Laser Doppler Velocimetry for Joint Measurements of Acoustic and Mean Flow Velocities : LMS-based Algorithm and CRB Calculation

This paper presents a least mean square (LMS) algorithm for the joint estimation of acoustic and mean flow velocities from laser doppler velocimetry (LDV) measurements. The usual algorithms used for measuring with LDV purely acoustic velocity or mean flow velocity may not be used when the acoustic field is disturbed by a mean flow component. The LMS-based algorithm allows accurate estimations of both acoustic and mean flow velocities. The Cram\'er-Rao bound (CRB) of the associated problem is determined. The variance of the estimators of both acoustic and mean flow velocities is also given. Simulation results of this algorithm are compared with the CRB and the comparison leads to validate this estimator

Regional Brain Stem Atrophy in Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease Detected by Anatomical MRI

Idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the dysfunction of dopaminergic dependent cortico-basal ganglia loops and diagnosed on the basis of motor symptoms (tremors and/or rigidity and bradykinesia). Post-mortem studies tend to show that the destruction of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra constitutes an intermediate step in a broader neurodegenerative process rather than a unique feature of Parkinson's disease, as a consistent pattern of progression would exist, originating from the medulla oblongata/pontine tegmentum. To date, neuroimaging techniques have been unable to characterize the pre-symptomatic stages of PD. However, if such a regular neurodegenerative pattern were to exist, consistent damages would be found in the brain stem, even at early stages of the disease. We recruited 23 PD patients at Hoenn and Yahr stages I to II of the disease and 18 healthy controls (HC) matched for age. T1-weighted anatomical scans were acquired (MPRAGE, 1 mm3 resolution) and analyzed using an optimized VBM protocol to detect white and grey matter volume reduction without spatial a priori. When the HC group was compared to the PD group, a single cluster exhibited statistical difference (p<0.05 corrected for false detection rate, 4287 mm3) in the brain stem, between the pons and the medulla oblongata. The present study provides in-vivo evidence that brain stem damage may be the first identifiable stage of PD neuropathology, and that the identification of this consistent damage along with other factors could help with earlier diagnosis in the future. This damage could also explain some non-motor symptoms in PD that often precede diagnosis, such as autonomic dysfunction and sleep disorders

Elevated formation of pyridinoline cross-links by profibrotic cytokines is associated with enhanced lysyl hydroxylase 2b levels

AbstractThe hallmark of fibrosis is the excessive accumulation of collagen. The deposited collagen contains increased pyridinoline cross-link levels due to an overhydroxylation of lysine residues within the collagen telopeptides. Lysyl hydroxylase 2b (LH2b) is the only lysyl hydroxylase consistently up-regulated in several forms of fibrosis, suggesting that an enhanced LH2b level is responsible for the overhydroxylation of collagen telopeptides. The present paper reports the effect of profibrotic cytokines on the expression of collagen, lysyl hydroxylases and lysyl oxidase in normal human skin fibroblasts, as well as the effect on pyridinoline formation in the deposited matrix. All three isoforms of TGF-β induce a substantial increase in LH2b mRNA levels, also when expressed relatively to the mRNA levels of collagen type I α2 (COL1A2). The TGF-β isoforms also clearly influence the collagen cross-linking pathway, since higher levels of pyridinoline cross-links were measured. Similar stimulatory effects on LH2b/COL1A2 mRNA expression and pyridinoline formation were observed for IL-4, activin A, and TNF-α. An exception was BMP-2, which has no effect on LH2b/COL1A2 mRNA levels nor on pyridinoline formation. Our data show for the first time that two processes, i.e., up-regulation of LH2b mRNA levels and increased formation of pyridinoline cross-links, previously recognized to be inherent to fibrotic processes, are induced by various profibrotic cytokines

Why Is Aging a Risk Factor for Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson's Disease?—A Resting State fMRI Study

