A framework for analyzing the relationship between gene expression and morphological, topological, and dynamical patterns in neuronal networks.

Background: A key point in developmental biology is to understand how gene expression influences the morphological and dynamical patterns that are observed in living beings.

New Method: In this work we propose a methodology capable of addressing this problem that is based on estimating the mutual information and Pearson correlation between the intensity of gene expression and measurements of several morphological properties of the cells. A similar approach is applied in order to identify effects of gene expression over the system dynamics.

Quantifying mitochondrial content in living cells.

We describe a novel version of MitoGraph, our fully automated image processing method and software, dedicated to calculating the volume of 3D intracellular structures and organelles in live cells. MitoGraph is optimized and validated for quantifying the volume of tubular mitochondrial networks in budding yeast. We therefore include the experimental protocol, microscopy conditions, and software parameters focusing on mitochondria in budding yeast.

Modularity and robustness of bone networks.

Cortical bones, essential for mechanical support and structure in many animals, involve a large number of canals organized in intricate fashion. By using state-of-the art image analysis and computer graphics, the 3D reconstruction of a whole bone (phalange) of a young chicken was obtained and represented in terms of a complex network where each canal was associated to an edge and every confluence of three or more canals yielded a respective node. The representation of the bone canal structure as a complex network has allowed several methods to be applied in order to characterize and analyze the canal system organization and the robustness.

A spectral framework for sperm shape characterization.

A novel methodology for characterization of animal sperm shape involving the use of a spectral approach to multiscale curvature estimation is proposed. By using the derivative property of the Fourier transform, allied to Gaussian smoothing, accurate estimates of the curvature along the sperm contour can be obtained in such a way that the curvature peaks corresponding to the sperm head vertices can be effectively identified. The measurements derived from such a processing, namely the width of the basal region of the head, the centralization of tail implantation, and the multiscale bending energy, provide valuable resources for fertility and phylogenetic studies.

A comparison of morphometric characteristics of sperm from fertile Bos taurus and Bos indicus bulls in Brazil.

The current work has as main objective the systematic investigation of sperm morphometric characteristics of fertile Bos taurus and Bos indicus bulls living in Brazil by using several traditional as well as more modern and advanced computer vision concepts and methodologies. Ten smears of B. taurus semen and ten smears of B.