Purpose To propose a method for simultaneous fluorescence and Compton scattering computed tomography by using linearly polarized X-rays.Methods Monte Carlo simulations were adopted to demonstrate the feasibility of th...Purpose To propose a method for simultaneous fluorescence and Compton scattering computed tomography by using linearly polarized X-rays.Methods Monte Carlo simulations were adopted to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method.In the simulations,the phantom is a polytetrafluoroethylene cylinder inside which are cylindrical columns containing aluminum,water,and gold(Au)-loaded water solutions with Au concentrations ranging between 0.5 and 4.0 wt%,and a parallel-hole collimator imaging geometry was adopted.The light source was modeled based on a Thomson scattering X-ray source.The phantom images for both imaging modalities were reconstructed using a maximumlikelihood expectation maximization algorithm.Results Both the X-ray fluorescence computed tomography(XFCT)and Compton scattering computed tomography(CSCT)images of the phantom were accurately reconstructed.A similar attenuation contrast problem for the different cylindrical columns in the phantom can be resolved in the XFCT and CSCT images.The interplay between XFCT and CSCT was analyzed,and the contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR)of the reconstruction was improved by correcting for the mutual influence between the two imaging modalities.Compared with K-edge subtraction imaging,XFCT exhibits a CNR advantage for the phantom.Conclusion Simultaneous XFCT and CSCT can be realized by using linearly polarized X-rays.The synergy between the two imaging modalities would have an important application in cancer radiation therapy.展开更多
Redox flow batteries offer a potential solution to an increase in renewable energy generation on the grid by offering long-term, large-scale storage and regulation of power. However, they are currently un- derutilised...Redox flow batteries offer a potential solution to an increase in renewable energy generation on the grid by offering long-term, large-scale storage and regulation of power. However, they are currently un- derutilised due to cost and performance issues, many of which are linked to the microstructure of the porous carbon electrodes used. Here, for the first time, we offer a detailed study of the in situ effects of compression on a commercially available carbon felt electrode. Visualisation of electrode structure us- ing X-ray computed tomography shows the non-linear way that these materials compress and various metrics are used to elucidate the changes in porosity, pore size distribution and tortuosity factor under compressions from 0%-90%.展开更多
Inspired by total variation(TV), this paper represents a new iterative algorithm based on diagonal total variation(DTV) to address the computed tomography image reconstruction problem. To improve the quality of a reco...Inspired by total variation(TV), this paper represents a new iterative algorithm based on diagonal total variation(DTV) to address the computed tomography image reconstruction problem. To improve the quality of a reconstructed image, we used DTV to sparsely represent images when iterative convergence of the reconstructed algorithm with TV-constraint had no effect during the reconstruction process. To investigate our proposed algorithm, the numerical and experimental studies were performed, and rootmean-square error(RMSE) and structure similarity(SSIM)were used to evaluate the reconstructed image quality. The results demonstrated that the proposed method could effectively reduce noise, suppress artifacts, and reconstruct highquality image from incomplete projection data.展开更多
The geometric and spatial characteristics of pore structures determine the permeability and water retention of soils, which have important effects on soil functional diversity and ecological restoration. Until recentl...The geometric and spatial characteristics of pore structures determine the permeability and water retention of soils, which have important effects on soil functional diversity and ecological restoration. Until recently, there have not been tools and methods to visually and quantitatively describe the characteristics of soil pores. To solve this problem, this research reconstructs the geometry and spatial distribution of soil pores by the marching cubes method, texture mapping method and the ray casting method widely used in literature. The objectives were to explore an optimal method for three-dimensional visualization of soil pore structure by comparing the robustness of the three methods on soil CT images with single pore structure and porosity ranging from low (2–5%) to high (12–18%), and to evaluate the reconstruction performance of the three methods with different geometric features. The results demonstrate that there are aliases (jagged edges) and deficiency at the boundaries of the model reconstructed by the marching cubes method and pore volumes are smaller than the ground truth, whereas the results of the texture mapping method lack the details of pore structures. For all the soil images, the ray casting method is preferable since it better preserves the pore characteristics of the ground truth. Furthermore, the ray casting method produced the best soil pore model with higher rendering speed and lower memory consumption. Therefore, the ray casting method provides a more advanced method for visualization of pore structures and provides an optional technique for the study of the transport of moisture and the exchange of air in soil.展开更多
X-ray computed tomography(XCT)has recently emerged as a powerful tool for characterizing the evolution of microstructure during phase transformation in three dimensional(3D)such as dendritic solidification of alloys.T...X-ray computed tomography(XCT)has recently emerged as a powerful tool for characterizing the evolution of microstructure during phase transformation in three dimensional(3D)such as dendritic solidification of alloys.This paper briefly reviews the recent advances in the in-situ observation of aluminium alloys,magnesium alloys and nickel-based superalloys during solidification using laboratory XCT and synchrotron X-ray sources.The focus is on the growth kinetics of dendrites,porosity and secondary phases.In addition,in-situ characterization during the loading and corrosion process is also discussed.展开更多
