ACS Images Research Articles

Deep learning-based CT-free attenuation correction for cardiac SPECT: a new approach

BackgroundComputed tomography attenuation correction (CTAC) is commonly used in cardiac SPECT imaging to reduce soft-tissue attenuation artifacts. However, CTAC is prone to inaccuracies due to CT artifacts and SPECT-CT mismatch, along with additional radiation exposure to patients. Thus, these limitations have led to increasing interest in CT-free AC, with deep learning (DL) offering promising solutions. We proposed a new DL-based CT-free AC methods for cardiac SPECT.MethodsWe developed a feature alignment attenuation correction network (FA-ACNet) based on the 3D U-Net framework to generate predicted DL-based AC SPECT (Deep AC). The network was trained on 167 cardiac SPECT/CT studies using 5-fold cross validation and tested in an independent testing set (n = 35), with CTAC serving as the reference. During training, multi-scale features from non-attenuation-corrected (NAC) SPECT and CT were processed separately and then aligned with the encoded features from NAC SPECT using adversarial learning and distance metric learning techniques. The performance of FA-ACNet was evaluated using mean square error (MSE), structural similarity index (SSIM) and peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR). Additionally, semi-quantitative evaluation of Deep AC images was performed and compared to CTAC using Bland-Altman plots.ResultsFA-ACNet achieved an MSE of 16.94 ± 2.03 × 10− 6, SSIM of 0.9955 ± 0.0006 and PSNR of 43.73 ± 0.50 after 5-fold cross validation. Compared to U-Net, MSE and PSNR improved by aligning multi-scale features from NAC SPECT and CT with those from NAC SPECT. In the testing set, FA-ACNet achieved an MSE of 11.98 × 10− 6, SSIM of 0.9976 and PSNR of 45.54. The 95% limits of agreement (LoAs) between the Deep AC and CTAC images for the summed stress/rest scores (SSS/SRS) were [− 2.3, 2.8] and [-1.9,2.1] in the training set and testing set respectively. Changes in perfusion categories were observed in 4.19% and 5.9% of studies assessed for global perfusion scores in the training set and testing set.ConclusionWe propose a novel DL-based CT-free AC approach for cardiac SPECT, which can generate AC images without the need for a CT scan. By leveraging multi-scale features from both NAC SPECT and CT, the performance of CT-free AC is significantly enhanced, offering a promising alternative for future DL-based AC strategies.

Comparison of the diagnostic performances of CT attenuation corrected and non-attenuation corrected SPECT myocardial perfusion scintigraphy in coronary artery disease.

Tissue attenuation reduces the specificity of the myocardial perfusion imaging single photon emission tomography (SPECT), which leads reduced diagnostic accuracy. The aim of this study is to compare performances of non-attenuation corrected (NAC), computed tomography based-attenuation corrected (AC) and prone images for qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis of myocardial perfusion SPECT in diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD). Eightysix patients in whom NAC, AC and prone images were obtained with SPECT at Selcuk University Faculty of Medicine, and whose coronary angiography/CT coronary angiography was completed within 3 months, were retrospectively studied. Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy was performed using SPECT/CT dual-headed gamma camera. Images were evaluated qualitatively and semi-quantitatively using 20-segment model. Analyzes of global myocardium and LAD, RCA, Cx vascular areas as regional analysis were performed. In qualitative evaluation, if SPECT study was abnormal, relevant coronary artery area was recorded. Quantitative Perfusion SPECT (QPS) program was used in semi-quantitative analysis; SSS ≥ 4 was accepted for presence of CAD in per-patient analysis. In regional analysis SSS ≥ 2 was taken into account. Coronary angiography/CT coronary angiography was used as gold standard. Threshold value was determined as ≥50% and above luminal diameter narrowing. While AC and NAC methods were compared for per-patient analysis and each vascular area; 3 imaging methods including prone acqusition, were compared for the RCA area. Diagnostic performances of the methods were evaluated by comparing the areas under the curve with ROC analysis. In visual evaluation, sensitivity of AC was significantly lower than NAC in analyzes of per-patient, RCA and Cx areas (global 76.92% vs 86.15%, RCA 60.87% vs 82.61%, Cx 58.97% vs 69.23%, respectively; p < 0.05). Sensitivity of prone imaging was significantly higher than AC in analysis of the RCA area (76.09% vs 60.87%, respectively; p < 0.05) Specificity values ​​were higher in analyzes of global, RCA and Cx areas in AC than in NAC method; this difference was significant in RCA and Cx areas (RCA 70% vs 42.50%, Cx 85.11% vs 70.21%, respectively; p < 0.05). In semi-quantitative evaluation, AC and NAC had similar sensitivity and specificity in global and regional analyzes; in RCA area, no significant difference was detected between the 3 methods. In ROC analysis, no significant difference was detected between methods in per-patient and regional analyzes both in visual and semi-quantitative evaluation. CT-based attenuation correction increases specificity, but reduces sensitivity in the diagnosis of CAD in regional areas of RCA and Cx. Prone imaging remains important in evaluation of RCA area.

