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At least 235 records · Page 13

What can we learn from in-soil imaging of a live plant: X-ray Computed Tomography and 3D numerical simulation of root-soil system

Plant roots play a critical role in plant-soil-microbe interactions that occur in the rhizosphere, as well as processes with important implications to farming, forest management and climate change. X-ray computed tomography (XCT) has been proven to be an effective tool for non-invasive root imaging and analysis. A combination of XCT, open-source software, and our own code was used to noninvasively image a prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) specimen, segment the root data to obtain a 3D image of the root structure at 31µm resolution, and extract quantitative information (root volume and surface area) from the 3D data, respectively. Based on the mesh generated from the root structure, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were applied to numerically investigate the root-soil-groundwater system. The plant root conductivity, soil hydraulic conductivity and transpiration rate were shown to control the groundwater distribution. The flow variability and soil water distributions under different scenarios were investigated. Parameterizations were evaluated to show their impacts on the average conductivity. The pore-scale modeling approach provides realistic simulations of rhizosphere flow processes and provides useful information that can be linked to upscaled models.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Imaging Taurine in the Central Nervous System Using Chemically Specific X-ray Fluorescence Imaging at the Sulfur K-Edge

A method to image taurine distributions within the central nervous system and other organs has long been sought. Since taurine is small and mobile, it cannot be chemically “tagged” and imaged using conventional immuno-histochemistry methods. Combining numerous indirect measurements, taurine is known to play critical roles in brain function during health and disease and is proposed to act as a neuro-osmolyte, neuro-modulator, and possibly a neuro-transmitter. Elucidation of taurine’s neurochemical roles and importance would be substantially enhanced by a direct method to visualize alterations, due to physiological and pathological events in the brain, in the local concentration of taurine at or near cellular spatial resolution in vivo or in situ in tissue sections. We thus have developed chemically specific X-ray fluorescence imaging (XFI) at the sulfur K-edge to image the sulfonate group in taurine in situ in ex vivo tissue sections. To our knowledge, this represents the first undistorted imaging of taurine distribution in brain at 20 μm resolution. We report quantitative technique validation by imaging taurine in the cerebellum and hippocampus regions of the rat brain. Further, we apply the technique to image taurine loss from the vulnerable CA1 (cornus ammonis 1) sector of the rat hippocampus following global brain ischemia. Furthermore, the location-specific loss of taurine from CA1 but not CA3 neurons following ischemia reveals osmotic stress may be a key factor in delayed neurodegeneration after a cerebral ischemic insult and highlights the significant potential of chemically specific XFI to study the role of taurine in brain disease.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

FIRM image analysis: A machine learning workflow for quantifying extracellular matrix components from electron microscopy images

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a complex network of biomolecules that plays an integral role in the structure, processes, and signaling mechanisms of cells and tissues. Identifying and quantifying changes in these matrix components provides insight into the mechanisms behind specific tissue remodeling processes; however, quantifying these changes is challenging due to difficult imaging conditions, complexity of the ECM, and the subtlety of these changes. Current imaging techniques allow us to visualize these critical remodeling events and developments in image analysis have employed a combination of analysis software and machine learning techniques to improve the efficiency and accuracy with which features are measured. Although image analysis has seen much improvement in recent years, there has been no technique developed to address ambiguity in feature edges in electron microscopy images. Presented here is a new machine learning-based workflow for the analysis of microscopy images named FIRM (Feature Identification from Raw Microscopy) that uses a random forest classifier to identify ECM features of interest and generate binary segmentation masks for quantification with ImageJ-FIJI. FIRM performed with an F1 score of 0.794 and greater than 80% accuracy for number and size of features detected. FIRM had similar deviation from the ground truth in the number of identified fibrils, fibril size, and size distributions when compared to human analyses. The results suggest that FIRM performs as well as manual analysis and requires a fraction of the time. This analysis technique is more efficient, eliminates user bias, and can be easily optimized to identify a variety of features, making it useful for any discipline requiring image analysis.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

Coincident Aerosol and H2O Retrievals versus HSI Imager Field Campaign ReportH2O Retrievals versus HSI Imager Field Campaign Report

