motion artifact in wearable bioelectric signal monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Cömert, Alper; Hyttinen, Jari

2015-05-15

With advances in technology and increasing demand, wearable biosignal monitoring is developing and new applications are emerging. One of the main challenges facing the widespread use of wearable monitoring systems is the motion artifact. The sources of the motion artifact lie in the skin-electrode interface. Reducing the motion and deformation at this interface should have positive effects on signal quality. In this study, we aim to investigate whether the structure supporting the electrode can be designed to reduce the motion artifact with the hypothesis that this can be achieved by stabilizing the skin deformations around the electrode. We compare four textile electrodes with different support structure designs: a soft padding larger than the electrode area, a soft padding larger than the electrode area with a novel skin deformation restricting design, a soft padding the same size as the electrode area, and a rigid support the same size as the electrode. With five subjects and two electrode locations placed over different kinds of tissue at various mounting forces, we simultaneously measured the motion artifact, a motion affected ECG, and the real-time skin-electrode impedance during the application of controlled motion to the electrodes. The design of the electrode support structure has an effect on the generated motion artifact; good design with a skin stabilizing structure makes the electrodes physically more motion artifact resilient, directly affecting signal quality. Increasing the applied mounting force shows a positive effect up to 1,000 gr applied force. The properties of tissue under the electrode are an important factor in the generation of the motion artifact and the functioning of the electrodes. The relationship of motion artifact amplitude to the electrode movement magnitude is seen to be linear for smaller movements. For larger movements, the increase of motion generated a disproportionally larger artifact. The motion artifact and the induced

Multiple reflections and Fresnel absorption in an actual 3D keyhole during deep penetration laser welding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jin Xiangzhong [Laser Institute of Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, 410082 (China); Berger, Peter [Institut fuer Strahlwerkzeuge (IFSW), University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 43, 70569 Stuttgart (Germany); Graf, Thomas [Institut fuer Strahlwerkzeuge (IFSW), University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 43, 70569 Stuttgart (Germany)

2006-11-07

In laser welding experiments of glass, keyhole shapes are observed by two high-speed cameras from two perpendicular directions. From the obtained keyhole pictures, it can be seen that in medium- and low-speed laser penetration welding, the main distortion of the keyhole is not the section metamorphosis from rotational symmetry, but the bending of its centre line. Based on such a keyhole photograph, the keyhole profiles and its centre line are determined by the method of polynomial fitting. Then, under the assumption of a circular cross section at each depth of the keyhole, the behaviour of the laser beam in the keyhole is analysed by tracing a ray of light using geometrical optics theory; the Fresnel absorption and multiple reflections in the keyhole are systematically studied, and the laser intensities absorbed on the keyhole walls are calculated. The absorbed laser intensity is not distributed uniformly on the keyhole wall. The keyhole wall absorbs laser intensity mainly on the half-part of the keyhole wall near the front wall. Because of the high absorptivity of the glass, Fresnel absorption from the first incidence of a laser beam plays a dominant role in the final laser intensity distribution on the keyhole wall, multiple reflections have some minor effects on the intensity distribution on the bottom part of the keyhole.

Radius of curvature measurement of spherical smooth surfaces by multiple-beam interferometry in reflection

Science.gov (United States)

Abdelsalam, D. G.; Shaalan, M. S.; Eloker, M. M.; Kim, Daesuk

2010-06-01

In this paper a method is presented to accurately measure the radius of curvature of different types of curved surfaces of different radii of curvatures of 38 000,18 000 and 8000 mm using multiple-beam interference fringes in reflection. The images captured by the digital detector were corrected by flat fielding method. The corrected images were analyzed and the form of the surfaces was obtained. A 3D profile for the three types of surfaces was obtained using Zernike polynomial fitting. Some sources of uncertainty in measurement were calculated by means of ray tracing simulations and the uncertainty budget was estimated within λ/40.

WE-AB-207A-12: HLCC Based Quantitative Evaluation Method of Image Artifact in Dental CBCT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Y; Wu, S; Qi, H; Xu, Y; Zhou, L

2016-01-01

Purpose: Image artifacts are usually evaluated qualitatively via visual observation of the reconstructed images, which is susceptible to subjective factors due to the lack of an objective evaluation criterion. In this work, we propose a Helgason-Ludwig consistency condition (HLCC) based evaluation method to quantify the severity level of different image artifacts in dental CBCT. Methods: Our evaluation method consists of four step: 1) Acquire Cone beam CT(CBCT) projection; 2) Convert 3D CBCT projection to fan-beam projection by extracting its central plane projection; 3) Convert fan-beam projection to parallel-beam projection utilizing sinogram-based rebinning algorithm or detail-based rebinning algorithm; 4) Obtain HLCC profile by integrating parallel-beam projection per view and calculate wave percentage and variance of the HLCC profile, which can be used to describe the severity level of image artifacts. Results: Several sets of dental CBCT projections containing only one type of artifact (i.e. geometry, scatter, beam hardening, lag and noise artifact), were simulated using gDRR, a GPU tool developed for efficient, accurate, and realistic simulation of CBCT Projections. These simulated CBCT projections were used to test our proposed method. HLCC profile wave percentage and variance induced by geometry distortion are about 3∼21 times and 16∼393 times as large as that of the artifact-free projection, respectively. The increase factor of wave percentage and variance are 6 and133 times for beam hardening, 19 and 1184 times for scatter, and 4 and16 times for lag artifacts, respectively. In contrast, for noisy projection the wave percentage, variance and inconsistency level are almost the same with those of the noise-free one. Conclusion: We have proposed a quantitative evaluation method of image artifact based on HLCC theory. According to our simulation results, the severity of different artifact types is found to be in a following order: Scatter

WE-AB-207A-12: HLCC Based Quantitative Evaluation Method of Image Artifact in Dental CBCT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Y; Wu, S; Qi, H; Xu, Y; Zhou, L [Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong (China)

2016-06-15

Purpose: Image artifacts are usually evaluated qualitatively via visual observation of the reconstructed images, which is susceptible to subjective factors due to the lack of an objective evaluation criterion. In this work, we propose a Helgason-Ludwig consistency condition (HLCC) based evaluation method to quantify the severity level of different image artifacts in dental CBCT. Methods: Our evaluation method consists of four step: 1) Acquire Cone beam CT(CBCT) projection; 2) Convert 3D CBCT projection to fan-beam projection by extracting its central plane projection; 3) Convert fan-beam projection to parallel-beam projection utilizing sinogram-based rebinning algorithm or detail-based rebinning algorithm; 4) Obtain HLCC profile by integrating parallel-beam projection per view and calculate wave percentage and variance of the HLCC profile, which can be used to describe the severity level of image artifacts. Results: Several sets of dental CBCT projections containing only one type of artifact (i.e. geometry, scatter, beam hardening, lag and noise artifact), were simulated using gDRR, a GPU tool developed for efficient, accurate, and realistic simulation of CBCT Projections. These simulated CBCT projections were used to test our proposed method. HLCC profile wave percentage and variance induced by geometry distortion are about 3∼21 times and 16∼393 times as large as that of the artifact-free projection, respectively. The increase factor of wave percentage and variance are 6 and133 times for beam hardening, 19 and 1184 times for scatter, and 4 and16 times for lag artifacts, respectively. In contrast, for noisy projection the wave percentage, variance and inconsistency level are almost the same with those of the noise-free one. Conclusion: We have proposed a quantitative evaluation method of image artifact based on HLCC theory. According to our simulation results, the severity of different artifact types is found to be in a following order: Scatter

A Removal of Eye Movement and Blink Artifacts from EEG Data Using Morphological Component Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Balbir Singh

2017-01-01

Full Text Available EEG signals contain a large amount of ocular artifacts with different time-frequency properties mixing together in EEGs of interest. The artifact removal has been substantially dealt with by existing decomposition methods known as PCA and ICA based on the orthogonality of signal vectors or statistical independence of signal components. We focused on the signal morphology and proposed a systematic decomposition method to identify the type of signal components on the basis of sparsity in the time-frequency domain based on Morphological Component Analysis (MCA, which provides a way of reconstruction that guarantees accuracy in reconstruction by using multiple bases in accordance with the concept of “dictionary.” MCA was applied to decompose the real EEG signal and clarified the best combination of dictionaries for this purpose. In our proposed semirealistic biological signal analysis with iEEGs recorded from the brain intracranially, those signals were successfully decomposed into original types by a linear expansion of waveforms, such as redundant transforms: UDWT, DCT, LDCT, DST, and DIRAC. Our result demonstrated that the most suitable combination for EEG data analysis was UDWT, DST, and DIRAC to represent the baseline envelope, multifrequency wave-forms, and spiking activities individually as representative types of EEG morphologies.

A Removal of Eye Movement and Blink Artifacts from EEG Data Using Morphological Component Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Wagatsuma, Hiroaki

2017-01-01

EEG signals contain a large amount of ocular artifacts with different time-frequency properties mixing together in EEGs of interest. The artifact removal has been substantially dealt with by existing decomposition methods known as PCA and ICA based on the orthogonality of signal vectors or statistical independence of signal components. We focused on the signal morphology and proposed a systematic decomposition method to identify the type of signal components on the basis of sparsity in the time-frequency domain based on Morphological Component Analysis (MCA), which provides a way of reconstruction that guarantees accuracy in reconstruction by using multiple bases in accordance with the concept of “dictionary.” MCA was applied to decompose the real EEG signal and clarified the best combination of dictionaries for this purpose. In our proposed semirealistic biological signal analysis with iEEGs recorded from the brain intracranially, those signals were successfully decomposed into original types by a linear expansion of waveforms, such as redundant transforms: UDWT, DCT, LDCT, DST, and DIRAC. Our result demonstrated that the most suitable combination for EEG data analysis was UDWT, DST, and DIRAC to represent the baseline envelope, multifrequency wave-forms, and spiking activities individually as representative types of EEG morphologies. PMID:28194221

Inter-deriving Semantic Artifacts for Object-Oriented Programming

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Danvy, Olivier; Johannsen, Jacob

2008-01-01

.e., big-step operational semantics) specified in Abadi and Cardelli's monograph. This abstract machine therefore embodies the soundness of Abadi and Cardelli's reduction semantics and natural semantics relative to each other. To move closer to actual implementations, which use environments rather than......We present a new abstract machine for Abadi and Cardelli's untyped calculus of objects. What is special about this semantic artifact (i.e., man-made construct) is that is mechanically corresponds to both the reduction semantics (i.e., small-step operational semantics) and the natural semantics (i...... actual substitutions, we then represent object methods as closures and in the same inter-derivational spirit, we present three new semantic artifacts: a reduction semantics for a version of Abadi and Cardelli's untyped calculus of objects with explicit substitutions, an environment-based abstract machine...

Supporting Knowledge Transfer through Decomposable Reasoning Artifacts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pike, William A.; May, Richard A.; Turner, Alan E.

2007-01-03

Technology to support knowledge transfer and cooperative inquiry must offer its users the ability to effectively interpret knowledge structures produced by collaborators. Communicating the reasoning processes that underlie a finding is one method for enhancing interpretation, and can result in more effective evaluation and application of shared knowledge. In knowledge management tools, interpretation is aided by creating knowledge artifacts that can expose their provenance to scrutiny and that can be transformed into diverse representations that suit their consumers’ perspectives and preferences. We outline the information management needs of inquiring communities characterized by hypothesis generation tasks, and propose a model for communication, based in theories of hermeneutics, semiotics, and abduction, in which knowledge structures can be decomposed into the lower-level reasoning artifacts that produced them. We then present a proof-of-concept implementation for an environment to support the capture and communication of analytic products, with emphasis on the domain of intelligence analysis.

Subcritical multiplication measurements with a BeO reflected 233U uranyl nitrate solution system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Job, P.K.; Srinivasan, M.; Nargundkar, V.R.; Chandramoleshwar, K.; Pasupathy, C.S.; Das, S.; Mayankutty, P.C.

1978-01-01

A series of subcritical multiplication measurements were carried out in PURNIMA with 233 U uranyl nitrate solution contained in all 11 x 11 cm 2 square sectional tank and reflected by 30 cm thickness of BeO on all sides. The objective of these experiments was to determine the 'Minimum critical mass' of the system in rectangular parellelopiped geometry. The rectangular aluminium core tank was attached to the bottom of an alpha tight glove box. BeO reflector was arranged below the glove box outside the core tank. The system multiplication was measured as a function of solution concentration and core volume by means of neutron detectors placed outside the assembly. The extrapolated critical mass was obtained through conventional inverse counts plot. The maximum amount of 233 U used was 120 gms. The rectangular geometry was estimated to be 235 +- 10 gms, in the concentration range of 80 to 120 gms/litre of 233 U. The experimental set up, procedure adopted, method of analysis and the details of the results are described. (author)

Experimental analysis of motion artifacts in chest radiographs with the AMBER system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boetticher, H. von; Hofmann, K.; Luska, G.

1999-01-01

The prerequisites, mechanisms and principles of motion artifacts in AMBER radiographs were analysed. The experiments were performed using metronomes, a moving conventional mammography phantom, and arrangements of oscillating coil spring, spheroid and grid elements. A diagnostic dosimeter and TLDs, respectively, were used to measure exposure times and doses. The deree of distortion in AMBER radiographs depends on the direction of the object movement relative to the AMBER fan beam in a complex manner. The size of the motion artifacts depends on the local exposure time. The maximum value of this time is 75 ms and thus 1.5 times higher than specified by the manufacturer. To interpret AMBER radiographs possible system specific artifacts have to be considered to avoid misinterpretations of potentially significant details. (orig.) [de

[Research Progress of Raman Spectroscopy on Dyestuff Identification of Ancient Relics and Artifacts].

Science.gov (United States)

He, Qiu-ju; Wang, Li-qin

2016-02-01

As the birthplace of Silk Road, China has a long dyeing history. The valuable information about the production time, the source of dyeing material, dyeing process and preservation status were existed in organic dyestuff deriving from cultural relics and artifacts. However, because of the low contents, complex compositions and easily degraded of dyestuff, it is always a challenging task to identify the dyestuff in relics analyzing field. As a finger-print spectrum, Raman spectroscopy owns unique superiorities in dyestuff identification. Thus, the principle, characteristic, limitation, progress and development direction of micro-Raman spectroscopy (MRS/µ-Raman), near infrared reflection and Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy (NIR-FT-Raman), surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and resonance raman spectroscopy (RRS) have been introduced in this paper. Furthermore, the features of Raman spectra of gardenia, curcumin and other natural dyestuffs were classified by MRS technology, and then the fluorescence phenomena of purpurin excitated with different wavelength laser was compared and analyzed. At last, gray green silver colloidal particles were made as the base, then the colorant of madder was identified combining with thin layer chromatography (TLC) separation technology and SERS, the result showed that the surface enhancement effect of silver colloidal particles could significantly reduce fluorescence background of the Raman spectra. It is pointed out that Raman spectroscopy is a rapid and convenient molecular structure qualitative methodology, which has broad application prospect in dyestuff analysis of cultural relics and artifacts. We propose that the combination of multi-Raman spectroscopy, separation technology and long distance transmission technology are the development trends of Raman spectroscopy.

SU-C-206-03: Metal Artifact Reduction in X-Ray Computed Tomography Based On Local Anatomical Similarity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong, X; Yang, X; Rosenfield, J; Elder, E; Dhabaan, A

2016-01-01

Purpose: Metal implants such as orthopedic hardware and dental fillings cause severe bright and dark streaking in reconstructed CT images. These artifacts decrease image contrast and degrade HU accuracy, leading to inaccuracies in target delineation and dose calculation. Additionally, such artifacts negatively impact patient set-up in image guided radiation therapy (IGRT). In this work, we propose a novel method for metal artifact reduction which utilizes the anatomical similarity between neighboring CT slices. Methods: Neighboring CT slices show similar anatomy. Based on this anatomical similarity, the proposed method replaces corrupted CT pixels with pixels from adjacent, artifact-free slices. A gamma map, which is the weighted summation of relative HU error and distance error, is calculated for each pixel in the artifact-corrupted CT image. The minimum value in each pixel’s gamma map is used to identify a pixel from the adjacent CT slice to replace the corresponding artifact-corrupted pixel. This replacement only occurs if the minimum value in a particular pixel’s gamma map is larger than a threshold. The proposed method was evaluated with clinical images. Results: Highly attenuating dental fillings and hip implants cause severe streaking artifacts on CT images. The proposed method eliminates the dark and bright streaking and improves the implant delineation and visibility. In particular, the image non-uniformity in the central region of interest was reduced from 1.88 and 1.01 to 0.28 and 0.35, respectively. Further, the mean CT HU error was reduced from 328 HU and 460 HU to 60 HU and 36 HU, respectively. Conclusions: The proposed metal artifact reduction method replaces corrupted image pixels with pixels from neighboring slices that are free of metal artifacts. This method proved capable of suppressing streaking artifacts, improving HU accuracy and image detectability.

SU-C-206-03: Metal Artifact Reduction in X-Ray Computed Tomography Based On Local Anatomical Similarity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dong, X; Yang, X; Rosenfield, J; Elder, E; Dhabaan, A [Emory University, Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, GA (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: Metal implants such as orthopedic hardware and dental fillings cause severe bright and dark streaking in reconstructed CT images. These artifacts decrease image contrast and degrade HU accuracy, leading to inaccuracies in target delineation and dose calculation. Additionally, such artifacts negatively impact patient set-up in image guided radiation therapy (IGRT). In this work, we propose a novel method for metal artifact reduction which utilizes the anatomical similarity between neighboring CT slices. Methods: Neighboring CT slices show similar anatomy. Based on this anatomical similarity, the proposed method replaces corrupted CT pixels with pixels from adjacent, artifact-free slices. A gamma map, which is the weighted summation of relative HU error and distance error, is calculated for each pixel in the artifact-corrupted CT image. The minimum value in each pixel’s gamma map is used to identify a pixel from the adjacent CT slice to replace the corresponding artifact-corrupted pixel. This replacement only occurs if the minimum value in a particular pixel’s gamma map is larger than a threshold. The proposed method was evaluated with clinical images. Results: Highly attenuating dental fillings and hip implants cause severe streaking artifacts on CT images. The proposed method eliminates the dark and bright streaking and improves the implant delineation and visibility. In particular, the image non-uniformity in the central region of interest was reduced from 1.88 and 1.01 to 0.28 and 0.35, respectively. Further, the mean CT HU error was reduced from 328 HU and 460 HU to 60 HU and 36 HU, respectively. Conclusions: The proposed metal artifact reduction method replaces corrupted image pixels with pixels from neighboring slices that are free of metal artifacts. This method proved capable of suppressing streaking artifacts, improving HU accuracy and image detectability.

Analysis of Institutional Artifact Cost in Management Control in a Textile Company

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo Barraco Marassi

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The present study aimed to analyze the process of institutionalization of artifacts in cost management control of Paraná company in the textile sector. For this, we developed descriptive, qualitative research with development of a case study conducted by semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and document analysis. The company under study was selected for accessibility and intentionally to be in the implementation phase of change in management control practices. Was structured semi-structured interviews and questionnaires based on Burns and Scapens (2000, Guerreiro et al. (2005 and Rock and Warrior (2010. The controller and an employee of the comptroller, as well as two officials involved in the supply of the information system were interviewed. The company seeks to implement new accounting and management reporting system that offers the best timing and management of costs and fixed and variable costs, cost centers, among others. The research results show that the encoding step was performed by the controller and by consulting the codified principles and institutional desires in routines, rules and regulations and so draft the proposed changes. The company has not adequately met some factors of institutionalization listed by Guerreiro et al. (2005, regarding training of the people involved, elements of repetition and perceived consequences of the implementation of change by people. By analyzing the case study and reflect the results with the lens of institutional theory, it follows that to obtain management information artifacts cost depends on appropriate processes for data collection, and even when using updated technologies, needs some several facts that this process becomes institutionalized, which may be better understood based on this lens.

Quantitative assessment of image artifacts from root filling materials on CBCT scans made using several exposure parameters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rabelo, Katharina Alves; Cavalcanti, Yuri Wanderley; De Oliveira Pinto, Martina Gerlane; De Melo, Daniela Pita [Dept. of Oral Diagnosis, State University of Paraiba, Campina Grande (Brazil); Melo, Saulo Leonardo Sousa [Dept. of Oral Pathology, Radiology and Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City (United States); Campos, Paulo Sergio Flores; De Andrade Freitas Oliveira, Luciana Soares [Federal University of Bahia, Salvador (Brazil)

2017-09-15

To quantify artifacts from different root filling materials in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images acquired using different exposure parameters. Fifteen single-rooted teeth were scanned using 8 different exposure protocols with 3 different filling materials and once without filling material as a control group. Artifact quantification was performed by a trained observer who made measurements in the central axial slice of all acquired images in a fixed region of interest using ImageJ. Hyperdense artifacts, hypodense artifacts, and the remaining tooth area were identified, and the percentages of hyperdense and hypodense artifacts, remaining tooth area, and tooth area affected by the artifacts were calculated. Artifacts were analyzed qualitatively by 2 observers using the following scores: absence (0), moderate presence (1), and high presence (2) for hypodense halos, hypodense lines, and hyperdense lines. Two-way ANOVA and the post-hoc Tukey test were used for quantitative and qualitative artifact analysis. The Dunnet test was also used for qualitative analysis. The significance level was set at P<.05. There were no significant interactions among the exposure parameters in the quantitative or qualitative analysis. Significant differences were observed among the studied filling materials in all quantitative analyses. In the qualitative analyses, all materials differed from the control group in terms of hypodense and hyperdense lines (P<.05). Fiberglass posts did not differ statistically from the control group in terms of hypodense halos (P>.05). Different exposure parameters did not affect the objective or subjective observations of artifacts in CBCT images; however, the filling materials used in endodontic restorations did affect both types of assessments.

Standard artifact for the geometric verification of terrestrial laser scanning systems

Science.gov (United States)

González-Jorge, H.; Riveiro, B.; Armesto, J.; Arias, P.

