1,061 research outputs found

    Feasibility of automated 3-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging pancreas segmentation.

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    PurposeWith the advent of MR guided radiotherapy, internal organ motion can be imaged simultaneously during treatment. In this study, we evaluate the feasibility of pancreas MRI segmentation using state-of-the-art segmentation methods.Methods and materialT2 weighted HASTE and T1 weighted VIBE images were acquired on 3 patients and 2 healthy volunteers for a total of 12 imaging volumes. A novel dictionary learning (DL) method was used to segment the pancreas and compared to t mean-shift merging (MSM), distance regularized level set (DRLS), graph cuts (GC) and the segmentation results were compared to manual contours using Dice's index (DI), Hausdorff distance and shift of the-center-of-the-organ (SHIFT).ResultsAll VIBE images were successfully segmented by at least one of the auto-segmentation method with DI >0.83 and SHIFT ≤2 mm using the best automated segmentation method. The automated segmentation error of HASTE images was significantly greater. DL is statistically superior to the other methods in Dice's overlapping index. For the Hausdorff distance and SHIFT measurement, DRLS and DL performed slightly superior to the GC method, and substantially superior to MSM. DL required least human supervision and was faster to compute.ConclusionOur study demonstrated potential feasibility of automated segmentation of the pancreas on MRI images with minimal human supervision at the beginning of imaging acquisition. The achieved accuracy is promising for organ localization

    Time-varying Reliability Analysis of Long-span Continuous Rigid Frame bridge under Cantilever Construction Stage based on the Monitored Strain Data

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    Abstract: In general, the material properties, loads, resistance of the prestressed concrete continuous rigid frame bridge in different construction stages are time-varying. So, it is essential to monitor the internal force state when the bridge is in construction. Among them, how to assess the safety is one of the challenges. As the continuous monitoring over a long-term period can increase the reliability of the assessment, so, based on a large number of monitored strain data collected from the structural health monitoring system (SHMS) during construction, a calculation method of the punctiform time-varying reliability is proposed in this paper to evaluate the stress state of this type bridge in cantilever construction stage by using the basic reliability theory. At the same time, the optimal stress distribution function in the bridge mid-span base plate is determined when the bridge is closed. This method can provide basis and direction for the internal force control of this type bridge in construction process. So, it can reduce the bridge safety and quality accidents in construction stages

    Integral dose investigation of non‐coplanar treatment beam geometries in radiotherapy

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    Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/134886/1/mp5055.pd

    Branching fractions of BDX0,1(2900)B^-\to D^-X_{0,1}(2900) and their implications

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    The exotic states X0,1(2900)X_{0,1}(2900) with the quark flavor of csuˉdˉcs\bar{u}\bar{d} are recently observed in the mass spectrum of D+KD^+K^- in BDD+KB^-\to D^-D^+K^- by the LHCb collaboration. To explore the nature of X0,1(2900)X_{0,1}(2900), except for analyzing their masses and decay widths as usually did in literatures, the study of their production mechanism in BB-meson weak decays would provide another important information. The amplitude of BDX0,1B^-\to D^- X_{0,1} is non-factorizable. We consider the final-state-interaction effects and calculate them via the rescattering mechanism. The measured branching fractions of BDX0,1B^-\to D^- X_{0,1} are revealed. It is manifested by BΛcΞc()0{B}^-\to \Lambda_c^-\Xi_c^{(\prime)0} and Λb0Pc+K\Lambda_b^0\to P_c^+K^- that the rescattering mechanism can result in the relatively large branching fractions. The similar processes of BπX0,1B^-\to \pi^-X_{0,1} are also analyzed. The isospins of X0,1X_{0,1} can be investigated by BDX0,1±,0B\to DX_{0,1}^{\pm,0} decays.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures. Version published in EPJC. Additional contributions are added in BπX0,1B\to \pi X_{0,1} in Fig.8. Numerical results of the isospin-partner processes are changed by a factor of 2 in Eqs.(12) and (13

    A controllable superconducting electromechanical oscillator with a suspended membrane

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    We fabricate a microscale electromechanical system, in which a suspended superconducting membrane, treated as a mechanical oscillator, capacitively couples to a superconducting microwave resonator. As the microwave driving power increases, nonmonotonic dependence of the resonance frequency of the mechanical oscillator on the driving power has been observed. We also demonstrate the optical switching of the resonance frequency of the mechanical oscillator. Theoretical models for qualitative understanding of our experimental observations are presented. Our experiment may pave the way for the application of a mechanical oscillator with its resonance frequency controlled by the electromagnetic and/or optical fields, such as a microwave-optical interface and a controllable element in a superqubit-mechanical oscillator hybrid system.Comment: 8 pages,4 figure

    Physical properties and chemical composition of the cores in the California molecular cloud

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    We aim to reveal the physical properties and chemical composition of the cores in the California molecular cloud (CMC), so as to better understand the initial conditions of star formation. We made a high-resolution column density map (18.2") with Herschel data, and extracted a complete sample of the cores in the CMC with the \textsl{fellwalker} algorithm. We performed new single-pointing observations of molecular lines near 90 GHz with the IRAM 30m telescope along the main filament of the CMC. In addition, we also performed a numerical modeling of chemical evolution for the cores under the physical conditions. We extracted 300 cores, of which 33 are protostellar and 267 are starless cores. About 51\% (137 of 267) of the starless cores are prestellar cores. Three cores have the potential to evolve into high-mass stars. The prestellar core mass function (CMF) can be well fit by a log-normal form. The high-mass end of the prestellar CMF shows a power-law form with an index α=0.9±0.1\alpha=-0.9\pm 0.1 that is shallower than that of the Galactic field stellar mass function. Combining the mass transformation efficiency (ε\varepsilon) from the prestellar core to the star of 15±1%15\pm 1\% and the core formation efficiency (CFE) of 5.5\%, we suggest an overall star formation efficiency of about 1\% in the CMC. In the single-pointing observations with the IRAM 30m telescope, we find that 6 cores show blue-skewed profile, while 4 cores show red-skewed profile. [HCO+\rm {HCO}^{+}]/[HNC] and [HCO+\rm {HCO}^{+}]/[N2H+]\rm [N_{2}H^{+}] in protostellar cores are higher than those in prestellar cores; this can be used as chemical clocks. The best-fit chemical age of the cores with line observations is 5×104\sim 5\times 10^4~years.Comment: Accepted by Astronomy & Astrophysics (A&A

    A visual method for direct selection of high-producing Pichia pastoris clones

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    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The methylotrophic yeast, <it>Pichia pastoris</it>, offers the possibility to generate a high amount of recombinant proteins in a fast and easy way to use expression system. Being a single-celled microorganism, <it>P. pastoris </it>is easy to manipulate and grows rapidly on inexpensive media at high cell densities. A simple and direct method for the selection of high-producing clones can dramatically enhance the whole production process along with significant decrease in production costs.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A visual method for rapid selection of high-producing clones based on mannanase reporter system was developed. The study explained that it was possible to use mannanase activity as a measure of the expression level of the protein of interest. High-producing target protein clones were directly selected based on the size of hydrolysis holes in the selected plate. As an example, the target gene (9elp-hal18) was expressed and purified in <it>Pichia pastoris </it>using this technology.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A novel methodology is proposed for obtaining the high-producing clones of proteins of interest, based on the mannanase reporter system. This system may be adapted to other microorganisms, such as <it>Saccharomyces cerevisiae </it>for the selection of clones.</p
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