Two spectrally calibrated tarpaulins (tarps) were co-located at a fixed Global Positioning System (GPS) position on the gravel antenna field at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility’s Southern Great Plains (SGP) site. Their placement was timed to coincide with the overflight of a new hyperspectral imaging satellite. The intention was to provide an analysis of the data obtained, including the measured and retrieved spectral albedos for the calibration tarps. Subsequently, a full suite of retrieved values of H2O column, and the aerosol overburden, were to be compared to those determined by alternate SGP ground truth assets. To the extent possible, the down-looking cloud images would be assessed against the all-sky images. Because cloud contamination above a certain level precludes the inversion processing of the satellite data, coupled with infrequent targeting opportunities, clear-sky conditions were imposed. The SGP site was chosen not only as a target of opportunity for satellite validation, but as perhaps the best coincident field measurement site, as established by DOE’s ARM Facility. The satellite team had every expectation of using the information obtained from the SGP to improve the inversion products for all subsequent satellite images, including the cloud and radiative models and parameterizations and, thereby, the performance assessment for subsequent and historic image collections. Coordinating with the SGP onsite team, four visits, all in 2009, to the Central Facility occurred: • June 6-8 (successful exploratory visit to plan tarp placements, etc.) • July 18-24 (canceled because of forecast for heavy clouds) • Sep 9-12 (ground tarps placed, onset of clouds) • Nov 7-9 (visit ultimately canceled because of weather predictions). As noted, in each instance, any significant overcast prediction precluded image collection from the satellite. Given the long task-scheduling procedures (which were in place for each time period), coupled with other priorities and the satellite lifetime, no alternate SGP images could be obtained.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

High compression image and image sequence coding

The digital representation of an image requires a very large number of bits. This number is even larger for an image sequence. The goal of image coding is to reduce this number, as much as possible, and reconstruct a faithful duplicate of the original picture or image sequence. Early efforts in image coding, solely guided by information theory, led to a plethora of methods. The compression ratio reached a plateau around 10:1 a couple of years ago. Recent progress in the study of the brain mechanism of vision and scene analysis has opened new vistas in picture coding. Directional sensitivity of the neurones in the visual pathway combined with the separate processing of contours and textures has led to a new class of coding methods capable of achieving compression ratios as high as 100:1 for images and around 300:1 for image sequences. Recent progress on some of the main avenues of object-based methods is presented. These second generation techniques make use of contour-texture modeling, new results in neurophysiology and psychophysics and scene analysis.

Kunt, Murat↗

Astro-1 ultraviolet imaging of the 30 Doradus and SN 1987A fields with the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope

A preliminary analysis of Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT) images in the 30 Doradus region is reported. Photometry was obtained for the 30 Doradus cluster and its UV-bright core, R136, in various UIT bandpasses. It is found that about 14 percent of the total FUV light and about 16 percent of the total near-UV light of the 3-arcmin diameter 30 Doradus cluster originates from the region within 5 arcsec of R136. The UV magnitudes and colors of R136 and other known O and Wolf-Rayet WN stars in the same field were measured. The UIT data, combined with published observations at longer wavelengths, indicate that R136a1, the brightest component of R136, is not a supermassive stars. A qualitative comparison between the UIT images, Einstein X-ray data, IRAS HiRes images, and ground-based CCD images in forbidden O III 5007 A, H-alpha, B, R, U, and Stromgren u is performed. The extended diffuse UV feature detected in the UIT images is correlated with the IR structure seen in the IRAS 60-micron HiRes image, which suggests the existence of large amounts of widely distributed dust in this region.

Cheng, Kwang-Ping↗

Instrument requirements for imaging the magnetosphere in extreme-ultraviolet and energetic neutral atoms derived from computer-simulated images

Scientific requirements for He(+)(304 A) and energetic neutral atom (ENA) magnetospheric imaging, as well as the derived instrumental requirements are presented. Both ENA imaging of the hot plasma and EUV imaging of the cold plasma are highlighted. The question of the accuracy with which physically significant parameters can be extracted from actual images using computerized algorithms is addressed. An example of an ENA image analyzed by means of the Powell minimization algorithm is given. Automated unfolding of global magnetospheric images is also discussed. A Mercator projection of a model INA image is shown.

Roelof, Edmond C.↗

Combining image-processing and image compression schemes

An investigation into the combining of image-processing schemes, specifically an image enhancement scheme, with existing compression schemes is discussed. Results are presented on the pyramid coding scheme, the subband coding scheme, and progressive transmission. Encouraging results are demonstrated for the combination of image enhancement and pyramid image coding schemes, especially at low bit rates. Adding the enhancement scheme to progressive image transmission allows enhanced visual perception at low resolutions. In addition, further progressing of the transmitted images, such as edge detection schemes, can gain from the added image resolution via the enhancement.

