Sample records for local map staple

  1. Estimating A Reference Standard Segmentation With Spatially Varying Performance Parameters: Local MAP STAPLE

    PubMed Central

    Commowick, Olivier; Akhondi-Asl, Alireza; Warfield, Simon K.

    2012-01-01

    We present a new algorithm, called local MAP STAPLE, to estimate from a set of multi-label segmentations both a reference standard segmentation and spatially varying performance parameters. It is based on a sliding window technique to estimate the segmentation and the segmentation performance parameters for each input segmentation. In order to allow for optimal fusion from the small amount of data in each local region, and to account for the possibility of labels not being observed in a local region of some (or all) input segmentations, we introduce prior probabilities for the local performance parameters through a new Maximum A Posteriori formulation of STAPLE. Further, we propose an expression to compute confidence intervals in the estimated local performance parameters. We carried out several experiments with local MAP STAPLE to characterize its performance and value for local segmentation evaluation. First, with simulated segmentations with known reference standard segmentation and spatially varying performance, we show that local MAP STAPLE performs better than both STAPLE and majority voting. Then we present evaluations with data sets from clinical applications. These experiments demonstrate that spatial adaptivity in segmentation performance is an important property to capture. We compared the local MAP STAPLE segmentations to STAPLE, and to previously published fusion techniques and demonstrate the superiority of local MAP STAPLE over other state-of-the- art algorithms. PMID:22562727

  2. Local Staple Food Price Indices in the Age of Biofuels

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brown, Molly E.

    2012-01-01

    In many poor, food insecure regions, agriculture is a primary source of income and farmers are reliant both on their own production and on purchasing food in the market to feed their families. Large local food price increases over a short time period can be indicative of a deteriorating food security situation and may be the consequence of weather-related food production declines, Dr can simply be the result of price transmission from the international commodity market. Food price indices developed by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are used to monitor food price trends at a global level, but largely reflect supply and demand conditions in export markets far from the places where the chronically food insecure live. A much better understanding of how local staple food prices in isolated regions such as West Africa that grow most of the food they eat to better understand the impact of global commodity market transformations on sensitive communities at the margin. This information will also enable improved strategies for these farmers who are extraordinarily sensitive to climate change impacts on agricultural growing conditions.

  3. 21 CFR 878.4760 - Removable skin staple.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Removable skin staple. 878.4760 Section 878.4760...) MEDICAL DEVICES GENERAL AND PLASTIC SURGERY DEVICES Surgical Devices § 878.4760 Removable skin staple. (a) Identification. A removable skin staple is a staple-like device intended to connect external tissues temporarily...

  4. Long-term Evaluation of a Modified Double Staple Technique for Low Anterior Resection.

    PubMed

    Illuminati, G; Carboni, F; Ceccanei, G; Pacilè, M A; Pizzardi, G; Palumbo, P; Vietri, F

    2014-01-01

    When performing low anterior resection for rectal cancer with the double staple technique, -closing the rectum with a linear stapler in the abdomen can be challenging, especially when dealing with a narrow pelvis. For such instances we proposed to modify this technique by pulling the rectal stump through the anus, doing an extra-anal resection of the tumor and linear suture of the rectal stump, before performing a standard, stapled colorectal anastomosis. The purpose of this study was to assess the adequacy of this modification of the double staple technique. Retrospective review of 108 patients undergoing a stapled, low colorectal or coloanal anastomosis, after -eversion, extra-anal resection of the tumor and linear closure of the rectal stump for colorectal cancer, from January 1990 to December 2012. Operative mortality was 0.9%. Fourteen patients (13%) presented early, surgery-related complications -consisting of 7 anastomotic leaks, 5 wound infections, 1 ureteral lesion, and 1 peristomal abscess. Late complications related to surgery included 5 incisional hernias (4.6%), 4 anastomotic strictures (3.7%), 4 neurogenic bladders (3.7%) and 2 fecal incontinences (1.8%). The incidence of local disease recurrence was 10%. Surgical and oncological results validate the proposed modification of the double staple technique, when facing difficulties in suturing the rectum from the abdomen. Copyright© Acta Chirurgica Belgica.

  5. 21 CFR 878.4750 - Implantable staple.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Implantable staple. 878.4750 Section 878.4750 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES GENERAL AND PLASTIC SURGERY DEVICES Surgical Devices § 878.4750 Implantable staple. (a...

  6. 21 CFR 878.4750 - Implantable staple.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Implantable staple. 878.4750 Section 878.4750 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES GENERAL AND PLASTIC SURGERY DEVICES Surgical Devices § 878.4750 Implantable staple. (a...

  7. 21 CFR 878.4750 - Implantable staple.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Implantable staple. 878.4750 Section 878.4750 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES GENERAL AND PLASTIC SURGERY DEVICES Surgical Devices § 878.4750 Implantable staple. (a...

  8. 21 CFR 878.4750 - Implantable staple.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Implantable staple. 878.4750 Section 878.4750 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES GENERAL AND PLASTIC SURGERY DEVICES Surgical Devices § 878.4750 Implantable staple. (a...

  9. 21 CFR 878.4750 - Implantable staple.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Implantable staple. 878.4750 Section 878.4750 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES GENERAL AND PLASTIC SURGERY DEVICES Surgical Devices § 878.4750 Implantable staple. (a...

  10. Circular stapled anopexy for haemorrhoidal disease: results.

    PubMed

    Lehur, P A; Gravié, J F; Meurette, G

    2001-11-01

    Stapled anopexy is a new approach for haemorrhoids requiring surgical treatment. This study reviews the available information concerning the present results of this procedure. Medline and hand search of the literature was conducted to identify available information on the procedure, with a special interest for the on-going or published randomized clinical trials. The advantages of the stapled approach of haemorrhoids were analyzed in the different areas of concern, including postoperative pain reduction, length of hospital stay and sick-leave, postoperative wound care and type and rate of complications. Continence status, symptom cure and patient satisfaction following stapled anopexy are also reported. Stapled anopexy is probably less painful than conventional haemorrhoidectomy. Other advantages in the short term result from this new approach. Long term efficacy of the procedure is still unknown.

  11. Effect of Stapling Architecture on Physiochemical Properties and Cell Permeability of Stapled α-Helical Peptides: A Comparative Study.

    PubMed

    Tian, Yuan; Jiang, Yanhong; Li, Jingxu; Wang, Dongyuan; Zhao, Hui; Li, Zigang

    2017-11-02

    Stapled peptides have emerged as a new class of targeting molecules with high binding affinity and specificity for intracellular undruggable targets. Their ability to penetrate cell membranes is exceptionally intriguing but remains elusively and controversially discussed. To understand the effect of stapling architectures on their physiochemical properties and to aid in promoting their cell permeability, we report herein a comparative study on the physiochemical properties and cell permeability of stapled α-helical peptides with different types of crosslinks. We highlight the decisive impact of the intrinsic properties of the crosslinks on cell permeability rather than the helical contents of the peptides in model amphipathic sequences targeting estrogen receptor-coactivator interaction. We envision this finding to shed further light on the chemical optimization of stapled α-helical peptides or macrocyclic cell-penetrating peptides for enhanced cell penetration. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Novel Structures of Self-Associating Stapled Peptides

    PubMed Central

    Bhattacharya, Shibani; Zhang, Hongtao; Cowburn, David; Debnath, Asim K.

    2012-01-01

    Hydrocarbon stapling of peptides is a powerful technique to transform linear peptides into cell-permeable helical structures that can bind to specific biological targets. In this study, we have used high resolution solution NMR techniques complemented by Dynamic Light Scattering to characterize extensively a family of hydrocarbon stapled peptides with known inhibitory activity against HIV-1 capsid assembly to evaluate the various factors that modulate activity. The helical peptides share a common binding motif but differ in charge, the length and position of the staple. An important outcome of the study was to show the peptides share a propensity to self-associate into organized polymeric structures mediated predominantly by hydrophobic interactions between the olefinic chain and the aromatic side-chains from the peptide. We have also investigated in detail the structural significance of the length and position of the staple, and of olefinic bond isomerization in stabilizing the helical conformation of the peptides as potential factors driving polymerization. This study presents the numerous challenges of designing biologically active stapled peptides and the conclusions have broad implications for optimizing a promising new class of compounds in drug discovery. PMID:22170623

  13. Techniques of stapler-based navigational thoracoscopic segmentectomy using virtual assisted lung mapping (VAL-MAP)

    PubMed Central

    Murayama, Tomonori; Nakajima, Jun

    2016-01-01

    Anatomical segmentectomies play an important role in oncological lung resection, particularly for ground-glass types of primary lung cancers. This operation can also be applied to metastatic lung tumors deep in the lung. Virtual assisted lung mapping (VAL-MAP) is a novel technique that allows for bronchoscopic multi-spot dye markings to provide “geometric information” to the lung surface, using three-dimensional virtual images. In addition to wedge resections, VAL-MAP has been found to be useful in thoracoscopic segmentectomies, particularly complex segmentectomies, such as combined subsegmentectomies or extended segmentectomies. There are five steps in VAL-MAP-assisted segmentectomies: (I) “standing” stitches along the resection lines; (II) cleaning hilar anatomy; (III) confirming hilar anatomy; (IV) going 1 cm deeper; (V) step-by-step stapling technique. Depending on the anatomy, segmentectomies can be classified into linear (lingular, S6, S2), V- or U-shaped (right S1, left S3, S2b + S3a), and three dimensional (S7, S8, S9, S10) segmentectomies. Particularly three dimensional segmentectomies are challenging in the complexity of stapling techniques. This review focuses on how VAL-MAP can be utilized in segmentectomy, and how this technique can assist the stapling process in even the most challenging ones. PMID:28066675

  14. Current Developments and Unusual Aspects in Gastrointestinal Surgical Stapling.

    PubMed

    Frattini, Francesco; Amico, Francesco; Rausei, Stefano; Boni, Luigi; Rovera, Francesca; Dionigi, Gianlorenzo

    2015-11-01

    Stapling devices are used in gastrointestinal, gynecologic, thoracic, and many other surgeries to resect organs, transect tissues, and anastomose different structures. These devices became widely accepted standard practice in many gastrointestinal operations, especially since the successful advent of minimally invasive surgery. Despite the relevant advantages related to the use of a surgical stapler, we must also consider that these instruments may be at risk of failure. When any component fails, the patient is at risk of operative morbidity. Gastrointestinal surgical stapling technique still needs refinement in order to increase its reliability. Staple line reinforcement has been widely used and seems to effectively reduce anastomotic complications. Literature provides us with examples of studies supporting both bleeding and leakage reduction after staple line reinforcement, but high-quality evidence is not available to date. Semi-absorbable and nonabsorbable materials have been the earliest available. The use of bioabsorbable staple line reinforcement materials has recently become more widespread, and these materials are more widely used these days. Powered staplers were made available to the market some time ago and represent a rather unheard of aspect of endosurgical stapling. Despite powered staples being supposedly convenient compared with manual ones only one relevant article was found when searching the U.S. National Library of Medicine for "powered stapler." New surgical stapling devices are constantly developed and introduced on the market. Results with such devices depend on the stapler features but also surely vary according to the surgeon experience.

  15. 26 CFR 301.269B-1 - Stapled foreign corporations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 18 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Stapled foreign corporations. 301.269B-1....269B-1 Stapled foreign corporations. In accordance with section 269B(a)(1), a stapled foreign corporation is subject to the same taxes that apply to a domestic corporation under Title 26 of the Internal...

  16. 26 CFR 301.269B-1 - Stapled foreign corporations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 18 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Stapled foreign corporations. 301.269B-1....269B-1 Stapled foreign corporations. In accordance with section 269B(a)(1), a stapled foreign corporation is subject to the same taxes that apply to a domestic corporation under Title 26 of the Internal...

  17. 26 CFR 301.269B-1 - Stapled foreign corporations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 18 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Stapled foreign corporations. 301.269B-1....269B-1 Stapled foreign corporations. In accordance with section 269B(a)(1), a stapled foreign corporation is subject to the same taxes that apply to a domestic corporation under title 26 of the Internal...

  18. 26 CFR 301.269B-1 - Stapled foreign corporations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 18 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Stapled foreign corporations. 301.269B-1....269B-1 Stapled foreign corporations. In accordance with section 269B(a)(1), a stapled foreign corporation is subject to the same taxes that apply to a domestic corporation under title 26 of the Internal...

  19. 26 CFR 1.269B-1 - Stapled foreign corporations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Stapled foreign corporations. 1.269B-1 Section 1... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Items Not Deductible § 1.269B-1 Stapled foreign corporations. (a) Treatment as a domestic corporation—(1) General rule. Except as otherwise provided, if a foreign corporation is a stapled...

  20. 26 CFR 301.269B-1 - Stapled foreign corporations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 18 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Stapled foreign corporations. 301.269B-1....269B-1 Stapled foreign corporations. In accordance with section 269B(a)(1), a stapled foreign corporation is subject to the same taxes that apply to a domestic corporation under Title 26 of the Internal...

  1. 21 CFR 878.4760 - Removable skin staple.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Removable skin staple. 878.4760 Section 878.4760 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES GENERAL AND PLASTIC SURGERY DEVICES Surgical Devices § 878.4760 Removable skin staple. (a...

  2. 21 CFR 878.4760 - Removable skin staple.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Removable skin staple. 878.4760 Section 878.4760 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES GENERAL AND PLASTIC SURGERY DEVICES Surgical Devices § 878.4760 Removable skin staple. (a...

  3. 21 CFR 878.4760 - Removable skin staple.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Removable skin staple. 878.4760 Section 878.4760 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES GENERAL AND PLASTIC SURGERY DEVICES Surgical Devices § 878.4760 Removable skin staple. (a...

  4. 21 CFR 878.4760 - Removable skin staple.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Removable skin staple. 878.4760 Section 878.4760 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES GENERAL AND PLASTIC SURGERY DEVICES Surgical Devices § 878.4760 Removable skin staple. (a...

  5. Incorporating priors on expert performance parameters for segmentation validation and label fusion: a maximum a posteriori STAPLE

    PubMed Central

    Commowick, Olivier; Warfield, Simon K

    2010-01-01

    In order to evaluate the quality of segmentations of an image and assess intra- and inter-expert variability in segmentation performance, an Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm for Simultaneous Truth And Performance Level Estimation (STAPLE) was recently developed. This algorithm, originally presented for segmentation validation, has since been used for many applications, such as atlas construction and decision fusion. However, the manual delineation of structures of interest is a very time consuming and burdensome task. Further, as the time required and burden of manual delineation increase, the accuracy of the delineation is decreased. Therefore, it may be desirable to ask the experts to delineate only a reduced number of structures or the segmentation of all structures by all experts may simply not be achieved. Fusion from data with some structures not segmented by each expert should be carried out in a manner that accounts for the missing information. In other applications, locally inconsistent segmentations may drive the STAPLE algorithm into an undesirable local optimum, leading to misclassifications or misleading experts performance parameters. We present a new algorithm that allows fusion with partial delineation and which can avoid convergence to undesirable local optima in the presence of strongly inconsistent segmentations. The algorithm extends STAPLE by incorporating prior probabilities for the expert performance parameters. This is achieved through a Maximum A Posteriori formulation, where the prior probabilities for the performance parameters are modeled by a beta distribution. We demonstrate that this new algorithm enables dramatically improved fusion from data with partial delineation by each expert in comparison to fusion with STAPLE. PMID:20879379

  6. Incorporating priors on expert performance parameters for segmentation validation and label fusion: a maximum a posteriori STAPLE.

    PubMed

    Commowick, Olivier; Warfield, Simon K

    2010-01-01

    In order to evaluate the quality of segmentations of an image and assess intra- and inter-expert variability in segmentation performance, an Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm for Simultaneous Truth And Performance Level Estimation (STAPLE) was recently developed. This algorithm, originally presented for segmentation validation, has since been used for many applications, such as atlas construction and decision fusion. However, the manual delineation of structures of interest is a very time consuming and burdensome task. Further, as the time required and burden of manual delineation increase, the accuracy of the delineation is decreased. Therefore, it may be desirable to ask the experts to delineate only a reduced number of structures or the segmentation of all structures by all experts may simply not be achieved. Fusion from data with some structures not segmented by each expert should be carried out in a manner that accounts for the missing information. In other applications, locally inconsistent segmentations may drive the STAPLE algorithm into an undesirable local optimum, leading to misclassifications or misleading experts performance parameters. We present a new algorithm that allows fusion with partial delineation and which can avoid convergence to undesirable local optima in the presence of strongly inconsistent segmentations. The algorithm extends STAPLE by incorporating prior probabilities for the expert performance parameters. This is achieved through a Maximum A Posteriori formulation, where the prior probabilities for the performance parameters are modeled by a beta distribution. We demonstrate that this new algorithm enables dramatically improved fusion from data with partial delineation by each expert in comparison to fusion with STAPLE.

  7. Design and structure of stapled peptides binding to estrogen receptors.

    PubMed

    Phillips, Chris; Roberts, Lee R; Schade, Markus; Bazin, Richard; Bent, Andrew; Davies, Nichola L; Moore, Rob; Pannifer, Andrew D; Pickford, Andrew R; Prior, Stephen H; Read, Christopher M; Scott, Andrew; Brown, David G; Xu, Bin; Irving, Stephen L

    2011-06-29

    Synthetic peptides that specifically bind nuclear hormone receptors offer an alternative approach to small molecules for the modulation of receptor signaling and subsequent gene expression. Here we describe the design of a series of novel stapled peptides that bind the coactivator peptide site of estrogen receptors. Using a number of biophysical techniques, including crystal structure analysis of receptor-stapled peptide complexes, we describe in detail the molecular interactions and demonstrate that all-hydrocarbon staples modulate molecular recognition events. The findings have implications for the design of stapled peptides in general.

  8. Ultrastructural analysis of different-made staplers' staples.

    PubMed

    Gentilli, S; Portigliotti, L; Aronici, M; Ferrante, D; Surico, D; Milanesio, M; Gianotti, V; Gatti, G; Addante, A; Garavoglia, M

    2012-10-01

    Recently, Chinese-made mechanical staplers with lower price respect to American-made ones have been introduced in clinical practice. In literature, small case series compare the clinical outcomes of different staplers concluding that the new stapler devices perform as well as the American ones. The aim of this study is to compare with an ultrastructural analysis the staples of different staplers in order to verify the existence of differences that might explain significant price disparity and condition clinical outcomes. Each stapler was subjected to morphological analysis, energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy, metal release assessment followed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. P-values were considered statistically significant when <0.05. Autosuture staples have square section whereas the other American one and Chinese made staples have round sections. Roughness index and chips presence before and after ageing tests were comparable for all samples except for Ethicon Endo-Surgery stapler. Energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy showed that all staplers are made of pure Titanium but Ethicon Endo-Surgery staples are made with an alloy. Metal release analysis release statistically significant differences between samples in simulated body fluid 20 days solution (P=0.002) and in Aquaregia at 14 days solution. Discussion. Stapling devices have became routinely used in gastrointestinal surgery mainly because of operative time reduction. Recently, new Chinese-made mechanical staplers, with significantly lower prices, have been introduced in clinical practice. In literature, there are some studies that compare clinical outcomes of American-made and Chinese-made staplers on small groups of patients but doesn't exist any work which consider structural differences between traditional and new devices. In our study, for the first time, we propose a comparison between two American-made staplers and three Chinese-made staplers which evaluate morphology, metal

  9. 7 CFR 457.105 - Extra long staple cotton crop insurance provisions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 6 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Extra long staple cotton crop insurance provisions... long staple cotton crop insurance provisions. The extra long staple cotton crop insurance provisions... Crop Insurance Corporation ELS Cotton Crop Provisions 1. Definitions Cotton. Varieties identified as...

  10. 7 CFR 457.105 - Extra long staple cotton crop insurance provisions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 6 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Extra long staple cotton crop insurance provisions... long staple cotton crop insurance provisions. The extra long staple cotton crop insurance provisions... Crop Insurance Corporation ELS Cotton Crop Provisions 1. Definitions Cotton. Varieties identified as...

  11. 7 CFR 457.105 - Extra long staple cotton crop insurance provisions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 6 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Extra long staple cotton crop insurance provisions... long staple cotton crop insurance provisions. The extra long staple cotton crop insurance provisions... Crop Insurance Corporation ELS Cotton Crop Provisions 1. Definitions Cotton. Varieties identified as...

  12. 76 FR 58040 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From Korea and Taiwan

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-09-19

    ... Polyester Staple Fiber From Korea and Taiwan Determination On the basis of the record \\1\\ developed in the... antidumping duty orders on certain polyester staple fiber from Korea and Taiwan would be likely to lead to...), entitled Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From Korea and Taiwan: Investigation Nos. 731-TA-825 and 826...

  13. Serosal Laceration During Firing of Powered Linear Stapler Is a Predictor of Staple Malformation.

    PubMed

    Matsuzawa, Fumihiko; Homma, Shigenori; Yoshida, Tadashi; Konishi, Yuji; Shibasaki, Susumu; Ishikawa, Takahisa; Kawamura, Hideki; Takahashi, Norihiko; Iijima, Hiroaki; Taketomi, Akinobu

    2017-12-01

    Although several types of staplers have been developed, staple-line leaks have been a great problem in gastrointestinal surgery. Powered linear staplers were recently developed to further reduce the risk of tissue trauma during laparoscopic surgery. The aim of this study was to identify the factors that predict staple malformation and determine the effect of precompression and slow firing on the staple formation of this novel powered stapling method. Porcine stomachs were divided using an endoscopic powered linear stapler with gold reloads. We divided the specimens into 9 groups according to the precompression time (0/60/180 seconds) and firing time (0/60/180 seconds). The occurrence and length of laceration and the shape of the staples were evaluated. We examined the factors influencing successful stapling and investigated the key factors for staple malformation. Precompression significantly decreased the occurrence and length of serosal laceration. Precompression and slow firing significantly improved the optimal stapling formation rate. Univariate analysis showed that the precompression time (0 seconds), firing time (0 seconds), and presence of serosal laceration were significantly associated with a low optimal formation rate. Multivariate analysis showed that these three factors were associated independently with low optimal formation rate and that the presence of serosal laceration was the only factor that could be detected during the stapling procedure. We have shown that serosal laceration is a predictor of staple malformation and demonstrated the importance of precompression and slow stapling when using the powered stapling method.

  14. Hydrocarbon-stapled lipopeptides exhibit selective antimicrobial activity.

    PubMed

    Jenner, Zachary B; Crittenden, Christopher M; Gonzalez, Martín; Brodbelt, Jennifer S; Bruns, Kerry A

    2017-05-01

    Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) occur widely in nature and have been studied for their therapeutic potential. AMPs are of interest due to the large number of possible chemical structural combinations using natural and unnatural amino acids, with varying effects on their biological activities. Using physicochemical properties from known naturally occurring amphipathic cationic AMPs, several hydrocarbon-stapled lipopeptides (HSLPs) were designed, synthesized, and tested for antimicrobial properties. Peptides were chemically modified by N-terminal acylation, C-terminal amidation, and some were hydrocarbon stapled by intramolecular olefin metathesis. The effects of peptide length, amphipathic character, and stapling on antimicrobial activity were tested against Escherichia coli, three species of Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus megaterium, and Enterococcus faecalis), and two strains of Candida albicans. Peptides were shown to disrupt liposomes of different phospholipid composition, as measured by leakage of a fluorescent compound from vesicles. Peptides with (S)-2-(4'-pentenyl)-alanine substituted for l-alanine in a reference peptide showed a marked increase in antimicrobial activity, hemolysis, and membrane disruption. Stapled peptides exhibited slightly higher antimicrobial potency; those with greatest hydrophobic character showed the greatest hemolysis and liposome leakage, but lower antimicrobial activity. The results support a model of HSLPs as membrane-disruptive AMPs with potent antimicrobial activity and relatively low hemolytic potential at biologically active peptide concentrations. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. Scraping and stapling of end-grafted DNA chains by a bioadhesive spreading vesicle to reveal chain internal friction and topological complexity.

    PubMed

    Nam, Gimoon; Hisette, Marie Laure; Sun, Yuting Liang; Gisler, Thomas; Johner, Albert; Thalmann, Fabrice; Schröder, André Pierre; Marques, Carlos Manuel; Lee, Nam-Kyung

    2010-08-20

    Stained end-grafted DNA molecules about 20 μm long are scraped away and stretched out by the spreading front of a bioadhesive vesicle. Tethered biotin ligands bind the vesicle bilayer to a streptavidin substrate, stapling the DNAs into frozen confinement paths. Image analysis of the stapled DNA gives access, within optical resolution, to the local stretching values of individual DNA molecules swept by the spreading front, and provides evidence of self-entanglements.

  16. A standardized safe hepatectomy; selective Glissonean transection using endolinear stapling devices.

    PubMed

    Fujii, Masahiko; Shimada, Mitsuo; Satoru, Imura; Morine, Yuji; Ikemoto, Tetsuya; Soejima, Yuji

    2007-01-01

    Selective clamping of Glisson's pedicle at the hilum is effective for systematized hepatectomy. Because of the development of stapling devices, a Glissonean transection using a surgical stapler has been used widely. However, the risk of accidental stapling of the biliary confluence still remains. In this paper we report about a case that underwent selective Glissonean transection using an endolinear stapling device. We used this standardized technique in five patients without any major complications. The particular case to which we refer was a 71-year-old woman with hepatocellular carcinoma in the right lobe. The anterior and posterior branches of Glisson's pedicle were independently divided using an endolinear stapling device. The right hepatic lobectomy was achieved with little bleeding and in addition there was a shortened operation time and the postoperative course was uneventful. In the patient with liver cirrhosis, postoperative complications often related to liver failure. We herein advocate a standardized safe hepatectomy using endolinear stapling devices. We believe that the shortened operative time and decreased risk of complications by selective Glissonean transection as well as hepatic vein transection using stapling devices contribute to the improved short-term outcome.

  17. 77 FR 60720 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From China

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-04

    ... Fiber From China Determination On the basis of the record \\1\\ developed in the subject five-year review... certain polyester staple fiber from China would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of... (September 2012), entitled Certain Polyester Staple Fiber from China: Investigation No. 731-TA-1104 (Review...

  18. 26 CFR 1.269B-1 - Stapled foreign corporations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 3 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Stapled foreign corporations. 1.269B-1 Section 1... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Items Not Deductible § 1.269B-1 Stapled foreign corporations. (a) Treatment as a domestic corporation—(1) General rule. Except as otherwise provided, if a foreign corporation...

  19. 26 CFR 1.269B-1 - Stapled foreign corporations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 3 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Stapled foreign corporations. 1.269B-1 Section 1... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Items Not Deductible § 1.269B-1 Stapled foreign corporations. (a) Treatment as a domestic corporation—(1) General rule. Except as otherwise provided, if a foreign corporation...

  20. 26 CFR 1.269B-1 - Stapled foreign corporations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 3 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Stapled foreign corporations. 1.269B-1 Section 1... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Items Not Deductible § 1.269B-1 Stapled foreign corporations. (a) Treatment as a domestic corporation—(1) General rule. Except as otherwise provided, if a foreign corporation...

  1. 26 CFR 1.269B-1 - Stapled foreign corporations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 3 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Stapled foreign corporations. 1.269B-1 Section 1... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Items Not Deductible § 1.269B-1 Stapled foreign corporations. (a) Treatment as a domestic corporation—(1) General rule. Except as otherwise provided, if a foreign corporation...

  2. Irrigation Comes to Staples

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lund, Duane R.

    1977-01-01

    Describes the case of Staples, Minnesota, where the vocational-technical school bought a 300-acre farm and with the help of a strong advisory committee was instrumental in changing the farming practices in an eight-county area. Emphasis is on the role and activities of the advisory committee; eleven specific contributions are listed. (HD)

  3. Local adaptive tone mapping for video enhancement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lachine, Vladimir; Dai, Min (.

    2015-03-01

    As new technologies like High Dynamic Range cameras, AMOLED and high resolution displays emerge on consumer electronics market, it becomes very important to deliver the best picture quality for mobile devices. Tone Mapping (TM) is a popular technique to enhance visual quality. However, the traditional implementation of Tone Mapping procedure is limited by pixel's value to value mapping, and the performance is restricted in terms of local sharpness and colorfulness. To overcome the drawbacks of traditional TM, we propose a spatial-frequency based framework in this paper. In the proposed solution, intensity component of an input video/image signal is split on low pass filtered (LPF) and high pass filtered (HPF) bands. Tone Mapping (TM) function is applied to LPF band to improve the global contrast/brightness, and HPF band is added back afterwards to keep the local contrast. The HPF band may be adjusted by a coring function to avoid noise boosting and signal overshooting. Colorfulness of an original image may be preserved or enhanced by chroma components correction by means of saturation function. Localized content adaptation is further improved by dividing an image to a set of non-overlapped regions and modifying each region individually. The suggested framework allows users to implement a wide range of tone mapping applications with perceptional local sharpness and colorfulness preserved or enhanced. Corresponding hardware circuit may be integrated in camera, video or display pipeline with minimal hardware budget

  4. Improving the side-to-side stapled anastomosis: comparison of staplers for robust crotch formation.

    PubMed

    Kimura, Masahiro; Kuwabara, Yoshiyuki; Taniwaki, Satoshi; Mitsui, Akira; Shibata, Yasuyuki; Ueno, Shuhei

    2018-01-01

    Few studies have investigated the burst pressure of side-to-side anastomoses comparing different stapling devices that are commercially available. We conducted side-to-side anastomoses with a variety of staplers and compared burst pressure in the crotch of the anastomoses. Nagoya City East Medical Center. We conducted side-to-side anastomoses with 9 staplers with different shapes and forms. Fresh pig small intestines were used. A side-to-side anastomosis was performed between 2 intestine specimens using a linear stapler. The burst pressure of the anastomosis was recorded. In total, 45 staplers were used for this experiment. The site of leakage in all cases was the crotch. Regarding the influence of the number of staple rows, the burst pressure in 3-row staplers was significantly higher than in 2-row staplers. With regard to the relationship between staple height and burst pressure, staples with a height slightly shorter than the intestinal thickness showed the highest burst pressure. In a comparison of staplers with uniform staple heights and stamplers with staples of 3 different heights, the latter had significantly lower burst pressures. Neoveil significantly increased the burst pressure in the crotch and contributed to the highest burst pressure of all the staplers used in this experiment. In this experiment, we defined the important factors that influence burst pressure at the crotch of a stapled, side-to-side anastomosis. These factors include the number of staple rows, the height of the staple compared with the thickness of the tissue, uniformity of staple height, and reinforcement of the staple line. In any surgical case requiring intestinal anastomosis, selection of a stapler is a critical step. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Is STAPLE algorithm confident to assess segmentation methods in PET imaging?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dewalle-Vignion, Anne-Sophie; Betrouni, Nacim; Baillet, Clio; Vermandel, Maximilien

    2015-12-01

    Accurate tumor segmentation in [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography is crucial for tumor response assessment and target volume definition in radiation therapy. Evaluation of segmentation methods from clinical data without ground truth is usually based on physicians’ manual delineations. In this context, the simultaneous truth and performance level estimation (STAPLE) algorithm could be useful to manage the multi-observers variability. In this paper, we evaluated how this algorithm could accurately estimate the ground truth in PET imaging. Complete evaluation study using different criteria was performed on simulated data. The STAPLE algorithm was applied to manual and automatic segmentation results. A specific configuration of the implementation provided by the Computational Radiology Laboratory was used. Consensus obtained by the STAPLE algorithm from manual delineations appeared to be more accurate than manual delineations themselves (80% of overlap). An improvement of the accuracy was also observed when applying the STAPLE algorithm to automatic segmentations results. The STAPLE algorithm, with the configuration used in this paper, is more appropriate than manual delineations alone or automatic segmentations results alone to estimate the ground truth in PET imaging. Therefore, it might be preferred to assess the accuracy of tumor segmentation methods in PET imaging.

  6. Is STAPLE algorithm confident to assess segmentation methods in PET imaging?

    PubMed

    Dewalle-Vignion, Anne-Sophie; Betrouni, Nacim; Baillet, Clio; Vermandel, Maximilien

    2015-12-21

    Accurate tumor segmentation in [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography is crucial for tumor response assessment and target volume definition in radiation therapy. Evaluation of segmentation methods from clinical data without ground truth is usually based on physicians' manual delineations. In this context, the simultaneous truth and performance level estimation (STAPLE) algorithm could be useful to manage the multi-observers variability. In this paper, we evaluated how this algorithm could accurately estimate the ground truth in PET imaging. Complete evaluation study using different criteria was performed on simulated data. The STAPLE algorithm was applied to manual and automatic segmentation results. A specific configuration of the implementation provided by the Computational Radiology Laboratory was used. Consensus obtained by the STAPLE algorithm from manual delineations appeared to be more accurate than manual delineations themselves (80% of overlap). An improvement of the accuracy was also observed when applying the STAPLE algorithm to automatic segmentations results. The STAPLE algorithm, with the configuration used in this paper, is more appropriate than manual delineations alone or automatic segmentations results alone to estimate the ground truth in PET imaging. Therefore, it might be preferred to assess the accuracy of tumor segmentation methods in PET imaging.

  7. Engaging Students through Mapping Local History

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mitchell, Katharyne; Elwood, Sarah

    2012-01-01

    This article argues that the integration of local history and geography through collaborative digital mapping can lead to greater interest in civic participation by early adolescent learners. In the study, twenty-nine middle school students were asked to research, represent, and discuss local urban sites of historical significance on an…

  8. Staple line reinforcement during sleeve gastrectomy with a new type of reinforced stapler.

    PubMed

    El Moussaoui, Imad; Limbga, Augustin; Mehdi, Abdelilah

    2018-04-01

    Bleeding and staple-line leak, are the most common complications of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. To decrease the incidence of this complications, a variety of intraoperative reinforcement of staple line is used. Reinforced GIA™ is a new automatic suture device with pre-attached synthetic tissue reinforcement, but no study has evaluated its use in sleeve gastrectomy. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this new staple line reinforcement technique in laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. We conducted a retrospective review of 290 patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy between January 2013 and January 2016 in which reinforced GIA™ or standard GIA™ was used. Patients preoperative characteristics, Operative time, staple line leaks, staple line bleeds, stenosis, and complications requiring reoperation were collected. A total of 187 laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy were performed with standard GIA and 103 with reinforced GIA™. Patient characteristics were not significantly different between the groups. The average operating time in the standard GIA group is 57.41±16.44 min against 50.9±14.12 min in the reinforced GIA group (P=0.006). Two staple line leaks developed in the standard GIA group and reoperated against no patients in the reinforced GIA group, without significant difference between the both groups (P=0.66). Staple line bleeds are less in the reinforced GIA group, only 23 (22.3%) against 78 (41.7%) cases in the standard GIA group (P=0.001). No patients of both groups developed gastric sleeve stenosis. During laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, the use of a reinforced stapler significantly reduces the operative time and staple line bleeding. No significant difference is evidenced in terms of reduction of staple line leaks with this reinforced stapler.

  9. Characterization of materials eliciting foreign body reaction in stapled human gastrointestinal anastomoses.

    PubMed

    Lim, C B B; Goldin, R D; Darzi, A; Hanna, G B

    2008-08-01

    Staples are made of titanium, which elicits minimal tissue reaction. The authors have encountered foreign body reaction associated with stapled human gastrointestinal anastomoses, although the literature has no reports of this. The aim of this study was to identify the refractile foreign materials causing this reaction. Histological sections were taken from 14 gastrointestinal specimens from patients with a history of a stapled anastomosis within the specimen excised. These were reviewed by light and polarization microscopy. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis were carried out on these sections, staples and stapler cartridges used for gastrointestinal surgery. Foreign bodies rich in fluorine were found in three patients, and those rich in carbon in 12. Other elements identified included oxygen, calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, aluminium and silicon. One specimen was found to contain titanium with no surrounding foreign body reaction. Stapler cartridges contained carbon, oxygen, fluorine, calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, aluminium, silicon and traces of titanium. Staples were composed of pure titanium with some fibrous material on the surface containing elements found in stapler cartridges. The presence of foreign body reaction was confirmed in stapled human gastrointestinal anastomoses. The source of refractile materials eliciting this reaction was the stapler cartridges. (c) 2008 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  10. Rectal distensibility and symptoms after stapled and Milligan-Morgan operation for hemorrhoids.

    PubMed

    Corsetti, Maura; De Nardi, Paola; Di Pietro, Salvatore; Passaretti, Sandro; Testoni, Pier Alberto; Staudacher, Carlo

    2009-12-01

    In a previous uncontrolled study, a reduction of rectal distensibility and volume thresholds for sensations have been related to the occurrence of fecal urgency and/or increased stool frequency after stapled hemorrhoidopexy. The aim of this study was to compare rectal symptoms and sensory-motor function after stapled hemorrhoidopexy and Milligan-Morgan hemorrhoidectomy. The clinical records of 12 (four women) and ten patients (four women) with third- and fourth-degree hemorrhoids, respectively, who underwent stapled hemorrhoidopexy or Milligan-Morgan's hemorrhoidectomy, were evaluated. One week before and 6 months after surgery, rectal motor and sensory response to distension was assessed by an electronic barostat, and bowel and rectal symptoms were recorded by means of a 7-day diary and Bristol Index scale and psychological symptoms with SCL-90 questionnaire. Rectal distensibility and volume thresholds for sensations were significantly lower after surgery (P < 0.02) in the stapled group. Increased stool frequency and/or fecal urgency arose in 41% of patients in the stapled group and associated with altered rectal distensibility. No difference within and between groups could be demonstrated in SCL-90 score. Rectal distensibility and volume thresholds for sensations decrease after stapled hemorrhoidopexy. Altered rectal distensibility was associated with rectal urgency and/or increased stool frequency.

  11. Hydrocarbon double-stapling remedies the proteolytic instability of a lengthy peptide therapeutic

    PubMed Central

    Bird, Gregory H.; Madani, Navid; Perry, Alisa F.; Princiotto, Amy M.; Supko, Jeffrey G.; He, Xiaoying; Gavathiotis, Evripidis; Sodroski, Joseph G.; Walensky, Loren D.

    2010-01-01

    The pharmacologic utility of lengthy peptides can be hindered by loss of bioactive structure and rapid proteolysis, which limits bioavailability. For example, enfuvirtide (Fuzeon, T20, DP178), a 36-amino acid peptide that inhibits human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection by effectively targeting the viral fusion apparatus, has been relegated to a salvage treatment option mostly due to poor in vivo stability and lack of oral bioavailability. To overcome the proteolytic shortcomings of long peptides as therapeutics, we examined the biophysical, biological, and pharmacologic impact of inserting all-hydrocarbon staples into an HIV-1 fusion inhibitor. We find that peptide double-stapling confers striking protease resistance that translates into markedly improved pharmacokinetic properties, including oral absorption. We determined that the hydrocarbon staples create a proteolytic shield by combining reinforcement of overall α-helical structure, which slows the kinetics of proteolysis, with complete blockade of peptide cleavage at constrained sites in the immediate vicinity of the staple. Importantly, double-stapling also optimizes the antiviral activity of HIV-1 fusion peptides and the antiproteolytic feature extends to other therapeutic peptide templates, such as the diabetes drug exenatide (Byetta). Thus, hydrocarbon double-stapling may unlock the therapeutic potential of natural bioactive polypeptides by transforming them into structurally fortified agents with enhanced bioavailability. PMID:20660316

  12. Finite element modelling of stapled colorectal end-to-end anastomosis: advantages of variable height stapler design.

    PubMed

    Nováček, V; Tran, T N; Klinge, U; Tolba, R H; Staat, M; Bronson, D G; Miesse, A M; Whiffen, J; Turquier, F

    2012-10-11

    The impact of surgical staplers on tissues has been studied mostly in an empirical manner. In this paper, finite element method was used to clarify the mechanics of tissue stapling and associated phenomena. Various stapling modalities and several designs of circular staplers were investigated to evaluate the impact of the device on tissues and mechanical performance of the end-to-end colorectal anastomosis. Numerical simulations demonstrated that a single row of staples is not adequate to resist leakage due to non-linear buckling and opening of the tissue layers between two adjacent staples. Compared to the single staple row configuration, significant increase in stress experienced by the tissue at the inner staple rows was observed in two and three rows designs. On the other hand, adding second and/or third staple row had no effect on strain in the tissue inside the staples. Variable height design with higher staples in outer rows significantly reduced the stresses and strains in outer rows when compared to the same configuration with flat cartridge. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. 75 FR 43921 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From Taiwan: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-27

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-583-833] Certain Polyester Staple... certain polyester staple fiber from Taiwan. The period of review is May 1, 2008, through April 30, 2009... polyester staple fiber (PSF) from Taiwan. See Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From Taiwan: Preliminary...

  14. Staples.com: Focus on Usability.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCann, Tom; Hynes, Colin

    2002-01-01

    Describes the Staples.com electronic commerce Web site; discusses its steady growth rate; and details two case studies in which data from a variety of sources were used to identify and resolve site usability issues and which are supported by compelling ROI (return on investment) figures. (Author/LRW)

  15. Management of a failed mandibular staple implant: a clinical report.

    PubMed

    Ettinger, Ronald L; Fakhry, Ali

    2010-12-01

    A 48-year-old woman sought treatment because her staple implant-retained overdenture was no longer retentive, and the denture was worn over the abutments. After unsuccessfully attempting to move the retentive nuts along the transosseous posts of the staple implant, the posts were cut off at the level of the bone. Two endosseous implants were placed around the staple implant, and a new implant-retained overdenture was fabricated and inserted using ball attachments for retention. This article describes the treatment for this patient, who has been wearing the new dentures successfully for the past 4 years. Copyright © 2010 The Editorial Council of the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Outcomes of mechanical stapling for postlaryngectomy open pharyngotomy closure.

    PubMed

    Paddle, Paul; Husain, Inna; McHugh, Lauren; Franco, Ramon

    2017-03-01

    A total laryngectomy (TL) is performed as a primary or salvage therapy for laryngeal carcinoma. Pharyngotomy closure after TL is typically performed using manual sutures. Automatic stapling devices are routinely used in thoracoabdominal surgery, but have not been widely accepted for use in pharyngotomy closure. Previously described closed stapling techniques of pharyngeal closure do not allow direct evaluation of surgical margins and are limited to endolaryngeal disease. We describe an open technique for pharyngotomy closure using a mechanical stapling device. Retrospective review. A review was conducted of 16 total laryngectomies performed from May 2008 to August 2015 utilizing an Ethicon Endopath ETS Compact-Flex 45 stapler. Sixteen patients (15 male, one female), mean age 69 years, received open TL (14 salvage, two primary) with endostapler pharyngeal closure and primary tracheoesophageal puncture (TEP). Surgical time averaged 218 minutes. Median time to swallowing was 4 days (range, 2-240 days) and mean hospital stay 6 days (range, 3-10 days). Fistula incidence was 31% (5/16) overall and 36% (5/14) in the postradiation patients. Mechanical stapling is a simple method for postlaryngectomy open pharyngotomy closure. This technique allows evaluation of margins, easy primary TEP, and the opportunity for early swallowing and shorter hospital stays. In addition, it can be performed for closure of salvage laryngectomies with rates of fistula formation similar to that found in the literature using suture closure techniques. Future studies are necessary to compare oncological results and surgical complications between the open and closed stapling techniques and to traditional suture closure. 4 Laryngoscope, 127:605-610, 2017. © 2016 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

  17. Stapled haemorrhoidopexy transiently decreases rectal compliance and sensitivity.

    PubMed

    Filho, F L A; Macedo, G M; Dos Santos, A A; Rodrigues, L V; Oliveira, R B; Nobre E Souza, M A

    2011-02-01

    Stapled haemorrhoidopexy may damage the anorectal musculature and its sensorimotor function. Most studies have not used a barostat for the measurement of compliance. This study aimed to investigate the effect of stapled haemorrhoidopexy on rectal compliance and sensitivity. After Ethical Committee approval, we studied 10 male patients (mean age 33.8 years) with third- or fourth-degree haemorrhoids. Rectal compliance and sensitivity were measured with a 600-ml bag and an electronic barostat. Volunteers were submitted to two consecutive rectal distension protocols, including continuous distension at 2, 4 and 6 months after stapled haemorrhoidopexy. Intraluminal volume and pressure were recorded, including the first rectal sensation, desire to defecate and onset of rectal pain. Another group of 10 male control patients (mean age 24.9 years) with pilonidal sinus and no haemorrhoids was also included in the study. Two months after stapled haemorrhoidopexy, rectal compliance decreased (7.1 ± 0.2 vs 5.3 ± 0.1, 6.4 ± 0.1 vs 5.1 ± 0.1 and 5.6 ± 0.2 vs 4.7 ± 0.1 ml/mmHg for first rectal sensation, desire to defecate and rectal pain, respectively; P < 0.05). The sensitivity threshold volume did not change for the first sensation but decreased significantly for the desier to defecate and pain (p <0.05) (116.8 ± 13.8 vs 148.4 ± 14.61, 251.1 ± 8.9 vs 185.8 ± 8.6 and 293.3 ± 16.6 vs 221.2 ± 6.0 ml for first rectal sensation, desire to defecate and rectal pain, respectively). Four and 6 months after surgery, rectal compliance and sensitivity returned to levels similar to those in the basal period. Muscle tissue was found in only three of the 10 resected doughnuts. Controls remained without any change in rectal compliance and sensitivity. Stapled haemorrhoidopexy transiently decreases rectal compliance and sensitivity threshold in young male patients. © 2010 The Authors. Colorectal Disease © 2010 The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland.

  18. Cullin3 - BTB Interface: A Novel Target for Stapled Peptides

    PubMed Central

    Palmieri, Maddalena; Balasco, Nicole; Esposito, Luciana; Russo, Luigi; Mazzà, Daniela; Di Marcotullio, Lucia; Di Gaetano, Sonia; Malgieri, Gaetano; Vitagliano, Luigi; Pedone, Emilia; Zaccaro, Laura

    2015-01-01

    Cullin3 (Cul3), a key factor of protein ubiquitination, is able to interact with dozens of different proteins containing a BTB (Bric-a-brac, Tramtrack and Broad Complex) domain. We here targeted the Cul3–BTB interface by using the intriguing approach of stabilizing the α-helical conformation of Cul3-based peptides through the “stapling” with a hydrocarbon cross-linker. In particular, by combining theoretical and experimental techniques, we designed and characterized stapled Cul3-based peptides embedding the helix 2 of the protein (residues 49–68). Intriguingly, CD and NMR experiments demonstrate that these stapled peptides were able to adopt the helical structure that the fragment assumes in the parent protein. We also show that some of these peptides were able to bind to the BTB of the tetrameric KCTD11, a substrate adaptor involved in HDAC1 degradation, with high affinity (~ 300–600 nM). Cul3-derived staple peptides are also able to bind the BTB of the pentameric KCTD5. Interestingly, the affinity of these peptides is of the same order of magnitude of that reported for the interaction of full-length Cul3 with some BTB containing proteins. Moreover, present data indicate that stapling endows these peptides with an increased serum stability. Altogether, these findings indicate that the designed stapled peptides can efficiently mimic protein-protein interactions and are potentially able to modulate fundamental biological processes involving Cul3. PMID:25848797

  19. Will Transition of Staple Food Strategy in China Really Mitigate Global Climate Change?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, B.; Zhao, D.

    2017-12-01

    With the increase in agricultural demand, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is a vital challenge in mitigating climate change. Potato staple food strategy in China introduced by Ministry of Agriculture in 2015 is to gradually adjust staple food structure, which provides an opportunity to meet with the challenge. Apart from staple food structure, difference on energy, material input, geography, and crop management are essential to determine agriculture's contribution to climate change. In this study, we conduct a life cycle analysis of four staple foods in China, namely rice, wheat, maize, and potato, to develop crop-specific estimates of GHG emissions and GHG intensity by using `Production intensity' (carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per kilocalorie produced), to help us understand potential synergies and frictions between food producing and climate mitigation. Data used in this study is on city / province levels if city level is unavailable in 2015. First, we evaluate GHG reductions due to transition of staple food structure in China. Staple food GHG emissions in China are 546.90 Tg CO2e yr-1 in 2015, with 47.6%, 21.9%, 27.3% and 3.2% from rice, wheat, maize and potato. Mean production intensity of staple food is 0.45 Mg CO2e M kcal-1 in 2015. Maize leads the intensity with 0.77 Mg CO2e M kcal-1, followed by rice (0.49 Mg CO2e M kcal-1), wheat (0.28 Mg CO2e M kcal-1) and potato (0.24 Mg CO2e M kcal-1). After staple food structure adjustment, 25 Tg CO2e yr-1 (4.2%) reduction will be accomplished in 2020 without any crop management improvement. Further reduction (33.3% - 40.4%) could be achieved with crop management improvement. In addition, because of staple food structure switching, native rice production will decline, which might lead to more export from countries with higher production intensity. Estimated emission leakage from rice import is 30.10 Tg CO2e yr-1, exceeds emission reduction in native China. Therefore, potato staple food strategy could

  20. Frequency of Dehiscence in Hand-Sutured and Stapled Intestinal Anastomoses in Dogs.

    PubMed

    Duell, Jason R; Thieman Mankin, Kelley M; Rochat, Mark C; Regier, Penny J; Singh, Ameet; Luther, Jill K; Mison, Michael B; Leeman, Jessica J; Budke, Christine M

    2016-01-01

    To determine the frequency of dehiscence of hand-sutured and stapled intestinal anastomoses in the dog and compare the surgery duration for the methods of anastomosis. Historical cohort study. Two hundred fourteen client-owned dogs undergoing hand-sutured (n = 142) or stapled (n = 72) intestinal anastomoses. Medical records from 5 referral institutions were searched for dogs undergoing intestinal resection and anastomosis between March 2006 and February 2014. Demographic data, presence of septic peritonitis before surgery, surgical technique (hand-sutured or stapled), surgery duration, surgeon (resident versus faculty member), indication for surgical intervention, anatomic location of resection and anastomosis, and if dehiscence was noted postoperatively were retrieved. Estimated frequencies were summarized and presented as proportions and 95% confidence intervals (CI) and continuous outcomes as mean (95% CI). Comparisons were made across methods of anastomosis. Overall, 29/205 dogs (0.14, 95% CI 0.10-00.19) had dehiscence, including 21/134 dogs (0.16, 0.11-0.23) undergoing hand-sutured anastomosis and 8/71 dogs (0.11, 0.06-0.21) undergoing stapled anastomosis. There was no significant difference in the frequency of dehiscence across anastomosis methods (χ(2), P = .389). The mean (95% CI) surgery duration of 140 minutes (132-147) for hand- sutured anastomoses and 108 minutes (99-119) for stapled anastomoses was significantly different (t-test, P < .001). No significant difference in frequency of dehiscence was noted between hand- sutured and stapled anastomoses in dogs but surgery duration is significantly reduced by the use of staples for intestinal closure. © Copyright 2015 by The American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

  1. The stapled hemorrhoidopexy syndrome: a new clinical entity?

    PubMed

    Efthimiadis, Chr; Kosmidis, Chr; Grigoriou, M; Anthimidis, G; Vasiliadou, K; Baka, S; Gerasimidou, D; Basdanis, G

    2011-10-01

    Haemorrhoidal disease is a rather common disease of unknown cause. A new technique for treating prolapsing haemorrhoids known as the stapled hemorrhoidopexy (SH) or the "Longo procedure" is widely used. Serious adverse events were reported in 2000 and some discussion over the syndrome but nothing since. Two hundred and five patients underwent SH by our surgical team at the Interbalkan European Medical Center. Modified SH was performed. Despite the low incidence of postoperative complications (11/205), 36.58% of patients developed syndrome comprised of urgency to defecate, sensation of anal foreign body and incomplete defecation and mild cramp like anal discomfort, immediately after surgery or in the following 48 h. There is not statistically significant relationship between the presence of the syndrome and the gender, the presence of muscle fibres in the resected "ring" the degree of haemorrhoidal disease, age and ring length. Observations led us to conclude that the stapled hemorrhoidopexy syndrome (SHS) is probably caused by the irritating presence of the titanium staples in the rectal mucosa and by the resection itself.