JWST and ALMA Discern the Assembly of Structural and Obscured Components in a High-redshift Starburst Galaxy

We present observations and analysis of the starburst PACS-819 at z = 1.45 (M * = 1010.7 M ⊙), using high-resolution (0.″1; 0.8 kpc) Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and multiwavelength JWST images from the COSMOS-Web program. Dissimilar to Hubble Space Telescope (HST) ACS images in the rest-frame UV, the redder NIRCam and MIRI images reveal a smooth central mass concentration and spiral-like features, atypical for such an intense starburst. Through dynamical modeling of the CO (J = 5–4) emission with ALMA, PACS-819 is rotation dominated and thus consistent with having a disk-like nature. However, kinematic anomalies in CO and asymmetric features in the bluer JWST bands (e.g., F150W) support a more disturbed nature likely due to interactions. The JWST imaging further enables us to map the distribution of stellar mass and dust attenuation, thus clarifying the relationships between different structural components not discernible in the previous HST images. The CO (J = 5–4) and far-infrared dust continuum emission are cospatial with a heavily obscured starbursting core (<1 kpc) that is partially surrounded by much less obscured star-forming structures including a prominent arc, possibly a tidally distorted dwarf galaxy, and a massive clump (detected in CO), likely a recently accreted low-mass satellite. With spatially resolved maps, we find a high molecular gas fraction in the central area reaching ∼3 (M gas/M *) and short depletion times (M gas/SFR ∼ 120 Myr, where SFR is star formation rate) across the entire system. These observations provide insights into the complex nature of starbursts in the distant Universe and underscore the wealth of complementary information from high-resolution observations with both ALMA and JWST.

EPOCHS Paper – VIII. An insight into MIRI-selected galaxies in SMACS-0723 and the benefits of deep MIRI photometry in revealing AGN and the dusty universe

ABSTRACT We present the analysis of the stellar population and star formation history of 181 MIRI selected galaxies at z = 0 − 3.5 in the massive galaxy cluster field SMACS J0723.3–7327, commonly referred to as SMACS0723, using the JWST Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). We combine the data with the JWST Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) catalogue, in conjunction with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) WFC3/IR and ACS imaging. We find that the MIRI bands capture PAH features and dust emission, significantly enhancing the accuracy of photometric redshift and measurements of the physical properties of these galaxies. The median photo-z’s of galaxies with MIRI data are found to have a small 0.1 per cent difference from spectroscopic redshifts and reducing the error by 20 per cent. With MIRI data included in SED fits, we find that the measured stellar masses are unchanged, while the star formation rate is slightly lower by 0.1 dex. We also fit the median SED of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and star-forming galaxies (SFG) separately. MIRI data provides tighter constraints on the AGN contribution, reducing the typical AGN contributions by ∼15 per cent. In addition, we also compare the median SED obtained with and without MIRI, and we find that including MIRI data yields steeper optical and UV slopes, indicating bluer colours, lower dust attenuation, and younger stellar populations. In the future, MIRI/MRS will enhance our understanding by providing more detailed spectral information and allowing for the study of specific emission features and diagnostics associated with AGN.

