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Oxygen isotope characteristics of chondrules from the Yamato-82094 ungrouped carbonaceous chondrite: Further evidence for common O-isotope environments sampled among carbonaceous chondrites
In this study, high-precision secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) was employed to investigate oxygen three isotopes of phenocrysts in 35 chondrules from the Yamato (Y) 82094 ungrouped 3.2 carbonaceous chondrite. Twenty-one of 21 chondrules have multiple homogeneous pyroxene data (Δ 17 O 3SD analytical uncertainty: 0.7‰); 17 of 17 chondrules have multiple homogeneous pyroxene and plagioclase data. Twenty-one of 25 chondrules have one or more olivine data matching coexisting pyroxene data. Such homogeneous phenocrysts (1) are interpreted to have crystallized from the final chondrule melt, defining host O-isotope ratios; and (2) suggest efficient O-isotope exchange between ambient gas and chondrule melt during formation. Host values plot within 0.7‰ of the primitive chondrule mineral (PCM) line. Seventeen chondrules have relict olivine and/or spinel, with some δ 17 O and δ 18 O values approaching -40‰, similar to CAI or AOA-like precursors. Regarding host chondrule data, 22 of 34 have Mg#s of 98.8–99.5 and Δ 17 O of -3.9‰ to -6.1‰, consistent with most Acfer 094, CO, CR, and CV chondrite chondrules, and suggesting a common reduced O-isotope reservoir devoid of 16 O-poor H 2 O. Six Y-82094 chondrules have Δ 17 O near -2.5‰, with Mg#s of 64–97, consistent with lower Mg# chondrules from Acfer 094, CO, CR, and CV chondrites; their signatures suggest precursors consisting of those forming Mg# ~99, Δ 17 O: -5‰ ± 1‰ chondrules plus 16 O-poor H 2 O, at high dust enrichments. Three type II chondrules plot slightly above the PCM line, near the terrestrial fractionation line (Δ 17 O: ~+0.1‰). Their O-isotopes and olivine chemistry are like LL3 type II chondrules, suggesting they sampled ordinary chondrite-like chondrule precursors. Finally, three Mg# >99 chondrules have Δ 17 O of -6.7‰ to -8.1‰, potentially due to 16 O-rich refractory precursor components. Finally, the predominance of Mg# ~99, Δ 17 O: -5‰ ± 1‰ chondrules and a high chondrule-to-matrix ratio suggests bulk Y-82094 characteristics are closely related to anhydrous dust sampled by most carbonaceous chondrite chondrules.
Secondary corundum‐bearing assemblages in Allende Ca,Al‐rich inclusions: Mineralogy, petrology, oxygen, and aluminum–magnesium isotope systematics
Here, we report on the mineralogy, petrology, oxygen, and aluminum–magnesium isotopic systematics of the secondary corundum-bearing assemblages in type B CAIs 3529Z and 3529G and fluffy type A (FTA) CAI ALH-2 from Allende (CV > 3.6). In 3529Z and 3529G, 2–5 μm-sized euhedral-to-subhedral corundum grains associate with secondary alumoåkermanite [(Ca,Na) 2 AlSi 2 O 7 ], grossular, spinel, grossite, celsian, kushiroite, and wadalite. In ALH-2, 2–5 μm-sized euhedral-to-subhedral corundum grains associate with secondary grossular, nepheline, spinel, and kushiroite. In 3529Z and 3529G, corundum and associated secondary grossite, spinel, alumoåkermanite, grossular, and kushiroite have similar 16 O-poor compositions (Δ 17 O = −2.2 ± 1.5‰); primary spinel is 16 O-rich (Δ 17 O ~ −23‰); Al,Ti-diopside shows a range of Δ 17 O (from ~ −24‰ to ~ −15‰); anorthite and melilite are 16 O-depleted to various degrees (−6.5‰ ≤ Δ 17 O ≤ −4.5‰ and Δ 17 O = −2.7 ± 0.8‰, respectively). In ALH-2, corundum shows a range of Δ 17 O, from ~ −9‰ to ~ −1‰; primary hibonite and spinel are 16 O-rich (Δ 17 O ~ −23‰); melilite and perovskite are 16 O-poor (Δ 17 O = −2.6 ± 1.5‰ and −3.1 ± 1.3‰, respectively). On the Al-Mg isotope diagram ( 26 Mg* versus 27 Al/ 24 Mg), primary Al,Ti-diopside, hibonite, melilite, and spinel in the Allende CAIs studied along the canonical isochron with inferred initial 26 Al/ 27 Al ratio [( 26 Al/ 27 Al) 0 ] of ~5 × 10 −5 . All secondary minerals have resolved excesses of 26 Mg*: alumoåkermanite, corundum, and grossite plot below the canonical isochron, whereas most spinel analyses plot above it. An internal isochron defined by the coexisting secondary corundum and alumoåkermanite in 3529Z has ( 26 Al/ 27 Al) 0 = (7.5 ± 2.6) × 10 −7 . We conclude that the corundum-bearing assemblages in Allende CAIs resulted from metasomatic alteration of primary melilite and anorthite, ~4–5 Ma after their crystallization. Metasomatic alteration of CAIs in the Allende parent asteroid by an aqueous fluid having Δ 17 O of ~ −3 ± 2‰ modified the O-isotope composition of their primary melilite, anorthite, and Ti-rich pyroxene; O-isotope compositions of primary hibonite, spinel, and low-Ti pyroxene escaped this modification.
Methane emissions from the trunks of living trees on upland soils
Summary Upland forests are traditionally thought to be net sinks for atmospheric methane ( CH 4 ). In such forests, in situ CH 4 fluxes on tree trunks have been neglected relative to soil and canopy fluxes. We measured in situ CH 4 fluxes from the trunks of living trees and other surfaces, such as twigs and soils, using a static closed‐chamber method, and estimated the CH 4 budget in a temperate upland forest in Beijing. We found that the trunks of Populus davidiana emitted large quantities of CH 4 during July 2014–July 2015, amounting to mean annual emissions of 85.3 and 103.1 μg m −2 h −1 on a trunk surface area basis on two replicate plots. The emission rates were similar in magnitude to those from tree trunks in wetland forests. The emitted CH 4 was derived from the heartwood of trunks. On a plot or ecosystem scale, trunk CH 4 emissions were equivalent to c . 30–90% of the amount of CH 4 consumed by soils throughout the year, with an annual average of 63%. Our findings suggest that wet heartwoods, regardless of rot or not, occur widely in living trees on various habitats, where CH 4 can be produced.
Homeostatic levels of nonstructural carbohydrates after 13 yr of drought and irrigation in Pinus sylvestris
Nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs) are important for the growth and survival of trees. Drought may lead to a decrease in tree growth and to NSC depletion, whereas increased soil moisture in otherwise dry ecosystems may increase growth and NSC concentrations. A long-term (13 yr) irrigation experiment was conducted in a Pinus sylvestris-dominated forest located at the dry margin of the species in southern Switzerland. We measured the relative leaf area, growth, NSCs, needle d13C, [N] and [P] in trees on control and irrigated plots. Irrigation resulted in higher growth rates and carbon isotope discrimination, but did not alter NSC levels. Growth and NSC decreased with decreasing leaf area in both treatments, but NSC did not correlate with leaf-level gas exchange indices, such as foliar d13C, [N] or [P]. A legacy effect was shown, as trees with initially low leaf area had limited ability to respond to prolonged irrigation. The NSC constancy across treatments provides evidence that carbohydrate storage may stay constant when climate changes are sufficiently slow to allow acclimation. Moreover, we speculate that total leaf area, rather than leaf gas exchange per unit leaf area, drives the variation in whole-tree carbohydrate dynamics in this system.