  2. Local Free-Space Mapping and Path Guidance for Mobile Robots.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1988-03-01

    CM a CD U 00 Technical Document 1227 March 1988 Local Free- Space Mapping o and Path Guidance for Mobile Robots o William T. Gex N’% Nancy L. Campbell...TITLE (inludvSeocutCl&sas~o*) Local Free- Space Mapping and Path Guidance for Mobile Robots 12. PERSONAL AUTHOR(S) William T. Gex and Nancy L...Description of Robot System... 2 Free- Space Mapping ... 4 Map Construction ... 4 . ,12pping Examplk... 5 ’ft Sensor Unreliability... 8 % Path Guidance

  3. Acoustic-articulatory mapping in vowels by locally weighted regression

    PubMed Central

    McGowan, Richard S.; Berger, Michael A.

    2009-01-01

    A method for mapping between simultaneously measured articulatory and acoustic data is proposed. The method uses principal components analysis on the articulatory and acoustic variables, and mapping between the domains by locally weighted linear regression, or loess [Cleveland, W. S. (1979). J. Am. Stat. Assoc. 74, 829–836]. The latter method permits local variation in the slopes of the linear regression, assuming that the function being approximated is smooth. The methodology is applied to vowels of four speakers in the Wisconsin X-ray Microbeam Speech Production Database, with formant analysis. Results are examined in terms of (1) examples of forward (articulation-to-acoustics) mappings and inverse mappings, (2) distributions of local slopes and constants, (3) examples of correlations among slopes and constants, (4) root-mean-square error, and (5) sensitivity of formant frequencies to articulatory change. It is shown that the results are qualitatively correct and that loess performs better than global regression. The forward mappings show different root-mean-square error properties than the inverse mappings indicating that this method is better suited for the forward mappings than the inverse mappings, at least for the data chosen for the current study. Some preliminary results on sensitivity of the first two formant frequencies to the two most important articulatory principal components are presented. PMID:19813812

  4. Exploitation of the Ornithine Effect Enhances Characterization of Stapled and Cyclic Peptides

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Crittenden, Christopher M.; Parker, W. Ryan; Jenner, Zachary B.; Bruns, Kerry A.; Akin, Lucas D.; McGee, William M.; Ciccimaro, Eugene; Brodbelt, Jennifer S.

    2016-05-01

    A method to facilitate the characterization of stapled or cyclic peptides is reported via an arginine-selective derivatization strategy coupled with MS/MS analysis. Arginine residues are converted to ornithine residues through a deguanidination reaction that installs a highly selectively cleavable site in peptides. Upon activation by CID or UVPD, the ornithine residue cyclizes to promote cleavage of the adjacent amide bond. This Arg-specific process offers a unique strategy for site-selective ring opening of stapled and cyclic peptides. Upon activation of each derivatized peptide, site-specific backbone cleavage at the ornithine residue results in two complementary products: the lactam ring-containing portion of the peptide and the amine-containing portion. The deguanidination process not only provides a specific marker site that initiates fragmentation of the peptide but also offers a means to unlock the staple and differentiate isobaric stapled peptides.

  5. 75 FR 47795 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber from Korea: Rescission of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-09

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-580-839] Certain Polyester Staple... Polyester staple fiber (``PSF'') covered by the scope of the order is defined as synthetic staple fibers, not carded, combed or otherwise processed for spinning, of polyesters measuring 3.3 decitex (3 denier...

  6. 76 FR 52935 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From Korea: Rescission of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-24

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-580-839] Certain Polyester Staple... on polyester staple fiber from Korea. See Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Order, Finding, or..., 76 FR 37781 (June 28, 2011). Scope of the Order Polyester staple fiber covered by the scope of the...

  7. Global, quantitative and dynamic mapping of protein subcellular localization.

    PubMed

    Itzhak, Daniel N; Tyanova, Stefka; Cox, Jürgen; Borner, Georg Hh

    2016-06-09

    Subcellular localization critically influences protein function, and cells control protein localization to regulate biological processes. We have developed and applied Dynamic Organellar Maps, a proteomic method that allows global mapping of protein translocation events. We initially used maps statically to generate a database with localization and absolute copy number information for over 8700 proteins from HeLa cells, approaching comprehensive coverage. All major organelles were resolved, with exceptional prediction accuracy (estimated at >92%). Combining spatial and abundance information yielded an unprecedented quantitative view of HeLa cell anatomy and organellar composition, at the protein level. We subsequently demonstrated the dynamic capabilities of the approach by capturing translocation events following EGF stimulation, which we integrated into a quantitative model. Dynamic Organellar Maps enable the proteome-wide analysis of physiological protein movements, without requiring any reagents specific to the investigated process, and will thus be widely applicable in cell biology.

  8. 75 FR 39208 - Polyester Staple Fiber from Taiwan: Final Results of Changed-Circumstances Antidumping Duty...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-08

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-583-833] Polyester Staple Fiber from... Eastern Textile Limited with regard to the antidumping duty order on polyester staple fiber from Taiwan... on polyester staple fiber from Taiwan to determine whether FENC was the successor-in-interest to FET...

  9. LONG TERM RESULTS AFTER STAPLED HEMORRHOIDOPEXY ALONE AND COMPLEMENTED BY EXCISIONAL HEMORRHOIDECTOMY: A RETROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY

    PubMed Central

    ARAUJO, Sergio Eduardo Alonso; HORCEL, Lucas de Araujo; SEID, Victor Edmond; BERTONCINI, Alexandre Bruno; KLAJNER, Sidney

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT Background: Stapled hemorrhoidopexy is associated with less postoperative pain and faster recovery. However, it may be associated with a greater risk of symptomatic recurrence. We hypothesized that undertaking a limited surgical excision of hemorrhoid disease after stapling may be a valid approach for selected patients. Aim: To compare long-term results after stapled hemorrhoidopexy with and without complementation with closed excisional technique. Method: In a retrospective uni-institutional cohort study, sixty-five (29 men) patients underwent stapled hemorrhoidopexy and 21 (13 men) underwent stapled hemorrhoidopexy with excision. The same surgeons operated on all cases. Patients underwent stapled hemorrhoidectomy associated with excisional surgery if symptoms attributable to external hemorrhoid piles were observed preoperatively, or if residual prolapse or bulky external disease was observed after the firing of the stapler. A closed excisional diathermy hemorrhoidectomy without vascular ligation was utilized in all complemented cases. All clinical variables were obtained from a questionnaire evaluation obtained through e-mail, telephone interview, or office follow-up. Results: The median duration of postoperative follow-up was 48.5 (6-40) months. Patients with grades 3 and 4 hemorrhoid disease were operated on more frequently using stapled hemorrhoidopexy complemented with excisional technique (95.2% vs. 55.4%, p=0.001). Regarding respectively stapled hemorrhoidopexy and stapled hemorrhoidopexy complemented with excision, there was no difference between the techniques in relation to symptom recurrence (43% and 33%, p=0.45) and median interval between surgery and symptom recurrence (30 (8-84) and 38.8 (8-65) months, p=0.80). Eight (12.3%) patients were re-operated after stapled hemorrhoidopexy and 2 (9.6%), after hemorrhoidopexy with excision (p=0.78). Patient distribution in both groups according to the degree of postoperative satisfaction was similar (p

  10. Preparation and Characterization of Nitinol Bone Staples for Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lekston, Z.; Stróż, D.; Jędrusik-Pawłowska, M.

    2012-12-01

    The aim of this work was to form NiTi and TiNiCo body temperature activated and superelastic staples for clinical joining of mandible and face bone fractures. The alloys were obtained by VIM technique. Hot and cold processing was applied to obtain wires of required diameters. The martensitic transformation was studied by DSC, XRD, and TEM. The shape memory effects were measured by a bend and free recovery ASTM F2082-06 test. The superelasticity was recorded in the tension stress-strain and by the three-point bending cycles in an instrument equipped with a Hottinger force transducer and LVDT. Excellent superelastic behavior of TiNiCo wires was obtained after cold working and annealing at 400-500 °C. The body temperature activated shape memory staples were applied for fixation of mandibular condyle fractures. In experiments on the skull models, fixation of the facial fractures by using shape memory and superelastic staples were compared. The superelastic staples were used in osteosynthesis of zygomatico-maxillo-orbital fractures.

  11. A Discussion with Suzanne Fisher Staples: The Author as Writer and Cultural Observer.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sawyer, Walter E.; Sawyer, Jean C.

    1993-01-01

    Presents an interview with Suzanne Fisher Staples, author of the children's novel, "Shabanu, Daughter of the Wind." Discusses Staples' creative writing process, background, and the writer's role as cultural observer. (HB)

  12. Model-based local density sharpening of cryo-EM maps

    PubMed Central

    Jakobi, Arjen J; Wilmanns, Matthias

    2017-01-01

    Atomic models based on high-resolution density maps are the ultimate result of the cryo-EM structure determination process. Here, we introduce a general procedure for local sharpening of cryo-EM density maps based on prior knowledge of an atomic reference structure. The procedure optimizes contrast of cryo-EM densities by amplitude scaling against the radially averaged local falloff estimated from a windowed reference model. By testing the procedure using six cryo-EM structures of TRPV1, β-galactosidase, γ-secretase, ribosome-EF-Tu complex, 20S proteasome and RNA polymerase III, we illustrate how local sharpening can increase interpretability of density maps in particular in cases of resolution variation and facilitates model building and atomic model refinement. PMID:29058676

  13. Global, quantitative and dynamic mapping of protein subcellular localization

    PubMed Central

    Itzhak, Daniel N; Tyanova, Stefka; Cox, Jürgen; Borner, Georg HH

    2016-01-01

    Subcellular localization critically influences protein function, and cells control protein localization to regulate biological processes. We have developed and applied Dynamic Organellar Maps, a proteomic method that allows global mapping of protein translocation events. We initially used maps statically to generate a database with localization and absolute copy number information for over 8700 proteins from HeLa cells, approaching comprehensive coverage. All major organelles were resolved, with exceptional prediction accuracy (estimated at >92%). Combining spatial and abundance information yielded an unprecedented quantitative view of HeLa cell anatomy and organellar composition, at the protein level. We subsequently demonstrated the dynamic capabilities of the approach by capturing translocation events following EGF stimulation, which we integrated into a quantitative model. Dynamic Organellar Maps enable the proteome-wide analysis of physiological protein movements, without requiring any reagents specific to the investigated process, and will thus be widely applicable in cell biology. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.16950.001 PMID:27278775

  14. A Probabilistic Feature Map-Based Localization System Using a Monocular Camera.

    PubMed

    Kim, Hyungjin; Lee, Donghwa; Oh, Taekjun; Choi, Hyun-Taek; Myung, Hyun

    2015-08-31

    Image-based localization is one of the most widely researched localization techniques in the robotics and computer vision communities. As enormous image data sets are provided through the Internet, many studies on estimating a location with a pre-built image-based 3D map have been conducted. Most research groups use numerous image data sets that contain sufficient features. In contrast, this paper focuses on image-based localization in the case of insufficient images and features. A more accurate localization method is proposed based on a probabilistic map using 3D-to-2D matching correspondences between a map and a query image. The probabilistic feature map is generated in advance by probabilistic modeling of the sensor system as well as the uncertainties of camera poses. Using the conventional PnP algorithm, an initial camera pose is estimated on the probabilistic feature map. The proposed algorithm is optimized from the initial pose by minimizing Mahalanobis distance errors between features from the query image and the map to improve accuracy. To verify that the localization accuracy is improved, the proposed algorithm is compared with the conventional algorithm in a simulation and realenvironments.

  15. A Probabilistic Feature Map-Based Localization System Using a Monocular Camera

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Hyungjin; Lee, Donghwa; Oh, Taekjun; Choi, Hyun-Taek; Myung, Hyun

    2015-01-01

    Image-based localization is one of the most widely researched localization techniques in the robotics and computer vision communities. As enormous image data sets are provided through the Internet, many studies on estimating a location with a pre-built image-based 3D map have been conducted. Most research groups use numerous image data sets that contain sufficient features. In contrast, this paper focuses on image-based localization in the case of insufficient images and features. A more accurate localization method is proposed based on a probabilistic map using 3D-to-2D matching correspondences between a map and a query image. The probabilistic feature map is generated in advance by probabilistic modeling of the sensor system as well as the uncertainties of camera poses. Using the conventional PnP algorithm, an initial camera pose is estimated on the probabilistic feature map. The proposed algorithm is optimized from the initial pose by minimizing Mahalanobis distance errors between features from the query image and the map to improve accuracy. To verify that the localization accuracy is improved, the proposed algorithm is compared with the conventional algorithm in a simulation and realenvironments. PMID:26404284

  16. The Chemistry of Diet: Medicine, Nutrition, and Staple Foods in Imperial Brazil.

    PubMed

    Loureiro de Mendonça Couto, Cristiana

    2015-01-01

    Brazilian cuisine is much admired by present-day international chefs. However, in the nineteenth century, local ingredients and recipes were looked down upon by the Portuguese colonists, as well as by visiting European naturalists. This fact, together with medical and chemical views formulated throughout the 1800s, led locally trained doctors to attribute the occurrence of countless diseases that devastated Rio de Janeiro to local staple foods, particularly corn and manioc flour. In the first part of the present article, I review the dietary habits of Brazilians through the eyes of European naturalists who travelled across the country in the early nineteenth century. In the second part, I summarise the ideas formulated by French and German chemists on the components, and consequent nutritional value, of cereals and other sources of flour, and then analyse the appropriation of such ideas--particularly those of Justus Liebig--by Brazilian doctors and their adaptation to local conditions.

  17. 7 CFR 28.304 - Original representation of American Pima cotton staple lengths.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Original representation of American Pima cotton staple... STANDARDS AND STANDARD CONTAINER REGULATIONS COTTON CLASSING, TESTING, AND STANDARDS Standards Official Cotton Standards of the United States for Length of Staple § 28.304 Original representation of American...

  18. 7 CFR 28.304 - Original representation of American Pima cotton staple lengths.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Original representation of American Pima cotton staple... STANDARDS AND STANDARD CONTAINER REGULATIONS COTTON CLASSING, TESTING, AND STANDARDS Standards Official Cotton Standards of the United States for Length of Staple § 28.304 Original representation of American...

  19. 7 CFR 28.304 - Original representation of American Pima cotton staple lengths.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Original representation of American Pima cotton staple... STANDARDS AND STANDARD CONTAINER REGULATIONS COTTON CLASSING, TESTING, AND STANDARDS Standards Official Cotton Standards of the United States for Length of Staple § 28.304 Original representation of American...

  20. 7 CFR 28.304 - Original representation of American Pima cotton staple lengths.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Original representation of American Pima cotton staple... STANDARDS AND STANDARD CONTAINER REGULATIONS COTTON CLASSING, TESTING, AND STANDARDS Standards Official Cotton Standards of the United States for Length of Staple § 28.304 Original representation of American...

  1. 7 CFR 28.304 - Original representation of American Pima cotton staple lengths.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Original representation of American Pima cotton staple... STANDARDS AND STANDARD CONTAINER REGULATIONS COTTON CLASSING, TESTING, AND STANDARDS Standards Official Cotton Standards of the United States for Length of Staple § 28.304 Original representation of American...

  2. Evaluating the synchronicity in yield variations of staple crops at global scale

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yokozawa, M.

    2014-12-01

    Reflecting the recent globalization trend in world commodity market, several major production countries are producing large amount of staple crops, especially, maize and soybean. Thus, simultaneous crop failure (abrupt reduction in crop yield, lean year) due to extreme weather and/or climate change could lead to unstable food supply. This study try to examine the synchronicity in yield variations of staple crops at global scale. We use a gridded crop yields database, which includes the historical year-to-year changes in staple crop yields with a spatial resolution of 1.125 degree in latitude/longitude during a period of 1982-2006 (Iizumi et al. 2013). It has been constructed based on the agriculture statistics issued by local administrative bureaus in each country. For the regions being lack of data, an interpolation was conducted to obtain the values referring to the NPP estimates from satellite data as well as FAO country yield. For each time series of the target crop yield, we firstly applied a local kernel regression to represent the long-term trend component. Next, the deviations of yearly yield from the long-term trend component were defined as ΔY(i, y) in year y at grid i. Then, the correlation of deviation between grids i and j in year y is defined as Cij(y) = ΔY(i, y) ΔY(j, y). In addition, Pij = <ΔY(i, y) ΔY(j, y)> represents the time-averaged correlation of deviation between grids i and j. Bracket <...> means the time average operation over 25 years (1982-2006). As the results, figures show the time changes in the number of grid pairs, in which both the deviation are negative. It represent the time changes in ratio of the grid pairs where both crop yields synchronically decreased to the total grid pairs. The years denoted by arrows in the figures indicate the case that all the ratios of three country pairs (i.e. China-USA, USA-Brazil and Brazil-China) are relatively larger (>0.6 for soybean and >0.5 for maize). This suggests that the reductions in

  3. Skin closure using staples and nylon sutures: a comparison of results.

    PubMed

    Stockley, I; Elson, R A

    1987-03-01

    A disposable skin stapler (Elite: Auto Suture UK Ltd) and Nylon vertical mattress sutures have been used for skin closure. The complications related to each method were evaluated in 129 wounds. There was a higher incidence of inflammation, discomfort on removal and spreading of the healing scar associated with staples. The only advantage of staples was speed of wound closure.

  4. Non-Destructive and rapid evaluation of staple foods quality by using spectroscopic techniques: A review.

    PubMed

    Su, Wen-Hao; He, Hong-Ju; Sun, Da-Wen

    2017-03-24

    Staple foods, including cereals, legumes, and root/tuber crops, dominate the daily diet of humans by providing valuable proteins, starch, oils, minerals, and vitamins. Quality evaluation of staple foods is primarily carried out on sensory (e.g. external defect, color), adulteration (e.g. species, origin), chemical (e.g. starch, proteins), mycotoxin (e.g. Fusarium toxin, aflatoxin), parasitic infection (e.g. weevil, beetle), and internal physiological (e.g. hollow heart, black heart) aspects. Conventional methods for the quality assessment of staple foods are always laborious, destructive, and time-consuming. Requirements for online monitoring of staple foods have been proposed to encourage the development of rapid, reagentless, and noninvasive techniques. Spectroscopic techniques, such as visible-infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and spectral imaging, have been introduced as promising analytical tools and applied for the quality evaluation of staple foods. This review summarizes the recent applications and progress of such spectroscopic techniques in determining various qualities of staple foods. Besides, challenges and future trends of these spectroscopic techniques are also presented.

  5. 78 FR 51707 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From the Republic of Korea: Rescission of Antidumping Duty...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-21

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-580-839] Certain Polyester Staple... certain polyester staple fiber (polyester staple fiber) from the Republic of Korea (Korea) for the period..., 2013, the Department initiated an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on polyester...

  6. 77 FR 6783 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From the People's Republic of China: Extension of Preliminary...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-09

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-570-905] Certain Polyester Staple... results of the administrative review of certain polyester staple fiber from the People's Republic of China... polyester staple fiber from the PRC. See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative...

  7. Maximally Informative Statistics for Localization and Mapping

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Deans, Matthew C.

    2001-01-01

    This paper presents an algorithm for localization and mapping for a mobile robot using monocular vision and odometry as its means of sensing. The approach uses the Variable State Dimension filtering (VSDF) framework to combine aspects of Extended Kalman filtering and nonlinear batch optimization. This paper describes two primary improvements to the VSDF. The first is to use an interpolation scheme based on Gaussian quadrature to linearize measurements rather than relying on analytic Jacobians. The second is to replace the inverse covariance matrix in the VSDF with its Cholesky factor to improve the computational complexity. Results of applying the filter to the problem of localization and mapping with omnidirectional vision are presented.

  8. 75 FR 30373 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From the People's Republic of China: Extension of Preliminary...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-01

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-570-905] Certain Polyester Staple... results of the administrative review of certain polyester staple fiber from the People's Republic of China... administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain polyester staple fiber from the PRC. See...

  9. 78 FR 38938 - Polyester Staple Fiber From Taiwan: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2011...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-06-28

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-583-833] Polyester Staple Fiber From... duty order on polyester staple fiber (PSF) from Taiwan. The period of review is May 1, 2011, through... Results. None were received. \\1\\ See Polyester Staple Fiber From Taiwan: Preliminary Results of...

  10. 75 FR 6352 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber from the People's Republic of China: Extension of Preliminary...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-02-09

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-570-905] Certain Polyester Staple... results of the administrative review of certain polyester staple fiber from the People's Republic of China... administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain polyester staple fiber from the PRC. See...

  11. 76 FR 7532 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From the People's Republic of China: Extension of Preliminary...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-02-10

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-570-905] Certain Polyester Staple... results of the administrative review of certain polyester staple fiber from the People's Republic of China... initiation of the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain polyester staple fiber from...

  12. 77 FR 19619 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber from the People's Republic of China: Extension of Preliminary...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-04-02

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-570-905] Certain Polyester Staple... results of the administrative review of certain polyester staple fiber from the People's Republic of China... polyester staple fiber from the PRC.\\1\\ On February 9, 2012 the Department partially extended the deadline...

  13. 75 FR 51442 - Polyester Staple Fiber from Taiwan: Rescission of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review in Part

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-20

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-583-833] Polyester Staple Fiber from... antidumping duty order on polyester staple fiber from Taiwan. The period of review is May 1, 2009, through... duty order on polyester staple fiber from Taiwan with respect to respondents Nan Ya Plastics...

  14. Pricing of Staple Foods at Supermarkets versus Small Food Stores

    PubMed Central

    Caspi, Caitlin E.; Pelletier, Jennifer E.; Harnack, Lisa J.; Erickson, Darin J.; Laska, Melissa N.

    2017-01-01

    Prices affect food purchase decisions, particularly in lower-income communities, where access to a range of food retailers (including supermarkets) is limited. The aim of this study was to examine differences in staple food pricing between small urban food stores and the closest supermarkets, as well as whether pricing differentials varied based on proximity between small stores and larger retailers. In 2014, prices were measured for 15 staple foods during store visits in 140 smaller stores (corner stores, gas-marts, dollar stores, and pharmacies) in Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN and their closest supermarket. Mixed models controlling for store type were used to estimate the average price differential between: (a) smaller stores and supermarkets; (b) isolated smaller stores (>1 mile to closest supermarket) and non-isolated smaller stores; and (c) isolated smaller stores inside versus outside USDA-identified food deserts. On average, all items except white bread were 10–54% more expensive in smaller stores than in supermarkets (p < 0.001). Prices were generally not significantly different in isolated stores compared with non-isolated stores for most items. Among isolated stores, there were no price differences inside versus outside food deserts. We conclude that smaller food stores have higher prices for most staple foods compared to their closest supermarket, regardless of proximity. More research is needed to examine staple food prices in different retail spaces. PMID:28809795

  15. Pricing of Staple Foods at Supermarkets versus Small Food Stores.

    PubMed

    Caspi, Caitlin E; Pelletier, Jennifer E; Harnack, Lisa J; Erickson, Darin J; Lenk, Kathleen; Laska, Melissa N

    2017-08-15

    Prices affect food purchase decisions, particularly in lower-income communities, where access to a range of food retailers (including supermarkets) is limited. The aim of this study was to examine differences in staple food pricing between small urban food stores and the closest supermarkets, as well as whether pricing differentials varied based on proximity between small stores and larger retailers. In 2014, prices were measured for 15 staple foods during store visits in 140 smaller stores (corner stores, gas-marts, dollar stores, and pharmacies) in Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN and their closest supermarket. Mixed models controlling for store type were used to estimate the average price differential between: (a) smaller stores and supermarkets; (b) isolated smaller stores (>1 mile to closest supermarket) and non-isolated smaller stores; and (c) isolated smaller stores inside versus outside USDA-identified food deserts. On average, all items except white bread were 10-54% more expensive in smaller stores than in supermarkets ( p < 0.001). Prices were generally not significantly different in isolated stores compared with non-isolated stores for most items. Among isolated stores, there were no price differences inside versus outside food deserts. We conclude that smaller food stores have higher prices for most staple foods compared to their closest supermarket, regardless of proximity. More research is needed to examine staple food prices in different retail spaces.

  16. Stapled Golgi cisternae remain in place as cargo passes through the stack

    PubMed Central

    Lavieu, Gregory; Zheng, Hong; Rothman, James E

    2013-01-01

    We have designed a membrane ‘staple’, which consists of membrane-anchored repeats of the trans-aggregating FM domain that face the lumen of the secretory pathway. In the presence of the disaggregating drug these proteins transit the secretory pathway. When the drug is removed these proteins form electron-dense plaques which we term staples. Unexpectedly, when initially positioned within the cis-Golgi, staples remained at the cis face of the Golgi even after many hours. By contrast, soluble FM-aggregates transited the Golgi. Staples and soluble aggregates placed in cis-Golgi cisternae therefore have different fates. Whereas the membrane staples are located in the flattened, stacked central regions of the cisternae, the soluble aggregates are in the dilated rims. This suggests that while the cisternae are static on the time scale of protein traffic, the dilated rims are mobile and progress in the cis → trans direction via a mechanism that we term ‘Rim Progression’. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00558.001 PMID:23755362

  17. Skin closure using staples and nylon sutures: a comparison of results.

    PubMed Central

    Stockley, I.; Elson, R. A.

    1987-01-01

    A disposable skin stapler (Elite: Auto Suture UK Ltd) and Nylon vertical mattress sutures have been used for skin closure. The complications related to each method were evaluated in 129 wounds. There was a higher incidence of inflammation, discomfort on removal and spreading of the healing scar associated with staples. The only advantage of staples was speed of wound closure. Images Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 Fig. 4 PMID:3566131

  18. 7 CFR 28.303 - Standards for length of staple for American upland cotton.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... cotton. 28.303 Section 28.303 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL... STANDARDS AND STANDARD CONTAINER REGULATIONS COTTON CLASSING, TESTING, AND STANDARDS Standards Official Cotton Standards of the United States for Length of Staple § 28.303 Standards for length of staple for...

  19. 75 FR 70850 - Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Extra Long Staple Cotton Crop Provisions

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-19

    ... Crop Insurance Regulations; Extra Long Staple Cotton Crop Provisions AGENCY: Federal Crop Insurance... Corporation (FCIC) proposes to amend the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Extra Long Staple Cotton Crop Insurance Provisions to remove all references to the Daily Spot Cotton Quotation and replace the reference...

  20. 7 CFR 28.303 - Standards for length of staple for American upland cotton.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... cotton. 28.303 Section 28.303 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL... STANDARDS AND STANDARD CONTAINER REGULATIONS COTTON CLASSING, TESTING, AND STANDARDS Standards Official Cotton Standards of the United States for Length of Staple § 28.303 Standards for length of staple for...

  1. 78 FR 47214 - Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Extra Long Staple Cotton Crop Provisions

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-05

    ... Long Staple Cotton Crop Provisions AGENCY: Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, USDA. ACTION: Proposed... Insurance Regulations, Extra Long Staple (ELS) Cotton Crop Insurance Provisions to make the ELS Cotton Crop Insurance Provisions consistent with the Upland Cotton Crop Insurance Provisions and to allow a late...

  2. 7 CFR 28.303 - Standards for length of staple for American upland cotton.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... cotton. 28.303 Section 28.303 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL... STANDARDS AND STANDARD CONTAINER REGULATIONS COTTON CLASSING, TESTING, AND STANDARDS Standards Official Cotton Standards of the United States for Length of Staple § 28.303 Standards for length of staple for...

  3. 7 CFR 28.303 - Standards for length of staple for American upland cotton.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... cotton. 28.303 Section 28.303 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL... STANDARDS AND STANDARD CONTAINER REGULATIONS COTTON CLASSING, TESTING, AND STANDARDS Standards Official Cotton Standards of the United States for Length of Staple § 28.303 Standards for length of staple for...

  4. 7 CFR 28.303 - Standards for length of staple for American upland cotton.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... cotton. 28.303 Section 28.303 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL... STANDARDS AND STANDARD CONTAINER REGULATIONS COTTON CLASSING, TESTING, AND STANDARDS Standards Official Cotton Standards of the United States for Length of Staple § 28.303 Standards for length of staple for...

  5. Engaging Students through Mapping Local History

    PubMed Central

    Mitchell, Katharyne; Elwood, Sarah

    2015-01-01

    This article argues that the integration of local history and geography through collaborative digital mapping can lead to greater interest in civic participation by early adolescent learners. In the study, twenty-nine middle school students were asked to research, represent, and discuss local urban sites of historical significance on an interactive Web platform. As students learned more about local community events, people, and historical forces, they became increasingly engaged with the material and enthusiastic about making connections to larger issues and processes. In the final session, students expressed interest in participating in their own communities through joining nonprofit organizations and educating others about community history and daily life. PMID:25635145

  6. Engaging Students through Mapping Local History.

    PubMed

    Mitchell, Katharyne; Elwood, Sarah

    2012-07-01

    This article argues that the integration of local history and geography through collaborative digital mapping can lead to greater interest in civic participation by early adolescent learners. In the study, twenty-nine middle school students were asked to research, represent, and discuss local urban sites of historical significance on an interactive Web platform. As students learned more about local community events, people, and historical forces, they became increasingly engaged with the material and enthusiastic about making connections to larger issues and processes. In the final session, students expressed interest in participating in their own communities through joining nonprofit organizations and educating others about community history and daily life.

  7. LLMapReduce: Multi-Lingual Map-Reduce for Supercomputing Environments

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-11-20

    1990s. Popularized by Google [36] and Apache Hadoop [37], map-reduce has become a staple technology of the ever- growing big data community...Lexington, MA, U.S.A Abstract— The map-reduce parallel programming model has become extremely popular in the big data community. Many big data ...to big data users running on a supercomputer. LLMapReduce dramatically simplifies map-reduce programming by providing simple parallel programming

  8. 76 FR 2886 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From the People's Republic of China: Final Results and Partial...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-18

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-570-905] Certain Polyester Staple... duty order on certain polyester staple fiber (``PSF'') from the People's Republic of China (``PRC''). See Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From the People's Republic of China: Notice of Preliminary Results...

  9. 75 FR 34097 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From Taiwan: Extension of the Final Results of Antidumping Duty...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-16

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-583-833] Certain Polyester Staple... administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain polyester staple fiber from Taiwan. See Certain Polyester Staple Fiber from Taiwan: Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 75 FR...

  10. Hippocampus Segmentation Based on Local Linear Mapping

    PubMed Central

    Pang, Shumao; Jiang, Jun; Lu, Zhentai; Li, Xueli; Yang, Wei; Huang, Meiyan; Zhang, Yu; Feng, Yanqiu; Huang, Wenhua; Feng, Qianjin

    2017-01-01

    We propose local linear mapping (LLM), a novel fusion framework for distance field (DF) to perform automatic hippocampus segmentation. A k-means cluster method is propose for constructing magnetic resonance (MR) and DF dictionaries. In LLM, we assume that the MR and DF samples are located on two nonlinear manifolds and the mapping from the MR manifold to the DF manifold is differentiable and locally linear. We combine the MR dictionary using local linear representation to present the test sample, and combine the DF dictionary using the corresponding coefficients derived from local linear representation procedure to predict the DF of the test sample. We then merge the overlapped predicted DF patch to obtain the DF value of each point in the test image via a confidence-based weighted average method. This approach enabled us to estimate the label of the test image according to the predicted DF. The proposed method was evaluated on brain images of 35 subjects obtained from SATA dataset. Results indicate the effectiveness of the proposed method, which yields mean Dice similarity coefficients of 0.8697, 0.8770 and 0.8734 for the left, right and bi-lateral hippocampus, respectively. PMID:28368016

  11. Hippocampus Segmentation Based on Local Linear Mapping.

    PubMed

    Pang, Shumao; Jiang, Jun; Lu, Zhentai; Li, Xueli; Yang, Wei; Huang, Meiyan; Zhang, Yu; Feng, Yanqiu; Huang, Wenhua; Feng, Qianjin

    2017-04-03

    We propose local linear mapping (LLM), a novel fusion framework for distance field (DF) to perform automatic hippocampus segmentation. A k-means cluster method is propose for constructing magnetic resonance (MR) and DF dictionaries. In LLM, we assume that the MR and DF samples are located on two nonlinear manifolds and the mapping from the MR manifold to the DF manifold is differentiable and locally linear. We combine the MR dictionary using local linear representation to present the test sample, and combine the DF dictionary using the corresponding coefficients derived from local linear representation procedure to predict the DF of the test sample. We then merge the overlapped predicted DF patch to obtain the DF value of each point in the test image via a confidence-based weighted average method. This approach enabled us to estimate the label of the test image according to the predicted DF. The proposed method was evaluated on brain images of 35 subjects obtained from SATA dataset. Results indicate the effectiveness of the proposed method, which yields mean Dice similarity coefficients of 0.8697, 0.8770 and 0.8734 for the left, right and bi-lateral hippocampus, respectively.

  12. Hippocampus Segmentation Based on Local Linear Mapping

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pang, Shumao; Jiang, Jun; Lu, Zhentai; Li, Xueli; Yang, Wei; Huang, Meiyan; Zhang, Yu; Feng, Yanqiu; Huang, Wenhua; Feng, Qianjin

    2017-04-01

    We propose local linear mapping (LLM), a novel fusion framework for distance field (DF) to perform automatic hippocampus segmentation. A k-means cluster method is propose for constructing magnetic resonance (MR) and DF dictionaries. In LLM, we assume that the MR and DF samples are located on two nonlinear manifolds and the mapping from the MR manifold to the DF manifold is differentiable and locally linear. We combine the MR dictionary using local linear representation to present the test sample, and combine the DF dictionary using the corresponding coefficients derived from local linear representation procedure to predict the DF of the test sample. We then merge the overlapped predicted DF patch to obtain the DF value of each point in the test image via a confidence-based weighted average method. This approach enabled us to estimate the label of the test image according to the predicted DF. The proposed method was evaluated on brain images of 35 subjects obtained from SATA dataset. Results indicate the effectiveness of the proposed method, which yields mean Dice similarity coefficients of 0.8697, 0.8770 and 0.8734 for the left, right and bi-lateral hippocampus, respectively.

  13. Complications and results after stapled haemorrhoidopexy as a day surgical procedure.

    PubMed

    Mlakar, B; Kosorok, P

    2003-10-01

    The aim of this report is to describe our experience with stapled haemorrhoidopexy as a day surgery procedure. From January 2000 to January 2003, a total of 214 patients with third- and fourth-degree haemorrhoids underwent stapled haemorrhoidopexy under spinal anaesthesia. We analysed early postoperative complications and long-term results. Patients were followed for 4-36 months (mean, 22 months). Only 3 patients (1%) were hospitalised. The long-term complications were analysed by means of a mailed questionnaire. Minor bleeding at wiping after defecation was observed by 9% of patients and minor haemorrhoidal prolapse by 8% of patients. Pain after defecation was reported by 6% of patients and anal stenosis occurred in 2% of them. Faecal urgency was reported by 3% of patients with previously unknown incontinence problems. According to our experience, stapled haemorrhoidopexy can be safely performed as a day surgery procedure.

  14. 76 FR 32067 - Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Extra Long Staple Cotton Crop Provisions

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-03

    ... 0563-AC27 Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Extra Long Staple Cotton Crop Provisions AGENCY: Federal... (FCIC) finalizes amendments made to the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Extra Long Staple Cotton Crop Insurance Provisions to remove all references to the Daily Spot Cotton Quotation and replace the references...

  15. [Staple fixation for the treatment of hamate metacarpal joint injury].

    PubMed

    Tang, Yang-Hua; Zeng, Lin-Ru; Huang, Zhong-Ming; Yue, Zhen-Shuang; Xin, Da-Wei; Xu, Can-Da

    2014-03-01

    To investigate the effcacy of the staple fixation for the treatment of hamate metacarpal joint injury. From May 2009 to November 2012,16 patients with hamate metacarpal joint injury were treated with staple fixation including 10 males and 6 females with an average age of 33.6 years old ranging from 21 to 57 years. Among them, 11 cases were on the fourth or fifth metacarpal base dislocation without fractures, 5 cases were the fourth or fifth metacarpal base dislocation with avulsion fractures of the back of hamatum. Regular X-ray review was used to observe the fracture healing, joint replacement and position of staple fixation. The function of carpometacarpal joint and metacarpophalangeal joint were evaluated according to ASIA (TAM) system evaluation method. All incision were healed well with no infection. All patients were followed up from 16 to 24 months with an average of (10.0 +/- 2.7) months. No dislocation recurred, the position of internal fixator was good,no broken nail and screw withdrawal were occurred. Five patients with avulsion fracture of the back of hamatum achieved bone healing. The function of carpometacarpal joint and metacarpophalangeal was excellent in 10 cases,good in 5 cases, moderate in 1 case. The application of the staple for the treatment of hamatometacarpal joint injury has the advantages of simple operation, small trauma, reliable fixation, early postoperative function exercise and other advantages, which is the ideal operation mode for hamatometacarpal joint injury.

  16. A randomized study comparing skin closure in cesarean sections: staples vs subcuticular sutures.

    PubMed

    Rousseau, Julie-Anne; Girard, Karine; Turcot-Lemay, Lucile; Thomas, Nancy

    2009-03-01

    We sought to compare postoperative pain according to the skin closure method (subcuticular sutures vs staples) after an elective term cesarean section. A randomized controlled trial of 101 women was performed. Women were randomly assigned to subcuticular sutures or staples. Operative technique and postoperative analgesia were standardized. Stratification was used for primary vs repeat cesareans. Analog pain and satisfaction scales ranging from 0-10 were completed at postoperative days 1 and 3, and at 6 weeks postoperatively. A digital photograph of the incision was taken at 6 weeks postoperatively and evaluated by 3 independent blinded observers. Pain at 6 weeks postoperatively was significantly less in the staple group (0.17 vs 0.51; P = .04). Operative time was shorter in that group (24.6 vs 32.9 minutes; P < .0001). No difference was noted for incision appearance and women's satisfaction. Staples are the method of choice for skin closure for elective term cesareans in our population.

  17. Mapping and localization for extraterrestrial robotic explorations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Fengliang

    In the exploration of an extraterrestrial environment such as Mars, orbital data, such as high-resolution imagery Mars Orbital Camera-Narrow Angle (MOC-NA), laser ranging data Mars Orbital Laser Altimeter (MOLA), and multi-spectral imagery Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS), play more and more important roles. However, these remote sensing techniques can never replace the role of landers and rovers, which can provide a close up and inside view. Similarly, orbital mapping can not compete with ground-level close-range mapping in resolution, precision, and speed. This dissertation addresses two tasks related to robotic extraterrestrial exploration: mapping and rover localization. Image registration is also discussed as an important aspect for both of them. Techniques from computer vision and photogrammetry are applied for automation and precision. Image registration is classified into three sub-categories: intra-stereo, inter-stereo, and cross-site, according to the relationship between stereo images. In the intra-stereo registration, which is the most fundamental sub-category, interest point-based registration and verification by parallax continuity in the principal direction are proposed. Two other techniques, inter-scanline search with constrained dynamic programming for far range matching and Markov Random Field (MRF) based registration for big terrain variation, are explored as possible improvements. Creating using rover ground images mainly involves the generation of Digital Terrain Model (DTM) and ortho-rectified map (orthomap). The first task is to derive the spatial distribution statistics from the first panorama and model the DTM with a dual polynomial model. This model is used for interpolation of the DTM, using Kriging in the close range and Triangular Irregular Network (TIN) in the far range. To generate a uniformly illuminated orthomap from the DTM, a least-squares-based automatic intensity balancing method is proposed. Finally a seamless orthomap

  18. Successful Teaching, Learning, and Use of Digital Mapping Technology in Mazvihwa, Rural Zimbabwe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eitzel Solera, M. V.; Madzoro, S.; Solera, J.; Mhike Hove, E.; Changarara, A.; Ndlovu, D.; Chirindira, A.; Ndlovu, A.; Gwatipedza, S.; Mhizha, M.; Ndlovu, M.

    2016-12-01

    Participatory mapping is now a staple of community-based work around the world. Particularly for indigenous and rural peoples, it can represent a new avenue for environmental justice and can be a tool for culturally appropriate management of local ecosystems. We present a successful example of teaching and learning digital mapping technology in rural Zimbabwe. Our digital mapping project is part of the long-term community-based participatory research of The Muonde Trust in Mazvihwa, Zimbabwe. By gathering and distributing local knowledge and also bringing in visitors to share knowledge, Muonde has been able to spread relevant information among rural farmers. The authors were all members of Muonde or were Muonde's visitors, and were mentors and learners of digital mapping technologies at different times. Key successful characteristics of participants included patience, compassion, openness, perseverance, respect, and humility. Important mentoring strategies included: 1) instruction in Shona and in English, 2) locally relevant examples, assignments, and analogies motivated by real needs, 3) using a variety of teaching methods for different learning modalities, 4) building on and modifying familiar teaching methods, and 5) paying attention to the social and relational aspects of teaching and learning. The Muonde mapping team has used their new skills for a wide variety of purposes, including: identifying, discussing, and acting on emerging needs; using digital mapping for land-use and agropastoral planning; and using mapping as a tool for recording and telling important historical and cultural stories. Digital mapping has built self-confidence as well as providing employable skills and giving Muonde more visibility to other local and national non-governmental organizations, utility companies, and educational institutions. Digital mapping, as taught in a bottom-up, collaborative way, has proven to be both accessible and of enormous practical use to rural Zimbabweans.

  19. 77 FR 21733 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From Taiwan: Extension of Time Limit for Preliminary Results of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-04-11

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-583-833] Certain Polyester Staple... Department) initiated an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain polyester staple fiber from Taiwan for the period May 1, 2010, through April 30, 2011.\\1\\ In Certain Polyester Staple...

  20. 76 FR 28420 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From the People's Republic of China: Full Extension of Preliminary...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-17

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-570-905] Certain Polyester Staple... results of the administrative review of certain polyester staple fiber from the People's Republic of China... administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain polyester staple fiber from the PRC. See...

  1. 78 FR 70485 - Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Extra Long Staple Cotton Crop Provisions

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-26

    ...-0002] RIN 0563-AC41 Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Extra Long Staple Cotton Crop Provisions AGENCY... Cotton Crop Insurance Provisions to make the Extra Long Staple (ELS) Cotton Crop Insurance Provisions consistent with the Upland Cotton Crop Insurance Provisions and to allow a late planting period. The intended...

  2. Functional Maps of Neocortical Local Circuitry

    PubMed Central

    Thomson, Alex M.; Lamy, Christophe

    2007-01-01

    This review aims to summarize data obtained with different techniques to provide a functional map of the local circuit connections made by neocortical neurones, a reference for those interested in cortical circuitry and the numerical information required by those wishing to model the circuit. A brief description of the main techniques used to study circuitry is followed by outline descriptions of the major classes of neocortical excitatory and inhibitory neurones and the connections that each layer makes with other cortical and subcortical regions. Maps summarizing the projection patterns of each class of neurone within the local circuit and tables of the properties of these local circuit connections are provided. This review relies primarily on anatomical studies that have identified the classes of neurones and their local and long distance connections and on paired intracellular and whole-cell recordings which have documented the properties of the connections between them. A large number of different types of synaptic connections have been described, but for some there are only a few published examples and for others the details that can only be obtained with paired recordings and dye-filling are lacking. A further complication is provided by the range of species, technical approaches and age groups used in these studies. Wherever possible the range of available data are summarised and compared. To fill some of the more obvious gaps for the less well-documented cases, data obtained with other methods are also summarized. PMID:18982117

  3. Transgenic Biofortification of the Starchy Staple Cassava (Manihot esculenta) Generates a Novel Sink for Protein

    PubMed Central

    Abhary, Mohammad; Siritunga, Dimuth; Stevens, Gene; Taylor, Nigel J.; Fauquet, Claude M.

    2011-01-01

    Although calorie dense, the starchy, tuberous roots of cassava provide the lowest sources of dietary protein within the major staple food crops (Manihot esculenta Crantz). (Montagnac JA, Davis CR, Tanumihardjo SA. (2009) Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf 8:181–194). Cassava was genetically modified to express zeolin, a nutritionally balanced storage protein under control of the patatin promoter. Transgenic plants accumulated zeolin within de novo protein bodies localized within the root storage tissues, resulting in total protein levels of 12.5% dry weight within this tissue, a fourfold increase compared to non-transgenic controls. No significant differences were seen for morphological or agronomic characteristics of transgenic and wild type plants in the greenhouse and field trials, but relative to controls, levels of cyanogenic compounds were reduced by up to 55% in both leaf and root tissues of transgenic plants. Data described here represent a proof of concept towards the potential transformation of cassava from a starchy staple, devoid of storage protein, to one capable of supplying inexpensive, plant-based proteins for food, feed and industrial applications. PMID:21283593

  4. Transgenic biofortification of the starchy staple cassava (Manihot esculenta) generates a novel sink for protein.

    PubMed

    Abhary, Mohammad; Siritunga, Dimuth; Stevens, Gene; Taylor, Nigel J; Fauquet, Claude M

    2011-01-25

    Although calorie dense, the starchy, tuberous roots of cassava provide the lowest sources of dietary protein within the major staple food crops (Manihot esculenta Crantz). (Montagnac JA, Davis CR, Tanumihardjo SA. (2009) Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf 8:181-194). Cassava was genetically modified to express zeolin, a nutritionally balanced storage protein under control of the patatin promoter. Transgenic plants accumulated zeolin within de novo protein bodies localized within the root storage tissues, resulting in total protein levels of 12.5% dry weight within this tissue, a fourfold increase compared to non-transgenic controls. No significant differences were seen for morphological or agronomic characteristics of transgenic and wild type plants in the greenhouse and field trials, but relative to controls, levels of cyanogenic compounds were reduced by up to 55% in both leaf and root tissues of transgenic plants. Data described here represent a proof of concept towards the potential transformation of cassava from a starchy staple, devoid of storage protein, to one capable of supplying inexpensive, plant-based proteins for food, feed and industrial applications.

  5. Localization of Allotetraploid Gossypium SNPs Using Physical Mapping Resources

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Recent efforts in Gossypium SNP development have produced thousands of putative SNPs for G. barbadense, G. mustelinum, and G. tomentosum relative to G. hirsutum. Here we report on current efforts to localize putative SNPs using physical mapping resources. Recent advances in physical mapping resour...

  6. Hydrocarbon-Stapled Peptides: Principles, Practice, and Progress

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    Protein structure underlies essential biological processes and provides a blueprint for molecular mimicry that drives drug discovery. Although small molecules represent the lion’s share of agents that target proteins for therapeutic benefit, there remains no substitute for the natural properties of proteins and their peptide subunits in the majority of biological contexts. The peptide α-helix represents a common structural motif that mediates communication between signaling proteins. Because peptides can lose their shape when taken out of context, developing chemical interventions to stabilize their bioactive structure remains an active area of research. The all-hydrocarbon staple has emerged as one such solution, conferring α-helical structure, protease resistance, cellular penetrance, and biological activity upon successful incorporation of a series of design and application principles. Here, we describe our more than decade-long experience in developing stapled peptides as biomedical research tools and prototype therapeutics, highlighting lessons learned, pitfalls to avoid, and keys to success. PMID:24601557

  7. Supraperitoneal colorectal anastomosis: hand-sewn versus circular staples--a controlled clinical trial. French Associations for Surgical Research.

    PubMed

    Fingerhut, A; Hay, J M; Elhadad, A; Lacaine, F; Flamant, Y

    1995-09-01

    Although used widely for supraperitoneal anastomoses, circular stapled anastomoses have never been proved better than hand-sewn anastomoses. In the one prospective controlled trial that studied these anastomoses specifically, the only significant difference found was that there were more clinically obvious leakages with the circular stapled variety, but not in the overall clinical and roentgenologic leakage rates. One hundred fifty-nine consecutive patients (88 men and 71 women, mean age 65.8 +/- 12.1 years) were randomized to undergo hand-sewn (n = 74) or circular stapled (n = 85) supraperitoneal colorectal anastomosis after left colectomy. Patient demographics were similar in both groups. Overall mortality was 1.3% (2 of 159; one in each group). No statistically significant difference (NS) was found in the rate of early complications, including anastomotic leakage (4 of 74 versus 6 of 85) in the hand-sewn and stapled anastomoses, respectively). Mishaps (n = 10) and hemorrhage (n = 5) occurred in the stapled group only. Stapled anastomoses took an average of 8 minutes less to perform (p < 0.001), but this time gain did not significantly influence the overall duration of operation (identical median times). The median duration of hospitalization was 13 and 14 days, respectively (NS). At 8 months there were 2 of 74 strictures in the hand-sewn group and 4 of 85 strictures in the stapled group (NS). According to these results, there seems to be no advantage of routine or regular use of stapling instruments for supraperitoneal colorectal anastomosis.

