Discrimination of dynamically and post-dynamically recrystallized grains based on EBSD data: application to Inconel 718.

The importance of angular resolution in EBSD analyses is discussed based on an Inconel 718 sample containing several populations of recrystallized grains, with subtle differences in dislocation contents. Classical EBSD analyses (with angular resolution in the range of 0.5-1°) do not allow for distinguishing recrystallized grains grown dynamically or post-dynamically. The angular resolution of EBSD orientation and misorientation data can be significantly improved (down to about 0.1-0.2°) either using more sophisticated Kikuchi pattern indexing methods and/or using the recently proposed LLASS denoising filter (Local Linear Automatic Smoothing Splines). Then the coexistence of both dynamically and post-dynamically recrystallized grains in the sample can be confirmed and quantified. ECCI images unambiguously confirm the conclusions drawn from the analysis of improved angular resolution EBSD data, and furthermore reveal the presence of thermal stress induced dislocations with typical patterns in water quenched Inconel 718 recrystallized grains. LAY DESCRIPTION: EBSD is widely used to study recrystallization phenomena. Conventional EBSD is nevertheless not able to distinguish dynamic recrystallized grains from post-dynamic recrystallized grains which differ by subtitle differences in dislocation contents. In this paper, we show that improving the orientation precision of EBSD data by means of different methods allows distinguishing these two recrystallized grains populations. Analyses and discussion are based on an Inconel 718, a famous Nickel-based superalloy in aeronautic.

Biodistribution and Radiation Dosimetry for the Novel SV2A Radiotracer [(18)F]UCB-H: First-in-Human Study.

PURPOSE: [(18)F]UCB-H is a novel radiotracer with a high affinity for synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A), a protein expressed in synaptic vesicles. SV2A is the binding site of levetiracetam, a "first-in-class" antiepileptic drug with a distinct but still poorly understood mechanism of action. The objective of this study was to determine the biodistribution and radiation dosimetry of [(18)F]UCB-H in a human clinical trial and to establish injection limits according to biomedical research guidelines. Additionally, the clinical radiation dosimetry results were compared to estimations in previously published preclinical data. PROCEDURES: Dynamic whole body positron emission tomography/X-ray computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging was performed over approximately 110 min on five healthy male volunteers after injection of 144.5 ± 7.1 MBq (range, 139.1-156.5 MBq) of [(18)F]UCB-H. Major organs were delineated on CT images, and time-activity curves were obtained from co-registered dynamic PET emission scans. The bladder could only be delineated on PET images. Time-integrated activity coefficients were calculated as area under the curve using trapezoidal numerical integration. Urinary excretion data based on PET activities including voiding was also simulated using the dynamic bladder module of OLINDA/EXM. The radiation dosimetry was calculated using OLINDA/EXM. RESULTS: The effective dose to the OLINDA/EXM 70-kg standard male was 1.54 × 10(-2) ± 6.84 × 10(-4) millisieverts (mSv)/MBq, with urinary bladder wall, gallbladder wall, and the liver receiving the highest absorbed dose. The brain, the tracer's main organ of interest, received an absorbed dose of 1.89 × 10(-2) ± 2.32 × 10(-3) mGy/MBq. CONCLUSIONS: This first human dosimetry study of [(18)F]UCB-H indicated that the tracer shows similar radiation burdens to widely used common clinical tracers. Single injections of at maximum 672 MBq for US practice and 649 MBq for European practice keep radiation exposure below recommended limits. Recently published preclinical dosimetry data extrapolated from mice provided satisfactory prediction of total body and effective dose but showed significant differences in organ absorbed doses compared to human data.

Hybrid microPET imaging for dosimetric applications in mice: improvement of activity quantification in dynamic microPET imaging for accelerated dosimetry applied to 6-[18 F]fluoro-L-DOPA and 2-[18 F]fluoro-L-tyrosine.

