Desarrollo de software de librerías y aplicaciones para el control de sistemas micro-CT

Computed tomography (CT) is one of the techniques most commonly used to retrieve anatomical information of living subjects non-invasively. During the last years, the advent of x-ray Cone Beam CT –CBCT– has enabled the development of dedicated imaging systems for specific environments. Nowadays, these systems are widely used in radiotherapy and image-guided surgery, imaging of specific regions and preclinical imaging in small animals. Despite the advance experienced by CBCT during the last decade, the differences with conventional CT make it a subject of vigorous research, mainly due to the issues introduced by the use of a larger cone aperture and two-dimensional detectors. Micro-CT systems for small-animal imaging add to the commented issues the need of a higher image resolution to observe anatomical structures with the same level of detail obtained for clinical CT. The purpose of this project is the development of a set of low-level software libraries to control hardware elements of high resolution micro-CT systems based on microfocus x-ray sources and flat-panel detectors. The implemented libraries must offer an interface independent of the underlying hardware and the possibility of adding new hardware elements with no modifications in the high-level applications. The designed libraries consisted of a set of individual modules controlling x-ray detectors, x-ray sources and control systems for motor drives, providing a transparent interface to the high level application. The low-level libraries were integrated into a high-level application for the acquisition and basic processing of micro-CT image. The individual components were tested on two existent micro-CT systems, assessing the functionality of the libraries. The complete software architecture was included in an existent micro-CT system and a set of CT data was acquired and reconstructed, proving the validity of the developed software for the successful generation of CT volumes.La Tomografía Axial Computarizada (TAC) es una de las técnicas más ampliamente utilizadas para la obtención de información anatómica en vivo y de forma no invasiva. Durante los últimos años, la aparición del TAC de rayos X de haz cónico –CBCT en sus siglas inglesas– ha hecho posible el desarrollo de sistemas de imagen dedicados para entornos de aplicación específicos. Hoy en día este tipo de sistemas son ampliamente utilizados en radioterapia y cirugía guiada por imagen, imagen de regiones específicas, e imagen preclínica de pequeño animal. A pesar del gran avance experimentado por la CBCT en la última década, las diferencias con los sistemas de TAC convencionales hacen de esta técnica un área con un gran potencial para la investigación, especialmente debido a las complicaciones introducidas por el uso de un ángulo de cono mayor y por el uso de detectores bidimensionales. En el caso de sistemas micro-TAC para imagen preclínica a las complicaciones anteriormente presentadas se añade la necesidad de obtener una mayor resolución que permita la observación de las estructuras anatómicas en pequeño animal con el mismo nivel de detalle proporcionado por los sistemas clínicos. El objeto de este proyecto consiste en el desarrollo de un conjunto de librerías software de bajo nivel para el control de los elementos hardware de sistemas de adquisición de imagen micro-TAC de rayos X de alta resolución basados en fuentes de rayos X microfoco y en detectores planos. Las librerías implementadas deben ofrecer una interfaz independiente del hardware subyacente y la posibilidad de añadir nuevos dispositivos sin necesidad de modificación en las aplicaciones de alto nivel. Las librerías diseñadas consisten en un conjunto de módulos individuales para el control de detectores de rayos X, fuentes de rayos X microfoco y controladores de motores, proporcionando una interfaz transparente a la rutina de alto nivel. Las librerías de manejo de hardware han sido integradas en una aplicación de alto nivel para la adquisición de datos en sistemas micro-TAC. La funcionalidad de los componentes individuales fue evaluada en dos sistemas micro-TAC desarrollados previamente. Por su parte, el conjunto completo fue probado en uno de los sistemas, obteniendo un volumen reconstruido que prueba la validez de los componentes software para la obtención de imagen micro-TAC.Ingeniería de Telecomunicació

Variations in the Thickness of the Plantar Fascia After Training Based in Training Race. A Pilot Study

