Jointly Resampling and Reconstructing Corrupted Images for Image Classification using Frequency-Selective Mesh-to-Grid Resampling

Neural networks became the standard technique for image classification throughout the last years. They are extracting image features from a large number of images in a training phase. In a following test phase, the network is applied to the problem it was trained for and its performance is measured. In this paper, we focus on image classification. The amount of visual data that is interpreted by neural networks grows with the increasing usage of neural networks. Mostly, the visual data is transmitted from the application side to a central server where the interpretation is conducted. If the transmission is disturbed, losses occur in the transmitted images. These losses have to be reconstructed using postprocessing. In this paper, we incorporate the widely applied bilinear and bicubic interpolation and the high-quality reconstruction Frequency-Selective Reconstruction (FSR) for the reconstruction of corrupted images. However, we propose to use Frequency-Selective Mesh-to-Grid Resampling (FSMR) for the joint reconstruction and resizing of corrupted images. The performance in terms of classification accuracy of EfficientNetB0, DenseNet121, DenseNet201, ResNet50 and ResNet152 is examined. Results show that the reconstruction with FSMR leads to the highest classification accuracy for most networks. Average improvements of up to 6.7 percentage points are possible for DenseNet121.Comment: IEEE 24th International Workshop on Multimedia Signal Processing 202

Frequency-Selective Geometry Upsampling of Point Clouds

The demand for high-resolution point clouds has increased throughout the last years. However, capturing high-resolution point clouds is expensive and thus, frequently replaced by upsampling of low-resolution data. Most state-of-the-art methods are either restricted to a rastered grid, incorporate normal vectors, or are trained for a single use case. We propose to use the frequency selectivity principle, where a frequency model is estimated locally that approximates the surface of the point cloud. Then, additional points are inserted into the approximated surface. Our novel frequency-selective geometry upsampling shows superior results in terms of subjective as well as objective quality compared to state-of-the-art methods for scaling factors of 2 and 4. On average, our proposed method shows a 4.4 times smaller point-to-point error than the second best state-of-the-art PU-Net for a scale factor of 4.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, International Conference on Image Processing (ICIP) 202

Bent crystal spectrometer for both frequency and wavenumber resolved x-ray scattering at a seeded free-electron laser

We present a cylindrically curved GaAs x-ray spectrometer with energy resolution $\Delta E/E = 1.1\cdot 10^{-4}$ and wave-number resolution of $\Delta k/k = 3\cdot 10^{-3}$, allowing plasmon scattering at the resolution limits of the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) x-ray free-electron laser. It spans scattering wavenumbers of 3.6 to $5.2/$\AA\ in 100 separate bins, with only 0.34\% wavenumber blurring. The dispersion of 0.418~eV/$13.5\,\mu$m agrees with predictions within 1.3\%. The reflection homogeneity over the entire wavenumber range was measured and used to normalize the amplitude of scattering spectra. The proposed spectrometer is superior to a mosaic HAPG spectrometer when the energy resolution needs to be comparable to the LCLS seeded bandwidth of 1~eV and a significant range of wavenumbers must be covered in one exposure

Interaction of adult human neural crest-derived stem cells with a nanoporous titanium surface is sufficient to induce their osteogenic differentiation

Osteogenic differentiation of various adult stem cell populations such as neural crest-derived stem cells is of great interest in the context of bone regeneration. Ideally, exogenous differentiation should mimic an endogenous differentiation process, which is partly mediated by topological cues. To elucidate the osteoinductive potential of porous substrates with different pore diameters (30 nm, 100 nm), human neural crest-derived stem cells isolated from the inferior nasal turbinate were cultivated on the surface of nanoporous titanium covered membranes without additional chemical or biological osteoinductive cues. As controls, flat titanium without any topological features and osteogenic medium was used. Cultivation of human neural crest-derived stem cells on 30 nm pores resulted in osteogenic differentiation as demonstrated by alkaline phosphatase activity after seven days as well as by calcium deposition after 3 weeks of cultivation. In contrast, cultivation on flat titanium and on membranes equipped with 100 nm pores was not sufficient to induce osteogenic differentiation. Moreover, we demonstrate an increase of osteogenic transcripts including Osterix, Osteocalcin and up-regulation of Integrin β1 and α2 in the 30 nm pore approach only. Thus, transplantation of stem cells pre-cultivated on nanostructured implants might improve the clinical outcome by support of the graft adherence and acceleration of the regeneration process

Tracheal bifurcation located at proximal third of oesophageal length in Sprague Dawley rats of all ages

