<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class=""><span class="" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Dear GATE users and developers, </span></div><div class=""><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" class=""><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" class=""><span class="" style="font-size: 11pt;">I wanted to announce the first release of a new open source image reconstruction platform, </span></font><a href="http://www.castor-project.org" class="" style="font-size: 15px;">CASToR</a><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" class=""><span class="" style="font-size: 11pt;"> (</span><span class="" style="font-size: 15px;">Customizable and Advanced Software for Tomographic Reconstruction)</span><span class="" style="font-size: 11pt;"> that may serve the GATE community, but can also interest those amongst you that work on image reconstruction algorithm development.</span></font></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" class=""> </span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" class=""> </span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><img apple-inline="yes" id="C89CFD0B-C05C-4510-8D98-3A1CB22E3A25" height="281" width="300" apple-width="yes" apple-height="yes" src="cid:image001.png@01D2A4A8.5480E4C0" class=""><span lang="EN-US" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">CASToR is an open-source multi-platform project for 4D emission (PET and SPECT) tomographic reconstruction and (in the future) transmission (CT) tomographic reconstruction. <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">This platform is a scalable software providing both basic image reconstruction features for "standard" users and advanced tools for specialists <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">in the reconstruction field, to develop, incorporate and assess their own methodologies in image reconstruction </span><span class="" style="font-size: 11pt;">(such as specific projectors, optimization algorithms, dynamic data modeling, etc) through the implementation of new classes.</span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" class=""> </span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">We are pleased to release the first version of CASToR which can be downloaded from the following page : <a href="http://www.castor-project.org/download_castor" class="" style="color: purple;">http://www.castor-project.org/download_castor</a><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" class=""> </span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">The actual version includes the following features:<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 36pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">•<span class="" style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" class="">Iterative reconstruction algorithms <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 36pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">•<span class="" style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" class="">PET and SPECT (parallel-hole and convergent-beam collimators) geometries.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 36pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">•<span class="" style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" class="">Reconstruction of multi-frames and respiratory/cardiac gated acquisitions.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 36pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">•<span class="" style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" class="">Projector plug-in class system, including implementations of original and accelerated versions of the Siddon and Joseph projectors.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 36pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">•<span class="" style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" class="">Optimization algorithm plug-in class system, including implementation of ML-EM, NEG-ML, AML (AB-EMML) and Lanwdeber optimization algorithms.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 36pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">•<span class="" style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" class="">Plug-in class systems for image convolution and spatial regularization, and general image processing<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 36pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">•<span class="" style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" class="">Two-level parallel CPU implementation using MPI (multi-computers) and openMP (multi-threads) libraries.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 36pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">•<span class="" style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" class="">Utility tool to convert GATE Monte-Carlo simulated data from root format to the CASToR datafile format.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" class=""> </span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">Make sure to download and read the documentation on the following page : <a href="http://www.castor-project.org/documentation" class="" style="color: purple;">http://www.castor-project.org/documentation</a> to get detailed instructions on the installation and use of the platform, as well as information about the different file formats. If you encounter any issues or have any questions or suggestions, do not hesitate to send a mail on the users mailing-list : <a href="mailto:castor-users@lists.castor-project.org" class="" style="color: purple;">castor-users@lists.castor-project.org</a>. We are looking forward receiving your comments in order to improve and further develop the CASToR platform !<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" class=""> </span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">Keep an eye also on the website for further announcements of future developments and news on the CASToR platform<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" class=""> </span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">Kind regards, <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" class=""> </span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">the CASToR team<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" class=""> </span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">T. Merlin, D. Benoît, J. Bert, D. Visvikis - LaTIM, INSERM 1011, Brest, France<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">S. Stute, M. Filipovic Pierucci, C. Comtat - Imagerie Moléculaire In-Vivo (IMIV), Service Hospitalier Frédéric Joliot (CEA-SHFJ), Orsay, France<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">F. Lamare - Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d’Aquitaine (INCIA), CNRS 5287, Bordeaux, France<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">T. Carlier - Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie Nantes-Angers (CRCNA), INSERM 892 - CNRS 6299, Nantes, France<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" class=""> </span></div></div><div class=""> <span><img height="230" width="473" apple-inline="yes" id="A252ABD4-48FC-477E-84B2-7DB5CE0D7379" apple-width="yes" apple-height="yes" src="cid:EA8B3184-C7AE-43FB-9814-6FC5D99C43F7" class=""></span> </div> <br class=""></body></html>