Plantar fascia (PF) is a connective tissue made up of mostly type 1 collagen that is subjected to constant loads. This study evaluated the effect of continuous running on tissue stress in the PF by measuring changes in the thickness of the PF using ultrasound scans. It was a cross-sectional study involving 24 runners from the University of Valen- cia, recruited as volunteers between December 2018 and February 2019. A variety of data was recorded: (age, body mass index, type of footwear, number of workouts per week, KM run per week, sports injuries in the last year, pre and postrace ultrasound PF measurements). There were significant differences in the 3 postrace meas- urements of the left foot (<0.001). PF thicknesses were measured before and after running, with a minimal average difference of 0.4 mm in the medial and central fascicles, and 0.3 mm in the lateral fascicle. We observed PF thick- nesses above 4mm in asymptomatic patients with no signs of vascularisation, proving that increased PF thickness is not the only criterion for diagnosis of plantar fasciitis.Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga / CBU

Molecular imaging of pulmonary tuberculosis in an ex-vivo mouse model using spectral photon-counting computed tomography and micro-CT

Artículo escrito por un elevado número de autores. Sólo se referencian el que aparece en primer lugar y los autores pertenecientes a la UC3MThe results of this study support the idea that photon-counting CT imaging is capable of molecular imaging when enhanced by high-Z pharmaceuticals. The Medipix3RX detector operating four CSM energy bins provided sufficient spectral information for the simultaneous differentiation of iodine, water, and lipid (and a second high-Z contrast). In an ex-vivo mouse model of chronic TB, detection of iodine contrast enabled segmentation and volume quantification of healthy and disease-related lung tissue. The results demonstrated the potential clinical utility of photon-counting CT imaging for molecular imaging in infectious lung diseases. In the future, if a TB-specific drug were to be incorporated with a high-Z nanoparticle, spectral CT could provide non-invasive evaluation of drug delivery and response to treatment. Such an imaging platform would have the potential to assist diagnosis and accelerate the development of novel therapies, which is essential for the eradication of TB. Photon-counting CT technology offers improved spatial and energy resolution. Thus, it is a promising next step in the evolution of CT.The authors would like to acknowledge the Medipix2, Medipix3, and Medipix4 collaborations. They would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the generous support of the MARS Collaboration. They would also like to acknowledge Dr. Guembe from CIMA-Universidad de Navarra for preparing and staining the tissue sections

Variations in the Thickness of the Plantar Fascia After Training Based in Training Race. A Pilot Study

Plantar fascia (PF) is a connective tissue made up of mostly type 1 collagen that is subjected to constant loads. This study evaluated the effect of continuous running on tissue stress in the PF by measuring changes in the thickness of the PF using ultrasound scans. It was a cross-sectional study involving 24 runners from the University of Valencia, recruited as volunteers between December 2018 and February 2019. A variety of data was recorded: (age, body mass index, type of footwear, number of workouts per week, KM run per week, sports injuries in the last year, pre and postrace ultrasound PF measurements). There were significant differences in the 3 postrace measurements of the left foot (<0.001). PF thicknesses were measured before and after running, with a minimal average difference of 0.4 mm in the medial and central fascicles, and 0.3 mm in the lateral fascicle. We observed PF thicknesses above 4mm in asymptomatic patients with no signs of vascularisation, proving that increased PF thickness is not the only criterion for diagnosis of plantar fasciitis

Determinantes de la satisfacción con la vida de los trabajadores europeos

Este trabajo examina el impacto de las características económicas individuales, sociales y organizacionales sobre la satisfacción con la vida de los trabajadores europeos a través de un análisis de cohortes generacionales y comparativa internacional. El análisis se centra en Europa para analizar las diferencias y similitudes entre países geográficamente cercanos. Con este objetivo, se verifican las hipótesis con el análisis multinivel mediante el programa STATA utilizando la base de datos European Social Survey (ESS). Los resultados del presente trabajo nos sugieren que cuando estudiamos la satisfacción con la vida de los trabajadores se deben considerar un conjunto diverso de factores. La principal contribución de este trabajo es mejorar la comprensión de la satisfacción con la vida de los individuos, así como los factores que influyen en la misma. Al mismo tiempo, se ofrecen algunas implicaciones para las empresas con el fin de que perfeccionen el bienestar o felicidad de sus trabajadores

