Motion connected operators for image sequences

This paper deals with motion-oriented connected operators. These operators eliminate from an original sequence the components that do not undergo a specific motion (defined as a filtering parameter). As any connected operator, they achieve a simplification of the original image while preserving the contour information of the components that have not be removed. Motion-oriented filtering may have a large number of applications including sequence analysis with motion multi-resolution decomposition or motion estimation.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Generalized connected operators

This paper deals with the notion of connected operators These operators are becoming popular in image processing because they have the fundamental property of simplifying the signal while preserving the contour information In a rst step we recall the basic notions involved in binary and gray level connected operators. Then we show how one can extend and generalize these operators We focus on two important issues the connectivity and the simplication criterion We will show in particular how to create connectivities that are either more or less strict than the usual ones and how to build new criteriaPeer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Flat zones filtering, connected operators, and filters by reconstruction

This correspondence deals with the notion of connected operators. Starting from the definition for operator acting on sets, it is shown how to extend it to operators acting on function. Typically, a connected operator acting on a function is a transformation that enlarges the partition of the space created by the flat zones of the functions. It is shown that from any connected operator acting on sets, one can construct a connected operator for functions (however, it is not the unique way of generating connected operators for functions). Moreover, the concept of pyramid is introduced in a formal way. It is shown that, if a pyramid is based on connected operators, the flat zones of the functions increase with the level of the pyramid. In other words, the flat zones are nested. Filters by reconstruction are defined and their main properties are presented. Finally, some examples of application of connected operators and use of flat zones are described.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

A graph-based mathematical morphology reader

This survey paper aims at providing a "literary" anthology of mathematical morphology on graphs. It describes in the English language many ideas stemming from a large number of different papers, hence providing a unified view of an active and diverse field of research

Multiscale Phenomenology of the Cosmic Web

We analyze the structure and connectivity of the distinct morphologies that define the Cosmic Web. With the help of our Multiscale Morphology Filter (MMF), we dissect the matter distribution of a cosmological $\Lambda$CDM N-body computer simulation into cluster, filaments and walls. The MMF is ideally suited to adress both the anisotropic morphological character of filaments and sheets, as well as the multiscale nature of the hierarchically evolved cosmic matter distribution. The results of our study may be summarized as follows: i).- While all morphologies occupy a roughly well defined range in density, this alone is not sufficient to differentiate between them given their overlap. Environment defined only in terms of density fails to incorporate the intrinsic dynamics of each morphology. This plays an important role in both linear and non linear interactions between haloes. ii).- Most of the mass in the Universe is concentrated in filaments, narrowly followed by clusters. In terms of volume, clusters only represent a minute fraction, and filaments not more than 9%. Walls are relatively inconspicous in terms of mass and volume. iii).- On average, massive clusters are connected to more filaments than low mass clusters. Clusters with $M \sim 10^{14}$ M$_{\odot}$ h$^{-1}$ have on average two connecting filaments, while clusters with $M \geq 10^{15}$ M$_{\odot}$ h$^{-1}$ have on average five connecting filaments. iv).- Density profiles indicate that the typical width of filaments is 2\Mpch. Walls have less well defined boundaries with widths between 5-8 Mpc h$^{-1}$. In their interior, filaments have a power-law density profile with slope ${\gamma}\approx -1$, corresponding to an isothermal density profile.Comment: 28 pages, 22 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS. For a high-res version see http://www.astro.rug.nl/~weygaert/webmorph_mmf.pd

A simple solid-on-solid model of epitaxial thin films growth: surface roughness and dynamics