  8. Semantic Mappings and Locality of Nursing Diagnostic Concepts in UMLS

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Tae Youn; Coenen, Amy; Hardiker, Nicholas

    2011-01-01

    One solution for enhancing the interoperability between nursing information systems, given the availability of multiple nursing terminologies, is to cross-map existing nursing concepts. The Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) developed and distributed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) is a knowledge resource containing cross-mappings of various terminologies in a unified framework. While the knowledge resource has been available for the last two decades, little research on the representation of nursing terminologies in UMLS has been conducted. As a first step, UMLS semantic mappings and concept locality were examined for nursing diagnostic concepts or problems selected from three terminologies (i.e., CCC, ICNP, and NANDA-I) along with corresponding SNOMED CT concepts. The evaluation of UMLS semantic mappings was conducted by measuring the proportion of concordance between UMLS and human expert mappings. The semantic locality of nursing diagnostic concepts was assessed by examining the associations of select concepts and the placement of the nursing concepts on the Semantic Network and Group. The study found that the UMLS mappings of CCC and NANDA-I concepts to SNOMED CT were highly concordant to expert mappings. The level of concordance in mappings of ICNP to SNOMED CT, CCC and NANDA-I within UMLS was relatively low, indicating the need for further research and development. Likewise, the semantic locality of ICNP concepts could be further improved. Various stakeholders need to collaborate to enhance the NLM knowledge resource and the interoperability of nursing data within the discipline as well as across health-related disciplines. PMID:21951759

  9. Small intestinal volvulus caused by loose surgical staples.

    PubMed

    Page, Matthew P; Kim, Heung Bae; Fishman, Steven J

    2009-09-01

    Small intestinal volvulus beyond infancy is rare and usually has an iatrogenic cause. The authors describe an adolescent boy with small bowel volvulus secondary to the presence of free intraperitoneal surgical staples after a laparoscopic appendectomy.

  10. Suzanne Fisher Staples: From Journalist to Novelist.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Greever, Ellen A.; Austin, Patricia

    1997-01-01

    Presents the story of Suzanne Fisher Staples, author of the Newbery Honor Book, "Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind." States that she was first a journalist who experienced different foreign cultures firsthand, which provided the background for the novel. Discusses the difference between writing for newspapers and writing fiction. (PA)

  11. Bayesian Localization and Mapping Using GNSS SNR Measurements

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-05-01

    Bayesian Localization and Mapping Using GNSS SNR Measurements Jason T. Isaacs1, Andrew T. Irish1, François Quitin2, Upamanyu Madhow1, and João P...Hespanha1 Abstract— In urban areas, GNSS localization quality is often degraded due to signal blockage and multi-path reflections. When several GNSS ...signals are blocked by buildings, the remaining unblocked GNSS satellites are typically in a poor geometry for localization (nearly collinear along the

  12. 75 FR 76954 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From the People's Republic of China: Extension of Time Limit for...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-12-10

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-570-905] Certain Polyester Staple... administrative review of certain polyester staple fiber (``PSF'') from the People's Republic of China (``PRC''), covering the period June 1, 2008--May 31, 2009. See Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From the People's...

  13. Rural Inservice Education: Staples Teacher Center Style.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Krueger, Rick

    In its two-year existence, the federally funded Staples Teacher Center (STC) in Minnesota has had a significant impact on improving classroom instruction and staff development activities in a rural setting, proving that teacher centers are a most effective delivery system for inservice education in sparsely populated areas. Services are rendered…

  14. Local Free Space Mapping and Path Guidance,

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1987-03-01

    Free Space Mapping and Path Guidance 12. PERSONIAL UTI4OFS) William T. Cex and Nancy L. Campbell 1s. TYPE OF REPORT 13b. iME COVERED 14. DATE OF REPORT...84 JAN 52 A" 1OMON MAYBOfUSED NMlLEMIAUSTEO UNCLASSIFIED ALL OTHE EDTIN A’.SL Y2.7cesson For 7 *5~ IT D, TA ........... iCL ... . LOCAL FREE SPACE ... MAPPING AND PATH GUIDANCE By Distribuition/ Availabiliuy C0e William T. Gex and Nancy L. Campbell I Avail and/or Naval Ocean Systems Center ist speci1 l

  15. Stapled versus handsewn methods for colorectal anastomosis surgery.

    PubMed

    Lustosa, S A; Matos, D; Atallah, A N; Castro, A A

    2001-01-01

    Randomized controlled trials comparing stapled with handsewn colorectal anastomosis have not shown either technique to be superior, perhaps because individual studies lacked statistical power. A systematic review, with pooled analysis of results, might provide a more definitive answer. To compare the safety and effectiveness of stapled and handsewn colorectal anastomosis. The following primary hypothesis was tested: the stapled technique is more effective because it decreases the level of complications. The RCT register of the Cochrane Review Group was searched for any trial or reference to a relevant trial (published, in-press, or in progress). All publications were sought through computerised searches of EMBASE, LILACS, MEDLINE, the Cochrane Controlled Clinical Trials Database, and through letters to industrial companies and authors. There were no limits upon language, date, or other criteria. All randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in which stapled and handsewn colorectal anastomosis were compared. Adult patients submitted electively to colorectal anastomosis. Endoluminal circular stapler and handsewn colorectal anastomosis. a) Mortality b) Overall Anastomotic Dehiscence c) Clinical Anastomotic Dehiscence d) Radiological Anastomotic Dehiscence e) Stricture f) Anastomotic Haemorrhage g) Reoperation h) Wound Infection i) Anastomosis Duration j) Hospital Stay. Data were independently extracted by the two reviewers (SASL, DM) and cross-checked. The methodological quality of each trial was assessed by the same two reviewers. Details of the randomization (generation and concealment), blinding, whether an intention-to-treat analysis was done, and the number of patients lost to follow-up were recorded. The results of each RCT were summarised on an intention-to-treat basis in 2 x 2 tables for each outcome. External validity was defined by characteristics of the participants, the interventions and the outcomes. The RCTs were stratified according to the level of colorectal

  16. Integrated multi-sensor fusion for mapping and localization in outdoor environments for mobile robots

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Emter, Thomas; Petereit, Janko

    2014-05-01

    An integrated multi-sensor fusion framework for localization and mapping for autonomous navigation in unstructured outdoor environments based on extended Kalman filters (EKF) is presented. The sensors for localization include an inertial measurement unit, a GPS, a fiber optic gyroscope, and wheel odometry. Additionally a 3D LIDAR is used for simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). A 3D map is built while concurrently a localization in a so far established 2D map is estimated with the current scan of the LIDAR. Despite of longer run-time of the SLAM algorithm compared to the EKF update, a high update rate is still guaranteed by sophisticatedly joining and synchronizing two parallel localization estimators.

  17. [Does the third staple line of a new endostapler offer an advantage?].

    PubMed

    Czymek, R; Keller, R; Hildebrand, P; Bouchard, R; Bader, F G; Jungbluth, T; Mirow, L; Roblick, U J; Bruch, H-P

    2009-06-01

    In laparoscopic colon surgery, endostaplers generate 2 parallel rows of staples. The aim of this paper is to analyse whether the introduction of a new endostapler generating a third row of staples influences the rate of anastomotic leakage and bleedings. 362 patients of the Department of Surgery, University Clinic of Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, were included in this study. All patients underwent colon resection with performance of double-stapling anastomosis. In Group I (n = 148; 7 / 2004 to 12 / 2005), the Endopath TSB 45 endostapler (2 rows of staples) was used, whereas in Group II (n = 214; 7 / 2006 to 12 / 2007), the Echelon60 EC60 stapler (3 rows of staples) was used. All further operational steps were identical for both groups. Target parameters were the postoperative anastomotic leakage and anastomotic bleeding rates. Between July 2004 and December 2005, the number of anastomotic leaks (Stapler Endopath, TSB 45) was n = 4 (2.7 %), for the second period (Stapler Echelon60 EC60), it was n = 9 (3.7 %) (not significant). Using the Endopath TSB 45 stapler, the number of anastomotic bleedings was n = 12 (8.1 %), and for the Echelon60 EC60 stapler, it was n = 8 (3.7 %) (p = 0.074; not significant). Within the 18-month period between July 2006 and December 2007, the number of endoscopic colon operations (n = 214) rose by 44.6 % compared to the 18-month period between July 2004 and December 2005 (n = 148). The application of the advanced Echelon endostapler has no impact on the number of anastomotic leaks, and reduces the number of anastomotic bleedings slightly but not significantly. The increased number of endoscopic procedures in the second period results both from the growing number of indications for the application of endoscopic techniques and the positive findings of recent studies carried out by our own and other working groups.

  18. 75 FR 4044 - Polyester Staple Fiber From Taiwan: Initiation and Preliminary Results of Changed-Circumstances...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-26

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-583-833] Polyester Staple Fiber From... Commerce is initiating a changed- circumstances review of the antidumping duty order on polyester staple... previously accorded to Far Eastern Textile Limited with regard to the antidumping duty order on polyester...

  19. CellMap visualizes protein-protein interactions and subcellular localization

    PubMed Central

    Dallago, Christian; Goldberg, Tatyana; Andrade-Navarro, Miguel Angel; Alanis-Lobato, Gregorio; Rost, Burkhard

    2018-01-01

    Many tools visualize protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. The tool introduced here, CellMap, adds one crucial novelty by visualizing PPI networks in the context of subcellular localization, i.e. the location in the cell or cellular component in which a PPI happens. Users can upload images of cells and define areas of interest against which PPIs for selected proteins are displayed (by default on a cartoon of a cell). Annotations of localization are provided by the user or through our in-house database. The visualizer and server are written in JavaScript, making CellMap easy to customize and to extend by researchers and developers. PMID:29497493

  20. Intracellular Localization Map of Human Herpesvirus 8 Proteins▿

    PubMed Central

    Sander, Gaby; Konrad, Andreas; Thurau, Mathias; Wies, Effi; Leubert, Rene; Kremmer, Elisabeth; Dinkel, Holger; Schulz, Thomas; Neipel, Frank; Stürzl, Michael

    2008-01-01

    Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is the etiological agent of Kaposi's sarcoma. We present a localization map of 85 HHV-8-encoded proteins in mammalian cells. Viral open reading frames were cloned with a Myc tag in expression plasmids, confirmed by full-length sequencing, and expressed in HeLa cells. Protein localizations were analyzed by immunofluorescence microscopy. Fifty-one percent of all proteins were localized in the cytoplasm, 22% were in the nucleus, and 27% were found in both compartments. Surprisingly, we detected viral FLIP (v-FLIP) in the nucleus and in the cytoplasm, whereas cellular FLIPs are generally localized exclusively in the cytoplasm. This suggested that v-FLIP may exert additional or alternative functions compared to cellular FLIPs. In addition, it has been shown recently that the K10 protein can bind to at least 15 different HHV-8 proteins. We noticed that K10 and only five of its 15 putative binding factors were localized in the nucleus when the proteins were expressed in HeLa cells individually. Interestingly, in coexpression experiments K10 colocalized with 87% (13 of 15) of its putative binding partners. Colocalization was induced by translocation of either K10 alone or both proteins. These results indicate active intracellular translocation processes in virus-infected cells. Specifically in this framework, the localization map may provide a useful reference to further elucidate the function of HHV-8-encoded genes in human diseases. PMID:18077714

  1. The double stapling technique for low anterior resection. Results, modifications, and observations.

    PubMed Central

    Griffen, F D; Knight, C D; Whitaker, J M; Knight, C D

    1990-01-01

    Since the introduction of the end-to-end anastomosis (EEA) stapler for rectal reconstruction, we have used a modification of the conventional technique in which the lower rectal segment is closed with the linear stapler (TA-55) and the anastomosis is performed using the EEA instrument across the linear staple line (double stapling technique). Our experience with this procedure includes stapled colorectal anastomoses in 75 patients and is the basis for the report. This review presents the details and advantages of the technique and the results. Complications include two patients with anastomotic leak (2.7%), and two with stenosis that required treatment (2.7%). Protective colostomy was not done in this series. There were no deaths. Our experience and that of others suggests that this modification of the EEA technique can allow a lower anastomosis in some patients, and that it can be done with greater safety and facility. Images Fig. 1. Fig. 2. Fig. 3. Fig. 4. Fig. 5. Fig. 6. PMID:2357137

  2. The tissue-selecting technique: segmental stapled hemorrhoidopexy.

    PubMed

    Lin, Hong-Cheng; Lian, Lei; Xie, Shang-Kui; Peng, Hui; Tai, Jian-Dong; Ren, Dong-Lin

    2013-11-01

    We describe a technique for the management of prolapsing hemorrhoids, with the aim to minimize the risk of anal stricture and rectovaginal fistula and to reduce the impact of the stapling technique on rectal compliance. This modified procedure was successfully applied in China, and preliminary data showed promising outcomes (see Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/DCR/A117).

  3. 78 FR 17637 - Polyester Staple Fiber From Taiwan: Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-22

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-583-833] Polyester Staple Fiber From... staple fiber (PSF) from Taiwan. The period of review (POR) is May 1, 2011, through April 30, 2012. The.... DATES: Effective Date: March 22, 2013. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bryan Hansen or Minoo Hatten, AD...

  4. Single Image Super-Resolution Using Global Regression Based on Multiple Local Linear Mappings.

    PubMed

    Choi, Jae-Seok; Kim, Munchurl

    2017-03-01

    Super-resolution (SR) has become more vital, because of its capability to generate high-quality ultra-high definition (UHD) high-resolution (HR) images from low-resolution (LR) input images. Conventional SR methods entail high computational complexity, which makes them difficult to be implemented for up-scaling of full-high-definition input images into UHD-resolution images. Nevertheless, our previous super-interpolation (SI) method showed a good compromise between Peak-Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) performances and computational complexity. However, since SI only utilizes simple linear mappings, it may fail to precisely reconstruct HR patches with complex texture. In this paper, we present a novel SR method, which inherits the large-to-small patch conversion scheme from SI but uses global regression based on local linear mappings (GLM). Thus, our new SR method is called GLM-SI. In GLM-SI, each LR input patch is divided into 25 overlapped subpatches. Next, based on the local properties of these subpatches, 25 different local linear mappings are applied to the current LR input patch to generate 25 HR patch candidates, which are then regressed into one final HR patch using a global regressor. The local linear mappings are learned cluster-wise in our off-line training phase. The main contribution of this paper is as follows: Previously, linear-mapping-based conventional SR methods, including SI only used one simple yet coarse linear mapping to each patch to reconstruct its HR version. On the contrary, for each LR input patch, our GLM-SI is the first to apply a combination of multiple local linear mappings, where each local linear mapping is found according to local properties of the current LR patch. Therefore, it can better approximate nonlinear LR-to-HR mappings for HR patches with complex texture. Experiment results show that the proposed GLM-SI method outperforms most of the state-of-the-art methods, and shows comparable PSNR performance with much lower

  5. Local thermodynamic mapping for effective liquid density-functional theory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kyrlidis, Agathagelos; Brown, Robert A.

    1992-01-01

    The structural-mapping approximation introduced by Lutsko and Baus (1990) in the generalized effective-liquid approximation is extended to include a local thermodynamic mapping based on a spatially dependent effective density for approximating the solid phase in terms of the uniform liquid. This latter approximation, called the local generalized effective-liquid approximation (LGELA) yields excellent predictions for the free energy of hard-sphere solids and for the conditions of coexistence of a hard-sphere fcc solid with a liquid. Moreover, the predicted free energy remains single valued for calculations with more loosely packed crystalline structures, such as the diamond lattice. The spatial dependence of the weighted density makes the LGELA useful in the study of inhomogeneous solids.

  6. Assessing local knowledge use in agroforestry management with cognitive maps.

    PubMed

    Isaac, Marney E; Dawoe, Evans; Sieciechowicz, Krystyna

    2009-06-01

    Small-holder farmers often develop adaptable agroforestry management techniques to improve and diversify crop production. In the cocoa growing region of Ghana, local knowledge on such farm management holds a noteworthy role in the overall farm development. The documentation and analysis of such knowledge use in cocoa agroforests may afford an applicable framework to determine mechanisms driving farmer preference and indicators in farm management. This study employed 12 in-depth farmer interviews regarding variables in farm management as a unit of analysis and utilized cognitive mapping as a qualitative method of analysis. Our objectives were (1) to illustrate and describe agroforestry management variables and associated farm practices, (2) to determine the scope of decision making of individual farmers, and (3) to investigate the suitability of cognitive mapping as a tool for assessing local knowledge use. Results from the cognitive maps revealed an average of 16 +/- 3 variables and 19 +/- 3 links between management variables in the farmer cognitive maps. Farmer use of advantageous ecological processes was highly central to farm management (48% of all variables), particularly manipulation of organic matter, shade and food crop establishment, and maintenance of a tree stratum as the most common, highly linked variables. Over 85% of variables included bidirectional arrows, interpreted as farm management practices dominated by controllable factors, insofar as farmers indicated an ability to alter most farm characteristics. Local knowledge use on cocoa production revealed detailed indicators for site evaluation, thus affecting farm preparation and management. Our findings suggest that amid multisourced information under conditions of uncertainty, strategies for adaptable agroforestry management should integrate existing and localized management frameworks and that cognitive mapping provides a tool-based approach to advance such a management support system.

  7. Assessing Local Knowledge Use in Agroforestry Management with Cognitive Maps

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Isaac, Marney E.; Dawoe, Evans; Sieciechowicz, Krystyna

    2009-06-01

    Small-holder farmers often develop adaptable agroforestry management techniques to improve and diversify crop production. In the cocoa growing region of Ghana, local knowledge on such farm management holds a noteworthy role in the overall farm development. The documentation and analysis of such knowledge use in cocoa agroforests may afford an applicable framework to determine mechanisms driving farmer preference and indicators in farm management. This study employed 12 in-depth farmer interviews regarding variables in farm management as a unit of analysis and utilized cognitive mapping as a qualitative method of analysis. Our objectives were (1) to illustrate and describe agroforestry management variables and associated farm practices, (2) to determine the scope of decision making of individual farmers, and (3) to investigate the suitability of cognitive mapping as a tool for assessing local knowledge use. Results from the cognitive maps revealed an average of 16 ± 3 variables and 19 ± 3 links between management variables in the farmer cognitive maps. Farmer use of advantageous ecological processes was highly central to farm management (48% of all variables), particularly manipulation of organic matter, shade and food crop establishment, and maintenance of a tree stratum as the most common, highly linked variables. Over 85% of variables included bidirectional arrows, interpreted as farm management practices dominated by controllable factors, insofar as farmers indicated an ability to alter most farm characteristics. Local knowledge use on cocoa production revealed detailed indicators for site evaluation, thus affecting farm preparation and management. Our findings suggest that amid multisourced information under conditions of uncertainty, strategies for adaptable agroforestry management should integrate existing and localized management frameworks and that cognitive mapping provides a tool-based approach to advance such a management support system.

  8. [The advantages in using cyanoacrylate glue over skin staples as a method of skin graft fixation in the pediatric burns population].

    PubMed

    Curings, P; Vincent, P-L; Viard, R; Gir, P; Comparin, J-P; Voulliaume, D

    2017-11-23

    Local postoperative care and burn wound management can present with a certain degree of difficulty in the pediatric population. While the use of skin staples as a method of skin graft fixation is a well-known, rapid and simple method, their removal can be painful and may necessitate some sedation or even general anesthesia. We studied in this article the advantages and economic value of using the cyanoacrylate glue as a fixation method for skin grafts. A comparative study was carried out from 2012 to 2016. Hundred and eighteen infants with burns up to 5% of total body surface area were included in the study. Seventy-two infants had split thickness skin grafts fixed with skin staples. Forty-six infants had split thickness skin grafts fixed with cyanoacrylate glue. We compared the quality of graft, the sedation used during the first postoperative dressing, the length of hospital stay, the amount of glue used and the presence of complications. There is a difference between the two groups studied in terms of age and total burn surface area. The rate of graft take was 100% in both groups. The first postoperative dressing was carried out without the use of powerful analgesia in the cyanoacrylate group, while it was necessary to use general anesthesia in 64% of the skin staples group. The average length of stay in hospital after skin grafting was 4.9 days for the cyanoacrylate glue versus 6.5 days in the skin staples group. No complications were noted in the 2 groups. The use of cyanoacrylate glue allows rapid fixation of skin grafts and avoid general anesthesia for postoperative cares. Subsequently the length of hospital stay is reduced within 25%. The medico-economic value of glue protocol is highly significant compared to skin staples, while having similar good results and without significant problems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  9. 77 FR 54562 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From the Republic of Korea: Rescission of Antidumping Duty...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-09-05

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-580-839] Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From the Republic of Korea: Rescission of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review AGENCY: Import... antidumping duty order on certain polyester staple fiber from the Republic of Korea (``the Order''). The...

  10. 77 FR 62217 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From the People's Republic of China: Continuation of Antidumping...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-12

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-570-905] Certain Polyester Staple... International Trade Commission (``ITC'') that revocation of the antidumping duty order on certain polyester... antidumping duty order on certain polyester staple fiber from the PRC pursuant to section 751(c)(2) of the...

  11. 76 FR 37830 - Polyester Staple Fiber From Korea and Taiwan; Scheduling of Expedited Five-Year Reviews...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-28

    ... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation Nos. 731-TA-825 and 826 (Second Review)] Polyester... Duty Orders on Polyester Staple Fiber From Korea and Taiwan AGENCY: United States International Trade... determine whether revocation of the antidumping duty orders on polyester staple fiber from Korea and Taiwan...

  12. FAST Mapping of Diffuse HI Gas in the Local Universe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, M.; Pisano, D. J.; Ai, M.; Jiao, Q.

    2016-02-01

    We propose to use the Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) to map the diffuse intergalactic HI gas in the local universe at column densities of NHI=1018 cm-2 and below. The major science goal is to study gas accretion during galaxy evolution, and trace cosmic web features in the local universe. We disuss the technical feasibilty of such a deep survey, and have conducted test observations with the Arecibo 305 m telescope. Our preliminary results shows that, with about a few thousand hours of observing time, FAST will be able to map several hundred square degree regions at 1 σ of NHI=2×1017 cm-2 level out to a distance of 5-10 Mpc, and with a volume 1000 larger than that of the Local Group.

  13. Neural network-based multiple robot simultaneous localization and mapping.

    PubMed

    Saeedi, Sajad; Paull, Liam; Trentini, Michael; Li, Howard

    2011-12-01

    In this paper, a decentralized platform for simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) with multiple robots is developed. Each robot performs single robot view-based SLAM using an extended Kalman filter to fuse data from two encoders and a laser ranger. To extend this approach to multiple robot SLAM, a novel occupancy grid map fusion algorithm is proposed. Map fusion is achieved through a multistep process that includes image preprocessing, map learning (clustering) using neural networks, relative orientation extraction using norm histogram cross correlation and a Radon transform, relative translation extraction using matching norm vectors, and then verification of the results. The proposed map learning method is a process based on the self-organizing map. In the learning phase, the obstacles of the map are learned by clustering the occupied cells of the map into clusters. The learning is an unsupervised process which can be done on the fly without any need to have output training patterns. The clusters represent the spatial form of the map and make further analyses of the map easier and faster. Also, clusters can be interpreted as features extracted from the occupancy grid map so the map fusion problem becomes a task of matching features. Results of the experiments from tests performed on a real environment with multiple robots prove the effectiveness of the proposed solution.

  14. A low glycemic index staple diet reduces postprandial glucose values in Asian women with gestational diabetes mellitus.

    PubMed

    Hu, Zhi-Geng; Tan, Rong-Shao; Jin, Di; Li, Wei; Zhou, Xiao-Yan

    2014-12-01

    A low glycemic index (GI) diet is beneficial for glucose control in patients with diabetes mellitus. This study aimed to investigate the influence of a low-GI diet on postprandial glucose levels in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Pregnant women with GDM were randomized to receive a normal diabetic control diet or a low-GI staple diet for 5 days. A low-GI staple food was used to replace rice in lunch and dinner for the low-GI staple diet group, whereas the total energy and carbohydrate levels remained equal in both groups. Fasting and postprandial glucose levels were determined daily. A total of 140 pregnant women with GDM were included in the study, including 66 in the low-GI staple diet group and 74 in the normal diabetic diet control group. No differences existed in baseline characteristics between the 2 groups (all P > 0.05). After dietary intervention, glucose levels were significantly reduced in the low-GI staple diet group (all P < 0.01) and the control group (all P < 0.008). Postintervention glucose values after breakfast, lunch, and dinner were significantly reduced in the treatment group compared with those in the control group (all P < 0.05). The percentage changes from baseline of all glucose values were significantly greater in the treatment group than in the control group (all P < 0.05). A low-GI staple diet significantly reduces postprandial glucose levels in women with GDM.

  15. The usefulness and costs of routine contrast studies after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy for detecting staple line leaks

    PubMed Central

    Terterov, Dimitry; Leung, Philemon Ho-Yan; Twells, Laurie K.; Gregory, Deborah M.; Smith, Chris; Boone, Darrell; Pace, David

    2017-01-01

    Background Although laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has been shown to be a safe and effective treatment for severe obesity (body mass index ≥ 35), staple line leaks remain a major complication and account for a substantial portion of the procedure’s morbidity and mortality. Many centres performing LSG routinely obtain contrast studies on postoperative day 1 for early detection of staple line leaks. We examined the usefulness of Gastrografin swallow as an early detection test for staple line leaks on postoperative day 1 after LSG as well as the associated costs. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of a prospectively collected database that included 200 patients who underwent LSG for severe obesity between 2011 and 2014. Primary outcome measures were the incidence of staple line leaks and the results of Gastrografin swallow tests. We obtained imaging costs from appropriate hospital departments. Results Gastrografin swallow was obtained on postoperative day 1 for all 200 patients who underwent LSG. Three patients (1.5%) were found to have staple line leaks. Gastrograffin swallows yielded 1 true positive result and 2 false negatives. The false negatives were subsequently diagnosed on computed tomography (CT) scan. The sensitivity of Gastrografin swallow in this study was 33%. For 200 patients, the total direct cost of the Gastrografin swallows was $35 000. Conclusion The use of routine upper gastrointestinal contrast studies for early detection of staple line leaks has low sensitivity and is costly. We recommend selective use of CT instead. PMID:28742012

  16. The usefulness and costs of routine contrast studies after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy for detecting staple line leaks.

    PubMed

    Terterov, Dimitry; Leung, Philemon Ho-Yan; Twells, Laurie K; Gregory, Deborah M; Smith, Chris; Boone, Darrell; Pace, David

    2017-09-01

    Although laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has been shown to be a safe and effective treatment for severe obesity (body mass index ≥ 35), staple line leaks remain a major complication and account for a substantial portion of the procedure's morbidity and mortality. Many centres performing LSG routinely obtain contrast studies on postoperative day 1 for early detection of staple line leaks. We examined the usefulness of Gastrografin swallow as an early detection test for staple line leaks on postoperative day 1 after LSG as well as the associated costs. We conducted a retrospective review of a prospectively collected database that included 200 patients who underwent LSG for severe obesity between 2011 and 2014. Primary outcome measures were the incidence of staple line leaks and the results of Gastrografin swallow tests. We obtained imaging costs from appropriate hospital departments. Gastrografin swallow was obtained on postoperative day 1 for all 200 patients who underwent LSG. Three patients (1.5%) were found to have staple line leaks. Gastrograffin swallows yielded 1 true positive result and 2 false negatives. The false negatives were subsequently diagnosed on computed tomography (CT) scan. The sensitivity of Gastrografin swallow in this study was 33%. For 200 patients, the total direct cost of the Gastrografin swallows was $35 000. The use of routine upper gastrointestinal contrast studies for early detection of staple line leaks has low sensitivity and is costly. We recommend selective use of CT instead.

  17. Circumferentially oversewn inverted stapled anastomosis.

    PubMed

    Karam, Charbel; Lord, Sally; Gett, Rohan; Meagher, Alan P

    2018-04-01

    Leak rates of over 5% following anastomoses between the ileum and colon continue to be reported in large series and are associated with substantial morbidity and with mortality rates of 10-20%. In 1994, we began performing circumferentially oversewn inverted stapled anastomoses in patients undergoing ileo-colic anastomoses or ileostomy closure. It has become increasingly apparent that this method is associated with a low risk of leakage, which we should report. The anastomotic technique described was used in all patients undergoing ileo-colic anastomosis or closure of ileostomy by surgeon 1 (1994-2015) and in all ileo-colic anastomoses by surgeon 2 (2007-2015). All patients had a widely patent anastomosis constructed by two firings of a linear cutting stapler, as previously described. Additionally, the entire staple line was carefully oversewn with interrupted, inverting 4/0 polydioxanone sutures. Anastomotic leak was defined as a patient requiring re-operation or radiological drainage. One thousand and twelve patients underwent ileo-colic anastomosis and 685 patients underwent closure of ileostomy by surgeon 1, and 165 patients underwent ileo-colic anastomosis by surgeon 2. None of the 1862 patients required re-operation or radiological drainage for a leak (event rate 0%, 95% confidence interval 0-0.2%). However, there were three possible contained leaks treated successfully conservatively. The time taken to perform the actual anastomosis was measured in the last 30 ileo-colic resections. The median time was 42 min. While this method may well be too slow to gain widespread adoption, we hope this report encourages increased research into finding techniques with similar low leak rates. © 2016 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

  18. Staple Line Reinforcement with Stitch in Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomies. Is It Useful or Harmful?

    PubMed

    Albanopoulos, Konstantinos; Tsamis, Dimitrios; Arapaki, Aggeliki; Kleidi, Eleftheria; Zografos, Georgios; Leandros, Emmanouil

    2015-07-01

    Reinforcement of the staple line in laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is a practice that leads to less morbidity, but equivocal results have been reported in the literature. This is a prospective randomized study comparing two groups of patients who underwent LSG. In one group LSG was performed with a running absorbable suture placement at the staple line. In the other group the running suture was not placed. General data of the patients, as well as intraoperative and postoperative data, were gathered and statistically analyzed. Overall, 146 patients were subjected to LSG. In 84 patients a running suture was placed, and in 62 patients no suture was placed. No significant differences were found between the two groups in demographic data. No significant differences were found also in the intraoperative data, such as number of trocars, number and type of cartridges, drain placement, and operative time (45±21 versus 40±20 minutes, respectively; P<.05). Intraoperative complications were significantly more in the group with the suture placement (33.3% versus 16.1%, respectively; P<.05). Hematomas developed intraoperatively in more patients after the placement of the running suture (9.5% versus 0.0%, respectively; P<.05). Postoperatively, there was no significant difference in morbidity between the two groups (8.3% versus 9.7%, respectively; P>.05). After this randomized study, final conclusions about the efficacy of this running suture to the staple line cannot be made. To the contrary, problems seem to exist after such reinforcement of the staple line, such as hematomas. Dealing with possible leaks and hemorrhage of the staple line is also problematic after placement of the running suture.

  19. 75 FR 70906 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From the People's Republic of China: Partial Rescission of the...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-19

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-570-905] Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From the People's Republic of China: Partial Rescission of the Third Antidumping Duty... Request Administrative Review'' of the antidumping duty order on certain polyester staple fiber (``PSF...

  20. 76 FR 5331 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From Taiwan: Extension of Time Limit for Preliminary Results of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-31

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-583-833] Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From Taiwan: Extension of Time Limit for Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative...) initiated an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain polyester staple fiber from...

  1. 77 FR 4543 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From Taiwan: Extension of Time Limit for Preliminary Results of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-30

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-583-833] Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From Taiwan: Extension of Time Limit for Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative...) initiated an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain polyester staple fiber from...

  2. 77 FR 50530 - Polyester Staple Fiber From China; Scheduling of an Expedited Five-Year Review Concerning the...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-21

    ... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 731-TA-1104 (Review)] Polyester Staple Fiber... Polyester Staple Fiber From China AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission. ACTION: Notice... CONTACT: Joanna Lo (202-205-1888), Office of Investigations, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E...

  3. MAP Fault Localization Based on Wide Area Synchronous Phasor Measurement Information

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Yagang; Wang, Zengping

    2015-02-01

    In the research of complicated electrical engineering, the emergence of phasor measurement units (PMU) is a landmark event. The establishment and application of wide area measurement system (WAMS) in power system has made widespread and profound influence on the safe and stable operation of complicated power system. In this paper, taking full advantage of wide area synchronous phasor measurement information provided by PMUs, we have carried out precise fault localization based on the principles of maximum posteriori probability (MAP). Large numbers of simulation experiments have confirmed that the results of MAP fault localization are accurate and reliable. Even if there are interferences from white Gaussian stochastic noise, the results from MAP classification are also identical to the actual real situation.

  4. Cassava haplotype map highlights fixation of deleterious mutations during clonal propagation

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is an important staple food crop in Africa and South America whose fitness may be severely reduced by ubiquitous deleterious variation. To evaluate these deleterious mutations in cassava genome, we constructed a cassava haplotype map by deep sequencing of 241 diver...

  5. Comparison of stapled haemorrhoidopexy with traditional excisional surgery for haemorrhoidal disease (eTHoS): a pragmatic, multicentre, randomised controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Watson, Angus J M; Hudson, Jemma; Wood, Jessica; Kilonzo, Mary; Brown, Steven R; McDonald, Alison; Norrie, John; Bruhn, Hanne; Cook, Jonathan A

    2016-11-12

    Two commonly performed surgical interventions are available for severe (grade II-IV) haemorrhoids; traditional excisional surgery and stapled haemorrhoidopexy. Uncertainty exists as to which is most effective. The eTHoS trial was designed to establish the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of stapled haemorrhoidopexy compared with traditional excisional surgery. The eTHoS trial was a large, open-label, multicentre, parallel-group, pragmatic randomised controlled trial done in adult participants (aged 18 years or older) referred to hospital for surgical treatment for grade II-IV haemorrhoids. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either traditional excisional surgery or stapled haemorrhoidopexy. Randomisation was minimised according to baseline EuroQol 5 dimensions 3 level score (EQ-5D-3L), haemorrhoid grade, sex, and centre with an automated system to stapled haemorrhoidopexy or traditional excisional surgery. The primary outcome was area under the quality of life curve (AUC) measured with the EQ-5D-3L descriptive system over 24 months, assessed according to the randomised groups. The primary outcome measure was analysed using linear regression with adjustment for the minimisation variables. This trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, number ISRCTN80061723. Between Jan 13, 2011, and Aug 1, 2014, 777 patients were randomised (389 to receive stapled haemorrhoidopexy and 388 to receive traditional excisional surgery). Stapled haemorrhoidopexy was less painful than traditional excisional surgery in the short term and surgical complication rates were similar between groups. The EQ-5D-3L AUC score was higher in the traditional excisional surgery group than the stapled haemorrhoidopexy group over 24 months; mean difference -0·073 (95% CI -0·140 to -0·006; p=0·0342). EQ-5D-3L was higher for stapled haemorrhoidopexy in the first 6 weeks after surgery, the traditional excisional surgery group had significantly better quality of life

  6. How to generate a sound-localization map in fish

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van Hemmen, J. Leo

    2015-03-01

    How sound localization is represented in the fish brain is a research field largely unbiased by theoretical analysis and computational modeling. Yet, there is experimental evidence that the axes of particle acceleration due to underwater sound are represented through a map in the midbrain of fish, e.g., in the torus semicircularis of the rainbow trout (Wubbels et al. 1997). How does such a map arise? Fish perceive pressure gradients by their three otolithic organs, each of which comprises a dense, calcareous, stone that is bathed in endolymph and attached to a sensory epithelium. In rainbow trout, the sensory epithelia of left and right utricle lie in the horizontal plane and consist of hair cells with equally distributed preferred orientations. We model the neuronal response of this system on the basis of Schuijf's vector detection hypothesis (Schuijf et al. 1975) and introduce a temporal spike code of sound direction, where optimality of hair cell orientation θj with respect to the acceleration direction θs is mapped onto spike phases via a von-Mises distribution. By learning to tune in to the earliest synchronized activity, nerve cells in the midbrain generate a map under the supervision of a locally excitatory, yet globally inhibitory visual teacher. Work done in collaboration with Daniel Begovic. Partially supported by BCCN - Munich.

  7. Mobile Robot Self-Localization by Matching Range Maps Using a Hausdorff Measure

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Olson, C. F.

    1997-01-01

    This paper examines techniques for a mobile robot to perform self-localization in natural terrain by comparing a dense range map computed from stereo imagery to a range map in a known frame of reference.

  8. 75 FR 5763 - Notice of Correction to the First Administrative Review of Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-02-04

    ... First Administrative Review of Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From the People's Republic of China: Final... the People's Republic of China (``PRC''). See First Administrative Review of Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From the People's Republic of China: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 75...

  9. 75 FR 1336 - First Administrative Review of Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From the People's Republic of China...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-11

    ... System. Jianxin Fuda Chemical Fibre Factory. Comment 6: Correction of Name in Federal Register Notice... of Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From the People's Republic of China: Final Results of Antidumping... duty order on certain polyester staple fiber (``PSF'') from the People's Republic of China (``PRC...

  10. 77 FR 39990 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Results of the...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-07-06

    ... calls into question the reliability of this information. \\27\\ See Polyester Staple Fiber Final... Fiber From the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Results of the Antidumping Duty Administrative... duty order on certain polyester staple fiber from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'') for the...

  11. A randomized study comparing outcomes of stapled and hand-sutured anastomoses in patients undergoing open gastrointestinal surgery.

    PubMed

    Chandramohan, S M; Gajbhiye, Raj Narenda; Agwarwal, Anil; Creedon, Erin; Schwiers, Michael L; Waggoner, Jason R; Tatla, Daljit

    2013-08-01

    Although stapling is an alternative to hand-suturing in gastrointestinal surgery, recent trials specifically designed to evaluate differences between the two in surgery time, anastomosis time, and return to bowel activity are lacking. This trial compared the outcomes of the two in subjects undergoing open gastrointestinal surgery. Adult subjects undergoing emergency or elective surgery requiring a single gastric, small, or large bowel anastomosis were enrolled into this open-label, prospective, randomized, interventional, parallel, multicenter, controlled trial. Randomization was assigned in a 1:1 ratio between the hand-sutured group (n = 138) and the stapled group (n = 142). Anastomosis time, surgery time, and time to bowel activity were collected and compared as primary endpoints. A total of 280 subjects were enrolled from April 2009 to September 2010. Only the time of anastomosis was significantly different between the two arms: 17.6 ± 1.90 min (stapled) and 20.6 ± 1.90 min (hand-sutured). This difference was deemed not clinically or economically meaningful. Safety outcomes and other secondary endpoints were similar between the two arms. Mechanical stapling is faster than hand-suturing for the construction of gastrointestinal anastomoses. Apart from this, stapling and hand-suturing are similar with respect to the outcomes measured in this trial.

  12. Long-term outcome of stapled transanal rectal resection (STARR) versus stapled hemorrhoidopexys (STH) for grade III-IV hemorrhoids: preliminary results.

    PubMed

    Zanella, Simone; Spirch, Saverio; Scarpa, Marco; Ricci, Francesco; Lumachi, Franco

    2014-01-01

    Circular stapled transanal hemorrhoidopexy (STH) was first introduced by A. Longo for the correction of internal mucosal prolapse and obstructed defecation and in 1998, was proposed as alternative to conventional excisional hemorrhoidectomy. More recently, stapled transanal rectal resection (STARR) has gradually gained popularity, as the Longo procedure, in the treatment of hemorrhoids. The aim of our study was to evaluate the usefulness of STARR as alternative to STH in patients with grade III (n=218, 68.1%) and IV (n=102, 31.9%) hemorrhoids. A group of 320 consecutive patients (median age=51 years; range=16-85) underwent STH (n=281) or STARR (n=39) procedure. The rate of postoperative bleeding (53.8% vs. 74.4%, p<0.01) was significantly reduced in patients who underwent STARR procedure, which required a longer (45 ± 22 vs. 26 ± 11 min, p<0.01) operative time. There were no differences between groups with regard to use of painkillers, postoperative pain intensity, short- (three months) and long-term (one and three years) residual pain, soiling, incontinence and urgency. Patients treated with the STARR procedure had lower recurrence rate of hemorrhoids and a lower incidence of prolapse, both at one year (none vs. 1.4%, p=0.593 and 2.6% vs. 5.3%, p=0.396, respectively) and at two years (none vs. 6.8%, p=0.078 and none vs. 13.2%, p=0.012, respectively). The one-year (9.0 ± 1.8 vs. 9.4 ± 0.7, p=0.171) and two-year (9.6 ± 0.8 vs. 9.1 ± 1.7, p=0.072) general satisfaction was similar but higher in STARR patients than in the STH group. In conclusion, according to our preliminary results, the STARR procedure leads to a lower incidence of complications and recurrences and should be considered for patients with grade III or IV hemorrhoids previously selected for stapled hemorrhoidectomy, as a promising alternative to STH. Copyright © 2014 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.

  13. Staple Food Self-Sufficiency of Farmers Household Level in The Great Solo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Darsono

    2017-04-01

    Analysis of food security level of household is a novelty of measurement standards which usually includes regional and national levels. With household approach is expected to provide the basis of sharp food policy formulation. The purpose of this study are to identify the condition of self-sufficiency in staple foods, and to find the main factors affecting the dynamics of self-sufficiency in staple foods on farm household level in Great Solo. Using primary data from 50 farmers in the sample and secondary data in Great Solo (Surakarta city, Boyolali, Sukoharjo, Karanganyar, Wonogiri, Sragen and Klaten). Compiled panel data were analyzed with linear probability regression models to produce a good model. The results showed that farm households in Great Solo has a surplus of staple food (rice) with an average consumption rate of 96.8 kg/capita/year. This number is lower than the national rate of 136.7 kg/capita/year. The main factors affecting the level of food self-sufficiency in the farmer household level are: rice production, rice consumption, land tenure, and number of family members. Key recommendations from this study are; improvement scale of the land cultivation for rice farming and non-rice diversification consumption.

  14. Stapled technique for acute thrombosed hemorrhoids: a randomized, controlled trial with long-term results.

    PubMed

    Wong, J C H; Chung, C C; Yau, K K; Cheung, H Y S; Wong, D C T; Chan, O C Y; Li, M K W

    2008-04-01

    This study was designed to compare stapled vs. conventional hemorrhoidectomy for patients with acute thrombosed hemorrhoids. Forty-one patients with acute thrombosed hemorrhoids were randomized into: 1) stapled hemorrhoidectomy (PPH group; n = 21), and 2) open hemorrhoidectomy (open group; n = 20). Emergency surgery was performed with perioperative data and complications were recorded. Patients were followed up by independent assessors to evaluate pain, recurrence, continence function, and satisfaction at regular intervals. The median follow-up for the PPH group and open group were 59 and 56 weeks, respectively. There was no significant difference in terms of the hospital stay, complication rate, and continence function; however, the mean pain intensity in the first postoperative week was significantly less in the PPH group (4.1 vs. 5.7, P = 0.02). Patients in the PPH group recovered significantly faster in terms of the time to become analgesic-free (4 vs. 8.5 days, P < 0.01), time to become pain-free (9 vs. 20.5 days, P = 0.01), resumption of work (7 vs. 12.5 days, P = 0.01), and time for complete wound healing (2 vs. 4 weeks, P < 0.01). On long-term follow-up, significantly fewer patients in the PPH group complained of recurrent symptoms (0 vs. 5, P = 0.02). The overall symptom improvement and patients' satisfaction were significantly better in the PPH group (90 vs. 80 percent, P = 0.03 and +3 vs. +2, P < 0.01 respectively). Stapled hemorrhoidectomy is safe and effective for acute thrombosed hemorrhoids. Similar to elective stapled procedure, emergency stapled excision has greater short-term benefits compared with conventional excision: diminished pain, faster recovery, and earlier return to work. Long-term results and satisfaction were excellent.

  15. 76 FR 60802 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From the Republic of Korea and Taiwan: Continuation of Antidumping...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-09-30

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-580-839, A-583-833] Certain Polyester... Commission (ITC) that revocation of the antidumping duty orders on certain polyester staple fiber from the... and the ITC instituted sunset reviews of the antidumping duty orders on polyester staple fiber from...

  16. Localization and Mapping Using a Non-Central Catadioptric Camera System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khurana, M.; Armenakis, C.

    2018-05-01

    This work details the development of an indoor navigation and mapping system using a non-central catadioptric omnidirectional camera and its implementation for mobile applications. Omnidirectional catadioptric cameras find their use in navigation and mapping of robotic platforms, owing to their wide field of view. Having a wider field of view, or rather a potential 360° field of view, allows the system to "see and move" more freely in the navigation space. A catadioptric camera system is a low cost system which consists of a mirror and a camera. Any perspective camera can be used. A platform was constructed in order to combine the mirror and a camera to build a catadioptric system. A calibration method was developed in order to obtain the relative position and orientation between the two components so that they can be considered as one monolithic system. The mathematical model for localizing the system was determined using conditions based on the reflective properties of the mirror. The obtained platform positions were then used to map the environment using epipolar geometry. Experiments were performed to test the mathematical models and the achieved location and mapping accuracies of the system. An iterative process of positioning and mapping was applied to determine object coordinates of an indoor environment while navigating the mobile platform. Camera localization and 3D coordinates of object points obtained decimetre level accuracies.

  17. Stapled versus handsewn methods for colorectal anastomosis surgery.

    PubMed

    Neutzling, Cristiane B; Lustosa, Suzana A S; Proenca, Igor M; da Silva, Edina M K; Matos, Delcio

    2012-02-15

    Previous systematic reviews comparing stapled and handsewn colorectal anastomosis that are available in the medical literature have not shown either technique to be superior. An update of this systematic review was performed to find out if there are any data that properly answer this question. To compare the safety and effectiveness of stapled and handsewn colorectal anastomosis surgery. The following primary hypothesis was tested: the stapled technique is more effective because it decreases the level of complications. A computerized search was performed in the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE according to the strategies of the Colorectal Cancer Group of The Cochrane Collaboration. There were no limits upon language, date or other criteria. A revised search strategy was performed for this updated version of the review May 2011. All randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in which stapled and handsewn colorectal anastomosis techniques were compared. Participants were adult patients undergoing elective colorectal anastomosis surgery. The interventions were endoluminal circular stapler and handsewn colorectal anastomosis surgery. Outcomes considered were a) mortality; b) overall anastomotic dehiscence; c) clinical anastomotic dehiscence; d) radiological anastomotic dehiscence; e) stricture; f) anastomotic haemorrhage; g) reoperation; h) wound infection; i) anastomosis duration; and j) hospital stay. Data were independently analysed by the two review authors (CBN, SASL) and cross-checked. The methodological quality of each trial was assessed by the same two authors. After searching the literature for this update, no study was added to those in the previous version of this review. Details of randomizations (generation and concealment), blinding, whether an intention-to-treat analysis was done or not, and the number of patients lost to follow-up were recorded. The analysis of the risk of bias was updated according to the software

  18. Localizing National Fragmentation Statistics with Forest Type Maps

    Treesearch

    Kurt H. Riitters; John W. Coulston; James D. Wickham

    2003-01-01

    Fragmentation of forest types is an indicator of biodiversity in the Montreal Process, but the available national data permit assessment of only overall forestland fragmentation, not forest type fragmentation. Here we illustrate how to localize national statistics from the 2003 National Report on Sustainable Forests by combining state vegetation maps with national...

  19. 77 FR 54898 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From the People's Republic of China: Final Results of Expedited...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-09-06

    ... Fiber From the People's Republic of China: Final Results of Expedited Sunset Review of the Antidumping... (``sunset'') review of the antidumping duty order on certain polyester staple fiber from the People's... Department finds that revocation of the antidumping duty order on certain polyester staple fiber from the PRC...

  20. Glycaemic responses of staple South Asian foods alone and combined with curried chicken as a mixed meal.

    PubMed

    George, R; Garcia, A L; Edwards, C A

    2015-06-01

    The glycaemic responses of staples differ when eaten as mixed meals. We determined the glycaemic responses and glycaemic index (GI) values for common South Asian carbohydrate rich foods and the effect of adding curried chicken to them as mixed meals. The GI and glycaemic response to staples (basmati rice, pilau rice and chapatti) and mixed meals (pilau rice with chicken curry and chapatti with chicken curry) were measured in healthy volunteers. Paired comparisons in each subject were carried out for staples and their equivalent mixed meals (n = 9). GI values for the mixed meals were significantly lower than the staples alone (41 and 60 for pilau rice with chicken curry and pilau rice alone, P = 0.001; 45 and 68 for chapatti with chicken curry and chapatti alone, P = 0.004). Both, pilau rice and chapatti with chicken curry had a significantly lower glycaemic response than their equivalent staples alone: incremental area under the blood glucose response curves (IAUC) 111.9 mmol min(-1 ) L(-1) for pilau rice with curry versus 162.4 mmol min(-1 ) L(-1) for pilau rice alone (P = 0.001) and IAUC 110.1 mmol min(-1 ) L(-1) for chapatti with chicken curry versus 183.6 mmol min(-1 ) L(-1) for chapatti alone (P = 0.002). Adding fat and protein-containing curries as part of a mixed meal to carbohydrate rich staple foods reduced glycaemic responses, and also changed the GI category. © 2014 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

  1. [Local recurrence following anterior rectum resection--manual versus stapler suture].

