Refining the 3D surface of blood vessels from a reduced set of 2D DSA images

International audienceNumerical simulations, such as blood flow or coil deployment in an intra-cranial aneurism, are very sensitive to the boundary conditions given by the surface of the vessel walls. Despite the undisputable high quality of 3D vascular imaging modalities, artifacts and noise still hamper the extraction of this surface with enough accuracy. Previous studies took the a priori that a homogeneous object was considered to make the reconstruction from the Xray images more robust. Here, an active surface approach is described, that does not depend on any particular image similarity criterion and grounds on high speed computation of the criterion derivatives. Mean square error and normalized cross-correlation are used to successfully demonstrate our algorithm on real images acquired on an anthropomorphic phantom. Preliminary results of coil deployment simulation are also given

From the trap to the basket: getting to the bottom of the nuclear pore complex

Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) are large supramolecular assemblies that perforate the double-membraned nuclear envelope and serve as the sole gateways of molecular exchange between the cytoplasm and the nucleus in interphase cells. Combining novel specimen preparation regimes with innovative use of high-resolution scanning electron microscopy, Hans Ris produced in the late eighties stereo images of the NPC with unparalleled clarity and structural detail, thereby setting new standards in the field. Since that time, efforts undertaken to resolve the molecular structure and architecture, and the numerous interactions that occur between NPC proteins (nucleoporins), soluble transport receptors, and the small GTPase Ran, have led to a deeper understanding of the functional role of NPCs in nucleocytoplasmic transport. In spite of these breakthroughs, getting to the bottom of the actual cargo translocation mechanism through the NPC remains elusive and controversial. Here, we review recent insights into NPC function by correlating structural findings with biochemical data. By introducing new experimental and computational results, we reexamine how NPCs can discriminate between receptor-mediated and passive cargo to promote vectorial translocation in a highly regulated manner. Moreover, we comment on the importance and potential benefits of identifying and experimenting with individual key components implicated in the translocation mechanism. We conclude by dwelling on questions that we feel are pertinent to a more rational understanding of the physical aspects governing NPC mechanics. Last but not least, we substantiate these uncertainties by boldly suggesting a new direction in NPC research as a means to verify such novel concepts, for example, a de novo designed ‘minimalist' NP

Uncertainty estimation in reconstructed deformable models

One of the hallmarks of the Bayesian approach to modeling is the posterior probability, which summarizes all uncertainties regarding the analysis. Using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) technique, it is possible to generate a sequence of objects that represent random samples drawn from the posterior distribution. We demonstrate this technique for reconstructions of two-dimensional objects from noisy projections taken from two directions. The reconstructed object is modeled in terms of a deformable geometrically-defined boundary with a constant interior density yielding a nonlinear reconstruction problem. We show how an MCMC sequence can be used to estimate uncertainties in the location of the edge of the reconstructed object

Uncertainty estimation for Bayesian reconstructions from low-count spect data

Bayesian analysis is especially useful to apply to low-count medical imaging data, such as gated cardiac SPECT, because it allows one to solve the nonlinear, ill-posed, inverse problems associated with such data. One advantage of the Bayesian approach is that it quantifies the uncertainty in estimated parameters through the posterior probability. We compare various approaches to exploring the uncertainty in Bayesian reconstructions from SPECT data including: the standard estimation of the covariance of an estimator using a frequentist approach; a new technique called the `hard truth` in which one applies `forces` to the parameters and observes their displacements; and Markov-chain Monte Carlo sampling of the posterior probability distribution, which in principle provides a complete uncertainty characterization

Unveiling the Dynamics of the Universe

We explore the dynamics and evolution of the Universe at early and late times, focusing on both dark energy and extended gravity models and their astrophysical and cosmological consequences. Modified theories of gravity not only provide an alternative explanation for the recent expansion history of the universe, but they also offer a paradigm fundamentally distinct from the simplest dark energy models of cosmic acceleration. In this review, we perform a detailed theoretical and phenomenological analysis of different modified gravity models and investigate their consistency. We also consider the cosmological implications of well motivated physical models of the early universe with a particular emphasis on inflation and topological defects. Astrophysical and cosmological tests over a wide range of scales, from the solar system to the observable horizon, severely restrict the allowed models of the Universe. Here, we review several observational probes -- including gravitational lensing, galaxy clusters, cosmic microwave background temperature and polarization, supernova and baryon acoustic oscillations measurements -- and their relevance in constraining our cosmological description of the Universe.Comment: 94 pages, 14 figures. Review paper accepted for publication in a Special Issue of Symmetry. "Symmetry: Feature Papers 2016". V2: Matches published version, now 79 pages (new format