X-ray-based virtual slicing of TB-infected lungs

Hollow organs such as the lungs pose a considerable challenge for post-mortem imaging in preclinical research owing to their extremely low contrast and high structural complexity. The aim of our study was to enhance the contrast of tuberculosis lesions for their stratification by 3D x-ray&-based virtual slicing. Organ samples were taken from five control and five tuberculosis-infected mice. Micro-Computed Tomography (CT) scans of the subjects were acquired in vivo (without contrast agent) and post-mortem (with contrast agent). The proposed contrast-enhancing technique consists of x-ray contrast agent uptake (silver nitrate and iodine) by immersion. To create the histology ground-truth, the CT scan of the paraffin block guided the sectioning towards specific planes of interest. The digitalized histological slides reveal the presence, extent, and appearance of the contrast agents in lung structures and organized aggregates of immune cells. These findings correlate with the contrast-enhanced micro-CT slice. The abnormal densities in the lungs due to tuberculosis disease are concentrated in the right tail of the lung intensity histograms. The increase in the width of the right tail (~376%) indicates a contrast enhancement of the details of the abnormal densities. Postmortem contrast agents enhance the x-ray attenuation in tuberculosis lesions to allow 3D visualization by polychromatic x-ray CT, providing an advantageous tool for virtual slicing of whole lungs. The proposed contrast-enhancing technique combined with computational methods and the diverse micro-CT modalities will open the doors to the stratification of lesion types associated with infectious diseases.The research leading to these results received funding from the Innovative Medicines Initiative (www.imi.europa.eu) Joint Undertaking under grant agreement no. 115337, whose resources comprise funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) and EFPIA companies in kind contribution. This work was partially funded by projects RTC-2015-3772-1, TEC2015-73064-EXP and TEC2016-78052-R from the Spanish Ministry of Economy, TOPUS S2013/MIT-3024 project from the regional government of Madrid and by the Department of Health, UK. This study (was supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Plan Estatal de I + D + i 2013–2016) and co-financed by the European Social Fund (ESF) “ESF investing in your future”. The authors thank Dr.Guembe from CIMA-Universidad de Navarra for preparing and staining the tissue sections, and to Dr. Guerrero-Aspizua and Prof. Conti of the Department of Bioengineering, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid for the pathology evaluation

The SINGLE FLOWER (SFL) gene encodes a MYB transcription factor that regulates the number of flowers produced by the inflorescence of chickpea

[EN] Legumes usually have compound inflorescences, where flowers/pods develop from secondary inflorescences (I2), formed laterally at the primary inflorescence (I1). Number of flowers per I2, characteristic of each legume species, has important ecological and evolutionary relevance as it determines diversity in inflorescence architecture; moreover, it is also agronomically important for its potential impact on yield. Nevertheless, the genetic network controlling the number of flowers per I2 is virtually unknown. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) typically produces one flower per I2 but single flower (sfl) mutants produce two (double-pod phenotype). We isolated the SFL gene by mapping the sfl-d mutation and identifying and characterising a second mutant allele. We analysed the effect of sfl on chickpea inflorescence ontogeny with scanning electron microscopy and studied the expression of SFL and meristem identity genes by RNA in situ hybridisation. We show that SFL corresponds to CaRAX1/2a, which codes a MYB transcription factor specifically expressed in the I2 meristem. Our findings reveal SFL as a central factor controlling chickpea inflorescence architecture, acting in the I2 meristem to regulate the length of the period for which it remains active, and therefore determining the number of floral meristems that it can produce.We thank Ludovico Dreni for advice on phylogenetic analysis and M. J. Domenech for efficient technical assistance. We also thank C. Ferrandiz, M. A. Blazquez and J. L. Weller for helpful discussions and critical reading. Work at the FM laboratory was financed through grants from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia Innovacion y Universidades, FEDER and Generalitat Valenciana (BIO2015-64307-R, PGC2018-099232-B-I00 and Prometeo/2019/004). Work at IFAPA and UCO has been supported by INIA project RTA2017-00041-00-00, co-financed by the European Union through the ERDF2014-2020 'Programa Operativo de Crecimiento Inteligente'. CC acknowledges her PhD fellowship INIA-CCAA.Caballo, C.; Berbel Tornero, A.; Ortega, R.; Gil, J.; Millán, T.; Rubio, J.; Madueño Albi, F. (2022). The SINGLE FLOWER (SFL) gene encodes a MYB transcription factor that regulates the number of flowers produced by the inflorescence of chickpea. New Phytologist. 234(3):827-836. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18019827836234