Discovery of Kiloparsec-scale Semirelativistic Fe Kα Complex Emission in NGC 5728

We present Chandra ACIS-S imaging spectroscopy results of the extended (1.″5–8″, 300–1600 pc) hard X-ray emission of NGC 5728, the host galaxy of a Compton-thick active galactic nucleus. We find spectrally and spatially resolved features in the Fe Kα complex (5.0–7.5 keV) redward and blueward of the neutral Fe line at 6.4 keV in the extended narrow-line region bicone. A simple phenomenological fit of a power law plus Gaussians gives a significance of 5.4σ and 3.7σ for the red and blue wings, respectively. Fits to a suite of physically consistent models confirm a significance of ≥3σ for the red wing. The significance of the blue wing may be diminished by the presence of rest-frame highly ionized Fe xxv and Fe xxvi lines (1.4σ–3.7σ range). A detailed investigation of the Chandra ACIS-S point-spread function and comparison with the observed morphology demonstrates that these red and blue wings are radially extended (∼5″, ∼1 kpc) along the optical bicone axis. If the wing emission is due solely to redshifted and blueshifted high-velocity neutral Fe Kα, then the implied line-of-sight velocities are +/− ∼0.1c, and their fluxes are consistent with being equal. A symmetric high-velocity outflow is then a viable explanation. This outflow has deprojected velocities ∼100 times larger than the outflows detected in optical spectroscopic studies, potentially dominating the kinetic feedback power.

Early bruising detection of 'Korla' pears by low-cost visible-LED structured-illumination reflectance imaging and feature-based classification models.

Nondestructive detection of thin-skinned fruit bruising is one of the main challenges in the automated grading of post-harvest fruit. The structured-illumination reflectance imaging (SIRI) is an emerging optical technique with the potential for detection of bruises. This study presented the pioneering application of low-cost visible-LED SIRI for detecting early subcutaneous bruises in 'Korla' pears. Three types of bruising degrees (mild, moderate and severe) and ten sets of spatial frequencies (50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450 and 500 cycles m-1) were analyzed. By evaluation of contrast index (CI) values, 150 cycles m-1 was determined as the optimal spatial frequency. The sinusoidal pattern images were demodulated to get the DC, AC, and RT images without any stripe information. Based on AC and RT images, texture features were extracted and the LS-SVM, PLS-DA and KNN classification models combined the optimized features were developed for the detection of 'Korla' pears with varying degrees of bruising. It was found that RT images consistently outperformed AC images regardless of type of model, and LS-SVM model exhibited the highest detection accuracy and stability. Across mild, moderate, severe and mixed bruises, the LS-SVM model with RT images achieved classification accuracies of 98.6%, 98.9%, 98.5%, and 98.8%, respectively. This study showed that visible-LED SIRI technique could effectively detect early bruising of 'Korla' pears, providing a valuable reference for using low-cost visible LED SIRI to detect fruit damage.

Comparison of positional artifacts in myocardial perfusion imaging in supine and semi-reclining position using dedicated D-SPECT cardiac camera: validation using CT based attenuation correction

BackgroundSoft-tissue attenuation remains a major limitation of SPECT-MPI which interferes with the diagnosis of CAD. The current study aims to evaluate the pattern of attenuation artifacts in supine and semi-reclining positions on CZT cardiac camera and their interaction with gender, BMI and stress protocols. MethodsWe prospectively analysed 150 patients acquired in supine and semi-reclining positions on CZT camera. The images were evaluated for severity and extent of defect using 17-segment model. An additional CT scan was acquired to generate AC image in the first 50 patients studied to assist investigator learning for comparison of artifact vs true defects in the two SPECT systems. The defects present in one position or showing change in severity within two positions were considered as positional artifacts and further validated using CTAC supine image. ResultsIn overall analysis, higher extent and severity of positional artifacts were observed more in semi-reclining position affecting the apex, apico-inferior, inferolateral and inferoseptal segments. Females showed more positional artifacts than males with inferior wall attenuation in the semireclining position and anterior wall attenuation in the supine position. A positive correlation of the extent and severity of positional artifacts was noted with an increasing BMI. In patients with BMI > 30, mid inferior and inferolateral segments were most affected followed by anterior wall segments. Highest correction of artifactual perfusion defects by CTAC was noted in inferior wall followed by inferolateral segments. ConclusionThe incidence of positional artifacts was greater in semi-reclining position in females, higher BMI groups and adenosine stress subsets. Knowledge of the pattern of positional artifacts appears to be a reliable alternative of CTAC for correct interpretation of myocardial perfusion images.

