Os movimentos de massa são fenômenos naturais que fazem parte dos processos de dinâmica superficial que modelam a superfície terrestre. Quando ocorrem em áreas ocupadas, podem provocar perdas econômicas, impactos sociais e, em casos extremos, perda de vidas humanas. O estabelecimento de medidas preventivas para mitigar estes danos demanda a identificação das áreas mais propensas a esses fenômenos. Partindo deste contexto, o objetivo desta dissertação foi desenvolver uma proposta metodológica para mapear a suscetibilidade a escorregamentos no município de Porto Alegre-RS, com o emprego de ferramentas de geoprocessamento. As variáveis utilizadas foram: declividade, geologia, distância de lineamentos, acúmulo de fluxo, uso do solo e cobertura vegetal, as quais foram processadas no software Idrisi. Após a padronização das variáveis por meio da aplicação de funções fuzzy e pela atribuição direta de notas, definiu-se a importância de cada uma na predisposição do terreno a escorregamentos com base na consulta a especialistas, com o apoio da técnica denominada processo analítico hierárquico. A integração das variáveis foi realizada por meio de combinação linear ponderada, estabelecendo-se dois cenários de suscetibilidade a escorregamentos: o primeiro com a suscetibilidade natural e o segundo com a suscetibilidade induzida. Os resultados indicam que as áreas mais suscetíveis a escorregamentos situam-se, principalmente, nos morros da Crista de Porto Alegre e nos morros isolados no sul do município. O restante do município apresenta, de maneira geral, baixa suscetibilidade. A validação dos resultados obteve uma exatidão geral de 95% e 94% respectivamente para os Cenários 1 e 2. As áreas abaixo da curva ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) foram respectivamente de 0,960 e 0,966, o que indica que as variáveis e os pesos foram adequados e que ambos os cenários são robustos. Assim, constata-se que as ferramentas de geoprocessamento são úteis no mapeamento da suscetibilidade a escorregamentos, pois tornam ágil o mapeamento e sua atualização, e dão mais clareza e transparência ao processo de avaliação da suscetibilidade. Além disso, o método proposto permite reduzir os esforços nas etapas iniciais da gestão de riscos, possibilitando ao gestor priorizar os mapeamentos mais detalhados nas áreas com maior suscetibilidade. Isso demonstra que as rotinas de apoio à decisão, como as utilizadas neste trabalho, podem ser incorporadas em estudos de suscetibilidade, provendo importantes informações para o planejamento urbano dos municípios. / Mass movements are natural phenomena that are part of the surface dynamic processes that shape the Earth’s surface. When they occur in urban areas, can cause economic losses, social impacts and, in extreme cases, losses of human lives. The implementation of preventive measures to mitigate those damages requires the identification of the areas prone to these events. Therefore, the aim of this dissertation was to develop a methodological approach to map landslide susceptibility at the municipality of Porto Alegre-RS, with the use of geoprocessing tools. The variables used were: slope, geology, distance from lineaments, flow accumulation and land use, which were processed in the Idrisi software. After the standardization of the variables through the application of fuzzy functions and the direct assignment of notes, the importance of each one on the predisposition of landslides was defined, based on the opinion of experts, with the support of the technique entitled analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The integration of the variables was based on weighted linear combination, resulting in two scenarios: the first with the natural susceptibility and the second with the induced susceptibility. The results indicate that the most susceptible areas to landslide are located in the hills of the Crista de Porto Alegre and in the isolated hills located at the south of the municipality. The remaining area has, in general, low susceptibility. The validation of the results obtained an overall accuracy of 95% and 94%, respectively for Scenarios 1 and 2. The areas under the ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) curve were respectively 0.960 and 0.966, indicating that the variables and weights were adequate and both scenarios are robust. Thus, it is noted that geoprocessing tools are useful to map the landslide susceptibility, since they make the mapping process and its updates agile, and give more clarity and transparency to the susceptibility assessment process. In addition, the proposed method reduces efforts in the early stages of risk management, enabling the manager to prioritize the most susceptible areas for detailed mappings. This demonstrates that decision support routines, such as those used in this dissertation, can be incorporated into susceptibility studies, providing important information for the urban planning.