2011-10-01

Terrestrial laser scanners are geodetic instruments with applications in areas such as architecture, civil engineering or environment. Although it is common to receive the technical specifications of the systems from their manufacturers, there are not any solutions for data verification in the market available for the users. This work proposes a standard artifact and a methodology to perform, in a simple way, the metrology verification of laser scanners. The artifact is manufactured using aluminium and delrin, materials that make the artifact robust and portable. The system consists of a set of five spheres situated at equal distances to one another, and a set of seven cubes of different sizes. A coordinate measuring machine with sub-millimetre precision is used for calibration purposes under controlled environmental conditions. After its calibration, the artifact can be used for the verification of metrology specifications given by manufacturers of laser scanners. The elements of the artifact are destinated to test different metrological characteristics, such as accuracy, precision and resolution. The distance between centres of the spheres is used to obtain the accuracy data, the standard deviation of the top face of the largest cube is used to establish the precision (repeatability) and the error in the measurement of the cubes provides the resolution value in axes X, Y and Z. Methodology for the evaluation is mainly supported by least squares fitting algorithms developed using Matlab programming. The artifact and methodology proposed were tested using a terrestrial laser scanner Riegl LMSZ-390i at three different ranges (10, 30 and 50 m) and four stepwidths (0.002°, 0.005°, 0.010° and 0.020°), both for horizontal and vertical displacements. Results obtained are in agreement with the accuracy and precision data given by the manufacturer, 6 and 4 mm, respectively. On the other hand, important influences between resolution and range and between resolution and

Ultrasound-guided probe-generated artifacts stimulating ventricular tachycardia: A rare phenomenon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafat Shamim

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Electrocardiographic (ECG artifacts may arise due to interference, faulty earthing, and current leakages in biomedical equipment which might create clinical dilemmas in the perioperative settings. Piezoelectric signals generated by ultrasonography probe are another uncommon source which might be sensed by the ECG electrodes and produce tracings similar to pathological arrhythmias triggering false alarms and avoidable therapies. Anesthesiologists should be familiar with these uncommon sources which might produce these artifacts and they should be identified swiftly.

Technical artifacts in chromatographic analysis of Tc-99m radiopharmaceuticals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kowalsky, R.J.; Creekmore, J.R.

1982-01-01

Technical artifacts produced during chromatographic analysis of technetium radiopharmaceuticals were investigated. Such artifacts are, we found, caused by improper spotting and drying techniques; these in turn produce spuriously high impurities in Tc-99m complexes of DTPA, MDP, PPi, and GH. The ITLC-SG/acetone system produces considerable streaking of Tc-complex if the applied spot is large and not dried before development. This results in activity in the solvent front portion of the chromatographic strip indicating falsely high levels of pertechnetate impurity. Proper drying of the applied spot eliminates the artifact. The ITLC-SG/saline system yields falsely high, hydrolyzed-reduced technetium impurities if the spot is allowed to enter the solvent during development. Correct spot placement and size eliminate this problem. Strips that are allowed to dry in room air for several minutes may indicate considerable pertechnetate impurity on the chromatogram; yet this may not actually be present in the radiopharmaceutical vial. Drying spots rapidly with hot air or in a nitrogen atmosphere before development eliminates this problem

Superresolution Imaging Using Resonant Multiples

KAUST Repository

Guo, Bowen

2017-12-22

A resonant multiple is defined as a multiple reflection that revisits the same subsurface location along coincident reflection raypaths. We show that resonant first-order multiples can be migrated with either Kirchhoff or wave-equation migration methods to give images with approximately twice the spatial resolution compared to post-stack primary-reflection images. A moveout-correction stacking method is proposed to enhance the signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of the resonant multiples before superresolution migration. The effectiveness of this procedure is validated by synthetic and field data tests.

Superresolution Imaging Using Resonant Multiples

KAUST Repository

Guo, Bowen; Schuster, Gerard T.

2017-01-01

A resonant multiple is defined as a multiple reflection that revisits the same subsurface location along coincident reflection raypaths. We show that resonant first-order multiples can be migrated with either Kirchhoff or wave-equation migration methods to give images with approximately twice the spatial resolution compared to post-stack primary-reflection images. A moveout-correction stacking method is proposed to enhance the signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of the resonant multiples before superresolution migration. The effectiveness of this procedure is validated by synthetic and field data tests.

Reduction of variable-truncation artifacts from beam occlusion during in situ x-ray tomography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borg, Leise; Jørgensen, Jakob Sauer; Frikel, Jürgen

2017-01-01

Many in situ x-ray tomography studies require experimental rigs which may partially occlude the beam and cause parts of the projection data to be missing. In a study of fluid flow in porous chalk using a percolation cell with four metal bars drastic streak artifacts arise in the filtered...... and artifact-reduction methods are designed in context of FBP reconstruction motivated by computational efficiency practical for large, real synchrotron data. While a specific variable-truncation case is considered, the proposed methods can be applied to general data cut-offs arising in different in situ x-ray...... backprojection (FBP) reconstruction at certain orientations. Projections with non-trivial variable truncation caused by the metal bars are the source of these variable-truncation artifacts. To understand the artifacts a mathematical model of variable-truncation data as a function of metal bar radius and distance...

An illustrative review to understand and manage metal-induced artifacts in musculoskeletal MRI: a primer and updates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dillenseger, J.P.; Choquet, P.; Goetz, C.; Bierry, G. [University Hospital of Strasbourg, Medical Imaging Department, Strasbourg (France); Icube, CNRS, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg (France); University of Strasbourg, Translational Medicine Research Federation, Strasbourg Medical School, Strasbourg (France); Moliere, S. [University Hospital of Strasbourg, Medical Imaging Department, Strasbourg (France); Ehlinger, M. [Icube, CNRS, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg (France); University of Strasbourg, Translational Medicine Research Federation, Strasbourg Medical School, Strasbourg (France); University Hospital of Strasbourg, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Strasbourg (France)

2016-05-15

This article reviews and explains the basic physical principles of metal-induced MRI artifacts, describes simple ways to reduce them, and presents specific reduction solutions. Artifacts include signal loss, pile-up artifacts, geometric distortion, and failure of fat suppression. Their nature and origins are reviewed and explained though schematic representations that ease the understanding. Then, optimization of simple acquisition parameters is detailed. Lastly, dedicated sequences and options specifically developed to reduce metal artifacts (VAT, SEMAC, and MAVRIC) are explained. (orig.)

FACET - a "Flexible Artifact Correction and Evaluation Toolbox" for concurrently recorded EEG/fMRI data.

Science.gov (United States)

Glaser, Johann; Beisteiner, Roland; Bauer, Herbert; Fischmeister, Florian Ph S

2013-11-09

In concurrent EEG/fMRI recordings, EEG data are impaired by the fMRI gradient artifacts which exceed the EEG signal by several orders of magnitude. While several algorithms exist to correct the EEG data, these algorithms lack the flexibility to either leave out or add new steps. The here presented open-source MATLAB toolbox FACET is a modular toolbox for the fast and flexible correction and evaluation of imaging artifacts from concurrently recorded EEG datasets. It consists of an Analysis, a Correction and an Evaluation framework allowing the user to choose from different artifact correction methods with various pre- and post-processing steps to form flexible combinations. The quality of the chosen correction approach can then be evaluated and compared to different settings. FACET was evaluated on a dataset provided with the FMRIB plugin for EEGLAB using two different correction approaches: Averaged Artifact Subtraction (AAS, Allen et al., NeuroImage 12(2):230-239, 2000) and the FMRI Artifact Slice Template Removal (FASTR, Niazy et al., NeuroImage 28(3):720-737, 2005). Evaluation of the obtained results were compared to the FASTR algorithm implemented in the EEGLAB plugin FMRIB. No differences were found between the FACET implementation of FASTR and the original algorithm across all gradient artifact relevant performance indices. The FACET toolbox not only provides facilities for all three modalities: data analysis, artifact correction as well as evaluation and documentation of the results but it also offers an easily extendable framework for development and evaluation of new approaches.

Attenuation of artifacts in EEG signals measured inside an MRI scanner using constrained independent component analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasheed, Tahir; Lee, Young-Koo; Lee, Soo Yeol; Kim, Tae-Seong

2009-01-01

Integration of electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic imaging (fMRI) resonance will allow analysis of the brain activities at superior temporal and spatial resolution. However simultaneous acquisition of EEG and fMRI is hindered by the enhancement of artifacts in EEG, the most prominent of which are ballistocardiogram (BCG) and electro-oculogram (EOG) artifacts. The situation gets even worse if the evoked potentials are measured inside MRI for their minute responses in comparison to the spontaneous brain responses. In this study, we propose a new method of attenuating these artifacts from the spontaneous and evoked EEG data acquired inside an MRI scanner using constrained independent component analysis with a priori information about the artifacts as constraints. With the proposed techniques of reference function generation for the BCG and EOG artifacts as constraints, our new approach performs significantly better than the averaged artifact subtraction (AAS) method. The proposed method could be an alternative to the conventional ICA method for artifact attenuation, with some advantages. As a performance measure we have achieved much improved normalized power spectrum ratios (INPS) for continuous EEG and correlation coefficient (cc) values with outside MRI visual evoked potentials for visual evoked EEG, as compared to those obtained with the AAS method. The results show that our new approach is more effective than the conventional methods, almost fully automatic, and no extra ECG signal measurements are involved

A systematic comparison of motion artifact correction techniques for functional near-infrared spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, Robert J; Selb, Juliette; Gagnon, Louis; Phillip, Dorte; Schytz, Henrik W; Iversen, Helle K; Ashina, Messoud; Boas, David A

2012-01-01

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is susceptible to signal artifacts caused by relative motion between NIRS optical fibers and the scalp. These artifacts can be very damaging to the utility of functional NIRS, particularly in challenging subject groups where motion can be unavoidable. A number of approaches to the removal of motion artifacts from NIRS data have been suggested. In this paper we systematically compare the utility of a variety of published NIRS motion correction techniques using a simulated functional activation signal added to 20 real NIRS datasets which contain motion artifacts. Principle component analysis, spline interpolation, wavelet analysis, and Kalman filtering approaches are compared to one another and to standard approaches using the accuracy of the recovered, simulated hemodynamic response function (HRF). Each of the four motion correction techniques we tested yields a significant reduction in the mean-squared error (MSE) and significant increase in the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the recovered HRF when compared to no correction and compared to a process of rejecting motion-contaminated trials. Spline interpolation produces the largest average reduction in MSE (55%) while wavelet analysis produces the highest average increase in CNR (39%). On the basis of this analysis, we recommend the routine application of motion correction techniques (particularly spline interpolation or wavelet analysis) to minimize the impact of motion artifacts on functional NIRS data.

ECG artifact cancellation in surface EMG signals by fractional order calculus application.

Science.gov (United States)

Miljković, Nadica; Popović, Nenad; Djordjević, Olivera; Konstantinović, Ljubica; Šekara, Tomislav B

2017-03-01

New aspects for automatic electrocardiography artifact removal from surface electromyography signals by application of fractional order calculus in combination with linear and nonlinear moving window filters are explored. Surface electromyography recordings of skeletal trunk muscles are commonly contaminated with spike shaped artifacts. This artifact originates from electrical heart activity, recorded by electrocardiography, commonly present in the surface electromyography signals recorded in heart proximity. For appropriate assessment of neuromuscular changes by means of surface electromyography, application of a proper filtering technique of electrocardiography artifact is crucial. A novel method for automatic artifact cancellation in surface electromyography signals by applying fractional order calculus and nonlinear median filter is introduced. The proposed method is compared with the linear moving average filter, with and without prior application of fractional order calculus. 3D graphs for assessment of window lengths of the filters, crest factors, root mean square differences, and fractional calculus orders (called WFC and WRC graphs) have been introduced. For an appropriate quantitative filtering evaluation, the synthetic electrocardiography signal and analogous semi-synthetic dataset have been generated. The examples of noise removal in 10 able-bodied subjects and in one patient with muscle dystrophy are presented for qualitative analysis. The crest factors, correlation coefficients, and root mean square differences of the recorded and semi-synthetic electromyography datasets showed that the most successful method was the median filter in combination with fractional order calculus of the order 0.9. Statistically more significant (p ECG peak reduction was obtained by the median filter application compared to the moving average filter in the cases of low level amplitude of muscle contraction compared to ECG spikes. The presented results suggest that the

Reducing 4D CT artifacts using optimized sorting based on anatomic similarity.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, Eric; Diehn, Maximilian; Murphy, James D; Loo, Billy W; Maxim, Peter G

2011-05-01

Four-dimensional (4D) computed tomography (CT) has been widely used as a tool to characterize respiratory motion in radiotherapy. The two most commonly used 4D CT algorithms sort images by the associated respiratory phase or displacement into a predefined number of bins, and are prone to image artifacts at transitions between bed positions. The purpose of this work is to demonstrate a method of reducing motion artifacts in 4D CT by incorporating anatomic similarity into phase or displacement based sorting protocols. Ten patient datasets were retrospectively sorted using both the displacement and phase based sorting algorithms. Conventional sorting methods allow selection of only the nearest-neighbor image in time or displacement within each bin. In our method, for each bed position either the displacement or the phase defines the center of a bin range about which several candidate images are selected. The two dimensional correlation coefficients between slices bordering the interface between adjacent couch positions are then calculated for all candidate pairings. Two slices have a high correlation if they are anatomically similar. Candidates from each bin are then selected to maximize the slice correlation over the entire data set using the Dijkstra's shortest path algorithm. To assess the reduction of artifacts, two thoracic radiation oncologists independently compared the resorted 4D datasets pairwise with conventionally sorted datasets, blinded to the sorting method, to choose which had the least motion artifacts. Agreement between reviewers was evaluated using the weighted kappa score. Anatomically based image selection resulted in 4D CT datasets with significantly reduced motion artifacts with both displacement (P = 0.0063) and phase sorting (P = 0.00022). There was good agreement between the two reviewers, with complete agreement 34 times and complete disagreement 6 times. Optimized sorting using anatomic similarity significantly reduces 4D CT motion

Cooperative learning, problem solving and mediating artifacts

African Journals Online (AJOL)

PROF.MIREKU

10, 2012. 39. Cooperative learning, problem solving and mediating artifacts. F. Bahmaei6 & N. ... out cooperative learning in the end, post-test was done and by analyzing the tests it was concluded that ... Johnson et al, 1991 b, Reynolds et al. 1995, Vidakovic .... connection of mental constructs (Hiebert, Carpenter, 1992).

Moving metal artifact reduction in cone-beam CT scans with implanted cylindrical gold markers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toftegaard, Jakob; Fledelius, Walther; Worm, Esben S.; Poulsen, Per R.; Seghers, Dieter; Huber, Michael; Brehm, Marcus; Elstrøm, Ulrik V.

2014-01-01

Purpose: Implanted gold markers for image-guided radiotherapy lead to streaking artifacts in cone-beam CT (CBCT) scans. Several methods for metal artifact reduction (MAR) have been published, but they all fail in scans with large motion. Here the authors propose and investigate a method for automatic moving metal artifact reduction (MMAR) in CBCT scans with cylindrical gold markers. Methods: The MMAR CBCT reconstruction method has six steps. (1) Automatic segmentation of the cylindrical markers in the CBCT projections. (2) Removal of each marker in the projections by replacing the pixels within a masked area with interpolated values. (3) Reconstruction of a marker-free CBCT volume from the manipulated CBCT projections. (4) Reconstruction of a standard CBCT volume with metal artifacts from the original CBCT projections. (5) Estimation of the three-dimensional (3D) trajectory during CBCT acquisition for each marker based on the segmentation in Step 1, and identification of the smallest ellipsoidal volume that encompasses 95% of the visited 3D positions. (6) Generation of the final MMAR CBCT reconstruction from the marker-free CBCT volume of Step 3 by replacing the voxels in the 95% ellipsoid with the corresponding voxels of the standard CBCT volume of Step 4. The MMAR reconstruction was performed retrospectively using a half-fan CBCT scan for 29 consecutive stereotactic body radiation therapy patients with 2–3 gold markers implanted in the liver. The metal artifacts of the MMAR reconstructions were scored and compared with a standard MAR reconstruction by counting the streaks and by calculating the standard deviation of the Hounsfield units in a region around each marker. Results: The markers were found with the same autosegmentation settings in 27 CBCT scans, while two scans needed slightly changed settings to find all markers automatically in Step 1 of the MMAR method. MMAR resulted in 15 scans with no streaking artifacts, 11 scans with 1–4 streaks, and 3 scans

Multiple-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometry for in situ applications

Science.gov (United States)

Dickel, T.; Plaß, W. R.; Lang, J.; Ebert, J.; Geissel, H.; Haettner, E.; Jesch, C.; Lippert, W.; Petrick, M.; Scheidenberger, C.; Yavor, M. I.

2013-12-01

Multiple-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometers (MR-TOF-MS) have recently been installed at different low-energy radioactive ion beam facilities. They are used as isobar separators with high ion capacity and as mass spectrometers with high mass resolving power and accuracy for short-lived nuclei. Furthermore, MR-TOF-MS have a huge potential for applications in other fields, such as chemistry, biology, medicine, space science, and homeland security. The development, commissioning and results of an MR-TOF-MS is presented, which serves as proof-of-principle to show that very high mass resolving powers (∼105) can be achieved in a compact device (length ∼30 cm). Based on this work, an MR-TOF-MS for in situ application has been designed. For the first time, this device combines very high mass resolving power (>105), mobility, and an atmospheric pressure inlet in one instrument. It will enable in situ measurements without sample preparation at very high mass accuracy. Envisaged applications of this mobile MR-TOF-MS are discussed.

Successive approximation algorithm for cancellation of artifacts in DSA images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Funakami, Raiko; Hiroshima, Kyoichi; Nishino, Junji

2000-01-01

In this paper, we propose an algorithm for cancellation of artifacts in DSA images. We have already proposed an automatic registration method based on the detection of local movements. When motion of the object is large, it is difficult to estimate the exact movement, and the cancellation of artifacts may therefore fail. The algorithm we propose here is based on a simple rigid model. We present the results of applying the proposed method to a series of experimental X-ray images, as well as the results of applying the algorithm as preprocessing for a registration method based on local movement. (author)

Substance and Artifact in the Higher-Order Factors of the Big Five

Science.gov (United States)

McCrae, Robert R.; Jang, Kerry L.; Ando, Juko; Ono, Yutaka; Yamagata, Shinji; Riemann, Rainer; Angleitner, Alois; Spinath, Frank M.

2018-01-01

J. M. Digman (1997) proposed that the Big Five personality traits showed a higher-order structure with 2 factors he labeled α and β. These factors have been alternatively interpreted as heritable components of personality or as artifacts of evaluative bias. Using structural equation modeling, the authors reanalyzed data from a cross-national twin study and from American cross-observer studies and analyzed new multimethod data from a German twin study. In all analyses, artifact models outperformed substance models by root-mean-square error of approximation criteria, but models combining both artifact and substance were slightly better. These findings suggest that the search for the biological basis of personality traits may be more profitably focused on the 5 factors themselves and their specific facets, especially in monomethod studies. PMID:18665712

Technical Assessment of Artifact Production from Neuro Endovascular Coil At 3 Tesla MRI: An In Vitro Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kampaengtip, A.; Krisanachinda, A.; Singhara Na Ayudya, S.; Asavaphatiboon, S.

2012-01-01

Introduction: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an essential part of the diagnostic procedures in radiology. MRI 3 Tesla becomes more widespread due to high signal to noise ratio (SNR). The use of the neuro endovascular coil to overcome the neuro aneurysm can introduce the artifact in magnetic resonance imaging. Susceptibility artifacts and geometric distortions caused by magnetic field inhomogeneity- related signal loss is used to refer to an artifact in magnetic resonance images. It consists of a region of signal void with a surrounding area of an increased signal intensity that appears to be considerably larger than the actual size of the device causing the artifact. The objective of the study is to compare the size of the artifact on the MR image to the actual size of endovascular coils using a 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging system, in vitro study. Methods: The endovascular coils were made from detachable platinum and aneurysm models were constructed by using silicone tube. MRI 3 Tesla Philips Model Achieva with pulse sequence selections were: spin echo, fast spin echo, inversion recovery, fast gradient echo while additional parameters were echo time and turbo factor. Results: Improved visualization of perianeurysmal soft tissues is best accomplished by spin echo for fast spin echo sequences, even better suited to reduce metal artifact. Furthermore, shorter turbo factor and shorter effective TE in the latter sequences are beneficial for the same reason as sequences having shorter TE. Sequences with a shorter TE are preferred because of less time for dephasing and frequency shifting. Imaging at gradient echo series increases susceptibility artifacts. In this in vitro study, some of the major characteristics related to MRI imaging of coil packs have been defined. Discussion: Pulse sequence spin echo is the best sequence reducing the susceptibility artifact. Reducing the TE is the main factor in improving endovascular coil visualization on MRI images. The

Scattered image artifacts from cone beam computed tomography and its clinical potential in bone mineral density estimation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ko, Hoon; Jeong, Kwanmoon; Lee, Chang-Hoon; Jun, Hong Young; Jeong, Changwon; Lee, Myeung Su; Nam, Yunyoung; Yoon, Kwon-Ha; Lee, Jinseok

2016-01-01

Image artifacts affect the quality of medical images and may obscure anatomic structure and pathology. Numerous methods for suppression and correction of scattered image artifacts have been suggested in the past three decades. In this paper, we assessed the feasibility of use of information on scattered artifacts for estimation of bone mineral density (BMD) without dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) or quantitative computed tomographic imaging (QCT). To investigate the relationship between scattered image artifacts and BMD, we first used a forearm phantom and cone-beam computed tomography. In the phantom, we considered two regions of interest-bone-equivalent solid material containing 50 mg HA per cm(-3) and water-to represent low- and high-density trabecular bone, respectively. We compared the scattered image artifacts in the high-density material with those in the low-density material. The technique was then applied to osteoporosis patients and healthy subjects to assess its feasibility for BMD estimation. The high-density material produced a greater number of scattered image artifacts than the low-density material. Moreover, the radius and ulna of healthy subjects produced a greater number of scattered image artifacts than those from osteoporosis patients. Although other parameters, such as bone thickness and X-ray incidence, should be considered, our technique facilitated BMD estimation directly without DXA or QCT. We believe that BMD estimation based on assessment of scattered image artifacts may benefit the prevention, early treatment and management of osteoporosis.

Image artifacts in concurrent transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and fMRI caused by leakage currents: modeling and compensation.

Science.gov (United States)

Weiskopf, Nikolaus; Josephs, Oliver; Ruff, Christian C; Blankenburg, Felix; Featherstone, Eric; Thomas, Anthony; Bestmann, Sven; Driver, Jon; Deichmann, Ralf

2009-05-01

To characterize and eliminate a new type of image artifact in concurrent transcranial magnetic stimulation and functional MRI (TMS-fMRI) caused by small leakage currents originating from the high-voltage capacitors in the TMS stimulator system. The artifacts in echo-planar images (EPI) caused by leakage currents were characterized and quantified in numerical simulations and phantom studies with different phantom-coil geometries. A relay-diode combination was devised and inserted in the TMS circuit that shorts the leakage current. Its effectiveness for artifact reduction was assessed in a phantom scan resembling a realistic TMS-fMRI experiment. The leakage-current-induced signal changes exhibited a multipolar spatial pattern and the maxima exceeded 1% at realistic coil-cortex distances. The relay-diode combination effectively reduced the artifact to a negligible level. The leakage-current artifacts potentially obscure effects of interest or lead to false-positives. Since the artifact depends on the experimental setup and design (eg, amplitude of the leakage current, coil orientation, paradigm, EPI parameters), we recommend its assessment for each experiment. The relay-diode combination can eliminate the artifacts if necessary.