Star clusters in tidal debris

ABSTRACT We present results of a Hubble Space Telescope (HST) UBVI-band study of star clusters in tidal tails, using new WFC3 and ACS imaging to complement existing WFPC2 data. We survey 12 tidal tails across seven merging systems, deriving ages and masses for 425 star cluster candidates (SCCs). The stacked mass distribution across all systems follows a power law of the form dN/dM ∝ Mβ, with β = −2.02 ± 0.15, consistent with what is seen in other star-forming environments. GALEX and Swift UV imaging provide star formation rates (SFRs) for our tidal tails, which when compared with ages and masses of our SCCs, allows for a determination of the cluster formation efficiency (CFE). We find the CFE increases with increasing SFR surface density, matching the theoretical model. We confirm this fit down at SFR densities lower than previously measured (log ΣSFR (M⊙ yr−1 kpc−2) ≈ −4.2), as related to the CFE. We determine the half-light radii for a refined sample of 57 SCCs with our HST WFC3 and ACS imaging, and calculate their dynamical age, finding the majority of them to be gravitationally bound. We also provide evidence of only low-mass (&amp;lt;104 M⊙) cluster formation in our nearest galaxy, NGC 1487, consistent with the theory that this system is a dwarf merger.

Clinical Utility of CT-based Attenuation-correction in Myocardial Perfusion SPECT Imaging.

We aimed to investigate and compare the role of computed tomography (CT)-based attenuation-corrected images (AC) with non-attenuation-corrected images (NAC) obtained by single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). The data of 124 patients who were applied one-day stress-rest Tc-99m sestamibi SPECT/CT MPI and who had coronary angiography (CAG) results within ±3 months were retrospectively reviewed. AC and NAC images were visually evaluated by two nuclear medicine specialists in a consensus. CAG results were used as the reference standard. Specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy were calculated as 66%, 61%, 71%, 79% and 69%, 70% for AC and NAC imaging in the whole group, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between AC and NAC images for specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy in the male and female subgroups. In the diagnosis of right coronary artery (RCA) disease, CT AC significantly increased the specificity from 87% to 96%. However, in the left anterior descending artery (LAD) region, the specificity was significantly reduced from 95% to 77%. CT-based AC did not significantly contribute to diagnostic performance for increased specificity for the RCA and reduced specificity in the LAD region. Therefore, AC images should always be evaluated side by side with NAC images to benefit from the different advantages of both techniques.

CT-free attenuation correction for dedicated cardiac SPECT using a 3D dual squeeze-and-excitation residual dense network

BackgroundAttenuation correction (AC) using CT transmission scanning enables the accurate quantitative analysis of dedicated cardiac SPECT. However, AC is challenging for SPECT-only scanners. We developed a deep learning-based approach to generate synthetic AC images from SPECT images without AC. MethodsCT-free AC was implemented using our customized Dual Squeeze-and-Excitation Residual Dense Network (DuRDN). 172 anonymized clinical hybrid SPECT/CT stress/rest myocardial perfusion studies were used in training, validation, and testing. Additional body mass index (BMI), gender, and scatter-window information were encoded as channel-wise input to further improve the network performance. ResultsQuantitative and qualitative analysis based on image voxels and 17-segment polar map showed the potential of our approach to generate consistent SPECT AC images. Our customized DuRDN showed superior performance to conventional network design such as U-Net. The averaged voxel-wise normalized mean square error (NMSE) between the predicted AC images by DuRDN and the ground-truth AC images was 2.01 ± 1.01%, as compared to 2.23 ± 1.20% by U-Net. ConclusionsOur customized DuRDN facilitates dedicated cardiac SPECT AC without CT scanning. DuRDN can efficiently incorporate additional patient information and may achieve better performance compared to conventional U-Net.

Evidence for a Dense, Inhomogeneous Circumstellar Medium in the Type Ia SNR 0519-69.0

We perform an expansion study of the Balmer-dominated outer shock of the SNR 0519−69.0 in the LMC by using a combination of new Hubble Space Telescope (HST) WFC3 imagery obtained in 2020 and archival ACS images from 2010 and 2011. Thanks to the very long time baseline, our proper motion measurements are of unprecedented accuracy. We find a wide range of shock velocities, with the fastest shocks averaging 5280 km s−1 and the slowest grouping of shocks averaging just 1670 km s−1. We compare the Hα images from HST with X-ray images from Chandra and mid-IR images from Spitzer, finding a clear anticorrelation between the brightness of the remnant in a particular location and the velocity of the blast wave at that location, supporting the idea that the bright knots of X-ray and IR emission result from an interaction with a dense inhomogeneous circumstellar medium. We find no evidence for X-ray emission, thermal or nonthermal, associated with the fastest shocks, as expected if the fastest velocities are the result of the blast wave encountering the lower density ambient medium of the LMC. We derive an age of the remnant of ≤670 ± 70 yr, consistent with results derived from previous investigations.