Mycorrhizal effects on crop yield and soil ecosystem functions in a long‐term tillage and fertilization experiment
Summary It is well understood that agricultural management influences arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, but there is controversy about whether farmers should manage for AM symbiosis. We assessed AM fungal communities colonizing wheat roots for three consecutive years in a long‐term (> 14 yr) tillage and fertilization experiment. Relationships among mycorrhizas, crop performance, and soil ecosystem functions were quantified. Tillage, fertilizers and continuous monoculture all reduced AM fungal richness and shifted community composition toward dominance of a few ruderal taxa. Rhizophagus and Dominikia were depressed by tillage and/or fertilization, and their abundances as well as AM fungal richness correlated positively with soil aggregate stability and nutrient cycling functions across all or no‐tilled samples. In the field, wheat yield was unrelated to AM fungal abundance and correlated negatively with AM fungal richness. In a complementary glasshouse study, wheat biomass was enhanced by soil inoculum from unfertilized, no‐till plots while neutral to depressed growth was observed in wheat inoculated with soils from fertilized and conventionally tilled plots. This study demonstrates contrasting impacts of low‐input and conventional agricultural practices on AM symbiosis and highlights the importance of considering both crop yield and soil ecosystem functions when managing mycorrhizas for more sustainable agroecosystems.
Development of an Advanced Finite Element Model and Parametric Study to Evaluate Cement Sheath Barrier
Cement failure is known as one of the major causes for loss of well control events. Cement design is considered as one of the top technological knowledge gaps in high-pressure high-temperature oil and gas exploration. The primary objective of this paper is to perform a parametric analysis and identify critical parameters affecting the mechanical integrity of the set cement sheath. To achieve the objective, three-dimensional finite element models consisting of concentric casings and annular cement sheath were created. The finite element model was validated by analytical calculations. Performance of cement sheath was assessed by analyzing radial, hoop, and maximum shear stresses at different loading conditions. A parametric study was conducted by individually varying influencing factors such as cement material properties, sheath dimensions, and wellbore pressure loads. Values of all parameters were normalized and represented on the same plot against mechanical stresses. Such response curves can be used to estimate whether cement will structurally fail because of various operational loads or material aging. The plot can also be utilized to rank various factors in terms of influence on cement’s performance. Sensitivity response reveals that wellbore pressure, cement material properties, and annulus pressure are major parameters influencing mechanical stresses in neat class G cement. The order of importance depends on the type of stress. Results indicate interfacial bond failure and radial cracking to be the more likely modes of failure for class G cement. Cement response curves can help design engineers and regulators alike in quickly evaluating short-term or long-term fitness-for-service of cement sheath from the perspective of structural integrity. Industry standards and guidelines can be improved by adding performance curves for standard cement recipes.
DETERMINATION OF THE CREEP–FATIGUE INTERACTION DIAGRAM FOR ALLOY 617
Alloy 617 is the leading candidate material for an intermediate heat exchanger for the very high temperature reactor. To evaluate the behavior of this material in the expected service conditions, creep-fatigue testing was performed. Testing has been performed primarily on a single heat of material at 850 and 950°C for total strain ranges of 0.3 to 1% and tensile hold times as long as 240 minutes. At 850°C, increases in the tensile hold duration degraded the creep fatigue resistance, at least to the investigated strain-controlled hold time of up to 60 minutes at the 0.3% strain range and 240 minutes at the 1.0% strain range. At 950°C, the creep-fatigue cycles to failure becomes constant with increasing hold times, indicating saturation occurs at relatively short hold times. The creep and fatigue damage fractions have been calculated and plotted on a creep-fatigue interaction D-diagram. Results from earlier creep-fatigue tests at 800 and 1000°C on an additional heat of Alloy 617 are also plotted on the D-diagram. The methodology for calculating the damage fractions will be presented, and the effects of strain rate, strain range, temperature, hold time, and strain profile (i.e. holds in tension, compression or both) on the creep-fatigue damage will be explored.
X-ray excited Auger transitions of Pu compounds
X-ray excited Pu core–valence–valence and core–core–valence Auger line-shapes were used in combination with the Pu 4f photoelectron peaks to characterize differences in the oxidation state and local electronic structure for Pu compounds. The evolution of the Pu 4f core-level chemical shift as a function of sputtering depth profiling and hydrogen exposure at ambient temperature was quantified. The combination of the core–valence–valence Auger peak energies with the associated chemical shift of the Pu 4f photoelectron line defines the Auger parameter and results in a reliable method for definitively determining oxidation states independent of binding energy calibration. Results show that PuO{sub 2}, Pu{sub 2}O{sub 3}, PuH{sub 2.7}, and Pu have definitive Auger line-shapes. These data were used to produce a chemical state (Wagner) plot for select plutonium oxides. This Wagner plot allowed us to distinguish between the trivalent hydride and the trivalent oxide, which cannot be differentiated by the Pu 4f binding energy alone.