Greenspan, H.↗

Single Transducer Ultrasonic Imaging Method that Eliminates the Effect of Plate Thickness Variation in the Image

This article describes a single transducer ultrasonic imaging method that eliminates the effect of plate thickness variation in the image. The method thus isolates ultrasonic variations due to material microstructure. The use of this method can result in significant cost savings because the ultrasonic image can be interpreted correctly without the need for machining to achieve precise thickness uniformity during nondestructive evaluations of material development. The method is based on measurement of ultrasonic velocity. Images obtained using the thickness-independent methodology are compared with conventional velocity and c-scan echo peak amplitude images for monolithic ceramic (silicon nitride), metal matrix composite and polymer matrix composite materials. It was found that the thickness-independent ultrasonic images reveal and quantify correctly areas of global microstructural (pore and fiber volume fraction) variation due to the elimination of thickness effects. The thickness-independent ultrasonic imaging method described in this article is currently being commercialized under a cooperative agreement between NASA Lewis Research Center and Sonix, Inc.

Roth, Don J.↗

Beam Combination for Stellar Imager and its Application to Full-Aperture Imaging

Stellar Imager (SI) will be a Space-Based telescope consisting of 20 to 30 separated apertures. It is designed for UV/Optical imaging of stellar surfaces and asteroseismology. This report describes details of an alternative optical design for the beam combiner, dubbed the Spatial Frequency Remapper (SFR). It sacrifices the large field of view of the Fizeau combiner. In return, spectral resolution is obtained with a diffraction grating rather than an array of energy-resolving detectors. The SFR design works in principle and has been implemented with MIRC at CHARA for a small number of apertures. Here, we show the number of optical surfaces can be reduced and the concept scales gracefully to the large number of apertures needed for Stellar Imager. We also describe a potential application of this spatial frequency remapping to improved imaging with filled aperture systems. For filled-aperture imaging, the SFR becomes the core of an improved aperture masking system. To date, aperture-masking has produced the best images with ground-based telescopes but at the expense of low sensitivity due to short exposures and discarding most of the light collected by the telescope. This design eliminates the light-loss problem previously claimed to be inherent in all aperture-masking designs. We also argue that at least in principle, the short-integration time limit can also be overcome. With these improvements, it becomes an ideal camera for TPF-C; since it can form speckle-free images in the presence of wavefront errors, it should significantly relax the stability requirements of the current designs.

Mozurkewich, D.↗

Initial assessment of multilayer silicon detectors for hard X-ray imaging

Silicon detectors with lower material budget, ultrafast readout and radiation hardness are under developments. These unique features make pixelized silicon sensors a good option for hard X-ray imaging. To verify the performance of spatial resolution and energy sensitivity of silicon sensors to hard X-rays, a two layer setup of Pixelink PL-D725MU sensors has been tested at the Argonne National Laboratory Advanced Photon Source (APS) ID-10 sector with 29.2 keV high photon flux (4.5 x 10(8) to 4.5 x 10(10) photons per second) X-rays. Better than 3 mu m spatial resolution and clear energy characterization have been achieved by both layers. Commercial CMOS sensors with superior spatial resolution could be used for phase contrast imaging in current synchrotrons. These studies pave the path for future multilayer ultrafast silicon sensor development with ns to sub-ns readout speeds in hard X-ray imaging at synchrotrons and XFEL beamlines.

Hard X-ray imaging↗

Nanoscale imaging of alteration layers of corroded international simple glass particles using ToF-SIMS

Glass particles with dimensions typically ranging from tens to hundreds of microns are often used in glass corrosion research in order to accelerate testing. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional nanoscale imaging techniques are badly needed to characterize the alteration layers at the surfaces of these corroded glass particles. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) can provide a lateral resolution as low as ~100 nm, and, compared to other imaging techniques, is sensitive to elements lighter than carbon. In this work, we used ToF-SIMS to characterize the alteration layers of corroded international simple glass (ISG) particles. At most particle surfaces, inhomogeneous or no alteration layers were observed, indicating that the thickness of the alterations layers may be too thin to be observable by ToF-SIMS imaging. Relatively thick (e.g., 1-10 microns) alteration layers were inhomogeneously distributed at a small portion of surfaces. More interestingly, some large-size (tens of microns) glass particles were fully altered. Above observations suggest that weak attachment and the defects on ISG particle surfaces play an important role in ISG glass corrosion.

alteration layer↗

Simultaneous, single-pulse, synchrotron x-ray imaging and diffraction under gas gun loading

We develop a mini gas gun system for simultaneous, single-pulse, x-ray diffraction and imaging under high strain-rate loading at the beamline 32-ID of the Advanced Photon Source. In order to increase the reciprocal space covered by a small-area detector, a conventional target chamber is split into two chambers: a narrowed measurement chamber and a relief chamber. The gas gun impact is synchronized with synchrotron x-ray pulses and high-speed cameras. Depending on a camera’s capability, multiframe imaging and diffraction can be achieved. The proof-of-principle experiments are performed on single-crystal sapphire. The diffraction spots and images during impact are analyzed to quantify lattice deformation and fracture; diffraction peak broadening is largely caused by fracture-induced strain inhomogeneity. Finally, our results demonstrate the potential of such multiscale measurements for revealing and understanding high strain-rate phenomena at dynamic extremes.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