Investigation of ACS image stabilization of on-board optoelectronic guidance and tracking devices

Introduction. The movement of the carrier and external factors (the effects of the atmosphere, temperature and pressure) degrade significantly the image quality of the servo optoelectronic systems (OES) and the positioning accuracy of the emitting OES. The issues of image quality improvement and the probability of keeping the image of the observation object (OO) on the optical axis of the servo EOS are considered.Materials and Methods. The development of an automatic control system for an optoelectronic device (ACS OED) involved solving a multi-criteria optimization problem taking into account a number of conflicting technical-andeconomic (TE) requirements. The determination of tolerated dynamic errors (TDE) of image stabilization was a key issue in the development of on-board optoelectronic devices (OOED). Lagrange equations of the second kind and the mixed Gilbert method made it possible to obtain a mathematical model of the CO OED. Then, the decomposition of a two-link ACS with nonlinear cross-couplings in the CO was performed. A functional diagram of the image formation model of the OOED was presented. The parameters of the matrix photodetector and the requirements for the dynamic error of the ACS OED, taking into account the permissible MTF of the OED, were listed. The functions of transferring modulation, as well as linear, harmonic and vibrational shift of the image corresponding to the permissible and achieved TDE were visualized. Logarithmic frequency characteristics were created in the Mathcad environment. The two-link control system of the OED with the specified parameters of the CO for the considered movement was presented as two independent azimuth and elevation control channels.Results. The processes of control of the on-board optoelectronic system in the stabilization and tracking modes were described. To study the dynamics of spatial control of the OOEP in accordance with the ACS methodology, a computer simulation model (CSM) of the digital automatic control systems (DACS) of the OED was developed. It was implemented in the Matlab environment and consisted of CSM CO, drives, proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controllers taking into account non-linearities, a central computing device (CCD), a guidance software device, a CSMcarrier that implemented the equations of motion. Harmonic vibrations of the carrier were described. The errors of tracking and stabilization in the tracking mode with an additional control action introduced in the form of a constant speed were determined. The dynamics of spatial control of the OOED was investigated. A computer simulation model of a digital automatic control system of an optoelectronic device, the results of modeling the DACS OED without considering the board movement, and the processes of OED control subject to movement were visualized.Discussion and Conclusions. The stabilization accuracy was calculated for the studied cases. It was established that the stabilization tens of times exceeded the previously stated indicators, and it tens of times reduced the requirements for the convergence of the laser beam and the laser radiation power when developing the optical path of the product in question. The proposed CSM can be used in the development of the on-board optoelectronic systems. In this case, the application of the presented methodology and CSM will help to reduce labor costs and minimize errors.

Post-reconstruction attenuation correction for SPECT myocardium perfusion imaging facilitated by deep learning-based attenuation map generation

BackgroundAttenuation correction can improve the quantitative accuracy of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images. Existing SPECT-only systems normally can only provide non-attenuation corrected (NC) images which are susceptible to attenuation artifacts. In this work, we developed a post-reconstruction attenuation correction (PRAC) approach facilitated by a deep learning-based attenuation map for myocardial perfusion SPECT imaging. MethodsIn the PRAC method, new projection data were estimated via forwardly projecting the scanner-generated NC image. Then an attenuation map, generated from NC image using a pretrained deep learning (DL) convolutional neural network, was incorporated into an offline reconstruction algorithm to obtain the attenuation-corrected images from the forwardly projected projections. We evaluated the PRAC method using 30 subjects with a DL network trained with 40 subjects, using the vendor-generated AC images and CT-based attenuation maps as the ground truth. ResultsThe PRAC methods using DL-generated and CT-based attenuation maps were both highly consistent with the scanner-generated AC image. The globally normalized mean absolute errors were 1.1% ± .6% and .7% ± .4% and the localized absolute percentage errors were 8.9% ± 13.4% and 7.8% ± 11.4% in the left ventricular (LV) blood pool, respectively, and − 1.3% ± 8.0% and − 3.8% ± 4.5% in the LV myocardium for PRAC methods using DL-generated and CT-based attenuation maps, respectively. The summed stress scores after PRAC using both attenuation maps were more consistent with the ground truth than those of the NC images. ConclusionWe developed a PRAC approach facilitated by deep learning-based attenuation maps for SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging. It may be feasible for this approach to provide AC images for SPECT-only scanner data.