Machine-learning-enabled on-the-fly analysis of RHEED patterns during thin film deposition by molecular beam epitaxy
Thin film deposition is a fundamental technology for the discovery, optimization, and manufacturing of functional materials. Deposition by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) typically employs reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) as a real-time in situ probe of the growing film. However, the state-of-the-art for RHEED analysis during deposition requires human observation. Here, we present an approach using machine learning (ML) methods to monitor, analyze, and interpret RHEED images on-the-fly during thin film deposition. In the analysis workflow, RHEED pattern images are collected at one frame per second and featurized using a pretrained deep convolutional neural network. The feature vectors are then statistically analyzed to identify changepoints; these changepoints can be related to changes in the deposition mode from initial film nucleation to a transition regime, smooth film deposition, and in some cases, an additional transition to a rough, islanded deposition regime. The feature vectors are additionally analyzed via graph analysis and community classification. The graph is quantified as a stabilization plot, and we show that inflection points in the stabilization plot correspond to changes in the growth regime. The full RHEED analysis workflow is termed RHAAPsody and includes data transfer and output to a visual dashboard. We demonstrate the functionality of RHAAPsody by analyzing the precaptured RHEED images from epitaxial depositions of anatase TiO2 on SrTiO3(001) and show that the analysis workflow can be executed in less than 1 s. Our approach shows promise as one component of ML-enabled real-time feedback control of the MBE deposition process.
Characterizing particle-based thermal storage performance using optical methods for use in next generation concentrating solar power plants
Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) generation is an attractive option for low-emission power generation; however, the high costs of thermal storage associated with concentrating solar create a large barrier for their use and adaptation into modern life. Lowering their operation costs, while maintaining high thermal storage and transfer performance is essential. Solid particle-based heat exchange systems can reduce CSP cost but are often less efficient. Efforts to increase their performance have led to use of binary size particle mixes. Presented is an optical-based thermal analysis technique used to measure near-wall thermal conductivity of particle beds essential in determining their heat exchanger efficiency. Modulated Photothermal Radiometry is used to make dynamic temperature measurements, allowing for the extraction of the most relevant thermal properties like thermal conductivity, specific heat, and effusivity. The system uses a modulated laser source causing a damped periodic heat flux, resulting in a frequency and thermal property dependent surface temperature, of which is measured using radiometry. Lock-In techniques are used to extrapolate the amplitude of the signal. Plotting the amplitude against the root angular frequency allows for effusivity measurement by ratio to a known sample. Using specific heat measurements from literature and density measurements, the thermal conductivity of the particle mixes can be calculated. The simplicity of MPTR to probe through the depth of the bed is ideal for use in CSP for dynamic thermal performance monitoring.