Image quality in positron emission tomography(PET)is affected by random and scattered coincidences and reconstruction protocols.In this study,we investigated the effects of scattered and random coincidences from outsi...Image quality in positron emission tomography(PET)is affected by random and scattered coincidences and reconstruction protocols.In this study,we investigated the effects of scattered and random coincidences from outside the field of view(FOV)on PET image quality for different reconstruction protocols.Imaging was performed on the Discovery 690 PET/CT scanner,using experimental configurations including the NEMA phantom(a body phantom,with six spheres of different sizes)with a signal background ratio of 4:1.The NEMA phantom(phantom I)was scanned separately in a one-bed position.To simulate the effect of random and scatter coincidences from outside the FOV,six cylindrical phantoms with various diameters were added to the NEMA phantom(phantom II).The 18 emission datasets with mean intervals of 15 min were acquired(3 min/scan).The emission data were reconstructed using different techniques.The image quality parameters were evaluated by both phantoms.Variations in the signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)in a 28-mm(10-mm)sphere of phantom II were 37.9%(86.5%)for ordered-subset expectation maximization(OSEM-only),36.8%(81.5%)for point spread function(PSF),32.7%(80.7%)for time of flight(TOF),and 31.5%(77.8%)for OSEM+PSF+TOF,respectively,indicating that OSEM+PSF+TOF reconstruction had the lowest noise levels and lowest coefficient of variation(COV)values.Random and scatter coincidences from outside the FOV induced lower SNR,lower contrast,and higher COV values,indicating image deterioration and significantly impacting smaller sphere sizes.Amongst reconstruction protocols,OSEM+PSF+TOF and OSEM+PSF showed higher contrast values for sphere sizes of 22,28,and 37 mm and higher contrast recovery coefficient values for smaller sphere sizes of 10 and 13 mm.展开更多
Stability and accuracy of the imaging results are still unmet practical demands for ultrasonic computed tomography(CT)of concrete material.To address these issues,a CT technique based on simulated annealing genetic al...Stability and accuracy of the imaging results are still unmet practical demands for ultrasonic computed tomography(CT)of concrete material.To address these issues,a CT technique based on simulated annealing genetic algorithm(SAGA)is presented in this work.Firstly,a natural weight matrix with clear physical meaning is introduced in the inverse algorithm and then a quadric broadening objective function is formed according to the propagation characteristics of ultrasound in concrete.After that,the simulated annealing(SA)searching is added to speed up the inverse process and to improve the convergence and stability of the algorithm.Finally,the optimal inverse imaging results have been achieved by variable ectopic adaptive genetic algorithm.The numerical simulation experiments have shown that the usage of the correct priori information and the excellent characteristic of SAGA in searching the global minimum value of the function have produced accurate and effective results with stable numerical values.The imaging resolution is improved and the imagining results reflecting the inner defections of the tested objects are more reliable and accurate.展开更多
To evaluate the value of 16-slice spiral CT in the demonstration of coronary artery and in the diagnose of coronary artery stenosis. Methods Plain and enhanced CT scans were performed with a 16-slice CT scanner (Sensa...To evaluate the value of 16-slice spiral CT in the demonstration of coronary artery and in the diagnose of coronary artery stenosis. Methods Plain and enhanced CT scans were performed with a 16-slice CT scanner (Sensation 16, Siemens, Germany) in 230 patients with suspected coronary heart disease (CHD). Parameters of the plain scan were: 120 kV, 133 mA, slice col-limation 16 mm×1.5 mm, rotation time 0.42 seconds, increment 1.5 mm, and slice width 3 mm. Parameters of the enhanced scan were: 120 kV, 500 mA, slice collimation 16 mm×0.75 mm, rotation time 0.42 seconds, increment 0.5 mm, and slice width 1 mm. Enhanced CT scan was performed with a rapid intravenous injection of 100 mL iothalamate meglumine (Ultravist) (370 mgI/mL) or Omnipaque (350 mgI/mL) and 30 mL 0.9% NaCl chaser bolus at a flow rate of 3.5 mL/s. Calcium scoring with plain scan images and two and three dimensional reconstruction with enhanced scan images were made in all cases, among which 30 cases underwent conventional coronary angiography. Demonstration of coronary arteries and their stenosis were evaluated and the factors that might influence the image quality were analyzed. Results Coronary calcium scores were calculated and coronary artery was demonstrated in our study. In the evaluationof image quality with volume rendering technique (VRT) images, 78.3% of the images were of the first class, 12.2% the sec-ond class, and 9.6% the third class. Multi-planar reconstruction (MPR) and maximal intensity projection (MIP) were better than VRT in the demonstration of small branches. The image quality was related to the heart rate, with or without arrhythmia, and breath-hold ability of patients. Comparative study of the stenosis of coronary arteries in 30 cases showed that the sensi-tivity and specificity of 16-slice coronary CT angiography (CTA) to diagnose significant stenosis were 95.8% and 94.8% resp-ectively. Conclusion As a non-invasive and quick method, 16-slice coronary CTA is sensitive and specific to diagnose the stenosis of coronary arteries and can be used as a screening method in the diagnosis of CHD.展开更多
