YFPOL: A Linear Polarimeter of Lijiang 2.4 m Telescope

Polarimetry plays an important role in investigating physical properties for celestial objects. We present a polarimeter named YFPOL for the Cassegrain focus of the Lijiang 2.4 m Telescope(LJT) of Yunnan Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences. YFPOL is a traditional single-beam polarimeter with a rotating polarizer. As the focal-reducer instrument Yunnan Faint Object Spectrograph and Camera(YFOSC) is always positioned on the Cassegrain focal plane of LJT, we develop two sets of ultra-thin(thickness <12 mm) polarizer rotation control systems with wireless charging and control functions, which are suitable for mounting on the two front-wheels of YFOSC. One set is used as the polarimetric calibration unit, and the other is for the polarimetric modulation unit. Both of the polarizers have an ultra-high contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1 in the optical band. We investigate the instrumental polarization characteristics(IPCs) in the full field of view that is transferred from YFOSC. Furthermore, we identify that the IPCs change when the Cassegrain axis rotates. The spurious polarization from the IPCs can be effectively minimized by flat-fielding using the unpolarized domeflat, when the Cassegrain rotation angle is the same or nearest to that of the polarization observation. We develop a quasiautomatic pipeline for YFPOL and its effectiveness has been verified by tests of the polarimetric observation with blazar S5 0716+714. The calibration is performed by observing the zero-polarized and highly-polarized standard stars. We successfully reach high precision polarization in the 7’ field of view, and the systematic uncertainty is below 0.8% for a V = 11.68 target with a 10 s exposure. The instrument polarization angle offset is 2°. 6. YFPOL is not only a simple polarimeter, but also a spectropolarimeter with grisms that can be considered in the future.

A differential-imaging polarimeterforhigh-contrast exoplanet imaging

Starlight is generally unpolarized,but the light reflected from the planet is linearly polarized as the result of the Rayleigh scattering.For ground-based exoplanet imaging,atmospheres turbulence is changing from time to time,which induces speckle noise and hampers the high-contrast imaging of the faint exoplanets.In this paper,we propose a differential-imaging polarimeter dedicated for exoplanet high-contrast imaging.The system contains a zero-order half-wave plate(HWP)located on the optical pupil plane,which can rotate to modulate the incoming light,and a Wollaston prism(WP)is used to generate two polarized images,which is used for simultaneously polarization differential imaging and thus our system is fundamentally immune to the atmospheric turbulence induced temporally-variable wavefront aberration.Our polarimeter can be inserted near the telescope image focal plane,and provide an extra contrast for the exoplanet high-contrast imaging.To achieve best differential-imaging performance,dedicated algorithm is developed,which can effectively correct the distortion and the intensity unbalance between the two differential images.The system successfully achieves an extra contrast of^30~50 times,which can be used with current adaptive optics and coronagraph system for directly imaging of giant Jupiter-like exoplanets.

Optical design of a novel near-infrared phase contrast imaging(NI-PCI)diagnostic on the HL-2A tokamak

The optical design of near-infrared phase contrast imaging(NI-PCI)diagnosis on HL-2A is introduced in this paper.This scheme benefits from the great progress of near-infrared laser technology and is a broadening of traditional phase contrast technology.This diagnostic can work as a keen tool to measure plasma wavenumber spectra by inferring string-integrated plasma density fluctuations.Design of both the front optical path which is the path before the laser transmitting into the tokamak plasma and the rear optics which is the path after the laser passing through the plasma is detailed.The 1550 nm laser is chosen as the probe beam and highprecision optical components are designed to fit the laser beam,in which a phase plate with a 194-nm-deep silver groove is the key.Compared with the conventional 10.6μm laser-based PCI system on HL-2A,NI-PCI significantly overcomes the unwanted phase scintillation effect and promotes the measurement capability of high-wavenumber turbulence with an increased maximal measurable wavenumber from 15 cm^(-1)to 32.6 cm^(-1).

