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At least 73 records · Page 4

MO-G-17A-05: PET Image Deblurring Using Adaptive Dictionary Learning

Purpose: The aim of this work is to deblur PET images while suppressing Poisson noise effects using adaptive dictionary learning (DL) techniques. Methods: The model that relates a blurred and noisy PET image to the desired image is described as a linear transform y=Hm+n where m is the desired image, H is a blur kernel, n is Poisson noise and y is the blurred image. The approach we follow to recover m involves the sparse representation of y over a learned dictionary, since the image has lots of repeated patterns, edges, textures and smooth regions. The recovery is based on an optimization of a cost function having four major terms: adaptive dictionary learning term, sparsity term, regularization term, and MLEM Poisson noise estimation term. The optimization is solved by a variable splitting method that introduces additional variables. We simulated a 128×128 Hoffman brain PET image (baseline) with varying kernel types and sizes (Gaussian 9×9, σ=5.4mm; Uniform 5×5, σ=2.9mm) with additive Poisson noise (Blurred). Image recovery was performed once when the kernel type was included in the model optimization and once with the model blinded to kernel type. The recovered image was compared to the baseline as well as another recovery algorithm PIDSPLIT+ (Setzer et. al.) by calculating PSNR (Peak SNR) and normalized average differences in pixel intensities (NADPI) of line profiles across the images. Results: For known kernel types, the PSNR of the Gaussian (Uniform) was 28.73 (25.1) and 25.18 (23.4) for DL and PIDSPLIT+ respectively. For blinded deblurring the PSNRs were 25.32 and 22.86 for DL and PIDSPLIT+ respectively. NADPI between baseline and DL, and baseline and blurred for the Gaussian kernel was 2.5 and 10.8 respectively. Conclusion: PET image deblurring using dictionary learning seems to be a good approach to restore image resolution in presence of Poisson noise. GE Health Care.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

TU-F-BRF-06: 3D Pancreas MRI Segmentation Using Dictionary Learning and Manifold Clustering

Purpose: The recent advent of MRI guided radiotherapy machines has lent an exciting platform for soft tissue target localization during treatment. However, tools to efficiently utilize MRI images for such purpose have not been developed. Specifically, to efficiently quantify the organ motion, we develop an automated segmentation method using dictionary learning and manifold clustering (DLMC). Methods: Fast 3D HASTE and VIBE MR images of 2 healthy volunteers and 3 patients were acquired. A bounding box was defined to include pancreas and surrounding normal organs including the liver, duodenum and stomach. The first slice of the MRI was used for dictionary learning based on mean-shift clustering and K-SVD sparse representation. Subsequent images were iteratively reconstructed until the error is less than a preset threshold. The preliminarily segmentation was subject to the constraints of manifold clustering. The segmentation results were compared with the mean shift merging (MSM), level set (LS) and manual segmentation methods. Results: DLMC resulted in consistently higher accuracy and robustness than comparing methods. Using manual contours as the ground truth, the mean Dices indices for all subjects are 0.54, 0.56 and 0.67 for MSM, LS and DLMC, respectively based on the HASTE image. The mean Dices indices are 0.70, 0.77 and 0.79 for the three methods based on VIBE images. DLMC is clearly more robust on the patients with the diseased pancreas while LS and MSM tend to over-segment the pancreas. DLMC also achieved higher sensitivity (0.80) and specificity (0.99) combining both imaging techniques. LS achieved equivalent sensitivity on VIBE images but was more computationally inefficient. Conclusion: We showed that pancreas and surrounding normal organs can be reliably segmented based on fast MRI using DLMC. This method will facilitate both planning volume definition and imaging guidance during treatment.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Sparsity-based acoustic inversion in cross-sectional multiscale optoacoustic imaging

