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This document provides a description of the baseline services provided by SLICES to experimenters based on their various demands and needs as well on access modes and types. It starts with an overview of Slices mainly based on Deliverable D2.1. Then, it analyzes user requirements for SLICES services based on Deliverable D1.1 results. It also introduces three examples of usages of the platform in the field of cloud/edge, IoT, and wireless/wired networking. Then, the document presents the access modes and types of SLICES.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the impact of respiratory motion correction on SPECT MPI and on defect detection using a phantom assembly.METHODS: SPECT/CT data were acquired using an anthropomorphic phantom with inflatable lungs and with an ECG beating and moving cardiac compartment. The heart motion followed the respiratory pattern in the cranio-caudal direction to simulate normal or deep breathing. Small or large transmural defects were inserted into the myocardial wall of the left ventricle. SPECT/CT images were acquired for each of the four respiratory phases, from exhale to inhale. A respiratory motion correction was applied using an image-based method with transformation parameters derived from the SPECT data by a non-rigid registration algorithm. A report on defect detection from two physicians and a quantitative analysis on MPI data were performed before and after applying motion correction.RESULTS: Respiratory motion correction eliminated artifacts present in the images, resulting in a uniform uptake and reduction of motion blurring, especially in the inferior and anterior regions of the LV myocardial walls. The physicians' report after motion correction showed that images were corrected for motion.CONCLUSIONS: A combination of motion correction with attenuation correction reduces artifacts in SPECT MPI. AC-SPECT images with and without motion correction should be simultaneously inspected to report on small defects.

The impact of respiratory motion correction on quantitative accuracy in PET imaging is evaluated using real-time simulations for variable patient specific characteristics such as tumor malignancy and respiratory pattern. Respiratory patterns from real patients were acquired, with long quiescent motion periods (type-1) as commonly observed in most of the patients and with long term amplitude variability as it is expected under conditions of difficult breathing (type-2). The respiratory patterns were combined with an MR-derived motion model to simulate real-time 4D PET/MR datasets. Lung and liver tumors were simulated with diameters ranging of 10 and 12 mm and tumor to background ratio ranging from 3:1 to 6:1. Projection data for 6 and 3 mm PET resolution were generated for Philips Gemini scanner and reconstructed without and with motion correction using OSEM (2 iterations, 23 subsets). Motion correction was incorporated into the reconstruction process based on MR-derived motion fields. Tumors peak standardized uptake values (SUVpeak) were calculated from thirty noise realizations. Respiratory motion correction improves the quantitative performance with the greatest benefit observed for patients of breathing type-2. For breathing type-1 after applying motion correction SUVpeak of 12 mm liver tumor with 6:1 contrast was increased by 46% for a current PET resolution (i.e. 6 mm) and 47% for a higher PET resolution (i.e. 3 mm). Furthermore, the benefit of higher scanner resolution is small for torso imaging unless motion correction is applied. In particular, for large liver tumor (12 mm) with low contrast (3:1) after motion correction the SUVpeak was 34% increased for 6 mm resolution and 50% increased for a higher PET resolution (i.e. 3 mm resolution. This investigation indicates high impact of respiratory motion correction on tumor quantitative accuracy and its importance in order to benefit from the increased resolution of future PET scanners.

Recent United States national test results indicate a continuing need to improve K-12 student achievement in mathematics. In an effort to address this need and to expose young students to basic renewable energy concepts, we have developed an educational game called Math-City. Math-City is a simulation-based game in which students can create and maintain their own city with residential, commercial, and industrial buildings, as well as renewable and non-renewable power sources, while practicing different mathematical concepts. In this paper, we present the Math-City game along with the results of a small survey on the game with K-12 teachers.