Perfusion estimation using synthetic MRI-based measurements and a porous media flow model.

The measurement of perfusion and filtration of blood in biological tissue give rise to important clinical parameters used in diagnosis, follow-up, and therapy. In this paper, we address techniques for perfusion analysis using processed contrast agent concentration data from dynamic MRI acquisitions. A new methodology for analysis is evaluated and verified using synthetic data generated on a tissue geometry.

Fluid-sensitive migration mechanisms predict association between metastasis and high interstitial fluid pressure in pancreatic cancer.

A remarkable feature in pancreatic cancer is the propensity to metastasize early, even for small, early stage cancers. We use a computer-based pancreatic model to simulate tumor progression behavior where fluid-sensitive migration mechanisms are accounted for as a plausible driver for metastasis. The model has been trained to comply with in vitro results to determine input parameters that characterize the migration mechanisms. To mimic previously studied preclinical xenografts we run the computer model informed with an ensemble of stochastic-generated realizations of unknown parameters related to tumor microenvironment only constrained such that pathological realistic values for interstitial fluid pressure (IFP) are obtained. The in silico model suggests the occurrence of a steady production of small clusters of cancer cells that detach from the primary tumor and form isolated islands and thereby creates a natural prerequisite for a strong invasion into the lymph nodes and venous system. The model predicts that this behavior is associated with high interstitial fluid pressure (IFP), consistent with published experimental findings. The continuum-based model is the first to explain published results for preclinical models which have reported associations between high IFP and high metastatic propensity and thereby serves to shed light on possible mechanisms behind the clinical aggressiveness of pancreatic cancer.

A new framework for assessing subject-specific whole brain circulation and perfusion using MRI-based measurements and a multi-scale continuous flow model.

A large variety of severe medical conditions involve alterations in microvascular circulation. Hence, measurements or simulation of circulation and perfusion has considerable clinical value and can be used for diagnostics, evaluation of treatment efficacy, and for surgical planning. However, the accuracy of traditional tracer kinetic one-compartment models is limited due to scale dependency. As a remedy, we propose a scale invariant mathematical framework for simulating whole brain perfusion. The suggested framework is based on a segmentation of anatomical geometry down to imaging voxel resolution. Large vessels in the arterial and venous network are identified from time-of-flight (ToF) and quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM). Macro-scale flow in the large-vessel-network is accurately modelled using the Hagen-Poiseuille equation, whereas capillary flow is treated as two-compartment porous media flow. Macro-scale flow is coupled with micro-scale flow by a spatially distributing support function in the terminal endings. Perfusion is defined as the transition of fluid from the arterial to the venous compartment. We demonstrate a whole brain simulation of tracer propagation on a realistic geometric model of the human brain, where the model comprises distinct areas of grey and white matter, as well as large vessels in the arterial and venous vascular network. Our proposed framework is an accurate and viable alternative to traditional compartment models, with high relevance for simulation of brain perfusion and also for restoration of field parameters in clinical brain perfusion applications.

Efficient big data assimilation through sparse representation: A 3D benchmark case study in petroleum engineering.

Data assimilation is an important discipline in geosciences that aims to combine the information contents from both prior geophysical models and observational data (observations) to obtain improved model estimates. Ensemble-based methods are among the state-of-the-art assimilation algorithms in the data assimilation community. When applying ensemble-based methods to assimilate big geophysical data, substantial computational resources are needed in order to compute and/or store certain quantities (e.g., the Kalman-gain-type matrix), given both big model and data sizes. In addition, uncertainty quantification of observational data, e.g., in terms of estimating the observation error covariance matrix, also becomes computationally challenging, if not infeasible. To tackle the aforementioned challenges in the presence of big data, in a previous study, the authors proposed a wavelet-based sparse representation procedure for 2D seismic data assimilation problems (also known as history matching problems in petroleum engineering). In the current study, we extend the sparse representation procedure to 3D problems, as this is an important step towards real field case studies. To demonstrate the efficiency of the extended sparse representation procedure, we apply an ensemble-based seismic history matching framework with the extended sparse representation procedure to a 3D benchmark case, the Brugge field. In this benchmark case study, the total number of seismic data is in the order of [Formula: see text]. We show that the wavelet-based sparse representation procedure is extremely efficient in reducing the size of seismic data, while preserving the salient features of seismic data. Moreover, even with a substantial data-size reduction through sparse representation, the ensemble-based seismic history matching framework can still achieve good estimation accuracy.