Objective To assess the clinical values of computed tomographic colonography （CTC） in diagnosis of colonic polyps. Methods Forty-two patients who were clinically suspicious of colonic polyps or underwent colonic po...Objective To assess the clinical values of computed tomographic colonography （CTC） in diagnosis of colonic polyps. Methods Forty-two patients who were clinically suspicious of colonic polyps or underwent colonic polyps screening received examinations with both CTC and conventional colonoscopy. Sixteen- or 64-slice spiral computed tomography and professional imaging processing techniques were used for evaluation. Per-polyp and per-patient results were analyzed. Those by per-polyp were subsequently divided into ≥10 mm group, 5-10 mm group, and ≤5 mm group. Sensitivity, positive predictive value （PPV）, specificity, negative predictive value （NPV）, and accuracy were calculated using statistical method for diagnostic studies, with conventional colonoscopy as a gold standard. Results Ninety and 61 polyps were found by CTC and conventional colonoscopy, respectively. The per-polyp sensitivity/PPV were 80.3%/55.6% in total, and 100%/92.9%, 93.8%/65.2%, and 68.8%/ 41.5% in the ≥10 mm group, 5-10 mm group, and ≤5 turn group, respectively. The per-patient sensitivity, PPV, specificity, NPV, and accuracy were 97.1%, 89.5%, 42.9%, 75.0%, and 88.1%, respectively. Conclusion CTC can clearly reveal the morphology of colonic polyps and be used as a routine monitoring method for the clinical diagnosis of polyps.展开更多
BACKGROUND： This study aimed to evaluate emergency medicine doctors＇ accuracy in predicting the need of film printing in a simulated setting of computed radiography and assess whether this can facilitate optimal pat...BACKGROUND： This study aimed to evaluate emergency medicine doctors＇ accuracy in predicting the need of film printing in a simulated setting of computed radiography and assess whether this can facilitate optimal patient care.METHODS： Cross sectional study was conducted from 20 March 2009 to 3 April 2009 in 1334 patients. After clinical assessment of those patients who needed X-ray examination, doctors in the emergency department would indicate whether film printing was necessary for subsequent patient care in a simulated computed radiography setting. The fi nal discharge plan was then retrieved from each patient record. Accuracy of doctors＇ prediction was calculated by comparing the initial request for radiographic film printing and the final need of film. Doctors with different level of emergency medicine experience would also be analyzed and compared.RESULTS： The sensitivity of predicting fi lm printing was 84.5% and the specifi city of predicting no fi lm printing was 91.2%. Positive predictive value was 88.4% while negative predictive value was 88.2%. The overall accuracy was 88.2%. The accuracy of doctors stratified into groups of fellows, higher trainees and basic trainees were 85.4%, 90.5% and 88.5% respectively （P=0.073）.CONCLUSIONS： Our study showed that doctors can reliably predict whether film printing is needed after clinical assessment of patients, before actual image viewing. Advanced indication for film printing at the time of imaging request for selected patients can save time for all parties with minimal wastage.展开更多
The relationship between noise variance and spatial resolution in grating-based x-ray phase computed tomography（PCT） imaging is investigated with reverse projection extraction method, and the noise variances of the ...The relationship between noise variance and spatial resolution in grating-based x-ray phase computed tomography（PCT） imaging is investigated with reverse projection extraction method, and the noise variances of the reconstructed absorption coefficient and refractive index decrement are compared. For the differential phase contrast method, the noise variance in the differential projection images follows the same inverse-square law with spatial resolution as in conventional absorption-based x-ray imaging projections. However, both theoretical analysis and simulations demonstrate that in PCT the noise variance of the reconstructed refractive index decrement scales with spatial resolution follows an inverse linear relationship at fixed slice thickness, while the noise variance of the reconstructed absorption coefficient conforms with the inverse cubic law. The results indicate that, for the same noise variance level, PCT imaging may enable higher spatial resolution than conventional absorption computed tomography（ACT）, while ACT benefits more from degraded spatial resolution. This could be a useful guidance in imaging the inner structure of the sample in higher spatial resolution.展开更多
A new method in diffraction-enhanced imaging computed tomography （DEI-CT） that follows the idea developed by Chapman et al. [Chapman D, Thomlinson W, Johnston R E, Washburn D, Pisano E, Gmur N, Zhong Z, Menk R, Arfe...A new method in diffraction-enhanced imaging computed tomography （DEI-CT） that follows the idea developed by Chapman et al. [Chapman D, Thomlinson W, Johnston R E, Washburn D, Pisano E, Gmur N, Zhong Z, Menk R, Arfelli F and Sayers D 1997 Phys. Med. BioL 42 2015] in 1997 is proposed in this paper. Merged with a ＂reverse projections＂ algorithm, only two sets of projection datasets at two defined orientations of the analyzer crystal are needed to reconstruct the linear absorption coefficient, the decrement of the real part of the refractive index and the linear scattering coefficient of the sample. Not only does this method reduce the delivered dose to the sample without degrading the image quality, but, compared with the existing DEI-CT approaches, it simplifies data-acquisition procedures. Experimental results confirm the reliability of this new method for DEI-CT applications.展开更多
Corona Virus Disease 2019(COVID-19) has affected millions of people worldwide and caused more than6.3 million deaths(World Health Organization, June 2022). Increased attempts have been made to develop deep learning me...Corona Virus Disease 2019(COVID-19) has affected millions of people worldwide and caused more than6.3 million deaths(World Health Organization, June 2022). Increased attempts have been made to develop deep learning methods to diagnose COVID-19 based on computed tomography(CT) lung images. It is a challenge to reproduce and obtain the CT lung data, because it is not publicly available. This paper introduces a new generalized framework to segment and classify CT images and determine whether a patient is tested positive or negative for COVID-19 based on lung CT images. In this work, many different strategies are explored for the classification task.ResNet50 and VGG16 models are applied to classify CT lung images into COVID-19 positive or negative. Also,VGG16 and ReNet50 combined with U-Net, which is one of the most used architectures in deep learning for image segmentation, are employed to segment CT lung images before the classifying process to increase system performance. Moreover, the image size dependent normalization technique(ISDNT) and Wiener filter are utilized as the preprocessing techniques to enhance images and noise suppression. Additionally, transfer learning and data augmentation techniques are performed to solve the problem of COVID-19 CT lung images deficiency, therefore the over-fitting of deep models can be avoided. The proposed frameworks, which comprised of end-to-end, VGG16,ResNet50, and U-Net with VGG16 or ResNet50, are applied on the dataset that is sourced from COVID-19 lung CT images in Kaggle. The classification results show that using the preprocessed CT lung images as the input for U-Net hybrid with ResNet50 achieves the best performance. The proposed classification model achieves the 98.98%accuracy(ACC), 98.87% area under the ROC curve(AUC), 98.89% sensitivity(Se), 97.99 % precision(Pr), 97.88%F-score, and 1.8974-seconds computational time.展开更多
