NASA Image Processing Technology Applied to Medicine: Ten Unsolved Problems in Medical Imaging

The solutions to current diagnostic imaging problems will be found, at least in part, in digital image processing technology developed by NASA. The adaptation of appropriate technology that can be applied clinically to improve the care of patients is a major concern of radiologists. We have considered ten problems with clinical significance in diagnostic medical imaging, and discuss the impact of NASA image processing technology presently and predict future developments in this area

User-friendly imaging algorithms for interferometry

OPTICON currently supports a Joint Research Activity (JRA) dedicated to providing easy to use image reconstruction algorithms for optical/IR interferometric data. This JRA aims to provide state-of-the-art image reconstruction methods with a common interface and comprehensive documentation to the community. These tools will provide the capability to compare the results of using different settings and algorithms in a consistent and unified way. The JRA is also providing tutorials and sample datasets to introduce the principles of image reconstruction and illustrate how to use the software products. We describe the design of the imaging tools, in particular the interface between the graphical user interface and the image reconstruction algorithms, and summarise the current status of their implementation.European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2013–2016) (Grant ID: 312430 (OPTICON))This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from SPIE via http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/12.223338

Thermal tolerance, climatic variability and latitude

The greater latitudinal extents of occurrence of species towards higher latitudes has been attributed to the broadening of physiological tolerances with latitude as a result of increases in climatic variation. While there is some support for such patterns in climate, the physiological tolerances of species across large latitudinal gradients have seldom been assessed. Here we report findings for insects based on published upper and lower lethal temperature data. The upper thermal limits show little geographical variation. In contrast, the lower bounds of supercooling points and lower lethal temperatures do indeed decline with latitude. However, this is not the case for the upper bounds, leading to an increase in the variation in lower lethal limits with latitude. These results provide some support for the physiological tolerance assumption associated with Rapoport's rule, but highlight the need for coupled data on species tolerances and range size

AMBER/VLTI high spectral resolution observations of the Brγ\gamma emitting region in HD 98922. A compact disc wind launched from the inner disc region

We analyse the main physical parameters and the circumstellar environment of the young Herbig Be star HD 98922. We present AMBER/VLTI high spectral resolution (R =12000) interferometric observations across the Br$\gamma$ line, accompanied by UVES high-resolution spectroscopy and SINFONI-AO assisted near-infrared integral field spectroscopic data. To interpret our observations, we develop a magneto-centrifugally driven disc-wind model. Our analysis of the UVES spectrum shows that HD 98922 is a young (~5x10^5 yr) Herbig Be star (SpT=B9V), located at a distance of 440(+60-50) pc, with a mass accretion rate of ~9+/-3x10^(-7) M_sun yr^(-1). SINFONI K-band AO-assisted imaging shows a spatially resolved circumstellar disc-like region (~140 AU in diameter) with asymmetric brightness distribution. Our AMBER/VLTI UT observations indicate that the Br$\gamma$ emitting region (radius ~0.31+/-0.04 AU) is smaller than the continuum emitting region (inner dust radius ~0.7+/-0.2 AU), showing significant non-zero V-shaped differential phases (i.e. non S-shaped, as expected for a rotating disc). The value of the continuum-corrected pure Br$\gamma$ line visibility at the longest baseline (89 m) is ~0.8+/-0.1, i.e. the Br$\gamma$ emitting region is partially resolved. Our modelling suggests that the observed Br$\gamma$ line-emitting region mainly originates from a disc wind with a half opening angle of 30deg, and with a mass-loss rate of ~2x10(-7) M_sun yr^(-1). The observed V-shaped differential phases are reliably reproduced by combining a simple asymmetric continuum disc model with our Br$\gamma$ disc-wind model. The Br$\gamma$ emission of HD 98922 can be modelled with a disc wind that is able to approximately reproduce all interferometric observations if we assume that the intensity distribution of the dust continuum disc is asymmetric.Comment: Accepted for publication on Astronomy \& Astrophysics. High resolution figures published on the main journal (see Astronomy & Astrophysics: Forthcoming) or at www.researchgate.net/profile/Alessio_Caratti_o_Garatti/publication

Dose effect activity of ferrocifen-loaded lipid nanocapsules on a 9L-glioma model

Ferrociphenol (Fc-diOH) is a new molecule belonging to the fast-growing family of organometallic anti-cancer drugs. In a previous study, we showed promising in vivo results obtained after the intratumoural subcutaneous administration of the new drug-carrier system Fc-diOH-LNCs on a 9L-glioma model. To further increase the dose of this lipophilic entity, we have created a series of prodrugs of Fc-diOH. The phenol groups were protected by either an acetyl (Fc-diAc) or by the long fatty-acid chain of a palmitate (Fc-diPal). LNCs loaded with Fc-diOH prodrugs have to be activated in situ by enzymatic hydrolysis. We show here that the protection of diphenol groups with palmitoyl results in the loss of Fc-diOH in vitro activity, probably due to a lack of in situ hydrolysis. On the contrary, protection with an acetate group does not affect the strong, in vitro, antiproliferative effect of ferrocifen-loaded-LNCs neither the reduction of tumour volume observed on an ectopic model, confirming that acetate is easily cleaved by cell hydrolases. Moreover, the cytostatic activity of Fc-diOH-LNCs is confirmed on an orthotopic glioma model since the difference in survival time between the infusion of 0.36 mg/rat Fc-diOH-LNCs and blank LNCs is statistically significant. By using LNCs or Labrafac to carry the drug, a dose-effect ranging from 0.005 to 2.5mg of Fc-diOH per animal can be evidenced