A Customized Light Sheet Microscope to Measure Spatio-Temporal Protein Dynamics in Small Model Organisms

We describe a customizable and cost-effective light sheet microscopy (LSM) platform for rapid three-dimensional imaging of protein dynamics in small model organisms. The system is designed for high acquisition speeds and enables extended time-lapse in vivo experiments when using fluorescently labeled specimens. We demonstrate the capability of the setup to monitor gene expression and protein localization during ageing and upon starvation stress in longitudinal studies in individual or small groups of adult Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes. The system is equipped to readily perform fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP), which allows monitoring protein recovery and distribution under low photobleaching conditions. Our imaging platform is designed to easily switch between light sheet microscopy and optical projection tomography (OPT) modalities. The setup permits monitoring of spatio-temporal expression and localization of ageing biomarkers of subcellular size and can be conveniently adapted to image a wide range of small model organisms and tissue samples.MR, GZ and AZ acknowledge funding from the Projects “Skin-DOCTor” Grant No. 1778 and “Neureka!” Grant No. LSF7-341 implemented under the "ARISTEIA" and "Supporting Postdoctoral Researchers" Actions respectively, of the "OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING", (http://www.espa.gr/en/pages/staticOPEducationandLifelongLearning.aspx), which is co-funded by the European Social Fund and National Resources and from the EU Marie Curie Initial Training Network “OILTEBIA”, Grant No. PITNGA-2012-317526 (http://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/, http://gdo.uc3m.es/oiltebia/index. php?option = com_content&view = frontpage). JR acknowledges support from EC FP7 CIG grant HIGHTHROUGHPUT TOMO PICIG12-GA-2012-333632, (http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/333632), and Spanish MINECO grant MESO-IMAGING FIS2013-41802-R, (https://sede.micinn.gob.es/). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Employing Hardware Transactional Memory in Prefetching for Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency is becoming a highly significant topic regarding modern hardware. The need for decreased energy consumption in our computers and more battery life in our laptops and smart-phones is increasing, without sustaining performance loss in our machines. Much work is being conducted towards that cause and as a result our lives could become more convenient. For serving the purpose of this project, we have investigated the implementation of Hardware Transactional Memory (HTM) in the prefetching phase of Decoupled Access/Execute (DAE) model [1]. The challenge posed by using DAE model is to make sure the memory state remains intact while prefetching data. We propose a solution to overcome this challenge by employing HTM that is supported by Intel's latest processors. An innovative approach of HTM was carried out, in order to achieve the final implementation of it in the Access phase of the DAE model. Evaluation proved that benefits resulting from the DAE model utilization can be maintained by our approach. Furthermore, we are able to extend the use of the model to more applications that was previously not possible

Employing Hardware Transactional Memory in Prefetching for Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency is becoming a highly significant topic regarding modern hardware. The need for decreased energy consumption in our computers and more battery life in our laptops and smart-phones is increasing, without sustaining performance loss in our machines. Much work is being conducted towards that cause and as a result our lives could become more convenient. For serving the purpose of this project, we have investigated the implementation of Hardware Transactional Memory (HTM) in the prefetching phase of Decoupled Access/Execute (DAE) model [1]. The challenge posed by using DAE model is to make sure the memory state remains intact while prefetching data. We propose a solution to overcome this challenge by employing HTM that is supported by Intel's latest processors. An innovative approach of HTM was carried out, in order to achieve the final implementation of it in the Access phase of the DAE model. Evaluation proved that benefits resulting from the DAE model utilization can be maintained by our approach. Furthermore, we are able to extend the use of the model to more applications that was previously not possible

Employing Hardware Transactional Memory in Prefetching for Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency is becoming a highly significant topic regarding modern hardware. The need for decreased energy consumption in our computers and more battery life in our laptops and smart-phones is increasing, without sustaining performance loss in our machines. Much work is being conducted towards that cause and as a result our lives could become more convenient. For serving the purpose of this project, we have investigated the implementation of Hardware Transactional Memory (HTM) in the prefetching phase of Decoupled Access/Execute (DAE) model [1]. The challenge posed by using DAE model is to make sure the memory state remains intact while prefetching data. We propose a solution to overcome this challenge by employing HTM that is supported by Intel's latest processors. An innovative approach of HTM was carried out, in order to achieve the final implementation of it in the Access phase of the DAE model. Evaluation proved that benefits resulting from the DAE model utilization can be maintained by our approach. Furthermore, we are able to extend the use of the model to more applications that was previously not possible

Study of facial morphology in Greeks based on anthropometric landmarks using the classical method and three-dimensional imaging

