Identification of selected internal wood characteristics in computed tomography images of black spruce: a comparison study

The feasibility of identifying internal wood characteristics in computed tomography (CT) images of black spruce was investigated using two promising classifiers: the maximum likelihood classifier (MLC) and the back propagation (BP) artificial neural network (ANN) classifier. Nine image features including one spectral feature (gray level values), a distance feature, and seven textural features were employed to develop the classifiers. The selected internal wood characteristics to be identified included heartwood, sapwood, bark, and knots. Twenty cross-sectional CT images of a black spruce log were randomly selected to develop the two classifiers. The results suggest that both classifiers produced high classification accuracy. Compared with the MLC classifier (80.9% overall accuracy), the BP ANN classifier had better classification performance (97.6% overall accuracy). Moreover, statistical analysis reveals that the heartwood of the black spruce log used in this study is the easiest to identify by either classifier compared with the other three log features. The results also suggest that the separability of one wood characteristic from the other wood characteristics in black spruce CT images is mainly related to moisture content.     

Predicting spiral grain by computed tomography of Norway spruce

Spiral grain is a feature of wood that affects the shape of the sawn timber. Boards sawn from logs with a large spiral grain have a tendency to twist when the moisture content changes. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of predicting spiral grain based on variables that should be measurable with an X-ray LogScanner. The study was based on 49 Norway spruce (Picea abies) logs from three stands in Sweden. The logs were scanned with a computed tomography (CT) scanner every 10mm along the log. Concentric surfaces at various distances from the pith were then reconstructed from the stack of CT images. The spiral grain angle was measured in these concentric surface images, and a statistical model for predicting spiral grain was calibrated using partial least squares (PLS) regression. The PLS model predicts the spiral grain of a log at a distance 50mm from the pith based on different variables that should be measurable with an industrial X-ray LogScanner. The result was a PLS model withR ²=0.52 for the training set andR ²=0.37 for the test set. We concluded that it should be possible to predict the spiral grain of a log based on variables measured by an industrial X-ray LogScanner. The most important variables for predicting spiral grain were measures of sapwood content, variation in the ratio between the heartwood and log areas, and the standard deviation for the mean log density in 10mm thick cross slices along the log. The accuracy when sorting the logs into two groups with spiral grain of 2.0° and of <2.0°, respectively, was 84% of the correctly sorted logs.     

在MATLAB环境下实现膨胀土CT图像的三维重建

首先介绍国内外膨胀土三维重建的研究状况,然后通过CT-三轴试验和基于分割的Marching Cubes算法,对膨胀土CT扫描图像进行了三维重建.主要方法是通过对试验扫描得到的CT图像进行格式转换、图像增强、边缘提取等初步处理,生成三维体数据,然后应用Matlab等工具软件的三维重建程序进行建模,最终得到膨胀土的三维模型图.还通过观察重建后的实体图,对膨胀土受压变形状态进行了定性分析,得出了三轴压缩条件下的膨胀土闭合程度与应力状态有关的结论.     

COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC ANATOMY OF THE CANINE INNER AND MIDDLE EAR

A series of high-resolution computed x-ray tomography (CT) images of the normal canine middle and inner ear are presented to serve as a reference for optimal interpretation of clinical CT images of animals with diseases affecting this region.     

COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC APPEARANCE OF A NORMAL VARIANT OF THE CANINE TENTORIUM CEREBELLI OSSEUM

A nine-year-old German Shepherd dog presented to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at North Carolina State University with an eleven-day history of progressive depression, lethargy, inability to walk, blindness and intermittent vomiting. Computed tomography (CT) of the brain was unremarkable; however, bilateral regions of low photon absorption were noted within the tentorium cerebelli osseum. Mean CT numbers of −47.9 Hounsfield units (HU) and −26.4 HU were recorded within the left and right areas, respectively. These areas most likely represent diploë and are presumably a normal variant of the canine skull. A possible explanation for this finding includes a developmental variant where the medial and lateral plates of the tentorium cerebelli osseum fail to fuse, thus leaving a space for diploë accumulation. Use of various combinations of CT windows and numbers can be valuable for characterizing such variants.     