Diagnosis and Treatment of Abdominal and Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms Including the Ascending Aorta and the Aortic Arch

This book considers diagnosis and treatment of abdominal and thoracic aortic aneurysms. It addresses vascular and cardiothoracic surgeons and interventional radiologists, but also anyone engaged in vascular medicine. The book focuses amongst other things on operations in the ascending aorta and the aortic arch. Surgical procedures in this area have received increasing attention in the last few years and have been subjected to several modifications. Especially the development of interventional radiological endovascular techniques that reduce the invasive nature of surgery as well as complication rates led to rapid advancements. Thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) repair still remains a challenging operation since it necessitates extended exposure of the aorta and reimplantation of the vital aortic branches. Among possible postoperative complications, spinal cord injury (SCI) seems one of the most formidable morbidities. Strategies for TAAA repair and the best and most reasonable approach to prevent SCI after TAAA repair are presented

Cosmology with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) has two scientific objectives of cosmological focus: to probe the expansion rate of the universe, and to understand stochastic gravitational-wave backgrounds and their implications for early universe and particle physics, from the MeV to the Planck scale. However, the range of potential cosmological applications of gravitational-wave observations extends well beyond these two objectives. This publication presents a summary of the state of the art in LISA cosmology, theory and methods, and identifies new opportunities to use gravitational-wave observations by LISA to probe the universe