Levrat’s rat model is often the first choice for basic studies of oesophageal adenocarcinoma. The position of the tracheal bifurcation represents the preferred location for the high-intrathoracic anastomosis following oesophagectomy for cancer and is thus of importance in basic research of oesophageal adenocarcinoma. In addition, it is also the typical location for trachea-oesophageal fistulae in congenital oesophageal atresia and its rat model. We thus analysed whether the position of the tracheal bifurcation would be affected by a rat’s growth throughout life. We analysed absolute and relative carinal position of the tracheal bifurcation and its relationship to oesophageal length in two cohorts of Sprague Dawley rats (RjHan:SD) of both sexes: one consisted of 30 eight-week old rats and the other of 20 rats aged between 15 and 444 days. We analysed their relationship by Pearson’s r and univariate linear regression. Bootstrap confidence intervals were calculated for all calculated coefficients. Absolute carinal position correlated with oesophageal length in the eight-week old cohort (r=0.4, 95% CI: 0.08-0.71, p=0.015) and those of different ages (r=0.92, 95% CI: 0.77-0.96, p=0.0066). Absolute carinal position increased with oesophageal length in both cohorts (F(1,28)=5.56; p=0.0256 and F(1,18)=94.93; p<0.0001 respectively). Consequently, relative tracheal bifurcation position was not influenced by oesophageal length in both cohorts (F(1,28)=2.49; p=0.1257 and F(1,18)=1.92; p=0.183). Absolute carinal position increased with oesophageal length, but relative position remained constant at around 30% of proximal oesophageal length throughout life

Unexplored Character Diversity in Onychophora (Velvet Worms): A Comparative Study of Three Peripatid Species

Low character variation among onychophoran species has been an obstacle for taxonomic and phylogenetic studies in the past, however we have identified a number of new and informative characters using morphological, molecular, and chromosomal techniques. Our analyses involved a detailed examination of Epiperipatus biolleyi from Costa Rica, Eoperipatus sp. from Thailand, and a new onychophoran species and genus from Costa Rica, Principapillatus hitoyensisgen. et sp. nov.. Scanning electron microscopy on embryos and specimens of varying age revealed novel morphological characters and character states, including the distribution of different receptor types along the antennae, the arrangement and form of papillae on the head, body and legs, the presence and shape of interpedal structures and fields of modified scales on the ventral body surface, the arrangement of lips around the mouth, the number, position and structure of crural tubercles and anal gland openings, and the presence and shape of embryonic foot projections. Karyotypic analyses revealed differences in the number and size of chromosomes among the species studied. The results of our phylogenetic analyses using mitochondrial COI and 12S rRNA gene sequences are in line with morphological and karyotype data. However, our data show a large number of unexplored, albeit informative, characters in the Peripatidae. We suggest that analysing these characters in additional species would help unravel species diversity and phylogeny in the Onychophora, and that inconsistencies among most diagnostic features used for the peripatid genera in the literature could be addressed by identifying a suite of characters common to all peripatids.This study was supported by a Ph.D. fellowship of the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientı´fico e Tecnolo´gico (CNPq: 290029/2010-4) and by a SYNTHESYS grant (financed by the European Community Research Infrastructure Action - FP7 Integrating Activities Programme: http://www.synthesys.info/) to ISO. GM is a Research Group Leader supported by the Emmy Noether Programme of the German Research Foundation (DFG: Ma 4147/3-1). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Multidisciplinary Diagnostic Algorithm for Evaluation of Patients Presenting with a Prosthetic Problem in the Hip or Knee:A Prospective Study

The predominant indications for revision surgery after total hip (THA) or knee arthroplasty (TKA) are an aseptic failure (AF) and prosthetic joint infection (PJI). Accurate diagnosis is crucial. Therefore, we evaluated prospectively a multidisciplinary diagnostic algorithm including multi-modal radionucleid imaging (RNI) and extended microbiological diagnostics. If the surgeon suspected PJI or AF, revision surgery was performed with multiple samples obtained in parallel for special culture procedures and later molecular analyses. Alternatively, if the underlying cause was not evident, RNI was scheduled comprising 99Tc—HDP SPECT/CT, 111In-labeled white blood cells combined with 99Tc-nanocoll bone marrow SPECT/CT, and 18F-FDG PET/CT. A multidisciplinary clinical team made a recommendation on the indication for a diagnostic procedure guided by RNI images or revision surgery. A total of 156 patients with 163 arthroplasties were included. Fifty-five patients underwent RNI. In all, 118 revision surgeries were performed in 112 patients: 71 on the indication of AF and 41 revision of PJI. Thirty-four patients were concluded with chronic pain, and revision surgery refrained. The effective median follow-up period was 13 months. A structured approach offered by the algorithm was useful for the clinician in the evaluation of patients with a failing TKA or THA. Surgical revision was possibly obviated in approximately 20% of patients where an explanation or cause of failure was not found. The algorithm served as an effective tool

Are degenerative findings detected on traction MR arthrography of the hip associated with failure of arthroscopic femoroacetabular impingement surgery?