    PubMed

    Metzger, U; Weber, W; Weber, E; Linggi, J; Buchmann, P; Largiadèr, F

    1985-04-01

    A retrospective study was carried out on 88 hand sewn and 34 stapled anastomoses following anterior resection to evaluate the impact of suture technique on local recurrence rate. The patient groups were comparable with one exception: there were significantly more Dukes C lesions resected and sutured using the stapling gun (35% versus 15%, X2 = 6.33, p less than 0.05). Stage-corrected recurrence rate was similar in both groups, Dukes A: 8%, Dukes B 21%, Dukes C 52%, all recurrences being detected within 24 months following operation. Significantly fewer protective colostomies were needed using the staple gun (15% versus 34%, X2 = 4.50, p less than 0.05). Otherwise, no significant difference or benefit was observed comparing the two suture techniques.

  2. Comparison of single-stapling and hemi-double-stapling methods for intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy using a circular stapler after totally laparoscopic total gastrectomy.

    PubMed

    Amisaki, Masataka; Kihara, Kyoichi; Endo, Kanenori; Suzuki, Kazunori; Nakamura, Seiichi; Sawata, Takashi; Shimizu, Tetsu

    2016-07-01

    Laparoscopic total gastrectomy is not widely performed because of the difficulty of esophagojejunal reconstruction. This study analyzed complication rates of two different methods for reconstruction by a circular stapler after totally laparoscopic total gastrectomy (TLTG). Between 2010 and 2014, clinical data of 19 patients who underwent TLTG for gastric adenocarcinoma were collected retrospectively. There were two methods to fix the anvil of a circular stapler into the distal esophagus: In the single-stapling technique (SST) group, Endo-PSI(II) was used for purse-suturing on the distal esophagus for reconstruction, and in the hemi-double-stapling technique (hemi-DST) group, the esophagus was cut by linear stapler with the entry hole of the anvil shaft opened after inserting the anvil tail. In both groups, surgical procedures were the same, except for the reconstruction. All TLTGs were performed securely without mortality. Intracorporeal laparoscopic esophagojejunal anastomosis was performed successfully for all the patients. In the hemi-DST group, four patients experienced anastomotic stenosis, three of whom required endoscopic balloon dilation. In contrast, no stenosis was seen in the SST group (p = 0.033). Anastomosis with SST is preferred to that with hemi-DST to minimize postoperative complications.

  3. Long-term prospective evaluation of intestinal anastomosis using stainless steel staples in 14 dogs

    PubMed Central

    Benlloch-Gonzalez, Manuel; Gomes, Eymeric; Bouvy, Bernard; Poncet, Cyrill

    2015-01-01

    This prospective clinical study evaluated the use, complications, and clinical and ultrasonographic follow-ups of end-to-end intestinal anastomoses with skin staples in naturally occurring diseases in canine small and large intestines. Intestinal anastomoses were performed in 14 dogs and pre-, peri-, and postoperative data were recorded. Postoperative clinical and ultrasound evaluations were performed at regular intervals for 1 year. The mean time taken to construct the anastomosis was 5 min. There were no intraoperative complications. Hemorrhage and colonic stricture were the main postoperative complications. Staple loss occurred in 2 cases. Absence of wall layering and focal wall thickening were observed in all cases at each ultrasonographic follow-up. Hyperechoic fat was observed in all but 1 of the cases at month 1. Nine dogs were alive with normal digestive function at the end of the study. The skin stapler technique enabled rapid construction of consistent anastomoses with inexpensive stapling material. PMID:26130833

  4. Urban local climate zone mapping and apply in urban environment study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    He, Shan; Zhang, Yunwei; Zhang, Jili

    2018-02-01

    The city’s local climate zone (LCZ) was considered to be a powerful tool for urban climate mapping. But for cities in different countries and regions, the LCZ division methods and results were different, thus targeted researches should be performed. In the current work, a LCZ mapping method was proposed, which is convenient in operation and city planning oriented. In this proposed method, the local climate zoning types were adjusted firstly, according to the characteristics of Chinese city, that more tall buildings and high density. Then the classification method proposed by WUDAPT based on remote sensing data was performed on Xi’an city, as an example, for LCZ mapping. Combined with the city road network, a reasonable expression of the dividing results was provided, to adapt to the characteristics in city planning that land parcels are usually recognized as the basic unit. The proposed method was validated against the actual land use and construction data that surveyed in Xi’an, with results indicating the feasibility of the proposed method for urban LCZ mapping in China.

  5. Synthesis of all-hydrocarbon stapled α-helical peptides by ring-closing olefin metathesis.

    PubMed

    Kim, Young-Woo; Grossmann, Tom N; Verdine, Gregory L

    2011-06-01

    This protocol provides a detailed procedure for the preparation of stapled α-helical peptides, which have proven their potential as useful molecular probes and as next-generation therapeutics. Two crucial features of this protocol are (i) the construction of peptide substrates containing hindered α-methyl, α-alkenyl amino acids and (ii) the ring-closing olefin metathesis (RCM) of the resulting resin-bound peptide substrates. The stapling systems described in this protocol, namely bridging one or two turns of an α-helix, are highly adaptable to most peptide sequences, resulting in favorable RCM kinetics, helix stabilization and promotion of cellular uptake.

  6. Localizing New Pulsars with Intensity Mapping

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Swiggum, Joe; Gentile, Peter

    2018-01-01

    Although low-frequency, single dish pulsar surveys provide an efficient means of searching large regions of sky quickly, the localization of new discoveries is poor. For example, discoveries from 350 MHz surveys using the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) have position uncertainties up to the FWHM of the telescope's "beam" on the sky, over half a degree! Before finding a coherent timing solution (requires 8-12 months of dedicated timing observations) a "gridding" method is usually employed to improve localization of new pulsars, whereby a grid of higher frequency beam positions is used to tile the initial error region. This method often requires over an hour of observing time to achieve arcminute-precision localization (provided the pulsar is detectable at higher frequencies).Here, we describe another method that uses the same observing frequency as the discovery observation and scans over Right Ascension and Declination directions around the nominal position. A Gaussian beam model is fit to folded pulse profile intensities as a function of time/position to provide improved localization. Using five test cases, we show that intensity mapping localization at 350 MHz with the GBT yields pulsar positions to 1 arcminute precision, facilitating high-frequency follow-up and higher significance detections for future pulsar timing. This method is also well suited to be directly implemented in future low-frequency drift scan pulsar surveys (e.g. with the Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope; FAST).

  7. Gastropexy with an automatic stapling instrument for the treatment of gastric dilatation and volvulus in 20 dogs

    PubMed Central

    Belandria, Gerardo A.; Pavletic, Michael M.; Boulay, James P.; Penninck, Dominique G.; Schwarz, Leslie A.

    2009-01-01

    Surgical stapling equipment was used to create a gastropexy in 20 dogs undergoing emergency surgery for gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV). The technique involved creation of a tunnel between the seromuscular layer and the submucosa of the pyloric antrum, and a matching tunnel beneath the right m. transversus abdominis. The arms of a gastrointestinal anastomosis stapling device were introduced into the tunnels, and the device was fired to create the gastropexy. One dog died of systemic sequelae of GDV during the early postoperative period. None of the remaining 19 dogs developed a recurrence of GDV during follow-up periods ranging from 5 to 43 months. In 11 dogs, the integrity of the gastropexy was evaluated by abdominal ultrasonography and either negative contrast gastrography or double contrast gastrography; in these dogs, the radiographic and/or the ultrasonographic findings were suggestive of an intact gastropexy. There were no complications involving the gastropexy staple line. The results of this study indicate that an effective and consistent permanent gastropexy can be created, using surgical stapling equipment. PMID:19794869

  8. Gastropexy with an automatic stapling instrument for the treatment of gastric dilatation and volvulus in 20 dogs.

    PubMed

    Belandria, Gerardo A; Pavletic, Michael M; Boulay, James P; Penninck, Dominique G; Schwarz, Leslie A

    2009-07-01

    Surgical stapling equipment was used to create a gastropexy in 20 dogs undergoing emergency surgery for gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV). The technique involved creation of a tunnel between the seromuscular layer and the submucosa of the pyloric antrum, and a matching tunnel beneath the right m. transversus abdominis. The arms of a gastrointestinal anastomosis stapling device were introduced into the tunnels, and the device was fired to create the gastropexy. One dog died of systemic sequelae of GDV during the early postoperative period. None of the remaining 19 dogs developed a recurrence of GDV during follow-up periods ranging from 5 to 43 months. In 11 dogs, the integrity of the gastropexy was evaluated by abdominal ultrasonography and either negative contrast gastrography or double contrast gastrography; in these dogs, the radiographic and/or the ultrasonographic findings were suggestive of an intact gastropexy. There were no complications involving the gastropexy staple line. The results of this study indicate that an effective and consistent permanent gastropexy can be created, using surgical stapling equipment.

  9. Goal oriented soil mapping: applying modern methods supported by local knowledge: A review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pereira, Paulo; Brevik, Eric; Oliva, Marc; Estebaranz, Ferran; Depellegrin, Daniel; Novara, Agata; Cerda, Artemi; Menshov, Oleksandr

    2017-04-01

    In the recent years the amount of soil data available increased importantly. This facilitated the production of better and accurate maps, important for sustainable land management (Pereira et al., 2017). Despite these advances, the human knowledge is extremely important to understand the natural characteristics of the landscape. The knowledge accumulated and transmitted generation after generation is priceless, and should be considered as a valuable data source for soil mapping and modelling. The local knowledge and wisdom can complement the new advances in soil analysis. In addition, farmers are the most interested in the participation and incorporation of their knowledge in the models, since they are the end-users of the study that soil scientists produce. Integration of local community's vision and understanding about nature is assumed to be an important step to the implementation of decision maker's policies. Despite this, many challenges appear regarding the integration of local and scientific knowledge, since in some cases there is no spatial correlation between folk and scientific classifications, which may be attributed to the different cultural variables that influence local soil classification. The objective of this work is to review how modern soil methods incorporated local knowledge in their models. References Pereira, P., Brevik, E., Oliva, M., Estebaranz, F., Depellegrin, D., Novara, A., Cerda, A., Menshov, O. (2017) Goal Oriented soil mapping: applying modern methods supported by local knowledge. In: Pereira, P., Brevik, E., Munoz-Rojas, M., Miller, B. (Eds.) Soil mapping and process modelling for sustainable land use management (Elsevier Publishing House) ISBN: 9780128052006

  10. Localization in Self-Healing Autonomous Sensor Networks (SASNet): Studies on Cooperative Localization of Sensor Nodes using Distributed Maps

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-01-01

    CCA-MAP algorithm are analyzed. Further, we discuss the design considerations of the discussed cooperative localization algorithms to compare and...MAP and CCA-MAP to compare and evaluate their performance. Then a preliminary design analysis is given to address the implementation requirements and...plus précis, avec un nombre inférieur de nœuds ancres, comparativement aux autres types de schémas de localisation. En réalité, les algorithmes de

  11. Modeling photo-bleaching kinetics to map local variations in rod rhodopsin density

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ehler, M.; Dobrosotskaya, J.; King, E. J.; Czaja, W.; Bonner, R. F.

    2011-03-01

    Localized rod photoreceptor and rhodopsin losses have been observed in post mortem histology both in normal aging and in age-related maculopathy. We propose to noninvasively map local rod rhodopsin density through analysis of the brightening of the underlying lipofuscin autofluorescence (LAF) in confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (cSLO) imaging sequences starting in the dark adapted eye. The detected LAF increases as rhodopsin is bleached (time constant ~ 25sec) by the average retinal irradiance of the cSLO 488nm laser beam. We fit parameters of analytical expressions for the kinetics of rhodopsin bleaching that Lamb validated using electroretinogram recordings in human. By performing localized (~ 100μm) kinetic analysis, we create high resolution maps of the rhodopsin density. This new noninvasive imaging and analysis approach appears well-suited for measuring localized changes in the rod photoreceptors and correlating them at high spatial resolution with localized pathological changes of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) seen in steady-state LAF images.

  12. [Is the stapled suture in visceral surgery still justified? A prospective controlled, randomized study of cost effectiveness of manual and stapler suture].

    PubMed

    Izbicki, J R; Gawad, K A; Quirrenbach, S; Hosch, S B; Breid, V; Knoefel, W T; Küpper, H U; Broelsch, C E

    1998-07-01

    Hospitals are facing increasing economic pressure. It therefore seems necessary to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of medical or surgical interventions. In this study 324 anastomoses (167 stapled and 157 hand-sewn) were performed after randomization during 200 elective operations [20.5% gastrectomies, 14% gastric resections (Billroth II), 15% Whipple's procedures, 4% segmental colonic resections, 18% right-sided hemicolectomies, 4% left-sided hemicolectomies, 22% sigmoid- or anterior rectal resections, 2.5% total colectomies with pouch-anal anastomoses] in 200 patients. Postoperative motility (time to full oral diet, time with naso-gastric tube) and hospitalization were comparable in both groups. Anastomotic insufficiency was observed in 2.1% of all patients, five after stapled and two after hand-sewn anastomoses. Hospital mortality was 1.5%. All stapled anastomoses were performed significantly (P < 0.001) faster. However, the cost of material for these anastomoses was significantly (P < 0.001) higher, resulting in significantly higher total costs for reconstruction. The time saving for the reconstruction did not influence the total operative time (except for stapled gastrectomy). Therefore, all operations with stapled reconstruction were more expensive than those with sutured reconstruction. The difference was significant for the gastrectomy (P < 0.01), colonic resection (P < 0.01) and sigmoid and rectal resection (P < 0.001) groups. Stapled and sutured anastomoses are equally effective. Stapled anastomoses are not efficient, however, and should be reserved for individual indications.

  13. Development of Flame Resistant Combat Uniform Fabrics Made from Long Staple Wool and Aramid Blend Yarn

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-04-15

    Kentwool recombed the wool top ( wool is first combed during the production of wool top); a second combing process is an optional step sometimes used in...RESISTANT COMBAT UNIFORM FABRICS MADE FROM LONG STAPLE WOOL AND ARAMID BLEND YARN by Parvez Mehta* Mitchell Driggers* and Carole...SUBTITLE DEVELOPMENT OF FLAME RESISTANT COMBAT UNIFORM FABRICS MADE FROM LONG STAPLE WOOL AND ARAMID BLEND YARN 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER W911QY-11

  14. 75 FR 33783 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber from the Republic of Korea: Preliminary Results of the 2008 - 2009...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-15

    ... Fiber from the Republic of Korea: Preliminary Results of the 2008 - 2009 Antidumping Duty Administrative... antidumping duty order on certain polyester staple fiber from the Republic of Korea. The period of review is May 1, 2008, through April 30, 2009. This review covers imports of certain polyester staple fiber from...

  15. A powered vascular staple for the application of segmental bronchial closure in thoracoscopic anatomic segmentectomy.

    PubMed

    Kuroda, Hiroaki; Yoshida, Tatsuya; Sakao, Yukinori

    2017-12-01

    We used the powered vascular staple (PVS) instead of the conventional staple technique [the utilization of the powered linier cutter (PLC)] or ligation for total 23 segmental or subsegmental bronchi with less than 10 mm in the bronchial luminal size on computed tomography (CT) in thoracoscopic segmentectomy. Our results suggested that the availability of the PVS represents a novel advance in the armamentarium and may have a possibility of being pervasive widely however, more observative periods and further sample accumulation are needed.

  16. Probing the origin of structural stability of single and double stapled p53 peptide analogs bound to MDM2.

    PubMed

    Guo, Zuojun; Streu, Kristina; Krilov, Goran; Mohanty, Udayan

    2014-06-01

    The stabilization of secondary structure is believed to play an important role in the peptide-protein binding interaction. In this study, the α-helical conformation and structural stability of single and double stapled all-hydrocarbon cross-linked p53 peptides when bound and unbound to MDM2 are investigated. We determined the effects of the peptide sequence, the stereochemistry of the cross-linker, the conformation of the double bond in the alkene bridge, and the length of the bridge, to the relative stability of the α-helix structure. The binding affinity calculations by WaterMap provided over one hundred hydration sites in the MDM2 binding pocket where water density is greater than twice that of the bulk, and the relative value of free energy released by displacing these hydration sites. In agreement with the experimental data, potentials of mean force obtained by weighted histogram analysis methods indicated the order of peptides from lowest to highest binding affinity. Our study provides a comprehensive rationalization of the relationship between peptide stapling strategy, the secondary structural stability, and the binding affinity of p53/MDM2 complex. We hope our efforts can help to further the development of a new generation p53/MDM2 inhibitors that can reactivate the function of p53 as tumor suppressor gene. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  17. BatSLAM: Simultaneous localization and mapping using biomimetic sonar.

    PubMed

    Steckel, Jan; Peremans, Herbert

    2013-01-01

    We propose to combine a biomimetic navigation model which solves a simultaneous localization and mapping task with a biomimetic sonar mounted on a mobile robot to address two related questions. First, can robotic sonar sensing lead to intelligent interactions with complex environments? Second, can we model sonar based spatial orientation and the construction of spatial maps by bats? To address these questions we adapt the mapping module of RatSLAM, a previously published navigation system based on computational models of the rodent hippocampus. We analyze the performance of the proposed robotic implementation operating in the real world. We conclude that the biomimetic navigation model operating on the information from the biomimetic sonar allows an autonomous agent to map unmodified (office) environments efficiently and consistently. Furthermore, these results also show that successful navigation does not require the readings of the biomimetic sonar to be interpreted in terms of individual objects/landmarks in the environment. We argue that the system has applications in robotics as well as in the field of biology as a simple, first order, model for sonar based spatial orientation and map building.

  18. BatSLAM: Simultaneous Localization and Mapping Using Biomimetic Sonar

    PubMed Central

    Steckel, Jan; Peremans, Herbert

    2013-01-01

    We propose to combine a biomimetic navigation model which solves a simultaneous localization and mapping task with a biomimetic sonar mounted on a mobile robot to address two related questions. First, can robotic sonar sensing lead to intelligent interactions with complex environments? Second, can we model sonar based spatial orientation and the construction of spatial maps by bats? To address these questions we adapt the mapping module of RatSLAM, a previously published navigation system based on computational models of the rodent hippocampus. We analyze the performance of the proposed robotic implementation operating in the real world. We conclude that the biomimetic navigation model operating on the information from the biomimetic sonar allows an autonomous agent to map unmodified (office) environments efficiently and consistently. Furthermore, these results also show that successful navigation does not require the readings of the biomimetic sonar to be interpreted in terms of individual objects/landmarks in the environment. We argue that the system has applications in robotics as well as in the field of biology as a simple, first order, model for sonar based spatial orientation and map building. PMID:23365647

  19. A high-resolution computational localization method for transcranial magnetic stimulation mapping.

    PubMed

    Aonuma, Shinta; Gomez-Tames, Jose; Laakso, Ilkka; Hirata, Akimasa; Takakura, Tomokazu; Tamura, Manabu; Muragaki, Yoshihiro

    2018-05-15

    Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is used for the mapping of brain motor functions. The complexity of the brain deters determining the exact localization of the stimulation site using simplified methods (e.g., the region below the center of the TMS coil) or conventional computational approaches. This study aimed to present a high-precision localization method for a specific motor area by synthesizing computed non-uniform current distributions in the brain for multiple sessions of TMS. Peritumoral mapping by TMS was conducted on patients who had intra-axial brain neoplasms located within or close to the motor speech area. The electric field induced by TMS was computed using realistic head models constructed from magnetic resonance images of patients. A post-processing method was implemented to determine a TMS hotspot by combining the computed electric fields for the coil orientations and positions that delivered high motor-evoked potentials during peritumoral mapping. The method was compared to the stimulation site localized via intraoperative direct brain stimulation and navigated TMS. Four main results were obtained: 1) the dependence of the computed hotspot area on the number of peritumoral measurements was evaluated; 2) the estimated localization of the hand motor area in eight non-affected hemispheres was in good agreement with the position of a so-called "hand-knob"; 3) the estimated hotspot areas were not sensitive to variations in tissue conductivity; and 4) the hand motor areas estimated by this proposal and direct electric stimulation (DES) were in good agreement in the ipsilateral hemisphere of four glioma patients. The TMS localization method was validated by well-known positions of the "hand-knob" in brains for the non-affected hemisphere, and by a hotspot localized via DES during awake craniotomy for the tumor-containing hemisphere. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Three-dimensional mapping of the local interstellar medium with composite data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Capitanio, L.; Lallement, R.; Vergely, J. L.; Elyajouri, M.; Monreal-Ibero, A.

    2017-10-01

    Context. Three-dimensional maps of the Galactic interstellar medium are general astrophysical tools. Reddening maps may be based on the inversion of color excess measurements for individual target stars or on statistical methods using stellar surveys. Three-dimensional maps based on diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) have also been produced. All methods benefit from the advent of massive surveys and may benefit from Gaia data. Aims: All of the various methods and databases have their own advantages and limitations. Here we present a first attempt to combine different datasets and methods to improve the local maps. Methods: We first updated our previous local dust maps based on a regularized Bayesian inversion of individual color excess data by replacing Hipparcos or photometric distances with Gaia Data Release 1 values when available. Secondly, we complemented this database with a series of ≃5000 color excess values estimated from the strength of the λ15273 DIB toward stars possessing a Gaia parallax. The DIB strengths were extracted from SDSS/APOGEE spectra. Third, we computed a low-resolution map based on a grid of Pan-STARRS reddening measurements by means of a new hierarchical technique and used this map as the prior distribution during the inversion of the two other datasets. Results: The use of Gaia parallaxes introduces significant changes in some areas and globally increases the compactness of the structures. Additional DIB-based data make it possible to assign distances to clouds located behind closer opaque structures and do not introduce contradictory information for the close structures. A more realistic prior distribution instead of a plane-parallel homogeneous distribution helps better define the structures. We validated the results through comparisons with other maps and with soft X-ray data. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that the combination of various tracers is a potential tool for more accurate maps. An online tool makes it possible to

  1. Expected increase in staple crop imports in water-scarce countries in 2050

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chouchane, Hatem; Krol, Maarten; Hoekstra, Arjen

    2017-04-01

    Water scarcity is a major challenge in the coming decades. The increasing population and the changing pattern of water availability that results from global warming reduce the potential of sufficient food production in many countries over the world. Today, two thirds of the global population are already living under conditions of severe water scarcity at least one month of the year. This rises the importance of addressing the present and future relationship between water availability and food import in water-scarce countries. The net import of staple crops (barley, cassava, maize, millet and products, oats, potatoes, rice, rye, sorghum, soybeans, sweet potatoes, wheat and yams) is analysed in relation to water availability per capita for the period 1961-2010, considering five decadal averages. The relation found is used together with the low, medium and high population growth scenarios from the United Nations to project the staple crops import in water-scarce countries for the year 2050. Additionally, we investigate the uncertainties related to the three population scenarios. Results will help countries to better understand the impact of population growth and limited water resources on their future food trade. This study will provide a valuable supporting tool for policy makers towards more sustainable and water-efficient food production as targeted with the Sustainable Development Goals. Keywords: Water Availability, Food Import, Staple Crops, Water Scarcity, Water-Use Efficiency, Sustainable Development Goals.

  2. Infrastructure-Free Mapping and Localization for Tunnel-Based Rail Applications Using 2D Lidar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Daoust, Tyler

    This thesis presents an infrastructure-free mapping and localization framework for rail vehicles using only a lidar sensor. The method was designed to handle modern underground tunnels: narrow, parallel, and relatively smooth concrete walls. A sliding-window algorithm was developed to estimate the train's motion, using a Renyi's Quadratic Entropy (RQE)-based point-cloud alignment system. The method was tested with datasets gathered on a subway train travelling at high speeds, with 75 km of data across 14 runs, simulating 500 km of localization. The system was capable of mapping with an average error of less than 0.6 % by distance. It was capable of continuously localizing, relative to the map, to within 10 cm in stations and at crossovers, and 2.3 m in pathological sections of tunnel. This work has the potential to improve train localization in a tunnel, which can be used to increase capacity and for automation purposes.

  3. [Results of Longo's stapled hemorrhoidectomy in ambulatory surgery for grade III-IV hemorrhoids].

    PubMed

    Zaragozá, Cristóbal; García Fadrique, Alfonso; Castaño, Sergio; Villalba, Raúl; Bruna Esteban, Marcos; Redondo Cano, Carlos

    2007-03-01

    We prospectively evaluated the results of stapled hemorrhoidectomy for grade III-IV hemorrhoids in the ambulatory setting. Eighty-five consecutive patients with grade III-IV hemorrhoids, treated with the stapled technique with PPH01 in the Ambulatory Surgery Service of the General Hospital of Valencia were studied. Symptomatic, ASA I-II patients who agreed to undergo ambulatory surgery (vehicle, an accompanying adult, address with telephone, elevator, and basic hygiene conditions) were included. Thirty-nine percent were women and 61% were men, with a mean age of 47.6 years. A total of 85.9% had grade IV hemorrhoids and 14.1% had grade III. The average surgical time was 29.81+/- 12 minutes with a mean length of hospital stay of 168.88 +/- 88 minutes. Surgical complications consisted of 16 hemorrhages of the staple line (18.8%) and five hemorrhages due to mucous tear (5.9%). During the first 8 days the most frequent complication was pain (45.9%); only 7.1% of the patients required analgesia with opiates, and one patient required admission for 24 hours for analgesic purposes. Bleeding occurred in 10 patients, five of whom reported slight bleeding on defecation that stopped spontaneously; the remaining five required admission for 24 hours after surgical revision. Nine patients (10.6%) were admitted to the hospital for 24 hours, three due to intraoperative hemorrhage, five due to postoperative hemorrhage and one due to pain. A second intervention was required in 8.2%. Stapled hemorrhoidectomy can be applied in an ambulatory regime. Although technically simple with a short learning curve, this technique is not free of complications. Suitable patient selection and adequate perioperative information are indispensable for the ambulatory management of this disorder.

  4. Robust Nonrigid Multimodal Image Registration using Local Frequency Maps*

    PubMed Central

    Jian, Bing; Vemuri, Baba C.; Marroquin, José L.

    2008-01-01

    Automatic multi-modal image registration is central to numerous tasks in medical imaging today and has a vast range of applications e.g., image guidance, atlas construction, etc. In this paper, we present a novel multi-modal 3D non-rigid registration algorithm where in 3D images to be registered are represented by their corresponding local frequency maps efficiently computed using the Riesz transform as opposed to the popularly used Gabor filters. The non-rigid registration between these local frequency maps is formulated in a statistically robust framework involving the minimization of the integral squared error a.k.a. L2E (L2 error). This error is expressed as the squared difference between the true density of the residual (which is the squared difference between the non-rigidly transformed reference and the target local frequency representations) and a Gaussian or mixture of Gaussians density approximation of the same. The non-rigid transformation is expressed in a B-spline basis to achieve the desired smoothness in the transformation as well as computational efficiency. The key contributions of this work are (i) the use of Riesz transform to achieve better efficiency in computing the local frequency representation in comparison to Gabor filter-based approaches, (ii) new mathematical model for local-frequency based non-rigid registration, (iii) analytic computation of the gradient of the robust non-rigid registration cost function to achieve efficient and accurate registration. The proposed non-rigid L2E-based registration is a significant extension of research reported in literature to date. We present experimental results for registering several real data sets with synthetic and real non-rigid misalignments. PMID:17354721

  5. A randomized, controlled trial of diathermy hemorrhoidectomy vs. stapled hemorrhoidectomy in an intended day-care setting with longer-term follow-up.

    PubMed

    Cheetham, M J; Cohen, C R G; Kamm, M A; Phillips, R K S

    2003-04-01

    Hemorrhoidectomy is the most effective long-term treatment for hemorrhoids. Although it is possible to perform hemorrhoidectomy as a day case with a high degree of patient satisfaction, patients take an average of 14 days off work after surgery. Stapled hemorrhoidectomy is believed to be less painful than conventional hemorrhoidectomy and should allow an earlier return to work. The aim of this study was to compare both the immediate and the long-term results of stapled hemorrhoidectomy with diathermy hemorrhoidectomy in patients with prolapsing internal hemorrhoids in an intended day-care setting. Thirty-one patients were randomly assigned to undergo diathermy hemorrhoidectomy (n = 16) or stapled hemorrhoidectomy performed with a purpose-designed endoluminal stapling device, PPH01T (n = 15). All operations were planned as day or short-stay cases. All patients received lactulose, commenced preoperatively, together with postoperative topical glyceryl trinitrate and oral metronidazole. Patients were assessed by structured interview to assess their symptoms before and after surgery, with an intended follow-up of six months. All patients completed a 10-cm visual analog pain scale daily for the first ten days after surgery. The total pain score (sum of all pain scores) was significantly higher in the diathermy group (50 (range, 9.8-79.9) vs. 19.6 (range, 1.3-89.5), P = 0.03). Patients took a median of 14 (range, 3-21) days off work after diathermy hemorrhoidectomy compared with 10 (range, 3-38) days for the patients undergoing stapled hemorrhoidectomy (P = 0.15). At long-term follow-up, three patients (all in the stapled group) developed new symptoms of fecal urgency and anal pain, and three patients required further surgery to remove symptomatic external hemorrhoids after stapled hemorrhoidectomy. Although stapled hemorrhoidectomy is less painful in the short term, this does not lead to a significantly earlier return to work, and some patients develop new symptoms at

  6. Local SIMPLE multi-atlas-based segmentation applied to lung lobe detection on chest CT

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Agarwal, M.; Hendriks, E. A.; Stoel, B. C.; Bakker, M. E.; Reiber, J. H. C.; Staring, M.

    2012-02-01

    For multi atlas-based segmentation approaches, a segmentation fusion scheme which considers local performance measures may be more accurate than a method which uses a global performance measure. We improve upon an existing segmentation fusion method called SIMPLE and extend it to be localized and suitable for multi-labeled segmentations. We demonstrate the algorithm performance on 23 CT scans of COPD patients using a leave-one- out experiment. Our algorithm performs significantly better (p < 0.01) than majority voting, STAPLE, and SIMPLE, with a median overlap of the fissure of 0.45, 0.48, 0.55 and 0.6 for majority voting, STAPLE, SIMPLE, and the proposed algorithm, respectively.

  7. Local nanoscale strain mapping of a metallic glass during in situ testing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gammer, Christoph; Ophus, Colin; Pekin, Thomas C.; Eckert, Jürgen; Minor, Andrew M.

    2018-04-01

    The local elastic strains during tensile deformation in a CuZrAlAg metallic glass are obtained by fitting an elliptic shape function to the characteristic amorphous ring in electron diffraction patterns. Scanning nanobeam electron diffraction enables strain mapping with a resolution of a few nanometers. Here, a fast direct electron detector is used to acquire the diffraction patterns at a sufficient speed to map the local transient strain during continuous tensile loading in situ in the transmission electron microscope. The elastic strain in tensile direction was found to increase during loading. After catastrophic fracture, a residual elastic strain that relaxes over time was observed.

  8. Extra long staple upland cotton for the production of superior yarn

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Cotton, Gossypium spp., fibers are produced primarily by two species, G. hirsutum L., upland, and G. barbadense L., pima, which also is referred to as Extra Long Staple (ELS). The Cotton Improvement Laboratory, Texas AgriLife Research, has developed ELS upland lines through intraspecific crosses and...

  9. Stapled or manual suturing in esophagojejunostomy after total gastrectomy: a comparison of outcome in 379 patients.

    PubMed

    Fujimoto, S; Takahashi, M; Endoh, F; Takai, M; Kobayashi, K; Kiuchi, S; Konno, C; Obata, G; Okui, K

    1991-09-01

    From January 1983 to December 1989, we performed esophagojejunostomy on 379 patients who underwent total gastrectomy for gastric cancer. A mechanical EEA stapler or conventional manual suturing was used. The clinical outcomes of 199 patients in whom stapling was used (stapler group) and 180 patients in whom manual suturing was done (manual group) were compared. Two of the 199 patients in the stapler group and 3 of the 180 patients in the manual group died of causes directly related to the anastomosis. In the stapler group, 16 stapled anastomoses were formed supradiaphragmatically, and manual suturing was done for 6 patients. The highly placed anastomosis was formed without left thoracotomy or with median sternotomy in 8 of the 16 patients in whom the stapling device was used and in 1 of the 6 patients in whom manual suturing was used. The incidence of anastomotic leakage and stenosis did not differ between the groups. Thus, the mechanical stapler facilitated the construction of a rapid, reliable esophagojejunostomic anastomosis.

  10. Management of staple line leaks after sleeve gastrectomy in a consecutive series of 378 patients.

    PubMed

    Vix, Michel; Diana, Michele; Marx, Ludovic; Callari, Cosimo; Wu, Hurng-Sheng; Perretta, Silvana; Mutter, Didier; Marescaux, Jacques

    2015-02-01

    Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is gaining acceptance as a stand-alone bariatric procedure with proven efficacy on weight loss and obesity-related comorbidities. A specific and potentially severe complication of LSG is the staple line leak (SLL). Our aim was to report the SLL rate and its management in a prospective cohort of 378 LSGs. A total of 378 patients underwent LSG from July 2005 to July 2011. The gastric transection was performed by an initial 60 mm firing of 4.5 mm staples at the antrum and successive 60 mm firings of 3.5 mm staples at the gastric body and fundus toward the left diaphragmatic crus. A 36 Fr bougie was used to calibrate the gastric tube. The staple line was systematically reinforced with a partial-thickness running suture. The overall complications and SLL rate were 20/378 (5.29%) and 9/378 (2.38%), respectively. SLLs were managed by laparoscopic (n=2) or open (n=1) exploration, drainage and endoscopic self-expandable covered stent, computed tomography-guided percutaneous drainage (n=2), or a self-expandable covered stent alone (n=4). Medical support including total parenteral nutrition and adapted antibiotics was started in all patients. The combined treatment modalities were successful in all cases. SLL was the most common complication of LSG accounting for half of the overall complications. Percutaneous drainage and self-covered stents combined with antibiotics and parenteral nutrition are effective for SLL and should be proposed as first-line treatment in stable patients.

  11. Local search to improve coordinate-based task mapping

    DOE PAGES

    Balzuweit, Evan; Bunde, David P.; Leung, Vitus J.; ...

    2015-10-31

    We present a local search strategy to improve the coordinate-based mapping of a parallel job’s tasks to the MPI ranks of its parallel allocation in order to reduce network congestion and the job’s communication time. The goal is to reduce the number of network hops between communicating pairs of ranks. Our target is applications with a nearest-neighbor stencil communication pattern running on mesh systems with non-contiguous processor allocation, such as Cray XE and XK Systems. Utilizing the miniGhost mini-app, which models the shock physics application CTH, we demonstrate that our strategy reduces application running time while also reducing the runtimemore » variability. Furthermore, we further show that mapping quality can vary based on the selected allocation algorithm, even between allocation algorithms of similar apparent quality.« less

  12. Algebraic models of local period maps and Yukawa algebras

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bandiera, Ruggero; Manetti, Marco

    2018-02-01

    We describe some L_{∞} model for the local period map of a compact Kähler manifold. Applications include the study of deformations with associated variation of Hodge structure constrained by certain closed strata of the Grassmannian of the de Rham cohomology. As a by-product, we obtain an interpretation in the framework of deformation theory of the Yukawa coupling.

  13. Design of stapled DNA-minor-groove-binding molecules with a mutable atom simulated annealing method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Walker, Wynn L.; Kopka, Mary L.; Dickerson, Richard E.; Goodsell, David S.

    1997-11-01

    We report the design of optimal linker geometries for the synthesis of stapledDNA-minor-groove-binding molecules. Netropsin, distamycin, and lexitropsinsbind side-by-side to mixed-sequence DNA and offer an opportunity for thedesign of sequence-reading molecules. Stapled molecules, with two moleculescovalently linked side-by-side, provide entropic gains and restrain theposition of one molecule relative to its neighbor. Using a free-atom simulatedannealing technique combined with a discrete mutable atom definition, optimallengths and atomic composition for covalent linkages are determined, and anovel hydrogen bond `zipper' is proposed to phase two molecules accuratelyside-by-side.

  14. Wound Complication Rates After Staples or Suture for Midline Vertical Skin Closure in Obese Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

    PubMed

    Kuroki, Lindsay M; Mullen, Mary M; Massad, L Stewart; Wu, Ningying; Liu, Jingxia; Mutch, David G; Powell, Matthew A; Hagemann, Andrea R; Thaker, Premal H; McCourt, Carolyn K; Novetsky, Akiva P

    2017-07-01

    To compare wound complication rates after skin closure with staples and subcuticular suture in obese gynecology patients undergoing laparotomy through a midline vertical incision. In this randomized controlled trial, women with body mass indexes (BMIs) of 30 or greater undergoing surgery by a gynecologic oncologist through a midline vertical incision were randomized to skin closure with staples or subcuticular 4-0 monofilament suture. The primary outcome was the rate of wound complication, defined as the presence of a wound breakdown, or infection, within 8 weeks postoperatively. Secondary outcomes included operative time, Stony Brook scar cosmetic score, and patient satisfaction. A sample size of 162 was planned to detect a 50% reduction in wound complications. At planned interim review (n=82), there was no significant difference in primary outcome. Between 2013 and 2016, 163 women were analyzed, including 84 who received staples and 79 suture. Women who received staples were older (mean age 59 compared with 57 years), had lower mean BMI (37.3 compared with 38.9), and fewer benign indications for surgery (22 compared with 27). There were no differences in wound complication rates between staple compared with suture skin closure (28 [33%] compared with 25 [32%], relative risk 1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.68-1.64). Women with staples reported worse median cosmetic scores (four of five compared with five of five, P<.001), darker scar color (37 [49%] compared with 13 [18%], relative risk 2.69, 95% CI 1.57-4.63), and more skin marks (30 [40%] compared with three [4%], relative risk 9.47, 95% CI 3.02-29.65) compared with women with suture closure. There was no group difference regarding satisfaction with their scar. Stepwise multivariate analysis revealed BMI (odds ratio [OR] 1.13, 95% CI 1.07-1.20), maximum postoperative glucose (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00-1.01), and cigarette smoking (OR 4.96, 95% CI 1.32-18.71) were correlates of wound complication. Closure of

  15. Counter tunnel exploration, mapping, and localization with an unmanned ground vehicle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Larson, Jacoby; Okorn, Brian; Pastore, Tracy; Hooper, David; Edwards, Jim

    2014-06-01

    Covert, cross-border tunnels are a security vulnerability that enables people and contraband to illegally enter the United States. All of these tunnels to-date have been constructed for the purpose of drug smuggling, but they may also be used to support terrorist activity. Past robotic tunnel exploration efforts have had limited success in aiding law enforcement to explore and map the suspect cross-border tunnels. These efforts have made use of adapted explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) or pipe inspection robotic systems that are not ideally suited to the cross-border tunnel environment. The Counter Tunnel project was sponsored by the Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD) Joint Ground Robotics Enterprise (JGRE) to develop a prototype robotic system for counter-tunnel operations, focusing on exploration, mapping, and characterization of tunnels. The purpose of this system is to provide a safe and effective solution for three-dimensional (3D) localization, mapping, and characterization of a tunnel environment. The system is composed of the robotic mobility platform, the mapping sensor payload, and the delivery apparatus. The system is able to deploy and retrieve the robotic mobility platform through a 20-cm-diameter borehole into the tunnel. This requirement posed many challenges in order to design and package the sensor and robotic system to fit through this narrow opening and be able to perform the mission. This paper provides a short description of a few aspects of the Counter Tunnel system such as mobility, perception, and localization, which were developed to meet the unique challenges required to access, explore, and map tunnel environments.

  16. Position Estimation and Local Mapping Using Omnidirectional Images and Global Appearance Descriptors

    PubMed Central

    Berenguer, Yerai; Payá, Luis; Ballesta, Mónica; Reinoso, Oscar

    2015-01-01

    This work presents some methods to create local maps and to estimate the position of a mobile robot, using the global appearance of omnidirectional images. We use a robot that carries an omnidirectional vision system on it. Every omnidirectional image acquired by the robot is described only with one global appearance descriptor, based on the Radon transform. In the work presented in this paper, two different possibilities have been considered. In the first one, we assume the existence of a map previously built composed of omnidirectional images that have been captured from previously-known positions. The purpose in this case consists of estimating the nearest position of the map to the current position of the robot, making use of the visual information acquired by the robot from its current (unknown) position. In the second one, we assume that we have a model of the environment composed of omnidirectional images, but with no information about the location of where the images were acquired. The purpose in this case consists of building a local map and estimating the position of the robot within this map. Both methods are tested with different databases (including virtual and real images) taking into consideration the changes of the position of different objects in the environment, different lighting conditions and occlusions. The results show the effectiveness and the robustness of both methods. PMID:26501289

  17. Performance of Pallet Nails and Staples in 22 Southern Hardwoods

    Treesearch

    E.G. Stern

    1976-01-01

    The effectiveness of pointless, helically threaded, hardened-steel, 3 by O.120-inch, pallet nails with umbrella heads and 21/2-inch, 15-gauge, 7/16-inch crown, plastic-coated, pallet staples in 22 hardwoods grown on southern pine sites was determined on the basis of tests on 522 joints. Specific average performance values were derived from the test data for the tested...

  18. Towards local implementation of Dutch health policy guidelines: a concept-mapping approach.

    PubMed

    Kuunders, Theo J M; van Bon-Martens, Marja J H; van de Goor, Ien A M; Paulussen, Theo G W M; van Oers, Hans A M

    2017-02-22

    To develop a targeted implementation strategy for a municipal health policy guideline, implementation targets of two guideline users [Regional Health Services (RHSs)] and guideline developers of leading national health institutes were made explicit. Therefore, characteristics of successful implementation of the guideline were identified. Differences and similarities in perceptions of these characteristics between RHSs and developers were explored. Separate concept mapping procedures were executed in two RHSs, one with representatives from partner local health organizations and municipalities, the second with RHS members only. A third map was conducted with the developers of the guideline. All mapping procedures followed the same design of generating statements up to interpretation of results with participants. Concept mapping, as a practical implementation tool, will be discussed in the context of international research literature on guideline implementation in public health. Guideline developers consider implementation successful when substantive components (health issues) of the guidelines, content are visible in local policy practice. RHSs, local organizations and municipalities view the implementation process itself within and between organizations as more relevant, and state that usability of the guideline for municipal policy and commitment by officials and municipal managers are critical targets for successful implementation. Between the RHSs, differences in implementation targets were smaller than between RHSs and guideline developers. For successful implementation, RHSs tend to focus on process targets while developers focus more on the thematic contents of the guideline. Implications of these different orientations for implementation strategies are dealt with in the discussion. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

  19. Stapled peptides as a new technology to investigate protein-protein interactions in human platelets.

    PubMed

    Iegre, Jessica; Ahmed, Niaz S; Gaynord, Josephine S; Wu, Yuteng; Herlihy, Kara M; Tan, Yaw Sing; Lopes-Pires, Maria E; Jha, Rupam; Lau, Yu Heng; Sore, Hannah F; Verma, Chandra; O' Donovan, Daniel H; Pugh, Nicholas; Spring, David R

    2018-05-28

    Platelets are blood cells with numerous crucial pathophysiological roles in hemostasis, cardiovascular thrombotic events and cancer metastasis. Platelet activation requires the engagement of intracellular signalling pathways that involve protein-protein interactions (PPIs). A better understanding of these pathways is therefore crucial for the development of selective anti-platelet drugs. New strategies for studying PPIs in human platelets are required to overcome limitations associated with conventional platelet research methods. For example, small molecule inhibitors can lack selectivity and are often difficult to design and synthesise. Additionally, development of transgenic animal models is costly and time-consuming and conventional recombinant techniques are ineffective due to the lack of a nucleus in platelets. Herein, we describe the generation of a library of novel, functionalised stapled peptides and their first application in the investigation of platelet PPIs. Moreover, the use of platelet-permeable stapled Bim BH3 peptides confirms the part of Bim in phosphatidyl-serine (PS) exposure and reveals a role for the Bim protein in platelet activatory processes. Our work demonstrates that functionalised stapled peptides are a complementary alternative to conventional platelet research methods, and could make a significant contribution to the understanding of platelet signalling pathways and hence to the development of anti-platelet drugs.

  20. Partial stapled hemorrhoidopexy versus circular stapled hemorrhoidopexy for grade III-IV prolapsing hemorrhoids: a two-year prospective controlled study.

    PubMed

    Lin, H-C; Ren, D-L; He, Q-L; Peng, H; Xie, S-K; Su, D; Wang, X-X

    2012-10-01

    Circular stapled hemorrhoidopexy (CSH) is an effective technique for treating prolapsing hemorrhoids; but urgency and anal stenosis are common postoperative complications. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and postoperative outcomes of partial stapled hemorrhoidopexy (PSH), compared with CSH. Seventy-two consecutive patients with grade III and IV hemorrhoids who met the inclusion/exclusion criteria were divided in a non-randomized manner to undergo either PSH (n = 34) or CSH (n = 38). Intraoperative and postoperative parameters in both groups were collected and compared. The postoperative visual analog score for pain at first defecation was significantly lower in the PSH group than that in the CSH group (P = 0.001). Fewer patients in the PSH group experienced postoperative urgency, compared with those in the CSH group at 12 h, 1 day, and 7 days after surgery (P = 0.025, P = 0.019, and P = 0.043, respectively). Gas incontinence occurred in 3 patients (7.9%) in the CSH group, but in none of patients in the PSH group (P = 0.242). Postoperative anal stenosis developed in one patient (2.6%) in the CSH group, but in none of the patients in the PSH group (P = 1.0). The 2-year recurrence rate was 2.9 and 5.3%, respectively, in the PSH and CSH groups (P = 1.0). The 2-year recurrence rate is similar in patients with grade III-IV hemorrhoids treated with PSH or CSH. However, PSH is associated with less postoperative pain, fewer episodes of urgency, and no anal incontinence or anal stenosis.

  1. Comparative Study of Hand-Sutured versus Circular Stapled Anastomosis for Gastrojejunostomy in Laparoscopy Assisted Distal Gastrectomy.

    PubMed

    Seo, Su Hyun; Kim, Ki Han; Kim, Min Chan; Choi, Hong Jo; Jung, Ghap Joong

    2012-06-01

    Mechanical stapler is regarded as a good alternative to the hand sewing technique, when used in gastric reconstruction. The circular stapling method has been widely applied to gastrectomy (open orlaparoscopic), for gastric cancer. We illustrated and compared the hand-sutured method to the circular stapling method, for Billroth-II, in patients who underwent laparoscopy assisted distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Between April 2009 and May 2011, 60 patients who underwent laparoscopy assisted distal gastrectomy, with Billroth-II, were enrolled. Hand-sutured Billroth-II was performed in 40 patients (manual group) and circular stapler Billroth-II was performed in 20 patients (stapler group). Clinicopathological features and post-operative outcomes were evaluated and compared between the two groups. Nosignificant differences were observed in clinicopathologic parameters and post-operative outcomes, except in the operation times. Operation times and anastomosis times were significantly shorter in the stapler group (P=0.004 and P<0.001). Compared to the hand-sutured method, the circular stapling method can be applied safely and more efficiently, when performing Billroth-II anastomosis, after laparoscopy assisted distal gastrectomy in patients with gastric cancer.

  2. Circular stapler introducer: a novel device to facilitate stapled colorectal anastomosis.

    PubMed

    Guweidhi, Ahmed; Steffen, Rudolf; Metzger, Alejandro; Teuscher, Jürg; Flückiger, Petra; Z'graggen, Kaspar

    2009-04-01

    A circular stapler introducer was developed to protect the head of the circular stapler and enable atraumatic introduction and advancement of the circular stapler without interfering with the application and safety of an anastomosis. In a Phase I prospective study, we tested the feasibility and safety of the novel circular stapler introducer device in 60 consecutive patients undergoing left-sided colorectal resections. The median distance of the anastomoses from the anal verge was 12 cm (7-20, n = 60). Total morbidity was 15 percent. No mortality was observed. Handling of the circular stapler introducer was considered nonproblematic by all surgeons who participated in the study. No interference of the circular stapler introducer with the circular stapling devices used was encountered. The advancement of the stapler into the end of the colorectal stump was always possible with the aid of the circular stapler introducer. Use of the circular stapler introducer facilitates the double-stapling technique of colorectal anastomosis. The circular stapler introducer has great potential and should be tested in larger studies.

  3. A simulation of Earthquake Loss Estimation in Southeastern Korea using HAZUS and the local site classification Map

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kang, S.; Kim, K.

    2013-12-01

    Regionally varying seismic hazards can be estimated using an earthquake loss estimation system (e.g. HAZUS-MH). The estimations for actual earthquakes help federal and local authorities develop rapid, effective recovery measures. Estimates for scenario earthquakes help in designing a comprehensive earthquake hazard mitigation plan. Local site characteristics influence the ground motion. Although direct measurements are desirable to construct a site-amplification map, such data are expensive and time consuming to collect. Thus we derived a site classification map of the southern Korean Peninsula using geologic and geomorphologic data, which are readily available for the entire southern Korean Peninsula. Class B sites (mainly rock) are predominant in the area, although localized areas of softer soils are found along major rivers and seashores. The site classification map is compared with independent site classification studies to confirm our site classification map effectively represents the local behavior of site amplification during an earthquake. We then estimated the losses due to a magnitude 6.7 scenario earthquake in Gyeongju, southeastern Korea, with and without the site classification map. Significant differences in loss estimates were observed. The loss without the site classification map decreased without variation with increasing epicentral distance, while the loss with the site classification map varied from region to region, due to both the epicentral distance and local site effects. The major cause of the large loss expected in Gyeongju is the short epicentral distance. Pohang Nam-Gu is located farther from the earthquake source region. Nonetheless, the loss estimates in the remote city are as large as those in Gyeongju and are attributed to the site effect of soft soil found widely in the area.