Målet med denna studie är att framställa en modell för sannolikheten för skred i Cuenca del Arga i Navarra, Spanien, med hjälp av GIS och oskarp logik. Utifrån denna modell framställs en karta som visar områden där det finns sannolikhet för skred. Övergripande har metoden skett i fyra steg. Först har en skredindexkarta framställts, sedan har medlemsfunktioner skapats utifrån dessa med hjälp av skredriskparametrar. De ingående parametrarna har varit sluttningsvinkel, topografisk fuktighetsindex, avstånd till vattendrag, jordmån och markanvändning. Sedan har medlemsfunktionerna applicerats på parametrarna, som sedan slutligen kombinerats genom WLC (weighted linear combination). Detta resulterade i en sannolikhetskarta för skred med fem klasser. / The aim of this study is to construct a model in GIS (geographical information system) for landslide susceptibility mapping for Cuenca del Arga in Navarre, Spain, to identify potential areas for landslides. The model is based on fuzzy logic approach and the parameters are overlaid with WLC (weighted linear combination).

<p>MR phase images contain essential information about local magnetic susceptibility sources in the brain, creating a new type of contrast in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The goal of this thesis is to demonstrate with a model of the brain how accurately the transformation of phase to susceptibility takes place.</p> <p>A 3D brain model uses the Forward process to calculate magnetic field perturbations caused by susceptibility properties of the tissues in the model. Homodyne High Pass (HP) filter and SHARP algorithm are used to process the simulated phase images. Similarly, MR magnitude data are simulated using tissue properties such as T₁, T₂^* relaxation times and spin density.</p> <p>The halo ring around red nucleus in the real phase data is believed to be an indicator of a capsule around red nucleus. Similar effect is seen in the simulated phase images without including the capsule of red nucleus in the model, this comparison explains that the halo effect may just be entirely or a part of the phase behavior around red nucleus. A negative susceptibility in the internal capsule region, seen in both simulated and real susceptibility maps, is discussed as a possible artifact caused by the processing techniques after comparing the simulated susceptibility maps produced from unprocessed and processed phase data. The brain model is used to determine the optimum echo time of the initial gradient echo sequence in order to produce a high quality susceptibility map with reasonably low error and better time efficiency.</p> / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

<p>Quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) is a promising technique to study tissue properties and function <em>in vivo</em>. The presence of a susceptibility source will lead to a non-local field variation which manifests as a non-local behavior in magnetic resonance phase images. QSM is an ill-posed inverse problem that maps the phase back to the susceptibility source. In practice, the phase images are usually contaminated by background field inhomogeneities. In this thesis, several technical advances in QSM have been made which accelerate the data processing and improve the accuracy of this ill-posed problem. For background field removal, the local spherical mean value filtering (LSMV) is proposed, in which the global phase unwrapping is bypassed. This algorithm improves the time-efficiency and robustness of background field removal. For solving the inverse problem, an improved version of the k-space/image domain iterative algorithm is demonstrated using multi-level thresholding to account for the variation in the susceptibilities of different structures in the brain. The susceptibility maps could be used to generate orientation independent weighting masks, to form a new type of susceptibility weighted image (SWI), referred to here as true-SWI (tSWI). The tSWI data show improved contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the veins and reduced blooming artefacts of the microbleeds. Finally, it is shown that the effective magnetic moment, being the product of the apparent volume and the measured susceptibility of the small object, is constant. This can be used to improve the susceptibility quantification, if <em>a priori</em> information of the volume is available.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