Purpose: With recent advancement in hardware of optoacoustic imaging systems, highly detailed cross-sectional images may be acquired at a single laser shot, thus eliminating motion artifacts. Nonetheless, other sources of artifacts remain due to signal distortion or out-of-plane signals. The purpose of image reconstruction algorithms is to obtain the most accurate images from noisy, distorted projection data. Methods: In this paper, the authors use the model-based approach for acoustic inversion, combined with a sparsity-based inversion procedure. Specifically, a cost function is used that includes the L1 norm of the image in sparse representation and a total variation (TV) term. The optimization problem is solved by a numerically efficient implementation of a nonlinear gradient descent algorithm. TV–L1 model-based inversion is tested in the cross section geometry for numerically generated data as well as for in vivo experimental data from an adult mouse. Results: In all cases, model-based TV–L1 inversion showed a better performance over the conventional Tikhonov regularization, TV inversion, and L1 inversion. In the numerical examples, the images reconstructed with TV–L1 inversion were quantitatively more similar to the originating images. In the experimental examples, TV–L1 inversion yielded sharper images and weaker streak artifact. Conclusions: The results herein show that TV–L1 inversion is capable of improving the quality of highly detailed, multiscale optoacoustic images obtained in vivo using cross-sectional imaging systems. As a result of its high fidelity, model-based TV–L1 inversion may be considered as the new standard for image reconstruction in cross-sectional imaging.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Automated segmentation of dental CBCT image with prior-guided sequential random forests

Purpose: Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is an increasingly utilized imaging modality for the diagnosis and treatment planning of the patients with craniomaxillofacial (CMF) deformities. Accurate segmentation of CBCT image is an essential step to generate 3D models for the diagnosis and treatment planning of the patients with CMF deformities. However, due to the image artifacts caused by beam hardening, imaging noise, inhomogeneity, truncation, and maximal intercuspation, it is difficult to segment the CBCT. Methods: In this paper, the authors present a new automatic segmentation method to address these problems. Specifically, the authors first employ a majority voting method to estimate the initial segmentation probability maps of both mandible and maxilla based on multiple aligned expert-segmented CBCT images. These probability maps provide an important prior guidance for CBCT segmentation. The authors then extract both the appearance features from CBCTs and the context features from the initial probability maps to train the first-layer of random forest classifier that can select discriminative features for segmentation. Based on the first-layer of trained classifier, the probability maps are updated, which will be employed to further train the next layer of random forest classifier. By iteratively training the subsequent random forest classifier using both the original CBCT features and the updated segmentation probability maps, a sequence of classifiers can be derived for accurate segmentation of CBCT images. Results: Segmentation results on CBCTs of 30 subjects were both quantitatively and qualitatively validated based on manually labeled ground truth. The average Dice ratios of mandible and maxilla by the authors’ method were 0.94 and 0.91, respectively, which are significantly better than the state-of-the-art method based on sparse representation (p-value < 0.001). Conclusions: The authors have developed and validated a novel fully automated method for CBCT segmentation.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗

Discovering the Unknowns: A First Step

This article aims at discovering the unknown variables in the system through data analysis. The main idea is to use the time of data collection as a surrogate variable and try to identify the unknown variables by modeling gradual and sudden changes in the data. We use Gaussian process modeling and a sparse representation of the sudden changes to efficiently estimate the large number of parameters in the proposed statistical model. The method is tested on a realistic dataset generated using a one-dimensional implementation of a Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF) simulation model, and encouraging results are obtained.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Hierarchical Bayesian Inverse Problems: A High-Dimensional Statistics Viewpoint

This paper analyzes hierarchical Bayesian inverse problems using techniques from highdimensional statistics. Furthermore, our analysis leverages a property of hierarchical Bayesian regularizers that we call approximate decomposability to obtain non-asymptotic bounds on the reconstruction error attained by maximum a posteriori estimators. The new theory explains how hierarchical Bayesian models that exploit sparsity, group sparsity, and sparse representations of the unknown parameter can achieve accurate reconstructions in high-dimensional settings.

MAP estimation↗

UQ Toolkit v 2.0

The Uncertainty Quantification (UQ) Toolkit is a software library for the characterizaton and propagation of uncertainties in computational models. For the characterization of uncertainties, Bayesian inference tools are provided to infer uncertain model parameters, as well as Bayesian compressive sensing methods for discovering sparse representations of high-dimensional input-output response surfaces, and also Karhunen-Loève expansions for representing stochastic processes. Uncertain parameters are treated as random variables and represented with Polynomial Chaos expansions (PCEs). The library implements several spectral basis function types (e.g. Hermite basis functions in terms of Gaussian random variables or Legendre basis functions in terms of uniform random variables) that can be used to represent random variables with PCEs. For propagation of uncertainty, tools are provided to propagate PCEs that describe the input uncertainty through the computational model using either intrusive methods (Galerkin projection of equations onto basis functions) or non-intrusive methods (perform deterministic operation at sampled values of the random values and project the obtained results onto basis functions).