OBJECTIVES To identify preoperative degenerative features on traction MR arthrography associated with failure after arthroscopic femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) surgery. METHODS Retrospective study including 102 patients (107 hips) undergoing traction magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA) of the hip at 1.5 T and subsequent hip arthroscopic FAI surgery performed (01/2016 to 02/2020) with complete follow-up. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-12) score. Clinical endpoint for failure was defined as an iHOT-12 of < 60 points or conversion to total hip arthroplasty. MR images were assessed by two radiologists for presence of 9 degenerative lesions including osseous, chondrolabral/ligamentum teres lesions. Uni- and multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to assess the association between MRI findings and failure of FAI surgery. RESULTS Of the 107 hips, 27 hips (25%) met at least one endpoint at a mean 3.7 ± 0.9 years follow-up. Osteophytic changes of femur or acetabulum (hazard ratio [HR] 2.5-5.0), acetabular cysts (HR 3.4) and extensive cartilage (HR 5.1) and labral damage (HR 5.5) > 2 h on the clockface were univariate risk factors (all p  2 h on the clockface (HR 3.2, p = 0.01), central femoral osteophyte (HR 3.1, p = 0.02), and femoral cartilage damage with ligamentum teres damage (HR 3.0, p = 0.04). CONCLUSION Joint damage detected by preoperative traction MRA is associated with failure 4 years following arthroscopic FAI surgery and yields promise in preoperative risk stratification. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT Evaluation of negative predictors on preoperative traction MR arthrography holds the potential to improve risk stratification based on the already present joint degeneration ahead of FAI surgery. KEY POINTS • Osteophytes, acetabular cysts, and extensive chondrolabral damage are risk factors for failure of FAI surgery. • Extensive acetabular cartilage damage, central femoral osteophytes, and combined femoral cartilage and ligamentum teres damage represent independent negative predictors. • Survival rates following hip arthroscopy progressively decrease with increasing prevalence of these three degenerative findings

Narrative Delikatessen : kulturelle Dimensionen von Ernährung

Die im ersten Band der neuen "Schriftenreihe für Kulturökologie und Literaturdidaktik" versammelten "Narrativen Delikatessen" eröffnen ein breites Spektrum kultureller Dimensionen von Ernährung und stecken damit ein neues Forschungsgebiet ab, das im Zuge globaler Ernährungskrisen von immer größerer Relevanz ist. Die Beiträge untersuchen literarische, mediale und künstlerische Darstellungen von Ernährung in diachroner und synchroner Perspektive und legen komplexe Wechselwirkungen zwischen gesellschaftlichen und ästhetisch transformierten Diskursen offen. Dezidierte Mikroanalysen einzelner Texte stehen dabei neben überblicksartigen Untersuchungen zu spezifischen Motiven oder kulturellen Konstanten in der Inszenierung von Essen. Durch interdisziplinäre Verschränkungen gehen die Betrachtungen über den literaturwissenschaftlichen Tellerrand hinaus und erweitern die Forschungsperspektiven zum Themenkomplex Ernährung auf vielfältige Weise

Differential contributions of specimen types, culturing, and 16S rRNA sequencing in diagnosis of prosthetic joint infections

ABSTRACT Prosthetic joint failure is mainly caused by infection, aseptic failure (AF), and mechanical problems. Infection detection has been improved with modified culture methods and molecular diagnostics. However, comparisons between modified and conventional microbiology methods are difficult due to variations in specimen sampling. In this prospective, multidisciplinary study of hip or knee prosthetic failures, we assessed the contributions of different specimen types, extended culture incubations, and 16S rRNA sequencing for diagnosing prosthetic joint infections (PJI). Project specimens included joint fluid (JF), bone biopsy specimens (BB), soft-tissue biopsy specimens (STB), and swabs (SW) from the prosthesis, collected in situ , and sonication fluid collected from prosthetic components (PC). Specimens were cultured for 6 (conventional) or 14 days, and 16S rRNA sequencing was performed at study completion. Of the 156 patients enrolled, 111 underwent 114 surgical revisions (cases) due to indications of either PJI ( n = 43) or AF ( n = 71). Conventional tissue biopsy cultures confirmed PJI in 28/43 (65%) cases and refuted AF in 3/71 (4%) cases; one case was not evaluable. Based on these results, minor diagnostic adjustments were made. Fourteen-day cultures of JF, STB, and PC specimens confirmed PJI in 39/42 (93%) cases, and 16S rRNA sequencing confirmed PJI in 33/42 (83%) cases. One PJI case was confirmed with 16S rRNA sequencing alone and five with cultures of project specimens alone. These findings indicated that JF, STB, and PC specimen cultures qualified as an optimal diagnostic set. The contribution of sequencing to diagnosis of PJI may depend on patient selection; this hypothesis requires further investigation. </jats:p