Introduction: Facial proportional analysis is commonly used in the preoperative planning as well as in consultation for aesthetic and reconstructive operations. Neoclassical canons, introduced by Ancient Greeks, have been used to describe the facial morphological features for many years. In this study, the validity of 7 neoclassical canons was tested in young adult Greeks. The frequency and kind of variations were noted. Moreover, multiple measurements of the face were performed on young Greek males and females to provide a complete facial anthropometric profile of this population and to compare its facial morphology with that of North American Caucasians.The use of 3-dimensional (3D) facial imaging has taken greater importance as doctors use the soft tissue paradigm in the evaluation of skeletal disproportion. Studies have shown that faces defer in populations. To date, no anthropometric evaluations have been made of Chinese and Greek faces. In this study, a comparison of the facial morphologies of Greeks and Chinese using 3D facial anthropometric landmarks was made.Materials and Methods: Direct anthropometric landmarks, obtained from 163 volunteer subjects, were used to test the neoclassical canons of the Greek face. These measurements produced 7 neoclassical canons: the 3-section facial profile canon (tr-n=n-sn=sn-gn), the naso-aural proportion canon (n-sn=sa-sba), the naso-aural inclination canon, the orbital canon (en-en=ex-en), the orbito-nasal canon (en-en=al-al), the naso-oral canon (ch-ch=1+1/2 al-al), and the naso-facial canon(al-al=1/4zy-zy). Results were compared with North American Caucasians published in a previous study.Thirty-one direct facial anthropometric measurements were obtained from 152 Greek students. Moreover, the prevalence of the various face types was determined. The resulting data were compared with those published regarding North American Caucasians. Three-dimensional facial images were acquired via a commercially available stereophotogrammetric camera capture system. The 3dMD face system captured 245 subjects from 2 population groups (Chinese [n = 72] and Greek [n = 173]), and each population was categorized into male and female groups for evaluation. Twenty-five anthropometric landmarks were identified on the 3D faces of each subject. Twenty landmark distances were constructed and evaluated within 3 dimensions of space. Six angles, 4 proportions, and 1 construct were also calculated. Results: A significant difference was found between genders in the orbital proportion canon, the orbito-nasal canon, and the naso-facial and the naso-oral proportion canon. The difference between the 2 races was demonstrated in the orbito-nasal proportion canon, the naso-aural inclination canon, and the dominant variation of the naso-oral proportion canon. The mean frequency of all valid canons was greater in White Americans than in Greeks but similar among Greek genders.A complete set of average anthropometric data was obtained for each sex. Greek males, when compared to Greek females, were found to have statistically significantly longer foreheads as well as greater values in morphologic face height, mandible width, maxillary surface arc distance, and mandibular surface arc distance. In both sexes, the most common face types were mesoprosop, leptoprosop, and hyperleptoprosop. Greek males had significantly wider faces and mandibles than the North American Caucasian males, whereas Greek females had only significantly wider mandibles than their North American counterparts.Regarding 3D-data, distinct facial differences were noted between the subgroups evaluated. When comparing differences of sexes in 2 populations (eg, male Greeks and male Chinese), significant differences were noted in more than 80% of the landmark distances calculated. In evaluating the lips to the esthetic line, the Chinese population had more protrusive lips. Conclusions: In the majority of Greeks, the neoclassical canons were not valid. Regarding the direct anthropometric measurements, differences of statistical significance were noted in the head and face regions among sexes as well as among Greek and North American Caucasians. Differences were also noted in the 3D data of the facial morphologies of subjects obtained from a Greek population versus that of a Chinese population.With the establishment of facial norms for Greek adults, this study contributes to the preoperative planning as well as postoperative evaluation of Greek patients that are, respectively, scheduled for or are to be subjected to facial reconstructive and aesthetic surgery.