  4. Direct mapping of local redox current density on a monolith electrode by laser scanning.

    PubMed

    Lee, Seung-Woo; Lopez, Jeffrey; Saraf, Ravi F

    2013-09-15

    An optical method of mapping local redox reaction over a monolith electrode using simple laser scanning is described. As the optical signal is linearly proportional to the maximum redox current that is measured concomitantly by voltammetry, the optical signal quantitatively maps the local redox current density distribution. The method is demonstrated on two types of reactions: (1) a reversible reaction where the redox moieties are ionic, and (2) an irreversible reaction on two different types of enzymes immobilized on the electrode where the reaction moieties are nonionic. To demonstrate the scanning capability, the local redox behavior on a "V-shaped" electrode is studied where the local length scale and, hence, the local current density, is nonuniform. The ability to measure the current density distribution by this method will pave the way for multianalyte analysis on a monolith electrode using a standard three-electrode configuration. The method is called Scanning Electrometer for Electrical Double-layer (SEED). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Fixed Point Results of Locally Contractive Mappings in Ordered Quasi-Partial Metric Spaces

    PubMed Central

    Arshad, Muhammad; Ahmad, Jamshaid

    2013-01-01

    Fixed point results for a self-map satisfying locally contractive conditions on a closed ball in an ordered 0-complete quasi-partial metric space have been established. Instead of monotone mapping, the notion of dominated mappings is applied. We have used weaker metric, weaker contractive conditions, and weaker restrictions to obtain unique fixed points. An example is given which shows that how this result can be used when the corresponding results cannot. Our results generalize, extend, and improve several well-known conventional results. PMID:24062629

  6. Local recovery of the compressional and shear speeds from the hyperbolic DN map

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stefanov, Plamen; Uhlmann, Gunther; Vasy, Andras

    2018-01-01

    We study the isotropic elastic wave equation in a bounded domain with boundary. We show that local knowledge of the Dirichlet-to-Neumann map determines uniquely the speed of the p-wave locally if there is a strictly convex foliation with respect to it, and similarly for the s-wave speed.

  7. Subcutaneous hemangiosarcoma induced by a foreign body (steel staple) in a cat.

    PubMed

    Tan, Rommel Max; Singh, Kuldeep; Sandman, Kristi

    2013-04-01

    An 8-year-old, female domestic shorthair cat was presented with a ventral abdominal subcutaneous mass. A radiograph showed that the center of the mass contained what appeared to be steel sutures, presumed to be from an ovariohysterectomy performed 7 years earlier. The excised mass was irregular and contained numerous pockets filled with friable necrotic material and hemorrhages that were dissected by fibrous connective tissue bands. Multiple tangled and fragmented pieces of steel staples were deeply embedded within the mass. Histologically, the mass was non-encapsulated, densely cellular, and infiltrative. Neoplastic cells lined caverns and channels and were factor VIII-positive by immunohistochemistry. The neoplastic cells were oval to round with granular cytoplasm and vesicular nucleus and exhibited moderate cellular and nuclear pleomorphism. A diagnosis of subcutaneous hemangiosarcoma was made. To our knowledge, this is the first report of foreign body associated hemangiosarcoma and the first case of steel staple associated neoplasm in domestic animals.

  8. Economic and clinical comparison of 2-octyl cyanoacrylate/polymer mesh tape with skin staples in total knee replacement.

    PubMed

    Sutton, Nadia; Schmitz, Niels-Derrek; Johnston, Stephen S

    2018-04-01

    To compare economic and clinical outcomes between skin staples and 2-octyl cyanoacrylate plus polymer mesh tape, Dermabond Prineo skin closure system, (SCS) among patients undergoing total knee replacement (TKR). Retrospective, observational study using the Premier Healthcare Database, which comprises hospital administrative and billing data for over 700 hospitals in the US. Patients selected for study had an elective hospital admission, with discharge occurring between January 2012 and September 2015, carrying primary ICD-9-CM procedure and diagnosis codes for TKR and osteoarthritis. Patients were classified into two mutually-exclusive groups based on billing records during the index admission: those with billing record(s) for the skin closure system (SCS group); and those with billing record(s) for skin staples (staple group). Primary outcomes were index admission's length of stay (LOS), total hospital costs, and discharge status (skilled nursing facility (SNF)/other versus home/home health-care); exploratory outcomes included operating room time (ORT) during index admission and 30, 60, and 90-day readmissions. The SCS and staple groups were propensity score matched (1:1/nearest neighbour/caliper=0.10) on patient, hospital, and provider characteristics. Multivariable regressions accounting for hospital-level clustering after matching were used to compare outcomes between study groups. Each group comprised 971 patients (1942 total patients; mean age: 65.3 years; female: 63.5%). The groups were generally well-balanced on matching covariates: mean standardised difference calculated across 49 covariates=0.049. Compared with the staple group, the SCS group had statistically significant shorter LOS (2.8 days versus 3.2 days, p=0.002), lower rate of discharge to SNF/other versus home/home health-care (26.4% versus 38.5%, p=0.011), and lower rate of 30, 60, and 90-day readmissions (30-day, 1.8% versus 4.4%, p=0.006; 60-day, 3.0% versus 5.4%, p<0.001; 90-day, 5.4% versus

  9. PRIMAL: Page Rank-Based Indoor Mapping and Localization Using Gene-Sequenced Unlabeled WLAN Received Signal Strength

    PubMed Central

    Zhou, Mu; Zhang, Qiao; Xu, Kunjie; Tian, Zengshan; Wang, Yanmeng; He, Wei

    2015-01-01

    Due to the wide deployment of wireless local area networks (WLAN), received signal strength (RSS)-based indoor WLAN localization has attracted considerable attention in both academia and industry. In this paper, we propose a novel page rank-based indoor mapping and localization (PRIMAL) by using the gene-sequenced unlabeled WLAN RSS for simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). Specifically, first of all, based on the observation of the motion patterns of the people in the target environment, we use the Allen logic to construct the mobility graph to characterize the connectivity among different areas of interest. Second, the concept of gene sequencing is utilized to assemble the sporadically-collected RSS sequences into a signal graph based on the transition relations among different RSS sequences. Third, we apply the graph drawing approach to exhibit both the mobility graph and signal graph in a more readable manner. Finally, the page rank (PR) algorithm is proposed to construct the mapping from the signal graph into the mobility graph. The experimental results show that the proposed approach achieves satisfactory localization accuracy and meanwhile avoids the intensive time and labor cost involved in the conventional location fingerprinting-based indoor WLAN localization. PMID:26404274

  10. Independent localization of MAP2, CaMKIIα and β-actin RNAs in low copy numbers.

    PubMed

    Mikl, Martin; Vendra, Georgia; Kiebler, Michael A

    2011-09-30

    Messenger RNA localization involves the assembly of ribonucleoprotein particles (RNPs) and their subsequent transport along the cytoskeleton to their final destination. Here, we provide new evidence that microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2), calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKIIα) and β-actin RNAs localize to dendrites in distinct RNPs, which contain--unexpectedly--very few RNA molecules. The number of MAP2 molecules per particle is affected by synaptic activity and Staufen 2, indicating that RNP composition is tightly controlled. Our data suggest that the independent localization of individual RNAs in low copy numbers could contribute to tighter temporal and spatial control of expression in neurons and synapse-specific plasticity.

  11. Mycotoxins and cyanogenic glycosides in staple foods of three indigenous people of the Colombian Amazon.

    PubMed

    Diaz, Gonzalo J; Krska, Rudolf; Sulyok, Michael

    2015-01-01

    A study was conducted to determine the incidence and levels of mycotoxins in the main staple foods of three indigenous people of the Colombian Amazon. A total of 20 corn, 24 rice and 59 cassava samples were analysed by a multi-analyte liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method covering the major classes of mycotoxins. In addition, cassava samples were also analysed for cyanogenic glycosides. The indigenous Amazon communities tested are exposed to potentially carcinogenic mycotoxins (particularly aflatoxins), as well as other mycotoxins, mainly through the intake of locally grown corn. Citrinin content in this corn was unusually high and has not been reported elsewhere. Two cassava samples contained high levels of cyanogenic glycosides. It is strongly recommended not to grow corn in the Amazon but instead purchase it from vendors capable of guaranteeing mycotoxin levels below the maximum allowable concentration in Colombia.

  12. Stapled haemorrhoidopexy: extent of tissue excision and clinical implications in the early postoperative period.

    PubMed

    Behboo, R; Zanella, S; Ruffolo, C; Vafai, M; Marino, F; Scarpa, M

    2011-06-01

    This study quantified prospectively the amount of rectal wall removed during stapled haemorrhoidopexy and assessed its effect on ano-rectal function and health-related quality of life. Thirty-three consecutive patients who underwent stapled haemorrhoidopexy for second- or third- degree haemorrhoids, or for failed medical treatment, in the Department of Surgery and Gastroenterological Sciences at the University of Padova were included. All patients were assessed preoperatively and postoperatively using a structured questionnaire to determine the number of defecations per week, incomplete defecations, time taken to defecate any difficulty in defecating, soiling, the use of drugs and continence. All patients were reassessed at 1 and 2 weeks and at 30 days after the procedure using the Cleveland Global Quality of Life (CGQL) questionnaire. All patients underwent preoperative and postoperative ano-rectal manometry at least 30 days after stapled haemorrhoidopexy. The median surface area of the resected rectal wall was 10.5 (range, 9-15) mm(2) and the median thickness was 3 (range, 2-4) mm. Muscle tissue was included in all specimens. The median thickness of the resected rectal wall correlated inversely with the rectal volume when the recto-anal inhibitory reflex (RAIR) was initiated during postoperative manometry (ρ = -0.50, P = 0.07). A significant, direct correlation was found between the surface area of the resected rectal wall and the rectal volume during postoperative manometry (ρ = 0.53, P = 0.08) and the use of analgesic drugs after 2 weeks (ρ = 0.63, P = 0.04). Significant correlations were found between being female and postoperative resting pressure (ρ = -0.74, P < 0.01), squeeze pressure (ρ = -0.64, P = 0.01) and maximum tolerated volume (ρ = -0.78, P < 0.01). Stapled haemorrhoidopexy is safe and effective. The thicker the resected rectal wall, the lower the volume of initiation of the RAIR. © 2011 The Authors. Colorectal Disease © 2011 The Association

  13. Thoracoscopic Lobectomy in Infants and Children Utilizing a 5 mm Stapling Device.

    PubMed

    Rothenberg, Steven

    2016-12-01

    Thoracoscopic lobectomy for congenital cystic lung disease has become an accepted and in many institutions the preferred technique. However, the technical challenges are many. Previous endoscopic staplers (12 mm) used commonly in adults are too large for use in infants This study evaluates the safety and efficacy of using a 5 mm stapling device to seal and divide major pulmonary structures. From July 2014 to March 2016, 26 patients of age 6 weeks to 13 months underwent thoracoscopic lobectomy for CPAM or sequestration. Weights ranged from 3.2 to 11.4 kg. There were 7 upper lobectomies, 2 middle, and 17 lower lobectomies. In each case, the 5 mm stapler (Justright Surgical; Louisville, Colorado) was the primary device for vessel and bronchial sealing and division. It is 4.8 mm in diameter with an anvil length of 25 mm and lays down four rows of staples and divides between them. A 3 mm sealing device was used for dissection and to take smaller segmental vessels as necessary. Stump lines were evaluated for bleeding or air leak in all cases. All procedures were accomplished successfully thoracoscopically. The stapler was used on the main lobar artery cases and vein in 24 cases, a large systemic sequestration vessel in 5 cases, and the bronchus in all 26. The stapler was also used to complete the minor fissure in 1 case and the major fissure in 1 case. A total of 96 staple loads were fired. Operative times ranged from 35 to 135 minutes. There was no significant bleeding of any vascular stump. In 1 case, the edge of the bronchial stump had to be reinforced, this was thought to be secondary to too much tissue being enclosed in the jaws. There were no postoperative complications. The use of a 5 mm stapling device appears to be safe and effective in thoracoscopic lobectomy in infants. It allows for safe management of major pulmonary vessels and bronchi in the confined chest of an infant through a single 5 mm port.

  14. Stapled ileoanal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis and familial polyposis without a temporary diverting ileostomy.

    PubMed Central

    Sugerman, H J; Newsome, H H; Decosta, G; Zfass, A M

    1991-01-01

    Between March 1989 and August 1990, we performed 21 stapled J pouch ileonal procedures (20 ulcerative colitis [UC], 1 familial polyposis [FP]) without an ileostomy in 19, of whom 13 were taking prednisone and eight underwent semi-emergent surgery for uncontrollable bleeding. During the same time, an additional four patients required a standard ileonal procedure. The results of anal manometry and clinical function were compared to 25 patients who had previously undergone mucosal stripping and a sutured J pouch ileoanal anastomoses with a temporary diverting ileostomy between October 1982 and August 1990. During this same time period, an additional 19 patients underwent an anti-peristaltic reversed J pouch and 18 an S pouch, for a total of 83 ileoanal procedures. The reversed J pouch had a lower stool frequency than a standard J pouch but had an unacceptable incidence of complications and problems with pouch emptying. The S pouch had a stool frequency similar to the standard J pouch but provided greater length in patients with a short mesentery. Stapled J pouch ileoanal patients had a better (p less than 0.02) maximum and sphincter resting pressure (46 +/- 11 versus 34 +/- 12 mmHg), fewer (p less than 0.05) night-time accidents (22% versus 68%), daytime (17% versus 55%) or night-time (28 versus 61%) spotting, or use of a protective pad at night (11% versus 42%) than nonstapled J pouch ileoanal patients. Stool frequency was similar in the two groups. All but one UC patient had residual disease at the anastomosis. Anal mucosa between the dentate line and stapled anastomosis was 1.8 +/- 1.3 cm (range, 0 to 3.5 cm). Complications in the nonstapled J pouch group included 4 pouches excised (2 for complications, 2 for excessive stool frequency), 1 pelvic abscess, 2 stenosis requiring dilation under anesthesia, 1 enterocutaneous fistula after ileostomy closure, 1 ileostomy site hernia, and 2 small bowel obstructions. Of the 65 patients who underwent ileostomy closure in the

  15. Estimated Dietary Exposure to Mycotoxins after Taking into Account the Cooking of Staple Foods in Japan

    PubMed Central

    Sakuma, Hisako; Watanabe, Yasushi; Furusawa, Hiroko; Yoshinari, Tomoya; Akashi, Hajime; Kawakami, Hiroshi; Saito, Shiro; Sugita-Konishi, Yoshiko

    2013-01-01

    Mycotoxins are commonly present in cereal grains and are not completely destroyed during their cooking and processing. When mycotoxins contaminate staple foods, the risk for exposure becomes serious. In East Asia, including Japan, rice is consumed as a staple food, and with the increasingly Westernized lifestyle, the consumption of wheat has increased. The mycotoxins commonly associated with rice and wheat are total aflatoxin (AFL) and ochratoxin A (OTA), respectively. This study examined the retention of AFL and OTA during the cooking of rice and pasta. AFL was retained at 83%–89% the initial level after the cooking of steamed rice. In pasta noodles, more than 60% of the OTA was retained. These results show that AFL and OTA are relatively stable during the cooking process, suggesting that a major reduction in the exposure to these mycotoxins cannot be expected to occur by cooking rice and pasta. The estimated exposure assessment at the high consumer level (95th percentile) and the mycotoxin contamination level determined by taking into account these reductions in the present study should be useful for the establishment of practical regulations for mycotoxins in staple foods. PMID:23698358

  16. Comparative Study of Hand-Sutured versus Circular Stapled Anastomosis for Gastrojejunostomy in Laparoscopy Assisted Distal Gastrectomy

    PubMed Central

    Seo, Su Hyun; Kim, Min Chan; Choi, Hong Jo; Jung, Ghap Joong

    2012-01-01

    Purpose Mechanical stapler is regarded as a good alternative to the hand sewing technique, when used in gastric reconstruction. The circular stapling method has been widely applied to gastrectomy (open orlaparoscopic), for gastric cancer. We illustrated and compared the hand-sutured method to the circular stapling method, for Billroth-II, in patients who underwent laparoscopy assisted distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Materials and Methods Between April 2009 and May 2011, 60 patients who underwent laparoscopy assisted distal gastrectomy, with Billroth-II, were enrolled. Hand-sutured Billroth-II was performed in 40 patients (manual group) and circular stapler Billroth-II was performed in 20 patients (stapler group). Clinicopathological features and post-operative outcomes were evaluated and compared between the two groups. Results Nosignificant differences were observed in clinicopathologic parameters and post-operative outcomes, except in the operation times. Operation times and anastomosis times were significantly shorter in the stapler group (P=0.004 and P<0.001). Conclusions Compared to the hand-sutured method, the circular stapling method can be applied safely and more efficiently, when performing Billroth-II anastomosis, after laparoscopy assisted distal gastrectomy in patients with gastric cancer. PMID:22792525

  17. Independent localization of MAP2, CaMKIIα and β-actin RNAs in low copy numbers

    PubMed Central

    Mikl, Martin; Vendra, Georgia; Kiebler, Michael A

    2011-01-01

    Messenger RNA localization involves the assembly of ribonucleoprotein particles (RNPs) and their subsequent transport along the cytoskeleton to their final destination. Here, we provide new evidence that microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2), calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKIIα) and β-actin RNAs localize to dendrites in distinct RNPs, which contain—unexpectedly—very few RNA molecules. The number of MAP2 molecules per particle is affected by synaptic activity and Staufen 2, indicating that RNP composition is tightly controlled. Our data suggest that the independent localization of individual RNAs in low copy numbers could contribute to tighter temporal and spatial control of expression in neurons and synapse-specific plasticity. PMID:21869818

  18. Elemental mapping of biofortified wheat grains using micro X-ray fluorescence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramos, I.; Pataco, I. M.; Mourinho, M. P.; Lidon, F.; Reboredo, F.; Pessoa, M. F.; Carvalho, M. L.; Santos, J. P.; Guerra, M.

    2016-06-01

    Micro X-ray fluorescence has been used to obtain elemental maps of biofortified wheat grains. Two varieties of wheat were used in the study, Triticum aestivum L. and Triticum durum desf. Two treatments, with different nutrient concentration, were applied to the plants during the whole plant growth cycle. From the obtained elemental maps it was possible to extract information regarding the plant's physiological processes under the biofortification procedures. Both macro and micronutrients were mapped, providing useful insight into the posterior food processing mechanisms of this biofortified staple food. We have also shown that these kind of studies can now be performed with laboratory benchtop apparatus, rather than using synchrotron radiation, increasing the overall attractiveness of micro X-ray fluorescence in the study of highly heterogeneous biological samples.

  19. Localization and Mapping Using Only a Rotating FMCW Radar Sensor

    PubMed Central

    Vivet, Damien; Checchin, Paul; Chapuis, Roland

    2013-01-01

    Rotating radar sensors are perception systems rarely used in mobile robotics. This paper is concerned with the use of a mobile ground-based panoramic radar sensor which is able to deliver both distance and velocity of multiple targets in its surrounding. The consequence of using such a sensor in high speed robotics is the appearance of both geometric and Doppler velocity distortions in the collected data. These effects are, in the majority of studies, ignored or considered as noise and then corrected based on proprioceptive sensors or localization systems. Our purpose is to study and use data distortion and Doppler effect as sources of information in order to estimate the vehicle's displacement. The linear and angular velocities of the mobile robot are estimated by analyzing the distortion of the measurements provided by the panoramic Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) radar, called IMPALA. Without the use of any proprioceptive sensor, these estimates are then used to build the trajectory of the vehicle and the radar map of outdoor environments. In this paper, radar-only localization and mapping results are presented for a ground vehicle moving at high speed. PMID:23567523

  20. Localization and mapping using only a rotating FMCW radar sensor.

    PubMed

    Vivet, Damien; Checchin, Paul; Chapuis, Roland

    2013-04-08

    Rotating radar sensors are perception systems rarely used in mobile robotics. This paper is concerned with the use of a mobile ground-based panoramic radar sensor which is able to deliver both distance and velocity of multiple targets in its surrounding. The consequence of using such a sensor in high speed robotics is the appearance of both geometric and Doppler velocity distortions in the collected data. These effects are, in the majority of studies, ignored or considered as noise and then corrected based on proprioceptive sensors or localization systems. Our purpose is to study and use data distortion and Doppler effect as sources of information in order to estimate the vehicle's displacement. The linear and angular velocities of the mobile robot are estimated by analyzing the distortion of the measurements provided by the panoramic Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) radar, called IMPALA. Without the use of any proprioceptive sensor, these estimates are then used to build the trajectory of the vehicle and the radar map of outdoor environments. In this paper, radar-only localization and mapping results are presented for a ground vehicle moving at high speed.

  1. Partial stapled hemorrhoidopexy: a minimally invasive technique for hemorrhoids.

    PubMed

    Lin, Hong-Cheng; He, Qiu-Lan; Ren, Dong-Lin; Peng, Hui; Xie, Shang-Kui; Su, Dan; Wang, Xiao-Xue

    2012-09-01

    This study was designed to assess the safety, efficacy, and postoperative outcomes of partial stapled hemorrhoidopexy (PSH). A prospective study was conducted between February and March 2010. PSH was performed with single-window anoscopes for single isolated hemorrhoids, bi-window anoscopes for two isolated hemorrhoids, and tri-window anoscopes for three isolated hemorrhoids or circumferential hemorrhoids. The data pertaining to demographics, preoperative characteristics and postoperative outcomes were collected and analyzed. Forty-four eligible patients underwent PSH. Single-window anoscopes were used in 2 patients, and bi- and tri-window anoscopes in 6 and 36 patients. The blood loss in patients with single-window, bi-window, and tri-window anoscopes was 6.0 ml (range 5.0-7.0 ml), 5.0 ml (range 5.0-6.5 ml), and 5.0 ml (4.5-14.5 ml) (P = 0.332). The mean postoperative visual analog scale score for pain was 3 (range, 1-4), 2 (range 1-4), 3 (range 2-6), 1 (range 0-3), 1 (range 0-2) and 2 (range 2-4) at 12 h, days 1, 2, 3, and 7, and at first defecation. The rate of urgency was 9.1%. No patients developed anal incontinence or stenosis. The 1-year recurrence rate of prolapsing hemorrhoids was 2.3%. Partial stapled hemorrhoidopexy appears to be a safe and effective technique for grade III-IV hemorrhoids. Encouragingly, PSH is associated with mild postoperative pain, few urgency episodes, and no stenosis or anal incontinence.

  2. A Randomized Trial Comparing Stapled Rectal Mucosectomy Versus Open and Semiclosed Hemorrhoidectomy.

    PubMed

    Ripetti, Valter; La Vaccara, Vincenzo; Greco, Santi; Arullani, Augusto

    2015-11-01

    Different results have been reported concerning the postoperative outcomes of different surgical approaches for hemorrhoids. We aimed to determine the postoperative outcome following 3 main surgical techniques. A prospective, randomized trial was designed with 180 patients in 3 arms of 60 patients each. The study was conducted from April 1999 to January 2007 at the University Hospital "Campus Bio-Medico di Roma." All of the patients who were referred for hemorrhoid surgery were enrolled according to inclusion and exclusion criteria (ISRCTN12040297). Treatments according to the open, semiclosed, and stapled techniques were compared. Sample size was calculated to determine a difference in terms of the intensity of postoperative pain at the first week and the days required for return to work activity. After 1 week, patients who underwent semiclosed hemorrhoidectomy reported significantly less pain (p < 0.01) and a significant decrease in analgesic intake from the third postoperative day (p < 0.01) than after the other 2 techniques. The patients resumed work ≈11 days after semiclosed and stapled techniques (11.8 and 11.6 days), which was earlier compared with 21.3 days in the open group (p < 0.05). The high number of patients excluded might be considered a limitation of the study, but our selection criteria including patients living within 50 km of the hospital allowed for a low rate (9.4%) of patients lost to follow-up. This study found an earlier resumption of work and less pain in patients who underwent the stapled and semiclosed procedures rather than open, which was associated with more complications, particularly because of a higher rate of stenosis (see Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/DCR/A196).

  3. Localization and Classification of Paddy Field Pests using a Saliency Map and Deep Convolutional Neural Network.

    PubMed

    Liu, Ziyi; Gao, Junfeng; Yang, Guoguo; Zhang, Huan; He, Yong

    2016-02-11

    We present a pipeline for the visual localization and classification of agricultural pest insects by computing a saliency map and applying deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) learning. First, we used a global contrast region-based approach to compute a saliency map for localizing pest insect objects. Bounding squares containing targets were then extracted, resized to a fixed size, and used to construct a large standard database called Pest ID. This database was then utilized for self-learning of local image features which were, in turn, used for classification by DCNN. DCNN learning optimized the critical parameters, including size, number and convolutional stride of local receptive fields, dropout ratio and the final loss function. To demonstrate the practical utility of using DCNN, we explored different architectures by shrinking depth and width, and found effective sizes that can act as alternatives for practical applications. On the test set of paddy field images, our architectures achieved a mean Accuracy Precision (mAP) of 0.951, a significant improvement over previous methods.

  4. Localization and Classification of Paddy Field Pests using a Saliency Map and Deep Convolutional Neural Network

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Ziyi; Gao, Junfeng; Yang, Guoguo; Zhang, Huan; He, Yong

    2016-01-01

    We present a pipeline for the visual localization and classification of agricultural pest insects by computing a saliency map and applying deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) learning. First, we used a global contrast region-based approach to compute a saliency map for localizing pest insect objects. Bounding squares containing targets were then extracted, resized to a fixed size, and used to construct a large standard database called Pest ID. This database was then utilized for self-learning of local image features which were, in turn, used for classification by DCNN. DCNN learning optimized the critical parameters, including size, number and convolutional stride of local receptive fields, dropout ratio and the final loss function. To demonstrate the practical utility of using DCNN, we explored different architectures by shrinking depth and width, and found effective sizes that can act as alternatives for practical applications. On the test set of paddy field images, our architectures achieved a mean Accuracy Precision (mAP) of 0.951, a significant improvement over previous methods. PMID:26864172

  5. An enhanced functional interrogation/manipulation of intracellular signaling pathways with the peptide 'stapling' technology.

    PubMed

    He, Y; Chen, D; Zheng, W

    2015-11-12

    Specific protein-protein interactions (PPIs) constitute a key underlying mechanism for the presence of a multitude of intracellular signaling pathways, which are essential for the survival of normal and cancer cells. Specific molecular blockers for a crucial PPI would therefore be invaluable tools for an enhanced functional interrogation of the signaling pathway harboring this particular PPI. On the other hand, if a particular PPI is essential for the survival of cancer cells but is absent in or dispensable for the survival of normal cells, its specific molecular blockers could potentially be developed into effective anticancer therapeutics. Due to the flat and extended PPI interface, it would be conceivably difficult for small molecules to achieve an effective blockade, a problem which could be potentially circumvented with peptides or proteins. However, the well-documented proteolytic instability and cellular impermeability of peptides and proteins in general would make their developing into effective intracellular PPI blockers quite a challenge. With the advent of the peptide 'stapling' technology which was demonstrated to be able to stabilize the α-helical conformation of a peptide via bridging two neighboring amino-acid side chains with a 'molecular staple', a linear parent peptide could be transformed into a stronger PPI blocker with enhanced proteolytic stability and cellular permeability. This review will furnish an account on the peptide 'stapling' technology and its exploitation in efforts to achieve an enhanced functional interrogation or manipulation of intracellular signaling pathways especially those that are cancer relevant.

  6. Is hand sewing comparable with stapling for anastomotic leakage after esophagectomy? A meta-analysis

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Quan-Xing; Min, Jia-Xin; Deng, Xu-Feng; Dai, Ji-Gang

    2014-01-01

    AIM: To compare the outcome of hand sewing and stapling for anastomotic leakage after esophagectomy. METHODS: A rigorous study protocol was established according to the recommendations of the Cochrane Collaboration. An electronic database search, hand search, and reference search were used to retrieve all randomized controlled trials that compared hand-sewn and mechanical esophagogastric anastomoses. RESULTS: This study included 15 randomized controlled trials with a total of 2337 patients. The results revealed that there was no significant difference in the incidence of anastomotic leakage between the methods [relative risk (RR) = 0.77, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.57-1.04; P = 0.09], but a subgroup analysis yielded a significant difference for the sutured layer and year of publication (Ps < 0.05). There was also no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative mortality (RR = 1.52, 95%CI: 0.97-2.40; P = 0.07). However, the anastomotic strictures rate was increased in the stapler group compared with the hand-sewn group (RR = 1.45, 95%CI: 1.11-1.91; P < 0.01) in the end-to-side subgroup, while the incidence of anastomotic strictures was decreased (RR = 0.34, 95%CI: 0.16-0.76; P < 0.01) in the side-to-side subgroup. CONCLUSION: The stapler reduces the anastomotic leakage rate compared with hand sewing. End-to-side stapling increases the risk of anastomotic strictures, but side-to-side stapling decreases the risk. PMID:25493038

  7. A simplified technique for continent urinary diversion: an all-stapled colonic reservoir.

    PubMed

    Parra, R O

    1991-12-01

    A simple continent colonic reservoir was constructed in its entirety with the aid of surgical stapling techniques in 17 men and 10 women. In 5 men an orthotopic pouch was created and in the rest a continent stoma was designed. Detubularization of the entire colonic segment assures a low pressure system with disruption of directional peristaltic activity. The ureters are implanted by simply burying them in a mucosal furrow. Operative time required for the creation of the reservoir (excluding time for cystectomy) has ranged between 70 and 140 minutes (mean 95.4 minutes). With a followup of 9 to 60 months (mean 22.8 months) continence has been achieved in all but 1 patient with no ureteral reflux or obstruction. Urodynamically the pouch has achieved a large capacity (mean 750 cc) with low filling pressures (8.1 cm. water) because of technical ease of construction together with a shortened operative time due to the stapling techniques. This form of bladder replacement offers an option for select patients in whom continent urinary diversion is contemplated.

  8. Dual-acting stapled peptides target both HIV-1 entry and assembly

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Previously, we reported the conversion of the 12-mer linear and cell-impermeable peptide CAI to a cell-penetrating peptide NYAD-1 by using an i,i + 4 hydrocarbon stapling technique and confirmed its binding to the C-terminal domain (CTD) of the HIV-1 capsid (CA) protein with an improved affinity (Kd ~ 1 μM) compared to CAI (Kd ~ 15 μM). NYAD-1 disrupts the formation of both immature- and mature-like virus particles in in vitro and cell-based assembly assays. In addition, it displays potent anti-HIV-1 activity in cell culture against a range of laboratory-adapted and primary HIV-1 isolates. Results In this report, we expanded the study to i,i + 7 hydrocarbon-stapled peptides to delineate their mechanism of action and antiviral activity. We identified three potent inhibitors, NYAD-36, -66 and -67, which showed strong binding to CA in NMR and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) studies and disrupted the formation of mature-like particles. They showed typical α-helical structures and penetrated cells; however, the cell penetration was not as efficient as observed with the i,i + 4 peptides. Unlike NYAD-1, the i,i + 7 peptides did not have any effect on virus release; however, they impaired Gag precursor processing. HIV-1 particles produced in the presence of these peptides displayed impaired infectivity. Consistent with an effect on virus entry, selection for viral resistance led to the emergence of two mutations in the gp120 subunit of the viral envelope (Env) glycoprotein, V120Q and A327P, located in the conserved region 1 (C1) and the base of the V3 loop, respectively. Conclusion The i,i + 7 stapled peptides derived from CAI unexpectedly target both CA and the V3 loop of gp120. This dual-targeted activity is dependent on their ability to penetrate cells as well as their net charge. This mechanistic revelation will be useful in further modifying these peptides as potent anti-HIV-1 agents. PMID:24237936

  9. Anesthetic management of the SRS™ Endoscopic Stapling System for gastro-esophageal reflux disease.

    PubMed

    Topuz, Ufuk; Umutoglu, Tarik; Bakan, Mefkur; Ozturk, Erdogan

    2013-01-14

    The SRS(TM) Endoscopic Stapling System (Medigus, Tel Aviv, Israel) is a new tool capable of creating a totally endoscopic fundoplication, combined with an endoscope, endoscopic ultrasound and a surgical stapler. SRS(TM) endoscopic stapling for gastro-esophageal reflux disease is a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure, which requires general anesthesia with positive-pressure ventilation. Keeping the patient on positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) may minimize the pressure gradient between the esophagus and the mediastinum, as well as help to prevent air from leaking around the screws and causing pneumomediastinum. In addition, in patients with hiatal hernia, higher PEEP levels may be required to increase intra-thoracic pressure and to force the stomach to slide into the abdomen for ease of endoscopy. We advise smoother emergence from anesthesia, taking precautions for retching, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), while coughing and gagging during extubation and PONV may affect the success of the procedure. Total intravenous anesthesia with propofol and remifentanil seems to be a good choice for these reasons.

  10. The efficacy and integrity of shape memory alloy staples and bone anchors with ligament tethers in the fusionless treatment of experimental scoliosis.

    PubMed

    Braun, John T; Akyuz, Ephraim; Ogilvie, James W; Bachus, Kent N

    2005-09-01

    Scoliosis is a complex three-dimensional deformity with limited treatment options. Current treatments present potential problems that may be addressed with use of fusionless techniques for the correction of scoliosis. However, there are few data comparing the efficacy of different fusionless implant strategies in controlling scoliosis or on the integrity of rigid compared with flexible devices in an in vivo setting over time. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and integrity of rigid and flexible anterior thoracic tethers used to treat experimental scoliosis. Experimental scoliosis was created in twenty-four Spanish Cross-X female goats and was subsequently treated with either anterior shape memory alloy staples or anterior ligament tethers attached to bone anchors. Serial radiographs were analyzed to determine the efficacy of the implants in controlling scoliosis progression as well as the integrity of the implants at study completion. After the goats were killed, the implants were analyzed with use of three quantitative indices of implant integrity and implant pullout testing. Over the treatment period, scoliosis progressed from 77.3 degrees to 94.3 degrees in the goats treated with staples and was corrected from 73.4 degrees to 69.9 degrees in the goats treated with bone anchors, with loosening of eighteen of forty-two staples (two of the eighteen dislodged) and evidence of drift in two of forty-nine anchors. Histologic sections revealed a consistent halo of fibrous tissue around the staple tines but well-fixed bone anchors at all sites. Pullout testing demonstrated that bone anchors had greater strength than staples initially and at the study completion, with an increase in bone anchor fixation over the course of the study. In this scoliosis model, the flexible ligament tethers attached to bone anchors demonstrated greater efficacy and integrity than the more rigid shape memory alloy staples.

  11. Reducing the global burden of type 2 diabetes by improving the quality of staple foods: The Global Nutrition and Epidemiologic Transition Initiative.

    PubMed

    Mattei, Josiemer; Malik, Vasanti; Wedick, Nicole M; Hu, Frank B; Spiegelman, Donna; Willett, Walter C; Campos, Hannia

    2015-06-04

    The prevalence of type 2 diabetes has been reaching epidemic proportions across the globe, affecting low/middle-income and developed countries. Two main contributors to this burden are the reduction in mortality from infectious conditions and concomitant negative changes in lifestyles, including diet. We aimed to depict the current state of type 2 diabetes worldwide in light of the undergoing epidemiologic and nutrition transition, and to posit that a key factor in the nutrition transition has been the shift in the type and processing of staple foods, from less processed traditional foods to highly refined and processed carbohydrate sources. We showed data from 11 countries participating in the Global Nutrition and Epidemiologic Transition Initiative, a collaborative effort across countries at various stages of the nutrition-epidemiologic transition whose mission is to reduce diabetes by improving the quality of staple foods through culturally-appropriate interventions. We depicted the epidemiologic transition using demographic and mortality data from the World Health Organization, and the nutrition transition using data from the Food and Agriculture Organization food balance sheets. Main staple foods (maize, rice, wheat, pulses, and roots) differed by country, with most countries undergoing a shift in principal contributors to energy consumption from grains in the past 50 years. Notably, rice and wheat products accounted for over half of the contribution to energy consumption from staple grains, while the trends for contribution from roots and pulses generally decreased in most countries. Global Nutrition and Epidemiologic Transition Initiative countries with pilot data have documented key barriers and motivators to increase intake of high-quality staple foods. Global research efforts to identify and promote intake of culturally-acceptable high-quality staple foods could be crucial in preventing diabetes. These efforts may be valuable in shaping future research

  12. 3D maps of the local interstellar medium: the impact of Gaia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Capitanio, L.; Lallement, R.; Vergely, J. L.; Elyajouri, M.; Babusiaux, C.; Ruiz-Dern, L.; Monreal-Ibero, A.; Arenou, F.; Danielski, C.

    2017-12-01

    Gaia parallaxes combined with colour excess and absorption measurements from large stellar surveys will allow building increasingly precise three-dimensional maps of the interstellar matter (ISM). Reciprocally, detailed maps of the ISM will allow improving photometric calibrations of Gaia and measuring more precisely the amounts of reddening. In the future, the extraction of a diffuse interstellar band (DIB) from Gaia RVS (Radial Velocity Spectrometer) spectra will allow to build a tomography of the carrier of this DIB and compare it with dust and gas distributions. Here we show several results that illustrate current progress in local ISM mapping and a first example of the stellar-interstellar synergy linked to Gaia: a) how Gaia-DR1 parallaxes already modify the ISM maps obtained by means of a full-3D inversion of a compilation of colour excess data, b) how DIB measurements and corresponding Gaia parallaxes can complement colour excess data and improve the maps, c) new hierarchical methods combining distinct surveys, d) improved maps including APOGEE colour excess estimates deduced from the recent Gaia-based photometric calibrations of Ruiz-Dern et al (this issue), e) additional inclusion of LAMOST colour excess estimates (Wang et al, 2016).

  13. Comparison of intracorporeal single-stapled and double-stapled anastomosis in laparoscopic low anterior resection for rectal cancer: a case-control study.

    PubMed

    Kim, Hye Jin; Choi, Gyu-Seog; Park, Jun Seok; Park, Soo Yeun

    2013-01-01

    Recently, a single-stapled technique (SST) was performed instead of the conventional double-stapled technique (DST) in laparoscopic low anterior resection for anastomosis, by placement of intracorporeal purse-string sutures on the distal rectum with transanal specimen extraction. This study aimed to compare the short-term outcomes between the two anastomotic techniques. Between July 2007 and April 2010, 60 patients underwent SST by laparoscopic or robotic procedure. These patients were matched 1:2 by age, gender, date of surgery, and tumor stage with 120 patients who underwent conventional DST in laparoscopic low anterior resection. The robotic-assisted operative approach was used more frequently in the SST group than in the DST group (61.7 % vs. 3.3 %, p < 0.001). The mean operative time was 203.9 (range, 120-400) min for the SST group and 167.6 (range, 90-300) min for the DST group (p < 0.001). For specimen removal, the transanal approach was used in the SST group, while the transabdominal approach was used for the DST group. The pain score (visual analogue scale) of the SST group was lower (4.5 vs. 5.6, p < 0.001), although postoperative recovery was similar. Pathological examination revealed that the distal resection margin was significantly longer in the SST group (3.1 vs. 2.5 cm, p = 0.018). Postoperative morbidity including anastomotic leakage was similar in both groups. SST yielded equivalent short-term outcomes when compared to conventional DST and provided the advantages of minimal access and a longer distal resection margin. Therefore, SST in lower anterior resection may be a useful alternative to conventional DST.

  14. Can single molecule localization microscopy be used to map closely spaced RGD nanodomains?

    PubMed Central

    Nicovich, Philip R.; Soeriyadi, Alexander; Nieves, Daniel J.; Gooding, J. Justin; Gaus, Katharina

    2017-01-01

    Cells sense and respond to nanoscale variations in the distribution of ligands to adhesion receptors. This makes single molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) an attractive tool to map the distribution of ligands on nanopatterned surfaces. We explore the use of SMLM spatial cluster analysis to detect nanodomains of the cell adhesion-stimulating tripeptide arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD). These domains were formed by the phase separation of block copolymers with controllable spacing on the scale of tens of nanometers. We first determined the topology of the block copolymer with atomic force microscopy (AFM) and then imaged the localization of individual RGD peptides with direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM). To compare the data, we analyzed the dSTORM data with DBSCAN (density-based spatial clustering application with noise). The ligand distribution and polymer topology are not necessary identical since peptides may attach to the polymer outside the nanodomains and/or coupling and detection of peptides within the nanodomains is incomplete. We therefore performed simulations to explore the extent to which nanodomains could be mapped with dSTORM. We found that successful detection of nanodomains by dSTORM was influenced by the inter-domain spacing and the localization precision of individual fluorophores, and less by non-specific absorption of ligands to the substratum. For example, under our imaging conditions, DBSCAN identification of nanodomains spaced further than 50 nm apart was largely independent of background localisations, while nanodomains spaced closer than 50 nm required a localization precision of ~11 nm to correctly estimate the modal nearest neighbor distance (NDD) between nanodomains. We therefore conclude that SMLM is a promising technique to directly map the distribution and nanoscale organization of ligands and would benefit from an improved localization precision. PMID:28723958

  15. Three main paradigms of simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) problem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Imani, Vandad; Haataja, Keijo; Toivanen, Pekka

    2018-04-01

    Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) is one of the most challenging research areas within computer and machine vision for automated scene commentary and explanation. The SLAM technique has been a developing research area in the robotics context during recent years. By utilizing the SLAM method robot can estimate the different positions of the robot at the distinct points of time which can indicate the trajectory of robot as well as generate a map of the environment. SLAM has unique traits which are estimating the location of robot and building a map in the various types of environment. SLAM is effective in different types of environment such as indoor, outdoor district, Air, Underwater, Underground and Space. Several approaches have been investigated to use SLAM technique in distinct environments. The purpose of this paper is to provide an accurate perceptive review of case history of SLAM relied on laser/ultrasonic sensors and camera as perception input data. In addition, we mainly focus on three paradigms of SLAM problem with all its pros and cons. In the future, use intelligent methods and some new idea will be used on visual SLAM to estimate the motion intelligent underwater robot and building a feature map of marine environment.

  16. The limits of boundaries: unpacking localization and cognitive mapping relative to a boundary.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Ruojing; Mou, Weimin

    2018-05-01

    Previous research (Zhou, Mou, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition 42(8):1316-1323, 2016) showed that learning individual locations relative to a single landmark, compared to learning relative to a boundary, led to more accurate inferences of inter-object spatial relations (cognitive mapping of multiple locations). Following our past findings, the current study investigated whether the larger number of reference points provided by a homogeneous circular boundary, as well as less accessible knowledge of direct spatial relations among the multiple reference points, would lead to less effective cognitive mapping relative to the boundary. Accordingly, we manipulated (a) the number of primary reference points (one segment drawn from a circular boundary, four such segments, vs. the complete boundary) available when participants were localizing four objects sequentially (Experiment 1) and (b) the extendedness of each of the four segments (Experiment 2). The results showed that cognitive mapping was the least accurate in the whole boundary condition. However, expanding each of the four segments did not affect the accuracy of cognitive mapping until the four were connected to form a continuous boundary. These findings indicate that when encoding locations relative to a homogeneous boundary, participants segmented the boundary into differentiated pieces and subsequently chose the most informative local part (i.e., the segment closest in distance to one location) as the primary reference point for a particular location. During this process, direct spatial relations among the reference points were likely not attended to. These findings suggest that people might encode and represent bounded space in a fragmented fashion when localizing within a homogeneous boundary.

  17. Local search for optimal global map generation using mid-decadal landsat images

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Khatib, L.; Gasch, J.; Morris, Robert; Covington, S.

    2007-01-01

    NASA and the US Geological Survey (USGS) are seeking to generate a map of the entire globe using Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) and Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) sensor data from the "mid-decadal" period of 2004 through 2006. The global map is comprised of thousands of scene locations and, for each location, tens of different images of varying quality to chose from. Furthermore, it is desirable for images of adjacent scenes be close together in time of acquisition, to avoid obvious discontinuities due to seasonal changes. These characteristics make it desirable to formulate an automated solution to the problem of generating the complete map. This paper formulates a Global Map Generator problem as a Constraint Optimization Problem (GMG-COP) and describes an approach to solving it using local search. Preliminary results of running the algorithm on image data sets are summarized. The results suggest a significant improvement in map quality using constraint-based solutions. Copyright ?? 2007, Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (www.aaai.org). All rights reserved.

  18. A stapled BIM peptide overcomes apoptotic resistance in hematologic cancers

    PubMed Central

    LaBelle, James L.; Katz, Samuel G.; Bird, Gregory H.; Gavathiotis, Evripidis; Stewart, Michelle L.; Lawrence, Chelsea; Fisher, Jill K.; Godes, Marina; Pitter, Kenneth; Kung, Andrew L.; Walensky, Loren D.

    2012-01-01

    Cancer cells subvert the natural balance between cellular life and death, achieving immortality through pathologic enforcement of survival pathways and blockade of cell death mechanisms. Pro-apoptotic BCL-2 family proteins are frequently disarmed in relapsed and refractory cancer through genetic deletion or interaction-based neutralization by overexpressed antiapoptotic proteins, resulting in resistance to chemotherapy and radiation treatments. New pharmacologic strategies are urgently needed to overcome these formidable apoptotic blockades. We harnessed the natural killing activity of BCL-2–interacting mediator of cell death (BIM), which contains one of the most potent BH3 death domains of the BCL-2 protein family, to restore BH3-dependent cell death in resistant hematologic cancers. A hydrocarbon-stapled peptide modeled after the BIM BH3 helix broadly targeted BCL-2 family proteins with high affinity, blocked inhibitory antiapoptotic interactions, directly triggered proapoptotic activity, and induced dose-responsive and BH3 sequence–specific cell death of hematologic cancer cells. The therapeutic potential of stapled BIM BH3 was highlighted by the selective activation of cell death in the aberrant lymphoid infiltrates of mice reconstituted with BIM-deficient bone marrow and in a human AML xenograft model. Thus, we found that broad and multimodal targeting of the BCL-2 family pathway can overcome pathologic barriers to cell death. PMID:22622039

  19. A Mapping of the Electron Localization Function for Earth Materials

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gibbs, Gerald V.; Cox, David F.; Ross, Nancy

    2005-06-01

    The electron localization function, ELF, generated for a number of geometry-optimized earth materials, provides a graphical representation of the spatial localization of the probability electron density distribution as embodied in domains ascribed to localized bond and lone pair electrons. The lone pair domains, displayed by the silica polymorphs quartz, coesite and cristobalite, are typically banana-shaped and oriented perpendicular to the plane of the SiOSi angle at ~0.60 Å from the O atom on the reflex side of the angle. With decreasing angle, the domains increase in magnitude, indicating an increase in the nucleophilic character of the O atom, rendering itmore » more susceptible to potential electrophilic attack. The Laplacian isosurface maps of the experimental and theoretical electron density distribution for coesite substantiates the increase in the size of the domain with decreasing angle. Bond pair domains are displayed along each of the SiO bond vectors as discrete concave hemispherically-shaped domains at ~0.70 Å from the O atom. For more closed-shell ionic bonded interactions, the bond and lone pair domains are often coalesced, resulting in concave hemispherical toroidal-shaped domains with local maxima centered along the bond vectors. As the shared covalent character of the bonded interactions increases, the bond and lone pair domains are better developed as discrete domains. ELF isosurface maps generated for the earth materials tremolite, diopside, talc and dickite display banana-shaped lone pair domains associated with the bridging O atoms of SiOSi angles and concave hemispherical toroidal bond pair domains associated with the nonbridging ones. The lone pair domains in dickite and talc provide a basis for understanding the bonded interactions between the adjacent neutral layers. Maps were also generated for beryl, cordierite, quartz, low albite, forsterite, wadeite, åkermanite, pectolite, periclase, hurlbutite, thortveitite and vanthoffite

  20. A 2.5D Map-Based Mobile Robot Localization via Cooperation of Aerial and Ground Robots

    PubMed Central

    Nam, Tae Hyeon; Shim, Jae Hong; Cho, Young Im

    2017-01-01

    Recently, there has been increasing interest in studying the task coordination of aerial and ground robots. When a robot begins navigation in an unknown area, it has no information about the surrounding environment. Accordingly, for robots to perform tasks based on location information, they need a simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) process that uses sensor information to draw a map of the environment, while simultaneously estimating the current location of the robot on the map. This paper aims to present a localization method based in cooperation between aerial and ground robots in an indoor environment. The proposed method allows a ground robot to reach accurate destination by using a 2.5D elevation map built by a low-cost RGB-D (Red Green and Blue-Depth) sensor and 2D Laser sensor attached onto an aerial robot. A 2.5D elevation map is formed by projecting height information of an obstacle using depth information obtained by the RGB-D sensor onto a grid map, which is generated by using the 2D Laser sensor and scan matching. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method for its accuracy in location recognition and computing speed. PMID:29186843

  1. A 2.5D Map-Based Mobile Robot Localization via Cooperation of Aerial and Ground Robots.

    PubMed

    Nam, Tae Hyeon; Shim, Jae Hong; Cho, Young Im

    2017-11-25

    Recently, there has been increasing interest in studying the task coordination of aerial and ground robots. When a robot begins navigation in an unknown area, it has no information about the surrounding environment. Accordingly, for robots to perform tasks based on location information, they need a simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) process that uses sensor information to draw a map of the environment, while simultaneously estimating the current location of the robot on the map. This paper aims to present a localization method based in cooperation between aerial and ground robots in an indoor environment. The proposed method allows a ground robot to reach accurate destination by using a 2.5D elevation map built by a low-cost RGB-D (Red Green and Blue-Depth) sensor and 2D Laser sensor attached onto an aerial robot. A 2.5D elevation map is formed by projecting height information of an obstacle using depth information obtained by the RGB-D sensor onto a grid map, which is generated by using the 2D Laser sensor and scan matching. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method for its accuracy in location recognition and computing speed.