Radiocarbon dating study of ancient iron artifacts with accelerator mass spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Igaki, Kenzo; Nakamura, Toshio; Hirasawa, Masahiro; Kato, Masako; Sano, Masamichi.

1994-01-01

In order to study the correlation between the highly resistive property against corrosion and the production method of the ancient iron artifacts, it is essentially necessary to determine the accurate ages of them. 14 C dating with accelerator mass spectrometry was applied to the two ancient artifacts, a Japanese sword of wrought iron with a production age ranged from the Kamakura to the Muromachi period, estimation based on the fabrication technique, and a planning adze of cast iron with no definite origin. The former was dated as 880±150 y.B.P., corresponding to the calendar age ranged from AD 1021 to AD 1263, and the latter as 1720±160 y.B.P. with the calendar age ranged from AD 119 to AD 457 and from AD 483 to AD 508. These calibrated 14 C ages for both iron artifacts are consistent with the relevant ages conjectured by historical considerations. (author)

Automatic identification of motion artifacts in EHG recording for robust analysis of uterine contractions.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye-Lin, Yiyao; Garcia-Casado, Javier; Prats-Boluda, Gema; Alberola-Rubio, José; Perales, Alfredo

2014-01-01

Electrohysterography (EHG) is a noninvasive technique for monitoring uterine electrical activity. However, the presence of artifacts in the EHG signal may give rise to erroneous interpretations and make it difficult to extract useful information from these recordings. The aim of this work was to develop an automatic system of segmenting EHG recordings that distinguishes between uterine contractions and artifacts. Firstly, the segmentation is performed using an algorithm that generates the TOCO-like signal derived from the EHG and detects windows with significant changes in amplitude. After that, these segments are classified in two groups: artifacted and nonartifacted signals. To develop a classifier, a total of eleven spectral, temporal, and nonlinear features were calculated from EHG signal windows from 12 women in the first stage of labor that had previously been classified by experts. The combination of characteristics that led to the highest degree of accuracy in detecting artifacts was then determined. The results showed that it is possible to obtain automatic detection of motion artifacts in segmented EHG recordings with a precision of 92.2% using only seven features. The proposed algorithm and classifier together compose a useful tool for analyzing EHG signals and would help to promote clinical applications of this technique.

Automatic Identification of Motion Artifacts in EHG Recording for Robust Analysis of Uterine Contractions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yiyao Ye-Lin

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Electrohysterography (EHG is a noninvasive technique for monitoring uterine electrical activity. However, the presence of artifacts in the EHG signal may give rise to erroneous interpretations and make it difficult to extract useful information from these recordings. The aim of this work was to develop an automatic system of segmenting EHG recordings that distinguishes between uterine contractions and artifacts. Firstly, the segmentation is performed using an algorithm that generates the TOCO-like signal derived from the EHG and detects windows with significant changes in amplitude. After that, these segments are classified in two groups: artifacted and nonartifacted signals. To develop a classifier, a total of eleven spectral, temporal, and nonlinear features were calculated from EHG signal windows from 12 women in the first stage of labor that had previously been classified by experts. The combination of characteristics that led to the highest degree of accuracy in detecting artifacts was then determined. The results showed that it is possible to obtain automatic detection of motion artifacts in segmented EHG recordings with a precision of 92.2% using only seven features. The proposed algorithm and classifier together compose a useful tool for analyzing EHG signals and would help to promote clinical applications of this technique.

Deep Learning Approach for Automatic Classification of Ocular and Cardiac Artifacts in MEG Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad Hasasneh

2018-01-01

Full Text Available We propose an artifact classification scheme based on a combined deep and convolutional neural network (DCNN model, to automatically identify cardiac and ocular artifacts from neuromagnetic data, without the need for additional electrocardiogram (ECG and electrooculogram (EOG recordings. From independent components, the model uses both the spatial and temporal information of the decomposed magnetoencephalography (MEG data. In total, 7122 samples were used after data augmentation, in which task and nontask related MEG recordings from 48 subjects served as the database for this study. Artifact rejection was applied using the combined model, which achieved a sensitivity and specificity of 91.8% and 97.4%, respectively. The overall accuracy of the model was validated using a cross-validation test and revealed a median accuracy of 94.4%, indicating high reliability of the DCNN-based artifact removal in task and nontask related MEG experiments. The major advantages of the proposed method are as follows: (1 it is a fully automated and user independent workflow of artifact classification in MEG data; (2 once the model is trained there is no need for auxiliary signal recordings; (3 the flexibility in the model design and training allows for various modalities (MEG/EEG and various sensor types.

Evaluating applicability of metal artifact reduction algorithm for head and neck radiation treatment planning CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Son, Sang Jun; Park, Jang Pil; Kim, Min Jeong; Yoo, Suk Hyun

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study is evaluation for the applicability of O-MAR(Metal artifact Reduction for Orthopedic Implants)(ver. 3.6.0, Philips, Netherlands) in head and neck radiation treatment planning CT with metal artifact created by dental implant. All of the in this study's CT images were scanned by Brilliance Big Bore CT(Philips, Netherlands) at 120 kVp, 2 mm sliced and Metal artifact reduced by O-MAR. To compare the original and reconstructed CT images worked on RTPS(Eclipse ver 10.0.42, Varian, USA). In order to test the basic performance of the O-MAR, The phantom was made to create metal artifact by dental implant and other phantoms used for without artifact images. To measure a difference of HU in with artifact images and without artifact images, homogeneous phantom and inhomogeneous phantoms were used with cerrobend rods. Each of images were compared a difference of HU in ROIs. And also, 1 case of patient's original CT image applied O-MAR and density corrected CT were evaluated for dose distributions with SNC Patient(Sun Nuclear Co., USA). In cases of head and neck phantom, the difference of dose distribution is appeared 99.8% gamma passing rate(criteria 2 mm / 2%) between original and CT images applied O-MAR. And 98.5% appeared in patient case, among original CT, O-MAR and density corrected CT. The difference of total dose distribution is less than 2% that appeared both phantom and patient case study. Though the dose deviations are little, there are still matters to discuss that the dose deviations are concentrated so locally. In this study, The quality of all images applied O-MAR was improved. Unexpectedly, Increase of max. HU was founded in air cavity of the O-MAR images compare to cavity of the original images and wrong corrections were appeared, too. The result of study assuming restrained case of O-MAR adapted to near skin and low density area, it appeared image distortion and artifact correction simultaneously. In O-MAR CT, air cavity area

Synchronized multiartifact reduction with tomographic reconstruction (SMART-RECON): A statistical model based iterative image reconstruction method to eliminate limited-view artifacts and to mitigate the temporal-average artifacts in time-resolved CT.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Guang-Hong; Li, Yinsheng

2015-08-01

In x-ray computed tomography (CT), a violation of the Tuy data sufficiency condition leads to limited-view artifacts. In some applications, it is desirable to use data corresponding to a narrow temporal window to reconstruct images with reduced temporal-average artifacts. However, the need to reduce temporal-average artifacts in practice may result in a violation of the Tuy condition and thus undesirable limited-view artifacts. In this paper, the authors present a new iterative reconstruction method, synchronized multiartifact reduction with tomographic reconstruction (SMART-RECON), to eliminate limited-view artifacts using data acquired within an ultranarrow temporal window that severely violates the Tuy condition. In time-resolved contrast enhanced CT acquisitions, image contrast dynamically changes during data acquisition. Each image reconstructed from data acquired in a given temporal window represents one time frame and can be denoted as an image vector. Conventionally, each individual time frame is reconstructed independently. In this paper, all image frames are grouped into a spatial-temporal image matrix and are reconstructed together. Rather than the spatial and/or temporal smoothing regularizers commonly used in iterative image reconstruction, the nuclear norm of the spatial-temporal image matrix is used in SMART-RECON to regularize the reconstruction of all image time frames. This regularizer exploits the low-dimensional structure of the spatial-temporal image matrix to mitigate limited-view artifacts when an ultranarrow temporal window is desired in some applications to reduce temporal-average artifacts. Both numerical simulations in two dimensional image slices with known ground truth and in vivo human subject data acquired in a contrast enhanced cone beam CT exam have been used to validate the proposed SMART-RECON algorithm and to demonstrate the initial performance of the algorithm. Reconstruction errors and temporal fidelity of the reconstructed

Observation of Multiple Volume Reflection of Ultrarelativistic Protons by a Sequence of Several Bent Silicon Crystals

CERN Document Server

Scandale, Walter; Baricordi, S; Dalpiaz, P; Fiorini, M; Guidi, V; Mazzolari, A; Della Mea, G; Milan, R; Ambrosi, G; Zuccon, P; Bertucci, B; Bürger, W; Duranti, M; Cavoto, G; Santacesaria, R; Valente, P; Luci, C; Iacoangeli, F; Vallazza, E; Afonin, A G; Chesnokov, Yu A; Kotov, V I; Maisheev, V A; Yazynin, I A; Kovalenko, A D; Taratin, A M; Denisov, A S; Gavrikov, Y A; Ivanov, Yu M; Lapina, L P; Malyarenko, L G; Skorogobogatov, V V; Suvorov, V M; Vavilov, S A; Bolognini, D; Hasan, S; Mozzanica, A; Prest, M

2009-01-01

The interactions of 400 GeV protons with different sequences of bent silicon crystals have been investigated at the H8 beam line of the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron. The multiple volume reflection of the proton beam has been studied in detail on a five-crystal reflector measuring an angular beam deflection =52.96±0.14 µrad. The efficiency was found larger than 80% for an angular acceptance at the reflector entrance of 70 µrad, with a maximal efficiency value of =0.90±0.01±0.03.

Removing Contamination-Induced Reconstruction Artifacts from Cryo-electron Tomograms

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandez, Jose-Jesus; Laugks, Ulrike; Schaffer, Miroslava; Bäuerlein, Felix J.B.; Khoshouei, Maryam; Baumeister, Wolfgang; Lucic, Vladan

2016-01-01

Imaging of fully hydrated, vitrified biological samples by electron tomography yields structural information about cellular protein complexes in situ. Here we present a computational procedure that removes artifacts of three-dimensional reconstruction caused by contamination present in samples during imaging by electron microscopy. Applying the procedure to phantom data and electron tomograms of cellular samples significantly improved the resolution and the interpretability of tomograms. Artifacts caused by surface contamination associated with thinning by focused ion beam, as well as those arising from gold fiducial markers and from common, lower contrast contamination, could be removed. Our procedure is widely applicable and is especially suited for applications that strive to reach a higher resolution and involve the use of recently developed, state-of-the-art instrumentation. PMID:26743046

Evaluation of artifacts generated by zirconium implants in cone-beam computed tomography images.

Science.gov (United States)

Vasconcelos, Taruska Ventorini; Bechara, Boulos B; McMahan, Clyde Alex; Freitas, Deborah Queiroz; Noujeim, Marcel

2017-02-01

To evaluate zirconium implant artifact production in cone beam computed tomography images obtained with different protocols. One zirconium implant was inserted in an edentulous mandible. Twenty scans were acquired with a ProMax 3D unit (Planmeca Oy, Helsinki, Finland), with acquisition settings ranging from 70 to 90 peak kilovoltage (kVp) and voxel sizes of 0.32 and 0.16 mm. A metal artifact reduction (MAR) tool was activated in half of the scans. An axial slice through the middle region of the implant was selected for each dataset. Gray values (mean ± standard deviation) were measured in two regions of interest, one close to and the other distant from the implant (control area). The contrast-to-noise ratio was also calculated. Standard deviation decreased with greater kVp and when the MAR tool was used. The contrast-to-noise ratio was significantly higher when the MAR tool was turned off, except for low resolution with kVp values above 80. Selection of the MAR tool and greater kVp resulted in an overall reduction of artifacts in images acquired with low resolution. Although zirconium implants do produce image artifacts in cone-bean computed tomography scans, the setting that best controlled artifact generation by zirconium implants was 90 kVp at low resolution and with the MAR tool turned on. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Complementary contrast media for metal artifact reduction in dual-energy computed tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Lambert, Jack W; Edic, Peter M; FitzGerald, Paul F; Torres, Andrew S; Yeh, Benjamin M

2015-07-01

Metal artifacts have been a problem associated with computed tomography (CT) since its introduction. Recent techniques to mitigate this problem have included utilization of high-energy (keV) virtual monochromatic spectral (VMS) images, produced via dual-energy CT (DECT). A problem with these high-keV images is that contrast enhancement provided by all commercially available contrast media is severely reduced. Contrast agents based on higher atomic number elements can maintain contrast at the higher energy levels where artifacts are reduced. This study evaluated three such candidate elements: bismuth, tantalum, and tungsten, as well as two conventional contrast elements: iodine and barium. A water-based phantom with vials containing these five elements in solution, as well as different artifact-producing metal structures, was scanned with a DECT scanner capable of rapid operating voltage switching. In the VMS datasets, substantial reductions in the contrast were observed for iodine and barium, which suffered from contrast reductions of 97% and 91%, respectively, at 140 versus 40 keV. In comparison under the same conditions, the candidate agents demonstrated contrast enhancement reductions of only 20%, 29%, and 32% for tungsten, tantalum, and bismuth, respectively. At 140 versus 40 keV, metal artifact severity was reduced by 57% to 85% depending on the phantom configuration.

Incidence of Artifacts and Deviating Values in Research Data Obtained from an Anesthesia Information Management System in Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoorweg, Anne-Lee J; Pasma, Wietze; van Wolfswinkel, Leo; de Graaff, Jurgen C

2018-02-01

Vital parameter data collected in anesthesia information management systems are often used for clinical research. The validity of this type of research is dependent on the number of artifacts. In this prospective observational cohort study, the incidence of artifacts in anesthesia information management system data was investigated in children undergoing anesthesia for noncardiac procedures. Secondary outcomes included the incidence of artifacts among deviating and nondeviating values, among the anesthesia phases, and among different anesthetic techniques. We included 136 anesthetics representing 10,236 min of anesthesia time. The incidence of artifacts was 0.5% for heart rate (95% CI: 0.4 to 0.7%), 1.3% for oxygen saturation (1.1 to 1.5%), 7.5% for end-tidal carbon dioxide (6.9 to 8.0%), 5.0% for noninvasive blood pressure (4.0 to 6.0%), and 7.3% for invasive blood pressure (5.9 to 8.8%). The incidence of artifacts among deviating values was 3.1% for heart rate (2.1 to 4.4%), 10.8% for oxygen saturation (7.6 to 14.8%), 14.1% for end-tidal carbon dioxide (13.0 to 15.2%), 14.4% for noninvasive blood pressure (10.3 to 19.4%), and 38.4% for invasive blood pressure (30.3 to 47.1%). Not all values in anesthesia information management systems are valid. The incidence of artifacts stored in the present pediatric anesthesia practice was low for heart rate and oxygen saturation, whereas noninvasive and invasive blood pressure and end-tidal carbon dioxide had higher artifact incidences. Deviating values are more often artifacts than values in a normal range, and artifacts are associated with the phase of anesthesia and anesthetic technique. Development of (automatic) data validation systems or solutions to deal with artifacts in data is warranted.

Observer Evaluation of a Metal Artifact Reduction Algorithm Applied to Head and Neck Cone Beam Computed Tomographic Images

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Korpics, Mark; Surucu, Murat; Mescioglu, Ibrahim; Alite, Fiori; Block, Alec M.; Choi, Mehee; Emami, Bahman; Harkenrider, Matthew M.; Solanki, Abhishek A.; Roeske, John C., E-mail: jroeske@lumc.edu

2016-11-15

Purpose and Objectives: To quantify, through an observer study, the reduction in metal artifacts on cone beam computed tomographic (CBCT) images using a projection-interpolation algorithm, on images containing metal artifacts from dental fillings and implants in patients treated for head and neck (H&N) cancer. Methods and Materials: An interpolation-substitution algorithm was applied to H&N CBCT images containing metal artifacts from dental fillings and implants. Image quality with respect to metal artifacts was evaluated subjectively and objectively. First, 6 independent radiation oncologists were asked to rank randomly sorted blinded images (before and after metal artifact reduction) using a 5-point rating scale (1 = severe artifacts; 5 = no artifacts). Second, the standard deviation of different regions of interest (ROI) within each image was calculated and compared with the mean rating scores. Results: The interpolation-substitution technique successfully reduced metal artifacts in 70% of the cases. From a total of 60 images from 15 H&N cancer patients undergoing image guided radiation therapy, the mean rating score on the uncorrected images was 2.3 ± 1.1, versus 3.3 ± 1.0 for the corrected images. The mean difference in ranking score between uncorrected and corrected images was 1.0 (95% confidence interval: 0.9-1.2, P<.05). The standard deviation of each ROI significantly decreased after artifact reduction (P<.01). Moreover, a negative correlation between the mean rating score for each image and the standard deviation of the oral cavity and bilateral cheeks was observed. Conclusion: The interpolation-substitution algorithm is efficient and effective for reducing metal artifacts caused by dental fillings and implants on CBCT images, as demonstrated by the statistically significant increase in observer image quality ranking and by the decrease in ROI standard deviation between uncorrected and corrected images.

Carbon fiber intramedullary nails reduce artifact in postoperative advanced imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zimel, Melissa N.; Hwang, Sinchun; Riedel, Elyn R.; Healey, John H.

2015-01-01

This study assessed whether radiolucent carbon fiber reinforced-polyetheretherketone (CFR-PEEK) intramedullary nails decreased hardware artifact on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) in vitro and in an oncologic patient population. In vitro and clinical evaluations were done. A qualitative assessment of metal artifact was performed using CFR-PEEK and titanium nail MRI phantoms. Eight patients with a femoral or tibial prophylactic CFR-PEEK nail were retrospectively identified. All patients had postoperative surveillance imaging by MRI, CT, and were followed for a median 20 months (range, 12-28 months). CFR-PEEK images were compared to images from a comparative group of patients with titanium femoral intramedullary nails who had a postoperative MRI or CT. A musculoskeletal-trained radiologist graded visualization of the cortex, corticomedullary junction, and bone-muscle interface, on T1-weighted (T1W), STIR, and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted fat-saturated (T1W FS) sequences of both groups with a five-point scale, performing independent reviews 4 months apart. Statistical analysis used the Wilcoxon rank-sum test and a weighted kappa. Substantially less MRI signal loss occurred in the CFR-PEEK phantom than in the titanium phantom simulation, particularly as the angle increased with respect to direction of the static magnetic field. CFR-PEEK nails had less MRI artifact than titanium nails on scored T1W, STIR, and contrast-enhanced T1W FS MRI sequences (p ≤ 0.03). The mean weighted kappa was 0.64, showing excellent intraobserver reliability between readings. CFR-PEEK intramedullary nail fixation is a superior alternative to minimize implant artifact on MRI or CT imaging for patients requiring long bone fixation. (orig.)

Carbon fiber intramedullary nails reduce artifact in postoperative advanced imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zimel, Melissa N. [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Orthopaedic Surgery Service, Department of Surgery, New York, NY (United States); Hwang, Sinchun [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Radiology, New York, NY (United States); Riedel, Elyn R. [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, New York, NY (United States); Healey, John H. [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Orthopaedic Surgery Service, Department of Surgery, New York, NY (United States); Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, New York, NY (United States)

2015-09-15

This study assessed whether radiolucent carbon fiber reinforced-polyetheretherketone (CFR-PEEK) intramedullary nails decreased hardware artifact on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) in vitro and in an oncologic patient population. In vitro and clinical evaluations were done. A qualitative assessment of metal artifact was performed using CFR-PEEK and titanium nail MRI phantoms. Eight patients with a femoral or tibial prophylactic CFR-PEEK nail were retrospectively identified. All patients had postoperative surveillance imaging by MRI, CT, and were followed for a median 20 months (range, 12-28 months). CFR-PEEK images were compared to images from a comparative group of patients with titanium femoral intramedullary nails who had a postoperative MRI or CT. A musculoskeletal-trained radiologist graded visualization of the cortex, corticomedullary junction, and bone-muscle interface, on T1-weighted (T1W), STIR, and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted fat-saturated (T1W FS) sequences of both groups with a five-point scale, performing independent reviews 4 months apart. Statistical analysis used the Wilcoxon rank-sum test and a weighted kappa. Substantially less MRI signal loss occurred in the CFR-PEEK phantom than in the titanium phantom simulation, particularly as the angle increased with respect to direction of the static magnetic field. CFR-PEEK nails had less MRI artifact than titanium nails on scored T1W, STIR, and contrast-enhanced T1W FS MRI sequences (p ≤ 0.03). The mean weighted kappa was 0.64, showing excellent intraobserver reliability between readings. CFR-PEEK intramedullary nail fixation is a superior alternative to minimize implant artifact on MRI or CT imaging for patients requiring long bone fixation. (orig.)

An exploratory study on the user experience of foot reflexology therapy using reflexology artifacts

Science.gov (United States)

Okere, Hector Chimeremeze; Sulaiman, Suziah; Rambli, Dayang Rohaya Awang; Foong, Oi-Mean

2015-07-01

The reputation and significance of foot reflexology therapy has continuously been on the rise. It is currently widely used as a complementary therapy, for stress relief and a potential diagnostic tool. In the society nowadays, there exist a lot of reflexology artifacts that claim to be an alternative substitutes to the traditional foot reflexology practice since the practices promote relaxation and stress relief. However, there has been very little or no attention given towards the verification of such anecdote and the identification of the similarities, differences and opportunities these reflexology artifacts offer. This paper hence aims to address this issue through the exploration of the practices. The study examined the interactive nature of four different sets of common reflexology artifacts from both the patients' and the experts' perspective. Data were collected through audio recorded semi-structured interview. The study findings revealed answers to those anecdotes, highlighting the similarities, difference and opportunities these reflexology artifacts offer. Implications for future research were also discussed.

On removing interpolation and resampling artifacts in rigid image registration.