Luminosity functions of globular clusters in five nearby spiral galaxies using HST/ACS images

ABSTRACT We here present the luminosity function (LF) of globular clusters (GCs) in five nearby spiral galaxies using the samples of GC candidates selected in Hubble Space Telescope mosaic images in F435W, F555W, and F814W filters. Our search, which surpasses the fractional area covered by all previous searches in these galaxies, has resulted in the detection of 158 GC candidates in M81, 1123 in M101, 226 in NGC 4258, 293 in M51, and 173 in NGC 628. The LFs constructed from this data set, after correcting for relatively small contamination from reddened young clusters, are lognormal in nature, which was hitherto established only for the Milky Way (MW) and Andromeda among spiral galaxies. The magnitude at the turn-over (TO) corresponds to MV0(TO) = −7.41 ± 0.14 in four of the galaxies with Hubble types Sc or earlier, in excellent agreement with MV(TO) = −7.40 ± 0.10 for the MW. The TO magnitude is equivalent to a mass of ∼3 × 105 M⊙ for an old, metal-poor population. MV0(TO) is fainter by ∼1.16 magnitude for the fifth galaxy, M 101, which is of Hubble type Scd. The TO dependence on Hubble type implies that the GCs in early-type spirals are classical GCs, which have a universal TO, whereas the GC population in late-type galaxies is dominated by old disc clusters, which are in general less massive. The radial density distribution of GCs in our sample galaxies follows the Sérsic function with exponential power-law indices, and effective radii of 4.0–9.5 kpc. GCs in the sample galaxies have a mean specific frequency of 1.10 ± 0.24, after correcting for magnitude and radial incompleteness factors.

Detection of shallow anterior chamber depth from two-dimensional anterior segment photographs using deep learning

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to implement and evaluate a deep learning (DL) approach for automatically detecting shallow anterior chamber depth (ACD) from two-dimensional (2D) overview anterior segment photographs.MethodsWe trained a DL model using a dataset of anterior segment photographs collected from Shanghai Aier Eye Hospital from June 2018 to December 2019. A Pentacam HR system was used to capture a 2D overview eye image and measure the ACD. Shallow ACD was defined as ACD less than 2.4 mm. The DL model was evaluated by a five-fold cross-validation test in a hold-out testing dataset. We also evaluated the DL model by testing it against two glaucoma specialists. The performance of the DL model was calculated by metrics, including accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC).ResultsA total of 3753 photographs (1720 shallow AC and 2033 deep AC images) were assigned to the training dataset, and 1302 photographs (509 shallow AC and 793 deep AC images) were held out for two internal testing datasets. In detecting shallow ACD in the internal hold-out testing dataset, the DL model achieved an AUC of 0.86 (95% CI, 0.83–0.90) with 80% sensitivity and 79% specificity. In the same testing dataset, the DL model also achieved better performance than the two glaucoma specialists (accuracy of 80% vs. accuracy of 74 and 69%).ConclusionsWe proposed a high-performing DL model to automatically detect shallow ACD from overview anterior segment photographs. Our DL model has potential applications in detecting and monitoring shallow ACD in the real world.Trial registrationhttp://clinicaltrials.gov, NCT04340635, retrospectively registered on 29 March 2020.