Background:Computed tomography(CT)plays a great role in characterizing and quantifying changes in lung structure and function of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD).This study aimed to explore the performance ...Background:Computed tomography(CT)plays a great role in characterizing and quantifying changes in lung structure and function of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD).This study aimed to explore the performance of CT-based whole lung radiomic in discriminating COPD patients and non-COPD patients.Methods:This retrospective study was performed on 2785 patients who underwent pulmonary function examination in 5 hospitals and were divided into non-COPD group and COPD group.The radiomic features of the whole lung volume were extracted.Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO)logistic regression was applied for feature selection and radiomic signature construction.A radiomic nomogram was established by combining the radiomic score and clinical factors.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis and decision curve analysis(DCA)were used to evaluate the predictive performance of the radiomic nomogram in the training,internal validation,and independent external validation cohorts.Results:Eighteen radiomic features were collected from the whole lung volume to construct a radiomic model.The area under the curve(AUC)of the radiomic model in the training,internal,and independent external validation cohorts were 0.888[95%confidence interval(CI)0.869–0.906],0.874(95%CI 0.844–0.904),and 0.846(95%CI 0.822–0.870),respectively.All were higher than the clinical model(AUC were 0.732,0.714,and 0.777,respectively,P<0.001).DCA demonstrated that the nomogram constructed by combining radiomic score,age,sex,height,and smoking status was superior to the clinical factor model.Conclusions:The intuitive nomogram constructed by CT-based whole-lung radiomic has shown good performance and high accuracy in identifying COPD in this multicenter study.展开更多
目的探讨基于冠状动脉CT血管成像(CCTA)的人工智能(AI)诊断系统及CT无创血流储备分数(CT-FFR)在评估高海拔地区冠状动脉临界病变结构及功能学中的应用价值。方法前瞻性收集2022年1月~2023年10月青海大学附属医院冠心病临界病变患者164例...目的探讨基于冠状动脉CT血管成像(CCTA)的人工智能(AI)诊断系统及CT无创血流储备分数(CT-FFR)在评估高海拔地区冠状动脉临界病变结构及功能学中的应用价值。方法前瞻性收集2022年1月~2023年10月青海大学附属医院冠心病临界病变患者164例,按居住地海拔进行分组,其中2000~3000m为A组(n=83),3000m以上为B组(n=81),再将两组患者按冠脉狭窄程度细分为50%~60%亚组(n=84)和61%~70%亚组(n=80)。将患者冠状动脉CT血管成像数据导入AI辅助诊断及CT-FFR测量系统,以冠脉造影及冠脉传统血流储备分数(FFR)为金标准,分别评价AI及CT-FFR在高海拔地区冠脉临界病变诊断中的应用。结果以FFR为金标准,CT-FFR与FFR的一致性为83.75%。B组钙化斑块、易损斑块高于A组(P=0.037、0.020);B组冠状动脉多支病变、61%~70%狭窄程度发生率均高于A组(P<0.05);A组、B组在61%~70%亚组钙化斑块、易损斑块发生率均高于50%~60%亚组(P<0.05)。B组CT-FFR值低于A组(0.76±0.04 vs 0.88±0.05,P<0.01);A、B两组在61%~70%亚组CT-FFR值≤0.80、<0.70的发生率高于50%~60%亚组(P<0.05)。结论AI诊断系统及CT-FFR对评估高海拔地区冠状动脉临界病变的结构特征及血流动力学改变的结果与冠脉造影、FFR一致性高,具有较高的诊断敏感度和特异度。展开更多
A penetrating view of the three-dimensional nanostructure of female spermatheca and male flagellum in the species Aleochara verna is obtained with 100-nm resolution using a hard X-ray microscope, which provides a fast...A penetrating view of the three-dimensional nanostructure of female spermatheca and male flagellum in the species Aleochara verna is obtained with 100-nm resolution using a hard X-ray microscope, which provides a fast noninvasive imaging technology for insect morphology. Through introducing Zernike phase contrast and heavy metal staining, images taken at 8 keV displayed sufficient contrast for observing nanoscale fine structures, such as the spermatheca cochleate duct and the subapex of the flagellum, which have some implications for the study of the sperm transfer process and genital evolution in insects. This work shows that both the spatial resolution and the contrast characteristic of hard X-ray microscopy are quite promising for insect morphology studies and, particularly, provide an attractive alternative to the destructive techniques used for investigating internal soft tissues.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.12375157,12027902,and 11905011)。
文摘Purpose To propose a method for simultaneous fluorescence and Compton scattering computed tomography by using linearly polarized X-rays.Methods Monte Carlo simulations were adopted to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method.In the simulations,the phantom is a polytetrafluoroethylene cylinder inside which are cylindrical columns containing aluminum,water,and gold(Au)-loaded water solutions with Au concentrations ranging between 0.5 and 4.0 wt%,and a parallel-hole collimator imaging geometry was adopted.The light source was modeled based on a Thomson scattering X-ray source.The phantom images for both imaging modalities were reconstructed using a maximumlikelihood expectation maximization algorithm.Results Both the X-ray fluorescence computed tomography(XFCT)and Compton scattering computed tomography(CSCT)images of the phantom were accurately reconstructed.A similar attenuation contrast problem for the different cylindrical columns in the phantom can be resolved in the XFCT and CSCT images.The interplay between XFCT and CSCT was analyzed,and the contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR)of the reconstruction was improved by correcting for the mutual influence between the two imaging modalities.Compared with K-edge subtraction imaging,XFCT exhibits a CNR advantage for the phantom.Conclusion Simultaneous XFCT and CSCT can be realized by using linearly polarized X-rays.The synergy between the two imaging modalities would have an important application in cancer radiation therapy.
