Model-free estimation in scattering analysis of microscopy

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Lin, Tong, Lee, Jinseok, Helgeson, Matt, Valentine, Megan T., Luo, Yimin, Gu, Mengyang
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2026
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author Lin, Tong
Lee, Jinseok
Helgeson, Matt
Valentine, Megan T.
Luo, Yimin
Gu, Mengyang
author_facet Lin, Tong
Lee, Jinseok
Helgeson, Matt
Valentine, Megan T.
Luo, Yimin
Gu, Mengyang
contents The mean squared displacement (MSD) of particles or probes is commonly estimated from microscopy videos using particle tracking approaches, which rely on tuning parameters manually, and are often unstable over the entire lag time range, especially in dense or low-contrast situations. In this work, we propose model-free ab initio uncertainty quantification (MF-AIUQ), a model-free method for scattering analysis of microscopy video based on a probabilistic framework, which estimates MSD without isolating particles and linking their trajectories. Based on the relationship between the intermediate scattering function (ISF) and the MSD derived from the cumulant theorem, MF-AIUQ estimates the MSD values by the marginal maximum likelihood estimator. To reduce the computational cost, the likelihood function is approximated by a subset of Fourier-transformed intensities. These intensities are equally spaced at the logarithmic values of Fourier basis functions and lag time points. We found that the ISF is smooth in this logarithmic input space, and the information of the ISF can be captured by this subset of inputs. We examine the method through simulation studies covering several representative stochastic processes and three experimental systems: a Newtonian fluid for evaluating performance in optically dense and bright-field settings, a gelation system with an evolving MSD shape, and snail mucin, a viscoelastic biopolymer, for modulus estimation. Across these studies, MF-AIUQ provides smooth and stable MSD estimates over the full lag time range and serves as a useful complementary approach in settings where particle tracking is unreliable or a parametric model of MSD is unavailable or unverifiable.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_29424
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Model-free estimation in scattering analysis of microscopy
Lin, Tong
Lee, Jinseok
Helgeson, Matt
Valentine, Megan T.
Luo, Yimin
Gu, Mengyang
Applications
Soft Condensed Matter
Data Analysis, Statistics and Probability
The mean squared displacement (MSD) of particles or probes is commonly estimated from microscopy videos using particle tracking approaches, which rely on tuning parameters manually, and are often unstable over the entire lag time range, especially in dense or low-contrast situations. In this work, we propose model-free ab initio uncertainty quantification (MF-AIUQ), a model-free method for scattering analysis of microscopy video based on a probabilistic framework, which estimates MSD without isolating particles and linking their trajectories. Based on the relationship between the intermediate scattering function (ISF) and the MSD derived from the cumulant theorem, MF-AIUQ estimates the MSD values by the marginal maximum likelihood estimator. To reduce the computational cost, the likelihood function is approximated by a subset of Fourier-transformed intensities. These intensities are equally spaced at the logarithmic values of Fourier basis functions and lag time points. We found that the ISF is smooth in this logarithmic input space, and the information of the ISF can be captured by this subset of inputs. We examine the method through simulation studies covering several representative stochastic processes and three experimental systems: a Newtonian fluid for evaluating performance in optically dense and bright-field settings, a gelation system with an evolving MSD shape, and snail mucin, a viscoelastic biopolymer, for modulus estimation. Across these studies, MF-AIUQ provides smooth and stable MSD estimates over the full lag time range and serves as a useful complementary approach in settings where particle tracking is unreliable or a parametric model of MSD is unavailable or unverifiable.
title Model-free estimation in scattering analysis of microscopy
topic Applications
Soft Condensed Matter
Data Analysis, Statistics and Probability
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.29424