Dose-shaping using targeted sparse optimization
Purpose: Dose volume histograms (DVHs) are common tools in radiation therapy treatment planning to characterize plan quality. As statistical metrics, DVHs provide a compact summary of the underlying plan at the cost of losing spatial information: the same or similar dose-volume histograms can arise from substantially different spatial dose maps. This is exactly the reason why physicians and physicists scrutinize dose maps even after they satisfy all DVH endpoints numerically. However, up to this point, little has been done to control spatial phenomena, such as the spatial distribution of hot spots, which has significant clinical implications. To this end, the authors propose a novel objective function that enables a more direct tradeoff between target coverage, organ-sparing, and planning target volume (PTV) homogeneity, and presents our findings from four prostate cases, a pancreas case, and a head-and-neck case to illustrate the advantages and general applicability of our method.Methods: In designing the energy minimization objective (E{sub tot}{sup sparse}), the authors utilized the following robust cost functions: (1) an asymmetric linear well function to allow differential penalties for underdose, relaxation of prescription dose, and overdose in the PTV; (2) a two-piece linear function to heavily penalize high dose and mildly penalize low and intermediate dose in organs-at risk (OARs); and (3) a total variation energy, i.e., the L{sub 1} norm applied to the first-order approximation of the dose gradient in the PTV. By minimizing a weighted sum of these robust costs, general conformity to dose prescription and dose-gradient prescription is achieved while encouraging prescription violations to follow a Laplace distribution. In contrast, conventional quadratic objectives are associated with a Gaussian distribution of violations, which is less forgiving to large violations of prescription than the Laplace distribution. As a result, the proposed objective E{sub tot}{sup sparse} improves tradeoff between planning goals by 'sacrificing' voxels that have already been violated to improve PTV coverage, PTV homogeneity, and/or OAR-sparing. In doing so, overall plan quality is increased since these large violations only arise if a net reduction in E{sub tot}{sup sparse} occurs as a result. For example, large violations to dose prescription in the PTV in E{sub tot}{sup sparse}-optimized plans will naturally localize to voxels in and around PTV-OAR overlaps where OAR-sparing may be increased without compromising target coverage. The authors compared the results of our method and the corresponding clinical plans using analyses of DVH plots, dose maps, and two quantitative metrics that quantify PTV homogeneity and overdose. These metrics do not penalize underdose since E{sub tot}{sup sparse}-optimized plans were planned such that their target coverage was similar or better than that of the clinical plans. Finally, plan deliverability was assessed with the 2D modulation index.Results: The proposed method was implemented using IBM's CPLEX optimization package (ILOG CPLEX, Sunnyvale, CA) and required 1-4 min to solve with a 12-core Intel i7 processor. In the testing procedure, the authors optimized for several points on the Pareto surface of four 7-field 6MV prostate cases that were optimized for different levels of PTV homogeneity and OAR-sparing. The generated results were compared against each other and the clinical plan by analyzing their DVH plots and dose maps. After developing intuition by planning the four prostate cases, which had relatively few tradeoffs, the authors applied our method to a 7-field 6 MV pancreas case and a 9-field 6MV head-and-neck case to test the potential impact of our method on more challenging cases. The authors found that our formulation: (1) provided excellent flexibility for balancing OAR-sparing with PTV homogeneity; and (2) permitted the dose planner more control over the evolution of the PTV's spatial dose distribution than conventional objective functions. In particular, E{sub tot}{sup sparse}-optimized plans for the pancreas case and head-and-neck case exhibited substantially improved sparing of the spinal cord and parotid glands, respectively, while maintaining or improving sparing for other OARs and markedly improving PTV homogeneity. Plan deliverability for E{sub tot}{sup sparse}-optimized plans was shown to be better than their associated clinical plans, according to the two-dimensional modulation index.Conclusions: These results suggest that our formulation may be used to improve dose-shaping and OAR-sparing for complicated disease sites, such as the pancreas or head and neck. Furthermore, our objective function and constraints are linear and constitute a linear program, which converges to the global minimum quickly, and can be easily implemented in treatment planning software. Thus, the authors expect fast translation of our method to the clinic where it may have a positive impact on plan quality for challenging disease sites.