Near-Infrared Imaging Using a High-Speed Monitoring Near Infrared Hyperspectral Camera(Compovision)

This review paper reports near-infrared(NIR)imaging studies using a newly-developed NIR camera,Compovision.Compovision can measure a significantly wide area of 150mm×250mm at high speed of between 2and 5s.It enables a wide spectral region measurement in the 1 000~2 350nm range at 6nm intervals.We investigated the potential of Compovision in the applications to industrial problems such as the evaluation of pharmaceutical tablets and polymers.Our studies have demonstrated that NIR imaging based on Compovision can solve several issues such as long acquisition times and relatively low sensitivity of detection.NIR imaging with Compovision is strongly expected to be applied not only to pharmaceutical tablet monitoring and polymer characterization but also to various applications such as those to food products,biomedical substances and organic and inorganic materials.

Near-infrared chemical imaging for quantitative analysis of chlorpheniramine maleate and distribution homogeneity assessment in pharmaceutical formulations

Near infrared chemical imaging(NIR-CI)combines conventional near infrared(NIR)spectros-copy with chemical imaging,thus provides spectral and spatial information simult aneously.It could be utilized to visualize the spatial distribution of the ingredients in a sample.The data acquired using NIR CI instrument are hyperspectral data cube(hypercube)containing thousands of spectra.Chemometric methodologies are necessary to transform spectral information into chemical information.Partial least squares(PLS)method was performed to extract chemical information of chlorpheniramine maleate in pharmaceutical formulations.A series of samples which consisted of different CPM concentrations(w/w)were compressed and hypercube data were measured.The spectra extracted from the hypercube were used to establish the PLS model of CPM.The results of the model were R^(2)_(val)0.981,RMSEC 0.384%,RMSECV 0.483%,RMSEP 0.631%,indicating that this model was reliable.

Detection of illegally added drugs in dietary supplements by near-infrared spectral imaging

The application to detect ilally added drugs in dietary supplerments by near-infrared spectral imaging was studied with the focus on nifedipine,diclofenac and metformin.The method is based on near-infrared spectral images correlation cofficient to detect ilally added drugs.The results comply 100%with HPLC methods test results with no false positive results.

A"donor–acceptor"structured semiconductor polymer for near infrared fluorescence imaging guided photodynamic therapy

Near infrared(NIR)fluorescence imaging guided photodynamic therapy(PDT)is a technique which has been developed in many clinical trials due to its advantage of real-time optical monitoring,specific spatiotemporal selectivity,and minimal invasiveness.For this,photosensitizers with NIR fluorescence emission and high^(1)O_(2)generation quantum yield are highly desirable.Herein,we designed and synthesized a"donor-acceptor"(D-A)structured semiconductor polymer(SP),which was then wrapped with an amphiphilic compound(Pluronic■F127)to prepare water-soluble nanoparticles(F-SP NPs).The obtained F-SP NPs exhibit good water solubility,excellent particle size stability,strong absorbance at deep red region,and strong NIR fluorescent emission characteristics.The maximal mass extinction coe±cient and fluorescence quantum yield of these F-SPs were calculated to be 21.7 L/(g·cm)and 6.5%,respectively.Moreover,the^(1)O_(2)quantum yield of 89%for F-SP NPs has been achieved under 635 nm laser irradiation,which is higher than Methylene Blue,Ce6,and PpIX.The outstanding properties of these F-SP NPs originate from their unique D-A molecular characteristic.This work should help guide the design of novel semiconductor polymer for NIR fluorescent imaging guided PDT applications.

