Intensity-based elastic registration incorporating anisotropic landmark errors and rotational information

Purpose: Thin-plate splines (TPS) represent an effective tool for estimating the deformation that warps one set of landmarks to another based on the physical equivalent of thin metal sheets. In the original formulation, data used to estimate the deformation field are restricted to landmark locations only and thus does not allow to incorporate information about the rotation of the image around the landmark. It furthermore assumes that landmark positions are known exactly which is not the case in real world applications. These localization inaccuracies are propagated to the entire deformation field as each landmark has a global influence. We propose to use a TPS approximation method that incorporates anisotropic landmark errors and rotational information and integrate it into a hierarchical elastic registration framework (HERA). The improvement of the registration performance has been evaluated. Methods: The proposed TPS approximation scheme integrates anisotropic landmark errors with rotational information of the landmarks. The anisotropic landmark errors are represented by their covariance matrices estimated directly from the image data as a minimal stochastic localization error, i.e. the Cramér-Rao bound. The rotational attribute of each landmark is characterized by an additional angular landmark, thus doubling the number of landmarks in the TPS model. This allows the TPS approximation to better cope up with local deformations. Results: We integrated the proposed TPS approach into the HERA registration framework and applied it to register 161 image pairs from a digital mammogram database. Experiments showed that the mean squared error using the proposed TPS approximation was superior to pure TPS interpolation. On artificially deformed breast images HERA, with the proposed TPS approximation, performed significantly better than the state-of-the-art registration method presented by Rueckert. Conclusion: The TPS approximation approach proposed in this publication allows to incorporate anisotropic landmark errors as well as rotational information. The integration of the method into an intensity-based hierarchical non-rigid registration framework is straightforward and improved the registration quality significantl

Facile enhancement of bulk heterojunction solar cells performance by utilizing PbSe nanorods decorated with graphene

An efficient approach for improving the photoelectrical conversion efficiency (PCE) of the bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells, based on poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl-C61 butyric acidmethyl ester (PC61BM), by incorporating PbSe nanorods decorated with graphene (G) into their active layer has been reported for the first time. Pristine PbSe and PbSe:G composites (with different amount of graphene) are synthesized via hydrothermal process and the formation mechanism is explained. The systematic investigation indicates that the crystallite size of PbSe:G increases with increasing grapheme content. The PCE of the classical BHJ solar cells based on P3HT:PC61BM is improved from 2.32 up to 2.57% by the incorporation of pristine PbSe. It is also enhanced by the incorporation of PbSe:G up to certain composition of graphene in which a maximum PCE value of 5.16% is achieved. The external quantum efficiency of the BHJ solar cells is also investigated. The photovoltaic parameters are discussed based on the morphology variation detected by scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope of the active layers together with their UV–VIS absorption measurements

Improvement of pentathiophene/fullerene planar heterojunction organic photovoltaic cells through MoO3/CuI anode buffer bilayer

Organic photovoltaic cells (OPVCs) are based on a heterojunction electron donor (ED)/electron acceptor (EA). In the present work, the electron donor which is also the absorber of light is pentathiophene. The typical cells were ITO/ABL/Pentathiophene/fullerene /Alq3/Al with ABL = MoO3, CuI, MoO3/CuI. After optimisation of the pentathiophene thickness, 70 nm, the highest efficiency, 0.81%, is obtained with the bilayer MoO3/CuI as ABL. In order to understand these results the pentathiophene films deposited onto the different ABLs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-rays diffraction, optical absorption and electrical characterization. It is shown that CuI improves the conductivity of the pentathiophene layer through the modification of the film structure, while MoO3 decreases the leakage current. Using the bilayer MoO3/CuI allows cumulating the advantages of each layer

Relationship between photo-physical and electrochemical properties of D-π-A compounds regarding solar cell applications. 1. Substituent type effect in photovoltaic performance

Studying the electrochemical characteristics is an important step for determining interactions between molecules and the chemical environment. Moreover, the electrochemical evaluation of dyes is highly needed to establish the behavior of electro-active chemical species inside dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Four compounds, M8-1, M8-2, M8-O1, and M8-O2 (with a common organic structure (E)-2-cyano-3-(5-((E)-2-(9,9-diethyl-7-(phenylamino)-9H-fluoren-2-yl)vinyl)thiophen-2-yl)acrylic acid), are studied in two solvents, tetrahydrofuran (THF) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). Among the studied compounds, M8-1 has highlighted characteristics compared with the others: its ground and excited states oxidation potential are the highest (1.14 and −1.22 V, respectively). Also, it shows the lowest energy gap between the excited state oxidation potential and the TiO2 conduction band. Relating to the substituent effect, the shorter the length, the higher the energetic difference in the electronic transition (M8-1 and 2). Comparing characteristics through quantum chemistry, the values obtained in DMSO are the most predictable. The injection energies signal that M8-1 is the best injector. The performances in solar cells are measured in three TiO2 materials: Degussa (D-TiO2), active opaque (A-TiO2), and transparent (T-TiO2). The IPCE results show the A > T > D average tendency, and the family of substituted alkyl has higher values than the alcoxyl one. Furthermore, in the first family the methyl substituent has a higher value than the ethyl one. M8-1 has the highest IPCE value, on average. In terms of efficiency, the alkyl substituted family again has higher values than the alcoxyl family. On average, the methyl substituent has a higher value than the ethyl one in both families. M8-1 has the highest efficiency value