A new streaked soft x-ray imager for the National Ignition Facility

Here, a new streaked soft x-ray imager has been designed for use on high energy-density (HED) physics experiments at the National Ignition Facility based at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. This streaked imager uses a slit aperture, single shallow angle reflection from a nickel mirror, and soft x-ray filtering to, when coupled to one of the NIF’s x-ray streak cameras, record a 4× magnification, one-dimensional image of an x-ray source with a spatial resolution of less than 90 μm. The energy band pass produced depends upon the filter material used; for the first qualification shots, vanadium and silver-on-titanium filters were used to gate on photon energy ranges of approximately 300–510 eV and 200–400 eV, respectively. A two-channel version of the snout is available for x-ray sources up to 1 mm and a single-channel is available for larger sources up to 3 mm. Both the one and two-channel variants have been qualified on quartz wire and HED physics target shots.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Diffraction imaging for in situ characterization of double-crystal X-ray monochromators

Imaging of the Bragg-reflected X-ray beam is proposed and validated as an in situ method for characterization of the performance of double-crystal monochromators under the heat load of intense synchrotron radiation. A sequence of images is collected at different angular positions on the reflectivity curve of the second crystal and analyzed. The method provides rapid evaluation of the wavefront of the exit beam, which relates to local misorientation of the crystal planes along the beam footprint on the thermally distorted first crystal. The measured misorientation can be directly compared with the results of finite element analysis. The imaging method offers an additional insight into the local intrinsic crystal quality over the footprint of the incident X-ray beam.

cryogenic cooling↗

SU-E-J-38: Improved DRR Image Quality Using Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) Fiducial in Image Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT)

Purpose Fiducial-based imaging is often used in IGRT. Traditional gold fiducial marker often has substantial reconstruction artifacts. These artifacts Result in poor image quality of DRR for online kV-to-DRR matching. This study evaluated the image quality of PEEK in DRR in static and moving phantom. Methods CT scan of the Gold and PEEK fiducial (both 1×3 mm) was acquired in a 22 cm cylindrical phantom filled with water. Image artifacts was evaluated with maximum CT value deviated from water due to artifacts; volume of artifacts in 10×10 cm in the center slice; maximum length of streak artifacts from the fiducial. DRR resolution were measured using FWHM and FWTM. 4DCT of PEEK fiducial was acquired with the phantom moving sinusoidally in superior-inferior direction. Motion artifacts were assessed for various 4D phase angles. Results The maximum CT value deviation was −174 for Gold and −24 for PEEK. The volume of artifacts in a 10x10 cm 3 mm slice was 0.369 for Gold and 0.074 cm3 for PEEK. The maximum length of streak artifact was 80mm for Gold and 7 mm for PEEK. PEEK in DRR, FWHM was close to actual (1.0 mm for Gold and 1.1 mm for PEEK). FWTM was 1.8 mm for Gold and 1.3 mm for PEEK in DRR. Barrel motion artifact of PEEK fiducial was noticeable for free-breathing scan. The apparent PEEK length due to residual motion was in close agreement with the calculated length (13 mm for 30–70 phase, 10 mm in 40–60 phase). Conclusion Streak artifacts on planning CT associated with use of gold fiducial can be significantly reduced by PEEK fiducial, while having adequate kV image contrast. DRR image resolution at FWTM was improved from 1.8 mm to 1.3 mm. Because of this improvement, we have been routinely use PEEK for liver IGRT.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Nanoscale imaging of Li and B in nuclear waste glass, a comparison of ToF-SIMS, NanoSIMS, and APT: Nanoscale imaging of Li and B in nuclear waste glass

It has been very difficult to use popular elemental imaging techniques to image Li and B distribution in glass samples with nanoscale resolution. In this study, atom probe tomography (APT), time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) were used to image the distribution of Li and B in two representative glass samples. APT can provide three-dimensional Li and B imaging with very high spatial resolution (≤ 2 nm). In addition, absolute quantification of Li and B is possible, though room remains to improve accuracy. However, the major drawbacks of APT include limited field of view (normally ≤ 100 × 100 × 500 nm 3 ) and poor sample compatibility. As a comparison, ToF-SIMS and NanoSIMS are sample-friendly with flexible field of view (up to 500 × 500 μm 2 and image stitching is feasible); however, lateral resolution is limited to only about 100 nm. Therefore, SIMS and APT can be regarded as complementary techniques for nanoscale imaging Li and B in glass and other novel materials.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