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At least 289 records · Page 16

TU-F-17A-01: BEST IN PHYSICS (JOINT IMAGING-THERAPY) - An Automatic Toolkit for Efficient and Robust Analysis of 4D Respiratory Motion

Purpose: To provide an automatic image analysis toolkit to process thoracic 4-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) and extract patient-specific motion information to facilitate investigational or clinical use of 4DCT. Methods: We developed an automatic toolkit in MATLAB to overcome the extra workload from the time dimension in 4DCT. This toolkit employs image/signal processing, computer vision, and machine learning methods to visualize, segment, register, and characterize lung 4DCT automatically or interactively. A fully-automated 3D lung segmentation algorithm was designed and 4D lung segmentation was achieved in batch mode. Voxel counting was used to calculate volume variations of the torso, lung and its air component, and local volume changes at the diaphragm and chest wall to characterize breathing pattern. Segmented lung volumes in 12 patients are compared with those from a treatment planning system (TPS). Voxel conversion was introduced from CT# to other physical parameters, such as gravity-induced pressure, to create a secondary 4D image. A demon algorithm was applied in deformable image registration and motion trajectories were extracted automatically. Calculated motion parameters were plotted with various templates. Machine learning algorithms, such as Naive Bayes and random forests, were implemented to study respiratory motion. This toolkit is complementary to and will be integrated with the Computational Environment for Radiotherapy Research (CERR). Results: The automatic 4D image/data processing toolkit provides a platform for analysis of 4D images and datasets. It processes 4D data automatically in batch mode and provides interactive visual verification for manual adjustments. The discrepancy in lung volume calculation between this and the TPS is <±2% and the time saving is by 1–2 orders of magnitude. Conclusion: A framework of 4D toolkit has been developed to analyze thoracic 4DCT automatically or interactively, facilitating both investigational and clinical use. More software tools are under development for automatic analysis of other 4D imaging modalities. This research is in part supported by NIH (U54CA137788/132378) and City Seed FY13(Grant No. 93348-14 01). AY would like to thank MSKCC summer medical student research program supported by National Cancer Institute and hosted by Department of Medical Physics at MSKCC.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Novel machine-learning method for spin classification of neutron resonances

The performance of nuclear reactors and other nuclear systems depends on a precise understanding of the neutron interaction cross sections for materials used in these systems. These cross sections exhibit resonant structure whose shape is determined in part by the angular-momentum quantum numbers of the resonances. The correct assignment of the quantum numbers of neutron resonances is, therefore, paramount. In this project, we apply machine learning to automate the quantum number assignments using only the resonances' energies and widths and not relying on detailed transmission or capture measurements. The classifier used for quantum number assignment is trained using stochastically generated resonance sequences whose distributions mimic those of real data. Here we explore the use of several physics-motivated features for training our classifier. These features amount to out-of-distribution tests of a given resonance's widths and resonance-pair spacings. We pay special attention to situations where either capture widths cannot be trusted for classification purposes or where there is insufficient information to classify resonances by the total spin J. We demonstrate the efficacy of our classification approach using simulated and actual 52 Cr resonance data.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Machine-learning based approach to examine ecological processes influencing the diversity of riverine dissolved organic matter composition

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) assemblages in freshwater rivers are formed from mixtures of simple to complex compounds that are highly variable across time and space. These mixtures largely form due to the environmental heterogeneity of river networks and the contribution of diverse allochthonous and autochthonous DOM sources. Most studies are, however, confined to local and regional scales, which precludes an understanding of how these mixtures arise at large, e.g., continental, spatial scales. The processes contributing to these mixtures are also difficult to study because of the complex interactions between various environmental factors and DOM. Here we propose the use of machine learning (ML) approaches to identify ecological processes contributing toward mixtures of DOM at a continental-scale. We related a dataset that characterized the molecular composition of DOM from river water and sediment with Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry to explanatory physicochemical variables such as nutrient concentrations and stable water isotopes ( 2 H and 18 O). Using unsupervised ML, distinctive clusters for sediment and water samples were identified, with unique molecular compositions influenced by environmental factors like terrestrial input and microbial activity. Sediment clusters showed a higher proportion of protein-like and unclassified compounds than water clusters, while water clusters exhibited a more diversified chemical composition. We then applied a supervised ML approach, involving a two-stage use of SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) values. In the first stage, SHAP values were obtained and used to identify key physicochemical variables. These parameters were employed to train models using both the default and subsequently tuned hyperparameters of the Histogram-based Gradient Boosting (HGB) algorithm. The supervised ML approach, using HGB and SHAP values, highlighted complex relationships between environmental factors and DOM diversity, in particular the existence of dams upstream, precipitation events, and other watershed characteristics were important in predicting higher chemical diversity in DOM. Our data-driven approach can now be used more generally to reveal the interplay between physical, chemical, and biological factors in determining the diversity of DOM in other ecosystems.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Trustworthiness and Trust: Identifying Factors that Drive Successful Human-AI Interaction in Nuclear Power Plant Applications

Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are rapidly evolving and considered a promising tool for efficient and continued safe operations of the U.S. nuclear power plants (NPPs). Emerging AI techniques like large language models (LLMs) are one such technology that may support personnel at existing NPPs perform work more efficiently. For example, operators may query the current operational status of a power plant via a chat interface leveraging LLMs to access plant-related information in an interactive manner rather than manually collecting various sensor data for tasks such as surveillances or completing work orders. This is a fundamental shift in the way operators currently perform their tasks today. The literature of human-automation interaction indicates that trust is a crucial factor that drives successful interaction between a human operator and an automated system, like an AI-infused NPP application. This work presents the results of a literature review on key factors that relate to trust in AI/LLM technologies for NPP applications. The relevant literature of human factors and cognitive engineering has identified various factors related to trust including trustworthiness, performance characteristics, operator skill and perceived risk. This preliminary literature review will guide development and evaluation of models involving the identified factors influencing trust in AI and develop a framework for human-centered design for interface between humans and AI. By addressing trust, this work supports developing a technical basis for designing key characteristics of AI/LLM to support calibrated trust, which will ultimately support wide-scale adoption of AI/LLM technologies, as well as ensure safe, effective, and reliable use.

99 - GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

AP-Net: An atomic-pairwise neural network for smooth and transferable interaction potentials

Intermolecular interactions are critical to many chemical phenomena, but their accurate computation using ab initio methods is often limited by computational cost. The recent emergence of machine learning (ML) potentials may be a promising alternative. Useful ML models should not only estimate accurate interaction energies but also predict smooth and asymptotically correct potential energy surfaces. However, existing ML models are not guaranteed to obey these constraints. Indeed, systemic deficiencies are apparent in the predictions of our previous hydrogen-bond model as well as the popular ANI-1X model, which we attribute to the use of an atomic energy partition. As a solution, we propose an alternative atomic-pairwise framework specifically for intermolecular ML potentials, and we introduce AP-Net—a neural network model for interaction energies. The AP-Net model is developed using this physically motivated atomic-pairwise paradigm and also exploits the interpretability of symmetry adapted perturbation theory (SAPT). We show that in contrast to other models, AP-Net produces smooth, physically meaningful intermolecular potentials exhibiting correct asymptotic behavior. Initially trained on only a limited number of mostly hydrogen-bonded dimers, AP-Net makes accurate predictions across the chemically diverse S66x8 dataset, demonstrating significant transferability. On a test set including experimental hydrogen-bonded dimers, AP-Net predicts total interaction energies with a mean absolute error of 0.37 kcal mol−1, reducing errors by a factor of 2–5 across SAPT components from previous neural network potentials. The pairwise interaction energies of the model are physically interpretable, and an investigation of predicted electrostatic energies suggests that the model “learns” the physics of hydrogen-bonded interactions.

Glick, Zachary L. (ORCID:0000000309002849)↗

Combining artificial intelligence, Earth observations, and climate models to improve predictability of ice-biogeochemistry interactions

Focal Area: Predictive Modeling. We describe how artificial intelligence (AI) can be combined with state-of-the-science Earth system models to better predict future regional climate responses. To demonstrate, we describe a case study in biogeochemical interactions with sea ice. Science Challenge: Biogeochemical models are poorly constrained for high latitude systems. Machine learning methods and edge computing can be combined with Earth system models, such as the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM), to gain insight into ice-biogeochemical interactions and improve sea ice extent prediction.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Machine learning guided selection of broad-spectrum epitope-specific functional antibodies for "Disease X"