Evaluation of COC183B2 antibody targeting ovarian cancer by near-infrared fluorescence imaging

Objective: To evaluate the imaging potential of a novel near-infrared(NIR) probe conjugated to COC183 B2 monoclonal antibodies(MAb) in ovarian cancer(OC).Methods: The expression of OC183 B2 antigen in OC was determined by immunohistochemical(IHC) staining using tissue microarrays with the H-score system and immunofluorescence(IF) staining of tumor cell lines.Imaging probes with the NIR fluorescent dye cyanine 7(Cy7) conjugated to COC183 B2 Mab were chemically engineered. OC183 B2-positive human OC cells(SKOV3-Luc) were injected subcutaneously into BALB/c nude mice. Bioluminescent imaging(BLI) was performed to detect tumor location and growth. COC183 B2-Cy7 at 1.1,3.3, 10, or 30 μg were used for in vivo fluorescence imaging, and phosphate-buffered saline(PBS), free Cy7 dye and mouse isotype immunoglobulin G(IgG)-Cy7(delivered at the same doses as COC183 B2-Cy7) were used as controls.Results: The expression of OC183 B2 with a high H-score was more prevalent in OC tissue than fallopian tube(FT) tissue. Among 417 OC patients, the expression of OC183 B2 was significantly correlated with the histological subtype, histological grade, residual tumor size, relapse state and survival status. IF staining demonstrated that COC183 B2 specifically expressed in SKOV3 cells but not HeLa cells. In vivo NIR fluorescence imaging indicated that COC183 B2-Cy7 was mainly distributed in the xenograft and liver with optimal tumor-to-background(T/B)ratios in the xenograft at 30 μg dose. The highest fluorescent signals in the tumor were observed at 96 h postinjection(hpi). Ex vivo fluorescence imaging revealed the fluorescent signals mainly from the tumor and liver. IHC analysis confirmed that xenografts were OC183 B2 positive.Conclusions: COC183 B2 is a good candidate for NIR fluorescence imaging and imaging-guided surgery in OC.

Near-infrared fluorescence imaging of a solitary fibrous tumor of the pancreas using methylene blue

A 67-year-old female presented with unexplained abdominal pain. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan of the abdomen incidentally revealed a mass in the uncinate process of the pancreas. This mass was resected and based on histopathological findings, diagnosed as a solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) of the pancreas. A SFT is an extremely rare benign mesenchymal tumor that in 65% of cases affects the visceral pleura but can also affect extra-pleural sites. The intraoperative demarcation of pancreatic tumors, such as SFTs, can bechallenging. In this report, the first clear intraoperative identification of a SFT of the pancreas in a human was shown using near-infrared fluorescence and methylene blue.

Near-infrared fluorescent labeled CGRRAGGSC peptides for optical imaging of IL-11Rα in athymic mice bearing tumor xenografts

The interleukin-11(IL-11)and the IL-11 receptorα-subunit(IL-11Rα)have been demonstrated to regulate the invasion and proliferation of tumor cells.Our study intends to evaluate a noninvasive imaging of IL-11Rαexpression in breast tumors using near-infrared(NIR)fluorescent dye Cy7-labeled IL-11 mimic peptide CGRRAGGSC.This work evaluated the IL-11Rαexpression of breast tumor cells and the binding status of this peptide to IL-11Rαin vitro and in vivo by using Western blotting,immunofluorescence staining and near-infrared fluorescence imaging.Our biochemical study showed that IL-11Rαwas overexpressed in breast tumor cells(MCF-7).The cell-binding assay demonstrated specific binding of peptide CGRRAGGSC to MCF-7 cells in vitro.In vivo imaging results showed that NIR fluorescent signals of Cy7-CGRRAGGSC were selectively accumulated in tumor and metabolic organs.While in the blocking experiment,free CGRRAGGSC obviously blocked the concentration of the Cy7-CGRRAGGSC in the tumors.These results suggested that IL-11Rαmay be used as a potential target for noninvasive imaging in IL-11Rαoverexpressed tumors.Furthermore,the imaging agent of near-infrared fluorescent dye Cy7-labeled CGRRAGGSC is suitable for IL-11Rαexpression imaging study in vivo.