<p>The kidney's major role in filtration depends on its high blood flow, concentrating mechanisms, and biochemical activation. The kidney's greatest strengths also lead to vulnerability for drug-induced nephrotoxicity and other renal injuries. The current standard to diagnose renal injuries is with a percutaneous renal biopsy, which can be biased and insufficient. In one particular case, biopsy of a kidney with renal cell carcinoma can actually initiate metastasis. Tools that are sensitive and specific to detect renal disease early are essential, especially noninvasive diagnostic imaging. While other imaging modalities (ultrasound and x-ray/CT) have their unique advantages and disadvantages, MRI has superb soft tissue contrast without ionizing radiation. More importantly, there is a richness of contrast mechanisms in MRI that has yet to be explored and applied to study renal disease.</p><p>The focus of this work is to advance preclinical imaging tools to study the structure and function of the renal system. Studies were conducted in normal and disease models to understand general renal physiology as well as pathophysiology. This dissertation is separated into two parts--the first is the identification of renal architecture with ex vivo MRI; the second is the characterization of renal dynamics and function with in vivo MRI. High resolution ex vivo imaging provided several opportunities including: 1) identification of fine renal structures, 2) implementation of different contrast mechanisms with several pulse sequences and reconstruction methods, 3) development of image-processing tools to extract regions and structures, and 4) understanding of the nephron structures that create MR contrast and that are important for renal physiology. The ex vivo studies allowed for understanding and translation to in vivo studies. While the structure of this dissertation is organized by individual projects, the goal is singular: to develop magnetic resonance imaging biomarkers for renal system. </p><p>The work presented here includes three ex vivo studies and two in vivo studies:</p><p> </p><p>1) Magnetic resonance histology of age-related nephropathy in sprague dawley.</p><p>2) Quantitative susceptibility mapping of kidney inflammation and fibrosis in type 1 angiotensin receptor-deficient mice. </p><p>3) Susceptibility tensor imaging of the kidney and its microstructural underpinnings. </p><p>4) 4D MRI of renal function in the developing mouse. </p><p>5) 4D MRI of polycystic kidneys in rapamycin treated Glis3-deficient mice.</p> / Dissertation

No description available.

<p dir="ltr">Manganese (Mn) is an essential trace element for humans that functions primarily as a coenzyme in several biological processes such as nerve and brain development, energy metabolism, bone growth and development, as well as cognitive functioning. However, overexposure to environmental Mn via occupational settings or contaminated drinking water can lead to toxic effects on the central nervous systems and cause a Parkinsonian disorder that features symptoms such as fine motor control deficits, dystonia rigidity, speech and mood disturbances, and cognitive deficits summarized under the term “manganism”. Over time, Mn exposure has shifted from acute, high-level instances leading to manganism, to low-level chronic exposure. Considering that Mn exposure is significantly lower than in the past, it is unlikely to expect manganism from chronic Mn exposure under current working conditions. Therefore, there is a need to develop sensitive methods to aid in updating the clinical diagnostic standards for manganism and Mn neurotoxicity as chronic exposure to Mn leads to more subtle symptoms.</p><p><br></p><p dir="ltr">Historically, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been used as a non-invasive tool for detecting excess brain Mn accumulation. Specifically, T1-weighted images show bilateral hyperintensities of the globus pallidus (GP) due to the paramagnetic properties of Mn which increases the MR relaxation rate R1. Although the GP is considered the hallmark of excess brain Mn, this brain area is not necessarily associated with symptoms, exposure, or neuropsychological outcomes. Thus, the focus should not be on the GP only but on the entire brain. With recent advances in quantitative MRI (qMRI), whole brain mapping techniques allow for the direct measurement of relaxation rate changes due to Mn accumulation. The work in this dissertation uses such quantitative techniques and network science to establish novel computational in vivo imaging methods to a) visualize and quantify excess Mn deposition at the group and individual level, and b) characterize the toxicokinetics of excess brain Mn accumulation and the role of different brain regions in the development of neurotoxicity effects.</p><p><br></p><p dir="ltr">First, we developed a novel method for depicting excess Mn accumulation at the group level using high-resolution R1 relaxation maps to identify regional differences using voxel-based quantification (VBQ) and statistical parametric mapping. Second, we departed from a group analysis and developed subject-specific maps of excess brain Mn to gain a better understanding of the relationship between the spatial distribution of Mn and exposure settings. Third, we developed a novel method that combines network science with MRI relaxometry to characterize the storage and propagation of Mn and Fe in the human brain and the role of different brain regions in the development of neurotoxic effects. Lastly, we explore the application of ultra-short echo (UTE) imaging to map Fe content in the brain and compare it against R2* and quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM).</p><p><br></p><p dir="ltr">Overall, this dissertation is a successful step towards establishing sensitive neuroimaging screening methods to study the effects of occupational Mn exposure. The individual Mn maps offer great potential for evaluating personal risk assessment for Mn neurotoxicity and allow monitoring of temporal changes in an individual, offering valuable information about the toxicokinetics of Mn. The integration of network science provides a holistic analysis to identify subtle changes in the brain’s mediation mechanisms of excess metal depositions and their associations with health outcomes.</p>