Using resting-state functional MRI (rsfMRI) data of younger and older healthy volunteers and patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) with and without mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and applying two different analytic approaches, we investigated the effects of age, pathology, and cognition on brain connectivity. When comparing rsfMRI connectivity strength of PD patients and older healthy volunteers, reduction between multiple brain regions in PD patients with MCI (PD-MCI) compared with PD patients without MCI (PD-non-MCI) was observed. This group difference was not affected by the number and location of clusters but was reduced when age was included as a covariate. Next, we applied a graph-theory method with a cost-threshold approach to the rsfMRI data from patients with PD with and without MCI as well as groups of younger and older healthy volunteers. We observed decreased hub function (measured by degree and betweenness centrality) mainly in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in older healthy volunteers compared with younger healthy volunteers. We also found increased hub function in the posterior medial structure (precuneus and the cingulate cortex) in PD-non-MCI patients compared with older healthy volunteers and PD-MCI patients. Hub function in these posterior medial structures was positively correlated with cognitive function in all PD patients. Together these data suggest that overlapping patterns of hub modifications could mediate the effect of age as a risk factor for cognitive decline in PD, including age-related reduction of hub function in the mPFC, and recruitment availability of the posterior medial structure, possibly to compensate for impaired basal ganglia function

Contribution à l'estimation de la vitesse acoustique par Vélocimétrie Laser Doppler & Application à l'étalonnage de microphones en champ libre

Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) is a non intrusive technique widely used in fluid mechanics, but still marginal in acoustics, for measuring the particle velocimetry. Accessing to the acoustic particle velocity allows to characterize complex acoustics fields to study phenomena close to vibrating surfaces or around geometrical discontinuities for example. Research works of LDV applications to audible acoustics levels going from 60 to 120 dBSPL in presence of weak flows (a few mm/s) has been investigated by the Laboratoire d'Acoustique de l'Université du Maine for the middle of the nineteens. Signal processing methods nowadays implement on the measurement bench belong to time-frequency methods allowing to get the instantaneous frequency (proportional to the velocity) of the particle during its crossing of the measuring probe. These methods have been developed and validated experimentally on one single burst for weak flow leading to a velocity variation of several acoustics periods.The objective of this Ph.D thesis is dual. In a first time, this thesis develops a new signal processing to get an estimation of the acoustic velocity parameters thanks to a large number of bursts. In a second time, this works presents the use the LDV sensor to estimate the acoustic pressure thanks to the measurement of the acoustic velocities.The first part of this study consists in developing and validating a signal parametric method, based on the use of a wavelet transform, able to detect, localize, classify (single or overlap) bursts present on the noisy Doppler signal and in processing an estimation method of acoustics parameters and flow velocities estimation with the help of a least mean square method on the instantaneous frequency after the detection process of bursts.The second part of this thesis allows to initiate new works, in collaboration with the Acoustics and Fluid dynamics group of Edinburgh, on free field microphone calibration thanks to acoustic velocities measurements by LDV. A first study investigates the possibility of getting an accurate pressure estimation thanks to acoustic velocities measurement to calibrate at first pressure microphones. Then, in a second time, an analytic approach based on the Green integral formulation proposes a two dimensional model of the acoustic pressure field function of the velocity close to the microphone membrane to hope a future calibration of free-field microphone.La Vélocimétrie Laser à effet Doppler (VLD) est un outil de mesure de vitesse particulaire non-invasif couramment utilisé en mécanique des fluides qui reste cependant encore marginal en acoustique. L'accès à l'information de vitesse particulaire acoustique permet de caractériser les champs acoustiques complexes, autorisant l'étude de phénomènes acoustiques au voisinage de parois vibrantes ou de discontinuités gémométriques par exemple.L'application de la VLD à l'acoustique de l'audible pour des niveaux allant de 60 à 120 dBSPL en présence de faibles écoulements (quelques mm/s) constitue le domaine d'investigation du Laboratoire d'Acoustique de l'Université du Maine depuis le milieu des années 90. Les méthodes de traitement du signal aujourd'hui implémentées sur le banc de mesure appartiennent à la famille des méthodes temps-fréquence donnant accès à la loi de fréquence instantanée (proportionnelle à la vitesse) de la particule lors de son passage dans le volume de mesure. Ces méthodes ont été développées et validées expérimentalement sur une seule bouffée Doppler en présence de très faible écoulement conduisant à une loi de variation de la vitesse de plusieurs périodes acoustiques.L'objectif de cette thèse est double. Dans un premier temps, il vise à développer un traitement de signal qui permette d'estimer la vitesse acoustique à partir de l'analyse de plusieurs bouffées. Dans un deuxième temps, il vise à utiliser la VLD pour estimer une pression acoustique à partir des vitesses acoustiques mesurées au voisinage d'un structure (d'un microphone).La première partie du travail consiste à développer et valider une méthode de traitement du signal, basée sur l'utilisation de la transformée en ondelette, capable de détecter, localiser, classifier (simple ou multiple) les bouffées contenues dans un signal bruité et propose une méthode d'estimation des paramètres acoustiques et de vitesse d'écoulement par utilisation d'une méthode des moindres carrés appliquée au signal de fréquence instantanée estimé suite à la détection des bouffées.La deuxième partie de cette thèse permet d'initialiser des travaux, en collaboration avec le laboratoire d'acoustique d'Edimbourg, sur l'étalonnage de microphone en champ libre par mesures de vitesses acoustiques VLD.Une première étude de faisabilité d'estimation de la pression à partir de mesures de vitesses à une dimension est menée, permettant d'envisager un étalonnage des microphones à réponse en pression. Puis, dans un second temps, une approche analytique basée sur la formulation intégrale de Green propose de développer un modèle à deux dimensions du champ de pression en fonction de la vitesse au voisinage très proche du microphone dans le but d'étalonner les microphones en champ libre