基金support from the EPSRC under grants EP/L014289/1 EP/N032888/1 and EP/M014045/1the STFC Global Challenges Network in Batteries and Electrochemical Energy Devices under the grant ST/N002385/1 for facilitation of travelfunding from the Royal Academy of Engineering
文摘Redox flow batteries offer a potential solution to an increase in renewable energy generation on the grid by offering long-term, large-scale storage and regulation of power. However, they are currently un- derutilised due to cost and performance issues, many of which are linked to the microstructure of the porous carbon electrodes used. Here, for the first time, we offer a detailed study of the in situ effects of compression on a commercially available carbon felt electrode. Visualisation of electrode structure us- ing X-ray computed tomography shows the non-linear way that these materials compress and various metrics are used to elucidate the changes in porosity, pore size distribution and tortuosity factor under compressions from 0%-90%.
基金supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.61401049)the Chongqing Foundation and Frontier Research Project(Nos.cstc2016jcyjA0473,cstc2013jcyjA0763)+3 种基金the Graduate Scientific Research and Innovation Foundation of Chongqing,China(No.CYB16044)the Strategic Industry Key Generic Technology Innovation Project of Chongqing(No.cstc2015zdcy-ztzxX0002)China Scholarship Councilthe Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities Nos.CDJZR14125501,106112016CDJXY120003,10611CDJXZ238826
文摘Inspired by total variation(TV), this paper represents a new iterative algorithm based on diagonal total variation(DTV) to address the computed tomography image reconstruction problem. To improve the quality of a reconstructed image, we used DTV to sparsely represent images when iterative convergence of the reconstructed algorithm with TV-constraint had no effect during the reconstruction process. To investigate our proposed algorithm, the numerical and experimental studies were performed, and rootmean-square error(RMSE) and structure similarity(SSIM)were used to evaluate the reconstructed image quality. The results demonstrated that the proposed method could effectively reduce noise, suppress artifacts, and reconstruct highquality image from incomplete projection data.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation Project(41501283)Beijing Science and Technology Plan Project(Z161100000916012)+2 种基金the National Key Research and Development Program(2017YFD0600901)Special Fund for Beijing Common Construction Projectthe Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(2015ZCQ-GX-04)
文摘The geometric and spatial characteristics of pore structures determine the permeability and water retention of soils, which have important effects on soil functional diversity and ecological restoration. Until recently, there have not been tools and methods to visually and quantitatively describe the characteristics of soil pores. To solve this problem, this research reconstructs the geometry and spatial distribution of soil pores by the marching cubes method, texture mapping method and the ray casting method widely used in literature. The objectives were to explore an optimal method for three-dimensional visualization of soil pore structure by comparing the robustness of the three methods on soil CT images with single pore structure and porosity ranging from low (2–5%) to high (12–18%), and to evaluate the reconstruction performance of the three methods with different geometric features. The results demonstrate that there are aliases (jagged edges) and deficiency at the boundaries of the model reconstructed by the marching cubes method and pore volumes are smaller than the ground truth, whereas the results of the texture mapping method lack the details of pore structures. For all the soil images, the ray casting method is preferable since it better preserves the pore characteristics of the ground truth. Furthermore, the ray casting method produced the best soil pore model with higher rendering speed and lower memory consumption. Therefore, the ray casting method provides a more advanced method for visualization of pore structures and provides an optional technique for the study of the transport of moisture and the exchange of air in soil.
文摘X-ray computed tomography(XCT)has recently emerged as a powerful tool for characterizing the evolution of microstructure during phase transformation in three dimensional(3D)such as dendritic solidification of alloys.This paper briefly reviews the recent advances in the in-situ observation of aluminium alloys,magnesium alloys and nickel-based superalloys during solidification using laboratory XCT and synchrotron X-ray sources.The focus is on the growth kinetics of dendrites,porosity and secondary phases.In addition,in-situ characterization during the loading and corrosion process is also discussed.