Safta, Cosmin↗

Wavefront shaping with a Hadamard basis for scattering soil imaging

Here, soil is a scattering medium that inhibits imaging of plant-microbial-mineral interactions that are essential to plant health and soil carbon sequestration. However, optical imaging in the complex medium of soil has been stymied by the seemingly intractable problems of scattering and contrast. Here, we develop a wavefront shaping method based on adaptive stochastic parallel gradient descent optimization with a Hadamard basis to focus light through soil mineral samples. Our approach allows a sparse representation of the wavefront with reduced dimensionality for the optimization. We further divide the used Hadamard basis set into subsets and optimize a certain subset at once. Simulation and experimental optimization results demonstrate our method has an approximately seven times higher convergence rate and overall better performance compared to that with optimizing all pixels at once. The proposed method can benefit other high-dimensional optimization problems in adaptive optics and wavefront shaping.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Probabilistic Photometric Redshifts in the Era of Petascale Astronomy

With the growth of large photometric surveys, accurately estimating photometric redshifts, preferably as a probability density function (PDF), and fully understanding the implicit systematic uncertainties in this process has become increasingly important. These surveys are expected to obtain images of billions of distinct galaxies. As a result, storing and analyzing all of these photometric redshift PDFs will be non-trivial, and this challenge becomes even more severe if a survey plans to compute and store multiple different PDFs. In this thesis, we have developed an end-to-end framework that will compute accurate and robust photometric redshift PDFs for massive data sets by using two new, state-of-the-art machine learning techniques that are based on a random forest and a random atlas, respectively. By using data from several photometric surveys, we demonstrate the applicability of these new techniques, and we demonstrate that our new approach is among the best techniques currently available. We also show how different techniques can be combined by using novel Bayesian techniques to improve the photometric redshift precision to unprecedented levels while also presenting new approaches to better identify outliers. In addition, our framework provides supplementary information regarding the data being analyzed, including unbiased estimates of the accuracy of the technique without resorting to a validation data set, identification of poor photometric redshift areas within the parameter space occupied by the spectroscopic training data, and a quantification of the relative importance of the variables used during the estimation process. Furthermore, we present a new approach to represent and store photometric redshift PDFs by using a sparse representation with outstanding compression and reconstruction capabilities. We also demonstrate how this framework can also be directly incorporated into cosmological analyses. The new techniques presented in this thesis are crucial to enable the development of precision cosmology in the era of petascale astronomical surveys.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

UQ Toolkit v 2.0

The Uncertainty Quantification (UQ) Toolkit is a software library for the characterizaton and propagation of uncertainties in computational models. For the characterization of uncertainties, Bayesian inference tools are provided to infer uncertain model parameters, as well as Bayesian compressive sensing methods for discovering sparse representations of high-dimensional input-output response surfaces, and also Karhunen-Loève expansions for representing stochastic processes. Uncertain parameters are treated as random variables and represented with Polynomial Chaos expansions (PCEs). The library implements several spectral basis function types (e.g. Hermite basis functions in terms of Gaussian random variables or Legendre basis functions in terms of uniform random variables) that can be used to represent random variables with PCEs. For propagation of uncertainty, tools are provided to propagate PCEs that describe the input uncertainty through the computational model using either intrusive methods (Galerkin projection of equations onto basis functions) or non-intrusive methods (perform deterministic operation at sampled values of the random values and project the obtained results onto basis functions).

Source record↗

UQ Toolkit v. 3.0

The Uncertainty Quantification (UQ) Toolkit is a software library for the characterization and propagation of uncertainties in computational models. This library provides Bayesian inference tools to infer uncertain model parameters, Bayesian compressive sensing methods for discovering sparse representations of high-dimensional input-output response surfaces, methods for constructing Karhunen-Loève representations of stochastic processes, and global sensitivity analysis tools used to compute Sobol indices in order to characterize the importance of uncertain inputs or the interactions between them. The basis for many of these methods relies on representing random variables with Polynomial Chaos expansions (PCEs). This library implements several spectral basis function types (e.g. Hermite basis functions in terms of Gaussian random variables or Legendre basis functions in terms of uniform random variables) that can be used to represent random variables with PCEs. For the propagation of uncertainty, tools are provided to propagate PCEs that describe the input uncertainty through the computational model using either intrusive methods (Galerkin projection of equations onto basis functions) or non-intrusive methods (perform deterministic operation at sampled values of the random values and project the obtained results onto basis functions).