Wind wave footprint of tropical cyclones from satellite data

ABSTRACT: Tropical cyclones are associated with extreme winds, waves, and storm surge, being among most destructive natural phenomena. Developing capability for a rapid impact estimate is crucial for coastal applications and risk preparedness. When predicting waves characteristics associated to tropical cyclones, the traditional approach involves a two-step procedure (a) a Holland-type wind vortex model and (b) numerical simulations using a wave generation model, using buoy and satellite measurements for validation. In this work, we take advantage of the increasing amount of remote sensing observational data and propose a new empirical model to estimate the wind wave footprint of tropical cyclones. For this purpose, we construct a dataset with over a million satellite observations of waves triggered by tropical cyclones assuming a circular shape of the TC influence area and defining composites of significant wave height as a function of representative parameters of the track characteristics like the minimum pressure, its forward velocity, and its latitude. The validation against buoy data confirms the usefulness of the model for a first and rapid estimation of the wave footprint, although an underestimation of the most extreme events is observed due to the relatively small number of observations recorded. Due to its efficiency, the model can be applied for rapid estimations of wave footprints in operational systems, reconstruction of historical or synthetic events and risk assessments.This work would not have been possible without funding from the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program's grant DOD/SERDP RC-2644 and from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, project Beach4cast PID2019-107053RB-I00. Ana Rueda funded by a Juan de la Cierva Incorporación Scholarship (IJC2020-04390). Laura Cagigal is funded by a scholarship from the University of Auckland. Open access publishing facilitated by The University of Auckland, as part of the Wiley - The University of Auckland agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians

Influence of the Titanium Implant Surface Treatment on the Surface Roughness and Chemical Composition

The implant surface features affect the osseointegration process. Different surface treatment methods have been applied to improve the surface topography and properties. Trace of different elements may appear on the implant surface, which can modify surface properties and may affect the body’s response. The aim was to evaluate the roughness based on the surface treatment received and the amount and type of trace elements found. Ninety implants (nine different surface treatment) were evaluated. Roughness parameters were measured using white-light-interferometry (WLI). The arithmetical mean for Ra, Rq, Rt, and Rz of each implant system was calculated, and Fisher’s exact test was applied, obtaining Ra values between 0.79 and 2.89 µm. Surface chemical composition was evaluated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) at two times: as received by the manufacturer (AR) and after sputter-cleaning (SC). Traces of several elements were found in all groups, decreasing in favor of the Ti concentration after the sputter-cleaning. Within thelimitations of this study, we can conclude that the surface treatment influences the roughness and the average percentage of the trace elements on the implant surface. The cleaning process at the implant surface should be improved by the manufacturer before assembling the implant

Hospitalisation cost of patients with diabetic foot ulcers in Valencia (Spain) in the period 2009-2013 : a retrospective descriptive analysis

Ulcers are the main cause of hospitalisation and clinical complications in patients with diabetes. We analyse the length and cost of hospital stay of patients with diabetic foot ulcers, taking into consideration that hospitalisation and, if necessary, amputation represent the greatest area of expense to the healthcare system for such patients. This analysis focuses on the treatment provided to these patients in public hospitals in the region of Valencia (Spain), registered in the Spanish Minimum Basic Data Set, during the period 2009-2013. The number of acute hospital admissions in this respect is increasing and has a high socioeconomic cost. During the study period, there were over 2700 hospital admissions, an average of nearly 550 per year. The total hospital stay for these patients was 30,886 days, with an average of 11.4 days and a cost of 7633 per admission. Preventive policies and the deployment of multidisciplinary teams are essential to reduce these costs and avoid future complications such as amputation