  2. Back analysis of Swiss flood danger map to define local flood hazards

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Choffet, Marc; Derron, Marc-Henri; Jaboyedoff, Michel; Leroi, Eric; Mayis, Arnaud

    2010-05-01

    The flood hazard maps for the entire Switzerland will be available at the end of 2011. Furthermore, the Swiss territory has been covered by aerial laser scanning (ALS) providing high resolution digital elevation model (DEM). This paper describes the development of a method for analyzing the local flood hazard based on Swiss hazard maps and HR-DEM. In their original state, Swiss hazard maps are constructed on the basis of an aggregation of information, a matrix intensity, and frequency. The degree of danger represented by the yellow, blue and red zones gives no information on the water level at each point of the territory. The developed method is based on a superposition of the danger map with the HR-DEM to determine the water level in a hazard area. To perform this method, (1) a triangulation is based on the intersection of the hazard map with the HR-DEM. It uses the limits of area where information is contrain. The hazard map perimeter and the boundaries of hazard areas give information on the widest possible overflow in case of flooding. It is also possible to associate it with a return period. (2) Based on these areas and the difference with the DEM, it is possible to calibrate the highest flood level and the extract water levels for the entire area. This analysis of existing documents opens up interesting perspectives for understanding how infrastructures are threatened by flood hazard by predicting water levels and potential damages to buildings while proposing remedial measures. Indeed, this method allows estimating the water level at each point of a building in case of flooding. It is designed to provide spatial information on water height levels; this offers a different approach of buildings in danger zones. Indeed, it is possible to discern several elements, such as areas of water accumulation involving longer flood duration, possible structural damages to buildings due to high hydrostatic pressure, determination of a local hazard, or the display of water

  3. Carotenoids in Staple Cereals: Metabolism, Regulation, and Genetic Manipulation

    PubMed Central

    Zhai, Shengnan; Xia, Xianchun; He, Zhonghu

    2016-01-01

    Carotenoids play a critical role in animal and human health. Animals and humans are unable to synthesize carotenoids de novo, and therefore rely upon diet as sources of these compounds. However, major staple cereals often contain only small amounts of carotenoids in their grains. Consequently, there is considerable interest in genetic manipulation of carotenoid content in cereal grain. In this review, we focus on carotenoid metabolism and regulation in non-green plant tissues, as well as genetic manipulation in staple cereals such as rice, maize, and wheat. Significant progress has been made in three aspects: (1) seven carotenogenes play vital roles in carotenoid regulation in non-green plant tissues, including 1-deoxyxylulose-5-phosphate synthase influencing isoprenoid precursor supply, phytoene synthase, β-cyclase, and ε-cyclase controlling biosynthesis, 1-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(E)-butenyl 4-diphosphate reductase and carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases responsible for degradation, and orange gene conditioning sequestration sink; (2) provitamin A-biofortified crops, such as rice and maize, were developed by either metabolic engineering or marker-assisted breeding; (3) quantitative trait loci for carotenoid content on chromosomes 3B, 7A, and 7B were consistently identified, eight carotenogenes including 23 loci were detected, and 10 gene-specific markers for carotenoid accumulation were developed and applied in wheat improvement. A comprehensive and deeper understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of carotenoid metabolism in crops will be beneficial in improving our precision in improving carotenoid contents. Genomic selection and gene editing are emerging as transformative technologies for provitamin A biofortification. PMID:27559339

  4. Lung abscess mimicking lung cancer developed around staples in a patient with permanent tracheostoma.

    PubMed

    Watanabe, Yui; Aoki, Masaya; Suzuki, Soichi; Umehara, Tadashi; Harada, Aya; Wakida, Kazuhiro; Nagata, Toshiyuki; Kariatsumari, Kota; Nakamura, Yoshihiro; Sato, Masami

    2015-11-01

    A 68-year-old male with a tracheostoma due to hypopharyngeal cancer was admitted because his chest computed tomography (CT) showed a small nodule in the right middle lobe. Following a partial resection of the right middle lobe, histopathological diagnosis of the resected sample was that of organizing pneumonia. Eleven months later, chest CT showed a mass with pleural indentation and spiculation in the right middle lobe. 18-Fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography showed significant accumulation in the middle lobe tumor mass shadow. The abnormal chest shadow that had developed around surgical staples suggested inadequate resection and tumor recurrence. As the abnormal radiological shadow was enlarging, middle lobectomy was carried out. Histological examination revealed that the tumor was a lung abscess without malignant features. This is a unique case of lung abscess mimicking lung cancer which developed around staples used during partial resection of the lung.

  5. Global localization of 3D point clouds in building outline maps of urban outdoor environments.

    PubMed

    Landsiedel, Christian; Wollherr, Dirk

    2017-01-01

    This paper presents a method to localize a robot in a global coordinate frame based on a sparse 2D map containing outlines of building and road network information and no location prior information. Its input is a single 3D laser scan of the surroundings of the robot. The approach extends the generic chamfer matching template matching technique from image processing by including visibility analysis in the cost function. Thus, the observed building planes are matched to the expected view of the corresponding map section instead of to the entire map, which makes a more accurate matching possible. Since this formulation operates on generic edge maps from visual sensors, the matching formulation can be expected to generalize to other input data, e.g., from monocular or stereo cameras. The method is evaluated on two large datasets collected in different real-world urban settings and compared to a baseline method from literature and to the standard chamfer matching approach, where it shows considerable performance benefits, as well as the feasibility of global localization based on sparse building outline data.

  6. Breakfast staple types affect brain gray matter volume and cognitive function in healthy children.

    PubMed

    Taki, Yasuyuki; Hashizume, Hiroshi; Sassa, Yuko; Takeuchi, Hikaru; Asano, Michiko; Asano, Kohei; Kawashima, Ryuta

    2010-12-08

    Childhood diet is important for brain development. Furthermore, the quality of breakfast is thought to affect the cognitive functioning of well-nourished children. To analyze the relationship among breakfast staple type, gray matter volume, and intelligence quotient (IQ) in 290 healthy children, we used magnetic resonance images and applied voxel-based morphometry. We divided subjects into rice, bread, and both groups according to their breakfast staple. We showed that the rice group had a significantly larger gray matter ratio (gray matter volume percentage divided by intracranial volume) and significantly larger regional gray matter volumes of several regions, including the left superior temporal gyrus. The bread group had significantly larger regional gray and white matter volumes of several regions, including the right frontoparietal region. The perceptual organization index (POI; IQ subcomponent) of the rice group was significantly higher than that of the bread group. All analyses were adjusted for age, gender, intracranial volume, socioeconomic status, average weekly frequency of having breakfast, and number of side dishes eaten for breakfast. Although several factors may have affected the results, one possible mechanism underlying the difference between the bread and the rice groups may be the difference in the glycemic index (GI) of these two substances; foods with a low GI are associated with less blood-glucose fluctuation than are those with a high GI. Our study suggests that breakfast staple type affects brain gray and white matter volumes and cognitive function in healthy children; therefore, a diet of optimal nutrition is important for brain maturation during childhood and adolescence.

  7. Entanglement Holographic Mapping of Many-Body Localized System by Spectrum Bifurcation Renormalization Group

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    You, Yi-Zhuang; Qi, Xiao-Liang; Xu, Cenke

    We introduce the spectrum bifurcation renormalization group (SBRG) as a generalization of the real-space renormalization group for the many-body localized (MBL) system without truncating the Hilbert space. Starting from a disordered many-body Hamiltonian in the full MBL phase, the SBRG flows to the MBL fixed-point Hamiltonian, and generates the local conserved quantities and the matrix product state representations for all eigenstates. The method is applicable to both spin and fermion models with arbitrary interaction strength on any lattice in all dimensions, as long as the models are in the MBL phase. In particular, we focus on the 1 d interacting Majorana chain with strong disorder, and map out its phase diagram using the entanglement entropy. The SBRG flow also generates an entanglement holographic mapping, which duals the MBL state to a fragmented holographic space decorated with small blackholes.

  8. Stapled haemorrhoidectomy in the operative treatment of grade III and IV haemorrhoids.

    PubMed

    Shrestha, S; Pradhan, G B N; Shrestha, R; Poudel, P; Bhattachan, C L

    2014-09-01

    Stapled haemorrhoidectomy (SH) is a minimally invasive intervention that uses a stapling device which avoids the need for wounds in the sensitive anal area and reduces the pain after surgery. This study was undertaken in Nepal Medical College Teaching Hospital from January 2010 to December 2012 to evaluate the efficacy of this modality of treatment among patients (32) who presented in the Surgery OPD with grade III and grade IV haemorrhoids. The results of SH were evaluated by the relief of symptoms, severity of post operative pain, and complications of SH. Twenty five (78.1%) patients had grade III and 7 (21.9%) presented with grade IV hemorrhoids. The most frequent presentation reported in our study was bleeding per rectum with perianal prolapse. Mean operating time was 40-60 minutes whereas mean hospital stay was 1.9 days. Urinary retention was the most common complication found in 12 (37.5%) patients in the immediate post operative period. SH is a safe, rapid, and convenient surgical remedy for grade III and grade IV hemorrhoids with low rate of complications, minimal postoperative pain, and shorter hospital stay.

  9. A question of balance: achieving appropriate nutrient levels in biofortified staple crops.

    PubMed

    Sanahuja, Georgina; Farré, Gemma; Berman, Judit; Zorrilla-López, Uxue; Twyman, Richard M; Capell, Teresa; Christou, Paul; Zhu, Changfu

    2013-12-01

    The biofortification of staple crops with vitamins is an attractive strategy to increase the nutritional quality of human food, particularly in areas where the population subsists on a cereal-based diet. Unlike other approaches, biofortification is sustainable and does not require anything more than a standard food-distribution infrastructure. The health-promoting effects of vitamins depend on overall intake and bioavailability, the latter influenced by food processing, absorption efficiency and the utilisation or retention of the vitamin in the body. The bioavailability of vitamins in nutritionally enriched foods should ideally be adjusted to achieve the dietary reference intake in a reasonable portion. Current vitamin biofortification programmes focus on the fat-soluble vitamins A and E, and the water-soluble vitamins C and B9 (folate), but the control of dosage and bioavailability has been largely overlooked. In the present review, we discuss the vitamin content of nutritionally enhanced foods developed by conventional breeding and genetic engineering, focusing on dosage and bioavailability. Although the biofortification of staple crops could potentially address micronutrient deficiency on a global scale, further research is required to develop effective strategies that match the bioavailability of vitamins to the requirements of the human diet.

  10. Unexpected involvement of staple leads to redesign of selective bicyclic peptide inhibitor of Grb7

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gunzburg, Menachem J.; Kulkarni, Ketav; Watson, Gabrielle M.; Ambaye, Nigus D.; Del Borgo, Mark P.; Brandt, Rebecca; Pero, Stephanie C.; Perlmutter, Patrick; Wilce, Matthew C. J.; Wilce, Jacqueline A.

    2016-06-01

    The design of potent and specific peptide inhibitors to therapeutic targets is of enormous utility for both proof-of-concept studies and for the development of potential new therapeutics. Grb7 is a key signaling molecule in the progression of HER2 positive and triple negative breast cancers. Here we report the crystal structure of a stapled bicyclic peptide inhibitor G7-B1 in complex with the Grb7-SH2 domain. This revealed an unexpected binding mode of the peptide, in which the staple forms an alternative contact with the surface of the target protein. Based on this structural information, we designed a new series of bicyclic G7 peptides that progressively constrain the starting peptide, to arrive at the G7-B4 peptide that binds with an approximately 2-fold enhanced affinity to the Grb7-SH2 domain (KD = 0.83 μM) compared to G7-B1 and shows low affinity binding to Grb2-, Grb10- and Grb14-SH2 domains (KD > 100 μM). Furthermore, we determined the structure of the G7-B4 bicyclic peptide in complex with the Grb7-SH2 domain, both before and after ring closing metathesis to show that the closed staple is essential to the target interaction. The G7-B4 peptide represents an advance in the development of Grb7 inhibitors and is a classical example of structure aided inhibitor development.

  11. Antioxidant capacity, total phenolics and nutritional content in selected ethiopian staple food ingredients.

    PubMed

    Forsido, Sirawdink Fikreyesus; Rupasinghe, H P Vasantha; Astatkie, Tess

    2013-12-01

    The total antioxidant capacity, total phenolics content (TPC) and nutritional content of five types of enset (Enset ventricosum) flour in comparison with four staples (teff [Eragrostis tef], wheat, corn and tapioca) were evaluated. Teff, corn and "amicho" (corm of enset) had the highest ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). The FRAP and TPC of teff (1.8 mmol Trolox equivalence/100 g dry matter (DM) and 123.6 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g DM, respectively) were over 4-fold larger than the lowest obtained from "bulla" (dehydrated juice of pseudostem of enset). Corn had the lowest IC(50) value of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging (10.27 mg DM mL(-1)). Teff had the highest crude fat content (3.71%) and some mineral profile (P, Mg, Mn and Cu). Enset products had higher fiber, Ca, K, Mg and Mn content as compared to wheat and corn. Ethiopian staple teff has a potential for developing value-added food products with nutritional and health benefits.

  12. A simple map-based localization strategy using range measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moore, Kevin L.; Kutiyanawala, Aliasgar; Chandrasekharan, Madhumita

    2005-05-01

    In this paper we present a map-based approach to localization. We consider indoor navigation in known environments based on the idea of a "vector cloud" by observing that any point in a building has an associated vector defining its distance to the key structural components (e.g., walls, ceilings, etc.) of the building in any direction. Given a building blueprint we can derive the "ideal" vector cloud at any point in space. Then, given measurements from sensors on the robot we can compare the measured vector cloud to the possible vector clouds cataloged from the blueprint, thus determining location. We present algorithms for implementing this approach to localization, using the Hamming norm, the 1-norm, and the 2-norm. The effectiveness of the approach is verified by experiments on a 2-D testbed using a mobile robot with a 360° laser range-finder and through simulation analysis of robustness.

  13. Determining Coastal Hazards Risk Perception to Enhance Local Mitigation Planning through a Participatory Mapping Approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bethel, M.; Braud, D.; Lambeth, T.; Biber, P.; Wu, W.

    2017-12-01

    Coastal community leaders, government officials, and natural resource managers must be able to accurately assess and predict a given coastal landscape's sustainability and/or vulnerability as coastal habitat continues to undergo rapid and dramatic changes associated with natural and anthropogenic activities such as accelerated relative sea level rise (SLR). To help address this information need, a multi-disciplinary project team conducted Sea Grant sponsored research in Louisiana and Mississippi with traditional ecosystem users and natural resource managers to determine a method for producing localized vulnerability and sustainability maps for projected SLR and storm surge impacts, and determine how and whether the results of such an approach can provide more useful information to enhance hazard mitigation planning. The goals of the project are to develop and refine SLR visualization tools for local implementation in areas experiencing subsidence and erosion, and discover the different ways stakeholder groups evaluate risk and plan mitigation strategies associated with projected SLR and storm surge. Results from physical information derived from data and modeling of subsidence, erosion, engineered restoration and coastal protection features, historical land loss, and future land projections under SLR are integrated with complimentary traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) offered by the collaborating local ecosystem users for these assessments. The data analysis involves interviewing stakeholders, coding the interviews for themes, and then converting the themes into vulnerability and sustainability factors. Each factor is weighted according to emphasis by the TEK experts and number of experts who mention it to determine which factors are the highest priority. The priority factors are then mapped with emphasis on the perception of contributing to local community vulnerability or sustainability to SLR and storm surge. The maps are used by the collaborators to benefit

  14. Improving mapping for Ebola response through mobilising a local community with self-owned smartphones: Tonkolili District, Sierra Leone, January 2015.

    PubMed

    Nic Lochlainn, Laura M; Gayton, Ivan; Theocharopoulos, Georgios; Edwards, Robin; Danis, Kostas; Kremer, Ronald; Kleijer, Karline; Tejan, Sumaila M; Sankoh, Mohamed; Jimissa, Augustin; Greig, Jane; Caleo, Grazia

    2018-01-01

    During the 2014-16 Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak, the Magburaka Ebola Management Centre (EMC) operated by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Tonkolili District, Sierra Leone, identified that available district maps lacked up-to-date village information to facilitate timely implementation of EVD control strategies. In January 2015, we undertook a survey in chiefdoms within the MSF EMC catchment area to collect mapping and village data. We explore the feasibility and cost to mobilise a local community for this survey, describe validation against existing mapping sources and use of the data to prioritise areas for interventions, and lessons learned. We recruited local people with self-owned Android smartphones installed with open-source survey software (OpenDataKit (ODK)) and open-source navigation software (OpenStreetMap Automated Navigation Directions (OsmAnd)). Surveyors were paired with local motorbike drivers to travel to eligible villages. The collected mapping data were validated by checking for duplication and comparing the village names against a pre-existing village name and location list using a geographic distance and text string-matching algorithm. The survey teams gained sufficient familiarity with the ODK and OsmAnd software within 1-2 hours. Nine chiefdoms in Tonkolili District and three in Bombali District were surveyed within two weeks. Following de-duplication, the surveyors collected data from 891 villages with an estimated 127,021 households. The overall survey cost was €3,395; €3.80 per village surveyed. The MSF GIS team (MSF-OCG) created improved maps for the MSF Magburaka EMC team which were used to support surveillance, investigation of suspect EVD cases, hygiene-kit distribution and EVD survivor support. We shared the mapping data with OpenStreetMap, the local Ministry of Health and Sanitation and Sierra Leone District and National Ebola Response Centres. Involving local community and using accessible technology allowed rapid

  15. Local and transient nanoscale strain mapping during in situ deformation

    DOE PAGES

    Gammer, C.; Kacher, J.; Czarnik, C.; ...

    2016-08-26

    The mobility of defects such as dislocations controls the mechanical properties of metals. This mobility is determined both by the characteristics of the defect and the material, as well as the local stress and strain applied to the defect. Therefore, the knowledge of the stress and strain during deformation at the scale of defects is important for understanding fundamental deformation mechanisms. In this paper, we demonstrate a method of measuring local stresses and strains during continuous in situ deformation with a resolution of a few nanometers using nanodiffraction strain mapping. Finally, our results demonstrate how large multidimensional data sets capturedmore » with high speed electron detectors can be analyzed in multiple ways after an in situ TEM experiment, opening the door for true multimodal analysis from a single electron scattering experiment.« less

  16. Mapping local anisotropy axis for scattering media using backscattering Mueller matrix imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    He, Honghui; Sun, Minghao; Zeng, Nan; Du, E.; Guo, Yihong; He, Yonghong; Ma, Hui

    2014-03-01

    Mueller matrix imaging techniques can be used to detect the micro-structure variations of superficial biological tissues, including the sizes and shapes of cells, the structures in cells, and the densities of the organelles. Many tissues contain anisotropic fibrous micro-structures, such as collagen fibers, elastin fibers, and muscle fibers. Changes of these fibrous structures are potentially good indicators for some pathological variations. In this paper, we propose a quantitative analysis technique based on Mueller matrix for mapping local anisotropy axis of scattering media. By conducting both experiments on silk sample and Monte Carlo simulation based on the sphere-cylinder scattering model (SCSM), we extract anisotropy axis parameters from different backscattering Mueller matrix elements. Moreover, we testify the possible applications of these parameters for biological tissues. The preliminary experimental results of human cancerous samples show that, these parameters are capable to map the local axis of fibers. Since many pathological changes including early stage cancers affect the well aligned structures for tissues, the experimental results indicate that these parameters can be used as potential tools in clinical applications for biomedical diagnosis purposes.

  17. Local activation time sampling density for atrial tachycardia contact mapping: how much is enough?

    PubMed

    Williams, Steven E; Harrison, James L; Chubb, Henry; Whitaker, John; Kiedrowicz, Radek; Rinaldi, Christopher A; Cooklin, Michael; Wright, Matthew; Niederer, Steven; O'Neill, Mark D

    2018-02-01

    Local activation time (LAT) mapping forms the cornerstone of atrial tachycardia diagnosis. Although anatomic and positional accuracy of electroanatomic mapping (EAM) systems have been validated, the effect of electrode sampling density on LAT map reconstruction is not known. Here, we study the effect of chamber geometry and activation complexity on optimal LAT sampling density using a combined in silico and in vivo approach. In vivo 21 atrial tachycardia maps were studied in three groups: (1) focal activation, (2) macro-re-entry, and (3) localized re-entry. In silico activation was simulated on a 4×4cm atrial monolayer, sampled randomly at 0.25-10 points/cm2 and used to re-interpolate LAT maps. Activation patterns were studied in the geometrically simple porcine right atrium (RA) and complex human left atrium (LA). Activation complexity was introduced into the porcine RA by incomplete inter-caval linear ablation. In all cases, optimal sampling density was defined as the highest density resulting in minimal further error reduction in the re-interpolated maps. Optimal sampling densities for LA tachycardias were 0.67 ± 0.17 points/cm2 (focal activation), 1.05 ± 0.32 points/cm2 (macro-re-entry) and 1.23 ± 0.26 points/cm2 (localized re-entry), P = 0.0031. Increasing activation complexity was associated with increased optimal sampling density both in silico (focal activation 1.09 ± 0.14 points/cm2; re-entry 1.44 ± 0.49 points/cm2; spiral-wave 1.50 ± 0.34 points/cm2, P < 0.0001) and in vivo (porcine RA pre-ablation 0.45 ± 0.13 vs. post-ablation 0.78 ± 0.17 points/cm2, P = 0.0008). Increasing chamber geometry was also associated with increased optimal sampling density (0.61 ± 0.22 points/cm2 vs. 1.0 ± 0.34 points/cm2, P = 0.0015). Optimal sampling densities can be identified to maximize diagnostic yield of LAT maps. Greater sampling density is required to correctly reveal complex activation and

  18. Implementation of a New High-Volume Circular Stapler in Stapled Anopexy for Hemorrhoidal Disease: Is Patient's Short-Term Outcome Affected by a Higher Volume of Resected Tissue?

    PubMed

    Grotenhuis, Brechtje A; Nonner, Joost; de Graaf, Eelco J R; Doornebosch, Pascal G

    2017-11-02

    Stapled anopexy is a safe technique for the treatment of hemorrhoids but carries a higher risk of recurrence, which might be caused due to the limited volume of resected tissue. In this study, we investigated the introduction of a high-volume circular stapling device; in particular whether an increased amount of resected tissue could affect patients' short-term postoperative outcome. Between 2011 and 2015, stapled anopexy was performed for hemorrhoids and/or anal prolapse in 141 patients (n = 25 conventional PPH-3©-stapler versus n = 116 high-volume CHEX©-stapler). In this prospectively collected dataset, operation details and short-term postoperative outcome were compared. With the high-volume stapler, a significantly higher amount of tissue was resected: 9.8 g (range 6.2-11.4) vs. 6.4 g (range 4.9-8.8) with the conventional stapler, p < 0.01. Postoperative short-term outcome did not differ in terms of readmission and complication rates. In all 5 patients who underwent a redo operation for residual hemorrhoids or prolapse, the high-volume stapler was used in the primary operation. A high-volume stapling device for stapled anopexy was introduced safely with a significantly higher amount of resected tissue without a worse short-term outcome. However, it remains unclear whether higher stapling volumes may lead to improved long-term outcome with less reinterventions. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  19. Using ESRI Story Maps for Engaging Tribal Youth in Localized Climate Education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Masters, E. L.; Marsik, F. J.; Sonderegger, C.

    2017-12-01

    A critical step in any climate adaptation initiative is the engagement of the community through educational outreach about the impacts of climate change on vulnerable economic, infrastructure and natural resources within the community. For Tribal communities, such outreach must also highlight connections between these vulnerable assets, such as natural resources, and Tribal cultural practices. For adult members of these communities, the combination of traditional ecological knowledge and western science approaches can prove effective in this regard. For Tribal youth, the often complex and data-heavy nature of western science approaches may prove to be more of an obstacle than an aid in communicating the impacts of our changing climate on their local Tribal community. A collaborative educational effort between the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (Peshawbestown, MI) and the University of Michigan seeks to lean upon the rich tradition of storytelling as a method of conveying information to younger generations. The ESRI Story Maps platform provides such a tool through its combined use of narratives, images, maps, and data. The ability to make a Story Map deep and complex, or simple and fun, makes this application ideal for communicating with a range of people, from school-age children to adults. For our project, we created two Story Maps with different complexity levels, with one for elementary to middle school students, and the other targeted at high school students. The project for younger children was aimed at engaging viewers through a series of images and maps, introducing them to the basics of what wetlands are, which types of wetlands can be found locally, Indigenous cultural connections to wetlands, and how to protect wetlands. The more complex project provided a more expansive discussion of these same topics, including threats to these wetlands from human activities, including climate change, as well as an extensive list of references and a

  20. Modified Longo's stapled hemorrhoidopexy with additional traction sutures for the treatment of residual prolapsed piles.

    PubMed

    Chen, Chuang-Wei; Kang, Jung-Cheng; Wu, Chang-Chieh; Hsiao, Cheng-Wen; Jao, Shu-Wen

    2008-03-01

    Residual prolapsed piles is a problem after the stapled hemorrhoidopexy, especially in large third- or fourth-degree hemorrhoids. We have developed a method using additional traction sutures along with modified Longo's procedure to manage this problem. From January 2005 to October 2005, 30 consecutive patients with symptomatic third- or fourth-degree hemorrhoids who underwent the modified Longo's stapled hemorrhoidopexy with additional traction sutures in a single institution were collected. The demographics, postoperative pain score, surgical features, outcomes, and early and late complications were recorded. All patients were followed for a mean duration of 8.8 (range, 4-15) months. Thirty patients (17 males) with a mean age of 45 (range, 27-63) years were identified. The mean postoperative pain score on the morning of the first postoperative day was 2.8 (range, 1-4). The mean duration of operation was 30.7 (range, 25-37) min. The mean duration of hospital stay was 2 (range, 1-3) days. The mean days for patients to resume normal work was 6.7 (range, 4-9) days. No other procedure-related complications occurred in all patients. There was no early complication except for fecal urgency found in one patient during the first postoperative days. Regarding the late complications, no residual prolapsed piles, persistent anal pain, incontinence, anal stenosis, or recurrent symptoms were found. Our preliminary experiences indicated that this modified procedures truly contributed to reduce the residual internal hemorrhoids and maintained the benefits of stapled hemorrhoidopexy. Randomized trial and long-term follow-up warrant to determine possible surgical and functional outcome.

  1. Retrograde stapling of a free cervical jejunal interposition graft: a technical innovation and case report

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Free jejunal interposition is a useful technique for reconstruction of the cervical esophagus. However, the distal anastomosis between the graft and the remaining thoracic esophagus or a gastric conduit can be technically challenging when located very low in the thoracic aperture. We here describe a modified technique for retrograde stapling of a jejunal graft to a failed gastric conduit using a circular stapler on a delivery system. Case presentation A 56 year-old patient had been referred for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma at 20 cm from the incisors. On day 8 after thoracoabdominal esophagectomy with gastric pull-up, an anastomotic leakage was diagnosed. A proximal-release stent was successfully placed by gastroscopy and the patient was discharged. Two weeks later, an esophagotracheal fistula occurred proximal to the esophageal stent. Cervical esophagostomy was performed with cranial closure of the gastric conduit, which was left in situ within the right hemithorax. Three months later, reconstruction was performed using a free jejunal interposition. The anvil of a circular stapler (Orvil®, Covidien) was placed transabdominally through an endoscopic rendez-vous procedure into the gastric conduit. A free jejunal graft was retrogradely stapled to the proximal end of the conduit. Microvascular anastomoses were performed subsequently. The proximal anastomosis of the conduit was completed manually after reperfusion. Conclusions This modified technique allows stapling of a jejunal interposition graft located deep in the thoracic aperture and is therefore a useful method that may help to avoid reconstruction by colonic pull-up and thoracotomy. PMID:25319372

  2. "How I do it"--radical right colectomy with side-to-side stapled ileo-colonic anastomosis.

    PubMed

    Hübner, M; Larson, D W; Wolff, B G

    2012-08-01

    Standardization of surgical technique helps to reproduce excellent clinical outcomes, especially in teaching institutions. We aim to describe in detail our established approach for oncological right colectomy. The right colon is mobilized in a five-step latero-inferior approach starting off with the terminal ileum, visualizing the duodenum and the head of pancreas. The ascending colon is dissected from the retroperitoneum, and takedown of the hepatic flexure is completed coming retrograde from the transverse colon. Transection of the remaining retroperitoneal attachments completes exposure of the duodenum and mobilization of the right colon. Ileocolic vessels are dissected out and divided close to their origin, and the mesocolon is divided. We then establish intestinal continuity by use of a side-to-side stapled technique. The arms of a linear cutting stapler are inserted via transverse incisions at the anti-mesenteric sides of the terminal ileum and the transverse colon (tenia) and fired. The enterotomy site is closed by removal of the specimen using a second transverse firing of the linear cutting stapler. An important final step is the reinforcement of the anastomotic ends and the crossing of the staple lines; an omental patch and closure of the mesenteric window are optional. The suggested standardized five-step lateral-to-medial dissection of the right colon and the three-step side-to-side stapled technique for ileo-colonic anastomosis are easy to learn and to reproduce. Careful adherence to pivotal technical details will help to obtain an optimal oncological outcome and a consistently low leak rate around 2%.

  3. Prediction of CT Substitutes from MR Images Based on Local Diffeomorphic Mapping for Brain PET Attenuation Correction.

    PubMed

    Wu, Yao; Yang, Wei; Lu, Lijun; Lu, Zhentai; Zhong, Liming; Huang, Meiyan; Feng, Yanqiu; Feng, Qianjin; Chen, Wufan

    2016-10-01

    Attenuation correction is important for PET reconstruction. In PET/MR, MR intensities are not directly related to attenuation coefficients that are needed in PET imaging. The attenuation coefficient map can be derived from CT images. Therefore, prediction of CT substitutes from MR images is desired for attenuation correction in PET/MR. This study presents a patch-based method for CT prediction from MR images, generating attenuation maps for PET reconstruction. Because no global relation exists between MR and CT intensities, we propose local diffeomorphic mapping (LDM) for CT prediction. In LDM, we assume that MR and CT patches are located on 2 nonlinear manifolds, and the mapping from the MR manifold to the CT manifold approximates a diffeomorphism under a local constraint. Locality is important in LDM and is constrained by the following techniques. The first is local dictionary construction, wherein, for each patch in the testing MR image, a local search window is used to extract patches from training MR/CT pairs to construct MR and CT dictionaries. The k-nearest neighbors and an outlier detection strategy are then used to constrain the locality in MR and CT dictionaries. Second is local linear representation, wherein, local anchor embedding is used to solve MR dictionary coefficients when representing the MR testing sample. Under these local constraints, dictionary coefficients are linearly transferred from the MR manifold to the CT manifold and used to combine CT training samples to generate CT predictions. Our dataset contains 13 healthy subjects, each with T1- and T2-weighted MR and CT brain images. This method provides CT predictions with a mean absolute error of 110.1 Hounsfield units, Pearson linear correlation of 0.82, peak signal-to-noise ratio of 24.81 dB, and Dice in bone regions of 0.84 as compared with real CTs. CT substitute-based PET reconstruction has a regression slope of 1.0084 and R 2 of 0.9903 compared with real CT-based PET. In this method, no

  4. Early Experience With a Partial Stapled Hemorrhoidopexy for Treating Patients With Grades III–IV Prolapsing Hemorrhoids

    PubMed Central

    Jeong, Hyeonseok; Ryu, Kil O; Lim, Jiyong; Kim, Hyun Tae; Yu, Hye Mi; Yoon, Jihoon; Lee, Ju-Young; Kim, Hyoung Rae; Choi, Young Gil

    2017-01-01

    Purpose Circular stapled hemorrhoidopexy (CSH) is widely used to treat patients with grades III–IV hemorrhoids because of less pain and short hospital stay. However, this procedure is associated with some complications, such as urge to defecate, anal stenosis, staple line dehiscence, abscess and sepsis. To avoid these complications, surgeons perform a partial stapled hemorrhoidopexy (PSH). The aim of this study is to present our early experience with the PSH. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 58 patients with hemorrhoids who were treated with a PSH at Busan Hang-Un Hospital from January 2016 to June 2016. A specially designed tri-window anoscope was used, and a purse string suture was made at the mucosae of the protruding hemorrhoids through the window of the anoscope. The hemorrhoidopexy was done by using a circular stapler. Results Of the 58 patients included in this study, 34 were male and 24 were female patients (mean age, 50.4 years). The mean operation time was 12.4 minutes, and the mean postoperative hospital stay was 3.8 days. Three patients experienced bleeding (5.1%) 5 urinary retention (8.6%) and 5 skin tags (8.6%). Urge to defecate, tenesmus, abscess, rectovaginal fistula, anal stricture, incontinence, and recurrence did not occur. Conclusion PSH is a minimally invasive, feasible, and safe technique for treating patients with grades III–IV hemorrhoids. A PSH, instead of a CSH, can be used to treat certain patients with hemorrhoids. PMID:28289661

  5. Mapping regional livelihood benefits from local ecosystem services assessments in rural Sahel

    PubMed Central

    Sinare, Hanna; Enfors Kautsky, Elin; Ouedraogo, Issa; Gordon, Line J.

    2018-01-01

    Most current approaches to landscape scale ecosystem service assessments rely on detailed secondary data. This type of data is seldom available in regions with high levels of poverty and strong local dependence on provisioning ecosystem services for livelihoods. We develop a method to extrapolate results from a previously published village scale ecosystem services assessment to a higher administrative level, relevant for land use decision making. The method combines remote sensing (using a hybrid classification method) and interviews with community members. The resulting landscape scale maps show the spatial distribution of five different livelihood benefits (nutritional diversity, income, insurance/saving, material assets and energy, and crops for consumption) that illustrate the strong multifunctionality of the Sahelian landscapes. The maps highlight the importance of a diverse set of sub-units of the landscape in supporting Sahelian livelihoods. We see a large potential in using the resulting type of livelihood benefit maps for guiding future land use decisions in the Sahel. PMID:29389965

  6. Mapping regional livelihood benefits from local ecosystem services assessments in rural Sahel.

    PubMed

    Malmborg, Katja; Sinare, Hanna; Enfors Kautsky, Elin; Ouedraogo, Issa; Gordon, Line J

    2018-01-01

    Most current approaches to landscape scale ecosystem service assessments rely on detailed secondary data. This type of data is seldom available in regions with high levels of poverty and strong local dependence on provisioning ecosystem services for livelihoods. We develop a method to extrapolate results from a previously published village scale ecosystem services assessment to a higher administrative level, relevant for land use decision making. The method combines remote sensing (using a hybrid classification method) and interviews with community members. The resulting landscape scale maps show the spatial distribution of five different livelihood benefits (nutritional diversity, income, insurance/saving, material assets and energy, and crops for consumption) that illustrate the strong multifunctionality of the Sahelian landscapes. The maps highlight the importance of a diverse set of sub-units of the landscape in supporting Sahelian livelihoods. We see a large potential in using the resulting type of livelihood benefit maps for guiding future land use decisions in the Sahel.

  7. Surgical stapling device-tissue interactions: what surgeons need to know to improve patient outcomes.

    PubMed

    Chekan, Edward; Whelan, Richard L

    2014-01-01

    The introduction of both new surgical devices and reengineered existing devices leads to modifications in the way traditional tasks are carried out and allows for the development of new surgical techniques. Each new device has benefits and limitations in regards to tissue interactions that, if known, allow for optimal use. However, most surgeons are unaware of these attributes and, therefore, new device introduction creates a "knowledge gap" that is potentially dangerous. The goal of this review is to present a framework for the study of device- tissue interactions and to initiate the process of "filling in" the knowledge gap via the available literature. Surgical staplers, which are continually being developed, are the focus of this piece. The integrity of the staple line, which depends on adequate tissue compression, is the primary factor in creating a stable anastomosis. This review focuses on published studies that evaluated the creation of stable anastomoses in bariatric, thoracic, and colorectal procedures. Understanding how staplers interact with target tissues is key to improving patient outcomes. It is clear from this review that each tissue type presents unique challenges. The thickness of each tissue varies as do the intrinsic biomechanical properties that determine the ideal compressive force and prefiring compression time for each tissue type. The correct staple height will vary depending on these tissue-specific properties and the tissue pathology. These studies reinforce the universal theme that compression, staple height, tissue thickness, tissue compressibility, and tissue type must all be considered by the surgeon prior to choosing a stapler and cartridge. The surgeon's experience, therefore, is a critical factor. Educational programs need to be established to inform and update surgeons on the characteristics of each stapler. It is hoped that the framework presented in this review will facilitate this process.

  8. Surgical stapling device–tissue interactions: what surgeons need to know to improve patient outcomes

    PubMed Central

    Chekan, Edward; Whelan, Richard L

    2014-01-01

    The introduction of both new surgical devices and reengineered existing devices leads to modifications in the way traditional tasks are carried out and allows for the development of new surgical techniques. Each new device has benefits and limitations in regards to tissue interactions that, if known, allow for optimal use. However, most surgeons are unaware of these attributes and, therefore, new device introduction creates a “knowledge gap” that is potentially dangerous. The goal of this review is to present a framework for the study of device– tissue interactions and to initiate the process of “filling in” the knowledge gap via the available literature. Surgical staplers, which are continually being developed, are the focus of this piece. The integrity of the staple line, which depends on adequate tissue compression, is the primary factor in creating a stable anastomosis. This review focuses on published studies that evaluated the creation of stable anastomoses in bariatric, thoracic, and colorectal procedures. Understanding how staplers interact with target tissues is key to improving patient outcomes. It is clear from this review that each tissue type presents unique challenges. The thickness of each tissue varies as do the intrinsic biomechanical properties that determine the ideal compressive force and prefiring compression time for each tissue type. The correct staple height will vary depending on these tissue-specific properties and the tissue pathology. These studies reinforce the universal theme that compression, staple height, tissue thickness, tissue compressibility, and tissue type must all be considered by the surgeon prior to choosing a stapler and cartridge. The surgeon’s experience, therefore, is a critical factor. Educational programs need to be established to inform and update surgeons on the characteristics of each stapler. It is hoped that the framework presented in this review will facilitate this process. PMID:25246812

  9. Local discrepancies in continental scale biomass maps: a case study over forested and non-forested landscapes in Maryland, USA

    Treesearch

    Wenli Huang; Anu Swatantran; Kristofer Johnson; Laura Duncanson; Hao Tang; Jarlath O' Neil Dunne; George Hurtt; Ralph Dubayah

    2015-01-01

    Continental-scale aboveground biomass maps are increasingly available, but their estimates vary widely, particularly at high resolution. A comprehensive understanding of map discrepancies is required to improve their effectiveness in carbon accounting and local decision-making. To this end, we compare four continental-scale maps with a recent high-resolution lidar-...

  10. Occupancy mapping and surface reconstruction using local Gaussian processes with Kinect sensors.

    PubMed

    Kim, Soohwan; Kim, Jonghyuk

    2013-10-01

    Although RGB-D sensors have been successfully applied to visual SLAM and surface reconstruction, most of the applications aim at visualization. In this paper, we propose a noble method of building continuous occupancy maps and reconstructing surfaces in a single framework for both navigation and visualization. Particularly, we apply a Bayesian nonparametric approach, Gaussian process classification, to occupancy mapping. However, it suffers from high-computational complexity of O(n(3))+O(n(2)m), where n and m are the numbers of training and test data, respectively, limiting its use for large-scale mapping with huge training data, which is common with high-resolution RGB-D sensors. Therefore, we partition both training and test data with a coarse-to-fine clustering method and apply Gaussian processes to each local clusters. In addition, we consider Gaussian processes as implicit functions, and thus extract iso-surfaces from the scalar fields, continuous occupancy maps, using marching cubes. By doing that, we are able to build two types of map representations within a single framework of Gaussian processes. Experimental results with 2-D simulated data show that the accuracy of our approximated method is comparable to previous work, while the computational time is dramatically reduced. We also demonstrate our method with 3-D real data to show its feasibility in large-scale environments.

  11. Improving mapping for Ebola response through mobilising a local community with self-owned smartphones: Tonkolili District, Sierra Leone, January 2015

    PubMed Central

    Gayton, Ivan; Theocharopoulos, Georgios; Edwards, Robin; Danis, Kostas; Kremer, Ronald; Kleijer, Karline; Tejan, Sumaila M.; Sankoh, Mohamed; Jimissa, Augustin; Greig, Jane; Caleo, Grazia

    2018-01-01

    Background During the 2014–16 Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak, the Magburaka Ebola Management Centre (EMC) operated by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Tonkolili District, Sierra Leone, identified that available district maps lacked up-to-date village information to facilitate timely implementation of EVD control strategies. In January 2015, we undertook a survey in chiefdoms within the MSF EMC catchment area to collect mapping and village data. We explore the feasibility and cost to mobilise a local community for this survey, describe validation against existing mapping sources and use of the data to prioritise areas for interventions, and lessons learned. Methods We recruited local people with self-owned Android smartphones installed with open-source survey software (OpenDataKit (ODK)) and open-source navigation software (OpenStreetMap Automated Navigation Directions (OsmAnd)). Surveyors were paired with local motorbike drivers to travel to eligible villages. The collected mapping data were validated by checking for duplication and comparing the village names against a pre-existing village name and location list using a geographic distance and text string-matching algorithm. Results The survey teams gained sufficient familiarity with the ODK and OsmAnd software within 1–2 hours. Nine chiefdoms in Tonkolili District and three in Bombali District were surveyed within two weeks. Following de-duplication, the surveyors collected data from 891 villages with an estimated 127,021 households. The overall survey cost was €3,395; €3.80 per village surveyed. The MSF GIS team (MSF-OCG) created improved maps for the MSF Magburaka EMC team which were used to support surveillance, investigation of suspect EVD cases, hygiene-kit distribution and EVD survivor support. We shared the mapping data with OpenStreetMap, the local Ministry of Health and Sanitation and Sierra Leone District and National Ebola Response Centres. Conclusions Involving local community and using

  12. Influence of neighbourhood information on 'Local Climate Zone' mapping in heterogeneous cities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Verdonck, Marie-Leen; Okujeni, Akpona; van der Linden, Sebastian; Demuzere, Matthias; De Wulf, Robert; Van Coillie, Frieke

    2017-10-01

    Local climate zone (LCZ) mapping is an emerging field in urban climate research. LCZs potentially provide an objective framework to assess urban form and function worldwide. The scheme is currently being used to globally map LCZs as a part of the World Urban Database and Access Portal Tools (WUDAPT) initiative. So far, most of the LCZ maps lack proper quantitative assessment, challenging the generic character of the WUDAPT workflow. Using the standard method introduced by the WUDAPT community difficulties arose concerning the built zones due to high levels of heterogeneity. To overcome this problem a contextual classifier is adopted in the mapping process. This paper quantitatively assesses the influence of neighbourhood information on the LCZ mapping result of three cities in Belgium: Antwerp, Brussels and Ghent. Overall accuracies for the maps were respectively 85.7 ± 0.5, 79.6 ± 0.9, 90.2 ± 0.4%. The approach presented here results in overall accuracies of 93.6 ± 0.2, 92.6 ± 0.3 and 95.6 ± 0.3% for Antwerp, Brussels and Ghent. The results thus indicate a positive influence of neighbourhood information for all study areas with an increase in overall accuracies of 7.9, 13.0 and 5.4%. This paper reaches two main conclusions. Firstly, evidence was introduced on the relevance of a quantitative accuracy assessment in LCZ mapping, showing that the accuracies reported in previous papers are not easily achieved. Secondly, the method presented in this paper proves to be highly effective in Belgian cities, and given its open character shows promise for application in other heterogeneous cities worldwide.

  13. Taking potential probability function maps to the local scale and matching them with land use maps

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Garg, Saryu; Sinha, Vinayak; Sinha, Baerbel

    2013-04-01

    Source-Receptor models have been developed using different methods. Residence-time weighted concentration back trajectory analysis and Potential Source Contribution Function (PSCF) are the two most popular techniques for identification of potential sources of a substance in a defined geographical area. Both techniques use back trajectories calculated using global models and assign values of probability/concentration to various locations in an area. These values represent the probability of threshold exceedances / the average concentration measured at the receptor in air masses with a certain residence time over a source area. Both techniques, however, have only been applied to regional and long-range transport phenomena due to inherent limitation with respect to both spatial accuracy and temporal resolution of the of back trajectory calculations. Employing the above mentioned concepts of residence time weighted concentration back-trajectory analysis and PSCF, we developed a source-receptor model capable of identifying local and regional sources of air pollutants like Particulate Matter (PM), NOx, SO2 and VOCs. We use 1 to 30 minute averages of concentration values and wind direction and speed from a single receptor site or from multiple receptor sites to trace the air mass back in time. The model code assumes all the atmospheric transport to be Lagrangian and linearly extrapolates air masses reaching the receptor location, backwards in time for a fixed number of steps. We restrict the model run to the lifetime of the chemical species under consideration. For long lived species the model run is limited to < 4 hrs as spatial uncertainty increases the longer an air mass is linearly extrapolated back in time. The final model output is a map, which can be compared with the local land use map to pinpoint sources of different chemical substances and estimate their source strength. Our model has flexible space- time grid extrapolation steps of 1-5 minutes and 1-5 km grid

  14. Rat chromosome 1: regional localization of seven genes (Slc9a3, Srd5a1, Esr, Tcp1, Grik5, Tnnt3, Jak2) and anchoring of the genetic linkage map to the cytogenetic map.

    PubMed

    Szpirer, C; Szpirer, J; Tissir, F; Stephanova, E; Vanvooren, P; Kurtz, T W; Iwai, N; Inagami, T; Pravenec, M; Kren, V; Klinga-Levan, K; Levan, G

    1997-09-01

    Seven genes were regionally localized on rat Chromosome (Chr) 1, from 1p11 to 1q42, and two of these genes were also included in a linkage map. This mapping work integrates the genetic linkage map and the cytogenetic map, and allows us to orient the linkage map with respect to the centromere, and to deduce the approximate position of the centromere in the linkage map. These mapping data also indicate that the Slc9a3 gene, encoding the Na+/H+ exchanger 3, is an unlikely candidate for the blood pressure loci assigned to rat Chr 1. These new localizations expand comparative mapping between rat Chr 1 and mouse or human chromosomes.

  15. Long-term clinical results of double-pursestring stapled hemorrhoidopexy in a selected group of patients for the treatment of chronic hemorrhoids.

    PubMed

    Arroyo, Antonio; Pérez-Legaz, Juan; Miranda, Elena; Moya, Pedro; Ruiz-Tovar, Jaime; Lacueva, Francisco-Javier; Candela, Fernando; Calpena, Rafael

    2011-05-01

    The aim of this prospective controlled trial was to evaluate the long-term clinical and manometric results of stapled hemorrhoidopexy performed by expert surgeons in a selected group of patients for the treatment of chronic hemorrhoids. This study took place in the outpatient clinic and at the Day Surgery Unit attached to the University Hospital of Elche. From March 2003 to May 2005, 200 consecutive patients with third-degree hemorrhoids and treated with double-pursestring stapled hemorrhoidopexy with a PPH33-03 stapler were included in the study. Demographic, manometric, and clinical features were analyzed, as well as the variables related to surgery, postoperative course, and follow-up. Manometry was repeated at the 6-month, 1-year, and 5-year follow-up. Median follow-up was 110 months. Four patients (2%) reported daily rectal bleeding. One patient with active rectal bleeding was taken for reoperation within the first 12 postoperative hours. Seventy percent of patients reported pain ≤ 2 on the first postoperative day, 85% on the fourth postoperative day, and 95% on the seventh postoperative day. Pain was measured with a linear analog scale from 0 to 10 (0 = no pain; 10 = unbearable pain). Seventeen patients (8.5%) reported tenesmus during the first week. Eight patients (4%) reported persistent pain: in 5 patients, the pain resolved within the next 6 months; 2 patients presented with anal fissure; and 1 patient required the removal of the staples. Two patients (1%) reported residual soiling at the 5-year revision. Fourteen patients (7%) experienced recurrence with symptomatic prolapse. Six (3%) underwent further surgery: stapled hemorrhoidopexy was indicated again in 2 patients, and 4 patients underwent a Milligan-Morgan open hemorrhoidectomy, because they did not have a uniform prolapse. Six patients required treatment with rubber band ligation. There were no statistically significant differences between preoperative and postoperative manometric values. The new

  16. Impact of Tumor Localization and Method of Preoperative Biopsy on Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping After Periareolar Nuclide Injection.

    PubMed

    Krammer, Julia; Dutschke, Anja; Kaiser, Clemens G; Schnitzer, Andreas; Gerhardt, Axel; Radosa, Julia C; Brade, Joachim; Schoenberg, Stefan O; Wasser, Klaus

    2016-01-01

    To evaluate whether tumor localization and method of preoperative biopsy affect sentinel lymph node (SLN) detection after periareolar nuclide injection in breast cancer patients. 767 breast cancer patients were retrospectively included. For lymphscintigraphy periareolar nuclide injection was performed and the SLN was located by gamma camera. Patient and tumor characteristics were correlated to the success rate of SLN mapping. SLN marking failed in 9/61 (14.7%) patients with prior vacuum-assisted biopsy and 80/706 (11.3%) patients with prior core needle biopsy. Individually evaluated, biopsy method (p = 0.4) and tumor localization (p = 0.9) did not significantly affect the SLN detection rate. Patients with a vacuum-assisted biopsy of a tumor in the upper outer quadrant had a higher odds ratio of failing in SLN mapping (OR 3.8, p = 0.09) compared to core needle biopsy in the same localization (OR 0.9, p = 0.5). Tumor localization and preoperative biopsy method do not significantly impact SLN mapping with periareolar nuclide injection. However, the failure risk tends to rise if vacuum-assisted biopsy of a tumor in the upper outer quadrant is performed.

  17. Functional mapping of cell surface proteins with localized stimulation of single cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Bingyun; Chiu, Daniel T.

    2003-11-01

    This paper describes the development of using individual micro and nano meter-sized vesicles as delivery vessels to functionally map the distribution of cell surface proteins at the level of single cells. The formation of different sizes of vesicles from tens of nanometers to a few micrometers in diameter that contain the desired molecules is addressed. An optical trap is used to manipulate the loaded vesicle to specific cell morphology of interest, and a pulsed UV laser is used to photo-release the stimuli onto the cell membrane. Carbachol activated cellular calcium flux, upon binding to muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, is studied by this method, and the potential of using this method for the functional mapping of localized proteins on the cell surface membrane is discussed.

  18. Exploring local risk managers' use of flood hazard maps for risk communication purposes in Baden-Württemberg

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kjellgren, S.