PURPOSE: Dynamic microPET imaging has advantages over traditional organ harvesting, but is prone to quantification errors in small volumes. Hybrid imaging, where microPET activities are cross-calibrated using post scan harvested organs, can improve quantification. Organ harvesting, dynamic imaging and hybrid imaging were applied to determine the human and mouse radiation dosimetry of 6-[18 F]fluoro-L-DOPA and 2-[18 F]fluoro-L-tyrosine and compared. PROCEDURES: Two-hour dynamic microPET imaging was performed with both tracers in four separate mice for 18 F-FDOPA and three mice for 18 F-FTYR. Organ harvesting was performed at 2, 5, 10, 30, 60 and 120 min post tracer injection with n = 5 at each time point for 18 F-FDOPA and n = 3 at each time point for 18 F-FTYR. Human radiation dosimetry projected from animal data was calculated for the three different approaches for each tracer using OLINDA/EXM. S-factors for the MOBY phantom were used to calculate the animal dosimetry. RESULTS: Correlations between dose estimates based on organ harvesting and imaging was improved from r = 0.997 to r = 0.999 for 18 F-FDOPA and from r = 0.985 to r = 0.996 (p < 0.0001 for all) for 18 F-FTYR by using hybrid imaging. CONCLUSION: Hybrid imaging yields comparable results to traditional organ harvesting while partially overcoming the limitations of pure imaging. It is an advantageous technique in terms of number of animals needed and labour involved.

Resolution improvement and noise reduction in human pinhole SPECT using a multi-ray approach and the SHINE method.

PURPOSE: This work aimed at quantifying the gains in spatial resolution and noise that could be achieved when using resolution modelling based on a multi-ray approach and additionally the Statistical and Heuristic Noise Extraction (SHINE) method in human pinhole single photon emission tomography (PH-SPECT). METHODS: PH-SPECT of two line phantoms and one homogeneous cylinder were recorded using parameters suited for studies of the human neck area. They were reconstructed using pinhole dedicated ordered subsets expectation maximisation algorithm including a resolution recovery technique based on 7 or 21 rays. Optionally, the SPECT data were SHINE pre-processed. Transverse and axial full widths at half-maximum (FWHM) were obtained from the line phantoms. The noise was quantified using the coefficient of variation (COV) derived from the uniform phantom. Two human PH-SPECT studies of the thyroid (a hot nodule and a very low uptake) were processed with the same algorithms. RESULTS: Depending on the number of iterations, FWHM decreased by 30 to 50% when using the multi-ray approach in the reconstruction process. The SHINE method did not affect the resolution but decreased the COV by at least 20% and by 45% when combined with the multi-ray method. The two human studies illustrated the gain in spatial resolution and the decrease in noise afforded both by the multi-ray reconstruction and the SHINE method. CONCLUSION: Iterative reconstruction with resolution modelling allows to obtain high resolution human PH-SPECT studies with reduced noise content. The SHINE method affords an additional noise reduction without compromising the resolution.

180 degree pinhole SPET with a tilted detector and OS-EM reconstruction: phantom studies and potential clinical applications.

This study investigated the feasibility of ordered subsets expectation maximisation (OS-EM) reconstruction of pinhole single-photon emission tomography (SPET) acquired with a tilted detector head and a 180 degrees orbit. Phantom and patient data were recorded using a standard single-head camera. Reconstructions were performed using a dedicated OS-EM algorithm. Reconstructed images of line, uniformity and Picker's thyroid phantoms showed that the geometry, physical size and uniformity of the radioactive objects were preserved. For the range of radius corresponding to the patient studies, the measured full-widths at half-maximum lay between 4.90+/-0.25 mm and 6.05+/-0.25 mm. Finally, the gain in resolution associated with the use of the pinhole collimator instead of a parallel-hole collimator was highlighted in a parathyroid exploration and in a shoulder bone study.

Maximum-likelihood reconstruction with ordered subsets in bone SPECT.

