Adaptive AR and Neurofuzzy Approaches: Access to Cerebral Particle Signatures

International audienceIn recent years, a relationship has been suggested between the occurrence of cerebral embolism and stroke. Ultrasound has therefore become essential in the detection of emboli when monitoring cerebral vascular disorders and forms part of ultrasound brain-imaging techniques. Such detection is based on investigating the middle cerebral artery using a TransCranial Doppler (TCD) system, and analyzing the Doppler signal of the embolism. Most of the emboli detected in practical experiments are large emboli because their signatures are easy to recognize in the TCD signal. However, detection of small emboli remains a challenge. Various approaches have been proposed to solve the problem, ranging from the exclusive use of expert human knowledge to automated collection of signal parameters. Many studies have recently been performed using time-frequency distributions and classical parameter modeling for automatic detection of emboli. It has been shown that autoregressive (AR) modeling associated with an abrupt change detection technique is one of the best methods for detection of microemboli. One alternative to this is a technique based on taking expert knowledge into account. This paper aims to unite these two approaches using AR modeling and expert knowledge through a neurofuzzy approach. The originality of this approach lies in combining these two techniques and then proposing a parameter referred to as score ranging from 0 to 1. Unlike classical techniques, this score is not only a measure of confidence of detection but also a tool enabling the final detection of the presence or absence of microemboli to be performed by the practitioner. Finally, this paper provides performance evaluation and comparison with an automated technique, i.e., AR modeling used in vitr

Etude de la cyclostationnarité du signal Doppler sanguin pour la détection de micro-emboles : étude préliminaire

Ce papier traite de la détection ultrasonore de micro-emboles par un système Doppler transcrânien. L'originalité de ce travail réside dans le fait que nous utilisons les propriétés cyclostationnaires du signal Doppler ultrasonore sanguin pour détecter des micro-emboles, depuis lors, masqués dans les phases de systoles-diastoles du cycle cardiaque. Dans cette étude nous évaluons théoriquement, à partir d'un modèle réaliste du signal Doppler sanguin, le spectre de corrélation. Nous proposons un paramètre informatif permettant la détection de micro-emboles et nous quantifions les performances du détecteur associé pour le comparer à un détecteur standard

Global Distribution of Zooplankton Biomass Estimated by In Situ Imaging and Machine Learning

Zooplankton plays a major role in ocean food webs and biogeochemical cycles, and provides major ecosystem services as a main driver of the biological carbon pump and in sustaining fish communities. Zooplankton is also sensitive to its environment and reacts to its changes. To better understand the importance of zooplankton, and to inform prognostic models that try to represent them, spatially-resolved biomass estimates of key plankton taxa are desirable. In this study we predict, for the first time, the global biomass distribution of 19 zooplankton taxa (1-50 mm Equivalent Spherical Diameter) using observations with the Underwater Vision Profiler 5, a quantitative in situ imaging instrument. After classification of 466,872 organisms from more than 3,549 profiles (0-500 m) obtained between 2008 and 2019 throughout the globe, we estimated their individual biovolumes and converted them to biomass using taxa-specific conversion factors. We then associated these biomass estimates with climatologies of environmental variables (temperature, salinity, oxygen, etc.), to build habitat models using boosted regression trees. The results reveal maximal zooplankton biomass values around 60 degrees N and 55 degrees S as well as minimal values around the oceanic gyres. An increased zooplankton biomass is also predicted for the equator. Global integrated biomass (0-500 m) was estimated at 0.403 PgC. It was largely dominated by Copepoda (35.7%, mostly in polar regions), followed by Eumalacostraca (26.6%) Rhizaria (16.4%, mostly in the intertropical convergence zone). The machine learning approach used here is sensitive to the size of the training set and generates reliable predictions for abundant groups such as Copepoda (R2 approximate to 20-66%) but not for rare ones (Ctenophora, Cnidaria, R2 < 5%). Still, this study offers a first protocol to estimate global, spatially resolved zooplankton biomass and community composition from in situ imaging observations of individual organisms. The underlying dataset covers a period of 10 years while approaches that rely on net samples utilized datasets gathered since the 1960s. Increased use of digital imaging approaches should enable us to obtain zooplankton biomass distribution estimates at basin to global scales in shorter time frames in the future