    2013-07-01

    In response to the EU Floods Directive (2007/60/EC), flood hazard maps are currently produced all over Europe, reflecting a wider shift in focus from "flood protection" to "risk management", for which not only public authorities but also populations at risk are seen as responsible. By providing a visual image of the foreseen consequences of flooding, flood hazard maps can enhance people's knowledge about flood risk, making them more capable of an adequate response. Current literature, however, questions the maps' awareness raising capacity, arguing that their content and design are rarely adjusted to laypeople's needs. This paper wants to complement this perspective with a focus on risk communication by studying how these tools are disseminated and marketed to the public in the first place. Judging from communication theory, simply making hazard maps publicly available is unlikely to lead to attitudinal or behavioral effects, since this typically requires two-way communication and material or symbolic incentives. Consequently, it is relevant to investigate whether and how local risk managers, who are well positioned to interact with the local population, make use of flood hazard maps for risk communication purposes. A qualitative case study of this issue in the German state of Baden-Württemberg suggests that many municipalities lack a clear strategy for using this new information tool for hazard and risk communication. Four barriers in this regard are identified: perceived disinterest/sufficient awareness on behalf of the population at risk; unwillingness to cause worry or distress; lack of skills and resources; and insufficient support. These barriers are important to address - in research as well as in practice - since it is only if flood hazard maps are used to enhance local knowledge resources that they can be expected to contribute to social capacity building.

  19. Local elasticity map and plasticity in a model Lennard-Jones glass.

    PubMed

    Tsamados, Michel; Tanguy, Anne; Goldenberg, Chay; Barrat, Jean-Louis

    2009-08-01

    In this work we calculate the local elastic moduli in a weakly polydispersed two-dimensional Lennard-Jones glass undergoing a quasistatic shear deformation at zero temperature. The numerical method uses coarse-grained microscopic expressions for the strain, displacement, and stress fields. This method allows us to calculate the local elasticity tensor and to quantify the deviation from linear elasticity (local Hooke's law) at different coarse-graining scales. From the results a clear picture emerges of an amorphous material with strongly spatially heterogeneous elastic moduli that simultaneously satisfies Hooke's law at scales larger than a characteristic length scale of the order of five interatomic distances. At this scale, the glass appears as a composite material composed of a rigid scaffolding and of soft zones. Only recently calculated in nonhomogeneous materials, the local elastic structure plays a crucial role in the elastoplastic response of the amorphous material. For a small macroscopic shear strain, the structures associated with the nonaffine displacement field appear directly related to the spatial structure of the elastic moduli. Moreover, for a larger macroscopic shear strain we show that zones of low shear modulus concentrate most of the strain in the form of plastic rearrangements. The spatiotemporal evolution of this local elasticity map and its connection with long term dynamical heterogeneity as well as with the plasticity in the material is quantified. The possibility to use this local parameter as a predictor of subsequent local plastic activity is also discussed.

  20. Physical and intellectual development in Philippine children fed five different dietary staples.

    PubMed

    Guzman, V B; Guthrie, H A; Guthrie, G M

    1976-11-01

    Assessments of dietary intake, intelligence, physical growth, and clinical signs of malnutrition were made on 600 children from five Philippine communities. Five boys and five girls each at ages 8,9, and 10 from poor and less poor families drawn from town and rural schools in each community were examined. Dietary staples were rice, fish, corn, coconuts, and sweet potatoes, respectively, at the five sites. Analyses of variance indicated marked differences among communities in nutrient intake based on 24-hr recall, in intellectual and anthropometric measures and in clinical signs of malnutrition. There were few significant F ratios for urban-rural residence, socioeconomic status, sec, or age. There were positive correlations of approximately 0.20 between intake of calories and carbohydrates and intelligence; between calories and carbohydrates and anthropometric measures; and between intelligence and anthropometric measures. Clinical signs in the eye and on the skin showed low correlations of about-0.20 with dietary intake of protein, fat, thiamin, and riboflavin but not with vitamin A. In all communities energy intake was low reflecting limited fat consumption. Where rice or corn was the staple, thiamin and riboflavin were also frequent deficiencies; with fish, ascorbic acid; with sweet potatoes and coconuts, calcium, riboflavin, and thiamin. A very high incidence of eye changes, suggestive of a vitamin A deficiency, was found even where vitamin A intake seemed adequate.

  1. Photoreactive Stapled BH3 Peptides to Dissect the BCL-2 Family Interactome

    PubMed Central

    Braun, Craig R.; Mintseris, Julian; Gavathiotis, Evripidis; Bird, Gregory H.; Gygi, Steven P.; Walensky, Loren D.

    2010-01-01

    SUMMARY Defining protein interactions forms the basis for discovery of biological pathways, disease mechanisms, and opportunities for therapeutic intervention. To harness the robust binding affinity and selectivity of structured peptides for interactome discovery, we engineered photoreactive stapled BH3 peptide helices that covalently capture their physiologic BCL-2 family targets. The crosslinking α-helices covalently trap both static and dynamic protein interactors, and enable rapid identification of interaction sites, providing a critical link between interactome discovery and targeted drug design. PMID:21168768

  2. FORUM: A Suggestion for an Improved Vegetation Scheme for Local and Global Mapping and Monitoring.

    PubMed

    ADAMS

    1999-01-01

    / Understanding of global ecological problems is at least partly dependent on clear assessments of vegetation change, and such assessment is always dependent on the use of a vegetation classification scheme. Use of satellite remotely sensed data is the only practical means of carrying out any global-scale vegetation mapping exercise, but if the resulting maps are to be useful to most ecologists and conservationists, they must be closely tied to clearly defined features of vegetation on the ground. Furthermore, much of the mapping that does take place involves more local-scale description of field sites; for purposes of cost and practicality, such studies usually do not involve remote sensing using satellites. There is a need for a single scheme that integrates the smallest to the largest scale in a way that is meaningful to most environmental scientists. Existing schemes are unsatisfactory for this task; they are ambiguous, unnecessarily complex, and their categories do not correspond to common-sense definitions. In response to these problems, a simple structural-physiognomically based scheme with 23 fundamental categories is proposed here for mapping and monitoring on any scale, from local to global. The fundamental categories each subdivide into more specific structural categories for more detailed mapping, but all the categories can be used throughout the world and at any scale, allowing intercomparison between regions. The next stage in the process will be to obtain the views of as many people working in as many different fields as possible, to see whether the proposed scheme suits their needs and how it should be modified. With a few modifications, such a scheme could easily be appended to an existing land cover classification scheme, such as the FAO system, greatly increasing the usefulness and accessability of the results of the landcover classification. KEY WORDS: Vegetation scheme; Mapping; Monitoring; Land cover

  3. Advanced concentration analysis of atom probe tomography data: Local proximity histograms and pseudo-2D concentration maps.

    PubMed

    Felfer, Peter; Cairney, Julie

    2018-06-01

    Analysing the distribution of selected chemical elements with respect to interfaces is one of the most common tasks in data mining in atom probe tomography. This can be represented by 1D concentration profiles, 2D concentration maps or proximity histograms, which represent concentration, density etc. of selected species as a function of the distance from a reference surface/interface. These are some of the most useful tools for the analysis of solute distributions in atom probe data. In this paper, we present extensions to the proximity histogram in the form of 'local' proximity histograms, calculated for selected parts of a surface, and pseudo-2D concentration maps, which are 2D concentration maps calculated on non-flat surfaces. This way, local concentration changes at interfaces or and other structures can be assessed more effectively. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. First microwave map of the Moon with Chang'E-1 data: The role of local time in global imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zheng, Y. C.; Tsang, K. T.; Chan, K. L.; Zou, Y. L.; Zhang, F.; Ouyang, Z. Y.

    2012-05-01

    Among recent lunar orbiters, only the Chinese Chang'E-1 (CE-1) was equipped with a passive microwave radiometer (MRM) to measure the natural microwave emission from the lunar surface. The microwave emission, characterized by a frequency-dependent brightness temperature (TB), is related to the physical temperature and dielectric properties of the lunar surface. By measuring the brightness temperature at different frequencies, detailed thermal behavior and properties of the lunar surface can be retrieved. Using CE-1's microwave data, we present here a set of microwave maps of the Moon constructed through a rescaling of TB to noontime or midnight. The adopted processing technique helps to reduce the effect of mixing up the temporal and spatial variations introduced by the satellite's localized measurements which cover different locations of the globe at different lunar local times. The resulting maps show fine structures unseen in previous microwave maps that disregarded the local time effect. We discussed the new features revealed and their possible connections with the lunar geology.

  5. 78 FR 14512 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Results and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-06

    ... Fiber From the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Results and Rescission in Part of the 2011-2012... administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain polyester staple fiber from the People's Republic... Industries (``Far Eastern'') and Huvis Sichuan Chemical Fiber Corp. and Huvis Sichuan Polyester Fiber Ltd...

  6. LOCALIZATION, FERTILITY INHIBITION, AND EPITOPE MAPS USING ANTIBODIES TO THE SPERM PROTEIN SP22

    EPA Science Inventory

    LOCALIZATION, FERTILITY INHIBITION, AND EPITOPE MAPS USING ANTIBODIES TO THE SPERM PROTEIN SP22. GR Klinefelter1, JE Welch*1, HDM Moore*2, K Bobseine*1, J Suarez*1 ,N Roberts*1 ,R Zucker *1 1U.S. EPA, NHEERL, Reproductive Toxicology Division, RTP, NC and 2University of Sheffield...

  7. GIS and local knowledge in disaster management: a case study of flood risk mapping in Viet Nam.

    PubMed

    Tran, Phong; Shaw, Rajib; Chantry, Guillaume; Norton, John

    2009-03-01

    Linking community knowledge with modern techniques to record and analyse risk related data is one way of engaging and mobilising community capacity. This paper discusses the use of the Geographic Information System (GIS) at the local level and the need for integrating modern technology and indigenous knowledge into disaster management. It suggests a way to mobilise available human and technical resources in order to strengthen a good partnership between local communities and local and national institutions. The paper also analyses the current vulnerability of two communes by correlating hazard risk and loss/damage caused by disasters and the contribution that domestic risk maps in the community can make to reduce this risk. The disadvantages, advantages and lessons learned from the GIS flood risk mapping project are presented through the case study of the Quang Tho Commune in Thua Thien Hue province, central Viet Nam.

  8. Tip-Enhanced Raman Nanographs: Mapping Topography and Local Electric Fields

    DOE PAGES

    El-Khoury, Patrick Z.; Gong, Yu; Abellan, Patricia; ...

    2015-03-05

    We report tip-enhanced Raman scattering experiments in which topographic and local electric field images are recorded simultaneously. We employ a Raman-active 4,4’-dimercaptostilbene (DMS)-coated gold tip of an atomic force microscope to map the topography and image electric fields localized at nanometric (20 and 5 nm-wide) slits lithographically etched in silver. Bi-modal imaging is feasible by virtue of the recorded scanning probe position-dependent frequency-resolved optical response, which can be sub-divided into two components. The first is a 500-2250 cm-1 Raman-shifted signal, characteristic of DMS. The molecular response reports on topography through intensity contrast in the absence/presence of a plasmonic junction formedmore » between the scanning probe and patterned silver surface. Here, we demonstrate that sub-15 nm spatial resolution is attainable using a 30 nm DMS-coated gold tip. The second response consists of two correlated sub-500 cm-1 signals arising from mirror-like reflections of (i) the incident laser, and (ii) the Raman scattered response of an underlying glass support (at 100-500 cm-1) off the gold tip. We show that both the low-wavenumber signals trace the local electric fields in the vicinity of the nanometric slits.« less

  9. Children's active free play in local neighborhoods: a behavioral mapping study.

    PubMed

    Veitch, J; Salmon, J; Ball, K

    2008-10-01

    Many Australian children are more sedentary than they should be, and almost one in five are currently overweight or obese. Some children may face difficulties finding opportunities to be active, having poor access to safe public open spaces or having low independent mobility limiting their access to places to play. This study aimed to examine children's access to places in their neighborhood for active free play and how these vary by age, sex and socioeconomic status (SES). Behavioral maps of the local neighborhood were completed by children (8-12 years) from five primary schools across different areas of Melbourne. Children living in low SES outer-urban neighborhoods had to travel greater distances to access local parks compared with those in inner-urban mid and high SES areas. One-third (32%) of children reported an independent mobility range of <100 m from home. In conclusion, for some children opportunities to engage in active free play in the local neighborhood may be limited due to lack of parks in close proximity to home and restricted independent mobility. It is important to collaborate with local governments, urban planners and community groups to improve access to neighborhood parks and to promote a sense of neighborhood safety.

  10. Soil geohazard mapping for improved asset management of UK local roads

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pritchard, O. G.; Hallett, S. H.; Farewell, T. S.

    2015-09-01

    Unclassified roads comprise 60 % of the road network in the United Kingdom (UK). The resilience of this locally important network is declining. It is considered by the Institution of Civil Engineers to be "at risk" and is ranked 26th in the world. Many factors contribute to the degradation and ultimate failure of particular road sections. However, several UK local authorities have identified that in drought conditions, road sections founded upon shrink-swell susceptible clay soils undergo significant deterioration compared with sections on non-susceptible soils. This arises from the local road network having little, if any, structural foundations. Consequently, droughts in East Anglia have resulted in millions of pounds of damage, leading authorities to seek emergency governmental funding. This paper assesses the use of soil-related geohazard assessments in providing soil-informed maintenance strategies for the asset management of the locally important road network of the UK. A case study draws upon the UK administrative county of Lincolnshire, where road assessment data have been analysed against mapped clay-subsidence risk. This reveals a statistically significant relationship between road condition and susceptible clay soils. Furthermore, incorporation of UKCP09 future climate projections within the geohazard models has highlighted roads likely to be at future risk of clay-related subsidence.

  11. Soil geohazard mapping for improved asset management of UK local roads

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pritchard, O. G.; Hallett, S. H.; Farewell, T. S.

    2015-05-01

    Unclassified roads comprise 60% of the road network in the United Kingdom (UK). The resilience of this locally important network is declining. It is considered by the Institution of Civil Engineers to be "at risk" and is ranked 26th in the world. Many factors contribute to the degradation and ultimate failure of particular road sections. However, several UK local authorities have identified that in drought conditions, road sections founded upon shrink/swell susceptible clay soils undergo significant deterioration compared with sections on non-susceptible soils. This arises from the local road network having little, if any structural foundations. Consequently, droughts in East Anglia have resulted in millions of pounds of damage, leading authorities to seek emergency governmental funding. This paper assesses the use of soil-related geohazard assessments in providing soil-informed maintenance strategies for the asset management of the locally important road network of the UK. A case study draws upon the UK administrative county of Lincolnshire, where road assessment data have been analysed against mapped clay-subsidence risk. This reveals a statistically significant relationship between road condition and susceptible clay soils. Furthermore, incorporation of UKCP09 future climate projections within the geohazard models has highlighted roads likely to be at future risk of clay-related subsidence.

  12. Cancer of the rectum--sphincter-saving operation. Stapling techniques.

    PubMed

    Fazio, V W

    1988-12-01

    The techniques of restoring intestinal continuity after rectal resection for cancer have evolved throughout this century. For the most part, circular staplers have displaced the other pioneering and innovative techniques that our mentors and predecessors devised to improve the quality of life for our patients. With new technology, so also emerge new problems. Although the future likely will render many of our present techniques obsolete, for example, with refining of tissue adhesives, it is incumbent on us to recognize the limits of our present array of weapons and the limits placed on us by the biology of the tumor. About the latter, this means maintaining intellectual honesty in conducting a good cancer operation; about the former, we have to recognize that most of the pitfalls of stapling are preventable or correctable.

  13. 78 FR 38939 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From the People's Republic of China: Final Results of Antidumping...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-06-28

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-570-905] Certain Polyester Staple... Preliminary Results of the 2011-2012 administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain polyester... dumping margin is listed in the ``Final Results of Review'' section below. \\1\\ See Certain Polyester...

  14. New Maximum Tsunami Inundation Maps for Use by Local Emergency Planners in the State of California, USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wilson, R. I.; Barberopoulou, A.; Miller, K. M.; Goltz, J. D.; Synolakis, C. E.

    2008-12-01

    A consortium of tsunami hydrodynamic modelers, geologic hazard mapping specialists, and emergency planning managers is producing maximum tsunami inundation maps for California, covering most residential and transient populated areas along the state's coastline. The new tsunami inundation maps will be an upgrade from the existing maps for the state, improving on the resolution, accuracy, and coverage of the maximum anticipated tsunami inundation line. Thirty-five separate map areas covering nearly one-half of California's coastline were selected for tsunami modeling using the MOST (Method of Splitting Tsunami) model. From preliminary evaluations of nearly fifty local and distant tsunami source scenarios, those with the maximum expected hazard for a particular area were input to MOST. The MOST model was run with a near-shore bathymetric grid resolution varying from three arc-seconds (90m) to one arc-second (30m), depending on availability. Maximum tsunami "flow depth" and inundation layers were created by combining all modeled scenarios for each area. A method was developed to better define the location of the maximum inland penetration line using higher resolution digital onshore topographic data from interferometric radar sources. The final inundation line for each map area was validated using a combination of digital stereo photography and fieldwork. Further verification of the final inundation line will include ongoing evaluation of tsunami sources (seismic and submarine landslide) as well as comparison to the location of recorded paleotsunami deposits. Local governmental agencies can use these new maximum tsunami inundation lines to assist in the development of their evacuation routes and emergency response plans.

  15. Flavonoids to reduce bleeding and pain after stapled hemorrhoidopexy: a randomized controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Mlakar, Bostjan; Kosorok, Pavle

    2005-08-01

    Control of postoperative symptoms is of paramount importance in ambulatory surgery. This trial was conducted to evaluate whether a micronized purified flavonoid fraction (MPFF) (Detralex((R))) reduces postoperative bleeding, pain and consumption of analgesics after ambulatory stapled hemorrhoidopexy, as reported in trials after classic hemorrhoidectomy. Phlebotropic activity, protective effect on the capillaries and anti-inflammatory properties of this drug have been reported in several studies. Sixty-three patients with third-degree hemorrhoids had ambulatory stapled hemorrhoidopexy under spinal anesthesia in the period of one year. The patients were randomized, with 30 receiving Detralex 500 mg (2 tablets 3 times daily for 5 days after the operation) and 33 forming the control group. The patients were asked to daily self-assess the presence of blood on defecation, degree of pain and consumption of analgesics for the first week after the operation. There was no significant difference between the two groups in duration of presence of blood, degree of pain or analgesics requirement. No major complications, such as bleeding requiring transfusion or hospitalization, sepsis, anal stenosis or urgent defecation, were noted in the follow-up period. There were no side effects from Detralex treatment. In our study we could not demonstrate any positive effect of prescribing flavonoids after stapler hemorrhoidopexy. This procedure may not be sufficiently aggressive and is associated with too few postoperative complications to show any protective influence of flavonoids.

  16. 78 FR 2366 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From the People's Republic of China: Final Results of Antidumping...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-01-11

    ... Fiber From the People's Republic of China: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2010... staple fiber (``PSF'') from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'').\\1\\ We gave interested parties an opportunity to comment on the Preliminary Results. Based upon our analysis of the comments and information...

  17. Hazards mapping using local and scientific knowledge. A case in rural Mexico

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Solis, B.; Bocco, G.

    2016-12-01

    Natural hazards in rural areas in developing countries usually affect poor peasants and their infrastructure. This poses a problem of social vulnerability that coupled to the risk may cause severe hazards. Research oriented to prevention and adaptation is crucial. Other studies have proved that local knowledge and peasant's perception on hazards is a valuable tool to tackle prevention and mitigation. In the valley of Huahua river, at the Pacific coast of Mexico, landslides have directly affected rural roads hampering communication between villages. In addition some of their deposits have changed the morphology of river channels, resulting in flooding and avalanches threatening rural life and assets. At least 21 landslides are still active in the area. In this research the leading questions are: how do people perceive landslides hazard? What is the knowledge possessed by villagers facing such hazards? Could scientific and local knowledge be coupled in a hybrid format to formulate an adequate hazards map? The investigation used ethnographic techniques (participant observation, semi-structured and structured interviews, and participatory mapping) and multivariate statistical approaches based on empirical data. We will present the preliminary results, based principally on interview data and a first hazard zoning of the lower valley of the Huahua River. Our results suggest that the approach can be used in this and similar areas in developing countries.

  18. Real-Time Two-Dimensional Mapping of Relative Local Surface Temperatures with a Thin-Film Sensor Array

    PubMed Central

    Li, Gang; Wang, Zhenhai; Mao, Xinyu; Zhang, Yinghuang; Huo, Xiaoye; Liu, Haixiao; Xu, Shengyong

    2016-01-01

    Dynamic mapping of an object’s local temperature distribution may offer valuable information for failure analysis, system control and improvement. In this letter we present a computerized measurement system which is equipped with a hybrid, low-noise mechanical-electrical multiplexer for real-time two-dimensional (2D) mapping of surface temperatures. We demonstrate the performance of the system on a device embedded with 32 pieces of built-in Cr-Pt thin-film thermocouples arranged in a 4 × 8 matrix. The system can display a continuous 2D mapping movie of relative temperatures with a time interval around 1 s. This technique may find applications in a variety of practical devices and systems. PMID:27347969

  19. Why Clothes Don't Fall Apart: Tension Transmission in Staple Yarns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Warren, Patrick B.; Ball, Robin C.; Goldstein, Raymond E.

    2018-04-01

    The problem of how staple yarns transmit tension is addressed within abstract models in which the Amontons-Coulomb friction laws yield a linear programing (LP) problem for the tensions in the fiber elements. We find there is a percolation transition such that above the percolation threshold the transmitted tension is in principle unbounded. We determine that the mean slack in the LP constraints is a suitable order parameter to characterize this supercritical state. We argue the mechanism is generic, and in practical terms, it corresponds to a switch from a ductile to a brittle failure mode accompanied by a significant increase in mechanical strength.

  20. Procedure of brewing alcohol as a staple food: case study of the fermented cereal liquor "Parshot" as a staple food in Dirashe special woreda, southern Ethiopia.

    PubMed

    Sunano, Yui

    2016-07-01

    For most brews, alcohol fermentation and lactic fermentation take place simultaneously during the brewing process, and alcohol fermentation can progress smoothly because the propagation of various microorganisms is prevented by lactic fermentation. It is not necessary to cause lactic fermentation with a thing generated naturally and intentionally. The people living in the Dirashe area in southern Ethiopia drink three types of alcoholic beverages that are prepared from cereals. From these alcoholic beverages, parshot is prepared by the addition of plant leaves for lactic fermentation and nech chaka by adding cereal powder for lactic fermentation before alcohol fermentation. People living in the Dirashe area partake of parshot as part of their staple diet. The brewing process used for parshot and a food culture with alcoholic beverages as parts of the staple diet are rare worldwide. This article discusses the significance of using lactic fermentation before alcoholic fermentation and focuses on lactic fermentation in the brewing methods used for the three kinds of alcoholic beverages consumed in the Dirashe area. We initially observed the brewing process and obtained information about the process from the people in that area. Next, we determined the pH and analyzed the lactic acid (g/100 g) and ethanol (g/100 g) content during lactic fermentation of parshot and nech chaka; the ethyl acetate (mg/100 g) and volatile base nitrogen (mg/100 g) content during this period was also analyzed. In addition, we compared the ethanol (g/100 g) content of all three kinds of alcoholic beverages after completion of brewing. The results showed that it was possible to consume large quantities of these alcoholic beverages because of the use of lactic fermentation before alcoholic fermentation, which improved the safety and preservation characteristics of the beverages by preventing the propagation of various microorganisms, improving flavor, and controlling the alcohol level.

  1. Stapled α−helical peptide drug development: A potent dual inhibitor of MDM2 and MDMX for p53-dependent cancer therapy

    PubMed Central

    Chang, Yong S.; Graves, Bradford; Guerlavais, Vincent; Tovar, Christian; Packman, Kathryn; To, Kwong-Him; Olson, Karen A.; Kesavan, Kamala; Gangurde, Pranoti; Mukherjee, Aditi; Baker, Theresa; Darlak, Krzysztof; Elkin, Carl; Filipovic, Zoran; Qureshi, Farooq Z.; Cai, Hongliang; Berry, Pamela; Feyfant, Eric; Shi, Xiangguo E.; Horstick, James; Annis, D. Allen; Manning, Anthony M.; Fotouhi, Nader; Nash, Huw; Vassilev, Lyubomir T.; Sawyer, Tomi K.

    2013-01-01

    Stapled α−helical peptides have emerged as a promising new modality for a wide range of therapeutic targets. Here, we report a potent and selective dual inhibitor of MDM2 and MDMX, ATSP-7041, which effectively activates the p53 pathway in tumors in vitro and in vivo. Specifically, ATSP-7041 binds both MDM2 and MDMX with nanomolar affinities, shows submicromolar cellular activities in cancer cell lines in the presence of serum, and demonstrates highly specific, on-target mechanism of action. A high resolution (1.7-Å) X-ray crystal structure reveals its molecular interactions with the target protein MDMX, including multiple contacts with key amino acids as well as a role for the hydrocarbon staple itself in target engagement. Most importantly, ATSP-7041 demonstrates robust p53-dependent tumor growth suppression in MDM2/MDMX-overexpressing xenograft cancer models, with a high correlation to on-target pharmacodynamic activity, and possesses favorable pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution properties. Overall, ATSP-7041 demonstrates in vitro and in vivo proof-of-concept that stapled peptides can be developed as therapeutically relevant inhibitors of protein–protein interaction and may offer a viable modality for cancer therapy. PMID:23946421

  2. Completely staple-free hand-sewn laparoscopic anastomosis in colorectal surgery.

    PubMed

    Lipski, David; Dapri, Giovanni; Himpens, Jacques

    2008-04-01

    Colonic continuity following a laparoscopic left hemicolectomy is usually performed by using a circular stapler to achieve end-to-end colorectal anastomosis. However, not much consideration is given to the costs of this technique and the long-term risk of stenosis. In this paper, we report the first case of a completely staple-free hand-sewn laparoscopic colonic anastomosis (CSHLCA) following a laparoscopic left hemicolectomy for cancer. Total operative time was 170 minutes, and the time to perform the anastomosis was 38 minutes. The postoperative stay was uneventful, with a total hospital stay of 6 days. CSHLCA is feasible and can lower the cost of the laparoscopic procedure. It may be considered in countries with limited access to mechanical staplers.

  3. Enzyme stabilization via computationally guided protein stapling.

    PubMed

    Moore, Eric J; Zorine, Dmitri; Hansen, William A; Khare, Sagar D; Fasan, Rudi

    2017-11-21

    Thermostabilization represents a critical and often obligatory step toward enhancing the robustness of enzymes for organic synthesis and other applications. While directed evolution methods have provided valuable tools for this purpose, these protocols are laborious and time-consuming and typically require the accumulation of several mutations, potentially at the expense of catalytic function. Here, we report a minimally invasive strategy for enzyme stabilization that relies on the installation of genetically encoded, nonreducible covalent staples in a target protein scaffold using computational design. This methodology enables the rapid development of myoglobin-based cyclopropanation biocatalysts featuring dramatically enhanced thermostability (Δ T m = +18.0 °C and Δ T 50 = +16.0 °C) as well as increased stability against chemical denaturation [Δ C m (GndHCl) = 0.53 M], without altering their catalytic efficiency and stereoselectivity properties. In addition, the stabilized variants offer superior performance and selectivity compared with the parent enzyme in the presence of a high concentration of organic cosolvents, enabling the more efficient cyclopropanation of a water-insoluble substrate. This work introduces and validates an approach for protein stabilization which should be applicable to a variety of other proteins and enzymes.

  4. A Multi-Modal Face Recognition Method Using Complete Local Derivative Patterns and Depth Maps

    PubMed Central

    Yin, Shouyi; Dai, Xu; Ouyang, Peng; Liu, Leibo; Wei, Shaojun

    2014-01-01

    In this paper, we propose a multi-modal 2D + 3D face recognition method for a smart city application based on a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) and various kinds of sensors. Depth maps are exploited for the 3D face representation. As for feature extraction, we propose a new feature called Complete Local Derivative Pattern (CLDP). It adopts the idea of layering and has four layers. In the whole system, we apply CLDP separately on Gabor features extracted from a 2D image and depth map. Then, we obtain two features: CLDP-Gabor and CLDP-Depth. The two features weighted by the corresponding coefficients are combined together in the decision level to compute the total classification distance. At last, the probe face is assigned the identity with the smallest classification distance. Extensive experiments are conducted on three different databases. The results demonstrate the robustness and superiority of the new approach. The experimental results also prove that the proposed multi-modal 2D + 3D method is superior to other multi-modal ones and CLDP performs better than other Local Binary Pattern (LBP) based features. PMID:25333290

  5. Comparison between orogastric tube/bougie and a suction calibration system for effects on operative duration, staple-line corkscrewing, and esophageal perforation during laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.

    PubMed

    Gagner, Michel; Huang, Rose Y

    2016-04-01

    Placement of a bougie for sleeve sizing during laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is recommended. We compared this standard with a suction calibration system (SCS) that performs all functions with one insertion, and measured each step's duration. Primary LSG was performed using a bougie and SCS in alternating order. Number of tube movements to achieve optimal placement, durations of decompression, leak testing, and overall operative time, and remnant linear measurements were obtained. LSG was performed in 26 patients (15 women, 11 men; mean age 36.8 years; mean BMI 45.3 kg/m(2)). The mean number of tube movements was significantly greater for the bougie than for the SCS (8.13 vs. 3.58; p < 0.0001). Percent reductions achieved using the SCS were: time to full decompression of the stomach, 62% (21 vs. 8 s; p < 0.138); tube placement, 51% (101 vs. 49 s; p < 0.0001); leak testing, 78% (119 vs. 26 s; p < 0.0003); and mean operative duration (from tube insertion to end of stapling), 21% (875 vs. 697 s; p < 0.019). Variance of the staple-line distance, measured from the greater curvature to the staple line, was 1.64 and 0.92 for the bougie and SCS, respectively, indicating a reduction in corkscrewing, for a 43.9% straighter sleeve. SCS maintained the gastric wall in place, thereby preventing corkscrewing, and reducing total operating time. Reducing the number of tube insertions may prevent esophageal damage and accidental tube stapling.

  6. Drift-Free Indoor Navigation Using Simultaneous Localization and Mapping of the Ambient Heterogeneous Magnetic Field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chow, J. C. K.

    2017-09-01

    In the absence of external reference position information (e.g. surveyed targets or Global Navigation Satellite Systems) Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) has proven to be an effective method for indoor navigation. The positioning drift can be reduced with regular loop-closures and global relaxation as the backend, thus achieving a good balance between exploration and exploitation. Although vision-based systems like laser scanners are typically deployed for SLAM, these sensors are heavy, energy inefficient, and expensive, making them unattractive for wearables or smartphone applications. However, the concept of SLAM can be extended to non-optical systems such as magnetometers. Instead of matching features such as walls and furniture using some variation of the Iterative Closest Point algorithm, the local magnetic field can be matched to provide loop-closure and global trajectory updates in a Gaussian Process (GP) SLAM framework. With a MEMS-based inertial measurement unit providing a continuous trajectory, and the matching of locally distinct magnetic field maps, experimental results in this paper show that a drift-free navigation solution in an indoor environment with millimetre-level accuracy can be achieved. The GP-SLAM approach presented can be formulated as a maximum a posteriori estimation problem and it can naturally perform loop-detection, feature-to-feature distance minimization, global trajectory optimization, and magnetic field map estimation simultaneously. Spatially continuous features (i.e. smooth magnetic field signatures) are used instead of discrete feature correspondences (e.g. point-to-point) as in conventional vision-based SLAM. These position updates from the ambient magnetic field also provide enough information for calibrating the accelerometer bias and gyroscope bias in-use. The only restriction for this method is the need for magnetic disturbances (which is typically not an issue for indoor environments); however, no assumptions

  7. An Improved Otsu Threshold Segmentation Method for Underwater Simultaneous Localization and Mapping-Based Navigation

    PubMed Central

    Yuan, Xin; Martínez, José-Fernán; Eckert, Martina; López-Santidrián, Lourdes

    2016-01-01

    The main focus of this paper is on extracting features with SOund Navigation And Ranging (SONAR) sensing for further underwater landmark-based Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). According to the characteristics of sonar images, in this paper, an improved Otsu threshold segmentation method (TSM) has been developed for feature detection. In combination with a contour detection algorithm, the foreground objects, although presenting different feature shapes, are separated much faster and more precisely than by other segmentation methods. Tests have been made with side-scan sonar (SSS) and forward-looking sonar (FLS) images in comparison with other four TSMs, namely the traditional Otsu method, the local TSM, the iterative TSM and the maximum entropy TSM. For all the sonar images presented in this work, the computational time of the improved Otsu TSM is much lower than that of the maximum entropy TSM, which achieves the highest segmentation precision among the four above mentioned TSMs. As a result of the segmentations, the centroids of the main extracted regions have been computed to represent point landmarks which can be used for navigation, e.g., with the help of an Augmented Extended Kalman Filter (AEKF)-based SLAM algorithm. The AEKF-SLAM approach is a recursive and iterative estimation-update process, which besides a prediction and an update stage (as in classical Extended Kalman Filter (EKF)), includes an augmentation stage. During navigation, the robot localizes the centroids of different segments of features in sonar images, which are detected by our improved Otsu TSM, as point landmarks. Using them with the AEKF achieves more accurate and robust estimations of the robot pose and the landmark positions, than with those detected by the maximum entropy TSM. Together with the landmarks identified by the proposed segmentation algorithm, the AEKF-SLAM has achieved reliable detection of cycles in the map and consistent map update on loop closure, which is

  8. An Improved Otsu Threshold Segmentation Method for Underwater Simultaneous Localization and Mapping-Based Navigation.

    PubMed

    Yuan, Xin; Martínez, José-Fernán; Eckert, Martina; López-Santidrián, Lourdes

    2016-07-22

    The main focus of this paper is on extracting features with SOund Navigation And Ranging (SONAR) sensing for further underwater landmark-based Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). According to the characteristics of sonar images, in this paper, an improved Otsu threshold segmentation method (TSM) has been developed for feature detection. In combination with a contour detection algorithm, the foreground objects, although presenting different feature shapes, are separated much faster and more precisely than by other segmentation methods. Tests have been made with side-scan sonar (SSS) and forward-looking sonar (FLS) images in comparison with other four TSMs, namely the traditional Otsu method, the local TSM, the iterative TSM and the maximum entropy TSM. For all the sonar images presented in this work, the computational time of the improved Otsu TSM is much lower than that of the maximum entropy TSM, which achieves the highest segmentation precision among the four above mentioned TSMs. As a result of the segmentations, the centroids of the main extracted regions have been computed to represent point landmarks which can be used for navigation, e.g., with the help of an Augmented Extended Kalman Filter (AEKF)-based SLAM algorithm. The AEKF-SLAM approach is a recursive and iterative estimation-update process, which besides a prediction and an update stage (as in classical Extended Kalman Filter (EKF)), includes an augmentation stage. During navigation, the robot localizes the centroids of different segments of features in sonar images, which are detected by our improved Otsu TSM, as point landmarks. Using them with the AEKF achieves more accurate and robust estimations of the robot pose and the landmark positions, than with those detected by the maximum entropy TSM. Together with the landmarks identified by the proposed segmentation algorithm, the AEKF-SLAM has achieved reliable detection of cycles in the map and consistent map update on loop closure, which is

  9. 76 FR 38612 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From the Republic of Korea and Taiwan: Final Results of the...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-01

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-580-839, A-583-833] Certain Polyester... sunset reviews of the antidumping duty orders on polyester staple fiber (PSF) from the Republic of Korea... polyesters measuring 3.3 decitex (3 denier, inclusive) or more in diameter. This merchandise is cut to...

  10. Superiority of stapled side-to-side gastrojejunostomy over conventional hand-sewn end-to-side gastrojejunostomy for reducing the risk of primary delayed gastric emptying after subtotal stomach-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy.

    PubMed

    Murata, Yasuhiro; Tanemura, Akihiro; Kato, Hiroyuki; Kuriyama, Naohisa; Azumi, Yoshinori; Kishiwada, Masashi; Mizuno, Shugo; Usui, Masanobu; Sakurai, Hiroyuki; Isaji, Shuji

    2017-08-01

    Delayed gastric emptying (DGE) is the most common complication following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). The clinical efficacy of stapled side-to-side anastomosis using a laparoscopic stapling device during alimentary reconstruction in PD is not well understood and its superiority over conventional hand-sewn end-to-side anastomosis remains controversial. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the stapled side-to-side anastomosis in preventing the development of DGE after PD. The subjects of this retrospective study were 137 patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy, as subtotal stomach-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (SSPPD; n = 130), or conventional whipple procedure (n = 7) with Child reconstruction, between January 2010 and May 2014. The patients were divided into two groups according to whether they had had a stapled side-to-side anastomosis (SA group; n = 57) or a conventional hand-sewn end-to-side anastomosis (HA group; n = 80). SA reduced the operative time (SA vs. HA: 508 vs. 557 min, p = 0.028) and the incidence of delayed gastric emptying (SA vs. HA: 21.1 vs. 46.3%, p = 0.003) and was associated with shorter hospitalization (SA vs. HA: 33 vs. 39.5 days, p = 0.007). In this cohort, SA was the only significant factor contributing to a reduction in the incidence of DGE (p = 0.002). Stapled side-to-side gastrojejunostomy reduced the operative time and the incidence of DGE following PD with Child reconstruction, thereby also reducing the length of hospitalization.

  11. Mapping Queer Bioethics: Space, Place, and Locality.

    PubMed

    Wahlert, Lance

    2016-01-01

    This article, which introduces the special issue of the Journal of Homosexuality on "Mapping Queer Bioethics," begins by offering an overview of the analytical scope of the issue. Specifically, the first half of this essay raises critical questions central to the concept of a space-related queer bioethics, such as: How do we appreciate and understand the special needs of queer parties given the constraints of location, space, and geography? The second half of this article describes each feature article in the issue, as well as the subsequent special sections on the ethics of reading literal, health-related maps ("Cartographies") and scrutinizing the history of this journal as concerns LGBT health ("Mapping the Journal of Homosexuality").

  12. Radical cystectomy with W-shaped orthotopic ileal neobladder constructed with non-absorbable titanium staples-long term follow-up.

    PubMed

    Kravchick, Sergey; Lobik, Leonid; Paz, Adrian; Stepnov, Eugeny; Ben-Dor, David; Cytron, Shmuel

    2013-01-01

    We retrospectively assessed our experience with the W-shaped orthotopic ileal pouch, which was constructed with non-absorbable titanium staples. For these purpose, we discuss the results of bladder capacity, urinary continence and early and long-term postoperative complications. We included in the study 17 patients who underwent radical cystoprostatectomy followed by construction of an orthotopic W-shaped ileal pouch between October 2000 and November 2009. A 65-70 cm segment of ileum was isolated and prearranged into a W-configuration, leaving two 10 cm intact segments on both sides of the ileal fragment. In our technique we entirely anatomized all adjacent limbs in order to create a sphere-shaped pouch. The ureters were directly anastomized to both intact segments of the ileal division. All our patients underwent pouchscopy 6 months after operation and annually. Mean operative time for neobladder reconstruction and ureteral anastomoses was 87 ± 7.67 minutes. In one patient a leak from the ileo-ileal anastomosis was confirmed on the 3rd day after operation. In 2 cases unilateral stricture of the ureteral-neobladder anastomosis was documented. Staple lines were mostly covered with ileal mucosa after 6 months. The mean functional bladder capacity was 340 ± 27.6 mL and 375 ± 43.4 mL at 6 and 12 months, respectively. First-year daytime and nighttime continence was good and acceptable in 90% and 78% of patients, while it increased to 95% during the 2nd year. The long term follow-up shows that non-absorbable titanium staples can be safely used for creation of an orthotopic ileal neobladder. However, these data should be further validated in a larger series of patients.

  13. The Impact of Nitinol Staples on the Compressive Forces, Contact Area, and Mechanical Properties in Comparison to a Claw Plate and Crossed Screws for the First Tarsometatarsal Arthrodesis.

    PubMed

    Aiyer, Amiethab; Russell, Nicholas A; Pelletier, Matthew H; Myerson, Mark; Walsh, William R

    2016-06-01

    Background The optimal fixation method for the first tarsometatarsal arthrodesis remains controversial. This study aimed to develop a reproducible first tarsometatarsal testing model to evaluate the biomechanical performance of different reconstruction techniques. Methods Crossed screws or a claw plate were compared with a single or double shape memory alloy staple configuration in 20 Sawbones models. Constructs were mechanically tested in 4-point bending to 1, 2, and 3 mm of plantar displacement. The joint contact force and area were measured at time zero, and following 1 and 2 mm of bending. Peak load, stiffness, and plantar gapping were determined. Results Both staple configurations induced a significantly greater contact force and area across the arthrodesis than the crossed screw and claw plate constructs at all measurements. The staple constructs completely recovered their plantar gapping following each test. The claw plate generated the least contact force and area at the joint interface and had significantly greater plantar gapping than all other constructs. The crossed screw constructs were significantly stiffer and had significantly less plantar gapping than the other constructs, but this gapping was not recoverable. Conclusions Crossed screw fixation provides a rigid arthrodesis with limited compression and contact footprint across the joint. Shape memory alloy staples afford dynamic fixation with sustained compression across the arthrodesis. A rigid polyurethane foam model provides an anatomically relevant comparison for evaluating the interface between different fixation techniques. Clinical Relevance The dynamic nature of shape memory alloy staples offers the potential to permit early weight bearing and could be a useful adjunctive device to impart compression across an arthrodesis of the first tarsometatarsal joint. Therapeutic, Level V: Bench testing. © 2015 The Author(s).

  14. Smart watch RSSI localization and refinement for behavioral classification using laser-SLAM for mapping and fingerprinting.

    PubMed

    Carlson, Jay D; Mittek, Mateusz; Parkison, Steven A; Sathler, Pedro; Bayne, David; Psota, Eric T; Perez, Lance C; Bonasera, Stephen J

    2014-01-01

    As a first step toward building a smart home behavioral monitoring system capable of classifying a wide variety of human behavior, a wireless sensor network (WSN) system is presented for RSSI localization. The low-cost, non-intrusive system uses a smart watch worn by the user to broadcast data to the WSN, where the strength of the radio signal is evaluated at each WSN node to localize the user. A method is presented that uses simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) for system calibration, providing automated fingerprinting associating the radio signal strength patterns to the user's location within the living space. To improve the accuracy of localization, a novel refinement technique is introduced that takes into account typical movement patterns of people within their homes. Experimental results demonstrate that the system is capable of providing accurate localization results in a typical living space.

  15. Mapping social-ecological vulnerability to inform local decision making.

    PubMed

    Thiault, Lauric; Marshall, Paul; Gelcich, Stefan; Collin, Antoine; Chlous, Frédérique; Claudet, Joachim

    2018-04-01

    An overarching challenge of natural resource management and biodiversity conservation is that relationships between people and nature are difficult to integrate into tools that can effectively guide decision making. Social-ecological vulnerability offers a valuable framework for identifying and understanding important social-ecological linkages, and the implications of dependencies and other feedback loops in the system. Unfortunately, its implementation at local scales has hitherto been limited due at least in part to the lack of operational tools for spatial representation of social-ecological vulnerability. We developed a method to map social-ecological vulnerability based on information on human-nature dependencies and ecosystem services at local scales. We applied our method to the small-scale fishery of Moorea, French Polynesia, by combining spatially explicit indicators of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity of both the resource (i.e., vulnerability of reef fish assemblages to fishing) and resource users (i.e., vulnerability of fishing households to the loss of fishing opportunity). Our results revealed that both social and ecological vulnerabilities varied considerably through space and highlighted areas where sources of vulnerability were high for both social and ecological subsystems (i.e., social-ecological vulnerability hotspots) and thus of high priority for management intervention. Our approach can be used to inform decisions about where biodiversity conservation strategies are likely to be more effective and how social impacts from policy decisions can be minimized. It provides a new perspective on human-nature linkages that can help guide sustainability management at local scales; delivers insights distinct from those provided by emphasis on a single vulnerability component (e.g., exposure); and demonstrates the feasibility and value of operationalizing the social-ecological vulnerability framework for policy, planning, and participatory

  16. The Application of Ligand-Mapping Molecular Dynamics Simulations to the Rational Design of Peptidic Modulators of Protein-Protein Interactions.

    PubMed

    Tan, Yaw Sing; Spring, David R; Abell, Chris; Verma, Chandra S

    2015-07-14

    A computational ligand-mapping approach to detect protein surface pockets that interact with hydrophobic moieties is presented. In this method, we incorporated benzene molecules into explicit solvent molecular dynamics simulations of various protein targets. The benzene molecules successfully identified the binding locations of hydrophobic hot-spot residues and all-hydrocarbon cross-links from known peptidic ligands. They also unveiled cryptic binding sites that are occluded by side chains and the protein backbone. Our results demonstrate that ligand-mapping molecular dynamics simulations hold immense promise to guide the rational design of peptidic modulators of protein-protein interactions, including that of stapled peptides, which show promise as an exciting new class of cell-penetrating therapeutic molecules.

  17. Double quick, double click reversible peptide "stapling".

    PubMed

    Grison, Claire M; Burslem, George M; Miles, Jennifer A; Pilsl, Ludwig K A; Yeo, David J; Imani, Zeynab; Warriner, Stuart L; Webb, Michael E; Wilson, Andrew J

    2017-07-01

    The development of constrained peptides for inhibition of protein-protein interactions is an emerging strategy in chemical biology and drug discovery. This manuscript introduces a versatile, rapid and reversible approach to constrain peptides in a bioactive helical conformation using BID and RNase S peptides as models. Dibromomaleimide is used to constrain BID and RNase S peptide sequence variants bearing cysteine (Cys) or homocysteine ( h Cys) amino acids spaced at i and i + 4 positions by double substitution. The constraint can be readily removed by displacement of the maleimide using excess thiol. This new constraining methodology results in enhanced α-helical conformation (BID and RNase S peptide) as demonstrated by circular dichroism and molecular dynamics simulations, resistance to proteolysis (BID) as demonstrated by trypsin proteolysis experiments and retained or enhanced potency of inhibition for Bcl-2 family protein-protein interactions (BID), or greater capability to restore the hydrolytic activity of the RNAse S protein (RNase S peptide). Finally, use of a dibromomaleimide functionalized with an alkyne permits further divergent functionalization through alkyne-azide cycloaddition chemistry on the constrained peptide with fluorescein, oligoethylene glycol or biotin groups to facilitate biophysical and cellular analyses. Hence this methodology may extend the scope and accessibility of peptide stapling.

  18. Phase quality map based on local multi-unwrapped results for two-dimensional phase unwrapping.

    PubMed

    Zhong, Heping; Tang, Jinsong; Zhang, Sen

    2015-02-01

    The efficiency of a phase unwrapping algorithm and the reliability of the corresponding unwrapped result are two key problems in reconstructing the digital elevation model of a scene from its interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) or interferometric synthetic aperture sonar (InSAS) data. In this paper, a new phase quality map is designed and implemented in a graphic processing unit (GPU) environment, which greatly accelerates the unwrapping process of the quality-guided algorithm and enhances the correctness of the unwrapped result. In a local wrapped phase window, the center point is selected as the reference point, and then two unwrapped results are computed by integrating in two different simple ways. After the two local unwrapped results are computed, the total difference of the two unwrapped results is regarded as the phase quality value of the center point. In order to accelerate the computing process of the new proposed quality map, we have implemented it in a GPU environment. The wrapped phase data are first uploaded to the memory of a device, and then the kernel function is called in the device to compute the phase quality in parallel by blocks of threads. Unwrapping tests performed on the simulated and real InSAS data confirm the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method.

  19. Mapping local deformation behavior in single cell metal lattice structures

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Carlton, Holly D.; Lind, Jonathan; Messner, Mark C.

    The deformation behavior of metal lattice structures is extremely complex and challenging to predict, especially since strain is not uniformly distributed throughout the structure. Understanding and predicting the failure behavior for these types of light-weighting structures is of great interest due to the excellent scaling of stiffness- and strength-to weight ratios they display. Therefore, there is a need to perform simplified experiments that probe unit cell mechanisms. This study reports on high resolution mapping of the heterogeneous structural response of single unit cells to the macro-scale loading condition. Two types of structures, known to show different stress-strain responses, were evaluatedmore » using synchrotron radiation micro-tomography while performing in-situ uniaxial compression tests to capture the local micro-strain deformation. These structures included the octet-truss, a stretch-dominated lattice, and the rhombic-dodecahedron, a bend-dominated lattice. The tomographic analysis showed that the stretch- and bend-dominated lattices exhibit different failure mechanisms and that the defects built into the structure cause a heterogeneous localized deformation response. Also shown here is a change in failure mode for stretch-dominated lattices, where there appears to be a transition from buckling to plastic yielding for samples with a relative density between 10 and 20%. In conclusion, the experimental results were also used to inform computational studies designed to predict the mesoscale deformation behavior of lattice structures. Here an equivalent continuum model and a finite element model were used to predict both local strain fields and mechanical behavior of lattices with different topologies.« less

  20. Mapping local deformation behavior in single cell metal lattice structures

    DOE PAGES

    Carlton, Holly D.; Lind, Jonathan; Messner, Mark C.; ...

    2017-02-08

    The deformation behavior of metal lattice structures is extremely complex and challenging to predict, especially since strain is not uniformly distributed throughout the structure. Understanding and predicting the failure behavior for these types of light-weighting structures is of great interest due to the excellent scaling of stiffness- and strength-to weight ratios they display. Therefore, there is a need to perform simplified experiments that probe unit cell mechanisms. This study reports on high resolution mapping of the heterogeneous structural response of single unit cells to the macro-scale loading condition. Two types of structures, known to show different stress-strain responses, were evaluatedmore » using synchrotron radiation micro-tomography while performing in-situ uniaxial compression tests to capture the local micro-strain deformation. These structures included the octet-truss, a stretch-dominated lattice, and the rhombic-dodecahedron, a bend-dominated lattice. The tomographic analysis showed that the stretch- and bend-dominated lattices exhibit different failure mechanisms and that the defects built into the structure cause a heterogeneous localized deformation response. Also shown here is a change in failure mode for stretch-dominated lattices, where there appears to be a transition from buckling to plastic yielding for samples with a relative density between 10 and 20%. In conclusion, the experimental results were also used to inform computational studies designed to predict the mesoscale deformation behavior of lattice structures. Here an equivalent continuum model and a finite element model were used to predict both local strain fields and mechanical behavior of lattices with different topologies.« less

  1. Self-localization of wireless sensor networks using self-organizing maps

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ertin, Emre; Priddy, Kevin L.