Computer-aided skin cancer diagnosis based on a New meta-heuristic algorithm combined with support vector method

Skin cancer has grown significantly over the past decades, and the importance of its initial treatment is increasing day by day. This study aims to use a computer-aided diagnosis automatic system for the exact diagnosis of cancerous cases. In the present study, after applying pre-processing operations including contrast enhancement, image thresholding, and mathematical morphology for highlighting the important areas, feature extraction based on 20 different features has been applied. Then, for decreasing the system complexity, a new improved version of the world cup optimization algorithm is utilized for the features pruning. After optimal selection of the features, the injected into a support vector machine as a classifier to determine the cancerous areas. Experimental results are compared by different new algorithms including the classic SVM method, hybrid optimized neural networks based on gray wolf optimizer and particle swarm optimization algorithm, and also convolutional neural network. Results obtained for skin lesions images from two different databases indicate that the proposed method has higher efficiency than other published methods, demonstrating even better performance than the well-known classification method, the convolutional neural networks. The proposed method presents the highest correct detection rate - 92.64 for ACS images and 87.5 for ISIC images with very low false acceptance rates (4.41 % and 9 % for ACS and ISIC images, respectively) and even less false rejection rates, this is, 2.94 % on ACS images and 3.5 % on ISIC images. These results prove that the proposed method may be reliably used to diagnose skin cancer through dermoscopy images.

Jellyfish galaxy candidates in MACS J0717.5+3745 and 39 other clusters of the DAFT/FADA and CLASH surveys

Context. Galaxies in clusters undergo several phenomena, such as RPS and tidal interactions, that can trigger or quench their star formation and, in some cases, lead to galaxies acquiring unusual shapes and long tails – some become jellyfish. Aims. We searched for jellyfish galaxy candidates in a sample of 40 clusters from the DAFT/FADA and CLASH surveys covering the redshift range 0.2 &lt; z &lt; 0.9. In MACS J0717.5+3745 (MACS0717), our large spatial coverage and abundant sampling of spectroscopic redshifts allowed us to pursue a detailed analysis of jellyfish galaxy candidates in this cluster and its extended filament. Methods. We retrieved galaxy spectroscopic redshifts in the NASA Extragalactic Database for galaxies in all the clusters of our sample (except for MACS0717 for which we had an extensive catalogue), looked at the Hubble Space Telescope ACS images of these objects (mainly the F606W and F814W bands), and classified them as a function of their likeliness to be jellyfish galaxies. We give catalogues of jellyfish galaxy candidates with positions, redshifts, magnitudes, and projected distance to their respective cluster centre. For MACS0717, an eight-magnitude optical and infrared catalogue covering the entire region allowed us to compute the best stellar population fits with LePhare through the GAZPAR interface. For the 31 jellyfish candidates in the other clusters belonging to the CLASH survey, we extracted up to 17 magnitudes available in the CLASH catalogues to fit their spectral energy distribution in the same way. Results. We found 81 jellyfish galaxy candidates in the extended region around MACS0717 as well as 97 in 22 other clusters. Jellyfish galaxy candidates in MACS0717 tend to avoid the densest regions of the cluster, while this does not appear to be the case in the other clusters. The best fit templates found by LePhare show that star formation is occurring. Stellar masses are in the range 109 − 1011 M⊙, and the star formation rates (SFRs) are in the 10−1 − 60 M⊙ yr−1 range for MACS0717 and in the 10−1 − 10 M⊙ yr−1 range for the other sample. Specific star formation rates (sSFRs) are notably higher in MACS0717, with more than half of the sample having values larger than 10−9 yr−1, while in the other clusters, most galaxies have sSFR &lt; 10−10 yr−1. Stellar populations appear younger in MACS0717 (more than half have an age smaller than 1.5 × 109 yrs), and, following mid-infrared criteria, two galaxies may contain an active galactic nucleus. In a SFR versus stellar mass diagram, jellyfish galaxy candidates appear to have somewhat larger SFRs than “non-jellyfish star-forming” galaxies. For MACS0717, the mean sSFR of the 79 jellyfish galaxy candidates is 3.2 times larger than that of star-forming non-jellyfish galaxies (selected with log(sSFR) ≥ − 11). Conclusions. Our jellyfish galaxy candidates are star-forming objects, with young ages and blue colours. Based on several arguments, the jellyfish candidates identified in MACS0717 seem to have fallen rather recently into the cluster. A very rough estimate of the proportions of jellyfish galaxies in the studied clusters is about 10%; this number does not seem to vary strongly with the cluster relaxation state, though this result must be confirmed with more data. Our sample of 97 galaxies in 22 clusters represents the basis of future works.