The random deposition model must be enriched to reflect the variety of surface roughness due to some material characteristics of the film growing by vacuum deposition or sputtering. The essence of the computer simulation in this case is to account for possible surface migration of atoms just after the deposition, in connection with binding energy between atoms (as the mechanism provoking the diffusion) and/or diffusion energy barrier. The interplay of these two factors leads to different morphologies of the growing surfaces from flat and smooth ones, to rough and spiky ones. In this paper we extended our earlier calculation by applying some extra diffusion barrier at the edges of terrace-like structures, known as Ehrlich-Schwoebel barrier. It is experimentally observed that atoms avoid descending when the terrace edge is approach and these barriers mimic this tendency. Results of our Monte Carlo computer simulations are discussed in terms of surface roughness, and compared with other model calculations and some experiments from literature. The power law of the surface roughness $\sigma$ against film thickness $t$ was confirmed. The nonzero minimum value of the growth exponent $\beta$ near 0.2 was obtained which is due to the limited range of the surface diffusion and the Ehrlich-Schwoebel barrier. Observations for different diffusion range are also discussed. The results are also confronted with some deterministic growth models.Comment: 12 pages + 8 figures (to appear in Int. J. Mod. Phys. C, journal style applied

Auto-dual connected operators based on iterative merging algorithms

This paper proposes a new set of connected operators that are autodual. Classical connected operators are analyzed within the framework of merging algorithms. The discussion highlights three basic notions: merging order , merging criterion and region model. As a result a general merging algorithm is proposed. It can be used to create new connected operators and in particular autodual operators. Implementation issues are also discussed.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Life at the edge: Complexity and criticality in biological function

Why life is complex and - most importantly - what is the origin of the over abundance of complexity in nature? This is a fundamental scientific question which, paraphrasing the late Per Bak, “is screaming to be answered but seldom is even being asked”. In this article, we review recent attempts across several scales to understand the origins of complex biological problems from the perspective of critical phenomena. To illustrate the approach, three cases are discussed, namely the large scale brain dynamics, the characterization of spontaneous fluctuations of proteins, and the physiological complexity of the cell mitochondria network.Fil: Chialvo, Dante Renato. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Escuela de Ciencia y Tecnología; Argentin

Paresthesia thresholds in spinal cord stimulation: a comparison of theoretical results with clinical data

The potential distributions produced in the spinal cord and surrounding tissues by dorsal epidural stimulation at the midcervical, midthoracic, and low thoracic levels were calculated with the use of a volume conductor model. Stimulus thresholds of myelinated dorsal column fibers and dorsal root fibers were calculated at each level in models in which the thickness of the dorsal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) layer was varied. Calculated stimulus thresholds were compared with paresthesia thresholds obtained from measurements at the corresponding spinal levels in patients. The influences of the CSF layer thickness, the contact separation in bipolar stimulation and the laterality of the electrodes on the calculated thresholds were in general agreement with the clinical dat

Autonomic and brain morphological predictors of stress resilience

Stressful life events are an important cause of psychopathology. Humans exposed to aversive or stressful experiences show considerable inter-individual heterogeneity in their responses. However, the majority does not develop stress-related psychiatric disorders. The dynamic processes encompassing positive and functional adaptation in the face of significant adversity have been broadly defined as resilience. Traditionally, the assessment of resilience has been confined to self-report measures, both within the general community and putative high-risk populations. Although this approach has value, it is highly susceptible to subjective bias and may not capture the dynamic nature of resilience, as underlying construct. Recognizing the obvious benefits of more objective measures of resilience, research in the field has just started investigating the predictive value of several potential biological markers. This review provides an overview of theoretical views and empirical evidence suggesting that individual differences in heart rate variability (HRV), a surrogate index of resting cardiac vagal outflow, may underlie different levels of resilience toward the development of stress-related psychiatric disorders. Following this line of thought, recent studies describing associations between regional brain morphometric characteristics and resting state vagally-mediated HRV are summarized. Existing studies suggest that the structural morphology of the anterior cingulated cortex (ACC), particularly its cortical thickness, is implicated in the expression of individual differences in HRV. These findings are discussed in light of emerging structural neuroimaging research, linking morphological characteristics of the ACC to psychological traits ascribed to a high-resilient profile and abnormal structural integrity of the ACC to the psychophysiological expression of stress-related mental health consequences. We conclude that a multidisciplinary approach integrating brain structural imaging with HRV monitoring could offer novel perspectives about brain-body pathways in resilience and adaptation to psychological stres