Effects of ray profile modeling on resolution recovery in clinical CT
Purpose: Iterative image reconstruction gains more and more interest in clinical routine, as it promises to reduce image noise (and thereby patient dose), to reduce artifacts, or to improve spatial resolution. However, among vendors and researchers, there is no consensus of how to best achieve these goals. The authors are focusing on the aspect of geometric ray profile modeling, which is realized by some algorithms, while others model the ray as a straight line. The authors incorporate ray-modeling (RM) in nonregularized iterative reconstruction. That means, instead of using one simple single needle beam to represent the x-ray, the authors evaluate the double integral of attenuation path length over the finite source distribution and the finite detector element size in the numerical forward projection. Our investigations aim at analyzing the resolution recovery (RR) effects of RM. Resolution recovery means that frequencies can be recovered beyond the resolution limit of the imaging system. In order to evaluate, whether clinical CT images can benefit from modeling the geometrical properties of each x-ray, the authors performed a 2D simulation study of a clinical CT fan-beam geometry that includes the precise modeling of these geometrical properties. Methods: All simulations and reconstructions are performed in native fan-beam geometry. A water phantom with resolution bar patterns and a Forbild thorax phantom with circular resolution patterns representing calcifications in the heart region are simulated. An FBP reconstruction with a Ram–Lak kernel is used as a reference reconstruction. The FBP is compared to iterative reconstruction techniques with and without RM: An ordered subsets convex (OSC) algorithm without any RM (OSC), an OSC where the forward projection is modeled concerning the finite focal spot and detector size (OSC-RM) and an OSC with RM and with a matched forward and backprojection pair (OSC-T-RM, T for transpose). In all cases, noise was matched to be able to focus on comparing spatial resolution. The authors use two different simulation settings. Both are based on the geometry of a typical clinical CT system (0.7 mm detector element size at isocenter, 1024 projections per rotation). Setting one has an exaggerated source width of 5.0 mm. Setting two has a realistically small source width of 0.5 mm. The authors also investigate the transition from setting one to two. To quantify image quality, the authors analyze line profiles through the resolution patterns to define a contrast factor (CF) for contrast-resolution plots, and the authors compare the normalized cross-correlation (NCC) with respect to the ground truth of the circular resolution patterns. To independently analyze whether RM is of advantage, the authors implemented several iterative reconstruction algorithms: The statistical iterative reconstruction algorithm OSC, the ordered subsets simultaneous algebraic reconstruction technique (OSSART) and another statistical iterative reconstruction algorithm, denoted with ordered subsets maximum likelihood (OSML) algorithm. All algorithms were implemented both without RM (denoted as OSC, OSSART, and OSML) and with RM (denoted as OSC-RM, OSSART-RM, and OSML-RM). Results: For the unrealistic case of a 5.0 mm focal spot the CF can be improved by a factor of two due to RM: the 4.2 LP/cm bar pattern, which is the first bar pattern that cannot be resolved without RM, can be easily resolved with RM. For the realistic case of a 0.5 mm focus, all results show approximately the same CF. The NCC shows no significant dependency on RM when the source width is smaller than 2.0 mm (as in clinical CT). From 2.0 mm to 5.0 mm focal spot size increasing improvements can be observed with RM. Conclusions: Geometric RM in iterative reconstruction helps improving spatial resolution, if the ray cross-section is significantly larger than the ray sampling distance. In clinical CT, however, the ray is not much thicker than the distance between neighboring ray centers, as the focal spot size is small and detector crosstalk is negligible, due to reflective coatings between detector elements. Therefore,RM appears not to be necessary in clinical CT to achieve resolution recovery.
Mammographic quantitative image analysis and biologic image composition for breast lesion characterization and classification
Purpose: To investigate whether biologic image composition of mammographic lesions can improve upon existing mammographic quantitative image analysis (QIA) in estimating the probability of malignancy. Methods: The study population consisted of 45 breast lesions imaged with dual-energy mammography prior to breast biopsy with final diagnosis resulting in 10 invasive ductal carcinomas, 5 ductal carcinomain situ, 11 fibroadenomas, and 19 other benign diagnoses. Analysis was threefold: (1) The raw low-energy mammographic images were analyzed with an established in-house QIA method, “QIA alone,” (2) the three-compartment breast (3CB) composition measure—derived from the dual-energy mammography—of water, lipid, and protein thickness were assessed, “3CB alone”, and (3) information from QIA and 3CB was combined, “QIA + 3CB.” Analysis was initiated from radiologist-indicated lesion centers and was otherwise fully automated. Steps of the QIA and 3CB methods were lesion segmentation, characterization, and subsequent classification for malignancy in leave-one-case-out cross-validation. Performance assessment included box plots, Bland–Altman plots, and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results: The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for distinguishing between benign and malignant lesions (invasive and DCIS) was 0.81 (standard error 0.07) for the “QIA alone” method, 0.72 (0.07) for “3CB alone” method, and 0.86 (0.04) for “QIA+3CB” combined. The difference in AUC was 0.043 between “QIA + 3CB” and “QIA alone” but failed to reach statistical significance (95% confidence interval [–0.17 to + 0.26]). Conclusions: In this pilot study analyzing the new 3CB imaging modality, knowledge of the composition of breast lesions and their periphery appeared additive in combination with existing mammographic QIA methods for the distinction between different benign and malignant lesion types.
