Locally Adaptive Frames in the Roto-Translation Group and their Applications in Medical Imaging

Locally adaptive differential frames (gauge frames) are a well-known effective tool in image analysis, used in differential invariants and PDE-flows. However, at complex structures such as crossings or junctions, these frames are not well-defined. Therefore, we generalize the notion of gauge frames on images to gauge frames on data representations $U:\mathbb{R}^{d} \rtimes S^{d-1} \to \mathbb{R}$ defined on the extended space of positions and orientations, which we relate to data on the roto-translation group $SE(d)$, $d=2,3$. This allows to define multiple frames per position, one per orientation. We compute these frames via exponential curve fits in the extended data representations in $SE(d)$. These curve fits minimize first or second order variational problems which are solved by spectral decomposition of, respectively, a structure tensor or Hessian of data on $SE(d)$. We include these gauge frames in differential invariants and crossing preserving PDE-flows acting on extended data representation $U$ and we show their advantage compared to the standard left-invariant frame on $SE(d)$. Applications include crossing-preserving filtering and improved segmentations of the vascular tree in retinal images, and new 3D extensions of coherence-enhancing diffusion via invertible orientation scores

Measures to reduce fine dust emission from poultry houses: reduction from broiler houses by ionization

In this study the effect was determined of a commercially available air ionization system on the reduction of airborne dust in a broiler house. Results showed a reduction, based on particle mass, of 36% and 10% for PM10 and PM2.5, respectivel

Vesselness via multiple scale orientation scores

The multi-scale Frangi vesselness filter is an established tool in (retinal) vascular imaging. However, it cannot cope with crossings or bifurcations, since it only looks for elongated structures. Therefore, we disentangle crossing structures in the image via (multiple scale) invertible orientation scores. The described vesselness filter via scale-orientation scores performs considerably better at enhancing vessels throughout crossings and bifurcations than the Frangi version. Both methods are evaluated on a public dataset. Performance is measured by comparing ground truth data to the segmentation results obtained by basic thresholding and morphological component analysis of the filtered images

Maatregelen ter vermindering van fijnstofemissie uit de pluimveehouderij; effect van een oliefilm op het strooisel in volièrehuisvesting voor leghennen = Measures to reduce fine dust emissions from poultry houses; effect of an oil film on the litter in aviary housing for layers

Daily application of an oil film on the litter in aviary housing for layers gave a decrease of the fine dust emission of 25 - 40% for PM10 and 38 - 59% for PM2.

Age, gender, functional KSS, reason for revision and type of bone defect predict functional outcome 5years after revision total knee arthroplasty: a multivariable prediction model

Contains fulltext : 206034.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access

Dihydro-CDDO-Trifluoroethyl Amide (dh404), a Novel Nrf2 Activator, Suppresses Oxidative Stress in Cardiomyocytes

Targeting Nrf2 signaling appears to be an attractive approach for the treatment of maladaptive cardiac remodeling and dysfunction; however, pharmacological modulation of the Nrf2 pathway in the cardiovascular system remains to be established. Herein, we report that a novel synthetic triterpenoid derivative, dihydro-CDDO-trifluoroethyl amide (dh404), activates Nrf2 and suppresses oxidative stress in cardiomyocytes. Dh404 interrupted the Keap1-Cul3-Rbx1 E3 ligase complex-mediated Nrf2 ubiquitination and subsequent degradation saturating the binding capacity of Keap1 to Nrf2, thereby rendering more Nrf2 to be translocated into the nuclei to activate Nrf2-driven gene transcription. A mutant Keap1 protein containing a single cysteine-to-serine substitution at residue 151 within the BTB domain of Keap1 was resistant to dh404-induced stabilization of Nrf2 protein. In addition, dh404 did not dissociate the interaction of Nrf2 with the Keap1-Cul3-Rbx1 E3 ligase complex. Thus, it is likely that dh404 inhibits the ability of Keap1-Cul3-Rbx1 E3 ligase complex to target Nrf2 for ubiquitination and degradation via modifying Cys-151 of Keap1 to change the conformation of the complex. Moreover, dh404 was able to stabilize Nrf2 protein, to enhance Nrf2 nuclear translocation, to activate Nrf2-driven transcription, and to suppress angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced oxidative stress in cardiomyocytes. Knockdown of Nrf2 almost blocked the anti-oxidative effect of dh404. Dh404 activated Nrf2 signaling in the heart. Taken together, dh404 appears to be a novel Nrf2 activator with a therapeutic potential for cardiac diseases via suppressing oxidative stress

In Vitro and In Vivo Degradation of Photo‐Crosslinked Poly(Trimethylene Carbonate‐co‐ε‐Caprolactone) Networks

Three-armed poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) and poly(trimethylene carbonate-co-Ɛ-caprolactone) (P(TMC-co-ε-CL)) macromers with molecular weights of approximately 30 kg mol−1 are synthesized by ring-opening polymerization and subsequent functionalization with methacrylic anhydride. Networks are then prepared by photo-crosslinking. To investigate the in vitro and in vivo degradation properties of these photo-crosslinked networks and assess the effect of ε-caprolactone content on the degradation properties, PTMC networks, and copolymer networks with two different TMC:ε-CL ratios are prepared. PTMC networks degraded slowly, via an enzymatic surface erosion process, both in vitro and in vivo. Networks prepared from P(TMC-co-ε-CL) macromers with a 74:26 ratio are found to degrade slowly as well, via a surface erosion process, albeit at a higher rate compared to PTMC networks. Increasing the ε-CL content to a ratio of 52:48, resulted in a faster degradation. These networks lost their mechanical properties much sooner than the other networks. Thus, PTMC and P(TMC-co-ε-CL) networks are interesting networks for tissue engineering purposes and the exact degradation properties can be tuned by varying the TMC:ε-CL ratio, providing researchers with a tool to obtain copolymer networks with the desired degradation rate depending on the intended application