Science.gov (United States)

Aganj, Iman; Yeo, Boon Thye Thomas; Sabuncu, Mert R; Fischl, Bruce

2013-02-01

We show that image registration using conventional interpolation and summation approximations of continuous integrals can generally fail because of resampling artifacts. These artifacts negatively affect the accuracy of registration by producing local optima, altering the gradient, shifting the global optimum, and making rigid registration asymmetric. In this paper, after an extensive literature review, we demonstrate the causes of the artifacts by comparing inclusion and avoidance of resampling analytically. We show the sum-of-squared-differences cost function formulated as an integral to be more accurate compared with its traditional sum form in a simple case of image registration. We then discuss aliasing that occurs in rotation, which is due to the fact that an image represented in the Cartesian grid is sampled with different rates in different directions, and propose the use of oscillatory isotropic interpolation kernels, which allow better recovery of true global optima by overcoming this type of aliasing. Through our experiments on brain, fingerprint, and white noise images, we illustrate the superior performance of the integral registration cost function in both the Cartesian and spherical coordinates, and also validate the introduced radial interpolation kernel by demonstrating the improvement in registration.

Optimization-based reconstruction for reduction of CBCT artifact in IGRT

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Dan; Zhang, Zheng; Paysan, Pascal; Seghers, Dieter; Brehm, Marcus; Munro, Peter; Sidky, Emil Y.; Pelizzari, Charles; Pan, Xiaochuan

2016-04-01

Kilo-voltage cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) plays an important role in image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) by providing 3D spatial information of tumor potentially useful for optimizing treatment planning. In current IGRT CBCT system, reconstructed images obtained with analytic algorithms, such as FDK algorithm and its variants, may contain artifacts. In an attempt to compensate for the artifacts, we investigate optimization-based reconstruction algorithms such as the ASD-POCS algorithm for potentially reducing arti- facts in IGRT CBCT images. In this study, using data acquired with a physical phantom and a patient subject, we demonstrate that the ASD-POCS reconstruction can significantly reduce artifacts observed in clinical re- constructions. Moreover, patient images reconstructed by use of the ASD-POCS algorithm indicate a contrast level of soft-tissue improved over that of the clinical reconstruction. We have also performed reconstructions from sparse-view data, and observe that, for current clinical imaging conditions, ASD-POCS reconstructions from data collected at one half of the current clinical projection views appear to show image quality, in terms of spatial and soft-tissue-contrast resolution, higher than that of the corresponding clinical reconstructions.

Application of basic physics principles to clinical neuroradiology: differentiating artifacts from true pathology on MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Hakky, Michael; Pandey, Shilpa; Kwak, Ellie; Jara, Hernan; Erbay, Sami H

2013-08-01

This article outlines artifactual findings commonly encountered in neuroradiologic MRI studies and offers clues to differentiate them from true pathology on the basis of their physical properties. Basic MR physics concepts are used to shed light on the causes of these artifacts. MRI is one of the most commonly used techniques in neuroradiology. Unfortunately, MRI is prone to image distortion and artifacts that can be difficult to identify. Using the provided case illustrations, practical clues, and relevant physical applications, radiologists may devise algorithms to troubleshoot these artifacts.

Santeria and Palo Mayombe: skulls, mercury, and artifacts.

Science.gov (United States)

Gill, James R; Rainwater, Christopher W; Adams, Bradley J

2009-11-01

Santeria and Palo Mayombe are syncretic religions created in the New World based upon African religious beliefs combined with Christianity. The main worship of Palo Mayombe involves religious receptacles that may contain earth, sticks, varied artifacts, and animal and human remains. Due to the use of human and nonhuman remains, discovery of these items often leads to involvement by the police due to a concern of homicide. We review in detail the medical examiner records of two of these ritualistic cases including the autopsy, anthropology, police, and investigators' reports. For the human remains, careful consideration of the context in which the remains were recovered, their state of preservation, and the associated artifacts (e.g., beads and mercury) are important in determining the appropriate level of forensic significance. Anthropological examination with particular attention to taphonomic characteristics also may help determine the origin and forensic significance.

Combining monoenergetic extrapolations from dual-energy CT with iterative reconstructions. Reduction of coil and clip artifacts from intracranial aneurysm therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Winklhofer, Sebastian; Baltsavias, Gerasimos; Michels, Lars; Valavanis, Antonios [University of Zurich, Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich (Switzerland); Hinzpeter, Ricarda; Stocker, Daniel; Alkadhi, Hatem [University of Zurich, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich (Switzerland); Burkhardt, Jan-Karl; Regli, Luca [University of Zurich, Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich (Switzerland)

2018-03-15

To compare and to combine iterative metal artifact reduction (MAR) and virtual monoenergetic extrapolations (VMEs) from dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) for reducing metal artifacts from intracranial clips and coils. Fourteen clips and six coils were scanned in a phantom model with DECT at 100 and 150SnkVp. Four datasets were reconstructed: non-corrected images (filtered-back projection), iterative MAR, VME from DECT at 120 keV, and combined iterative MAR + VME images. Artifact severity scores and visibility of simulated, contrast-filled, adjacent vessels were assessed qualitatively and quantitatively by two independent, blinded readers. Iterative MAR, VME, and combined iterative MAR + VME resulted in a significant reduction of qualitative (p < 0.001) and quantitative clip artifacts (p < 0.005) and improved the visibility of adjacent vessels (p < 0.05) compared to non-corrected images, with lowest artifact scores found in combined iterative MAR + VME images. Titanium clips demonstrated less artifacts than Phynox clips (p < 0.05), and artifact scores increased with clip size. Coil artifacts increased with coil size but were reducible when applying iterative MAR + VME compared to non-corrected images. However, no technique improved the severe artifacts from large, densely packed coils. Combining iterative MAR with VME allows for an improved metal artifact reduction from clips and smaller, loosely packed coils. Limited value was found for large and densely packed coils. (orig.)

Artifacts that mimic ballistic magnetoresistance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Egelhoff, W.F. . E-mail : egelhoff@nist.gov; Gan, L.; Ettedgui, H.; Kadmon, Y.; Powell, C.J.; Chen, P.J.; Shapiro, A.J.; McMichael, R.D.; Mallett, J.J.; Moffat, T.P.; Stiles, M.D.; Svedberg, E.B.

2005-01-01

We have investigated the circumstances underlying recent reports of very large values of ballistic magnetoresistance (BMR) in nanocontacts between magnetic wires. We find that the geometries used are subject to artifacts due to motion of the wires that distort the nanocontact thereby changing its electrical resistance. Since these nanocontacts are often of atomic scale, reliable experiments would require stability on the atomic scale. No method for achieving such stability in macroscopic wires is apparent. We conclude that macroscopic magnetic wires cannot be used to establish the validity of the BMR effect

Artifacts in MRI of the temporomandibular joint caused by dental alloys: a phantom study at 1.5 T

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fellner, C.; Erlangen-Nuernberg Univ., Erlangen; Behr, M.; Fellner, F.; Held, P.; Handel, G.; Feuerbach, S.

1997-01-01

Purpose: The influence of dental alloys on MRI of the temporomandibular joint was studied using a phantom model for this joint. Methods: At 1,5 T, 15 dental alloys and 14 of their most important components were investigated acquiring sagittal (FOV: 150 mm) and transverse (FOV: 250 mm) T 1 -weighted SE additionally. The artifacts were assessed qualitatively as well as quantitatively, and the samples were subdivided into four artifact categories. Results: Ag, Cu, Ga, In, Ti, Sn, Zn, amalgan, the precious alloys, the Au-Pd and Ag-Pd alloys showed no artifacts (category I). Minimal artifacts below 10 mm on transverse images (category II) were found for Cr, Pd, Pt and for the Ni-Cr alloy. Mn and the remaining non-precious alloys induced artifacts up to 30 mm (category III). Significant artifacts - more than 30 mm - (category IV) were to be more susceptible for artifacts than T 1 -weighted SE and FLASH techniques. Conclusions: In contrast to dental alloys for fixed prosthodontics, Ni-Cr- or 18/8 wires used for orthodontic bands can influence not only the image quality, but also the diagnostic reliability of MRI of the temporomandibular joint. (orig.) [de

Uncertainties in observational data on organic aerosol: An annual perspective of sampling artifacts in Beijing, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, Yuan; He, Ke-bin

2015-01-01

Current understanding of organic aerosol (OA) is challenged by the large gap between simulation results and observational data. Based on six campaigns conducted in a representative mega city in China, this study provided an annual perspective of the uncertainties in observational OA data caused by sampling artifacts. Our results suggest that for the commonly-used sampling approach that involves collection of particles on a bare quartz filter, the positive artifact could result in a 20–40 % overestimation of OA concentrations. Based on an evaluation framework that includes four criteria, an activated carbon denuder was demonstrated to be able to effectively eliminate the positive artifact with a long useful time of at least one month, and hence it was recommended to be a good choice for routine measurement of carbonaceous aerosol. - Highlights: • Positive artifact can cause an overestimation of OA concentrations by up to 40%. • It remains a challenge to measure semivolatile OA based on filter sampling. • The positive artifact can be effectively removed by an ACM denuder. • The ACM denuder is small in size, easy to use and multi-functional. • The ACM denuder is recommended for routine measurement of OA. - Accounting for sampling artifacts can help to bridge the gap between simulated and observed OA concentrations.

Computed tomography of kidney with diuretics. A method for avoiding artifact due to nonionic contrast medium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hiromura, Tadao; Terae, Satoshi; Takamura, Akio; Mizoe, Junetsu (Obihiro Kosei Hospital, Hokkaido (Japan)); Morita, Yutaka; Irie, Goro

1989-07-01

We devised a method for avoiding beam-hardening artifacts, which interfere with enhanced CT images of kidney due to nonionic contrast medium. The radiographic effect and the frequency of beam-hardening artifacts on enhanced CT of kidney were studied by prospective comparison among three groups: a group of 20 patients examined with furosemide (f-d.CT), a group of 20 patients examined without diuretics (non-d.CT) and a group of 20 patients examined after water intake (w-d.CT). In all patients of f-d.CT group, the renal parenchyma from the cortex to the papilla was almost evently enhanced, free from artifacts. The density of the renal papilla and pelvis in non-d.CT and w-d.CT groups was significantly higher than that in f-d.CT group, and artifacts were also observed in 14 (70%) of non-d.CT group and 12 (60%) of w.d.CT group, respectively. Satisfactory CT of kidney free from artifacts was obtained by f-d.CT, providing easy evaluation of renal pelvic or peripelvic lesions. In conclusion, this technique can be used in those pathologic cases of renal pelvis or peripelvic region, that are not clear on routine CT because of artifacts. (author).

Total Variation-Based Reduction of Streak Artifacts, Ring Artifacts and Noise in 3D Reconstruction from Optical Projection Tomography

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Michálek, Jan

2015-01-01

Roč. 21, č. 6 (2015), s. 1602-1615 ISSN 1431-9276 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LH13028; GA ČR(CZ) GA13-12412S Institutional support: RVO:67985823 Keywords : optical projection tomography * microscopy * artifacts * total variation * data mismatch Subject RIV: EA - Cell Biology Impact factor: 1.730, year: 2015

Least squares reverse time migration of controlled order multiples

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Y.

2016-12-01

Imaging using the reverse time migration of multiples generates inherent crosstalk artifacts due to the interference among different order multiples. Traditionally, least-square fitting has been used to address this issue by seeking the best objective function to measure the amplitude differences between the predicted and observed data. We have developed an alternative objective function by decomposing multiples into different orders to minimize the difference between Born modeling predicted multiples and specific-order multiples from observational data in order to attenuate the crosstalk. This method is denoted as the least-squares reverse time migration of controlled order multiples (LSRTM-CM). Our numerical examples demonstrated that the LSRTM-CM can significantly improve image quality compared with reverse time migration of multiples and least-square reverse time migration of multiples. Acknowledgments This research was funded by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41430321 and 41374138).

Improved signal model for confocal sensors accounting for object depending artifacts.

Science.gov (United States)

Mauch, Florian; Lyda, Wolfram; Gronle, Marc; Osten, Wolfgang

2012-08-27

The conventional signal model of confocal sensors is well established and has proven to be exceptionally robust especially when measuring rough surfaces. Its physical derivation however is explicitly based on plane surfaces or point like objects, respectively. Here we show experimental results of a confocal point sensor measurement of a surface standard. The results illustrate the rise of severe artifacts when measuring curved surfaces. On this basis, we present a systematic extension of the conventional signal model that is proven to be capable of qualitatively explaining these artifacts.

Storing and managing information artifacts collected by information analysts using a computing device

Science.gov (United States)

Pike, William A; Riensche, Roderick M; Best, Daniel M; Roberts, Ian E; Whyatt, Marie V; Hart, Michelle L; Carr, Norman J; Thomas, James J

2012-09-18

Systems and computer-implemented processes for storage and management of information artifacts collected by information analysts using a computing device. The processes and systems can capture a sequence of interactive operation elements that are performed by the information analyst, who is collecting an information artifact from at least one of the plurality of software applications. The information artifact can then be stored together with the interactive operation elements as a snippet on a memory device, which is operably connected to the processor. The snippet comprises a view from an analysis application, data contained in the view, and the sequence of interactive operation elements stored as a provenance representation comprising operation element class, timestamp, and data object attributes for each interactive operation element in the sequence.

Exploration of Methodological and Participant-Related Influences on the Number of Artifacts in ERP Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephanie M. Shields

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Event-related potential (ERP data has low signal-to-noise ratio, requiring the conduction of a large number of trials in order to collect sufficient amounts of data for subsequent analysis. Therefore, it would be highly beneficial if researchers could minimize the number of artifacts that occur in the data, minimizing the number of discarded trials and the total number of trials needed. This study thus examined connections between the number of trials that have to be eliminated due to artifacts and a set of methodological variables, physical considerations, and individual differences. In half of the electroencephalography (EEG data collection blocks, naïve undergraduate participants were asked not to blink for the duration of the block (approximately 2.5 minutes, but in the other half, the stimulus set included blinking cues to give participants a chance to blink during blocks. The number of artifacts did not differ based on whether participants were cued to blink during blocks nor which type of block participants experienced first. However, the first block had significantly more artifacts than other blocks, and the third block had significantly fewer. Participants who had previously known one or both investigators had significantly fewer artifacts in their data than participants who had not, but no significant relationship was found between the number of artifacts and any other individual difference or physical consideration examined. These results imply that researchers could preemptively reduce the number of artifacts in their EEG data by including practice blocks and recruiting friends or acquaintances for studies if possible. Based on subjective, unsolicited participant feedback, the authors also recommend having blink cues in data collection blocks in order to make the task more comfortable for participants. Future studies with similar aims could use different equipment setups, e.g. electrode caps, and experimental manipulation of

Colorectal Cancer "Methylator Phenotype": Fact or Artifact?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charles Anacleto

2005-04-01

Full Text Available It has been proposed that human colorectal tumors can be classified into two groups: one in which methylation is rare, and another with methylation of several loci associated with a "CpG island methylated phenotype (CIMP," characterized by preferential proximal location in the colon, but otherwise poorly defined. There is considerable overlap between this putative methylator phenotype and the well-known mutator phenotype associated with microsatellite instability (MSI. We have examined hypermethylation of the promoter region of five genes (DAPK, MGMT, hMLH1, p16INK4a, and p14ARF in 106 primary colorectal cancers. A graph depicting the frequency of methylated loci in the series of tumors showed a continuous, monotonically decreasing distribution quite different from the previously claimed discontinuity. We observed a significant association between the presence of three or more methylated loci and the proximal location of the tumors. However, if we remove from analysis the tumors with hMLH1 methylation or those with MSI, the significance vanishes, suggesting that the association between multiple methylations and proximal location was indirect due to the correlation with MSI. Thus, our data do not support the independent existence of the so-called methylator phenotype and suggest that it rather may represent a statistical artifact caused by confounding of associations.

Coevolution of variability models and related software artifacts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Passos, Leonardo; Teixeira, Leopoldo; Dinztner, Nicolas

2015-01-01

models coevolve with other artifact types, we study a large and complex real-world variant-rich software system: the Linux kernel. Specifically, we extract variability-coevolution patterns capturing changes in the variability model of the Linux kernel with subsequent changes in Makefiles and C source...

Quantification of Artifact Reduction With Real-Time Cine Four-Dimensional Computed Tomography Acquisition Methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Langner, Ulrich W.; Keall, Paul J.

2010-01-01

Purpose: To quantify the magnitude and frequency of artifacts in simulated four-dimensional computed tomography (4D CT) images using three real-time acquisition methods- direction-dependent displacement acquisition, simultaneous displacement and phase acquisition, and simultaneous displacement and velocity acquisition- and to compare these methods with commonly used retrospective phase sorting. Methods and Materials: Image acquisition for the four 4D CT methods was simulated with different displacement and velocity tolerances for spheres with radii of 0.5 cm, 1.5 cm, and 2.5 cm, using 58 patient-measured tumors and respiratory motion traces. The magnitude and frequency of artifacts, CT doses, and acquisition times were computed for each method. Results: The mean artifact magnitude was 50% smaller for the three real-time methods than for retrospective phase sorting. The dose was ∼50% lower, but the acquisition time was 20% to 100% longer for the real-time methods than for retrospective phase sorting. Conclusions: Real-time acquisition methods can reduce the frequency and magnitude of artifacts in 4D CT images, as well as the imaging dose, but they increase the image acquisition time. The results suggest that direction-dependent displacement acquisition is the preferred real-time 4D CT acquisition method, because on average, the lowest dose is delivered to the patient and the acquisition time is the shortest for the resulting number and magnitude of artifacts.

Evaluation of two iterative techniques for reducing metal artifacts in computed tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Boas, F Edward; Fleischmann, Dominik

2011-06-01

To evaluate two methods for reducing metal artifacts in computed tomography (CT)--the metal deletion technique (MDT) and the selective algebraic reconstruction technique (SART)--and compare these methods with filtered back projection (FBP) and linear interpolation (LI). The institutional review board approved this retrospective HIPAA-compliant study; informed patient consent was waived. Simulated projection data were calculated for a phantom that contained water, soft tissue, bone, and iron. Clinical projection data were obtained retrospectively from 11 consecutively identified CT scans with metal streak artifacts, with a total of 178 sections containing metal. Each scan was reconstructed using FBP, LI, SART, and MDT. The simulated scans were evaluated quantitatively by calculating the average error in Hounsfield units for each pixel compared with the original phantom. Two radiologists who were blinded to the reconstruction algorithms used qualitatively evaluated the clinical scans, ranking the overall severity of artifacts for each algorithm. P values for comparisons of the image quality ranks were calculated from the binomial distribution. The simulations showed that MDT reduces artifacts due to photon starvation, beam hardening, and motion and does not introduce new streaks between metal and bone. MDT had the lowest average error (76% less than FBP, 42% less than LI, 17% less than SART). Blinded comparison of the clinical scans revealed that MDT had the best image quality 100% of the time (95% confidence interval: 72%, 100%). LI had the second best image quality, and SART and FBP had the worst image quality. On images from two CT scans, as compared with images generated by the scanner, MDT revealed information of potential clinical importance. For a wide range of scans, MDT yields reduced metal streak artifacts and better-quality images than does FBP, LI, or SART. http://radiology.rsna.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1148/radiol.11101782/-/DC1. RSNA, 2011

Rapid estimation of 4DCT motion-artifact severity based on 1D breathing-surrogate periodicity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Guang, E-mail: lig2@mskcc.org; Caraveo, Marshall [Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065 (United States); Wei, Jie [Department of Computer Science, City College of New York, New York, New York 10031 (United States); Rimner, Andreas; Wu, Abraham J.; Goodman, Karyn A. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065 (United States); Yorke, Ellen [Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065 (United States)

2014-11-01

Purpose: Motion artifacts are common in patient four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) images, leading to an ill-defined tumor volume with large variations for radiotherapy treatment and a poor foundation with low imaging fidelity for studying respiratory motion. The authors developed a method to estimate 4DCT image quality by establishing a correlation between the severity of motion artifacts in 4DCT images and the periodicity of the corresponding 1D respiratory waveform (1DRW) used for phase binning in 4DCT reconstruction. Methods: Discrete Fourier transformation (DFT) was applied to analyze 1DRW periodicity. The breathing periodicity index (BPI) was defined as the sum of the largest five Fourier coefficients, ranging from 0 to 1. Distortional motion artifacts (excluding blurring) of cine-scan 4DCT at the junctions of adjacent couch positions around the diaphragm were classified in three categories: incomplete, overlapping, and duplicate anatomies. To quantify these artifacts, discontinuity of the diaphragm at the junctions was measured in distance and averaged along six directions in three orthogonal views. Artifacts per junction (APJ) across the entire diaphragm were calculated in each breathing phase and phase-averaged APJ{sup ¯}, defined as motion-artifact severity (MAS), was obtained for each patient. To make MAS independent of patient-specific motion amplitude, two new MAS quantities were defined: MAS{sup D} is normalized to the maximum diaphragmatic displacement and MAS{sup V} is normalized to the mean diaphragmatic velocity (the breathing period was obtained from DFT analysis of 1DRW). Twenty-six patients’ free-breathing 4DCT images and corresponding 1DRW data were studied. Results: Higher APJ values were found around midventilation and full inhalation while the lowest APJ values were around full exhalation. The distribution of MAS is close to Poisson distribution with a mean of 2.2 mm. The BPI among the 26 patients was calculated with a value

Rapid estimation of 4DCT motion-artifact severity based on 1D breathing-surrogate periodicity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Guang; Caraveo, Marshall; Wei, Jie; Rimner, Andreas; Wu, Abraham J.; Goodman, Karyn A.; Yorke, Ellen

2014-01-01

Purpose: Motion artifacts are common in patient four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) images, leading to an ill-defined tumor volume with large variations for radiotherapy treatment and a poor foundation with low imaging fidelity for studying respiratory motion. The authors developed a method to estimate 4DCT image quality by establishing a correlation between the severity of motion artifacts in 4DCT images and the periodicity of the corresponding 1D respiratory waveform (1DRW) used for phase binning in 4DCT reconstruction. Methods: Discrete Fourier transformation (DFT) was applied to analyze 1DRW periodicity. The breathing periodicity index (BPI) was defined as the sum of the largest five Fourier coefficients, ranging from 0 to 1. Distortional motion artifacts (excluding blurring) of cine-scan 4DCT at the junctions of adjacent couch positions around the diaphragm were classified in three categories: incomplete, overlapping, and duplicate anatomies. To quantify these artifacts, discontinuity of the diaphragm at the junctions was measured in distance and averaged along six directions in three orthogonal views. Artifacts per junction (APJ) across the entire diaphragm were calculated in each breathing phase and phase-averaged APJ ¯ , defined as motion-artifact severity (MAS), was obtained for each patient. To make MAS independent of patient-specific motion amplitude, two new MAS quantities were defined: MAS D is normalized to the maximum diaphragmatic displacement and MAS V is normalized to the mean diaphragmatic velocity (the breathing period was obtained from DFT analysis of 1DRW). Twenty-six patients’ free-breathing 4DCT images and corresponding 1DRW data were studied. Results: Higher APJ values were found around midventilation and full inhalation while the lowest APJ values were around full exhalation. The distribution of MAS is close to Poisson distribution with a mean of 2.2 mm. The BPI among the 26 patients was calculated with a value ranging from 0

Hybrid EEG—Eye Tracker: Automatic Identification and Removal of Eye Movement and Blink Artifacts from Electroencephalographic Signal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Malik M. Naeem Mannan

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Contamination of eye movement and blink artifacts in Electroencephalogram (EEG recording makes the analysis of EEG data more difficult and could result in mislead findings. Efficient removal of these artifacts from EEG data is an essential step in improving classification accuracy to develop the brain-computer interface (BCI. In this paper, we proposed an automatic framework based on independent component analysis (ICA and system identification to identify and remove ocular artifacts from EEG data by using hybrid EEG and eye tracker system. The performance of the proposed algorithm is illustrated using experimental and standard EEG datasets. The proposed algorithm not only removes the ocular artifacts from artifactual zone but also preserves the neuronal activity related EEG signals in non-artifactual zone. The comparison with the two state-of-the-art techniques namely ADJUST based ICA and REGICA reveals the significant improved performance of the proposed algorithm for removing eye movement and blink artifacts from EEG data. Additionally, results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can achieve lower relative error and higher mutual information values between corrected EEG and artifact-free EEG data.