基于microCT扫描技术的鲤骨骼和显微结构分析

了解活体鲤（Cyprinuscarpio）骨结构、形态、连接、空间分布以及骨骼矿物质组成对鲤的选育、行为学研究以及肉品加工有重要的意义。X射线显微CT技术（microCT）对样品没有破坏,可实现活体检测,并能获取活体任意形态的结构参数。因此,文章通过这项技术来研究活体鲤的骨骼状况。结果显示,脊椎骨与头、尾相连,胸鳍位于头骨后,背鳍、腹鳍和尾鳍与整个脊椎骨并不相连。骨体积分数和骨小梁厚度在腹鳍较高,头尾较低;骨表面积体积比、骨小梁数量和骨小梁间隔在头部较高,腹鳍较低;骨矿物质含量、骨矿物质密度和组织矿物质含量在背鳍最高;骨体积分数在腹鳍最高,胸鳍、背鳍和尾鳍次之,头尾较低。骨小梁厚度、矿物质含量等在背鳍、腹鳍部位较高,这可能与鲤的运动有关,而头骨表面积体积比、骨小梁数量和骨小梁间隔较高可能与头部的复杂结构密切相关。     

多层螺旋CT冠状动脉造影技术及其临床应用

目的：探讨多层螺旋CT(MSCT)冠状动脉成像技术及其临床应用价值。方法：分析18例(其中3例为冠状动脉血管成形术并置入支架者；2例为冠状动脉搭桥术后；其余为冠心病可疑者)的MSCT冠状动脉造影(MSCTCA)和CT冠状动脉成像结果。并将3例CT检查结果与导管法冠状动脉造影结果进行比较。结果：18例MSCTCA左冠状动脉主干显示清晰，左前降支、左回旋支及右冠状动脉显示较清晰，满足影像诊断的需要，但右冠状动脉和左前降支、左回旋支的远段及其小分支有运动伪影的干扰。3例CT检查结果与导管法冠状动脉造影结果相同。结论：MSCT冠状动脉成像能较好地显示冠状动脉及其主要分支．MSCT是诊断和随访冠状动脉疾病很有意义和潜力的非创伤性检查方法。     

THORACOLUMBAR INTRADURAL DISC HERNIATION IN EIGHT DOGS: CLINICAL,LOW‐FIELD MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING,AND COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC MYELOGRAPHY FINDINGS

Intradural disc herniation is a rarely reported cause of neurologic deficits in dogs and few published studies have described comparative imaging characteristics. The purpose of this retrospective cross sectional study was to describe clinical and imaging findings in a group of dogs with confirmed thoracolumbar intradural disc herniation. Included dogs were referred to one of four clinics, had acute mono/paraparesis or paraplegia, had low field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or computed tomographic myelography, and were diagnosed with thoracolumbar intradural disc herniation during surgery. Eight dogs met inclusion criteria. The prevalence of thoracolumbar intradural disc herniation amongst the total population of dogs that developed a thoracolumbar intervertebral disc herniation and that were treated with a surgical procedure was 0.5%. Five dogs were examined using low‐field MRI. Lesions that were suspected to be intervertebral disc herniations were observed; however, there were no specific findings indicating that the nucleus pulposus had penetrated into the subarachnoid space or into the spinal cord parenchyma. Thus, the dogs were misdiagnosed as having a conventional intervertebral disc herniation. An intradural extramedullary disc herniation (three cases) or intramedullary disc herniation (two cases) was confirmed during surgery. By using computed tomographic myelography (CTM) for the remaining three dogs, an intradural extramedullary mass surrounded by an accumulation of contrast medium was observed and confirmed during surgery. Findings from this small sample of eight dogs indicated that CTM may be more sensitive for diagnosing canine thoracolumbar intradural disc herniation than low‐field MRI.