Improvement of pentathiophene/fullerene planar heterojunction photovoltaic cells by improving the organic films morphology through the anode buffer bilayer

Organic photovoltaic cells (OPVCs) are based on a heterojunction electron donor (ED)/electron acceptor (EA). In the present work, the electron donor which is also the absorber of light is pentathiophene. The typical cells were ITO/HTL/pentathiophene/fullerene/Alq3/Al with HTL (hole transport layer) = MoO3, CuI, MoO3 /CuI. After optimisation of the pentathiophene thickness, 70 nm, the highest efficiency, 0.81%, is obtained with the bilayer MoO3/CuI as HTL. In order to understand these results the pentathiophene films deposited onto the different HTLs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-rays diffraction, optical absorption and electrical characterization. It is shown that CuI improves the conductivity of the pentathiophene layer through the modification of the film structure, while MoO3 decreases the leakage current. Using the bilayer MoO3/CuI allows cumulating the advantages of each layer

Sequences in the cytoplasmic tail of SARS-CoV-2 Spike facilitate expression at the cell surface and syncytia formation.

The Spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 binds ACE2 to direct fusion with host cells. S comprises a large external domain, a transmembrane domain, and a short cytoplasmic tail. Understanding the intracellular trafficking of S is relevant to SARS-CoV-2 infection, and to vaccines expressing full-length S from mRNA or adenovirus vectors. Here we report a proteomic screen for cellular factors that interact with the cytoplasmic tail of S. We confirm interactions with the COPI and COPII vesicle coats, ERM family actin regulators, and the WIPI3 autophagy component. The COPII binding site promotes exit from the endoplasmic reticulum, and although binding to COPI should retain S in the early Golgi where viral budding occurs, there is a suboptimal histidine residue in the recognition motif. As a result, S leaks to the surface where it accumulates and can direct the formation of multinucleate syncytia. Thus, the trafficking signals in the tail of S indicate that syncytia play a role in the SARS-CoV-2 lifecycle

Synthesis, Characterization, Morphology and Photovoltaic Properties of Aniline-Tiophene Based Polymers

Monomers composed of thiophene and aniline rings, 4-(2-thiophen)aniline and 4-(3-thiophen)aniline, were successfully synthetized through the Suzuki-Miyaura cross coupling reaction and then polymerized. The polymers poly 4-(2-tiophen)aniline and poly 4-(3-tiophen)aniline (P4,2TA and P4,3TA) were characterized via spectroscopycal NMR, optical and electrochemical methodologies. Subsequently the morphology of deposits were characterized using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The photovoltaic devices were constructed under the same conditions, observing differences in the photovoltaic yield of each polymer. P4,2TA exhibited higher photovoltaic yield in comparison with P4,3TA, indicating that the molecular geometry affects the crystallinity and surface morphology of the polymeric deposits, and the photovoltaic propertie

Improved electron collection in fullerene via caesium iodide or carbonate by means of annealing in inverted organic solar cells.

Inverted organic photovoltaic cells (IOPVCs), based on the planar heterojunction C60/CuPc, were grown using MoO3 as anode buffer layer and CsI or Cs2CO3 as cathode buffer layer (CBL), the cathode being an ITO coated glass. Work functions, Φf, of treated cathode were estimated using the cyclic voltammetry method. It is shown that Φf of ITO covered with a Cs compounds is decreased. This decrease is amplified by the annealing. It is shown that the thermal deposition under vacuum of the CBL induces a partial decomposition of the caesium compounds. In parallel, the formation of a compound with the In of ITO is put in evidence. This reaction is amplified by annealing, which allows obtaining IOPVCs with improved efficiency. The optimum annealing conditions is 150 °C for 5 min

Metformin and aspirin treatment could lead to an improved survival rate for Type 2 diabetic patients with stage II and III colorectal adenocarcinoma relative to non-diabetic patients

Metformin, the drug of choice in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2), in addition to aspirin (ASA), the drug prescribed for cardioprotection of diabetic and non\u2010diabetic patients, have an inhibitory effect on cancer cell survival. The present population\u2010based study conducted in the province of Trieste (Italy), aimed to investigate the prevalence of DM2 in patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma (CRC) and survival for CRC in diabetic and nondiabetic patients. All permanent residents diagnosed with a CRC between 2004 and 2007 were ascertained through the regional health informa\u2010 tion system. CRC\u2010speci c and relative survival probabilities were computed for each group of patients de ned by CRC stage, presence or absence of DM2 treated with metformin, and presence or absence of daily ASA therapy. A total of 515 CRC patients without DM2 and 156 with DM2 treated with metformin were enrolled in the study. At the time of CRC diagnosis, 71 (14%) nondiabetic and 39 (25%) diabetic patients were taking ASA daily. The five\u2010year relative survival for stage III CRC was 101% [95% con dence interval (CI)=76\u2010126] in the 18 patients with DM2 treated with metformin and ASA, 55% (95% CI=31\u201078) in the 23 without DM2 treated with ASA, 55% (95% CI=45\u201065) in the 150 without DM2 not taking ASA, and 29% (95% CI=13\u201045) in the 43 with DM2 treated with metformin, however not with ASA. The ndings support the hypothesis of a possible inhibitory effect of metformin and ASA on CRC cells. Randomized controlled trials are required to verify this hypothesis