The cause of the artifact in 4-slice helical computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taguchi, Katsuyuki; Aradate, Hiroshi; Saito, Yasuo; Zmora, Ilan; Han, Kyung S.; Silver, Michael D.

2004-01-01

The causes of the image artifacts in a 4-slice helical computed tomography have been discussed as follows: (1) changeover in pairs of data used in z interpolation, (2) sampling interval in z, and (3) the cone angle. This study analyzes the first two causes of the artifact and describes how the current algorithm [K. Taguchi and H. Aradate, Radiology 205P, 390 (1997); 205P, 618 (1997); Med. Phys. 25, 550-561 (1998); H. Hu, ibid. 26, 5-18 (1999); S. Schaller et al., IEEE Trans. Med. Imaging 19, 822-834 (2000); K. Taguchi, Ph.D. thesis, University of Tsukuba, 2002] solves the problem. An interpolated sinogram for a slice at the edge of a ball phantom shows discontinuity caused by the changeover. If we extend the streak artifact in the reconstructed image, it crosses the focus orbit at the corresponding projection angle. Applying z filtering can reduce such causes by its feathering effect and mixing data obtained by different cone angles; the best results are provided when z filtering is applied to densely sampled helical data

Interacting with piles of artifacts on digital tables

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aliakseyeu, D.; Lucero Vera, A.A.; Subramanian, S.

2007-01-01

Designers and architects regularly use piles to organise visual artifacts. Recent efforts have now made it possible for users to create piles in digital systems as well. However, there is still little understanding of how users shouldinteract with digital piles. In this paper we investigate this

Interacting with piles of artifacts on digital tables

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aliakseyeu, D.; Subramanian, S.; Lucero Vera, A.A.; Gutwin, C.

2006-01-01

Designers and architects regularly use piles to organize visual artifacts. Recent efforts have now made it possible for users to create piles in digital systems as well. However, there is still little understanding of how users should interact with digital piles. In this paper we investigate this

Automatic correction of dental artifacts in PET/MRI

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ladefoged, Claes N.; Andersen, Flemming L.; Keller, Sune

2015-01-01

A challenge when using current magnetic resonance (MR)-based attenuation correction in positron emission tomography/MR imaging (PET/MRI) is that the MRIs can have a signal void around the dental fillings that is segmented as artificial air-regions in the attenuation map. For artifacts connected...

Spatial presaturation: Method for suppressing flow artifacts and improving depiction of vascular anatomy in clinical MR imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Felmlee, J.P.; Ehman, R.; Julsrud, P.; Gray, J.

1987-01-01

MR images are often degraded by flow artifacts that obscure anatomic details and reduce contrast. Vascular structures are frequently depicted poorly because flow voids are obliterated by spurious intraluminal signals. This exhibit presents an analysis of the physical mechanisms of flow artifact formation and describes a presaturation technique for suppressing such artifacts. The technique incorporates additional spectrally shaped radio frequency pulses into standard imaging sequences. It has proved effective for reducing flow artifacts in experimental and clinical imaging studies. The technique is particularly helpful for high-resolution surface coil examinations of the neck, mediastinal imaging, and gated cardiac imaging, and for detecting thrombus and other intravastcular pathology

Motion-compensating gradients in the study of multiple sclerosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Runge, V.M.; Wood, M.L.; Kaufman, D.L.

1987-01-01

A low bandwidth motion compensating technique (no. 1) was compared with a conventional spin-echo technique (no. 2) in 20 patients with multiple sclerosis using a 1.0-T MR imaging system. In technique 1, refocusing gradients were employed to compensate for motion of constant velocity along the frequency-encoding direction. The sampling time was also increased to provide a greater S/N. Use of technique 1 was resulted in detection of 42% +- 23% more lesions (n = 8). The contrast-to-noise ratio for gray versus white matter improved by 87% +- 54% and that for lesion versus white matter by 66% +- 22%. The S/N for white matter improved by 56% +- 25%. An increase in chemical shift artifact was noted but not felt to be detrimental to lesion visualization. In the majority of cases, normal brain stem structures were more distinctly visualized. In two cases, pontine lesions were more clearly demarcated due to reduced pulsation artifacts. The combined use of refocusing gradients and low bandwidth techniques provides reduction of motion artifacts (from CSF and vessel pulsation) and improved S/N, leading to improved lesion detection

Reduction of metal artifact in three-dimensional computed tomography (3D CT) with dental impression materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, W S; Kim, K D; Shin, H K; Lee, S H

2007-01-01

Metal Artifact still remains one of the main drawbacks in craniofacial Three-Dimensional Computed Tomography (3D CT). In this study, we tried to test the efficacy of additional silicone dental impression materials as a "tooth shield" for the reduction of metal artifact caused by metal restorations and orthodontic appliances. 6 phantoms with 4 teeth were prepared for this in vitro study. Orthodontic bracket, bands and amalgam restorations were placed in each tooth to reproduce various intraoral conditions. Standardized silicone shields were fabricated and placed around the teeth. CT image acquisition was performed with and without silicone shields. Maximum value, mean, and standard deviation of Hounsfield Units (HU) were compared with the presence of silicone shields. In every situation, metal artifacts were reduced in quality and quantity when silicone shields are used. Amalgam restoration made most serious metal artifact. Silicone shields made by dental impression material might be effective way to reduce the metal artifact caused by dental restoration and orthodontic appliances. This will help more excellent 3D image from 3D CT in craniofacial area.

Image Artifacts in Concurrent Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and fMRI Caused by Leakage Currents: Modeling and Compensation

Science.gov (United States)

Weiskopf, Nikolaus; Josephs, Oliver; Ruff, Christian C; Blankenburg, Felix; Featherstone, Eric; Thomas, Anthony; Bestmann, Sven; Driver, Jon; Deichmann, Ralf

2009-01-01

Purpose To characterize and eliminate a new type of image artifact in concurrent transcranial magnetic stimulation and functional MRI (TMS-fMRI) caused by small leakage currents originating from the high-voltage capacitors in the TMS stimulator system. Materials and Methods The artifacts in echo-planar images (EPI) caused by leakage currents were characterized and quantified in numerical simulations and phantom studies with different phantom-coil geometries. A relay-diode combination was devised and inserted in the TMS circuit that shorts the leakage current. Its effectiveness for artifact reduction was assessed in a phantom scan resembling a realistic TMS-fMRI experiment. Results The leakage-current-induced signal changes exhibited a multipolar spatial pattern and the maxima exceeded 1% at realistic coil-cortex distances. The relay-diode combination effectively reduced the artifact to a negligible level. Conclusion The leakage-current artifacts potentially obscure effects of interest or lead to false-positives. Since the artifact depends on the experimental setup and design (eg, amplitude of the leakage current, coil orientation, paradigm, EPI parameters), we recommend its assessment for each experiment. The relay-diode combination can eliminate the artifacts if necessary. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2009;29:1211–1217. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. PMID:19388099

SU-F-T-407: Artifact Reduction with Dual Energy Or IMAR: Who’s Winning?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elder, E; Schreibmann, E; Dhabaan, A

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this abstract was to evaluate the performance of commercial strategies for artifact reduction in radiation oncology settings. The iterative metal artifact reduction (Siemens iMAR) algorithm and monoenergetic virtual datasets reconstructed from dual energy scans are compared side-by-side in their ability to image in the presence of metal inserts. Methods: A CIRS ATOM Dosimetry Verification Phantom was scanned with and without a metal insert on a SOMATOM Definition AS dual energy scanner. Images with the metal insert were reconstructed with (a) a tradition single energy CT scan with the iMAR option implemented, using different artifact reduction settings and (b) a monoenergetic scan calculated from dual energy scans by recovering differences in the energy-dependence of the attenuation coefficients of different materials and then creating a virtual monoenergetic scan from these coefficients. The iMAR and monoenergetic scans were then compared with the metal-free scan to assess changes in HU numbers and noise within a region around the metal insert. Results: Both the iMAR and dual energy scans reduced artifacts produced by the metal insert. However the iMAR results are dependent of the selected algorithm settings, with a mean HU difference ranging from 0.65 to 90.40 for different options. The mean differences without the iMAR correction were 38.74. When using the dual energy scan, the mean differences were 4.53, that is however attributed to increased noise and not artifacts, as the dual energy scan had the lowest skewness (2.52) compared to the iMAR scans (ranging from 3.90 to 4.88) and the lowest kurtosis (5.72 for dual energy, range of 18.19 to 27.36 for iMAR). Conclusion: Both approaches accurately recovered HU numbers, however the dual energy method provided smaller residual artifacts.

SU-F-T-407: Artifact Reduction with Dual Energy Or IMAR: Who’s Winning?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elder, E; Schreibmann, E; Dhabaan, A [Department of Radiation Oncology and Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University Atlanta, GA (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: The purpose of this abstract was to evaluate the performance of commercial strategies for artifact reduction in radiation oncology settings. The iterative metal artifact reduction (Siemens iMAR) algorithm and monoenergetic virtual datasets reconstructed from dual energy scans are compared side-by-side in their ability to image in the presence of metal inserts. Methods: A CIRS ATOM Dosimetry Verification Phantom was scanned with and without a metal insert on a SOMATOM Definition AS dual energy scanner. Images with the metal insert were reconstructed with (a) a tradition single energy CT scan with the iMAR option implemented, using different artifact reduction settings and (b) a monoenergetic scan calculated from dual energy scans by recovering differences in the energy-dependence of the attenuation coefficients of different materials and then creating a virtual monoenergetic scan from these coefficients. The iMAR and monoenergetic scans were then compared with the metal-free scan to assess changes in HU numbers and noise within a region around the metal insert. Results: Both the iMAR and dual energy scans reduced artifacts produced by the metal insert. However the iMAR results are dependent of the selected algorithm settings, with a mean HU difference ranging from 0.65 to 90.40 for different options. The mean differences without the iMAR correction were 38.74. When using the dual energy scan, the mean differences were 4.53, that is however attributed to increased noise and not artifacts, as the dual energy scan had the lowest skewness (2.52) compared to the iMAR scans (ranging from 3.90 to 4.88) and the lowest kurtosis (5.72 for dual energy, range of 18.19 to 27.36 for iMAR). Conclusion: Both approaches accurately recovered HU numbers, however the dual energy method provided smaller residual artifacts.

Automatic, anatomically selective, artifact-free enhancement of digital chest radiographs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sezan, M.I.; Tekalp, A.M.; Schaetzing, R.

1988-01-01

The authors propose a technique for automatic, anatomically selective, artifact-free enhancement of digital chest radiographs. Anatomically selective enhancement is motivated by the different enhancement requirements of the lung field and the mediastinum. A recent peak detection algorithm is applied to the image histogram to automatically determine a gray-level threshold between the lung and mediastinum fields. The gray-level threshold facilitates anatomically selective gray-scale modification and unsharp masking. Further, in an attempt to suppress possible white-band artifacts due to unsharp masking at sharp edges, local-contrast adaptivity is incorporated into anatomically selective unsharp masking by designing an anatomy-sensitive emphasis parameter that varied asymmetrically with positive and negative values of the local image contrast

Cortico-muscular coherence on artifact corrected EEG-EMG data recorded with a MRI scanner.

Science.gov (United States)

Muthuraman, M; Galka, A; Hong, V N; Heute, U; Deuschl, G; Raethjen, J

2013-01-01

Simultaneous recording of electroencephalogram (EEG) and electromyogram (EMG) with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides great potential for studying human brain activity with high temporal and spatial resolution. But, due to the MRI, the recorded signals are contaminated with artifacts. The correction of these artifacts is important to use these signals for further spectral analysis. The coherence can reveal the cortical representation of peripheral muscle signal in particular motor tasks, e.g. finger movements. The artifact correction of these signals was done by two different algorithms the Brain vision analyzer (BVA) and the Matlab FMRIB plug-in for EEGLAB. The Welch periodogram method was used for estimating the cortico-muscular coherence. Our analysis revealed coherence with a frequency of 5Hz in the contralateral side of the brain. The entropy is estimated for the calculated coherence to get the distribution of coherence in the scalp. The significance of the paper is to identify the optimal algorithm to rectify the MR artifacts and as a first step to use both these signals EEG and EMG in conjunction with MRI for further studies.

Human-Robot Collaboration Dynamic Impact Testing and Calibration Instrument for Disposable Robot Safety Artifacts.

Science.gov (United States)

Dagalakis, Nicholas G; Yoo, Jae Myung; Oeste, Thomas

2016-01-01

The Dynamic Impact Testing and Calibration Instrument (DITCI) is a simple instrument with a significant data collection and analysis capability that is used for the testing and calibration of biosimulant human tissue artifacts. These artifacts may be used to measure the severity of injuries caused in the case of a robot impact with a human. In this paper we describe the DITCI adjustable impact and flexible foundation mechanism, which allows the selection of a variety of impact force levels and foundation stiffness. The instrument can accommodate arrays of a variety of sensors and impact tools, simulating both real manufacturing tools and the testing requirements of standards setting organizations. A computer data acquisition system may collect a variety of impact motion, force, and torque data, which are used to develop a variety of mathematical model representations of the artifacts. Finally, we describe the fabrication and testing of human abdomen soft tissue artifacts, used to display the magnitude of impact tissue deformation. Impact tests were performed at various maximum impact force and average pressure levels.

Quantification of susceptibility artifacts in 0.5, 1.5 and 3.0 tesla magnetic resonance imaging produced from various biomaterials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuura, Hideki

2002-01-01

Several studies have examined various biomaterials to minimize susceptibility artifacts using low magnetic fields such as 0.5 Tesla or 1.5 Tesla, but no work has been done with high magnetic field. The purpose of the present study was to quantify the susceptibility artifacts produced from various biomaterials for neurosurgical implants in 0.5, 1.5 and 3.0 Tesla MR scanner. We performed MR imaging of six kinds of ceramics, two kinds of Co-based alloys with different combination, pure titanium, titanium alloy and stainless steel. Images were transferred to computer and analyzed. On all biomaterials, susceptibility artifacts developed parallel to the direction of the main magnetic field at both ends. Ceramics had considerably smaller artifact diameter compared with other biomaterials. Among ceramics, the artifact diameter of zirconia was the smallest. There were few differences between the artifact diameter of pure titanium and that of titanium alloy. Ceramics are promising biomaterials for minimum artifacts in higher field MR system. Although it is necessary to carry out degradation tests or retention force evaluation of the ceramics, we considered the ceramics are the most suitable biomaterials for the artifacts in MR imaging. (author)

Lens artifacts in human fetal eyes - the challenge of interpreting the histomorphology of human fetal lenses.

Science.gov (United States)

Herwig, Martina C; Müller, Annette M; Klarmann-Schulz, Ute; Holz, Frank G; Loeffler, Karin U

2014-01-01

Evaluation of the lens, including cataractous changes, is often of paramount importance in the classification of fetal syndromes or forensic questions. On histology, the crystalline lens is - especially in fetal and infant eyes - an organ susceptible to numerous artifacts. Thus, the aim of our study was to study various factors (including fixatives) that might have an impact on lens histomorphology. Twenty eyes from ten fetuses (formalin fixation: n = 10, glutaraldehyde fixation: n = 10), matched for gestational age and abortion (spontaneous vs. induced), were investigated macroscopically and by light microscopy. Sections were stained with routine hematoxylin & eosin (H&E), and periodic acid schiff (PAS). The age of the fetal eyes ranged from 15 to 36 weeks of gestation. Lens artifacts were analyzed and compared to fetal and adult lenses with definitive cataractous changes. In addition, 34 eyes from 27 fetuses with trisomy 21 were investigated for lens changes. All lenses showed artifacts of varying extent, in particular globules, vacuoles, clefts, anterior/posterior capsular separation, subcapsular proteinaceous material, fragmentation of the lens capsule/epithelium, and a posterior umbilication. Glutaraldehyde-fixed lenses displayed less artifacts compared to those fixed in formalin. Slight differences in the appearance of artifacts were found dependent on the fixative (formaldehyde vs glutaraldehyde) and the kind of abortion (iatrogenous vs spontaneous). The gestational age did not have a significant influence on the type and extent of lens artifacts. The lenses from fetuses with trisomy 21 displayed similar lens artifacts with no specific findings. Alterations in fetal lens morphology are extremely frequent and variable. These artifacts have to be carefully taken into account when interpreting post-mortem findings. Thus, the postmortem diagnosis of a fetal cataract should be made with great caution, and should include, in adherence to our proposed

Method for suppressing aliasing artifacts in R/R-type CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mori, Issei; Igarashi, Narumi; Kazama, Masahiro; Taguchi, Katsuyuki

2003-01-01

The Quarter-Quarter (QQ) offset method is a well-established technique for suppressing aliasing artifacts in R/R-type CT. However, the perfect alignment required for the QQ offset is generally difficult to achieve in practice. Depending on the scanner design, it may even be impossible to achieve. Because of this imperfection, the images contain some aliasing artifacts. This problem is becoming more serious with the spread of multislice CT and the increasingly common use of thin-slice imaging, in which aliasing is inherently stronger. We propose a simple method that suppresses such aliasing artifacts effectively while minimizing degradation in the spatial resolution. We exploit the fact that the frequency transfer functions are different for the main spectrum and the aliasing spectrum when the back-projection offset is not identical to the sampling offset. The selection of an appropriate back-projection offset results in an effective notch filter against the aliasing spectrum and a wide-band filter for the main spectrum. The results of simulation experiments support our theory, and experiments using an actual machine have shown that the image quality obtained by our method is comparable to that of perfect QQ even when the QQ alignment conditions are severely violated. (author)

Trails of meaning construction: Symbolic artifacts engage the social brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Tylén, Kristian; Philipsen, Johanne Stege; Roepstorff, Andreas; Fusaroli, Riccardo

2016-07-01

Symbolic artifacts present a challenge to theories of neurocognitive processing due to their hybrid nature: they are at the same time physical objects and vehicles of intangible social meanings. While their physical properties can be read of their perceptual appearance, the meaning of symbolic artifacts depends on the perceiver's interpretative attitude and embeddedness in cultural practices. In this study, participants built models of LEGO bricks to illustrate their understanding of abstract concepts. They were then scanned with fMRI while presented to photographs of their own and others' models. When participants attended to the meaning of the models in contrast to their bare physical properties, we observed activations in mPFC and TPJ, areas often associated with social cognition, and IFG, possibly related to semantics. When contrasting own and others' models, we also found activations in precuneus, an area associated with autobiographical memory and agency, while looking at one's own collective models yielded interaction effects in rostral ACC, right IFG and left Insula. Interestingly, variability in the insula was predicted by individual differences in participants' feeling of relatedness to their fellow group members during LEGO construction activity. Our findings support a view of symbolic artifacts as neuro-cognitive trails of human social interactions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Toddlers favor communicatively presented information over statistical reliability in learning about artifacts.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hanna Marno

Full Text Available Observed associations between events can be validated by statistical information of reliability or by testament of communicative sources. We tested whether toddlers learn from their own observation of efficiency, assessed by statistical information on reliability of interventions, or from communicatively presented demonstration, when these two potential types of evidence of validity of interventions on a novel artifact are contrasted with each other. Eighteen-month-old infants observed two adults, one operating the artifact by a method that was more efficient (2/3 probability of success than that of the other (1/3 probability of success. Compared to the Baseline condition, in which communicative signals were not employed, infants tended to choose the less reliable method to operate the artifact when this method was demonstrated in a communicative manner in the Experimental condition. This finding demonstrates that, in certain circumstances, communicative sanctioning of reliability may override statistical evidence for young learners. Such a bias can serve fast and efficient transmission of knowledge between generations.