Contribution à l'estimation de la vitesse acoustique par vélocimétrie laser Doppler et application à l'étalonnage de microphones en champ libre

La Vélocimétrie Laser à effet Doppler (VLD) est un outil de mesure de vitesse particulaire non-invasif couramment utilisé en mécanique des fluides qui reste cependant encore marginal en acoustique. L'accès à l'information de vitesse particulaire acoustique permet de caractériser les champs acoustiques complexes, autorisant l'étude de phénomènes acoustiques au voisinage de parois vibrantes ou de discontinuités gémométriques par exemple. L'application de la VLD à l'acoustique de l'audible pour des niveaux allant de 60 à 120 dBsPL en présence de faibles écoulements (quelques mm/s) constitue le domaine d'investigation du Laboratoire d'Acoustique de l'Université du Maine depuis le milieu des années 90. Les méthodes de traitement du signal aujourd'hui implémentées sur le banc de mesure appartiennent à la famille des méthodes temps-fréquence donnant accès à la loi de fréquence instantanée (proportionnelle à la vitesse) de la particule lors de son passage dans le volume de mesure. Ces méthodes ont été développées et validées expérimentalement sur une seule bouffée Doppler en présence de très faible écoulement conduisant à une loi de variation de la vitesse de plusieurs périodes acoustiques. L'objectif de cette thèse est double. Dans un premier temps, il vise à développer un traitement de signal qui permette d'estimer la vitesse acoustique à partir de l'analyse de plusieurs bouffées. Dans un deuxième temps, il vise à utiliser la VLD pour estimer une pression acoustique à partir des vitesses acoustiques mesurées au voisinage d'un structure (d'un microphone). La première partie du travail consiste à développer et valider une méthode de traitement du signal, basée sur l'utilisation de la transformée en ondelette, capable de détecter, localiser, classifier (simple ou multiple) les bouffées contenues dans un signal bruité et propose une méthode d'estimation des paramètres acoustiques et de vitesse d'écoulement par utilisation d'une méthode des moindres carrés appliquée au signal de fréquence instantanée estimé suite à la détection des bouffées. La deuxième partie de cette thèse permet d'initialiser des travaux, en collaboration avec le laboratoire d'acoustique d'Edimbourg, sur l'étalonnage de microphone en champ libre par mesures de vitesses acoustiques VLD. Une première étude de faisabilité d'estimation de la pression à partir de mesures de vitesses à une dimension est menée, permettant d'envisager un étalonnage des microphones à réponse en pression. Puis, dans un second temps, une approche analytique basée sur la formulation intégrale de Green propose de développer un modèle à deux dimensions du champ de pression en fonction de la vitesse au voisinage très proche du microphone dans le but d'étalonner les microphones en champ libre.Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) is a non intrusive technique widely used in fluid mechanics, but still marginal in acoustics, for measuring the particle velocimetry. Accessing to the acoustic particle velocity allows to characterize complex acoustics fields to study phenomena close to vibrating surfaces or around geometrical discontinuities for example. Research works of LDV applications to audible acoustics levels going from 60 to 120 dBsPL in presence of weak flows (a few mm/s) has been investigated by the Laboratoire d'Acoustique de l'Université du Maine for the middle of the nineteens. Signal