Sargsyan, Khachik↗

Efficient convolutional sparse coding

Computationally efficient algorithms may be applied for fast dictionary learning solving the convolutional sparse coding problem in the Fourier domain. More specifically, efficient convolutional sparse coding may be derived within an alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) framework that utilizes fast Fourier transforms (FFT) to solve the main linear system in the frequency domain. Such algorithms may enable a significant reduction in computational cost over conventional approaches by implementing a linear solver for the most critical and computationally expensive component of the conventional iterative algorithm. The theoretical computational cost of the algorithm may be reduced from O(M.sup.3N) to O(MN log N), where N is the dimensionality of the data and M is the number of elements in the dictionary. This significant improvement in efficiency may greatly increase the range of problems that can practically be addressed via convolutional sparse representations.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Fission matrix capability for MCNP, Part II - Applications

This paper describes the initial experience and results from implementing a fission matrix capability into the MCNP Monte Carlo code. The fission matrix is obtained at essentially no cost during the normal simulation for criticality calculations. It can be used to provide estimates of the fundamental mode power distribution, the reactor dominance ratio, the eigenvalue spectrum, and higher mode spatial eigenfunctions. It can also be used to accelerate the convergence of the power method iterations. Past difficulties and limitations of the fission matrix approach are overcome with a new sparse representation of the matrix, permitting much larger and more accurate fission matrix representations. Numerous examples are presented. A companion paper (Part I - Theory) describes the theoretical basis for the fission matrix method. (authors)

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Calorimeter Pileup Deconvolution for Online Trigger Primitives

In high energy physics experiment, as the luminosity increases, pile-up issues on detectors such as calorimeters become non-negligible. Deconvolution approaches with mathematic pre-assumptions such as Sparse Representation are developed for data analysis stage. For online computation tasks such as for trigger primitive creation, signal availability is significantly different as in offline data analysis stage, and therefore, different (yet simpler) algorithms should be explored. In this document, several approaches of deconvolution suitable for FPGA implementation are discussed.

Wu, Jin-yuan [Fermilab] (ORCID:0000000344329521)↗

Comparing quantum annealing and spiking neuromorphic computing for sampling binary sparse coding QUBO problems

We consider the problem of computing a sparse binary representation of an image. Given an image and an overcomplete, non-orthonormal basis, we aim to find a sparse binary vector indicating the minimal set of basis vectors that when added together best reconstruct the given input. We formulate this problem with an L 2 loss on the reconstruction error, and an L 0 loss on the binary vector enforcing sparsity. First, we solve the sparse representation QUBOs by solving them both on a D-Wave quantum annealer with Pegasus chip connectivity, as well as on the Intel Loihi 2 spiking neuromorphic processor using a stochastic Non-equilibrium Boltzmann Machine (NEBM). Second, using Quantum Evolution Monte Carlo with Reverse Annealing and iterated warm starting on Loihi 2 to evolve the solution quality from the respective machines. We demonstrate that both quantum annealing and neuromorphic computing are suitable for solving binary sparse coding QUBOs.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

A Sparse Tableau Formulation for Node-Breaker Representations in Security-Constrained Optimal Power Flow

Realistic representations of contingencies in AC optimal power flow (ACOPF) often challenge traditional bus-branch network models. Derived from nodal analysis, such approaches represent network constraints in terms of the familiar bus admittance matrix, Ybus. A fixed Ybus is unable to represent common circuit breaker actions such as bus splitting. Work-arounds for Ybus-based analysis typically rely on topology processing, switching between different Ybus matrices depending on breaker settings. In this paper, we propose a very general node-breaker approach, employing multi-port element models and using a sparse tableau formulation (STF) for network constraints. Instead of treating breaker action as altering network topology, and hence changing the structure of Kirchhoff’s voltage law (KVL) and Kirchhoff’s current law (KCL) equations, this approach represents a breaker’s position as impacting only constraints associated with a single component, thereby maintaining fixed structure in the KVL and KCL constraints. While larger numbers of variables are required, STF proves sparser than Ybus formulations. Numerical case studies herein demonstrate that STF provides computational efficiency comparable to a Ybus-based ACOPF at the scale of several hundred buses, and lower computational cost in an example of over one thousand buses.

