An efficient Newton-type method for the computation of ML estimators in a uniform linear array

In the problem of estimating the angles of arrival to a uniform linear array, we present an efficient method to compute Maximum Likelihood (ML) estimations, based on the Modified Variable Projection (MVP) algorithm. In contrast to methods like Iterative Quadratical Maximum Likelihood (IQML) or the Iterative Method of Direction Estimation (IMODE), it is not based on a polynomial parameterization but on directly exploiting the Vandermonde structure through analytical tools like the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), the geometric series summation formula, and Horner's synthetic division. The computational burden of the proposed method is significantly smaller than the burden of IMODE and of the Relaxation (RELAX) algorithm. Besides, it is shown that the computation of the ML estimation can be divided in a preliminary step in which a few FFTs are computed and an iterative step with a complexity that is independent of the array size.     

Migration of human and mouse primordial germ cells and colonization of the developing ovary: an ultrastructural and cytochemical study

This review is an account of the origin and migratory events of primordial germ cells until their settlement in the gonad before sexual differentiation in the human as well as mice. In this context, the morphodynamic characteristics of the migration of the primordial germ cells, the macromolecular characteristics of the extracellular matrix of the migratory pathway, and the factors involved in the germ cell guidance have been analyzed and discussed in the light of recent advances in this field, by means of immunocytochemical procedures. The events prior to gonadal morphogenesis and the origin of the somatic cell content of the human gonadal primordium have been also analyzed. In particular, evidences are presented showing that cells derived from the coelomic epithelium and mesenchyme are at the origin of the somatic components of the gonadal primordium, and that a mesonephric cell contribution to the generation of somatic cell components of the genital ridge in humans should be discarded due to the morphological stability of the different nephric structures during the period preceding the sexual differentiation of the gonad.     

Effects of Dietary n-3 LCPUFA Supplementation on the Hippocampus of Aging Female Mice: Impact on Memory,Lipid Raft-Associated Glutamatergic Receptors and Neuroinflammation

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA), essential molecules whose precursors must be dietary supplied, are highly represented in the brain contributing to numerous neuronal processes. Recent findings have demonstrated that LCPUFA are represented in lipid raft microstructures, where they favor molecular interactions of signaling complexes underlying neuronal functionality. During aging, the brain lipid composition changes affecting the lipid rafts’ integrity and protein signaling, which may induce memory detriment. We investigated the effect of a n-3 LCPUFA-enriched diet on the cognitive function of 6- and 15-months-old female mice. Likewise, we explored the impact of dietary n-3 LCPUFAs on hippocampal lipid rafts, and their potential correlation with aging-induced neuroinflammation. Our results demonstrate that n-3 LCPUFA supplementation improves spatial and recognition memory and restores the expression of glutamate and estrogen receptors in the hippocampal lipid rafts of aged mice to similar profiles than young ones. Additionally, the n-3 LCPUFA-enriched diet stabilized the lipid composition of the old mice’s hippocampal lipid rafts to the levels of young ones and reduced the aged-induced neuroinflammatory markers. Hence, we propose that n-3 LCPUFA supplementation leads to beneficial cognitive performance by “rejuvenating” the lipid raft microenvironment that stabilizes the integrity and interactions of memory protein players embedded in these microdomains.     

SAR image despeckling using heavy-tailed Burr distribution

Multiplicative speckle noise diminishes the radiometric resolution of the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images and all the coherent images. Speckle removal adds an extra value to an automated SAR image interpretation and analysis. In this paper, dual-tree complex wavelet-transform-based Bayesian method is proposed for despeckling the SAR images. In each subband, the reflectance and noise of the logarithmically transformed wavelet coefficients are modeled using heavy-tailed Burr and zero-mean Gaussian distributions. The closed-form expression for the shape parameter of Burr distribution is derived by employing the Mellin transform. The resultant complex-free quadratic maximum a posteriori solution with suitable shrinkage function yields despeckled SAR images. Extensive experiments are carried out using real SAR images as well as simulated images. The proposed method performs well in terms of equivalent number of looks with 3.5751 dB improvement in homogeneous region1 of Pipe river SAR image, edge preservation with 0.6158 improvement, peak signal to noise ratio of 51.3305 dB, and mean structural similarity index measure of 0.9397 at 0.05 noise variance for synthetically speckled image in comparison to the existing methods and takes averagely 2.3461 times less computing time. The proposed method provides a computationally efficient better speckle reduction in homogeneous regions while still preserving the edge.     

Assessment of resistance spot welding quality based on ultrasonic testing and tree-based techniques

Classification and regression tree (CART) and random forest techniques were proposed as pattern recognition tools for classification of ultrasonic oscillograms of resistance spot welding (RSW) joints. The results showed that CART models produced an acceptable error rate with high interpretability. These features may be used to understand and control the decision processes, instruct other human operators, compare margins of safety or modify them depending on the criticality of the industrial process. Compared with CART trees, random forests reduced the error rate at the cost of decreasing decision interpretability. The use of the agreement of the forest was proposed as a measure to reduce the workload of human operators, who would only have to focus on the analysis of ultrasonic oscillograms that are difficult to interpret.     

