An optimized approach for generating dense thermal point clouds from UAV-imagery

Thermal infrared (TIR) images acquired from Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles (UAV) are gaining scientific interest in a wide variety of fields. However, the reconstruction of three-dimensional (3D) point clouds utilizing consumer-grade TIR images presents multiple drawbacks as a consequence of low-resolution and induced aberrations. Consequently, these problems may lead photogrammetric techniques, such as Structure from Motion (SfM), to generate poor results. This work proposes the use of RGB point clouds estimated from SfM as the input for building thermal point clouds. For that purpose, RGB and thermal imagery are registered using the Enhanced Correlation Coefficient (ECC) algorithm after removing acquisition errors, thus allowing us to project TIR images into an RGB point cloud. Furthermore, we consider several methods to provide accurate thermal values for each 3D point. First, the occlusion problem is solved through two different approaches, so that points that are not visible from a viewing angle do not erroneously receive values from foreground objects. Then, we propose a flexible method to aggregate multiple thermal values considering the dispersion from such aggregation to the image samples. Therefore, it minimizes error measurements. A naive classification algorithm is then applied to the thermal point clouds as a case study for evaluating the temperature of vegetation and ground points. As a result, our approach builds thermal point clouds with up to 798,69% more point density than results from other commercial solutions. Moreover, it minimizes the build time by using parallel computing for time-consuming tasks. Despite obtaining larger point clouds, we report up to 96,73% less processing time per 3D point

Efficient generation of occlusion-aware multispectral and thermographic point clouds

The reconstruction of 3D point clouds from image datasets is a time-consuming task that has been frequently solved by performing photogrammetric techniques on every data source. This work presents an approach to efficiently build large and dense point clouds from co-acquired images. In our case study, the sensors coacquire visible as well as thermal and multispectral imagery. Hence, RGB point clouds are reconstructed with traditional methods, whereas the rest of the data sources with lower resolution and less identifiable features are projected into the first one, i.e., the most complete and dense. To this end, the mapping process is accelerated using the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) and multi-threading in the CPU (Central Processing Unit). The accurate colour aggregation in 3D points is guaranteed by taking into account the occlusion of foreground surfaces. Accordingly, our solution is shown to reconstruct much more dense point clouds than notable commercial software (286% on average), e.g., Pix4Dmapper and Agisoft Metashape, in much less time (−70% on average with respect to the best alternative).Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities via a doctoral grant to the first author (FPU19/00100)Project TED2021- 132120B-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/ and ERDF funds ‘‘A way of doing Europe’

In-silico insights on the prognostic potential of immune cell infiltration patterns in the breast lobular epithelium

Scattered inflammatory cells are commonly observed in mammary gland tissue, most likely in response to normal cell turnover by proliferation and apoptosis, or as part of immunosurveillance. In contrast, lymphocytic lobulitis (LLO) is a recurrent inflammation pattern, characterized by lymphoid cells infiltrating lobular structures, that has been associated with increased familial breast cancer risk and immune responses to clinically manifest cancer. The mechanisms and pathogenic implications related to the inflammatory microenvironment in breast tissue are still poorly understood. Currently, the definition of inflammation is mainly descriptive, not allowing a clear distinction of LLO from physiological immunological responses and its role in oncogenesis remains unclear. To gain insights into the prognostic potential of inflammation, we developed an agent-based model of immune and epithelial cell interactions in breast lobular epithelium. Physiological parameters were calibrated from breast tissue samples of women who underwent reduction mammoplasty due to orthopedic or cosmetic reasons. The model allowed to investigate the impact of menstrual cycle length and hormone status on inflammatory responses to cell turnover in the breast tissue. Our findings suggested that the immunological context, defined by the immune cell density, functional orientation and spatial distribution, contains prognostic information previously not captured by conventional diagnostic approaches. Several studies provided conclusive evidence that a delicate balance between mammary epithelial cell proliferation and apoptosis regulates homeostasis in the healthy breast tissue 1-7. After menarche, and in the absence of pregnancy, the adult female mammary gland is subjected to cyclic fluctuations depending on hormonal stimulation 1,8. In response to such systemic hormonal changes, the breast epithelium undergoes a tightly regulated sequence of cell proliferation and apoptosis during each ovarian/menstrual cycle 1-3. The peak of epithelial cell proliferation has been reported to occur during the luteal phase, suggesting a synergistic influence of steroid hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone 2-5. In turn, the peak of apoptotic activity would be expected in response to decreasing hormone levels towards the end of the menstrual cycle 2-5. However, recent histologic findings indicate that apoptosis reaches its maximum levels in the middle of the luteal phase, although there is also a peak at about the third day of the menstrual cycle 6,7. Experimental measurements of cell turnover, i.e. programmed cell death and proliferation, demonstrated that an imbalance between the mitotic and apoptotic activity might lead to malignant transformation of epithelial cells and tumorigenic processes 9-11. Indeed, excessive cell proliferation promotes accumulation of DNA damage due to insufficient timely repair and mutations 12,13. There is also recent evidence that hormones suppress effective DNA repair and alter DNA damage response (DDR) 13-15