基金supported by the Tehran University of Medical Sciences under Grant No.36291PET/CT and Cyclotron Center of Masih Daneshvari Hospital at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences。
文摘Image quality in positron emission tomography(PET)is affected by random and scattered coincidences and reconstruction protocols.In this study,we investigated the effects of scattered and random coincidences from outside the field of view(FOV)on PET image quality for different reconstruction protocols.Imaging was performed on the Discovery 690 PET/CT scanner,using experimental configurations including the NEMA phantom(a body phantom,with six spheres of different sizes)with a signal background ratio of 4:1.The NEMA phantom(phantom I)was scanned separately in a one-bed position.To simulate the effect of random and scatter coincidences from outside the FOV,six cylindrical phantoms with various diameters were added to the NEMA phantom(phantom II).The 18 emission datasets with mean intervals of 15 min were acquired(3 min/scan).The emission data were reconstructed using different techniques.The image quality parameters were evaluated by both phantoms.Variations in the signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)in a 28-mm(10-mm)sphere of phantom II were 37.9%(86.5%)for ordered-subset expectation maximization(OSEM-only),36.8%(81.5%)for point spread function(PSF),32.7%(80.7%)for time of flight(TOF),and 31.5%(77.8%)for OSEM+PSF+TOF,respectively,indicating that OSEM+PSF+TOF reconstruction had the lowest noise levels and lowest coefficient of variation(COV)values.Random and scatter coincidences from outside the FOV induced lower SNR,lower contrast,and higher COV values,indicating image deterioration and significantly impacting smaller sphere sizes.Amongst reconstruction protocols,OSEM+PSF+TOF and OSEM+PSF showed higher contrast values for sphere sizes of 22,28,and 37 mm and higher contrast recovery coefficient values for smaller sphere sizes of 10 and 13 mm.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.11264032)the Aeronautical Science Foundation of China (No.2014ZD56007)+4 种基金the Science and Technology Project of General Administration of Quality Supervision,Inspection and Quarantine of China (No.2013zjjz180)the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province (No.20122BAB201024)the Science and Technology Project of the Education Department of Jiangxi Province (No.GJJ14530)the Innovation Foundation of Shanghai Aerospace(SAST201364)the Graduate Innovation Foundation of Nanchang Hangkong University (No.YC2013010)
文摘Stability and accuracy of the imaging results are still unmet practical demands for ultrasonic computed tomography(CT)of concrete material.To address these issues,a CT technique based on simulated annealing genetic algorithm(SAGA)is presented in this work.Firstly,a natural weight matrix with clear physical meaning is introduced in the inverse algorithm and then a quadric broadening objective function is formed according to the propagation characteristics of ultrasound in concrete.After that,the simulated annealing(SA)searching is added to speed up the inverse process and to improve the convergence and stability of the algorithm.Finally,the optimal inverse imaging results have been achieved by variable ectopic adaptive genetic algorithm.The numerical simulation experiments have shown that the usage of the correct priori information and the excellent characteristic of SAGA in searching the global minimum value of the function have produced accurate and effective results with stable numerical values.The imaging resolution is improved and the imagining results reflecting the inner defections of the tested objects are more reliable and accurate.
文摘To evaluate the value of 16-slice spiral CT in the demonstration of coronary artery and in the diagnose of coronary artery stenosis. Methods Plain and enhanced CT scans were performed with a 16-slice CT scanner (Sensation 16, Siemens, Germany) in 230 patients with suspected coronary heart disease (CHD). Parameters of the plain scan were: 120 kV, 133 mA, slice col-limation 16 mm×1.5 mm, rotation time 0.42 seconds, increment 1.5 mm, and slice width 3 mm. Parameters of the enhanced scan were: 120 kV, 500 mA, slice collimation 16 mm×0.75 mm, rotation time 0.42 seconds, increment 0.5 mm, and slice width 1 mm. Enhanced CT scan was performed with a rapid intravenous injection of 100 mL iothalamate meglumine (Ultravist) (370 mgI/mL) or Omnipaque (350 mgI/mL) and 30 mL 0.9% NaCl chaser bolus at a flow rate of 3.5 mL/s. Calcium scoring with plain scan images and two and three dimensional reconstruction with enhanced scan images were made in all cases, among which 30 cases underwent conventional coronary angiography. Demonstration of coronary arteries and their stenosis were evaluated and the factors that might influence the image quality were analyzed. Results Coronary calcium scores were calculated and coronary artery was demonstrated in our study. In the evaluationof image quality with volume rendering technique (VRT) images, 78.3% of the images were of the first class, 12.2% the sec-ond class, and 9.6% the third class. Multi-planar reconstruction (MPR) and maximal intensity projection (MIP) were better than VRT in the demonstration of small branches. The image quality was related to the heart rate, with or without arrhythmia, and breath-hold ability of patients. Comparative study of the stenosis of coronary arteries in 30 cases showed that the sensi-tivity and specificity of 16-slice coronary CT angiography (CTA) to diagnose significant stenosis were 95.8% and 94.8% resp-ectively. Conclusion As a non-invasive and quick method, 16-slice coronary CTA is sensitive and specific to diagnose the stenosis of coronary arteries and can be used as a screening method in the diagnosis of CHD.