Synthesis,microstructure and optical characterization of zirconium oxide nanostructures

Zirconium oxide (ZrO₂) nanostructures were synthesized by hydrothermal route. Surface morphology analysis depicts the formation of the nanobars and hexagonal-shaped nanodiscs at different synthesis conditions. The structural analysis confirms that the as-synthesized ZrO₂ product is of pure monoclinic phase (m-ZrO₂) with crystallite size of about 25 nm. The product consists of monodispersed nanoparticles of uniform composition, high purity, and crystallinity. The Raman spectra are quantitatively analyzed and the observed peaks are attributed to various vibration modes of the m-ZrO₂. The UV–vis absorption spectrum showed a strong absorption peak at about 292 nm and the estimated optical band gap was around 3.57 eV. Photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of ZrO₂ nanostructure showed a strong and broad emission peak at around 410 nm at room temperature, which can be attributed to the ionized oxygen vacancy in the material.     

Distance metric-based time-efficient fuzzy algorithm for abnormal magnetic resonance brain image segmentation

Image segmentation is one of the significant computational applications of the biomedical field. Automated computational methodologies are highly preferred for medical image segmentation since these techniques are immune to human perception error. Artificial intelligence (AI)-based techniques are often used for this process since they are superior to other automated techniques in terms of accuracy and convergence time period. Fuzzy systems hold a significant position among the AI techniques because of their high accuracy. Even though these systems are exceptionally accurate, the time period required for convergence is exceedingly high. In this work, a novel distance metric-based fuzzy C-means (FCM) algorithm is proposed to tackle the low-convergence-rate problem of the conventional fuzzy systems. This modified approach involves the concept of distance-based dimensionality reduction of the input vector space that substantially reduces the iterative time period of the conventional FCM algorithm. The effectiveness of the modified FCM algorithm is explored in the context of magnetic resonance brain tumor image segmentation. Experimental results show promising results for the proposed approach in terms of convergence time period and segmentation efficiency. Thus, this algorithm proves to be highly feasible for time-oriented real-time applications.     

Interleukin-1β Modulation of the Mechanobiology of Primary Human Pulmonary Fibroblasts: Potential Implications in Lung Repair

Pro-inflammatory cytokines like interleukin-1β (IL-1β) are upregulated during early responses to tissue damage and are expected to transiently compromise the mechanical microenvironment. Fibroblasts are key regulators of tissue mechanics in the lungs and other organs. However, the effects of IL-1β on fibroblast mechanics and functions remain unclear. Here we treated human pulmonary fibroblasts from control donors with IL-1β and used Atomic Force Microscopy to unveil that IL-1β significantly reduces the stiffness of fibroblasts concomitantly with a downregulation of filamentous actin (F-actin) and alpha-smooth muscle (α-SMA). Likewise, COL1A1 mRNA was reduced, whereas that of collagenases MMP1 and MMP2 were upregulated, favoring a reduction of type-I collagen. These mechanobiology changes were functionally associated with reduced proliferation and enhanced migration upon IL-1β stimulation, which could facilitate lung repair by drawing fibroblasts to sites of tissue damage. Our observations reveal that IL-1β may reduce local tissue rigidity by acting both intracellularly and extracellularly through the downregulation of fibroblast contractility and type I collagen deposition, respectively. These IL-1β-dependent mechanical effects may enhance lung repair further by locally increasing pulmonary tissue compliance to preserve normal lung distension and function. Moreover, our results support that IL-1β provides innate anti-fibrotic protection that may be relevant during the early stages of lung repair.     

On the Effect of Reduction and Ageing on the TWC Activity of Pt/Ce0.68Zr0.32O2 under Simulated Automotive Exhausts

The three-way activity under complex feed-streams of a series of Pt/Ce_0.68Zr_0.32O₂ catalysts, either fresh or submitted to different ageing treatments, both before and after reduction, has been studied and related to the species present on the catalysts in view of their characteristics and TPR behaviour.     

Intra and interindividual variations of pelvic mobility in normal adult walk

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Pelvis motion appears as a main human gait component, it is linked to the lower limb joints and to the spine. Current devices, especially the opto-electronical systems, allow quantitative and tri-dimensional gait studies. The purpose of this study was to quantify the pelvic motion individual variability in a sample of healthy subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study based on a 18 volunters sample. There were 14 men and 4 women, ranged in age from 25 to 37 years. A clinical examination and a AP radiograph of pelvis allowed to include healthy subjects. We used the three-dimensional analysis VICON system with five cameras. Nine records were performed for each subject during a free-speed walking. These nine records were distributed on three different days. RESULTS: The step length medianes varied from 1100 to 1600 mm with a significantly (p < 0.05) regression between the step length, the walking speed and the subjects height. Vertical pelvic oscillations varied in this sample from 25 to 60 mm and linked with step length and walking speed. Pelvic rotation around the vertical axis varied from 1.5 to 15 degrees. We did not found regression between this pelvic rotation and the length step. It seems there are three types of pelvic rotation around the vertical axis. At the beginning of the stance phase, in type I, the pelvis is in the transversal plane whereas in the type II, it appears with the maximal rotation. In type III, the value of pelvic rotation is very low. The successive lateral inclinations of pelvic described a complex motion which varied from 1.5 to 9 degrees. The rotation of shoulders around the vertical axis varied from 4 degrees to 13 degrees and the successive inclinations varied from 3.25 degrees to 12 degrees. We did not found any regression between the pelvic and shoulders motion values. DISCUSSION: This study showed that the pelvis motion varied considerably from one subject to another. These variations induce different ways of walking with various consequences on the hip joint and the spine. We suppose that these variations could take a part in etiology of some diseases as hip arthritis or in total hip arthroplasty failure, especially in cup wearing.