Normal variants and artifacts in bone scan: potential for errors in interpretation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sohn, Myung Hee

2004-01-01

Bone scan is one of the most frequently performed studies in nuclear medicine. In bone scan, the amount of radioisotope taken up by lesion depends primarily on the local rate of bone turnover rather than on the bone mass. Bone scan is extremely sensitive for detecting bony abnormalities. However, abnormalities that appear on bone scan may not always represent disease. The normal scan appearances may be affected not only by skeletal physiology and anatomy but also by a variety of technical factors which can influence image quality. Many normal variants and artifacts may appear on bone scan. They could simulate a pathologic process and could mislead into the wrong diagnostic interpretation. Therefore, their recognition is necessary to avoid misdiagnosis. A nuclear medicine physician should be aware of variable appearance of the normal variants and artifacts on bone scan. In this article, a variety of normal variants and artifacts mimicking real pathologic lesion in bone scan interpretation are discussed and illustrated

Metallic artifact mitigation and organ-constrained tissue assignment for Monte Carlo calculations of permanent implant lung brachytherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sutherland, J. G. H.; Miksys, N.; Thomson, R. M., E-mail: rthomson@physics.carleton.ca [Carleton Laboratory for Radiotherapy Physics, Department of Physics, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6 (Canada); Furutani, K. M. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota 55905 (United States)

2014-01-15

Purpose: To investigate methods of generating accurate patient-specific computational phantoms for the Monte Carlo calculation of lung brachytherapy patient dose distributions. Methods: Four metallic artifact mitigation methods are applied to six lung brachytherapy patient computed tomography (CT) images: simple threshold replacement (STR) identifies high CT values in the vicinity of the seeds and replaces them with estimated true values; fan beam virtual sinogram replaces artifact-affected values in a virtual sinogram and performs a filtered back-projection to generate a corrected image; 3D median filter replaces voxel values that differ from the median value in a region of interest surrounding the voxel and then applies a second filter to reduce noise; and a combination of fan beam virtual sinogram and STR. Computational phantoms are generated from artifact-corrected and uncorrected images using several tissue assignment schemes: both lung-contour constrained and unconstrained global schemes are considered. Voxel mass densities are assigned based on voxel CT number or using the nominal tissue mass densities. Dose distributions are calculated using the EGSnrc user-code BrachyDose for{sup 125}I, {sup 103}Pd, and {sup 131}Cs seeds and are compared directly as well as through dose volume histograms and dose metrics for target volumes surrounding surgical sutures. Results: Metallic artifact mitigation techniques vary in ability to reduce artifacts while preserving tissue detail. Notably, images corrected with the fan beam virtual sinogram have reduced artifacts but residual artifacts near sources remain requiring additional use of STR; the 3D median filter removes artifacts but simultaneously removes detail in lung and bone. Doses vary considerably between computational phantoms with the largest differences arising from artifact-affected voxels assigned to bone in the vicinity of the seeds. Consequently, when metallic artifact reduction and constrained tissue

Electrocardiogram artifact caused by rigors mimicking narrow complex tachycardia: a case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Matthias, Anne Thushara; Indrakumar, Jegarajah

2014-02-04

The electrocardiogram (ECG) is useful in the diagnosis of cardiac and non-cardiac conditions. Rigors due to shivering can cause electrocardiogram artifacts mimicking various cardiac rhythm abnormalities. We describe an 80-year-old Sri Lankan man with an abnormal electrocardiogram mimicking narrow complex tachycardia during the immediate post-operative period. Electrocardiogram changes caused by muscle tremor during rigors could mimic a narrow complex tachycardia. Identification of muscle tremor as a cause of electrocardiogram artifact can avoid unnecessary pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention to prevent arrhythmias.

Robust and Accurate Anomaly Detection in ECG Artifacts Using Time Series Motif Discovery

Science.gov (United States)

Sivaraks, Haemwaan

2015-01-01

Electrocardiogram (ECG) anomaly detection is an important technique for detecting dissimilar heartbeats which helps identify abnormal ECGs before the diagnosis process. Currently available ECG anomaly detection methods, ranging from academic research to commercial ECG machines, still suffer from a high false alarm rate because these methods are not able to differentiate ECG artifacts from real ECG signal, especially, in ECG artifacts that are similar to ECG signals in terms of shape and/or frequency. The problem leads to high vigilance for physicians and misinterpretation risk for nonspecialists. Therefore, this work proposes a novel anomaly detection technique that is highly robust and accurate in the presence of ECG artifacts which can effectively reduce the false alarm rate. Expert knowledge from cardiologists and motif discovery technique is utilized in our design. In addition, every step of the algorithm conforms to the interpretation of cardiologists. Our method can be utilized to both single-lead ECGs and multilead ECGs. Our experiment results on real ECG datasets are interpreted and evaluated by cardiologists. Our proposed algorithm can mostly achieve 100% of accuracy on detection (AoD), sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value with 0% false alarm rate. The results demonstrate that our proposed method is highly accurate and robust to artifacts, compared with competitive anomaly detection methods. PMID:25688284

A Compact Closed-Loop Optogenetics System Based on Artifact-Free Transparent Graphene Electrodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xin Liu

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Electrophysiology is a decades-old technique widely used for monitoring activity of individual neurons and local field potentials. Optogenetics has revolutionized neuroscience studies by offering selective and fast control of targeted neurons and neuron populations. The combination of these two techniques is crucial for causal investigation of neural circuits and understanding their functional connectivity. However, electrical artifacts generated by light stimulation interfere with neural recordings and hinder the development of compact closed-loop systems for precise control of neural activity. Here, we demonstrate that transparent graphene micro-electrodes fabricated on a clear polyethylene terephthalate film eliminate the light-induced artifact problem and allow development of a compact battery-powered closed-loop optogenetics system. We extensively investigate light-induced artifacts for graphene electrodes in comparison to metal control electrodes. We then design optical stimulation module using micro-LED chips coupled to optical fibers to deliver light to intended depth for optogenetic stimulation. For artifact-free integration of graphene micro-electrode recordings with optogenetic stimulation, we design and develop a compact closed-loop system and validate it for different frequencies of interest for neural recordings. This compact closed-loop optogenetics system can be used for various applications involving optogenetic stimulation and electrophysiological recordings.

Coulomb Blockade and Multiple Andreev Reflection in a Superconducting Single-Electron Transistor

Science.gov (United States)

Lorenz, Thomas; Sprenger, Susanne; Scheer, Elke

2018-06-01

In superconducting quantum point contacts, multiple Andreev reflection (MAR), which describes the coherent transport of m quasiparticles each carrying an electron charge with m≥3, sets in at voltage thresholds eV = 2Δ /m. In single-electron transistors, Coulomb blockade, however, suppresses the current at low voltage. The required voltage for charge transport increases with the square of the effective charge eV∝ ( me) ^2. Thus, studying the charge transport in all-superconducting single-electron transistors (SSETs) sets these two phenomena into competition. In this article, we present the fabrication as well as a measurement scheme and transport data for a SSET with one junction in which the transmission and thereby the MAR contributions can be continuously tuned. All regimes from weak to strong coupling are addressed. We extend the Orthodox theory by incorporating MAR processes to describe the observed data qualitatively. We detect a new transport process the nature of which is unclear at present. Furthermore, we observe a renormalization of the charging energy when approaching the strong coupling regime.

FACET – a “Flexible Artifact Correction and Evaluation Toolbox” for concurrently recorded EEG/fMRI data

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background In concurrent EEG/fMRI recordings, EEG data are impaired by the fMRI gradient artifacts which exceed the EEG signal by several orders of magnitude. While several algorithms exist to correct the EEG data, these algorithms lack the flexibility to either leave out or add new steps. The here presented open-source MATLAB toolbox FACET is a modular toolbox for the fast and flexible correction and evaluation of imaging artifacts from concurrently recorded EEG datasets. It consists of an Analysis, a Correction and an Evaluation framework allowing the user to choose from different artifact correction methods with various pre- and post-processing steps to form flexible combinations. The quality of the chosen correction approach can then be evaluated and compared to different settings. Results FACET was evaluated on a dataset provided with the FMRIB plugin for EEGLAB using two different correction approaches: Averaged Artifact Subtraction (AAS, Allen et al., NeuroImage 12(2):230–239, 2000) and the FMRI Artifact Slice Template Removal (FASTR, Niazy et al., NeuroImage 28(3):720–737, 2005). Evaluation of the obtained results were compared to the FASTR algorithm implemented in the EEGLAB plugin FMRIB. No differences were found between the FACET implementation of FASTR and the original algorithm across all gradient artifact relevant performance indices. Conclusion The FACET toolbox not only provides facilities for all three modalities: data analysis, artifact correction as well as evaluation and documentation of the results but it also offers an easily extendable framework for development and evaluation of new approaches. PMID:24206927

Improving consensus structure by eliminating averaging artifacts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

KC Dukka B

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Common structural biology methods (i.e., NMR and molecular dynamics often produce ensembles of molecular structures. Consequently, averaging of 3D coordinates of molecular structures (proteins and RNA is a frequent approach to obtain a consensus structure that is representative of the ensemble. However, when the structures are averaged, artifacts can result in unrealistic local geometries, including unphysical bond lengths and angles. Results Herein, we describe a method to derive representative structures while limiting the number of artifacts. Our approach is based on a Monte Carlo simulation technique that drives a starting structure (an extended or a 'close-by' structure towards the 'averaged structure' using a harmonic pseudo energy function. To assess the performance of the algorithm, we applied our approach to Cα models of 1364 proteins generated by the TASSER structure prediction algorithm. The average RMSD of the refined model from the native structure for the set becomes worse by a mere 0.08 Å compared to the average RMSD of the averaged structures from the native structure (3.28 Å for refined structures and 3.36 A for the averaged structures. However, the percentage of atoms involved in clashes is greatly reduced (from 63% to 1%; in fact, the majority of the refined proteins had zero clashes. Moreover, a small number (38 of refined structures resulted in lower RMSD to the native protein versus the averaged structure. Finally, compared to PULCHRA 1, our approach produces representative structure of similar RMSD quality, but with much fewer clashes. Conclusion The benchmarking results demonstrate that our approach for removing averaging artifacts can be very beneficial for the structural biology community. Furthermore, the same approach can be applied to almost any problem where averaging of 3D coordinates is performed. Namely, structure averaging is also commonly performed in RNA secondary prediction 2, which

Properties of image intensifier-related halation artifact in limited volume cone-beam CT for dental use

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirukawa, Akiko; Okumura, Shinji; Matsuo, Ayae; Yokoi, Midori; Gotoh, Kenichi; Katsumata, Akitoshi; Naitoh, Munetaka; Ariji, Eiichiro

2006-01-01

Artifacts due to halation from an image intensifier (I.I.)/charge coupled device (CCD) system appear on limited-volume cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Regarding anterior tooth imaging, properties of this artifact in the geometrical relationships between field of view (FOV) and objective jaw region were studied. A water-filled plastic cylinder was used as a phantom of the head. A test object was constructed as a bone-equivalent phantom to be imaged. The test object was set in the phantom at positions corresponding to the anterior tooth arch. Position of the test object was shifted to simulate individual variations in the thickness of the labial soft tissue. Limited-volume CBCT images were acquired using a 3DX system in the various offset FOV position. The affection of an artifact was evaluated by the size of the object's image. The position of the test object in the phantom, i.e. the thickness of the labial soft tissue contributes to the intensity of artifact. However, even when the labial soft tissue was thick, affection from artifact was prominent when the FOV was set so that the image of the test object was depicted near the margin of FOV. (author)

Controlling simulations of human-artifact interaction with scenario bundles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van der Vegte, W.F.; Rusák, Z.

2008-01-01

We introduce a methodology for modeling and simulating fully virtual human-artifact systems, aiming to resolve two issues in virtual prototyping: (i) integration of distinct modeling and simulation approaches, and (ii) extending the deployability of simulations towards conceptual design. We are

Contrast-enhanced Spectral Mammography: Modality-Specific Artifacts and Other Factors Which May Interfere with Image Quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhimani, Chandni; Li, Luna; Liao, Lydia; Roth, Robyn G; Tinney, Elizabeth; Germaine, Pauline

2017-01-01

Contrast-enhanced spectral mammography (CESM) uses full field digital mammography with the added benefit of intravenous contrast administration to significantly reduce false-positive and false-negative results and improve specificity while maintaining high sensitivity. For CESM to fulfill its purpose, one should be aware of possible artifacts and other factors which may interfere with image quality, and attention should be taken to minimize these factors. This pictorial demonstration will depict types of artifacts detected and other factors that interfere with image acquisition in our practice since CESM implementation. Many of the artifacts and other factors we have encountered while using CESM have simple solutions to resolve them. The illustrated artifacts and other factors interfering with image quality will serve as a useful reference to anyone using CESM. Copyright © 2017 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Neutron measurements of stresses in a test artifact produced by laser-based additive manufacturing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gnäupel-Herold, Thomas [Center for Neutron Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg MD 20899-6102 (United States); Slotwinski, John; Moylan, Shawn [Intelligent Systems Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg MD 20899-8220 (United States)

2014-02-18

A stainless steel test artifact produced by Direct Metal Laser Sintering and similar to a proposed standardized test artifact was examined using neutron diffraction. The artifact contained a number of structures with different aspect ratios pertaining to wall thickness, height above base plate, and side length. Through spatial resolutions of the order of one millimeter the volumetric distribution of stresses in several was measured. It was found that the stresses peak in the tensile region around 500 MPa near the top surface, with balancing compressive stresses in the interior. The presence of a support structure (a one millimeter high, thin walled, hence weaker, lattice structure deposited on the base plate, followed by a fully dense AM structure) has only minor effects on the stresses.

Soft tissue artifact in canine kinematic gait analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schwencke, M.; Smolders, L.A.; Bergknut, N.; Gustas, P.; Meij, B.P.; Hazewinkel, H.A.W.

2012-01-01

Vet Surg. 2012 Oct;41(7):829-37. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-950X.2012.01021.x. Soft tissue artifact in canine kinematic gait analysis. Schwencke M, Smolders LA, Bergknut N, Gustås P, Meij BP, Hazewinkel HA. Source Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals,, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,

Artifact reduction of compressed images and video combining adaptive fuzzy filtering and directional anisotropic diffusion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nadernejad, Ehsan; Forchhammer, Søren; Korhonen, Jari

2011-01-01

and ringing artifacts, we have applied directional anisotropic diffusion. Besides that, the selection of the adaptive threshold parameter for the diffusion coefficient has also improved the performance of the algorithm. Experimental results on JPEG compressed images as well as MJPEG and H.264 compressed......Fuzzy filtering is one of the recently developed methods for reducing distortion in compressed images and video. In this paper, we combine the powerful anisotropic diffusion equations with fuzzy filtering in order to reduce the impact of artifacts. Based on the directional nature of the blocking...... videos show improvement in artifact reduction of the proposed algorithm over other directional and spatial fuzzy filters....

Artifact free T2*-weighted imaging at high spatial resolution using segmented EPI sequences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heiler, Patrick Michael; Schad, Lothar Rudi; Schmitter, Sebastian

2010-01-01

The aim of this work was the development of novel measurement techniques that acquire high resolution T2 * -weighted datasets in measurement times as short as possible without suffering from noticeable blurring and ghosting artifacts. Therefore, two new measurement techniques were developed that acquire a smoother k-space than generic multi shot echo planar imaging sequences. One is based on the principle of echo train shifting, the other on the reversed gradient method. Simulations and phantom measurements demonstrate that echo train shifting works properly and reduces artifacts in multi shot echo planar imaging. For maximum SNR-efficiency this technique was further improved by adding a second contrast. Both contrasts can be acquired within a prolongation in measurement time by a factor of 1.5, leading to an SNR increase by approximately √2. Furthermore it is demonstrated that the reversed gradient method remarkably reduces artifacts caused by a discontinuous k-space weighting. Assuming sequence parameters as feasible for fMRI experiments, artifact free T2 * -weighted images with a matrix size of 256 x 256 leading to an in-plane resolution in the submillimeter range can be obtained in about 2 s per slice. (orig.)

A particle accelerator probes artifacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dran, J.C.; Calligaro, Th.; Salomon, J.

2002-01-01

The AGLAE system is made up of a 2 mega volts electrostatic accelerator and of 3 irradiation lines: one leads to a vacuum enclosure in which targets are irradiated and the 2 others lines are designed to irradiate targets under an air or helium atmosphere. The AGLAE system is located in the premises of the Louvre museum in Paris and is devoted to the study of cultural objects through ion beam analysis (IBA). 4 techniques are used: -) proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) -) proton-induced gamma ray (PIGE) -) Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (NRS) and -) nuclear reaction analysis (NRA). A decisive progress has permitted the direct analysis of artifacts without sampling. The object itself is set just a few millimeters away from the exit window of the beam in an air or helium atmosphere. The exit window must be resistant enough to bear the atmospheric pressure and the damages caused by the proton beam but must be thin enough to not deteriorate the quality of the beam. By using a 10 -7 m thick exit window made of Si 3 N 4 we get a beam whose diameter is 10 -5 m. This new technology presents 4 main advantages: 1) any object of any shape can be studied without sampling, 2) the analysis of very fragile artifacts that might be damaged by the vacuum setting is now possible, 3) a reduction of the thermal side-effects of the beam, and 4) the absence of accumulation of charges in isolating material allows to rid of covering the object with a conducting coating before irradiating it. (A.C.)

Why are dunkels sticky? Preschoolers infer functionality and intentional creation for artifact properties learned from generic language.

Science.gov (United States)

Cimpian, Andrei; Cadena, Cristina

2010-10-01

Artifacts pose a potential learning problem for children because the mapping between their features and their functions is often not transparent. In solving this problem, children are likely to rely on a number of information sources (e.g., others' actions, affordances). We argue that children's sensitivity to nuances in the language used to describe artifacts is an important, but so far unacknowledged, piece of this puzzle. Specifically, we hypothesize that children are sensitive to whether an unfamiliar artifact's features are highlighted using generic (e.g., "Dunkels are sticky") or non-generic (e.g., "This dunkel is sticky") language. Across two studies, older-but not younger-preschoolers who heard such features introduced via generic statements inferred that they are a functional part of the artifact's design more often than children who heard the same features introduced via non-generic statements. The ability to pick up on this linguistic cue may expand considerably the amount of conceptual information about artifacts that children derive from conversations with adults. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

quantification of rain quantification of rain induced artifacts on digital

African Journals Online (AJOL)

eobe

DSTV) ... satellite television, rain attenuation, digital artifacts, pixelation, rainfall rate. 1. ... screen and blocking are commonly observed in .... The precipitation data was collected using a self- ..... Networks: Comparison at Equatorial and Subtropical.

Neutron reflection effect on total absorption detector method used in SWINPC neutron multiplication experiment for beryllium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian Dongfeng; Ho Yukun; Yang Fujia

2001-01-01

The SWINPC integral experiment on neutron multiplication in bulk beryllium showed that there were marked discrepancies between experimental data and calculated values with the ENDF/B-VI data. The calculated values become higher than experimental ones as the sample thickness increases. Several works had been devoted to find problems existing in the experiment. This paper discusses the neutron reflection effect on the total absorption detector method which was used in the experiment to measure the neutron leakage from samples. One systematic correction is suggested to make the experimental values agree with the calculated ones with the ENDF/B-VI data within experimental errors. (author)

Coulomb artifacts and bottomonium hyperfine splitting in lattice NRQCD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, T. [Department of Physics, University of Alberta,11455 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2J1 (Canada); Penin, A.A. [Department of Physics, University of Alberta,11455 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2J1 (Canada); Institut für Theoretische Teilchenphysik, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology,Wolfgang-Gaede-Strasse 1, 76128 Karlsruhe (Germany); Rayyan, A. [Department of Physics, University of Alberta,11455 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2J1 (Canada)

2017-02-16

We study the role of the lattice artifacts associated with the Coulomb binding effects in the analysis of the heavy quarkonium within lattice NRQCD. We find that a “naïve” perturbative matching generates spurious linear Coulomb artifacts, which result in a large systematic error in the lattice predictions for the heavy quarkonium spectrum. This effect is responsible, in particular, for the discrepancy between the recent determinations of the bottomonium hyperfine splitting in the radiatively improved lattice NRQCD (DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.92.054502; Arxiv:1309.5797). We show that the correct matching procedure which provides full control over discretization errors is based on the asymptotic expansion of the lattice theory about the continuum limit, which gives M{sub Υ(1S)}−M{sub η{sub b(1S)}}=52.9±5.5 MeV (DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.92.054502).

Online Reduction of Artifacts in EEG of Simultaneous EEG-fMRI Using Reference Layer Adaptive Filtering (RLAF).

Science.gov (United States)

Steyrl, David; Krausz, Gunther; Koschutnig, Karl; Edlinger, Günter; Müller-Putz, Gernot R

2018-01-01

Simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) allow us to study the active human brain from two perspectives concurrently. Signal processing based artifact reduction techniques are mandatory for this, however, to obtain reasonable EEG quality in simultaneous EEG-fMRI. Current artifact reduction techniques like average artifact subtraction (AAS), typically become less effective when artifact reduction has to be performed on-the-fly. We thus present and evaluate a new technique to improve EEG quality online. This technique adds up with online AAS and combines a prototype EEG-cap for reference recordings of artifacts, with online adaptive filtering and is named reference layer adaptive filtering (RLAF). We found online AAS + RLAF to be highly effective in improving EEG quality. Online AAS + RLAF outperformed online AAS and did so in particular online in terms of the chosen performance metrics, these being specifically alpha rhythm amplitude ratio between closed and opened eyes (3-45% improvement), signal-to-noise-ratio of visual evoked potentials (VEP) (25-63% improvement), and VEPs variability (16-44% improvement). Further, we found that EEG quality after online AAS + RLAF is occasionally even comparable with the offline variant of AAS at a 3T MRI scanner. In conclusion RLAF is a very effective add-on tool to enable high quality EEG in simultaneous EEG-fMRI experiments, even when online artifact reduction is necessary.

An EEG Data Investigation Using Only Artifacts

Science.gov (United States)

2017-02-22

hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and...some conditions, an automation feature was implemented to help the participants find the HVT. When the HVT was within the sensor footprint, a tone...EEG Data Investigation Using Only Artifacts 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 1 Chelsey

Auditory steady state responses and cochlear implants: Modeling the artifact-response mixture in the perspective of denoising.

Science.gov (United States)

Mina, Faten; Attina, Virginie; Duroc, Yvan; Veuillet, Evelyne; Truy, Eric; Thai-Van, Hung

2017-01-01

Auditory steady state responses (ASSRs) in cochlear implant (CI) patients are contaminated by the spread of a continuous CI electrical stimulation artifact. The aim of this work was to model the electrophysiological mixture of the CI artifact and the corresponding evoked potentials on scalp electrodes in order to evaluate the performance of denoising algorithms in eliminating the CI artifact in a controlled environment. The basis of the proposed computational framework is a neural mass model representing the nodes of the auditory pathways. Six main contributors to auditory evoked potentials from the cochlear level and up to the auditory cortex were taken into consideration. The simulated dynamics were then projected into a 3-layer realistic head model. 32-channel scalp recordings of the CI artifact-response were then generated by solving the electromagnetic forward problem. As an application, the framework's simulated 32-channel datasets were used to compare the performance of 4 commonly used Independent Component Analysis (ICA) algorithms: infomax, extended infomax, jade and fastICA in eliminating the CI artifact. As expected, two major components were detectable in the simulated datasets, a low frequency component at the modulation frequency and a pulsatile high frequency component related to the stimulation frequency. The first can be attributed to the phase-locked ASSR and the second to the stimulation artifact. Among the ICA algorithms tested, simulations showed that infomax was the most efficient and reliable in denoising the CI artifact-response mixture. Denoising algorithms can induce undesirable deformation of the signal of interest in real CI patient recordings. The proposed framework is a valuable tool for evaluating these algorithms in a controllable environment ahead of experimental or clinical applications.