文摘Objective To assess the clinical values of computed tomographic colonography （CTC） in diagnosis of colonic polyps. Methods Forty-two patients who were clinically suspicious of colonic polyps or underwent colonic polyps screening received examinations with both CTC and conventional colonoscopy. Sixteen- or 64-slice spiral computed tomography and professional imaging processing techniques were used for evaluation. Per-polyp and per-patient results were analyzed. Those by per-polyp were subsequently divided into ≥10 mm group, 5-10 mm group, and ≤5 mm group. Sensitivity, positive predictive value （PPV）, specificity, negative predictive value （NPV）, and accuracy were calculated using statistical method for diagnostic studies, with conventional colonoscopy as a gold standard. Results Ninety and 61 polyps were found by CTC and conventional colonoscopy, respectively. The per-polyp sensitivity/PPV were 80.3%/55.6% in total, and 100%/92.9%, 93.8%/65.2%, and 68.8%/ 41.5% in the ≥10 mm group, 5-10 mm group, and ≤5 turn group, respectively. The per-patient sensitivity, PPV, specificity, NPV, and accuracy were 97.1%, 89.5%, 42.9%, 75.0%, and 88.1%, respectively. Conclusion CTC can clearly reveal the morphology of colonic polyps and be used as a routine monitoring method for the clinical diagnosis of polyps.
文摘BACKGROUND： This study aimed to evaluate emergency medicine doctors＇ accuracy in predicting the need of film printing in a simulated setting of computed radiography and assess whether this can facilitate optimal patient care.METHODS： Cross sectional study was conducted from 20 March 2009 to 3 April 2009 in 1334 patients. After clinical assessment of those patients who needed X-ray examination, doctors in the emergency department would indicate whether film printing was necessary for subsequent patient care in a simulated computed radiography setting. The fi nal discharge plan was then retrieved from each patient record. Accuracy of doctors＇ prediction was calculated by comparing the initial request for radiographic film printing and the final need of film. Doctors with different level of emergency medicine experience would also be analyzed and compared.RESULTS： The sensitivity of predicting fi lm printing was 84.5% and the specifi city of predicting no fi lm printing was 91.2%. Positive predictive value was 88.4% while negative predictive value was 88.2%. The overall accuracy was 88.2%. The accuracy of doctors stratified into groups of fellows, higher trainees and basic trainees were 85.4%, 90.5% and 88.5% respectively （P=0.073）.CONCLUSIONS： Our study showed that doctors can reliably predict whether film printing is needed after clinical assessment of patients, before actual image viewing. Advanced indication for film printing at the time of imaging request for selected patients can save time for all parties with minimal wastage.
基金Project supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(Grant No.2012CB825800)the Science Fund for Creative Research Groups,the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant Nos.KJCX2-YW-N42 and Y4545320Y2)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11475170,11205157,11305173,11205189,11375225,11321503,11179004,and U1332109)
文摘The relationship between noise variance and spatial resolution in grating-based x-ray phase computed tomography（PCT） imaging is investigated with reverse projection extraction method, and the noise variances of the reconstructed absorption coefficient and refractive index decrement are compared. For the differential phase contrast method, the noise variance in the differential projection images follows the same inverse-square law with spatial resolution as in conventional absorption-based x-ray imaging projections. However, both theoretical analysis and simulations demonstrate that in PCT the noise variance of the reconstructed refractive index decrement scales with spatial resolution follows an inverse linear relationship at fixed slice thickness, while the noise variance of the reconstructed absorption coefficient conforms with the inverse cubic law. The results indicate that, for the same noise variance level, PCT imaging may enable higher spatial resolution than conventional absorption computed tomography（ACT）, while ACT benefits more from degraded spatial resolution. This could be a useful guidance in imaging the inner structure of the sample in higher spatial resolution.
基金Project supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(Grant No.2012CB825800)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11205189,11375225,and U1332109)the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant Nos.KJCX2-YW-N42,Y4545320Y2,and 542014IHEPZZBS50659)
文摘A new method in diffraction-enhanced imaging computed tomography （DEI-CT） that follows the idea developed by Chapman et al. [Chapman D, Thomlinson W, Johnston R E, Washburn D, Pisano E, Gmur N, Zhong Z, Menk R, Arfelli F and Sayers D 1997 Phys. Med. BioL 42 2015] in 1997 is proposed in this paper. Merged with a ＂reverse projections＂ algorithm, only two sets of projection datasets at two defined orientations of the analyzer crystal are needed to reconstruct the linear absorption coefficient, the decrement of the real part of the refractive index and the linear scattering coefficient of the sample. Not only does this method reduce the delivered dose to the sample without degrading the image quality, but, compared with the existing DEI-CT approaches, it simplifies data-acquisition procedures. Experimental results confirm the reliability of this new method for DEI-CT applications.