Analysis of perceived similarity between pairs of microcalcification clusters in mammograms
Purpose: Content-based image retrieval aims to assist radiologists by presenting example images with known pathology that are visually similar to the case being evaluated. In this work, the authors investigate several fundamental issues underlying the similarity ratings between pairs of microcalcification (MC) lesions on mammograms as judged by radiologists: the degree of variability in the similarity ratings, the impact of this variability on agreement between readers in retrieval of similar lesions, and the factors contributing to the readers’ similarity ratings. Methods: The authors conduct a reader study on a set of 1000 image pairs of MC lesions, in which a group of experienced breast radiologists rated the degree of similarity between each image pair. The image pairs are selected, from among possible pairings of 222 cases (110 malignant, 112 benign), based on quantitative image attributes (features) and the results of a preliminary reader study. Next, the authors apply analysis of variance (ANOVA) to quantify the level of variability in the readers’ similarity ratings, and study how the variability in individual reader ratings affects consistency between readers. The authors also measure the extent to which readers agree on images which are most similar to a given query, for which the Dice coefficient is used. To investigate how the similarity ratings potentially relate to the attributes underlying the cases, the authors study the fraction of perceptually similar images that also share the same benign or malignant pathology as the query image; moreover, the authors apply multidimensional scaling (MDS) to embed the cases according to their mutual perceptual similarity in a two-dimensional plot, which allows the authors to examine the manner in which similar lesions relate to one another in terms of benign or malignant pathology and clustered MCs. Results: The ANOVA results show that the coefficient of determination in the reader similarity ratings is 0.59. The variability level in the similarity ratings is proved to be a limiting factor, leading to only moderate correlation between the readers in their readings. The Dice coefficient, measuring agreement between readers in retrieval of similar images, can vary from 0.45 to 0.64 with different levels of similarity for individual readers, but is higher for average ratings from a group of readers (from 0.59 to 0.78). More importantly, the fraction of retrieved cases that match the benign or malignant pathology of the query image was found to increase with the degree of similarity among the retrieved images, reaching average value as high as 0.69 for the radiologists (p-value <10{sup −4} compared to random guessing). Moreover, MDS embedding of all the cases shows that cases having the same pathology tend to cluster together, and that neighboring cases in the plot tend to be similar in their clustered MCs. Conclusions: While individual readers exhibit substantial variability in their similarity ratings, similarity ratings averaged from a group of readers can achieve a high level of intergroup consistency and agreement in retrieval of similar images. More importantly, perceptually similar cases are also likely to be similar in their underlying benign or malignant pathology and image features of clustered MCs, which could be of diagnostic value in computer-aided diagnosis for lesions with clustered MCs.
SU-D-BRE-04: Evaluating the Dose Accuracy of a 2D Ion Chamber Array in High Dose Rate Pencil Beam Scanning Proton Beam
Purpose: To evaluate the absolute dose accuracy of the PTW Octavius 729 XDR 2D ion chamber array at a high dose rate pencil beam scanning proton therapy facility. Methods: A set of 18 plans were created in our treatment planning system, each of which comprising a unique combination of field sizes (FS), length of spread out of Bragg peaks (SOBP) and depths. The parameters used were: FS of 5×5cm{sup 2}, 10×10cm{sup 2} and 15×15cm{sup 2}; flat SOBP of 5cm and 10cm; and isocenter depths of 10cm, 15cm and 20cm, which coincides with the center of the SOBP. The 2D array detector was positioned at the machine isocenter and the appropriate amount of solid water was used to match the planned depths of 10, 15 and 20 cm water equivalent depth. Subsequently, we measured the absolute dose at isocenter using a CC04 ion chamber in a 1D water tank. Both 2D array and CC04 were previously cross calibrated. We also collected the MU rates used by our proton machine from the log files. Results: The relative differences between the CC04 and the 2D array can be summarized into two groups, one with 5 cm SOBP and another with 10 cm SOBP. Plotting these datasets against FS shows that the 2D array response for high dose rate fields (FS of 5×5cm{sup 2} and 5cm SOBP) can be up to 2% lower. Similarly, plotting them against isocenter depths reveals the detector's response can be up to 2% lower for higher energy beams (about 200MeV nominal). The MU rate found in the machine log files for 5cm SOBP's were as high as twice the MU rate for the 10cm SOBP. Conclusion: The 2D array dose response showed a dose rate effect in scanning pencil beam delivery, which needs to be corrected to achieve a better dose accuracy.