A randomized comparison ofrepeat stenting with balloon angioplasty in patients with in-stent restenosis

AbstractObjectivesThis randomized trial compared repeat stenting with balloon angioplasty (BA) in patients with in-stent restenosis (ISR).BackgroundStent restenosis constitutes a therapeutic challenge. Repeat coronary interventions are currently used in this setting, but the recurrence risk remains high.MethodsWe randomly assigned 450 patients with ISR to elective stent implantation (224 patients) or conventional BA (226 patients). Primary end point was recurrent restenosis rate at six months. Secondary end points included minimal lumen diameter (MLD), prespecified subgroup analyses, and a composite of major adverse events.ResultsProcedural success was similar in both groups, but in-hospital complications were more frequent in the balloon group. After the procedure MLD was larger in the stent group (2.77 ± 0.4 vs. 2.25 ± 0.5 mm, p < 0.001). At follow-up, MLD was larger after stenting when the in-lesion site was considered (1.69 ± 0.8 vs. 1.54 ± 0.7 mm, p = 0.046). However, the binary restenosis rate (38% stent group, 39% balloon group) was similar with the two strategies. One-year event-free survival (follow-up 100%) was also similar in both groups (77% stent vs. 71% balloon, p = 0.19). Nevertheless, in the prespecified subgroup of patients with large vessels (≥3 mm) the restenosis rate (27% vs. 49%, p = 0.007) and the event-free survival (84% vs. 62%, p = 0.002) were better after repeat stenting.ConclusionsIn patients with ISR, repeat coronary stenting provided better initial angiographic results but failed to improve restenosis rate and clinical outcome when compared with BA. However, in patients with large vessels coronary stenting improved the long-term clinical and angiographic outcome

Psycho-emotional disorders as incoming risk factors for myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries

Comment[Abstract] Background: There is an emerging field underlying the myocardial infarction (MI) with non-obstruc-tive coronary arteries (MINOCA). The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of psycho-emotional disorders and social habits in MINOCA patients. Methods: The study included 95 consecutive patients diagnosed of MINOCA and 178 patients with MI and obstructive lesions. MINOCA patients were included when they fulfilled the three main criteria: accomplishment of the Third Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction, absence of obstructive coronary arteries and no clinically overt specific cause for the acute presentation. Results: MINOCA patients had a higher frequency of previous psychiatric illnesses than the obstructive coronary arteries group (29.7% vs. 12.9%, p = 0.001). MINOCA patients recognized emotional stress in 75.7% of the cases, while only 32.1% of the obstructive related group did (p < 0.001). The relation-ship remained after excluding takotsubo syndrome from the analysis (26 cases, 27.4%): psychiatric diseases (27.9% vs. 12.9%, p < 0.01) and recognition of emotional stress (70.8% vs. 32.1%, p < 0.001). Social habits which could act as stress modulating showed no significant relation with MINOCA. Conclusions: Psycho-emotional disorders are related to MINOCA and they could act as risk fac-tor. This relationship is maintained after excluding takotsubo from the analysis. (Cardiol J 2018; 25, 1: 24-31).This work was supported by unrestricted grants from Red Tematica de Investigacion Cooperativa en Enfermedades Cardivasculares (RIC) RD12/0042/0067 of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad), and by a competitive grant from Section of Clinical Cardiology of the Spanish Society of Cardiologyinfo:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MINECO/Acción Estratégica de Salud/RD12%2F0042%2F0067/ES/Enfermedades cardiovasculare

Identification of novel synthetic lethal vulnerability in non small cell lung cancer by co targeting TMPRSS4 and DDR1