processing methods nowadays implement on the measurement bench belong to time-frequency methods allowing to get the instantaneous frequency (proportional to the velocity) of the particle during its crossing of the measuring probe. These methods have been developed and validated experimentally on one single burst for weak flow leading to a velocity variation of several acoustics periods. The objective of this Ph.D thesis is dual. In a first time, this thesis develops a new signal processing to get an estimation of the acoustic velocity parameters thanks to a large number of bursts. In a second time, this works presents the use the LDV sensor to estimate the acoustic pressure thanks to the measurement of the acoustic velocities. The first part of this study consists in developing and validating a signal parametric method, based on the use of a wavelet transform, able to detect, localize, classify (single or overlap) bursts present on the noisy Doppler signal and in processing an estimation method of acoustics parameters and flow velocities estimation with the help of a least mean square method on the instantaneous frequency after the detection process of bursts. The second part of this thesis allows to initiate new works, in collaboration with the Acoustics and Fluid dynamics group of Edinburgh, on free field microphone calibration thanks to acoustic velocities measurements by LDV. A first study investigates the possibility of getting an accurate pressure estimation thanks to acoustic velocities measurement to calibrate at first pressure microphones. Then, in a second time, an analytic approach based on the Green integral formulation proposes a two dimensional model of the acoustic pressure field function of the velocity close to the microphone membrane to hope a future calibration of free-field microphone.LE MANS-BU Sciences (721812109) / SudocSudocFranceF

A fluorine-18 labeled progestin as an imaging agent for progestin receptor positive tumors with positron emission tomography

The potential of the fluorine-18 labeled progestin 21-[F-18]fluoro-16-alpha-ethyl-19-norpregn-4-ene-3,20-dione ([F-18]FENP) as an imaging agent for the in vivo assessment of progestin receptor (PR) positive neoplasms with positron emission tomography has been investigated. Tissue distribution studies in immature estrogen primed female rats revealed high uptake of radioactivity, expressed as the differential absorption ratio, by uterine tissue. After simultaneous administration with unlabeled FENP, a significant decrease (83%) in uterine uptake was observed 60 min after injection. Uterine uptake was highly selective. The ratio of uptake of radioactivity by uterine tissue to that by blood was 39 at 180 min. In mice bearing transplanted Grunder strain mammary carcinomas tissue, distribution studies demonstrated a selective uptake of [F-18]FENP by PR positive tumors. Pretreatment with unlabeled FENP caused a significant decrease (66%) in tumor uptake. Uptake by other tissues was not affected by the presence of unlabeled progestin. The ratio of uptake of radioactivity by tumor tissue to that by blood was 4.7 at 180 min. For FENP pretreated mice and mice bearing PR negative tumors, this ratio was 1.7 and 1.1, respectively. It is concluded that the uptake of [F-18]FENP by uterine and by PR positive mammary tumor tissue in vivo is primarily receptor related, presumably to the PR. Furthermore, [F-18]FENP appears to be suitable for imaging of PR positive human neoplasms with positron emission tomography