Auditory steady state responses and cochlear implants: Modeling the artifact-response mixture in the perspective of denoising.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Faten Mina

Full Text Available Auditory steady state responses (ASSRs in cochlear implant (CI patients are contaminated by the spread of a continuous CI electrical stimulation artifact. The aim of this work was to model the electrophysiological mixture of the CI artifact and the corresponding evoked potentials on scalp electrodes in order to evaluate the performance of denoising algorithms in eliminating the CI artifact in a controlled environment. The basis of the proposed computational framework is a neural mass model representing the nodes of the auditory pathways. Six main contributors to auditory evoked potentials from the cochlear level and up to the auditory cortex were taken into consideration. The simulated dynamics were then projected into a 3-layer realistic head model. 32-channel scalp recordings of the CI artifact-response were then generated by solving the electromagnetic forward problem. As an application, the framework's simulated 32-channel datasets were used to compare the performance of 4 commonly used Independent Component Analysis (ICA algorithms: infomax, extended infomax, jade and fastICA in eliminating the CI artifact. As expected, two major components were detectable in the simulated datasets, a low frequency component at the modulation frequency and a pulsatile high frequency component related to the stimulation frequency. The first can be attributed to the phase-locked ASSR and the second to the stimulation artifact. Among the ICA algorithms tested, simulations showed that infomax was the most efficient and reliable in denoising the CI artifact-response mixture. Denoising algorithms can induce undesirable deformation of the signal of interest in real CI patient recordings. The proposed framework is a valuable tool for evaluating these algorithms in a controllable environment ahead of experimental or clinical applications.

Please Don't Move-Evaluating Motion Artifact From Peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography Scans Using Textural Features.

Science.gov (United States)

Rantalainen, Timo; Chivers, Paola; Beck, Belinda R; Robertson, Sam; Hart, Nicolas H; Nimphius, Sophia; Weeks, Benjamin K; McIntyre, Fleur; Hands, Beth; Siafarikas, Aris

Most imaging methods, including peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT), are susceptible to motion artifacts particularly in fidgety pediatric populations. Methods currently used to address motion artifact include manual screening (visual inspection) and objective assessments of the scans. However, previously reported objective methods either cannot be applied on the reconstructed image or have not been tested for distal bone sites. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to develop and validate motion artifact classifiers to quantify motion artifact in pQCT scans. Whether textural features could provide adequate motion artifact classification performance in 2 adolescent datasets with pQCT scans from tibial and radial diaphyses and epiphyses was tested. The first dataset was split into training (66% of sample) and validation (33% of sample) datasets. Visual classification was used as the ground truth. Moderate to substantial classification performance (J48 classifier, kappa coefficients from 0.57 to 0.80) was observed in the validation dataset with the novel texture-based classifier. In applying the same classifier to the second cross-sectional dataset, a slight-to-fair (κ = 0.01-0.39) classification performance was observed. Overall, this novel textural analysis-based classifier provided a moderate-to-substantial classification of motion artifact when the classifier was specifically trained for the measurement device and population. Classification based on textural features may be used to prescreen obviously acceptable and unacceptable scans, with a subsequent human-operated visual classification of any remaining scans. Copyright © 2017 The International Society for Clinical Densitometry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Iterative metal artifact reduction for x-ray computed tomography using unmatched projector/backprojector pairs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Hanming; Wang, Linyuan; Li, Lei; Cai, Ailong; Hu, Guoen; Yan, Bin

2016-01-01

Purpose: Metal artifact reduction (MAR) is a major problem and a challenging issue in x-ray computed tomography (CT) examinations. Iterative reconstruction from sinograms unaffected by metals shows promising potential in detail recovery. This reconstruction has been the subject of much research in recent years. However, conventional iterative reconstruction methods easily introduce new artifacts around metal implants because of incomplete data reconstruction and inconsistencies in practical data acquisition. Hence, this work aims at developing a method to suppress newly introduced artifacts and improve the image quality around metal implants for the iterative MAR scheme. Methods: The proposed method consists of two steps based on the general iterative MAR framework. An uncorrected image is initially reconstructed, and the corresponding metal trace is obtained. The iterative reconstruction method is then used to reconstruct images from the unaffected sinogram. In the reconstruction step of this work, an iterative strategy utilizing unmatched projector/backprojector pairs is used. A ramp filter is introduced into the back-projection procedure to restrain the inconsistency components in low frequencies and generate more reliable images of the regions around metals. Furthermore, a constrained total variation (TV) minimization model is also incorporated to enhance efficiency. The proposed strategy is implemented based on an iterative FBP and an alternating direction minimization (ADM) scheme, respectively. The developed algorithms are referred to as “iFBP-TV” and “TV-FADM,” respectively. Two projection-completion-based MAR methods and three iterative MAR methods are performed simultaneously for comparison. Results: The proposed method performs reasonably on both simulation and real CT-scanned datasets. This approach could reduce streak metal artifacts effectively and avoid the mentioned effects in the vicinity of the metals. The improvements are evaluated by

Evaluation of alignment error due to a speed artifact in stereotactic ultrasound image guidance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salter, Bill J; Wang, Brian; Szegedi, Martin W; Rassiah-Szegedi, Prema; Shrieve, Dennis C; Cheng, Roger; Fuss, Martin

2008-01-01

Ultrasound (US) image guidance systems used in radiotherapy are typically calibrated for soft tissue applications, thus introducing errors in depth-from-transducer representation when used in media with a different speed of sound propagation (e.g. fat). This error is commonly referred to as the speed artifact. In this study we utilized a standard US phantom to demonstrate the existence of the speed artifact when using a commercial US image guidance system to image through layers of simulated body fat, and we compared the results with calculated/predicted values. A general purpose US phantom (speed of sound (SOS) = 1540 m s -1 ) was imaged on a multi-slice CT scanner at a 0.625 mm slice thickness and 0.5 mm x 0.5 mm axial pixel size. Target-simulating wires inside the phantom were contoured and later transferred to the US guidance system. Layers of various thickness (1-8 cm) of commercially manufactured fat-simulating material (SOS = 1435 m s -1 ) were placed on top of the phantom to study the depth-related alignment error. In order to demonstrate that the speed artifact is not caused by adding additional layers on top of the phantom, we repeated these measurements in an identical setup using commercially manufactured tissue-simulating material (SOS = 1540 m s -1 ) for the top layers. For the fat-simulating material used in this study, we observed the magnitude of the depth-related alignment errors resulting from the speed artifact to be 0.7 mm cm -1 of fat imaged through. The measured alignment errors caused by the speed artifact agreed with the calculated values within one standard deviation for all of the different thicknesses of fat-simulating material studied here. We demonstrated the depth-related alignment error due to the speed artifact when using US image guidance for radiation treatment alignment and note that the presence of fat causes the target to be aliased to a depth greater than it actually is. For typical US guidance systems in use today, this will

Evaluation of alignment error due to a speed artifact in stereotactic ultrasound image guidance.

Science.gov (United States)

Salter, Bill J; Wang, Brian; Szegedi, Martin W; Rassiah-Szegedi, Prema; Shrieve, Dennis C; Cheng, Roger; Fuss, Martin

2008-12-07

Ultrasound (US) image guidance systems used in radiotherapy are typically calibrated for soft tissue applications, thus introducing errors in depth-from-transducer representation when used in media with a different speed of sound propagation (e.g. fat). This error is commonly referred to as the speed artifact. In this study we utilized a standard US phantom to demonstrate the existence of the speed artifact when using a commercial US image guidance system to image through layers of simulated body fat, and we compared the results with calculated/predicted values. A general purpose US phantom (speed of sound (SOS) = 1540 m s(-1)) was imaged on a multi-slice CT scanner at a 0.625 mm slice thickness and 0.5 mm x 0.5 mm axial pixel size. Target-simulating wires inside the phantom were contoured and later transferred to the US guidance system. Layers of various thickness (1-8 cm) of commercially manufactured fat-simulating material (SOS = 1435 m s(-1)) were placed on top of the phantom to study the depth-related alignment error. In order to demonstrate that the speed artifact is not caused by adding additional layers on top of the phantom, we repeated these measurements in an identical setup using commercially manufactured tissue-simulating material (SOS = 1540 m s(-1)) for the top layers. For the fat-simulating material used in this study, we observed the magnitude of the depth-related alignment errors resulting from the speed artifact to be 0.7 mm cm(-1) of fat imaged through. The measured alignment errors caused by the speed artifact agreed with the calculated values within one standard deviation for all of the different thicknesses of fat-simulating material studied here. We demonstrated the depth-related alignment error due to the speed artifact when using US image guidance for radiation treatment alignment and note that the presence of fat causes the target to be aliased to a depth greater than it actually is. For typical US guidance systems in use today, this will

Follow-up CT and CT angiography after intracranial aneurysm clipping and coiling - improved image quality by iterative metal artifact reduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bier, Georg; Hempel, Johann-Martin; Oergel, Anja; Hauser, Till-Karsten; Ernemann, Ulrike; Hennersdorf, Florian [Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Tuebingen (Germany); Bongers, Malte Niklas [Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Tuebingen (Germany)

2017-07-15

This paper aims to evaluate a new iterative metal artifact reduction algorithm for post-interventional evaluation of brain tissue and intracranial arteries. The data of 20 patients that underwent follow-up cranial CT and cranial CT angiography after clipping or coiling of an intracranial aneurysm was retrospectively analyzed. After the images were processed using a novel iterative metal artifact reduction algorithm, images with and without metal artifact reduction were qualitatively evaluated by two readers, using a five-point Likert scale. Moreover, artifact strength was quantitatively assessed in terms of CT attenuation and standard deviation alterations. The qualitative analysis yielded a significant increase in image quality (p = 0.0057) in iteratively processed images with substantial inter-observer agreement (k = 0.72), while the CTA image quality did not differ (p = 0.864) and even showed vessel contrast reduction in six cases (30%). The mean relative attenuation difference was 27% without metal artifact reduction vs. 11% for iterative metal artifact reduction images (p = 0.0003). The new iterative metal artifact reduction algorithm enhances non-enhanced CT image quality after clipping or coiling, but in CT-angiography images, the contrast of adjacent vessels can be compromised. (orig.)

Follow-up CT and CT angiography after intracranial aneurysm clipping and coiling - improved image quality by iterative metal artifact reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bier, Georg; Hempel, Johann-Martin; Oergel, Anja; Hauser, Till-Karsten; Ernemann, Ulrike; Hennersdorf, Florian; Bongers, Malte Niklas

2017-01-01

This paper aims to evaluate a new iterative metal artifact reduction algorithm for post-interventional evaluation of brain tissue and intracranial arteries. The data of 20 patients that underwent follow-up cranial CT and cranial CT angiography after clipping or coiling of an intracranial aneurysm was retrospectively analyzed. After the images were processed using a novel iterative metal artifact reduction algorithm, images with and without metal artifact reduction were qualitatively evaluated by two readers, using a five-point Likert scale. Moreover, artifact strength was quantitatively assessed in terms of CT attenuation and standard deviation alterations. The qualitative analysis yielded a significant increase in image quality (p = 0.0057) in iteratively processed images with substantial inter-observer agreement (k = 0.72), while the CTA image quality did not differ (p = 0.864) and even showed vessel contrast reduction in six cases (30%). The mean relative attenuation difference was 27% without metal artifact reduction vs. 11% for iterative metal artifact reduction images (p = 0.0003). The new iterative metal artifact reduction algorithm enhances non-enhanced CT image quality after clipping or coiling, but in CT-angiography images, the contrast of adjacent vessels can be compromised. (orig.)

Induction and separation of motion artifacts in EEG data using a mobile phantom head device.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, Anderson S; Schlink, Bryan R; Hairston, W David; König, Peter; Ferris, Daniel P

2016-06-01

Electroencephalography (EEG) can assess brain activity during whole-body motion in humans but head motion can induce artifacts that obfuscate electrocortical signals. Definitive solutions for removing motion artifact from EEG have yet to be found, so creating methods to assess signal processing routines for removing motion artifact are needed. We present a novel method for investigating the influence of head motion on EEG recordings as well as for assessing the efficacy of signal processing approaches intended to remove motion artifact. We used a phantom head device to mimic electrical properties of the human head with three controlled dipolar sources of electrical activity embedded in the phantom. We induced sinusoidal vertical motions on the phantom head using a custom-built platform and recorded EEG signals with three different acquisition systems while the head was both stationary and in varied motion conditions. Recordings showed up to 80% reductions in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and up to 3600% increases in the power spectrum as a function of motion amplitude and frequency. Independent component analysis (ICA) successfully isolated the three dipolar sources across all conditions and systems. There was a high correlation (r > 0.85) and marginal increase in the independent components' (ICs) power spectrum (∼15%) when comparing stationary and motion parameters. The SNR of the IC activation was 400%-700% higher in comparison to the channel data SNR, attenuating the effects of motion on SNR. Our results suggest that the phantom head and motion platform can be used to assess motion artifact removal algorithms and compare different EEG systems for motion artifact sensitivity. In addition, ICA is effective in isolating target electrocortical events and marginally improving SNR in relation to stationary recordings.

Clinical experience of titanium cerebral aneurysm clips. Evaluation of artifact of CT and MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ninomiya, Takashi; Kato, Yoko; Sano, Hirotoshi

1996-01-01

The titanium aneurysm clips manufactured by AESCULAP Company are expected to be useful, not only for clinical applications, but also for reducing artifacts in post-operative CT and MRI. We carried out an investigation of the behavior of the new Yasargil titanium clips in a 1.5T MR imager. The new titanium clips showed considerably smaller clip-induced MR and CT artifacts than phynox and elgiloy clips. No movement of the titanium clips was seen by introducing them to the MR imager. Subsequent to these experimental studies, we applied titanium clips to 25 cerebral aneurysms. Post-operative CT, especially helical scanning CT and MR showed minimal artifacts, leading to the conclusion that the titanium clips are better than the other types of clips for the evaluation of post-operative neuroradiological images. (author)

Efficient analysis of three dimensional EUV mask induced imaging artifacts using the waveguide decomposition method

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Feng; Evanschitzky, Peter; Fühner, Tim; Erdmann, Andreas

2009-10-01

This paper employs the Waveguide decomposition method as an efficient rigorous electromagnetic field (EMF) solver to investigate three dimensional mask-induced imaging artifacts in EUV lithography. The major mask diffraction induced imaging artifacts are first identified by applying the Zernike analysis of the mask nearfield spectrum of 2D lines/spaces. Three dimensional mask features like 22nm semidense/dense contacts/posts, isolated elbows and line-ends are then investigated in terms of lithographic results. After that, the 3D mask-induced imaging artifacts such as feature orientation dependent best focus shift, process window asymmetries, and other aberration-like phenomena are explored for the studied mask features. The simulation results can help lithographers to understand the reasons of EUV-specific imaging artifacts and to devise illumination and feature dependent strategies for their compensation in the optical proximity correction (OPC) for EUV masks. At last, an efficient approach using the Zernike analysis together with the Waveguide decomposition technique is proposed to characterize the impact of mask properties for the future OPC process.

A new method for elimination of artifacts produced by collimator septum effect in gamma-camera images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uchida, Isao; Onai, Yoshio; Tomaru, Teizo; Irifune, Toraji; Kakegawa, Makoto.

1978-01-01

Collimator artifacts may be present within the images produced by collimators whose septal width approaches the inherent resolution of the gamma-camera system. As the inherent resolution of the gamma-camera is improved, collimator artifacts become more prominent. The purpose of this study is to eliminate collimator artifacts from gamma-camera images. To eliminate the septum effect produced by high-energy parallel-hole collimators with thick septa, the following method was used: X and Y signals from the detector are made to ride on the triangular waves changing periodically, and resultant position signals obtained by this processing are applied to the corresponding deflection circuits in the CRT display. The oscillation amplitude of processed position signals can be regulated by the frequency and amplitude of the triangular waves. Regulation of the oscillation amplitude of position signals, which would produce maximum reduction of collimator artifacts, was to approach the spatial frequency responses of the overall processed line spread functions obtained experimentally to those of the Gaussian functions with FWHM equal to the geometric resolution calculated from the equation given by Gerber and Miller. In images of a pancreas phantom containing 131 I, collimator artifacts were clearly seen in the unprocessed case, but were eliminated in the processed case. (auth.)

Beam hardening artifacts by dental implants: Comparison of cone-beam and 64-slice computed tomography scanners

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farzad Esmaeili

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT is an alternative to a computed tomography (CT scan, which is appropriate for a wide range of craniomaxillofacial indications. The long-term use of metallic materials in dentistry means that artifacts caused by metallic restorations in the oral cavity should be taken into account when utilizing CBCT and CT scanners. The aim of this study was to quantitatively compare the beam hardening artifacts produced by dental implants between CBCT and a 64-Slice CT scanner. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study , an implant drilling model similar to the human mandible was used in the present study. The implants (Dentis were placed in the canine, premolar and molar areas. Three series of scans were provided from the implant areas using Somatom Sensation 64-slice and NewTom VGi (CBCT CT scanners. Identical images were evaluated by three radiologists. The artifacts in each image were determined based on pre-determined criteria. Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare mean values; Mann-Whitney U test was used for two-by-two comparisons when there was a statistical significance ( P < 0.05. Results: The images of the two scanners had similar resolutions in axial sections ( P = 0.299. In coronal sections, there were significant differences in the resolutions of the images produced by the two scanners ( P < 0.001, with a higher resolution in the images produced by NewTom VGi scanner. On the whole, there were significant differences between the resolutions of the images produced by the two CT scanners ( P < 0.001, with higher resolution in the images produced by NewTom VGi scanner in comparison to those of Somatom Sensation. Conclusion: Given the high quality of the images produced by NewTom VGi and the lower costs in comparison to CT, the use of the images of this scanner in dental procedures is recommended, especially in patients with extensive restorations, multiple prostheses and previous implants.

Elemental analysis of bronze artifacts by muonic X-ray spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ninomiya, Kazuhiko; Shinohara, Atsushi; Kubo, Michael K.; Strasser, Patrick; Nagatomo, Takashi; Kawamura, Naritoshi; Shimomura, Koichiro; Miyake, Yasuhiro; Kobayashi, Yoshio; Ishida, Katsuhiko; Higemoto, Wataru; Suzuki, Takao; Saito, Tsutomu

2015-01-01

A quantitative and multi-elemental analysis method for bulk samples based on muonic X-ray spectroscopy was applied to bronze artifacts (Tempo-Tsuho coins and a Seiun-kyo mirror). This method is based on the measurement of the characteristic high-energy muonic X-rays emitted in a sample after muon irradiation. The elemental compositions of these bronze artifacts were determined from muonic X-ray intensities in a non-destructive manner, using the relation between the muonic X-ray intensity and the elemental composition of the Cu–Sn–Pb alloy system. The analyzed values agreed well with those determined by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. We also estimated the detection limit of this method in the present experimental setup as 0.81 wt% of the background signal of the muonic X-ray spectra. (author)

Visibility and artifacts of gold fiducial markers used for image guided radiation therapy of pancreatic cancer on MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gurney-Champion, Oliver J.; Lens, Eelco; Horst, Astrid van der; Houweling, Antonetta C.; Tienhoven, Geertjan van; Bel, Arjan; Klaassen, Remy; Hooft, Jeanin E. van; Stoker, Jaap; Nederveen, Aart J.

2015-01-01

Purpose: In radiation therapy of pancreatic cancer, tumor alignment prior to each treatment fraction is improved when intratumoral gold fiducial markers (from here onwards: markers), which are visible on computed tomography (CT) and cone beam CT, are used. Visibility of these markers on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) might improve image registration between CT and magnetic resonance (MR) images for tumor delineation purposes. However, concomitant image artifacts induced by markers are undesirable. The extent of visibility and artifact size depend on MRI-sequence parameters. The authors’ goal was to determine for various markers their potential to be visible and to generate artifacts, using measures that are independent of the MRI-sequence parameters. Methods: The authors selected ten different markers suitable for endoscopic placement in the pancreas and placed them into a phantom. The markers varied in diameter (0.28–0.6 mm), shape, and iron content (0%–0.5%). For each marker, the authors calculated T 2 ∗ -maps and ΔB 0 -maps using MRI measurements. A decrease in relaxation time T 2 ∗ can cause signal voids, associated with visibility, while a change in the magnetic field B 0 can cause signal shifts, which are associated with artifacts. These shifts inhibit accurate tumor delineation. As a measure for potential visibility, the authors used the volume of low T 2 ∗ , i.e., the volume for which T 2 ∗ differed from the background by >15 ms. As a measure for potential artifacts, the authors used the volume for which |ΔB 0 | > 9.4 × 10 −8 T (4 Hz). To test whether there is a correlation between visibility and artifact size, the authors calculated the Spearman’s correlation coefficient (R s ) between the volume of low T 2 ∗ and the volume of high |ΔB 0 |. The authors compared the maps with images obtained using a clinical MR-sequence. Finally, for the best visible marker as well as the marker that showed the smallest artifact, the authors

Magnetic resonance imaging susceptibility artifacts in the cervical vertebrae and spinal cord related to monocortical screw-polymethylmethacrylate implants in canine cadavers.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Brian G; Fosgate, Geoffrey T; Green, Eric M; Habing, Amy M; Hettlich, Bianca F

2017-04-01

OBJECTIVE To characterize and compare MRI susceptibility artifacts related to titanium and stainless steel monocortical screws in the cervical vertebrae and spinal cord of canine cadavers. SAMPLE 12 canine cadavers. PROCEDURES Cervical vertebrae (C4 and C5) were surgically stabilized with titanium or stainless steel monocortical screws and polymethylmethacrylate. Routine T1-weighted, T2-weighted, and short tau inversion recovery sequences were performed at 3.0 T. Magnetic susceptibility artifacts in 20 regions of interest (ROIs) across 4 contiguous vertebrae (C3 through C6) were scored by use of an established scoring system. RESULTS Artifact scores for stainless steel screws were significantly greater than scores for titanium screws at 18 of 20 ROIs. Artifact scores for titanium screws were significantly higher for spinal cord ROIs within the implanted vertebrae. Artifact scores for stainless steel screws at C3 were significantly less than at the other 3 cervical vertebrae. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Evaluation of routine MRI sequences obtained at 3.0 T revealed that susceptibility artifacts related to titanium monocortical screws were considered mild and should not hinder the overall clinical assessment of the cervical vertebrae and spinal cord. However, mild focal artifacts may obscure small portions of the spinal cord or intervertebral discs immediately adjacent to titanium screws. Severe artifacts related to stainless steel screws were more likely to result in routine MRI sequences being nondiagnostic; however, artifacts may be mitigated by implant positioning.

Accessing Cultural Artifacts Through Digital Companions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rehm, Matthias; Jensen, Martin Lynge

2015-01-01

This paper presents a study that explores how the introduction of a digital companion agent for a museum exploration game changes children’s engagement with the presented artworks. To this end, a mobile application was developed featuring a monster agent that has eaten the artworks, which...... the children had now to find in the museum. Results show that in comparison to the paper-based version of the exploration game, children engaged in more interactions with the actual cultural artifacts and showed a significantly higher retention rate for details of the involved artworks....