Εισαγωγή: Η ανάλυση του προσώπου χρησιμοποιείται συχνά στον προεγχειρητικό σχεδιασμό καθώς και στην ιατρική εξέταση για αισθητικές και επανορθωτικές επεμβάσεις. Οι νεοκλασικοί κανόνες, που εισήχθησαν από τους αρχαίους Έλληνες, για πολλά χρόνια έχουν χρησιμοποιηθεί για την περιγραφή των μορφολογικών χαρακτηριστικών του προσώπου. Στη μελέτη αυτή ελέγχθηκε η εγκυρότητα 7 νεοκλασικών κανόνων σε νεαρούς ενήλικες Έλληνες. Κατεγράφησαν η συχνότητα και το είδος των παραλλαγών τους. Επιπλέον, διενεργήθησαν πολλαπλές μετρήσεις του προσώπου σε νεαρούς Έλληνες και Ελληνίδες προκειμένου να δημιουργηθεί ένα πλήρες ανθρώπινο ανθρωπομετρικό προφίλ του πληθυσμού αυτού και να συγκριθεί η μορφολογία του προσώπου με εκείνη των Καυκάσιων της Βορείου Αμερικής.Η χρήση της τρισδιάστατης απεικόνισης του προσώπου αποκτά όλο και μεγαλύτερη σημασία καθώς οι ιατροί χρησιμοποιούν πρότυπα μαλακών μορίων για την αξιολόγηση σκελετικών δυσαναλογιών. Μελέτες έχουν δείξει ότι τα πρόσωπα διαφέρουν μεταξύ των πληθυσμών. Μέχρι σήμερα, δεν έχουν γίνει ανθρωπομετρικές αξιολογήσεις κινεζικών και ελληνικών προσώπων. Στην έρευνα αυτή διενεργήθηκε σύγκριση των μορφολογιών του προσώπου των Ελλήνων και των Κινέζων χρησιμοποιώντας τρισδιάστατα ανθρωπομετρικά σημεία του προσώπου.Υλικά και Μέθοδοι: Χρησιμοποιήθηκαν άμεσες ανθρωπομετρικές μετρήσεις, που λήφθησαν από 163 εθελοντές, για τη μελέτη των νεοκλασικών κανόνων στο πρόσωπο των Ελλήνων. Από τις μετρήσεις αυτές προήλθαν 7 νεοκλασικοί κανόνες: Ο κανόνας των τριτημορίων της κατατομής του προσώπου (tr-n = n-sn = sn-gn), ο ώτο-ρινικός κανόνας (n-sn = sa-sba), ο ώτο-ρινικός κανόνας κλίσεως, ο οφθαλμικός κανόνας (en-en = ex-en), ο ρίνο-οφθαλμικός κανόνας (en-en = al-al), ο ρίνο-στοματικός κανόνας (ch-ch=1+1/2 al-al) και ο ρίνο-προσωπικός κανόνας (al-al = 1 / 4zy-zy). Επιπλέον διεξήχθησαν τριάντα μία άμεσες ανθρωπομετρικές μετρήσεις προσώπου σε 152 Έλληνες εθελοντές φοιτητές. Προσδιορίστηκε ο επιπολασμός των διαφόρων τύπων προσώπου. Τα δεδομένα που προέκυψαν συγκρίθηκαν με αντίστοιχα από Καυκάσιους της Βόρειας Αμερικής που δημοσιεύθηκαν σε προηγούμενη μελέτη.Οι τρισδιάστατες εικόνες προσώπου λήφθησαν μέσω ενός εμπορικά διαθέσιμου συστήματος λήψης στερεοφωτογραμμετρικών εικόνων. Το σύστημα 3dMD Face απεικόνισε 245 άτομα από 2 ομάδες πληθυσμού (Κινέζους [n = 72] και Έλληνες [n = 173]) και κάθε πληθυσμός κατηγοριοποιήθηκε σε ομάδες ανδρών και γυναικών για αξιολόγηση. Εντοπίστηκαν εικοσιπέντε ανθρωπομετρικά σημεία στις τρισδιάστατες εικόνες κάθε ατόμου. Από αυτά προήλθαν 20 αποστάσεις, 4 αναλογίες, 6 γωνίες και 1 κατασκευασμένη απόσταση. Αποτελέσματα: Διαπιστώθηκε σημαντική διαφορά μεταξύ των φύλων στον οφθαλμικό κανόνα, ρίνο-οφθαλμικό κανόνα, ρίνο-στοματικό κανόνα και ρίνο-προσωπικό κανόνα. Η διαφορά μεταξύ των δύο φύλων αναδείχτηκε στον ρίνο-οφθαλμικό κανόνα, στον ώτο-ρινικό κανόνα κλίσεως και στην επικρατούσα παραλλαγή του ρίνο-στοματικού κανόνα. Η μέση συχνότητα εγκυρότητας όλων των νεοκλασικών κανόνων ήταν μεγαλύτερη στους λευκούς Αμερικάνους από ότι στους Έλληνες αλλά παρόμοια μεταξύ των φύλων στον ελληνικό πληθυσμό.Επιπλέον, οι Έλληνες άρρενες βρέθηκαν σε σύγκριση με τις θήλεις να έχουν στατιστικά σημαντικά μακρύτερα μέτωπα, καθώς επίσης και μεγαλύτερες τιμές στο μορφολογικό ύψος του προσώπου, στο πλάτος της κάτω γνάθου, στην επιφάνεια του τόξου της άνω καθώς και της κάτω γνάθου. Και στα δύο φύλα ο πιο κοινός τύπος προσώπου ήταν ο μεσοπροσωπικός, λεπτοπροσωπικός και υπερλεπτοπροσωπικός. Οι Έλληνες άρρενες είχαν σημαντικά ευρύτερα πρόσωπα και γνάθους από τους αντίστοιχους της Βόρειας Αμερικής, ενώ οι Ελληνίδες θήλεις είχαν μόνο στατιστικά σημαντική ευρύτερη κάτω γνάθο από τις αντίστοιχες της Βόρεια ΑμερικήςΌσον αφορά την ανθρωπομετρική σύγκριση βασισμένη σε τρισδιάστατες απεικονίσεις παρατηρήθηκαν διακριτές διαφορές στο πρόσωπο μεταξύ των υποομάδων που μελετήθηκαν. Στη σύγκριση μεταξύ των δύο φύλων στους 2 πληθυσμούς, ανευρέθησαν σημαντικές διαφορές σε περισσότερο από το 80% των ανθρωπομετρικών αποστάσεων. Κατά την αξιολόγηση των χειλέων ανευρέθηκε ότι ο κινεζικός πληθυσμός έχει πιο προεξέχοντα χείλη.Συμπεράσματα: Στην πλειοψηφία των Ελλήνων, οι νεοκλασικοί κανόνες δεν ήταν έγκυροι. Όσον αφορά τις άμεσες ανθρωπομετρικές μετρήσεις, παρατηρήθηκαν στατιστικά σημαντικές διαφορές στις περιοχές της κεφαλής και του προσώπου μεταξύ των δύο φύλων καθώς και μεταξύ των Ελλήνων και των Βορειοαμερικανών Καυκάσιων. Διαφορές παρατηρήθηκαν επίσης στα τρισδιάστατα δεδομένα των μορφολογιών του προσώπου μεταξύ των Ελλήνων και των Κινέζων.Με τη θέσπιση προτύπων προσώπου για τους ενήλικες Έλληνες, η μελέτη αυτή συμβάλλει στον προεγχειρητικό σχεδιασμό καθώς και στην μετεγχειρητική αξιολόγηση των Ελλήνων ασθενών οι οποίοι έχουν προγραμματιστεί ή πρόκειται να υποβληθούν σε αισθητική ή επανορθωτική επέμβαση στο πρόσωπο