SU-E-J-86: Lobar Lung Function Quantification by PET Galligas and CT Ventilation Imaging in Lung Cancer Patients
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to quantify the lobar lung function using the novel PET Galligas ([68Ga]-carbon nanoparticle) ventilation imaging and the investigational CT ventilation imaging in lung cancer patients pre-treatment. Methods: We present results on our first three lung cancer patients (2 male, mean age 78 years) as part of an ongoing ethics approved study. For each patient a PET Galligas ventilation (PET-V) image and a pair of breath hold CT images (end-exhale and end-inhale tidal volumes) were acquired using a Siemens Biograph PET CT. CT-ventilation (CT-V) images were created from the pair of CT images using deformable image registration (DIR) algorithms and the Hounsfield Unit (HU) ventilation metric. A comparison of ventilation quantification from each modality was done on the lobar level and the voxel level. A Bland-Altman plot was used to assess the difference in mean percentage contribution of each lobe to the total lung function between the two modalities. For each patient, a voxel-wise Spearmans correlation was calculated for the whole lungs between the two modalities. Results: The Bland-Altman plot demonstrated strong agreement between PET-V and CT-V for assessment of lobar function (r=0.99, p<0.001; range mean difference: −5.5 to 3.0). The correlation between PET-V and CT-V at the voxel level was moderate(r=0.60, p<0.001). Conclusion: This preliminary study on the three patients data sets demonstrated strong agreement between PET and CT ventilation imaging for the assessment of pre-treatment lung function at the lobar level. Agreement was only moderate at the level of voxel correlations. These results indicate that CT ventilation imaging has potential for assessing pre-treatment lobar lung function in lung cancer patients.
SU-E-J-196: New Visualization Methods for Longitudinal MRI Registrations and Segmentations
Purpose: To develop visualization techniques to facilitate easy assessment of (a) registration and (b) tracking volumetric changes in structures during radiation therapy from MRI. Method: The frequently used method for visualizing registrations between scans is a multi-color overlay technique or deformation vector fields. However, the overlay technique is unintuitive and does not help to appreciate the quality of registration particularly when the registration mismatches are not very large. Similarly, the deformation fields give an indication of extent of deformation but do not help to assess the differences in registration. We present a mirroring and edge-augmented mirroring technique that places the fixed and moving image next to each other and allows the user to quickly assess the small differences in registration. Next, we present a volumetric intersection based 3D model to visualize the changes in diseased lymph node volumes in head and neck cancer. 3D model-based visualization provides more information about the location-specific changes in volume rather than the simplistic one dimensional information obtained from 2D plot of nodal volume changes. Result: We show results comparing our approach with the standard colorbased overlay method for comparing registrations of intra-patient registrations using T2-MRI. Upon comparing the mirroring technique with the color-overlay, one can more easily appreciate the differences in registration. Adding edge-based mirroring seems to further assist in evaluating the registration. Our approach for viewing registrations seems to be more intuitive and easy to use in order to help assess the quality of registration compared to color-based overlays. Similarly, the change volumetric model together with a 2D plot reveals more information including the locations undergoing changes and responding to treatment. Conclusions: Better approaches are necessary for assessing the quality of registrations and changes in diseased structures over time. Our approach presents some novel visualization solutions for registration and segmentation.