Park, Byungkwon (ORCID:000000033189816X)↗

Nonlinear Signal Processing for Removing Microphonic Noise from Nuclear Spectrometer Measurements: Sparse Linear Modeling via L1 Norm Regularization [Slides]

The focus of this initial work is to apply recent breakthroughs in sparse linear modeling and nonlinear signal processing to the problem of removing microphonic noise from nuclear spectrum measurements. The resolution of nuclear spectrum measurements is commonly degraded by microphonic noise caused by the vibration of supporting equipment (i.e. cryocoolers) as well as motion of the detector itself in mobile applications. Current signal processing techniques cannot remove microphonic noise without modifying the desired characteristics of the spikes induced by nuclear detection events. The LANL Engineering Institute has been working with NEN‐1 to remedy this problem. Initial work focused on developing active control systems to cancel the vibrations experienced by nuclear detectors. As work on progressed along these lines the team realized that a more robust, lower‐energy, lower‐cost solution to the microphonic noise problem could be realized using recent breakthroughs in nonlinear signal processing. Over the course of the last decade significant advances have been made in the field of sparse linear modeling using L1 norm minimization to find linear representations of sparse signals. The problem of removing microphonic noise from nuclear detection measurements appears to be well suited to the L1 minimization approach because these measurements tend to be inherently sparse in two different domains. The nuclear detections are sparse in a spike domain, and the microphonic noise is sparse in the Fourier basis. L1 minimization allows us to decompose the measurements into these two domains. The result is that we can potentially separate the spikes from the microphonic noise. Initial investigations into this technique look very promising. In this work microphonic noise is induced in an HE‐3 detector by a wrench impact. A pulser is used to generate uniform, synthetic, nuclear events and is fed into the detector front end electronics. Nearly all the microphonic noise is separated from the spike measurements. The histograms in Figure 2 illustrate that spectrum widening caused by noise is significantly reduced. The goal of future work to further develop this technique to account for variations in spike characteristics, as well as to use adaptive signal processing and modern Graphical Processing Unit (GPU) technology to speed up the signal decompositions.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Deformable segmentation of 3D MR prostate images via distributed discriminative dictionary and ensemble learning

Purpose: Automatic prostate segmentation from MR images is an important task in various clinical applications such as prostate cancer staging and MR-guided radiotherapy planning. However, the large appearance and shape variations of the prostate in MR images make the segmentation problem difficult to solve. Traditional Active Shape/Appearance Model (ASM/AAM) has limited accuracy on this problem, since its basic assumption, i.e., both shape and appearance of the targeted organ follow Gaussian distributions, is invalid in prostate MR images. To this end, the authors propose a sparse dictionary learning method to model the image appearance in a nonparametric fashion and further integrate the appearance model into a deformable segmentation framework for prostate MR segmentation. Methods: To drive the deformable model for prostate segmentation, the authors propose nonparametric appearance and shape models. The nonparametric appearance model is based on a novel dictionary learning method, namely distributed discriminative dictionary (DDD) learning, which is able to capture fine distinctions in image appearance. To increase the differential power of traditional dictionary-based classification methods, the authors' DDD learning approach takes three strategies. First, two dictionaries for prostate and nonprostate tissues are built, respectively, using the discriminative features obtained from minimum redundancy maximum relevance feature selection. Second, linear discriminant analysis is employed as a linear classifier to boost the optimal separation between prostate and nonprostate tissues, based on the representation residuals from sparse representation. Third, to enhance the robustness of the authors' classification method, multiple local dictionaries are learned for local regions along the prostate boundary (each with small appearance variations), instead of learning one global classifier for the entire prostate. These discriminative dictionaries are located on different patches of the prostate surface and trained to adaptively capture the appearance in different prostate zones, thus achieving better local tissue differentiation. For each local region, multiple classifiers are trained based on the randomly selected samples and finally assembled by a specific fusion method. In addition to this nonparametric appearance model, a prostate shape model is learned from the shape statistics using a novel approach, sparse shape composition, which can model nonGaussian distributions of shape variation and regularize the 3D mesh deformation by constraining it within the observed shape subspace. Results: The proposed method has been evaluated on two datasets consisting of T2-weighted MR prostate images. For the first (internal) dataset, the classification effectiveness of the authors' improved dictionary learning has been validated by comparing it with three other variants of traditional dictionary learning methods. The experimental results show that the authors' method yields a Dice Ratio of 89.1% compared to the manual segmentation, which is more accurate than the three state-of-the-art MR prostate segmentation methods under comparison. For the second dataset, the MICCAI 2012 challenge dataset, the authors' proposed method yields a Dice Ratio of 87.4%, which also achieves better segmentation accuracy than other methods under comparison. Conclusions: A new magnetic resonance image prostate segmentation method is proposed based on the combination of deformable model and dictionary learning methods, which achieves more accurate segmentation performance on prostate T2 MR images.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