Spectral filtering for the resolution of the Gibbs phenomenon in MPI applications

open3Polynomial interpolation on the node points of Lissajous curves using Chebyshev series is an e effective way for a fast image reconstruction in Magnetic Particle Imaging. Due to the nature of spectral methods, a Gibbs phenomenon occurs in the reconstructed image if the underlying function has discontinuities. A possible solution for this problem are spectral filtering methods acting on the coefficients of the interpolating polynomial. In this work, after a description of the Gibbs phenomenon in two dimensions, we present an adaptive spectral filtering process for the resolution of this phenomenon and for an improved approximation of the underlying function or image. In this adaptive filtering technique, the spectral filter depends on the distance of a spatial point to the nearest discontinuity. We show the effectiveness of this filtering approach in theory, in numerical simulations as well as in the application in Magnetic Particle Imaging.openDe Marchi, Stefano; Erb, Wolfgang; Marchetti, Francesco.DE MARCHI, Stefano; Erb, Wolfgang; Marchetti, Francesc

Spectral filtering for the reduction of the Gibbs phenomenon of polynomial approximation methods on Lissajous curves with applications in MPI

Polynomial interpolation and approximation methods on sampling points along Lissajous curves using Chebyshev series is an effective way for a fast image reconstruction in Magnetic Particle Imaging. Due to the nature of spectral methods, a Gibbs phenomenon occurs in the reconstructed image if the underlying function has discontinuities. A possible solution for this problem are spectral filtering methods acting on the coefficients of the approximating polynomial. In this work, after a description of the Gibbs phenomenon and classical filtering techniques in one and several dimensions, we present an adaptive spectral filtering process for the resolution of this phenomenon and for an improved approximation of the underlying function or image. In this adaptive filtering technique, the spectral filter depends on the distance of a spatial point to the nearest discontinuity. We show the effectiveness of this filtering approach in theory, in numerical simulations as well as in the application in Magnetic Particle Imaging

Stressor- and Corticotropin releasing Factor-induced Reinstatement and Active Stress-related Behavioral Responses are Augmented Following Long-access Cocaine Self-administration by Rats

Rationale Stressful events during periods of drug abstinence likely contribute to relapse in cocaine-dependent individuals. Excessive cocaine use may increase susceptibility to stressor-induced relapse through alterations in brain corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) responsiveness. Objectives This study examined stressor- and CRF-induced cocaine seeking and other stress-related behaviors in rats with different histories of cocaine self-administration (SA). Materials and methods Rats self-administered cocaine under short-access (ShA; 2 h daily) or long-access (LgA; 6 h daily) conditions for 14 days or were provided access to saline and were tested for reinstatement by a stressor (electric footshock), cocaine or an icv injection of CRF and for behavioral responsiveness on the elevated plus maze, in a novel environment and in the light–dark box after a 14- to 17-day extinction/withdrawal period. Results LgA rats showed escalating patterns of cocaine SA and were more susceptible to reinstatement by cocaine, EFS, or icv CRF than ShA rats. Overall, cocaine SA increased activity in the center field of a novel environment, on the open arms of the elevated plus maze, and in the light compartment of a light–dark box. In most cases, the effects of cocaine SA were dependent on the pattern/amount of cocaine intake with statistically significant differences from saline self-administering controls only observed in LgA rats. Conclusions When examined after several weeks of extinction/ withdrawal, cocaine SA promotes a more active pattern of behavior during times of stress that is associated with a heightened susceptibility to stressor-induced cocaine-seeking behavior and may be the consequence of augmented CRF regulation of addiction-related neurocircuitry

The Gaseous Environment of High-z Galaxies: Precision Measurements of Neutral Hydrogen in the Circumgalactic Medium of z ~ 2-3 Galaxies in the Keck Baryonic Structure Survey

We present results from the Keck Baryonic Structure Survey (KBSS), a unique spectroscopic survey designed to explore the connection between galaxies and intergalactic baryons. The KBSS is optimized for the redshift range z ~ 2-3, combining S/N ~ 100 Keck/HIRES spectra of 15 hyperluminous QSOs with densely sampled galaxy redshift surveys surrounding each QSO sightline. We perform Voigt profile decomposition of all 6000 HI absorbers within the full Lya forest in the QSO spectra. Here we present the distribution, column density, kinematics, and absorber line widths of HI surrounding 886 star-forming galaxies with 2.0 < z < 2.8 and within 3 Mpc of a QSO sightline. We find that N_HI and the multiplicity of HI components increase rapidly near galaxies. The strongest HI absorbers within ~ 100 physical kpc of galaxies have N_HI ~ 3 dex higher than those near random locations in the IGM. The circumgalactic zone of most enhanced HI absorption (CGM) is found within 300 kpc and 300 km/s of galaxies. Nearly half of absorbers with log(N_HI) > 15.5 are found within the CGM of galaxies meeting our photometric selection, while their CGM occupy only 1.5% of the cosmic volume. The spatial covering fraction, multiplicity of absorption components, and characteristic N_HI remain elevated to transverse distances of 2 physical Mpc. Absorbers with log(N_HI) > 14.5 are tightly correlated with the positions of galaxies, while absorbers with lower N_HI are correlated only on Mpc scales. Redshift anisotropies on Mpc scales indicate coherent infall toward galaxies, while on scales of ~100 physical kpc peculiar velocities of 260 km/s are indicated. The median Doppler widths of absorbers within 1-3 virial radii of galaxies are ~50% larger than randomly chosen absorbers of the same N_HI, suggesting higher gas temperatures and/or increased turbulence likely caused by accretion shocks and/or galactic winds.Comment: Accepted to Ap