Our project established and demonstrated a transfer learning framework that enables prediction of antibody–antigen interactions across related viruses. The approach focused on three major activities: 1. Conserved region and epitope identification – We compared viral protein structures and sequences to identify shared receptor-binding domains and neutralizing epitope regions across variants and related viruses. These conserved features formed the foundation for discovering broadly functional antibodies. 2. Machine learning model development – We built neural network–based models that integrate epitope features with antibody sequence information. Instead of relying solely on structural or physical properties, the models learned transferable patterns that describe antibody binding potential across different viral families. 3. Transfer learning and validation – Using SARS-CoV-2 and Ebola as source systems, we successfully transferred learned epitope features to predict antibody interactions for SARS CoV-1 and Marburg virus. Iterative cycles of dataset generation, retraining, and evaluation improved generalization and predictive power, ensuring the framework can adapt to new threats.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Uniform Beam Simulation Technique for Beam Scans and Machine Learning Studies at Fermilab

Fermilab's neutrino facilities, including NuMI and the upcoming LBNF, use proton beams to produce positively and negatively charged pions and kaons. Detailed simulations are necessary to study particle interactions and beam propagation. To efficiently analyze beam scan effects, we propose a technique to generate multiple simulation samples with high statistics. These samples can be used to develop beamline simulation based machine learning applications. In this technique, we generate a uniformly distributed single simulation data sample. We calculate Gaussian weights for each beam configurations and apply them to post-processing measurements. In this poster, we demonstrate the proposed simulation technique. This technique reduces simulation time and computing resources significantly.

Wickremasinghe, Athula↗

Measuring Muon Antineutrino Charged-Current Interactions Without Mesons in the Final State, in the NOvA Near Detector

NOvA is a long-baseline neutrino experiment based at Fermilab in the US, with the primary aim of measuring neutrino and antineutrino oscillations. This will enhance our understanding of electroweak interactions by measuring the neutrino mixing angles, CP-violating phase and neutrino mass ordering. To measure these oscillations, we first need to have a deep understanding of how neutrinos and antineutrinos interact with matter. Antineutrino interaction cross sections are, at present, particularly poorly constrained, and processes such as meson exchange currents are not well understood in the antineutrino sector. This analysis will develop a cross-section measurement of muon antineutrino interactions without mesons (e.g. pions or kaons) in the final state, in the NOvA near detector. A high-statistics, high-purity sample is obtained through a cut-based selection process implementing machine learning techniques. The sample is dominated by quasi-elastic and meson exchange current interactions which are sensitive to nuclear effects such as Final-State Interactions. The cross section will be extracted as a function of the incoming neutrino energy and the kinematics of the outgoing particles.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Measuring Muon Antineutrino Charged-Current Interactions without Mesons in the Final State, in the NOvA Near Detector

NOvA is a long-baseline neutrino experiment based at Fermilab in the US, with the primary aim of measuring neutrino and antineutrino oscillations. This will enhance our understanding of electroweak interactions by measuring the neutrino mixing angles, CP-violating phase and neutrino mass ordering. To measure these oscillations, we first need to have a deep understanding of how neutrinos and antineutrinos interact with matter. Antineutrino interaction cross sections are, at present, particularly poorly constrained, and processes such as meson exchange currents are not well understood in the antineutrino sector. This analysis will develop a cross-section measurement of muon antineutrino interactions without mesons (e.g. pions or kaons) in the final state, in the NOvA near detector. A high-statistics, high-purity sample is obtained through a cut-based selection process implementing machine learning techniques. The sample is dominated by quasi-elastic and meson exchange current interactions which are sensitive to nuclear effects such as Final-State Interactions. The cross section will be extracted as a function of the incoming neutrino energy and the kinematics of the outgoing particles. This presentation will give an overview of the analysis and discuss progress towards obtaining the cross-section measurement.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