Feasibility study of assessing cotton fiber maturity from near infrared hyperspectral imaging technique

Background Fiber maturity is a key cotton quality property,and its variability in a sample impacts fiber processing and dyeing performance.Currently,the maturity is determined by using established protocols in laboratories under a controlled environment.There is an increasing need to measure fiber maturity using low-cost(in general less than $20000)and small portable systems.In this study,a laboratory feasibility was performed to assess the ability of the shortwave infrared hyperspectral imaging(SWIR HSI)technique for determining the conditioned fiber maturity,and as a comparison,a bench-top commercial and expensive(in general greater than $60000)near infrared(NIR)instrument was used.Results Although SWIR HSI and NIR represent different measurement technologies,consistent spectral characteristics were observed between the two instruments when they were used to measure the maturity of the locule fiber samples in seed cotton and of the well-defined fiber samples,respectively.Partial least squares(PLS)models were established using different spectral preprocessing parameters to predict fiber maturity.The high prediction precision was observed by a lower root mean square error of prediction(RMSEP)(<0.046),higher R_(p)^(2)(>0.518),and greater percentage(97.0%)of samples within the 95% agreement range in the entire NIR region(1000-2500 nm)without the moisture band at 1940 nm.Conclusion SWIR HSI has a good potential for assessing cotton fiber maturity in a laboratory environment.

NONINVASIVE OPTICAL IMAGING OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS INFECTION IN VIVO USING AN ANTIMICROBIAL PEPTIDE FRAGMENT BASED NEAR-INFRARED FLUORESCENT PROBES

The diagnosis of bacterial infections remains a major challenge in medicine.Optical imaging of bacterial infection in living animals is usually conducted with genetic reporters such as lightemitting encymes or fluorescent proteins.However,there are many circumstances where genetic reporters are not applicable,and there is an urgent need for exogenous synthetic probes that can selectively target bacteria.Optical imaging of bacteria in vivo is much less developed than methods such as ndioimaging and MRI.Furthermore near infrared(NIR)dyes with emision wavelengths in the region of 650-900 rm can propagate through two or more centimeters of tissue and may enable deeper tisue imaging if sensitive detection techniques are employed.Here we constructed an antimicrobial peptide fragment UBI29-41-based near infrared fuorescent imaging probe.The probe is composed of UBI2941 conjugated to a near infraured dye ICG Der-02.UBI29-41 is a cationic antimicrobial peptide that targets the anionic surfaces of bacterial cells.The probe allows detection of Staphylococcus aureus infection(5×10^(7)cells)in a mouse local infection model using whole animal nearinfrared fuorescence imaging.Furthermore,we demonstrate that the UBI29-41-based imaging probe can selectively accumulate within bacteria.The significantly higher accumulation in bacterial infection suggests that UBI29-41-based imaging probe may be a promising imaging agent to detect bacterial infections.

Novel imaging system for positioning of the indocyanine green (ICG) target;visible projection of the near-infrared fluorescence image

Background: Even though NIR fluorescence imaging has many advantages in SLN mapping and cancer detection, NIR fluorescence imaging shows a serious drawback that NIR cannot be detected by the naked eye without any detectors. This limitation further disturbs accurate SLN detection and adequate tumor resection resulting in the presence of cancerous cells near the boundaries of surgically removed tissues. Materials and methods: To overcome the drawback of the conventional NIR imaging method, we suggest a novel NIR imaging system which can make the NIR fluorescence image visible to the naked eye as NIR fluorescence image detected by a video camera is processed by a computer and then projected back onto the NIR fluorescence excitation position with a projector using conspicuous color light. Image processing techniques were used for projection onto the exact position of the NIR fluorescence image. Also, we implemented a phantom experiment to evaluate the performance of the developed NIR fluorescence projection system by use of the ICG. Results: The developed NIR fluorescence projection system was applied in normal mouse model to confirm the usefulness of the system in the clinical field. A BALB/c nude mouse was prepared to be applied in normal mouse model and 0.25 mg/ml stock solution of the ICG was injected through a tail vein of the mouse. From the application in normal mouse model, we could confirm that the injected ICG stayed in the liver of the mouse and verify that the projection system projected the ICG fluorescence image at the exact location of the ICG by performing laparotomy of the mouse. Conclusions: From the application in normal mouse model, we could verify that the ICG fluorescence image was precisely projected back on the site where ICG fluorescence generated. It can be demonstrated that the NIR fluorescence projection system can make it possible to visualize the invisible NIR fluorescence image and to realize that SLN mapping and cancer detection in clinical surgery.