文摘Corona Virus Disease 2019(COVID-19) has affected millions of people worldwide and caused more than6.3 million deaths(World Health Organization, June 2022). Increased attempts have been made to develop deep learning methods to diagnose COVID-19 based on computed tomography(CT) lung images. It is a challenge to reproduce and obtain the CT lung data, because it is not publicly available. This paper introduces a new generalized framework to segment and classify CT images and determine whether a patient is tested positive or negative for COVID-19 based on lung CT images. In this work, many different strategies are explored for the classification task.ResNet50 and VGG16 models are applied to classify CT lung images into COVID-19 positive or negative. Also,VGG16 and ReNet50 combined with U-Net, which is one of the most used architectures in deep learning for image segmentation, are employed to segment CT lung images before the classifying process to increase system performance. Moreover, the image size dependent normalization technique(ISDNT) and Wiener filter are utilized as the preprocessing techniques to enhance images and noise suppression. Additionally, transfer learning and data augmentation techniques are performed to solve the problem of COVID-19 CT lung images deficiency, therefore the over-fitting of deep models can be avoided. The proposed frameworks, which comprised of end-to-end, VGG16,ResNet50, and U-Net with VGG16 or ResNet50, are applied on the dataset that is sourced from COVID-19 lung CT images in Kaggle. The classification results show that using the preprocessed CT lung images as the input for U-Net hybrid with ResNet50 achieves the best performance. The proposed classification model achieves the 98.98%accuracy(ACC), 98.87% area under the ROC curve(AUC), 98.89% sensitivity(Se), 97.99 % precision(Pr), 97.88%F-score, and 1.8974-seconds computational time.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2022YFC2010002,2022YFC2010000 and 2022YFC2010005)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(82171926,81930049 and 82202140)+3 种基金the Medical Imaging Database Construction Program of National Health Commission(YXFSC2022JJSJ002)the Clinical Innovative Project of Shanghai Changzheng Hospital(2020YLCYJ-Y24)the Program of Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality(21DZ2202600)the Shanghai Sailing Program(20YF1449000).
文摘Background:Computed tomography(CT)plays a great role in characterizing and quantifying changes in lung structure and function of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD).This study aimed to explore the performance of CT-based whole lung radiomic in discriminating COPD patients and non-COPD patients.Methods:This retrospective study was performed on 2785 patients who underwent pulmonary function examination in 5 hospitals and were divided into non-COPD group and COPD group.The radiomic features of the whole lung volume were extracted.Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO)logistic regression was applied for feature selection and radiomic signature construction.A radiomic nomogram was established by combining the radiomic score and clinical factors.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis and decision curve analysis(DCA)were used to evaluate the predictive performance of the radiomic nomogram in the training,internal validation,and independent external validation cohorts.Results:Eighteen radiomic features were collected from the whole lung volume to construct a radiomic model.The area under the curve(AUC)of the radiomic model in the training,internal,and independent external validation cohorts were 0.888[95%confidence interval(CI)0.869–0.906],0.874(95%CI 0.844–0.904),and 0.846(95%CI 0.822–0.870),respectively.All were higher than the clinical model(AUC were 0.732,0.714,and 0.777,respectively,P<0.001).DCA demonstrated that the nomogram constructed by combining radiomic score,age,sex,height,and smoking status was superior to the clinical factor model.Conclusions:The intuitive nomogram constructed by CT-based whole-lung radiomic has shown good performance and high accuracy in identifying COPD in this multicenter study.
文摘目的探讨基于冠状动脉CT血管成像(CCTA)的人工智能(AI)诊断系统及CT无创血流储备分数(CT-FFR)在评估高海拔地区冠状动脉临界病变结构及功能学中的应用价值。方法前瞻性收集2022年1月~2023年10月青海大学附属医院冠心病临界病变患者164例,按居住地海拔进行分组,其中2000~3000m为A组(n=83),3000m以上为B组(n=81),再将两组患者按冠脉狭窄程度细分为50%~60%亚组(n=84)和61%~70%亚组(n=80)。将患者冠状动脉CT血管成像数据导入AI辅助诊断及CT-FFR测量系统,以冠脉造影及冠脉传统血流储备分数(FFR)为金标准,分别评价AI及CT-FFR在高海拔地区冠脉临界病变诊断中的应用。结果以FFR为金标准,CT-FFR与FFR的一致性为83.75%。B组钙化斑块、易损斑块高于A组(P=0.037、0.020);B组冠状动脉多支病变、61%~70%狭窄程度发生率均高于A组(P<0.05);A组、B组在61%~70%亚组钙化斑块、易损斑块发生率均高于50%~60%亚组(P<0.05)。B组CT-FFR值低于A组(0.76±0.04 vs 0.88±0.05,P<0.01);A、B两组在61%~70%亚组CT-FFR值≤0.80、<0.70的发生率高于50%~60%亚组(P<0.05)。结论AI诊断系统及CT-FFR对评估高海拔地区冠状动脉临界病变的结构特征及血流动力学改变的结果与冠脉造影、FFR一致性高,具有较高的诊断敏感度和特异度。
基金the National Basic Research Program of China(Grant Nos.2012CB825800 and 2009CB930804)the Key Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.10734070 and 10774144)+1 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11205189,10979055,31071909,and 31272358)the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.KJCX2-YW-N42)
文摘A penetrating view of the three-dimensional nanostructure of female spermatheca and male flagellum in the species Aleochara verna is obtained with 100-nm resolution using a hard X-ray microscope, which provides a fast noninvasive imaging technology for insect morphology. Through introducing Zernike phase contrast and heavy metal staining, images taken at 8 keV displayed sufficient contrast for observing nanoscale fine structures, such as the spermatheca cochleate duct and the subapex of the flagellum, which have some implications for the study of the sperm transfer process and genital evolution in insects. This work shows that both the spatial resolution and the contrast characteristic of hard X-ray microscopy are quite promising for insect morphology studies and, particularly, provide an attractive alternative to the destructive techniques used for investigating internal soft tissues.