MLMOD: Machine Learning Methods for Data-Driven Modeling in LAMMPS

MLMOD is a software package for incorporating machine learning approaches and models into simulations of microscale mechanics and molecular dynamics in LAMMPS. Recent machine learning approaches provide promising data-driven approaches for learning representations for system behaviors from experimental data and high fidelity simulations. The package facilitates learning and using data-driven models for (i) dynamics of the system at larger spatial-temporal scales (ii) interactions between system components, (iii) features yielding coarser degrees of freedom, and (iv) features for new quantities of interest characterizing system behaviors. MLMOD provides hooks in LAMMPS for (i) modeling dynamics and time-step integration, (ii) modeling interactions, and (iii) computing quantities of interest characterizing system states. The package allows for use of machine learning methods with general model classes including Neural Networks, Gaussian Process Regression, Kernel Models, and other approaches. Here we discuss our prototype C++/Python package, aims, and example usage. For related papers, examples, updates, and additional information see https://github.com/atzberg/mlmod and http://atzberger.org/.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Machine learning of superconducting critical temperature from Eliashberg theory

Abstract The Eliashberg theory of superconductivity accounts for the fundamental physics of conventional superconductors, including the retardation of the interaction and the Coulomb pseudopotential, to predict the critical temperature T c . McMillan, Allen, and Dynes derived approximate closed-form expressions for the critical temperature within this theory, which depends on the electron–phonon spectral function α 2 F ( ω ). Here we show that modern machine-learning techniques can substantially improve these formulae, accounting for more general shapes of the α 2 F function. Using symbolic regression and the SISSO framework, together with a database of artificially generated α 2 F functions and numerical solutions of the Eliashberg equations, we derive a formula for T c that performs as well as Allen–Dynes for low- T c superconductors and substantially better for higher- T c ones. This corrects the systematic underestimation of T c while reproducing the physical constraints originally outlined by Allen and Dynes. This equation should replace the Allen–Dynes formula for the prediction of higher-temperature superconductors.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Continental-Scale Controls on Hyporheic Respiration Revealed by Knowledge-Guided Machine Learning

Hyporheic zone sediments regulate organic matter turnover and in-stream respiration, yet controls on sediment respiration remain poorly constrained across heterogeneous river networks, limiting prediction of stream metabolism and carbon processing at continental scales. Here, we integrate observations from ~90 river corridors across the United States in the WHONDRS consortium with a knowledge-guided machine learning (KGML) framework that couples thermodynamic rate theory with machine learning to identify dominant controls on hyporheic respiration. Diagnostic analyses show that organic matter concentration and thermodynamic favorability define an upper bound on respiration potential, whereas biological catalytic capacity and physical accessibility jointly govern realized respiration rates through interaction effects. To represent unmeasurable accessibility constraints, we use the mechanistic model as a scaffold for KGML, allowing machine learning to target residual structure not explained by process theory. This hybrid framework improves predictive skill relative to both the mechanistic model alone and fully data-driven models while preserving interpretability. These results indicate that variability in hyporheic respiration is largely mechanistically structured and demonstrate how integrating process theory with explainable AI enhances predictive performance while enabling scalable synthesis of river corridor observations.

Zheng, Jianqiu↗

Machine learning for accuracy in density functional approximations

Machine learning techniques have found their way into computational chemistry as indispensable tools to accelerate atomistic simulations and materials design. In addition, machine learning approaches hold the potential to boost the predictive power of computationally efficient electronic structure methods, such as density functional theory, to chemical accuracy and to correct for fundamental errors in density functional approaches. In this paper, recent progress in applying machine learning to improve the accuracy of density functional and related approximations is reviewed. Promises and challenges in devising machine learning models transferable between different chemistries and materials classes are discussed with the help of examples applying promising models to systems far outside their training sets.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Davis Computational Spectroscopy Workflow—From Structure to Spectra

Here, we describe an automated workflow that connects a series of atomic simulation tools to investigate the relationship between atomic structure, lattice dynamics, materials properties, and inelastic neutron scattering (INS) spectra. Starting from the atomic simulation environment (ASE) as an interface, we demonstrate the use of a selection of calculators, including density functional theory (DFT) and density functional tight binding (DFTB), to optimize the structures and calculate interatomic force constants. We present the use of our workflow to compute the phonon frequencies and eigenvectors, which are required to accurately simulate the INS spectra in crystalline solids like diamond and graphite as well as molecular solids like rubrene. We have also implemented a machine-learning force field based on Chebyshev polynomials called the Chebyshev interaction model for efficient simulation (ChIMES) to improve the accuracy of the DFTB simulations. We then explore the transferability of our DFTB/ChIMES models by comparing simulations derived from different training sets. We show that DFTB/ChIMES demonstrates ~100× reduction in computational expense while retaining most of the accuracy of DFT as well as yielding high accuracy for different materials outside of our training sets. The DFTB/ChIMES method within the workflow expands the possibilities to use simulations to accurately predict materials properties of increasingly complex structures that would be unfeasible with ab initio methods.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