Observation of Atherosclerotic Plaque Phantoms through Saline or Blood Layers by Near-Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging

We observed atherosclerotic plaque phantoms using a novel near-infrared (NIR) hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technique. Data were obtained through saline or blood layers to simulate an angioscopic environment for the phantom. For the study, we developed a NIR-HSI system with an NIR supercontinuum light source and mercury-cadmium-telluride camera. Apparent spectral absorbance was obtained at wavelengths of 1150 - 2400 nm. Hyperspectral images of lipid were constructed using a spectral angle mapper algorithm. Bovine fat covered with saline or blood was observed using hyperspectral images at a wavelength around 1200 nm. Our results show that NIR-HSI is a promising angioscopic technique with the potential to identify lipid-rich plaques without clamping and saline injection.

High Performance of Imaging Extraction for Infrared Satellite Cloud Image

The isotherm is an important feature of infrared satellite cloud images (ISCI), which can directly reveal substantial information of cloud systems. The isotherm extraction of ISCI can remove the redundant information and therefore helps to compress the information of ISCI. In this paper, an isotherm extraction method is presented. The main aggregate of clouds can be segmented based on mathematical morphology. T algorithm and IP algorithm are then applied to extract the isotherms from the main aggregate of clouds. A concrete example for the extraction of isotherm based on IBM SP2 is described. The result shows that this is a high efficient algorithm. It can be used in feature extractions of infrared images for weather forecasts.

Design and implementation of GM- APD array readout circuit for infrared imaging

Based on an avalanche photodiode（ APD） detecting array working in Geiger mode（ GM-APD）, a high-performance infrared sensor readout integrated circuit（ ROIC） used for infrared 3D（ three-dimensional） imaging is proposed. The system mainly consists of three functional modules, including active quenching circuit（ AQC）, time-to-digital converter（ TDC） circuit and other timing controller circuit. Each AQC and TDC circuit together constitutes the pixel circuit. Under the cooperation with other modules, the current signal generated by the GM-APD sensor is detected by the AQC, and the photon time-of-flight（ TOF） is measured and converted to a digital signal output to achieve a better noise suppression and a higher detection sensitivity by the TDC. The ROIC circuit is fabricated by the CSMC 0. 5 μm standard CMOS technology. The array size is 8 × 8, and the center distance of two adjacent cells is 100μm. The measurement results of the chip showthat the performance of the circuit is good, and the chip can achieve 1 ns time resolution with a 250 MHz reference clock, and the circuit can be used in the array structure of the infrared detection system or focal plane array（ FPA）.

Infrared and Visible Image Fusion Based on Res2Net-Transformer Automatic Encoding and Decoding

A novel image fusion network framework with an autonomous encoder and decoder is suggested to increase thevisual impression of fused images by improving the quality of infrared and visible light picture fusion. The networkcomprises an encoder module, fusion layer, decoder module, and edge improvementmodule. The encoder moduleutilizes an enhanced Inception module for shallow feature extraction, then combines Res2Net and Transformerto achieve deep-level co-extraction of local and global features from the original picture. An edge enhancementmodule (EEM) is created to extract significant edge features. A modal maximum difference fusion strategy isintroduced to enhance the adaptive representation of information in various regions of the source image, therebyenhancing the contrast of the fused image. The encoder and the EEM module extract features, which are thencombined in the fusion layer to create a fused picture using the decoder. Three datasets were chosen to test thealgorithmproposed in this paper. The results of the experiments demonstrate that the network effectively preservesbackground and detail information in both infrared and visible images, yielding superior outcomes in subjectiveand objective evaluations.