Distances to PHANGS galaxies: New tip of the red giant branch measurements and adopted distances

ABSTRACT PHANGS-HST is an ultraviolet-optical imaging survey of 38 spiral galaxies within ∼20 Mpc. Combined with the PHANGS-ALMA, PHANGS-MUSE surveys and other multiwavelength data, the data set will provide an unprecedented look into the connections between young stars, H ii regions, and cold molecular gas in these nearby star-forming galaxies. Accurate distances are needed to transform measured observables into physical parameters (e.g. brightness to luminosity, angular to physical sizes of molecular clouds, star clusters and associations). PHANGS-HST has obtained parallel ACS imaging of the galaxy haloes in the F606W and F814W bands. Where possible, we use these parallel fields to derive tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) distances to these galaxies. In this paper, we present TRGB distances for 10 PHANGS galaxies from ∼4 to ∼15 Mpc, based on the first year of PHANGS-HST observations. Four of these represent the first published TRGB distance measurements (IC 5332, NGC 2835, NGC 4298, and NGC 4321), and seven of which are the best available distances to these targets. We also provide a compilation of distances for the 118 galaxies in the full PHANGS sample, which have been adopted for the first PHANGS-ALMA public data release.

Chandra reveals a luminous Compton-thick QSO powering a Lyα blob in a z = 4 starbursting protocluster

Context. Galaxy clusters in the local universe descend from high-redshift overdense regions known as protoclusters. The large gas reservoirs and high rate of galaxy interaction in protoclusters are expected to enhance star-formation activity and trigger luminous supermassive black-hole accretion in the nuclear regions of the host galaxies. Aims. We investigated the active galactic nucleus (AGN) content of a gas-rich and starbursting protocluster at z = 4.002, known as the Distant Red Core (DRC). In particular, we search for luminous and possibly obscured AGN in 13 identified members of the structure, and compare the results with protoclusters at lower redshifts. We also test whether a hidden AGN can power the Lyα blob (LAB) detected with VLT/MUSE in the DRC. Methods. We observed all of the identified members of the structure with 139 ks of Chandra ACIS-S imaging. Being less affected by absorption than optical and IR bands, even in the presence of large column densities of obscuring material, X-ray observations are the best tools to detect ongoing nuclear activity in the DRC galaxies. Results. We detect obscured X-ray emission from the two most gas-rich members of the DRC, named DRC-1 and DRC-2. Both of them are resolved into multiple interacting clumps in high-resolution Atacama Large Millimeter Array and Hubble Space Telescope observations. In particular, DRC-2 is found to host a luminous (L2−10 keV ≈ 3 × 1045 erg s−1 ) Compton-thick (NH ≳ 1024 cm−2) quasar (QSO) candidate, comparable to the most luminous QSOs known at all cosmic times. The AGN fraction among DRC members is consistent with results found for lower redshift protoclusters. However, X-ray stacking analysis reveals that supermassive black hole (SMBH) accretion is likely also taking place in other DRC galaxies that are not detected individually by Chandra. Conclusions. The luminous AGN detected in the most gas-rich galaxies in the DRC and the widespread SMBH accretion in the other members, which is suggested by stacking analysis, point toward the presence of a strong link between large gas reservoirs, galaxy interactions, and luminous and obscured nuclear activity in protocluster members. The powerful and obscured QSO detected in DRC-2 is likely powering the nearby LAB detected with VLT/MUSE, possibly through photoionization; however, we propose that the diffuse Lyα emission may be due to gas shocked by a massive outflow launched by DRC-2 over a ≈10 kpc scale.

J3SPM: An Open-Source Microcontroller-Powered Control System for Atomic Force Microscope

In this paper, we propose a control system for an atomic force microscope (AFM) based on an open-source microcontroller. The system, named J3SPM, offers a low-cost and easy-to-use alternative to existing control systems. The hardware of J3SPM is composed of a data acquisition shield, which is compatible with the Arduino mega and due board and is equipped with a 24-bit resolution analog to digital converter, 16-bit resolution digital to analog converter, function generator, deflection sensor driver, and piezo driver. The control program is implemented using the Arduino integrated development environment. A graphic user interface is developed for the control system. To demonstrate the capability of the presented system, we employ J3SPM with a home-made AFM for imaging a sample with a step height of 21 nm in AC imaging mode.