Finding novel targets in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is highly needed and identification of synthetic lethality between two genes is a new approach to target NSCLC. We previously found that TMPRSS4 promotes NSCLC growth and constitutes a prognostic biomarker. Here, through large-scale analyses across 5 public databases we identified consistent co-expression between TMPRSS4 and DDR1. Similar to TMPRSS4, DDR1 promoter was hypomethylated in NSCLC in 3 independent cohorts and hypomethylation was an independent prognostic factor of disease-free survival. Treatment with 5-azacitidine increased DDR1 levels in cell lines, suggesting an epigenetic regulation. Cells lacking TMPRSS4 were highly sensitive to the cytotoxic effect of the DDR1 inhibitor dasatinib. TMPRSS4/DDR1 double knock-down (KD) cells, but not single KD cells suffered a G0/G1 cell cycle arrest with loss of E2F1 and cyclins A and B, increased p21 levels and a larger number of cells in apoptosis. Moreover, double KD cells were highly sensitized to cisplatin, which caused massive apoptosis (~40%). In vivo studies demonstrated tumor regression in double KD-injected mice. In conclusion, we have identified a novel vulnerability in NSCLC resulting from a synthetic lethal interaction between DDR1 and TMPRSS4

A Prospective, Multicenter, Real-World Registry of Coronary Lithotripsy in Calcified Coronary Arteries

BACKGROUND Intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) has demonstrated effectiveness in the treatment of calcified lesions in selected patients with stable coronary disease. OBJECTIVES The authors sought to assess the performance of coronary IVL in calcified coronary lesions in a real-life, all comers, setting. METHODS The REPLICA-EPIC18 study prospectively enrolled consecutive patients treated with IVL in 26 centers in Spain. An independent core laboratory performed the angiographic analysis and event adjudication. The primary effectiveness endpoint assessed procedural success (successful IVL delivery, final diameter stenosis <20%, and absence of in- hospital major adverse cardiovascular events [MACE]). The primary safety endpoint measured freedom from MACE at 30 days. A predefined substudy compared outcomes between acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) patients. RESULTS A total of 426 patients (456 lesions) were included, 63% of the patients presenting with ACS. IVL delivery was successful in 99% of cases. Before IVL, 49% of lesions were considered undilatable. The primary effectiveness endpoint was achieved in 66% of patients, with similar rates among CCS patients (68%) and ACS patients (65%). Likewise, there were no significant differences in angiographic success after IVL between CCS and ACS patients. The rate of MACE at 30 days (primary safety endpoint) was 3% (1% in CCS and 5% in ACS patients [P = 0.073]). CONCLUSIONS Coronary IVL proved to be a feasible and safe procedure in a real-life setting, effectively facilitating stent implantation in severely calcified lesions. Patients with ACS on admission showed similar angiographic success rates but showed a trend toward higher 30-day MACE compared with patients with CCS. (REPLICA-EPIC18 study [Registry of Coronary Lithotripsy in Spain]; NCT04298307) (c) 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier on behalf of the American College of Cardiology Foundation. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Influence of coronary artery disease and subclinical atherosclerosis related polymorphisms on the risk of atherosclerosis in rheumatoid arthritis

A genetic component influences the development of atherosclerosis in the general population and also in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, genetic polymorphisms associated with atherosclerosis in the general population are not always involved in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in RA. Accordingly, a study in North-American RA patients did not show the association reported in the general population of coronary artery disease with a series of relevant polymorphisms (TCF21, LPA, HHIPL1, RASD1-PEMT, MRPS6, CYP17A1-CNNM2-NT5C2, SMG6-SRR, PHACTR1, WDR12 and COL4A1-COL4A2). In the present study, we assessed the potential association of these polymorphisms with CVD in Southern European RA patients. We also assessed if polymorphisms implicated in the increased risk of subclinical atherosclerosis in non-rheumatic Caucasians (ZHX2, PINX1, SLC17A4, LRIG1 and LDLR) may influence the risk for CVD in RA. 2,609 Spanish patients were genotyped by TaqMan assays. Subclinical atherosclerosis was determined in 1,258 of them by carotid ultrasonography (assessment of carotid intima media thickness and presence/absence of carotid plaques). No statistically significant differences were found when each polymorphism was assessed according to the presence/absence of cardiovascular events and subclinical atherosclerosis, after adjustment for potential confounder factors. Our results do not show an association between these 15 polymorphisms and atherosclerosis in RA