CAEFusion: A New Convolutional Autoencoder-Based Infrared and Visible Light Image Fusion Algorithm

To address the issues of incomplete information,blurred details,loss of details,and insufficient contrast in infrared and visible image fusion,an image fusion algorithm based on a convolutional autoencoder is proposed.The region attention module is meant to extract the background feature map based on the distinct properties of the background feature map and the detail feature map.A multi-scale convolution attention module is suggested to enhance the communication of feature information.At the same time,the feature transformation module is introduced to learn more robust feature representations,aiming to preserve the integrity of image information.This study uses three available datasets from TNO,FLIR,and NIR to perform thorough quantitative and qualitative trials with five additional algorithms.The methods are assessed based on four indicators:information entropy(EN),standard deviation(SD),spatial frequency(SF),and average gradient(AG).Object detection experiments were done on the M3FD dataset to further verify the algorithm’s performance in comparison with five other algorithms.The algorithm’s accuracy was evaluated using the mean average precision at a threshold of 0.5(mAP@0.5)index.Comprehensive experimental findings show that CAEFusion performs well in subjective visual and objective evaluation criteria and has promising potential in downstream object detection tasks.

Technological,environmental and biological factors:referent variance values for infrared imaging of the bovine

Background： Despite its variety of potential applications, the wide implementation of infrared technology in cattle production faces technical, environmental and biological challenges similar to other indicators of metabolic state. Nine trials, divided into three classes （technological, environmental and biological factors） were conducted to illustrate the influence of these factors on body surface temperature assessed through infrared imaging. Results： Evaluation of technological factors indicated the following： measurements of body temperatures were strongly repeatable when taken within ]0 s; appropriateness of differing infrared camera technologies was influenced by distance to the target; and results were consistent when analysis of thermographs was compared between judges. Evaluation of environmental factors illustrated that wind and debris caused decreases in body surface temperatures without affecting metabolic rate; additionally, body surface temperature increased due to sunlight but returned to baseline values within minutes of shade exposure. Examination/investigation/exploration of animal factors demonstrated that exercise caused an increase in body surface temperature and metabolic rate. Administration of sedative and anti-sedative caused changes on body surface temperature and metabolic rate, and during late pregnancy a foetal thermal imprint was visible through abdominal infrared imaging. Conclusion： The above factors should be considered in order to standardize operational procedures for taking thermographs, thereby optimizing the use of such technology in cattle operations.

Advancing automated pupillometry:a practical deep learning model utilizing infrared pupil images

AIM:To establish pupil diameter measurement algorithms based on infrared images that can be used in real-world clinical settings.METHODS:A total of 188 patients from outpatient clinic at He Eye Specialist Shenyang Hospital from Spetember to December 2022 were included,and 13470 infrared pupil images were collected for the study.All infrared images for pupil segmentation were labeled using the Labelme software.The computation of pupil diameter is divided into four steps:image pre-processing,pupil identification and localization,pupil segmentation,and diameter calculation.Two major models are used in the computation process:the modified YoloV3 and Deeplabv 3+models,which must be trained beforehand.RESULTS:The test dataset included 1348 infrared pupil images.On the test dataset,the modified YoloV3 model had a detection rate of 99.98% and an average precision(AP)of 0.80 for pupils.The DeeplabV3+model achieved a background intersection over union(IOU)of 99.23%,a pupil IOU of 93.81%,and a mean IOU of 96.52%.The pupil diameters in the test dataset ranged from 20 to 56 pixels,with a mean of 36.06±6.85 pixels.The absolute error in pupil diameters between predicted and actual values ranged from 0 to 7 pixels,with a mean absolute error(MAE)of 1.06±0.96 pixels.CONCLUSION:This study successfully demonstrates a robust infrared image-based pupil diameter measurement algorithm,proven to be highly accurate and reliable for clinical application.