Compiler analysis for hardware/software co-design and optimization: an automation framework towards more efficient Heterogeneous Computing

Performance increase, in terms of faster execution and energy efficiency, is a never-ending research domain and does not come for free. The breakdown of Dennard scaling, along with the seemingly inevitable end of Moore’s law economic aspect, present a new challenge to computer architects striving to achieve better performance in modern computer systems. Heterogeneous computing emerges as one of the solutions to overcome these limitations and keep the performance trend rising. Heterogeneous platforms employ specialized hardware (HW) that can accelerate the execution of a software (SW) application, or a part of that application. However, the design of efficient HW/SW computer architectures is a challenging problem, as it entails integration of a general purpose CPU with a number of specialized HW accelerators. The choice of which parts of an application to be accelerated as well as the optimizations to be applied to the HW accelerated parts, while taking into account the underlying memory system and the platform characteristics that the HW accelerators are implemented onto, are all non-trivial research questions and depend heavily on the characteristics of the SW applications that are going to be accelerated. Therefore, an in-depth SW analysis can be crucial, prior to designing a heterogeneous system, as it can provide valuable information and subsequently highly benefit performance. My research has focused on building automation frameworks that can aid HW engineers in the early stages of the design process. I have extended the capabilities of compiler infrastructures, while addressing these research questions, so that better decisions are made and, in turn, faster execution and improved energy efficiency is achieved. The frameworks I developed are, hence, valuable automation aids for the HW/SW partitioning and optimization phases, driving the designs of effective heterogeneous platforms one step forward

Historical development of urban planning in the city of Patras and the technical study of 'Rio Antirio' bridge

215 σ.Γεώργιος Β. Ζαχαρόπουλο

Biomechanical explanation of W-plasty effectiveness using a finite element method approach

Abstract The finite element method has often been used to assist analyzing local flaps in terms of deformation and stress measurements as it takes into account complex skin properties. We, herein, present an isotropic two-dimensional finite element skin model applied to the W-plasty method to demonstrate that the good outcomes of W-plasty should be attributed to the geometry itself, as it generates lower stresses. The skin was modeled as a two-dimensional (2D) planar geometry. The model was created and solved as a plane stress problem. The model was based on simulation of the loading and stitching of W-plasties of various angles. Each central triangular flap was segmented in nine triangular elements. The stitching was modeled with one suture at the top of each triangular flap with the center of the opposite corner. X- and Y-axis stresses and shearing stresses Txy in the elements involved in the broken stitching line, show lower stresses than the elements behind the stitching line. Interestingly, in the triangular flaps, the stresses were clearly lower than those of their neighboring areas. The maximum compressive stresses in the 2D model we used, correspond to the dog ears. We conclude that the effectiveness of W-plasty should be attributed not only to the scar orientation in relation to the relaxed tension skin lines but also to the special design of the triangular flaps used. This finding assists the general understanding of the method and should be taken into account by the clinician during flap designing