Community-Level Responses to Iron Availability in Open Ocean Plankton Ecosystems

Predicting responses of plankton to variations in essential nutrients is hampered by limited in situ measurements, a poor understanding of community composition, and the lack of reference gene catalogs for key taxa. Iron is a key driver of plankton dynamics and, therefore, of global biogeochemical cycles and climate. To assess the impact of iron availability on plankton communities, we explored the comprehensive bio-oceanographic and bio-omics data sets from Tara Oceans in the context of the iron products from two state-of-the-art global scale biogeochemical models. We obtained novel information about adaptation and acclimation toward iron in a range of phytoplankton, including picocyanobacteria and diatoms, and identified whole subcommunities covarying with iron. Many of the observed global patterns were recapitulated in the Marquesas archipelago, where frequent plankton blooms are believed to be caused by natural iron fertilization, although they are not captured in large-scale biogeochemical models. This work provides a proof of concept that integrative analyses, spanning from genes to ecosystems and viruses to zooplankton, can disentangle the complexity of plankton communities and can lead to more accurate formulations of resource bioavailability in biogeochemical models, thus improving our understanding of plankton resilience in a changing environment

Fetal pulmonary hypoplasia

The human lung is a complex and highly specialized organ with over 40 differentiated cell types. Optimal lung function is determined prenatally and an in utero adverse event may interfere with the delicate lung development process and lead to variable degrees of pulmonary hypoplasia. Fetal lung underdevelopment is a major concern for obstetricians and pediatricians since pulmonary hypoplasia (PH) may lead to severe respiratory distress immedi­ately after birth and even to neonatal death or potential long-term morbidity. During a five year period, the author had the opportunity to conduct in experienced teams several studies on different fetal malformations that dealt with multiple as­pects in the wide spectrum of PH: gastroschisis (GAS), giant omphalocele (GO), low obstructive uropathies (LUTO) and congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). The the­sis, which focuses on four papers published as first author, reviews important fea­tures of PH for a fetal medicine specialist. Three other publications as co-author are presented at the end of the manuscript as “additional contributions”.(MED - Sciences médicales) -- UCL

Emboli characterization in blood mimicking fluid circulation using parametric modelling

International audienceCerebral microemboli remain a high part of all vascular cerebral accidents in the western world. Thus detection, sizing and nature (particulate or gaseous) evaluation are three important tasks which are necessary to understand embolisms and to perform correct diagnostics and even therapy. The problem of detection has been widely reported in many works. Our aim was here to address the emboli characterization, sizing and nature evaluation. This characterization is based on EBR (embolus to blood ratio). EBR values were computed with two signal processing approaches: Fourier technique and parametric modeling. Emboli were simulated with acrylic particles ranging from 220 /spl mu/m to 500 /spl mu/m. With the smallest emboli, parametric approaches gave variance and standard deviation better than Fourier techniques. In a second time, we use the same multifrequency approach to find the frequencies triplet which assumed the best differentiation between gaseous and particulate emboli over a high range of diameters

Conservative management of triplet pregnancy after delivery of one foetus

This paper intends to demonstrate that the conservative management of triplet pregnancy after delivery of one foetus is a feasible and reasonable approach. Three cases of triplet pregnancy with successful conservative management after miscarriage of one foetus, are presented and compared with cases in the literature. The route of delivery, as well as the role of tocolysis, cerclage, prophylactic antibiotic therapy and corticosteroids are discussed. Guidelines for conservative treatment are proposed. The deliveries of our three pregnancies were delayed by 63, 44 and 22 days respectively. Foetal and neonatal evolution are normal in five of the remaining foetuses. Only one intrauterine death is observed. No maternal complications with sequelae are reported. After abortion of the first triplet, contractions often persist and the birth of the two remaining foetuses may be unavoidable. Nevertheless, in our experience, confirmed by some reports in the literature, prolongation of the pregnancy after expulsion of the first foetus is possible. It can be achieved by cervical cerclage associated with tocolytic and antibiotic therapy. This management is not associated with significantly increased foetal-maternal morbidity