Performance Analysis of Metaheuristic Optimization Algorithms in Estimating the Interfacial Heat Transfer Coefficient on Directional Solidification

In this paper is proposed an evaluation of ten metaheuristic optimization algorithms applied on the inverse optimization of the Interfacial Heat Transfer Coefficient (IHTC) coupled on the solidification phenomenon. It was considered an upward directional solidification system for Al-7wt.% Si alloy and, for IHTC model, a exponential time function. All thermophysical properties of the alloy were considered constant. Scheil Rule was used as segregation model ahead phase-transformation interface. Optimization results from Markov Chain Monte Carlo method (MCMC) were considered as reference. Based on average, quantiles 95% and 5%, kurtosis, average iterations and absolute errors of the metaheuristic methods, in relation to MCMC results, the Flower Pollination Algorithm (FPA) and Moth-Flame Optimization (MFO) presented the most appropriate results, outperforming the other methods in this particular phenomenon, based on these metrics. The regions with the most probable values for parameters in IHTC time function were also determined.Comment: 27 pages, 7 figures, 4 tables, 67 references cited, preprin

Shape-Driven Interpolation With Discontinuous Kernels: Error Analysis, Edge Extraction, and Applications in Magnetic Particle Imaging

Accurate interpolation and approximation techniques for functions with discontinuities are key tools in many applications, such as medical imaging. In this paper, we study a radial basis function type of method for scattered data interpolation that incorporates discontinuities via a variable scaling function. For the construction of the discontinuous basis of kernel functions, information on the edges of the interpolated function is necessary. We characterize the native space spanned by these kernel functions and study error bounds in terms of the fill distance of the node set. To extract the location of the discontinuities, we use a segmentation method based on a classification algorithm from machine learning. The results of the conducted numerical experiments are in line with the theoretically derived convergence rates in case that the discontinuities are a priori known. Further, an application to interpolation in magnetic particle imaging shows that the presented method is very promising in order to obtain edge-preserving image reconstructions in which ringing artifacts are reduced

The Origin of the Mass-Metallicity relation: an analytical approach

The existence of a mass-metallicity (MZ) relation in star forming galaxies at all redshift has been recently established. We aim at studying some possible physical mechanisms contributing to the MZ relation by adopting analytical solutions of chemical evolution models including infall and outflow. We explore the hypotheses of a variable galactic wind rate, infall rate and yield per stellar generation (i.e. a variation in the IMF), as possible causes for the MZ relation. By means of analytical models we compute the expected O abundance for galaxies of a given total baryonic mass and gas mass.The stellar mass is derived observationally and the gas mass is derived by inverting the Kennicutt law of star formation, once the star formation rate is known. Then we test how the parameters describing the outflow, infall and IMF should vary to reproduce the MZ relation, and we exclude the cases where such a variation leads to unrealistic situations. We find that a galactic wind rate increasing with decreasing galactic mass or a variable IMF are both viable solutions for the MZ relation. A variable infall rate instead is not acceptable. It is difficult to disentangle among the outflow and IMF solutions only by considering the MZ relation, and other observational constraints should be taken into account to select a specific solution. For example, a variable efficiency of star formation increasing with galactic mass can also reproduce the MZ relation and explain the downsizing in star formation suggested for ellipticals. The best solution could be a variable efficiency of star formation coupled with galactic winds, which are indeed observed in low mass galaxies.Comment: Accepted by A&

Neurobiological Mechanisms That Contribute to Stress-related Cocaine Use

The ability of stressful life events to trigger drug use is particularly problematic for the management of cocaine addiction due to the unpredictable and often uncontrollable nature of stress. For this reason, understanding the neurobiological processes that contribute to stress-related drug use is important for the development of new and more effective treatment strategies aimed at minimizing the role of stress in the addiction cycle. In this review we discuss the neurocircuitry that has been implicated in stress-induced drug use with an emphasis on corticotropin releasing factor actions in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and an important pathway from the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis to the VTA that is regulated by norepinephrine via actions at beta adrenergic receptors. In addition to the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie stress-induced cocaine seeking, we review findings suggesting that the ability of stressful stimuli to trigger cocaine use emerges and intensifies in an intake-dependent manner with repeated cocaine self-administration. Further, we discuss evidence that the drug-induced neuroadaptations that are necessary for heightened susceptibility to stress-induced drug use are reliant on elevated levels of glucocorticoid hormones at the time of cocaine use. Finally, the potential ability of stress to function as a “stage setter” for drug use – increasing sensitivity to cocaine and drug-associated cues – under conditions where it does not directly trigger cocaine seeking is discussed. As our understanding of the mechanisms through which stress promotes drug use advances, the hope is that so too will the available tools for effectively managing addiction, particularly in cocaine addicts whose drug use is stress-driven