Cosmology with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna

This work is partly supported by: A.G. Leventis Foundation; Academy of Finland Grants 328958 and 345070; Alexander S. Onassis Foundation, Scholarship ID: FZO 059-1/2018-2019; Amaldi Research Center funded by the MIUR program “Dipartimento di Eccellenza” (CUP: B81I18001170001); ASI Grants No. 2016-24-H.0 and No. 2016-24-H.1-2018; Atracción de Talento Grant 2019-T1/TIC-15784; Atracción de Talento contract no. 2019-T1/TIC-13177 granted by the Comunidad de Madrid; Ayuda ‘Beatriz Galindo Senior’ by the Spanish ‘Ministerio de Universidades’, Grant BG20/00228; Basque Government Grant (IT-979-16); Belgian Francqui Foundation; Centre national d’Etudes spatiales; Ben Gurion University Kreitman Fellowship, and the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities (IASH) & Council for Higher Education (CHE) Excellence Fellowship Program for International Postdoctoral Researchers; Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa Program SEV-2016-0597; CERCA program of the Generalitat de Catalunya; Cluster of Excellence “Precision Physics, Fundamental Interactions, and Structure of Matter” (PRISMA+ EXC 2118/1); Comunidad de Madrid, Contrato de Atracción de Talento 2017-T1/TIC-5520; Czech Science Foundation GAČR, Grant No. 21-16583M; Delta ITP consortium; Department of Energy under Grant No. DE-SC0008541, DE-SC0009919 and DE-SC0019195; Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), Project ID 438947057; Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft under Germany’s Excellence Strategy - EXC 2121 Quantum Universe - 390833306; European Structural and Investment Funds and the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (Project CoGraDS - CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/15 003/0000437); European Union’s H2020 ERC Consolidator Grant “GRavity from Astrophysical to Microscopic Scales” (Grant No. GRAMS-815673); European Union’s H2020 ERC, Starting Grant Agreement No. DarkGRA-757480; European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Grant Agreement 860881 (ITN HIDDeN); European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme Grant No. 796961, “AxiBAU” (K.S.); European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research Council grant 724659 MassiveCosmo ERC-2016-COG; FCT through national funds (PTDC/FIS-PAR/31938/2017) and through project “BEYLA – BEYond LAmbda” with Ref. Number PTDC/FIS-AST/0054/2021; FEDER-Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional through COMPETE2020 - Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-031938) and research Grants UIDB/04434/2020 and UIDP/04434/2020; Fondation CFM pour la Recherche in France; Foundation for Education and European Culture in Greece; French ANR project MMUniverse (ANR-19-CE31-0020); FRIA Grant No.1.E.070.19F of the Belgian Fund for Research, F.R.S.-FNRS Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) through Contract No. DL 57/2016/CP1364/CT0001; Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) through Grants UIDB/04434/2020, UIDP/04434/2020, PTDC/FIS-OUT/29048/2017, CERN/FIS-PAR/0037/2019 and “CosmoTests – Cosmological tests of gravity theories beyond General Relativity” CEECIND/00017/2018; Generalitat Valenciana Grant PROMETEO/2021/083; Grant No. 758792, project GEODESI; Government of Canada through the Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Province of Ontario through the Ministry of Colleges and Universities; Grants-in-Aid for JSPS Overseas Research Fellow (No. 201960698); I+D Grant PID2020-118159GB-C41 of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation; INFN iniziativa specifica TEONGRAV; Israel Science Foundation (Grant No. 2562/20); Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI Grant Nos. 20H01899 and 20H05853; IFT Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa Grant SEV-2; Kavli Foundation and its founder Fred Kavli; Minerva Foundation; Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion Grant PID2020-113644GB-I00; NASA Grant 80NSSC19K0318; NASA Hubble Fellowship grants No. HST-HF2-51452.001-A awarded by the Space Telescope Science Institute with NASA contract NAS5-26555; Netherlands Organisation for Science and Research (NWO) Grant Number 680-91-119; new faculty seed start-up grant of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, the Core Research Grant CRG/2018/002200 of the Science and Engineering; NSF Grants PHY-1820675, PHY-2006645 and PHY-2011997; Polish National Science Center Grant 2018/31/D/ST2/02048; Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange within the Polish Returns Programme under Agreement PPN/PPO/2020/1/00013/U/00001; Pró-Reitoria de Pesquisa of Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) under Grant No. 28359; Ramón y Cajal Fellowship contract RYC-2017-23493; Research Project PGC2018-094773-B-C32 [MINECO-FEDER]; Research Project PGC2018-094773-B-C32 [MINECO-FEDER]; ROMFORSK Grant Project. No. 302640; Royal Society Grant URF/R1/180009 and ERC StG 949572: SHADE; Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation (SRNSF) of Georgia (Grant FR/18-1462); Simons Foundation/SFARI 560536; SNSF Ambizione grant; SNSF professorship Grant (No. 170547); Spanish MINECO’s “Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa” Programme Grants SEV-2016-0597 and PID2019-110058GB-C22; Spanish Ministry MCIU/AEI/FEDER Grant (PGC2018-094626-B-C21); Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2020-115845GB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033); Spanish Proyectos de I+D via Grant PGC2018-096646-A-I00; STFC Consolidated Grant ST/T000732/1; STFC Consolidated Grants ST/P000762/1 and ST/T000791/1; STFC Grant ST/S000550/1; STFC Grant ST/T000813/1; STFC Grants ST/P000762/1 and ST/T000791/1; STFC under the research Grant ST/P000258/1; Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), project The Non-Gaussian Universe and Cosmological Symmetries, Project Number: 200020-178787; Swiss National Science Foundation Professorship Grants No. 170547 and No. 191957; SwissMap National Center for Competence in Research; “The Dark Universe: A Synergic Multi-messenger Approach” Number 2017X7X85K under the MIUR program PRIN 2017; UK Space Agency; UKSA Flagship Project, Euclid.The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) has two scientific objectives of cosmological focus: to probe the expansion rate of the universe, and to understand stochastic gravitational-wave backgrounds and their implications for early universe and particle physics, from the MeV to the Planck scale. However, the range of potential cosmological applications of gravitational-wave observations extends well beyond these two objectives. This publication presents a summary of the state of the art in LISA cosmology, theory and methods, and identifies new opportunities to use gravitational-wave observations by LISA to probe the universe.Atracción de Talento 2019-T1/TIC-13177Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa Program EXC 2118/1, SEV-2016-0597Contrato de Atracción de Talento 2017-T1/TIC-5520European Union’s H2020 ERC GRAMS-815673European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research Council 724659 MassiveCosmo ERC-2016-COGEuropean Union’s Horizon 2020 programme 860881, ITN HIDDeNIFT Centro de Excelencia Severo OchoaSpanish Ministry MCIU PGC2018-094626-B-C21, PGC2018-096646-A-I00, PID2020-115845GB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033Horizon 2020 Framework Programme 796961 H2020Comunidad de MadridEusko Jaurlaritza IT-979-16Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad 302640 MINECOGeneralitat Valenciana 758792, PROMETEO/2021/083 GVAMinisterio de Ciencia e Innovación PID2020-113644GB-I00 MICINNMinisterio de Universidades BG20/00228 MIUEuropean Union’s H2020 ERC, DarkGRA-75748