How Silica Surface Chemistry Modulates Interfacial Water: Insights from Machine Learning Molecular Dynamics

Controlling water structure and dynamics at silica interfaces are central to a wide range of technologies, including protective oxide layers for solar water splitting and nanoporous membranes. In this work, we develop a machine learning interatomic potential, trained via active learning, to achieve ab initio accuracy for water confined between hydroxylated silica surfaces over a range of silanol coverages and slit widths. We find that partially hydroxylated surfaces (50 and 75% OH) support stronger water−surface hydrogen bonding and more extended interfacial density profiles than fully hydroxylated (100% OH) surfaces, indicating that increasing OH coverage does not necessarily strengthen interfacial hydrogenbond networks. Translational diffusion decreases approximately linearly with slit width and OH coverage, whereas rotational dynamics respond nonlinearly. In particular, at the smallest slit width of 5 Å, 75% OH coverage produces an enhanced local tetrahedral ordered interfacial network that strongly suppresses reorientation, while 100% coverage yields a crowded, disordered interfacial layer that also hinders rotation. In contrast, the 50% OH coverage is sufficiently sparse that it does not markedly alter water structure or dynamics under confinement. These results show that coupled control of pore size and surface chemistry enables nonlinear tuning of interfacial water structure and transport, providing a design strategy for optimizing porous silica for either enhanced interfacial stability and controlled reactivity or rapid and selective transport.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Gold–Thiolate Nanocluster Dynamics and Intercluster Reactions Enabled by a Machine Learned Interatomic Potential

Monolayer protected metal clusters comprise a rich class of molecular systems and are promising candidate materials for a variety of applications. While a growing number of protected nanoclusters have been synthesized and characterized in crystalline forms, their dynamical behavior in solution, including prenucleation cluster formation, is not well understood due to limitations both in characterization and first-principles modeling techniques. Recent advancements in machine-learned interatomic potentials are rapidly enabling the study of complex interactions such as dynamical behavior and reactivity on the nanoscale. Here, we develop an Au-S-C-H atomic cluster expansion (ACE) interatomic potential for efficient and accurate molecular dynamics simulations of thiolate-protected gold nanoclusters (Au n (SCH 3 ) m ). Trained on more than 30,000 density functional theory calculations of gold nanoclusters, the interatomic potential exhibits ab initio level accuracy in energies and forces and replicates nanocluster dynamics including thermal vibration and chiral inversion. Long dynamics simulations (up to 0.1 μs time scale) reveal a mechanism explaining the thermal instability of neutral Au 25 (SR) 18 clusters. Specifically, we observe multiple stages of isomerization of the Au 25 (SR) 18 cluster, including a chiral isomer. Additionally, we simulate coalescence of two Au 25 (SR) 18 clusters and observe series of clusters where the formation mechanisms are critically mediated by ligand exchange in the form of [Au-S] n rings.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Microparticle cloud imaging and tracking for data-driven plasma science

Oceans of image and particle track data encountered in plasma interactions with microparticle clouds motivate development and applications of machine-learning (ML) algorithms. A local-constant-velocity tracker, a Kohonen neural network or self-organizing map, the feature tracking kit, and U-Net are described and compared with each other for microparticle cloud datasets generated from exploding wires, dusty plasmas, and atmospheric plasmas. Particle density and the signal-to-noise ratio have been identified as two important factors that affect the tracking accuracy. Fast Fourier transform is used to reveal how U-Net, a deep convolutional neural network developed for non-plasma applications, achieves the improvements for noisy scenes. Viscous effects are revealed in the ballistic motions of the particles from the exploding wires and atmospheric plasmas. Subdiffusion of microparticles satisfying Δr 2 ∝t k (k=0.84±0.02) is obtained from the dusty plasma datasets. Microparticle cloud imaging and tracking, when enhanced with data and ML models, present new possibilities for plasma physics.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