UNLABELLED: This study was aimed at determining whether the ordered-subset expectation maximum (OSEM) is more effective than filtered backprojection (FBP) for bone SPECT in the routine clinical context. METHODS: Fifty-seven consecutive bone SPECT studies were analyzed. They included pelvic and lumbar spine, thoracolumbar spine, head and neck, feet and shoulders. A 64-projection SPECT study was acquired over 360 degrees by single-head cameras 2-3 h after the injection of 750 MBq 99mTc-methylene diphosphonate. Three observers compared the OSEM and FBP reconstructed images. RESULTS: Streak artifacts, always present with FBP, were rarely generated with the OSEM. When present (n = 24), artifacts associated with negative values near hyperactivities in FBP were not generated with the OSEM in 67% of the cases (n = 16), permitting a satisfactory interpretation of these regions. In half of the other cases (17%, n = 4/24), interpretation was precluded. In only one case did the three observers agree that more hyperactivities were seen with the OSEM. Ninety-six percent of the OSEM pictures were superior or equal to FBP for anatomic resolution and were clearly better in 12% of the cases. The extent of the lesion with the OSEM seemed better or equally defined in 96% and clearly better in 14% of the cases. The low-activity regions were better or equally visualized in all cases and were clearly better seen in 23% of the cases. The quality of the pictures was found to be better or superior with the OSEM in 98% of the cases and definitely better in 65% of the cases. CONCLUSION: Replacement of FBP by the OSEM in bone SPECT would be beneficial to clinical practice.

Median root prior and ordered subsets in Bayesian image reconstruction of single-photon emission tomography.

Median root prior allows Bayesian image reconstruction without any a priori knowledge of the final solution. It limits the noise generated by maximum likelihood-expectation maximization, including when the ordered subsets accelerating procedure is used. Therefore the number of iterations can be optimized to obtain the best resolution for cold lesions. Moreover, the higher the number of subsets, the better the contrast, with optimal results for subsets containing between four and eight projections.

Destruction of stearic acid nitroxyl radicals mediated by photoexcited merocyanine 540 in liposomal and micellar systems.

Fatty acid spin labels have been included into liposomes and micelles, in order to study the photochemical behavior of merocyanine 540 toward nitroxyl radicals situated at various depths in the bilayer or the surfactant layer. Visible illumination of the dye, either free in ethanol or bound to liposomes or micelles, leads to the reduction of the electron spin resonance signal of the label. The efficiency of the interaction between merocyanine 540 and spin labels depends on the depth at which the nitroxyl moiety is localized in the micelle or vesicle. Fluorescence measurements indicate that the first excited singlet state of merocyanine 540 is not directly implicated in the reaction mechanism. Flash photolysis experiments conducted in aqueous solutions of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide micelles show that the presence of nitroxyl radical decreases the rate constant of triplet decay in a concentration-dependent fashion. The corresponding quenching rate constant (kq) is determined for the different spin labels. The kq values and the reduction rates of ESR signal show the same dependence on the localization of the nitroxyl moiety in the micelles.

Singlet oxygen quantum yield of sulfur and selenium analogs of psoralen.

The quantum yield of singlet oxygen production by eight newly synthesized sulfur and selenium analogs of psoralen irradiated with UV-A (366 nm) has been determined in CCl4 with the help of the steady state luminescence technique. The new psoralen derivatives are generally better singlet oxygen producers than psoralen itself. In particular, the replacement of selenophene for furan and/or of thiopyrone for pyrone induces an important enhancement of the singlet oxygen quantum yield.

Triplet yield of merocyanine 540 in water is wavelength dependent.

Monomers and aggregates of Merocyanine 540 (MC540) in water are able to photoisomerize. The shape of the photoisomer absorption spectrum is very similar to that of the ground state. Triplet state of MC540 in water has been produced by energy transfer from triplet anthracene and displays a broad absorption spectrum between 600 and 700 nm. The triplet state may also be produced by direct excitation of MC540 with UV light. However, when the dye is excited by visible light, no triplet state absorbance in the red could be detected so that the triplet yield of MC540 in water seems to be excitation wavelength dependent.

Singlet oxygen production and photoisomerization: two competitive processes for merocyanine 540 irradiated with visible light.

The quantum yields of singlet oxygen production by merocyanine 540 have been measured during visible light irradiation performed in methanol and ethanol. These appear to be one hundred times smaller than the quantum yield for rose bengal measured under the same conditions. Flash photolysis experiments demonstrate the ability of merocyanine 540 molecules to isomerize under visible light irradiation: the isomerization quantum yields are about 0.65 in both ethanol and methanol. This information combined with the fluorescence quantum yield data account for the low values for singlet oxygen production.