Comparison of the artifacts caused by metallic implants in breast MRI using dual-echo dixon versus conventional fat-suppression techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Le, Yuan; Kipfer, Hal D; Majidi, Shadie S; Holz, Stephanie; Lin, Chen

2014-09-01

The purpose of this article is to evaluate and compare the artifacts caused by metal implants in breast MR images acquired with dual-echo Dixon and two conventional fat-suppression techniques. Two types of biopsy markers were embedded into a uniform fat-water emulsion. T1-weighted gradient-echo images were acquired on a clinical 3-T MRI scanner with three different fat-suppression techniques-conventional or quick fat saturation, spectrally selective adiabatic inversion recovery (SPAIR), and dual-echo Dixon-and the 3D volumes of artifacts were measured. Among the subjects of a clinical breast MRI study using the same scanner, five patients were found to have one or more metal implants. The artifacts in Dixon and SPAIR fat-suppressed images were evaluated by three radiologists, and the results were compared with those of the phantom study. In the phantom study, the artifacts appeared as interleaved bright and dark rings on SPAIR and quick-fat-saturation images, whereas they appeared as dark regions with a thin bright rim on Dixon images. The artifacts imaged with the Dixon technique had the smallest total volume. However, the reviewers found larger artifact diameters on patient images using the Dixon sequence because only the central region was recognized as an artifact on the SPAIR images. Metal implants introduce artifacts of different types and sizes, according to the different fat-suppression techniques used. The dual-echo Dixon technique produces a larger central void, allowing the implant to be easily identified, but presents a smaller overall artifact volume by obscuring less area in the image, according to a quantitative phantom study.

Fostering nature of science teaching in elementary pre-service teachers through developing reflection on teaching and learning

Science.gov (United States)

Pongsanon, Khemmawadee

Although teacher educators have successfully helped K-12 teachers' develop adequate views of NOS, their views have not been transferred to their students. It is evident that K-12 students' understanding of NOS still does not align with the recommendation of the reforms document, indicating that holding an adequate view of NOS is insufficient for teaching NOS effectively. Instead, to teach NOS, teachers must develop the knowledge for translating their understanding of NOS into the forms accessible to students. The current study investigated the influence of four contexts of reflective practice on prospective elementary teachers' learning of how and intention to teach NOS. The participants were 18 pre-service teachers enrolled in a science methods course that was tied to a field experience course. To understand the development of the participants' intentions, knowledge of instructional strategies, and knowledge of assessment for teaching NOS, multiple data were collected throughout the science methods course and the field experience. Data sources included different versions of participants' lesson plans, video recordings of their teaching and teaching debriefings, online weekly teaching reflections, final semester reflection and other artifacts from the methods course. Content analysis was conducted with all data. The data revealed that the participants' knowledge of how and intentions to teach NOS were developed throughout the science methods course. Toward the conclusion of the semester, the participants showed intention to include NOS in their science instruction. With regard to strategies, participants planned to apply explicit reflective NOS instruction in the context of inquiry-based activities and stories from children's literature. They also planned to use age-appropriate language to refer to the targeted NOS aspects. In terms of assessment, by the conclusion of the semester the participants tended to use more formal assessment strategies. They reported

Racial IQ Differences among Transracial Adoptees: Fact or Artifact?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Drew Thomas

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Some academic publications infer from studies of transracial adoptees’ IQs that East Asian adoptees raised in the West by Whites have higher IQs than Western Whites, and that White adoptees raised by Whites have higher IQs than Black adoptees raised by Whites. Those publications suggest that this is because genetic differences give East Asians a higher mean IQ than Whites, and Whites a higher mean IQ than Blacks. This paper proposes a parsimonious alternative explanation: the apparent IQ advantage of East Asian adoptees is an artifact caused by ignoring the Flynn effect and adoption’s beneficial effect on IQ, and most of the IQ disadvantage of Black adoptees disappears when one allows for attrition in the Minnesota Transracial Adoption Study, and acknowledges the results of other studies. Diagnosing these artifacts suggests a nil hypothesis: East Asian, White, and Black adoptees raised in the same environment would have similar IQs, hinting at a minimal role for genes in racial IQ differences.

Social web artifacts for boosting recommenders theory and implementation

CERN Document Server

Ziegler, Cai-Nicolas

2013-01-01

Recommender systems, software programs that learn from human behavior and make predictions of what products we are expected to appreciate and purchase, have become an integral part of our everyday life. They proliferate across electronic commerce around the globe and exist for virtually all sorts of consumable goods, such as books, movies, music, or clothes. At the same time, a new evolution on the Web has started to take shape, commonly known as the “Web 2.0” or the “Social Web”: Consumer-generated media has become rife, social networks have emerged and are pulling significant shares of Web traffic. In line with these developments, novel information and knowledge artifacts have become readily available on the Web, created by the collective effort of millions of people. This textbook presents approaches to exploit the new Social Web fountain of knowledge, zeroing in first and foremost on two of those information artifacts, namely classification taxonomies and trust networks. These two are used to impr...

The Harvard Automated Processing Pipeline for Electroencephalography (HAPPE): Standardized Processing Software for Developmental and High-Artifact Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Gabard-Durnam, Laurel J; Mendez Leal, Adriana S; Wilkinson, Carol L; Levin, April R

2018-01-01

Electroenchephalography (EEG) recordings collected with developmental populations present particular challenges from a data processing perspective. These EEGs have a high degree of artifact contamination and often short recording lengths. As both sample sizes and EEG channel densities increase, traditional processing approaches like manual data rejection are becoming unsustainable. Moreover, such subjective approaches preclude standardized metrics of data quality, despite the heightened importance of such measures for EEGs with high rates of initial artifact contamination. There is presently a paucity of automated resources for processing these EEG data and no consistent reporting of data quality measures. To address these challenges, we propose the Harvard Automated Processing Pipeline for EEG (HAPPE) as a standardized, automated pipeline compatible with EEG recordings of variable lengths and artifact contamination levels, including high-artifact and short EEG recordings from young children or those with neurodevelopmental disorders. HAPPE processes event-related and resting-state EEG data from raw files through a series of filtering, artifact rejection, and re-referencing steps to processed EEG suitable for time-frequency-domain analyses. HAPPE also includes a post-processing report of data quality metrics to facilitate the evaluation and reporting of data quality in a standardized manner. Here, we describe each processing step in HAPPE, perform an example analysis with EEG files we have made freely available, and show that HAPPE outperforms seven alternative, widely-used processing approaches. HAPPE removes more artifact than all alternative approaches while simultaneously preserving greater or equivalent amounts of EEG signal in almost all instances. We also provide distributions of HAPPE's data quality metrics in an 867 file dataset as a reference distribution and in support of HAPPE's performance across EEG data with variable artifact contamination and

The Harvard Automated Processing Pipeline for Electroencephalography (HAPPE: Standardized Processing Software for Developmental and High-Artifact Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laurel J. Gabard-Durnam

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Electroenchephalography (EEG recordings collected with developmental populations present particular challenges from a data processing perspective. These EEGs have a high degree of artifact contamination and often short recording lengths. As both sample sizes and EEG channel densities increase, traditional processing approaches like manual data rejection are becoming unsustainable. Moreover, such subjective approaches preclude standardized metrics of data quality, despite the heightened importance of such measures for EEGs with high rates of initial artifact contamination. There is presently a paucity of automated resources for processing these EEG data and no consistent reporting of data quality measures. To address these challenges, we propose the Harvard Automated Processing Pipeline for EEG (HAPPE as a standardized, automated pipeline compatible with EEG recordings of variable lengths and artifact contamination levels, including high-artifact and short EEG recordings from young children or those with neurodevelopmental disorders. HAPPE processes event-related and resting-state EEG data from raw files through a series of filtering, artifact rejection, and re-referencing steps to processed EEG suitable for time-frequency-domain analyses. HAPPE also includes a post-processing report of data quality metrics to facilitate the evaluation and reporting of data quality in a standardized manner. Here, we describe each processing step in HAPPE, perform an example analysis with EEG files we have made freely available, and show that HAPPE outperforms seven alternative, widely-used processing approaches. HAPPE removes more artifact than all alternative approaches while simultaneously preserving greater or equivalent amounts of EEG signal in almost all instances. We also provide distributions of HAPPE's data quality metrics in an 867 file dataset as a reference distribution and in support of HAPPE's performance across EEG data with variable artifact

An efficient multiple exposure image fusion in JPEG domain

Science.gov (United States)

Hebbalaguppe, Ramya; Kakarala, Ramakrishna

2012-01-01

In this paper, we describe a method to fuse multiple images taken with varying exposure times in the JPEG domain. The proposed algorithm finds its application in HDR image acquisition and image stabilization for hand-held devices like mobile phones, music players with cameras, digital cameras etc. Image acquisition at low light typically results in blurry and noisy images for hand-held camera's. Altering camera settings like ISO sensitivity, exposure times and aperture for low light image capture results in noise amplification, motion blur and reduction of depth-of-field respectively. The purpose of fusing multiple exposures is to combine the sharp details of the shorter exposure images with high signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) of the longer exposure images. The algorithm requires only a single pass over all images, making it efficient. It comprises of - sigmoidal boosting of shorter exposed images, image fusion, artifact removal and saturation detection. Algorithm does not need more memory than a single JPEG macro block to be kept in memory making it feasible to be implemented as the part of a digital cameras hardware image processing engine. The Artifact removal step reuses the JPEGs built-in frequency analysis and hence benefits from the considerable optimization and design experience that is available for JPEG.

Characterization of ultrasound elevation beamwidth artifacts for prostate brachytherapy needle insertion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peikari, Mohammad; Chen, Thomas Kuriran; Lasso, Anras; Heffter, Tamas; Fichtinger, Gabor; Burdette, Everette C.

2012-01-01

Purpose: Ultrasound elevation beamwidth leads to image artifacts and uncertainties in localizing objects (such as a surgical needle) in ultrasound images. The authors examined the clinical significance of errors caused by elevation beamwidth artifacts and imaging parameters in needle insertion procedures. Methods: Beveled prostate brachytherapy needles were inserted through all holes of a grid template under real-time transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guidance. The needle tip position as indicated by the TRUS image was compared to their observed physical location. A new device was developed to measure the ultrasound elevation beamwidth. Results: Imaging parameters of the TRUS scanner have direct impact on the localization error ranging from 0.5 up to 4 mm. The smallest localization error was observed laterally close to the center of the grid template and axially within the beam's focal zone. Largest localization error occurs laterally around both sides of the grid template and axially within the beam's far field. The authors also found that the localization errors vary with both lateral and elevation offsets. Conclusions: The authors found properly adjusting the TRUS imaging settings to lower the ultrasound gain and power effectively minimized the appearance of elevation beamwidth artifacts and in turn reduced the localization errors of the needle tip.

Pan-cancer analysis reveals technical artifacts in TCGA germline variant calls.

Science.gov (United States)

Buckley, Alexandra R; Standish, Kristopher A; Bhutani, Kunal; Ideker, Trey; Lasken, Roger S; Carter, Hannah; Harismendy, Olivier; Schork, Nicholas J

2017-06-12

Cancer research to date has largely focused on somatically acquired genetic aberrations. In contrast, the degree to which germline, or inherited, variation contributes to tumorigenesis remains unclear, possibly due to a lack of accessible germline variant data. Here we called germline variants on 9618 cases from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database representing 31 cancer types. We identified batch effects affecting loss of function (LOF) variant calls that can be traced back to differences in the way the sequence data were generated both within and across cancer types. Overall, LOF indel calls were more sensitive to technical artifacts than LOF Single Nucleotide Variant (SNV) calls. In particular, whole genome amplification of DNA prior to sequencing led to an artificially increased burden of LOF indel calls, which confounded association analyses relating germline variants to tumor type despite stringent indel filtering strategies. The samples affected by these technical artifacts include all acute myeloid leukemia and practically all ovarian cancer samples. We demonstrate how technical artifacts induced by whole genome amplification of DNA can lead to false positive germline-tumor type associations and suggest TCGA whole genome amplified samples be used with caution. This study draws attention to the need to be sensitive to problems associated with a lack of uniformity in data generation in TCGA data.

Mass Spectrometry of Intact Proteins Reveals +98 u Chemical Artifacts Following Precipitation in Acetone.

Science.gov (United States)

Güray, Melda Z; Zheng, Shi; Doucette, Alan A

2017-02-03

Protein precipitation in acetone is frequently employed ahead of mass spectrometry for sample preconcentration and purification. Unfortunately, acetone is not chemically inert; mass artifacts have previously been observed on glycine-containing peptides when exposed to acetone under acidic conditions. We herein report a distinct chemical modification occurring at the level of intact proteins when incubated in acetone. This artifact manifests as one or more satellite peaks in the MS spectrum of intact protein, spaced 98 u above the mass of the unmodified protein. Other artifacts (+84, +112 u) also appear upon incubation of proteins or peptides in acetone. The reaction is pH-sensitive, being suppressed when proteins are exposed to acetone under acidic conditions. The +98 u artifact is speculated to originate through an intermediate product of aldol condensation of acetone to form diacetone alcohol and mesityl oxide. A +98 u product could originate from nucleophilic attack on mesityl oxide or through condensation with diacetone alcohol. Given the extent of modification possible upon exposure of proteins to acetone, particularly following overnight solvent exposure or incubation at room temperature, an awareness of the variables influencing this novel modification is valued by proteomics researchers who employ acetone precipitation for protein purification.

Supercurrent and multiple Andreev reflections in micrometer-long ballistic graphene Josephson junctions.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Mengjian; Ben Shalom, Moshe; Mishchsenko, Artem; Fal'ko, Vladimir; Novoselov, Kostya; Geim, Andre

2018-02-08

Ballistic Josephson junctions are predicted to support a number of exotic physics processess, providing an ideal system to inject the supercurrent in the quantum Hall regime. Herein, we demonstrate electrical transport measurements on ballistic superconductor-graphene-superconductor junctions by contacting graphene to niobium with a junction length up to 1.5 μm. Hexagonal boron nitride encapsulation and one-dimensional edge contacts guarantee high-quality graphene Josephson junctions with a mean free path of several micrometers and record-low contact resistance. Transports in normal states including the observation of Fabry-Pérot oscillations and Sharvin resistance conclusively witness the ballistic propagation in the junctions. The critical current density J C is over one order of magnitude larger than that of the previously reported junctions. Away from the charge neutrality point, the I C R N product (I C is the critical current and R N the normal state resistance of junction) is nearly a constant, independent of carrier density n, which agrees well with the theory for ballistic Josephson junctions. Multiple Andreev reflections up to the third order are observed for the first time by measuring the differential resistance in the micrometer-long ballistic graphene Josephson junctions.

Emotion as Opportunity: Reflections on Multiple Concurrent ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Partner reduction has been shown to be one of the most important aspects of any programme that seeks to contain the spread of HIV. In South Africa, however, multiple concurrent sexual partnerships are a common feature of township life for young people, especially young men. Following on from XXXXX's (2009) study on ...

Online artifact removal for brain-computer interfaces using support vector machines and blind source separation.

Science.gov (United States)

Halder, Sebastian; Bensch, Michael; Mellinger, Jürgen; Bogdan, Martin; Kübler, Andrea; Birbaumer, Niels; Rosenstiel, Wolfgang

2007-01-01

We propose a combination of blind source separation (BSS) and independent component analysis (ICA) (signal decomposition into artifacts and nonartifacts) with support vector machines (SVMs) (automatic classification) that are designed for online usage. In order to select a suitable BSS/ICA method, three ICA algorithms (JADE, Infomax, and FastICA) and one BSS algorithm (AMUSE) are evaluated to determine their ability to isolate electromyographic (EMG) and electrooculographic (EOG) artifacts into individual components. An implementation of the selected BSS/ICA method with SVMs trained to classify EMG and EOG artifacts, which enables the usage of the method as a filter in measurements with online feedback, is described. This filter is evaluated on three BCI datasets as a proof-of-concept of the method.

Number of fragments, margin status and thermal artifacts of conized specimens from LLETZ surgery to treat cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.

Science.gov (United States)

Bittencourt, Dulcimary Dias; Zanine, Rita Maira; Sebastião, Ana Martins; Taha, Nabiha Saadi; Speck, Neila Góis; Ribalta, Julisa Chamorro Lascasas

2012-01-01

Large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ) is a nontraumatic cut and coagulation method with several advantages, but it induces thermal artifacts in the cut region. The aim here was to assess the correlations of age, number of fragments, lesion grade and degree of thermal artifacts with margin quality in conized specimens from LLETZ for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). Cross-sectional study at Universidade Federal de São Paulo (Unifesp). The records and histopathology findings of 118 women who underwent LLETZ between 1999 and 2007 were reviewed. Age, number of fragments, lesion grade, degree of thermal artifacts and margin quality were assessed. The patients' mean age was 27.14 years; 63.6% had been diagnosed with CIN II and 36.4% with CIN III. The lesion was removed as a single fragment in 79.6% of the cases. The margins were free from intraepithelial neoplasia in 85.6% and compromised in the endocervical margin in 6.8%. Fragment damage due to artifacts occurred in 2.5%. Severe artifacts occurred in 22.8%. Women aged 30 years or over presented more cases of CIN III (P < 0.0004). Neoplastic compromising of surgical margins and severe artifacts occurred more often in cases in which two or more fragments were removed, and in patients aged 30 years or over. CIN III in women aged 30 or over, when removed in two or more fragments during LLETZ, presented a greater number of compromised margins and greater severity of thermal artifacts.

Interpolation strategies for reducing IFOV artifacts in microgrid polarimeter imagery.

Science.gov (United States)

Ratliff, Bradley M; LaCasse, Charles F; Tyo, J Scott

2009-05-25

Microgrid polarimeters are composed of an array of micro-polarizing elements overlaid upon an FPA sensor. In the past decade systems have been designed and built in all regions of the optical spectrum. These systems have rugged, compact designs and the ability to obtain a complete set of polarimetric measurements during a single image capture. However, these systems acquire the polarization measurements through spatial modulation and each measurement has a varying instantaneous field-of-view (IFOV). When these measurements are combined to estimate the polarization images, strong edge artifacts are present that severely degrade the estimated polarization imagery. These artifacts can be reduced when interpolation strategies are first applied to the intensity data prior to Stokes vector estimation. Here we formally study IFOV error and the performance of several bilinear interpolation strategies used for reducing it.

An Algorithm for Real-Time Pulse Waveform Segmentation and Artifact Detection in Photoplethysmograms.

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, Christoph; Domer, Benno; Wibmer, Thomas; Penzel, Thomas

2017-03-01

Photoplethysmography has been used in a wide range of medical devices for measuring oxygen saturation, cardiac output, assessing autonomic function, and detecting peripheral vascular disease. Artifacts can render the photoplethysmogram (PPG) useless. Thus, algorithms capable of identifying artifacts are critically important. However, the published PPG algorithms are limited in algorithm and study design. Therefore, the authors developed a novel embedded algorithm for real-time pulse waveform (PWF) segmentation and artifact detection based on a contour analysis in the time domain. This paper provides an overview about PWF and artifact classifications, presents the developed PWF analysis, and demonstrates the implementation on a 32-bit ARM core microcontroller. The PWF analysis was validated with data records from 63 subjects acquired in a sleep laboratory, ergometry laboratory, and intensive care unit in equal parts. The output of the algorithm was compared with harmonized experts' annotations of the PPG with a total duration of 31.5 h. The algorithm achieved a beat-to-beat comparison sensitivity of 99.6%, specificity of 90.5%, precision of 98.5%, and accuracy of 98.3%. The interrater agreement expressed as Cohen's kappa coefficient was 0.927 and as F-measure was 0.990. In conclusion, the PWF analysis seems to be a suitable method for PPG signal quality determination, real-time annotation, data compression, and calculation of additional pulse wave metrics such as amplitude, duration, and rise time.

Analysis of Thousands of Prehistoric Mediterranean Obsidian Artifacts Using a Nondestructive Portable X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer

Science.gov (United States)

Tykot, Robert

A portable, hand-held X-ray fluorescence spectrometer has been used for a decade to elementally analyze prehistoric obsidian artifacts in the Mediterranean. Nearly 400 geological obsidian samples and 7500 obsidian artifacts have been analyzed. The pXRF can distinguish all individual sources, as well as assign artifacts specifically to most subsources. For the island sources of Lipari, Pantelleria, Sardinia, and Melos, it is important to address the usage of obsidian from specific subsources due to human selection based on physical properties of the raw material and their production practices, which may have changed over time from the Early Neolithic to the Bronze Age. The analysis of 50 or more artifacts from 60 different archaeological sites allows for statistical comparison between sites, and their contexts, geographic areas (e.g. coastal/inland, highland/lowland) and distance from geological sources. The frequency of transport between island sources and mainland sites is suggestive of maritime capabilities also for the transport of domesticated animals, ceramics, and other materials. This presentation will specifically address potential limitations of the portable XRF, including non-destructive surface analysis of potentially heterogeneous materials, and limited trace element detection compared to other analytical methods, versus its highly beneficial ``package'' of analyzing great numbers of artifacts non-destructively and rapidly without needing to export them from museums and facilities in many countries.

Dual Adaptive Filtering by Optimal Projection Applied to Filter Muscle Artifacts on EEG and Comparative Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samuel Boudet

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Muscle artifacts constitute one of the major problems in electroencephalogram (EEG examinations, particularly for the diagnosis of epilepsy, where pathological rhythms occur within the same frequency bands as those of artifacts. This paper proposes to use the method dual adaptive filtering by optimal projection (DAFOP to automatically remove artifacts while preserving true cerebral signals. DAFOP is a two-step method. The first step consists in applying the common spatial pattern (CSP method to two frequency windows to identify the slowest components which will be considered as cerebral sources. The two frequency windows are defined by optimizing convolutional filters. The second step consists in using a regression method to reconstruct the signal independently within various frequency windows. This method was evaluated by two neurologists on a selection of 114 pages with muscle artifacts, from 20 clinical recordings of awake and sleeping adults, subject to pathological signals and epileptic seizures. A blind comparison was then conducted with the canonical correlation analysis (CCA method and conventional low-pass filtering at 30 Hz. The filtering rate was 84.3% for muscle artifacts with a 6.4% reduction of cerebral signals even for the fastest waves. DAFOP was found to be significantly more efficient than CCA and 30 Hz filters. The DAFOP method is fast and automatic and can be easily used in clinical EEG recordings.

Pedogenesis, geochemical forms of heavy metals, and artifact weathering in an urban soil chronosequence, Detroit, Michigan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Howard, Jeffrey L., E-mail: jhoward@wayne.edu [Department of Geology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202 (United States); Olszewska, Dorota [Department of Geology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202 (United States)

2011-03-15