Le manuscrit suivant porte sur le développement d’une méthodologie de cartographie de la susceptibilité magnétique. Cette méthodologie a été appliquée au niveau des seins à des fins de détection de microcalcifications. Afin de valider ces algorithmes, un fantôme numérique ainsi qu’un fantôme réel ont été créés. À l’aide de ces images, les paramètres modifiables de notre méthodologie ont été ajustés. Par la suite, les problèmes reliés à l’imagerie du sein ont été explorés, tel la présence de gras ainsi que la proximité des poumons. Finalement, des images in vivo, acquises à 1.5 et 7.0 Tesla ont été analysées par notre méthodologie. Sur ces images 1.5T, nous avons réussi à observer la présence de microcalcifications. D’un autre côté, les images 7.0T nous ont permis de présenter un meilleur contraste que les images standards de magnitude. / The following manuscript is about the development of a methodology called quantitative susceptibility mapping. This methodology was applied to the breast with the purpose of detecting microcalcifications. To validate these algorithms, a digital phantom and a water phantom were created. Using these images, adjustable parameters were adjusted on our methodology. Thereafter, problems related to breast imaging, like the presence of fat and the proximity of the lungs, were explored. Finally, in vivo images, acquired at 1.5 and 7.0 Tesla were analyzed by our methodology. On these 1.5T images, we successfully observed the presence of microcalcifications. On the other hand, the 7.0T images allowed us to provide a better contrast than the standard magnitude images.

Le manuscrit suivant porte sur le développement d’une méthodologie de cartographie de la susceptibilité magnétique. Cette méthodologie a été appliquée au niveau des seins à des fins de détection de microcalcifications. Afin de valider ces algorithmes, un fantôme numérique ainsi qu’un fantôme réel ont été créés. À l’aide de ces images, les paramètres modifiables de notre méthodologie ont été ajustés. Par la suite, les problèmes reliés à l’imagerie du sein ont été explorés, tel la présence de gras ainsi que la proximité des poumons. Finalement, des images in vivo, acquises à 1.5 et 7.0 Tesla ont été analysées par notre méthodologie. Sur ces images 1.5T, nous avons réussi à observer la présence de microcalcifications. D’un autre côté, les images 7.0T nous ont permis de présenter un meilleur contraste que les images standards de magnitude. / The following manuscript is about the development of a methodology called quantitative susceptibility mapping. This methodology was applied to the breast with the purpose of detecting microcalcifications. To validate these algorithms, a digital phantom and a water phantom were created. Using these images, adjustable parameters were adjusted on our methodology. Thereafter, problems related to breast imaging, like the presence of fat and the proximity of the lungs, were explored. Finally, in vivo images, acquired at 1.5 and 7.0 Tesla were analyzed by our methodology. On these 1.5T images, we successfully observed the presence of microcalcifications. On the other hand, the 7.0T images allowed us to provide a better contrast than the standard magnitude images.