    2005-03-01

    Recently there has been a renewed interest in the notion of deploying large numbers of networked sensors for applications ranging from environmental monitoring to surveillance. In a typical scenario a number of sensors are distributed in a region of interest. Each sensor is equipped with sensing, processing and communication capabilities. The information gathered from the sensors can be used to detect, track and classify objects of interest. For a number of locations the sensors location is crucial in interpreting the data collected from those sensors. Scalability requirements dictate sensor nodes that are inexpensive devices without a dedicated localization hardware such as GPS. Therefore the network has to rely on information collected within the network to self-localize. In the literature a number of algorithms has been proposed for network localization which uses measurements informative of range, angle, proximity between nodes. Recent work by Patwari and Hero relies on sensor data without explicit range estimates. The assumption is that the correlation structure in the data is a monotone function of the intersensor distances. In this paper we propose a new method based on unsupervised learning techniques to extract location information from the sensor data itself. We consider a grid consisting of virtual nodes and try to fit grid in the actual sensor network data using the method of self organizing maps. Then known sensor network geometry can be used to rotate and scale the grid to a global coordinate system. Finally, we illustrate how the virtual nodes location information can be used to track a target.

  2. Stapled Voltage-Gated Calcium Channel (CaV) α-Interaction Domain (AID) Peptides Act As Selective Protein-Protein Interaction Inhibitors of CaV Function.

    PubMed

    Findeisen, Felix; Campiglio, Marta; Jo, Hyunil; Abderemane-Ali, Fayal; Rumpf, Christine H; Pope, Lianne; Rossen, Nathan D; Flucher, Bernhard E; DeGrado, William F; Minor, Daniel L

    2017-06-21

    For many voltage-gated ion channels (VGICs), creation of a properly functioning ion channel requires the formation of specific protein-protein interactions between the transmembrane pore-forming subunits and cystoplasmic accessory subunits. Despite the importance of such protein-protein interactions in VGIC function and assembly, their potential as sites for VGIC modulator development has been largely overlooked. Here, we develop meta-xylyl (m-xylyl) stapled peptides that target a prototypic VGIC high affinity protein-protein interaction, the interaction between the voltage-gated calcium channel (Ca V ) pore-forming subunit α-interaction domain (AID) and cytoplasmic β-subunit (Ca V β). We show using circular dichroism spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, and isothermal titration calorimetry that the m-xylyl staples enhance AID helix formation are structurally compatible with native-like AID:Ca V β interactions and reduce the entropic penalty associated with AID binding to Ca V β. Importantly, electrophysiological studies reveal that stapled AID peptides act as effective inhibitors of the Ca V α 1 :Ca V β interaction that modulate Ca V function in an Ca V β isoform-selective manner. Together, our studies provide a proof-of-concept demonstration of the use of protein-protein interaction inhibitors to control VGIC function and point to strategies for improved AID-based Ca V modulator design.

  3. Stapled Voltage-Gated Calcium Channel (CaV) α-Interaction Domain (AID) Peptides Act As Selective Protein–Protein Interaction Inhibitors of CaV Function

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    For many voltage-gated ion channels (VGICs), creation of a properly functioning ion channel requires the formation of specific protein–protein interactions between the transmembrane pore-forming subunits and cystoplasmic accessory subunits. Despite the importance of such protein–protein interactions in VGIC function and assembly, their potential as sites for VGIC modulator development has been largely overlooked. Here, we develop meta-xylyl (m-xylyl) stapled peptides that target a prototypic VGIC high affinity protein–protein interaction, the interaction between the voltage-gated calcium channel (CaV) pore-forming subunit α-interaction domain (AID) and cytoplasmic β-subunit (CaVβ). We show using circular dichroism spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, and isothermal titration calorimetry that the m-xylyl staples enhance AID helix formation are structurally compatible with native-like AID:CaVβ interactions and reduce the entropic penalty associated with AID binding to CaVβ. Importantly, electrophysiological studies reveal that stapled AID peptides act as effective inhibitors of the CaVα1:CaVβ interaction that modulate CaV function in an CaVβ isoform-selective manner. Together, our studies provide a proof-of-concept demonstration of the use of protein–protein interaction inhibitors to control VGIC function and point to strategies for improved AID-based CaV modulator design. PMID:28278376

  4. Mapping the changing pattern of local climate as an observed distribution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chapman, Sandra; Stainforth, David; Watkins, Nicholas

    2013-04-01

    It is at local scales that the impacts of climate change will be felt directly and at which adaptation planning decisions must be made. This requires quantifying the geographical patterns in trends at specific quantiles in distributions of variables such as daily temperature or precipitation. Here we focus on these local changes and on the way observational data can be analysed to inform us about the pattern of local climate change. We present a method[1] for analysing local climatic timeseries data to assess which quantiles of the local climatic distribution show the greatest and most robust trends. We demonstrate this approach using E-OBS gridded data[2] timeseries of local daily temperature from specific locations across Europe over the last 60 years. Our method extracts the changing cumulative distribution function over time and uses a simple mathematical deconstruction of how the difference between two observations from two different time periods can be assigned to the combination of natural statistical variability and/or the consequences of secular climate change. This deconstruction facilitates an assessment of the sensitivity of different quantiles of the distributions to changing climate. Geographical location and temperature are treated as independent variables, we thus obtain as outputs the pattern of variation in sensitivity with temperature (or occurrence likelihood), and with geographical location. We find as an output many regionally consistent patterns of response of potential value in adaptation planning. We discuss methods to quantify and map the robustness of these observed sensitivities and their statistical likelihood. This also quantifies the level of detail needed from climate models if they are to be used as tools to assess climate change impact. [1] S C Chapman, D A Stainforth, N W Watkins, 2013, On Estimating Local Long Term Climate Trends, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A, in press [2] Haylock, M.R., N. Hofstra, A.M.G. Klein Tank, E.J. Klok, P

  5. The growing importance of staple foods and condiments used as ingredients in the food industry and implications for large-scale food fortification programs in Southeast Asia.

    PubMed

    Spohrer, Rebecca; Larson, Melanie; Maurin, Clémence; Laillou, Arnaud; Capanzana, Mario; Garrett, Greg S

    2013-06-01

    Food fortification is a viable strategy to improve the nutritional status of populations. In Southeast Asia, recent growth and consolidation of the food industry provides an opportunity to explore whether certain widely consumed processed foods could contribute to micronutrient status if they are made with adequately fortified staples and condiments. To estimate the potential contribution certain processed foods can make to micronutrient intake in Southeast Asia if they are made with fortified staples and condiments; e.g., via the inclusion of iodized salt in various processed foods in the Philippines, fortified wheat flour in instant noodles in Indonesia, and fortified vegetable oil in biscuits in Vietnam. For Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, a review of consumption trends, relevant policies, and industry practices was conducted using publicly available sources,food industry market data and research reports, and oral communication. These informed the estimates of the proportion of the Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) that could be delivered via select processed foods. In the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam, the processed food industry is not always required to use fortified staples and condiments. In the Philippines, dried salted fish with iodized salt would provide 64% to 85% of the iodine RNI for women of reproductive age and 107% to 141% of the iodine RNI for children 1 to 6 years of age. In Indonesia, a 75-g pack of instant noodles (a highly consumed product) with fortified wheat flour would provide 45% to 51% of the iron RNI for children 4 to 6 years of age and 10% to 11% of the iron RNI for women of reproductive age. In Vietnam, biscuits containing vegetable oil are increasingly popular. One 35-g biscuit serving with fortified vegetable oil would provide 13% to 18% of the vitamin A RNI for children 4 to 6 years of age and 12% to 17% of the vitamin A RNI for women of reproductive age. Ensuring that fortified staples and condiments such as flour

  6. Centimeter-Level Robust Gnss-Aided Inertial Post-Processing for Mobile Mapping Without Local Reference Stations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hutton, J. J.; Gopaul, N.; Zhang, X.; Wang, J.; Menon, V.; Rieck, D.; Kipka, A.; Pastor, F.

    2016-06-01

    For almost two decades mobile mapping systems have done their georeferencing using Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) to measure position and inertial sensors to measure orientation. In order to achieve cm level position accuracy, a technique referred to as post-processed carrier phase differential GNSS (DGNSS) is used. For this technique to be effective the maximum distance to a single Reference Station should be no more than 20 km, and when using a network of Reference Stations the distance to the nearest station should no more than about 70 km. This need to set up local Reference Stations limits productivity and increases costs, especially when mapping large areas or long linear features such as roads or pipelines. An alternative technique to DGNSS for high-accuracy positioning from GNSS is the so-called Precise Point Positioning or PPP method. In this case instead of differencing the rover observables with the Reference Station observables to cancel out common errors, an advanced model for every aspect of the GNSS error chain is developed and parameterized to within an accuracy of a few cm. The Trimble Centerpoint RTX positioning solution combines the methodology of PPP with advanced ambiguity resolution technology to produce cm level accuracies without the need for local reference stations. It achieves this through a global deployment of highly redundant monitoring stations that are connected through the internet and are used to determine the precise satellite data with maximum accuracy, robustness, continuity and reliability, along with advance algorithms and receiver and antenna calibrations. This paper presents a new post-processed realization of the Trimble Centerpoint RTX technology integrated into the Applanix POSPac MMS GNSS-Aided Inertial software for mobile mapping. Real-world results from over 100 airborne flights evaluated against a DGNSS network reference are presented which show that the post-processed Centerpoint RTX solution agrees with

  7. Google Maps: You Are Here

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jacobsen, Mikael

    2008-01-01

    Librarians use online mapping services such as Google Maps, MapQuest, Yahoo Maps, and others to check traffic conditions, find local businesses, and provide directions. However, few libraries are using one of Google Maps most outstanding applications, My Maps, for the creation of enhanced and interactive multimedia maps. My Maps is a simple and…

  8. Stapled peptide inhibitors of RAB25 target context-specific phenotypes in cancer | Office of Cancer Genomics

    Cancer.gov

    Recent evidence has established a role for the small GTPase RAB25, as well as related effector proteins, in enacting both pro-oncogenic and anti-oncogenic phenotypes in specific cellular contexts. Here we report the development of all-hydrocarbon stabilized peptides derived from the RAB-binding FIP-family of proteins to target RAB25. Relative to unmodified peptides, optimized stapled peptides exhibit increased structural stability, binding affinity, cell permeability, and inhibition of RAB25:FIP complex formation.

  9. Are there risk factors that increase the rate of staple line leakage in patients undergoing primary sleeve gastrectomy for morbid obesity?

    PubMed

    Benedix, Frank; Benedix, Diana D; Knoll, Christian; Weiner, Rudolf; Bruns, Christiane; Manger, Thomas; Stroh, Christine

    2014-10-01

    Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is currently being performed with increasing frequency worldwide. It offers an excellent weight loss and resolution of comorbidities in the short term with a very low incidence of complications. However, the ever present risk of a staple line leak is still a major concern. Since 2005, data from obese patients that undergo bariatric procedures in Germany are prospectively registered in an online database and analyzed at the Institute of Quality Assurance in Surgical Medicine. For the current analysis, all patients that had undergone primary sleeve gastrectomy for morbid obesity within a 7-year period were considered. Using the GBSR, data from 5.400 LSGs were considered for analysis. Staple line leak rate decreased during the study period from 6.5 to 1.4 %. Male gender, higher BMI, concomitant sleep apnea, conversion to laparotomy, longer operation time, use of both buttresses and oversewing, and the occurrence of intraoperative complications were associated with a significantly higher leakage rate. On multivariate analysis, operation time and year of procedure only had a significant impact on staple line leak rate. The results of the current study demonstrated that there are factors that increase the risk of a leakage which would enable surgeons to define risk groups, to more carefully select patients, and to offer a closer follow-up during the postoperative course with early recognition and adequate treatment. All future efforts should be focused on a further reduction of serious complications to make the LSG a widely accepted and safer procedure.

  10. High-resolution linkage map and chromosome-scale genome assembly for cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) from 10 populations.

    PubMed

    2014-12-11

    Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a major staple crop in Africa, Asia, and South America, and its starchy roots provide nourishment for 800 million people worldwide. Although native to South America, cassava was brought to Africa 400-500 years ago and is now widely cultivated across sub-Saharan Africa, but it is subject to biotic and abiotic stresses. To assist in the rapid identification of markers for pathogen resistance and crop traits, and to accelerate breeding programs, we generated a framework map for M. esculenta Crantz from reduced representation sequencing [genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS)]. The composite 2412-cM map integrates 10 biparental maps (comprising 3480 meioses) and organizes 22,403 genetic markers on 18 chromosomes, in agreement with the observed karyotype. We used the map to anchor 71.9% of the draft genome assembly and 90.7% of the predicted protein-coding genes. The chromosome-anchored genome sequence will be useful for breeding improvement by assisting in the rapid identification of markers linked to important traits, and in providing a framework for genomic selection-enhanced breeding of this important crop. Copyright © 2015 International Cassava Genetic Map Consortium (ICGMC).

  11. Estimated Dietary Intakes of Toxic Elements from Four Staple Foods in Najran City, Saudi Arabia.

    PubMed

    Mohamed, Hatem; Haris, Parvez I; Brima, Eid I

    2017-12-14

    Exposure of the inhabitants of Najran area in Saudi Arabia to the toxic elements As, Cd, Cr, and Pb through foods has not been previously investigated. Exposure to such elements is an important public health issue, so the study described here was performed with the aim of determining estimated dietary intakes (EDIs) for these metals in Najran area. The As, Cd, Cr, and Pb concentrations in four staple foods (rice, wheat, red meat, and chicken) were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was completed by 80 study participants. These data were used to estimate dietary intakes of the metals in the four staple foods. The mean As, Cd, Cr, and Pb EDIs in the four food types were 1.1 × 10 -6 -2.6 × 10 -5 , 1.42 × 10 -5 -2.2 × 10 -4 , 3.4 × 10 -4 -8.0 × 10 -4 , and 2.3 × 10 -5 -2.1 × 10 -3 mg/kg bw day, respectively. Hazard Quotients (HQ) for all elements did not exceed one. The highest Pb concentration was found for chicken and the source of this toxic element in this food needs to be investigated in the future. The lowest As concentration was found for wheat highest in rice. The EDIs for all elements in the four food types were below the provisional tolerable weekly intakes set by the World Health Organization (WHO).

  12. [The changes in spectral features of the staple-food bamboos of giant panda after flowering].

    PubMed

    Liu, Xue-Hua; Wu, Yan

    2012-12-01

    Large-area flowering of the giant pandas' staple food is an important factor which can influence their survival. Therefore, it is necessary to predict the bamboo flowering. Foping Nature Reserve was taken as the study area. The research selected the giant pandas' staple-food bamboos Bashania fargesii, Fargesia qinlingensis and Fargesia dracocephala with different flowering situations (i. e., flowering, potential flowering, non-flowering with far distance) to measure the spectral reflectance of bamboo leaves. We studied the influence of bamboo flowering on the spectral features of three bamboo species through analyzing the original spectral reflectance and their red edge parameters. The results showed that (1) the flowering changed the spectra features of bamboo species. The spectral reflectance of B. fargesii shows a pattern: flowering bamboo < potential flowering bamboo < non-flowering bamboo with far distance, while F. qinlingensis and F. dracocephala show the different pattern: flowering bamboo > or = potential flowering bamboo > non-flowering bamboo with far distance. Among three bamboo species, F. dracocephala showed the greatest change, and then F. qinlingensis. (2) After bamboo flowering, the red edge of B. fargesii has no obvious shifting, while the other two bamboos have distinctive shifting towards the shorter waves. The study found that the original spectral feature and the red edge all changed under various flowering states, which can be used to provide the experimental basis and theoretic support for the future prediction of bamboo flowering through remote sensing.

  13. Usefulness of ventricular endocardial electric reconstruction from body surface potential maps to noninvasively localize ventricular ectopic activity in patients

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lai, Dakun; Sun, Jian; Li, Yigang; He, Bin

    2013-06-01

    As radio frequency (RF) catheter ablation becomes increasingly prevalent in the management of ventricular arrhythmia in patients, an accurate and rapid determination of the arrhythmogenic site is of important clinical interest. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the inversely reconstructed ventricular endocardial current density distribution from body surface potential maps (BSPMs) can localize the regions critical for maintenance of a ventricular ectopic activity. Patients with isolated and monomorphic premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) were investigated by noninvasive BSPMs and subsequent invasive catheter mapping and ablation. Equivalent current density (CD) reconstruction (CDR) during symptomatic PVCs was obtained on the endocardial ventricular surface in six patients (four men, two women, years 23-77), and the origin of the spontaneous ectopic activity was localized at the location of the maximum CD value. Compared with the last (successful) ablation site (LAS), the mean and standard deviation of localization error of the CDR approach were 13.8 and 1.3 mm, respectively. In comparison, the distance between the LASs and the estimated locations of an equivalent single moving dipole in the heart was 25.5 ± 5.5 mm. The obtained CD distribution of activated sources extending from the catheter ablation site also showed a high consistency with the invasively recorded electroanatomical maps. The noninvasively reconstructed endocardial CD distribution is suitable to predict a region of interest containing or close to arrhythmia source, which may have the potential to guide RF catheter ablation.

  14. Pilot study on preventing anastomotic leakage in stapled gastroesophageal anastomosis

    PubMed Central

    Huang, Weiming; Liu, Xiangzheng; Li, Jian

    2017-01-01

    Background This study explored how to improve the surgical technique to reduce or avoid anastomotic leakage. Methods From January 2012 to December 2016, 101 consecutive patients with cancer of the esophagus or gastroesophageal junction underwent stapled gastroesophageal anastomosis. The procedure included creating a tube‐type stomach, fixing an inserted anvil, inspecting mucosa‐to‐mucosa alignment in the lumen under direct vision after firing the stapler, and, if found, manually repairing a rupture of the mucous membrane of the anastomosis. Results A rupture of the mucous membrane of the anastomosis was found in four out of the 101 patients and manually repaired. No postsurgical anastomotic leakage occurred. All patients recovered well and the average postoperative stay was 10.4 days. There was no mortality within 30 days after surgery. Conclusion It is critical to inspect the integrality of the luminal mucous membrane of the anastomosis under direct vision in order to prevent anastomotic leakage in surgical resection of esophageal and gastroesophageal junction malignancies. PMID:29130643

  15. Non-invasive localization of atrial ectopic beats by using simulated body surface P-wave integral maps

    PubMed Central

    Godoy, Eduardo J.; Lozano, Miguel; Martínez-Mateu, Laura; Atienza, Felipe; Saiz, Javier; Sebastian, Rafael

    2017-01-01

    Non-invasive localization of continuous atrial ectopic beats remains a cornerstone for the treatment of atrial arrhythmias. The lack of accurate tools to guide electrophysiologists leads to an increase in the recurrence rate of ablation procedures. Existing approaches are based on the analysis of the P-waves main characteristics and the forward body surface potential maps (BSPMs) or on the inverse estimation of the electric activity of the heart from those BSPMs. These methods have not provided an efficient and systematic tool to localize ectopic triggers. In this work, we propose the use of machine learning techniques to spatially cluster and classify ectopic atrial foci into clearly differentiated atrial regions by using the body surface P-wave integral map (BSPiM) as a biomarker. Our simulated results show that ectopic foci with similar BSPiM naturally cluster into differentiated non-intersected atrial regions and that new patterns could be correctly classified with an accuracy of 97% when considering 2 clusters and 96% for 4 clusters. Our results also suggest that an increase in the number of clusters is feasible at the cost of decreasing accuracy. PMID:28704537

  16. A local segmentation parameter optimization approach for mapping heterogeneous urban environments using VHR imagery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grippa, Tais; Georganos, Stefanos; Lennert, Moritz; Vanhuysse, Sabine; Wolff, Eléonore

    2017-10-01

    Mapping large heterogeneous urban areas using object-based image analysis (OBIA) remains challenging, especially with respect to the segmentation process. This could be explained both by the complex arrangement of heterogeneous land-cover classes and by the high diversity of urban patterns which can be encountered throughout the scene. In this context, using a single segmentation parameter to obtain satisfying segmentation results for the whole scene can be impossible. Nonetheless, it is possible to subdivide the whole city into smaller local zones, rather homogeneous according to their urban pattern. These zones can then be used to optimize the segmentation parameter locally, instead of using the whole image or a single representative spatial subset. This paper assesses the contribution of a local approach for the optimization of segmentation parameter compared to a global approach. Ouagadougou, located in sub-Saharan Africa, is used as case studies. First, the whole scene is segmented using a single globally optimized segmentation parameter. Second, the city is subdivided into 283 local zones, homogeneous in terms of building size and building density. Each local zone is then segmented using a locally optimized segmentation parameter. Unsupervised segmentation parameter optimization (USPO), relying on an optimization function which tends to maximize both intra-object homogeneity and inter-object heterogeneity, is used to select the segmentation parameter automatically for both approaches. Finally, a land-use/land-cover classification is performed using the Random Forest (RF) classifier. The results reveal that the local approach outperforms the global one, especially by limiting confusions between buildings and their bare-soil neighbors.

  17. Transanal drainage tube placement to prevent anastomotic leakage following colorectal cancer surgery with double stapling reconstruction.

    PubMed

    Matsuda, Mutsuhito; Tsuruta, Masashi; Hasegawa, Hirotoshi; Okabayashi, Koji; Kondo, Takayuki; Shimada, Takehiro; Yahagi, Masashi; Yoshikawa, Yusuke; Kitagawa, Yuko

    2016-05-01

    Anastomotic leakage (AL) is a critical complication of colorectal cancer surgery. The transanal drainage tube (TDT) is designed to prevent AL caused by decompression and stasis at the anastomosis. We conducted this study to investigate the feasibility of using the TDT to prevent AL following double-stapling technique reconstruction (DST). The subjects of this study were 179 patients who underwent curative resection and DST reconstruction for sigmoid colon and rectal cancer in our institution between 2008 and 2013. We analyzed the effectiveness of the TDT for preventing AL. A TDT was placed in 78 patients (43.6 %, TDT group) and not placed in the remaining 101 patients (56.4 %, NTDT group). AL developed in 2 (2.6 %) patients from the TDT group and in 14 (13.9 %) patients from the NTDT group (p = 0.009). Univariate analysis revealed that AL was significantly correlated with tumor distance from the anal verge (AV), the number of staples, and TDT placement. Multivariate analysis revealed a significantly positive correlation between AL and AV [OR 0.877 (0.783-0.982) p = 0.023] and a significantly negative correlation between AL and TDT placement [OR 0.07 (0.013-0.374) p = 0.002]. Anastomotic decompression with TDT placement may prevent AL after colorectal cancer surgery with DST reconstruction.

  18. Genome-wide association mapping of provitamin A carotenoid content in cassava

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Global efforts are underway to develop staple crops with improved levels of provitamin A carotenoids to help combat dietary vitamin A deficiency, which is widespread among resource-poor farmers in the developing world. As a staple crop for more than 500 million people in sub-Saharan Africa, cassava ...

  19. A Safe and Reproducible Anastomotic Technique for Minimally Invasive Ivor Lewis Esophagectomy: The Circular Stapled Anastomosis with the Transoral Anvil

    PubMed Central

    Campos, Guilherme M; Jablons, David; Brown, Lisa M; Ramirez, René M; Rabl, Charlotte; Theodore, Pierre

    2010-01-01

    Objectives In expert hands, the intra-thoracic esophago-gastric anastamosis usually provides a low rate of strictures and leaks. However, anastomoses can be technically challenging and time consuming when minimally invasive techniques are used. We present our preliminary results of a standardized 25mm/4.8mm circular stapled anastomosis using a trans-orally placed anvil. Materials and Methods We evaluated a prospective cohort of 37 consecutive patients offered minimally invasive Ivor Lewis Esophagectomy at a tertiary referral center. The esophagogastric anastomosis was created using a 25mm anvil (Orvil, Autosuture, Norwalk, CT) passed trans-orally, in a tilted position, and connected to a 90cm long PVC delivery tube through an opening in the esophageal stump. The anastomosis was completed by joining the anvil to a circular stapler (EEA XL 25mm with 4.8mm Staples, Autosuture, Norwalk, CT) inserted into the gastric conduit. Primary outcomes were leak and stricture rates. Results Thirty-seven patients (mean age 65 yrs) with distal esophageal adenocarcinoma (n=29), squamous cell cancer (n=5), or high-grade dysplasia in Barrett's Esophagus (n=3) underwent an Ivor Lewis Esophagectomy between October 2007 and August 2009. The abdominal portion of the operation was completed laparoscopically in 30 patients (81.1%). The thoracic portion was done using a muscle sparing mini-thoracotomy in 23 patients (62.2%) and thoracoscopic techniques in 14 patients (37.8%). There were no intra-operative technical failures of the anastomosis or deaths. Five patients had strictures (13.5%) and all were successfully treated with endoscopic dilations. One patient had an anastomotic leak (2.7%) that was successfully treated by re-operation and endoscopic stenting of the anastomosis. Discussion The circular stapled anastomosis with the transoral anvil allows for an efficient, safe and reproducible anastomosis. This straightforward technique is particularly suited to the completely minimally

  20. Individual surgeon is an independent risk factor for leak after double-stapled colorectal anastomosis: An institutional analysis of 800 patients.

    PubMed

    García-Granero, Eduardo; Navarro, Francisco; Cerdán Santacruz, Carlos; Frasson, Matteo; García-Granero, Alvaro; Marinello, Franco; Flor-Lorente, Blas; Espí, Alejandro

    2017-11-01

    Our aim was to assess whether the individual surgeon is an independent risk factor for anastomotic leak in double-stapled colorectal anastomosis after left colon and rectal cancer resection. This retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database consists of a consecutive series of 800 patients who underwent an elective left colon and rectal resection with a colorectal, double-stapled anastomosis between 1993 and 2009 in a specialized colorectal unit of a tertiary hospital with 7 participating surgeons. The main outcome variable was anastomotic leak, defined as leak of luminal contents from a colorectal anastomosis between 2 hollow viscera diagnosed radiologically, clinically, endoscopically, or intraoperatively. Pelvic abscesses were also considered to be an anastomotic leak. Radiologic examination was performed when there was clinical suspicion of leak. Anastomotic leak occurred in 6.1% of patients, of which 33 (67%) were treated operatively, 6 (12%) with radiologic drains, and 10 (21%) by medical treatment. Postoperative mortality rate was 2.9% for the whole group of 800 patients. In patients with anastomotic leak, mortality rate increased up to 16% vs 2.0% in patients without anastomotic leak (P < .0001). At multivariate analysis, rectal location of tumor, male sex, bowel obstruction preoperatively, tobacco use, diabetes, perioperative transfusion, and the individual surgeon were independent risk factors for anastomotic leak. The surgeon was the most important factor (mean odds ratio 4.9; range 1.0 to 13.5). The variance of anastomotic leak between the different surgeons was 0.56 in the logit scale. The individual surgeon is an independent risk factor for leakage in double-stapled, colorectal, end-to-end anastomosis after oncologic left-sided colorectal resection. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. A Systematic Review of Perennial Staple Crops Literature Using Topic Modeling and Bibliometric Analysis

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    Research on perennial staple crops has increased in the past ten years due to their potential to improve ecosystem services in agricultural systems. However, multiple past breeding efforts as well as research on traditional ratoon systems mean there is already a broad body of literature on perennial crops. In this review, we compare the development of research on perennial staple crops, including wheat, rice, rye, sorghum, and pigeon pea. We utilized the advanced search capabilities of Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Agricola to gather a library of 914 articles published from 1930 to the present. We analyzed the metadata in the entire library and in collections of literature on each crop to understand trends in research and publishing. In addition, we applied topic modeling to the article abstracts, a type of text analysis that identifies frequently co-occurring terms and latent topics. We found: 1.) Research on perennials is increasing overall, but individual crops have each seen periods of heightened interest and research activity; 2.) Specialist journals play an important role in supporting early research efforts. Research often begins within communities of specialists or breeders for the individual crop before transitioning to a more general scientific audience; 3.) Existing perennial agricultural systems and their domesticated crop material, such as ratoon rice systems, can provide a useful foundation for breeding efforts, accelerating the development of truly perennial crops and farming systems; 4.) Primary research is lacking for crops that are produced on a smaller scale globally, such as pigeon pea and sorghum, and on the ecosystem service benefits of perennial agricultural systems. PMID:27213283

  2. A modified efficient purse-string stapling technique (mEST) that uses a new metal rod for intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy in laparoscopic total gastrectomy

    PubMed Central

    Moon, Jeong-Ho; Yamamoto, Kazuyoshi; Yanagimoto, Yoshitomo; Sugimura, Keijirou; Miyata, Hiroshi; Yano, Masahiko; Sakon, Masato

    2017-01-01

    Intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy after laparoscopic total gastrectomy is technically difficult because this procedure should be performed in a narrow surgical field in the upper abdomen even when completely laparoscopic approaches are used. The placement of the anvil of a circular stapling device into the esophagus and connection the instrument to the anvil are extremely difficult steps in this surgery. Therefore, we developed a simple technique for intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy using hemi-double stapling technique; we named this technique the efficient purse-string stapling technique (EST). More recently, we have developed a modified EST (mEST) that utilizes a new stainless steel anvil rod instead of a plastic rod. Relative to the plastic rod, the steel rod is reusable and shorter; thus, it was easier to perform anvil placement into the esophagus with the steel rod. Anvil preparation for mEST: a stainless steel rod is attached to the shaft of the anvil, and the needle and thread are sutured to the tip of the rod. After complete insertion of the anvil into the esophageal cavity, the needle and thread are used to penetrate the anterior esophageal wall, and the esophagus is then clamped using a linear stapler just distal to the site penetrated by the thread. The linear stapler is fired, and anvil placement in the esophagus is simultaneously accomplished. After the rod is removed from the anvil, the instrument is intracorporeally connected to the anvil and then fired to complete the gastrojejunostomy. This technique is simple and facilitates intracorporeal reconstruction procedures in laparoscopic total gastrectomy. PMID:28815221

  3. Comparison of hemostatic properties between collagen and synthetic buttress materials used in staple line reinforcement in a swine splenic hemorrhage model.

    PubMed

    Spector, David; Perry, Zvi; Konobeck, Tracy; Mooradian, Daniel; Shikora, Scott

    2011-04-01

    The use of staplers in gastrointestinal surgery is widespread, especially in advanced laparoscopic procedures. Staple line reinforcement with a buttress reduces bleeding and associated complications through a combination of factors. The intrinsic hemostatic properties of buttress materials have not been examined. This study examined the intrinsic hemostatic properties of two different types of material used in buttressing in an accepted hemostasis model that does not involve stapling or its effects by compression. An acellular collagen buttress (Veritas) and a synthetic polymer buttress (Duet) were compared to two commonly used hemostatic agents, Syvek and Surgicel, with gauze as control. In a swine capsular stripping hemostasis model, a 1 × 1 cm section of spleen capsule was removed and used as a source of bleeding, with one patch of material tested per bleeding site. A total of 51 wounds were created in five pigs (each patch n = 10, control n = 11). Hemostatic efficacy was assessed by quantitating the number of applications and total time needed for bleeding to stop. The mean time needed for hemostasis for Syvek and Veritas patches was significantly less than gauze, Duet and Surgicel (4.02, 4.51 vs. 8.97, 9.22, and 10.30 min respectively; p < 0.05). The Syvek and Veritas patches required significantly fewer applications than gauze, Duet™ and Surgicel (1.7, 2.2 vs. 4.1, 4.6, and 4.9 respectively; p < 0.01). The intrinsic hemostatic properties of different buttressing materials vary widely. In this study, a collagen buttress was significantly better at promoting hemostasis than the synthetic buttress material in a nonstapling model. This could be another factor to consider when choosing a buttress for staple line reinforcement.

  4. Maize genotype and food matrix affect the provitamin A carotenoid bioefficacy from staple and carrot-fortified feeds in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Biofortification of staple crops to increase provitamin A carotenoids is a promising technique to alleviate vitamin A deficiency. ß-Carotene (ßC) and ß-cryptoxanthin (ßCX) are low in typical maize but higher in biofortified varieties. In vitro screening methods evaluate bioaccessibility of carotenoi...

  5. C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, and procalcitonin levels as early markers of staple line leak after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy in morbidly obese patients within an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) program.

    PubMed

    Ruiz-Tovar, Jaime; Muñoz, Jose Luis; Gonzalez, Juan; Garcia, Alejandro; Ferrigni, Carlos; Jimenez, Montiel; Duran, Manuel

    2017-12-01

    The performance of most bariatric procedures within an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery program has resulted in significant advantages, including a reduction in the length of hospital stay to 2-3 days. However, some postoperative complications may appear after the patient has been discharged. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of various acute-phase parameters determined 24 h after a laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy for predicting staple line leak in the postoperative course. A prospective study of 208 morbidly obese patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy as bariatric procedure between 2012 and 2015 was performed. Blood analysis was performed 24 h after surgery. Acute-phase parameters (C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, fibrinogen, and White Blood Cell count) were investigated. Staple line leak appeared in eight patients (3.8%). Using receiver operating characteristic analysis at 24 h postoperatively, a cutoff level of CRP at 9 mg/dL achieved 85% sensitivity and 90% specificity for predicting staple line leak, a cutoff level of procalcitonin at 0.85 ng/mL achieved 70% sensitivity and 90% specificity, and a cutoff level of fibrinogen at 600 mg/dL achieved 80% sensitivity and 87.5% specificity. An elevation of CRP > 9 mg/dL, procalcitonin > 0.85 ng/mL and fibrinogen > 600 mg/dL should alert the surgeon the possibility of occurrence of postoperative staple line leak.

  6. Estimated Dietary Intakes of Toxic Elements from Four Staple Foods in Najran City, Saudi Arabia

    PubMed Central

    Haris, Parvez I.; Brima, Eid I.

    2017-01-01

    Exposure of the inhabitants of Najran area in Saudi Arabia to the toxic elements As, Cd, Cr, and Pb through foods has not been previously investigated. Exposure to such elements is an important public health issue, so the study described here was performed with the aim of determining estimated dietary intakes (EDIs) for these metals in Najran area. The As, Cd, Cr, and Pb concentrations in four staple foods (rice, wheat, red meat, and chicken) were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was completed by 80 study participants. These data were used to estimate dietary intakes of the metals in the four staple foods. The mean As, Cd, Cr, and Pb EDIs in the four food types were 1.1 × 10−6–2.6 × 10−5, 1.42 × 10−5–2.2 × 10−4, 3.4 × 10−4–8.0 × 10−4, and 2.3 × 10−5–2.1 × 10−3 mg/kg bw day, respectively. Hazard Quotients (HQ) for all elements did not exceed one. The highest Pb concentration was found for chicken and the source of this toxic element in this food needs to be investigated in the future. The lowest As concentration was found for wheat highest in rice. The EDIs for all elements in the four food types were below the provisional tolerable weekly intakes set by the World Health Organization (WHO). PMID:29240693

  7. Passive acoustic mapping of magnetic microbubbles for cavitation enhancement and localization.

    PubMed

    Crake, Calum; Victor, Marie de Saint; Owen, Joshua; Coviello, Christian; Collin, Jamie; Coussios, Constantin-C; Stride, Eleanor

    2015-01-21

    Magnetic targeting of microbubbles functionalized with superparamagnetic nanoparticles has been demonstrated previously for diagnostic (B-mode) ultrasound imaging and shown to enhance gene delivery in vitro and in vivo. In the present work, passive acoustic mapping (PAM) was used to investigate the potential of magnetic microbubbles for localizing and enhancing cavitation activity under focused ultrasound. Suspensions of magnetic microbubbles consisting of 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DSPC), air and 10 nm diameter iron oxide nanoparticles were injected into a tissue mimicking phantom at different flow velocities (from 0 to 50 mm s(-1)) with or without an applied magnetic field. Microbubbles were excited using a 500 kHz single element focused transducer at peak negative focal pressures of 0.1-1.0 MPa, while a 64 channel imaging array passively recorded their acoustic emissions. Magnetic localization of microbubble-induced cavitation activity was successfully achieved and could be resolved using PAM as a shift in the spatial distribution and increases in the intensity and sustainability of cavitation activity under the influence of a magnetic field. Under flow conditions at shear rates of up to 100 s(-1) targeting efficacy was maintained. Application of a magnetic field was shown to consistently increase the energy of cavitation emissions by a factor of 2-5 times over the duration of exposures compared to the case without targeting, which was approximately equivalent to doubling the injected microbubble dose. These results suggest that magnetic targeting could be used to localize and increase the concentration of microbubbles and hence cavitation activity for a given systemic dose of microbubbles or ultrasound intensity.

  8. One map policy (OMP) implementation strategy to accelerate mapping of regional spatial planing (RTRW) in Indonesia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hasyim, Fuad; Subagio, Habib; Darmawan, Mulyanto

    2016-06-01

    A preparation of spatial planning documents require basic geospatial information and thematic accuracies. Recently these issues become important because spatial planning maps are impartial attachment of the regional act draft on spatial planning (PERDA). The needs of geospatial information in the preparation of spatial planning maps preparation can be divided into two major groups: (i). basic geospatial information (IGD), consist of of Indonesia Topographic maps (RBI), coastal and marine environmental maps (LPI), and geodetic control network and (ii). Thematic Geospatial Information (IGT). Currently, mostly local goverment in Indonesia have not finished their regulation draft on spatial planning due to some constrain including technical aspect. Some constrain in mapping of spatial planning are as follows: the availability of large scale ofbasic geospatial information, the availability of mapping guidelines, and human resources. Ideal conditions to be achieved for spatial planning maps are: (i) the availability of updated geospatial information in accordance with the scale needed for spatial planning maps, (ii) the guideline of mapping for spatial planning to support local government in completion their PERDA, and (iii) capacity building of local goverment human resources to completed spatial planning maps. The OMP strategies formulated to achieve these conditions are: (i) accelerating of IGD at scale of 1:50,000, 1: 25,000 and 1: 5,000, (ii) to accelerate mapping and integration of Thematic Geospatial Information (IGT) through stocktaking availability and mapping guidelines, (iii) the development of mapping guidelines and dissemination of spatial utilization and (iv) training of human resource on mapping technology.

  9. Early and late complications of stapled haemorrhoidopexy: a 6-year experience from a single surgical clinic.

    PubMed

    Grigoropoulos, P; Kalles, V; Papapanagiotou, I; Mekras, A; Argyrou, A; Papageorgiou, K; Derian, A

    2011-10-01

    Introduction of stapled hemorrhoidopexy (SH) brought a radical change in the treatment of haemorrhoidal disease. The aim of this study is to evaluate the results and the complications (early and late) from the use of this technique. During the last 6 years (2005-2011), 123 patients underwent a SH in our ward. Our sample consists of 79 male and 44 female patients with an average age of 48.2 years (range 22-83 years). Of them, 83 had third-degree haemorrhoidal disease, 34 had fourth-degree and 6 had second-degree bleeding haemorrhoids. The follow-up period was 6-72 months. Pain was minimal or even not existent. Additional sutures or use of adrenaline 1:200.000 for haemostasis were required in 6 patients (4.8%). The bleeding has been diminished with the use of this new haemorrhoidectomy stapler PPH03. Urinary retention, which was observed in 3 patients (2.4%), was temporary and the use of catheter was not needed. As a late complication, 'faecal urgency' occurred in 8 patients (6.5%), and disappeared after some months. No recurrent haemorrhoidal disease occurred. No cases of chronic pain were reported. Average hospital stay was 1 day, except for 2 patients who remained for 2 days for bleeding observation. The correct application of SH reduces the possible complications. The advantages of the stapled procedure are reduced postoperative pain, the minimal hospital stay and early return to work.

  10. Local delivery of molecules from a nanopipette for quantitative receptor mapping on live cells.

    PubMed

    Babakinejad, Babak; Jönsson, Peter; López Córdoba, Ainara; Actis, Paolo; Novak, Pavel; Takahashi, Yasufumi; Shevchuk, Andrew; Anand, Uma; Anand, Praveen; Drews, Anna; Ferrer-Montiel, Antonio; Klenerman, David; Korchev, Yuri E

    2013-10-01

    Using nanopipettes to locally deliver molecules to the surface of living cells could potentially open up studies of biological processes down to the level of single molecules. However, in order to achieve precise and quantitative local delivery it is essential to be able to determine the amount and distribution of the molecules being delivered. In this work, we investigate how the size of the nanopipette, the magnitude of the applied pressure or voltage, which drives the delivery, and the distance to the underlying surface influences the number and spatial distribution of the delivered molecules. Analytical expressions describing the delivery are derived and compared with the results from finite element simulations and experiments on delivery from a 100 nm nanopipette in bulk solution and to the surface of sensory neurons. We then developed a setup for rapid and quantitative delivery to multiple subcellular areas, delivering the molecule capsaicin to stimulate opening of Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid subfamily member 1 (TRPV1) channels, membrane receptors involved in pain sensation. Overall, precise and quantitative delivery of molecules from nanopipettes has been demonstrated, opening up many applications in biology such as locally stimulating and mapping receptors on the surface of live cells.

  11. Near real-time skin deformation mapping

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kacenjar, Steve; Chen, Suzie; Jafri, Madiha; Wall, Brian; Pedersen, Richard; Bezozo, Richard

    2013-02-01

    A novel in vivo approach is described that provides large area mapping of the mechanical properties of the skin in human patients. Such information is important in the understanding of skin health, cosmetic surgery[1], aging, and impacts of sun exposure. Currently, several methods have been developed to estimate the local biomechanical properties of the skin, including the use of a physical biopsy of local areas of the skin (in vitro methods) [2, 3, and 4], and also the use of non-invasive methods (in vivo) [5, 6, and 7]. All such methods examine localized areas of the skin. Our approach examines the local elastic properties via the generation of field displacement maps of the skin created using time-sequence imaging [9] with 2D digital imaging correlation (DIC) [10]. In this approach, large areas of the skin are reviewed rapidly, and skin displacement maps are generated showing the contour maps of skin deformation. These maps are then used to precisely register skin images for purposes of diagnostic comparison. This paper reports on our mapping and registration approach, and demonstrates its ability to accurately measure the skin deformation through a described nulling interpolation process. The result of local translational DIC alignment is compared using this interpolation process. The effectiveness of the approach is reported in terms of residual RMS, image entropy measures, and differential segmented regional errors.

  12. Radiographic findings of post-operative double stapled trans anal rectal resection (STARR) in patient with obstructed defecation syndrome (ODS).

    PubMed

    Grassi, Roberto; Romano, Stefania; Micera, Osvaldo; Fioroni, Claudio; Boller, Brigitta

    2005-03-01

    Longo's procedure of double stapled trans anal rectal resection (STARR) has been evocated as surgical treatment of the obstructed defecation syndrome (ODS) in patients with rectal mucosal prolapse. The aim of this study was to investigate the post-interventional findings of this technique, to help radiologist in knowledge of the changed morphology of the rectal lumen, also in attempt to recognize some potential related complications.

  13. High-resolution linkage map and chromosome-scale genome assembly for cassava ( Manihot esculenta Crantz) from 10 populations

    DOE PAGES

    Lyons, Jessica

    2014-12-11

    Cassava Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a major staple crop in Africa, Asia, and South America, and its starchy roots provide nourishment for 800 million people worldwide. Although native to South America, cassava was brought to Africa 400–500 years ago and is now widely cultivated across sub-Saharan Africa, but it is subject to biotic and abiotic stresses. To assist in the rapid identification of markers for pathogen resistance and crop traits, and to accelerate breeding programs, we generated a framework map for M. esculent Crantz from reduced representation sequencing [genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS)]. The composite 2412-cM map integrates 10 biparental maps (comprising 3480more » meioses) and organizes 22,403 genetic markers on 18 chromosomes, in agreement with the observed karyotype. Here, we used the map to anchor 71.9% of the draft genome assembly and 90.7% of the predicted protein-coding genes. The chromosome-anchored genome sequence will be useful for breeding improvement by assisting in the rapid identification of markers linked to important traits, and in providing a framework for genomic selectionenhanced breeding of this important crop.« less

  14. High-resolution linkage map and chromosome-scale genome assembly for cassava ( Manihot esculenta Crantz) from 10 populations

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lyons, Jessica

    Cassava Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a major staple crop in Africa, Asia, and South America, and its starchy roots provide nourishment for 800 million people worldwide. Although native to South America, cassava was brought to Africa 400–500 years ago and is now widely cultivated across sub-Saharan Africa, but it is subject to biotic and abiotic stresses. To assist in the rapid identification of markers for pathogen resistance and crop traits, and to accelerate breeding programs, we generated a framework map for M. esculent Crantz from reduced representation sequencing [genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS)]. The composite 2412-cM map integrates 10 biparental maps (comprising 3480more » meioses) and organizes 22,403 genetic markers on 18 chromosomes, in agreement with the observed karyotype. Here, we used the map to anchor 71.9% of the draft genome assembly and 90.7% of the predicted protein-coding genes. The chromosome-anchored genome sequence will be useful for breeding improvement by assisting in the rapid identification of markers linked to important traits, and in providing a framework for genomic selectionenhanced breeding of this important crop.« less

  15. Design and Analysis of Map Relative Localization for Access to Hazardous Landing Sites on Mars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Johnson, Andrew E.; Aaron, Seth; Cheng, Yang; Montgomery, James; Trawny, Nikolas; Tweddle, Brent; Vaughan, Geoffrey; Zheng, Jason

    2016-01-01

    Human and robotic planetary lander missions require accurate surface relative position knowledge to land near science targets or next to pre-deployed assets. In the absence of GPS, accurate position estimates can be obtained by automatically matching sensor data collected during descent to an on-board map. The Lander Vision System (LVS) that is being developed for Mars landing applications generates landmark matches in descent imagery and combines these with inertial data to estimate vehicle position, velocity and attitude. This paper describes recent LVS design work focused on making the map relative localization algorithms robust to challenging environmental conditions like bland terrain, appearance differences between the map and image and initial input state errors. Improved results are shown using data from a recent LVS field test campaign. This paper also fills a gap in analysis to date by assessing the performance of the LVS with data sets containing significant vertical motion including a complete data set from the Mars Science Laboratory mission, a Mars landing simulation, and field test data taken over multiple altitudes above the same scene. Accurate and robust performance is achieved for all data sets indicating that vertical motion does not play a significant role in position estimation performance.

  16. Sparse Bayesian Information Filters for Localization and Mapping

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-02-01

    a set of smaller, more manageable maps [76, 51, 139, 77, 12]. These appropriately-named submap algorithms greatly reduce the effects of map size on...An intuitive way of dealing with this limitation is to divide the world into numerous sub-environments, each comprised of a more manageable number of...p (xt, M I z t , u t) = p (M I xt, zt) • p (xt zt, ut) (2.16) 6 This assumes knowledge of the mean, which is necessary for observations that are

  17. A stapled p53 helix overcomes HDMX-mediated suppression of p53.

    PubMed

    Bernal, Federico; Wade, Mark; Godes, Marina; Davis, Tina N; Whitehead, David G; Kung, Andrew L; Wahl, Geoffrey M; Walensky, Loren D

    2010-11-16

    Cancer cells neutralize p53 by deletion, mutation, proteasomal degradation, or sequestration to achieve a pathologic survival advantage. Targeting the E3 ubiquitin ligase HDM2 can lead to a therapeutic surge in p53 levels. However, the efficacy of HDM2 inhibition can be compromised by overexpression of HDMX, an HDM2 homolog that binds and sequesters p53. Here, we report that a stapled p53 helix preferentially targets HDMX, blocks the formation of inhibitory p53-HDMX complexes, induces p53-dependent transcriptional upregulation, and thereby overcomes HDMX-mediated cancer resistance in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, our analysis of p53 interaction dynamics provides a blueprint for reactivating the p53 pathway in cancer by matching HDM2, HDMX, or dual inhibitors to the appropriate cellular context. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Staple Line Reinforcement During Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: Absorbable Monofilament, Barbed Suture, Fibrin Glue, or Nothing? Results of a Prospective Randomized Study.

    PubMed

    Carandina, S; Tabbara, M; Bossi, M; Valenti, A; Polliand, C; Genser, L; Barrat, Christophe

    2016-02-01

    Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is associated with serious complications, such as staple line (SL) leaks and bleeding. In order to prevent the occurrence of these complications, surgeons have advocated the need to strengthen the staple line. The aim of this randomized controlled study was to compare the efficacy of three different ways of strengthening of the SL in LSG in preventing surgical post-operative complications. Between April 2012 and December 2014, 600 patients (pts) scheduled for LSG were prospectively randomized into groups without SL reinforcement (group A) or with SL reinforcement including fibrin glue coverage (group B), or oversewn SL with imbricating absorbable (Monocryl™; group C) or barbed (V lock®) running suture (group D). Primary endpoints were post-operative leaks, bleeding, and stenosis, while secondary outcomes consisted of the time to perform the staple line reinforcement (SLR) and total operative time. Mean SLR operative time was lower for group B (3.4 ± 1.3 min) compared with that for groups C (26.8 ± 8.5 min) and D (21.1 ± 8.4 min) (p < 0.0001). Mean total operative time was 100.7 ± 16.4 min (group A), 104.4 ± 22.1 min (group B), 126.2 ± 18.9 min (group C), and 124.6 ± 22.8 (group D) (p < 0.0001). Post-operative leaks, bleeding, and stenosis were recorded in 14 pts (2.3 %), 5 pts (0.8 %), and 7 pts (1.1 %), respectively, without statistical difference between the groups. Our study suggests that SLR during LSG, with an imbricating or non-imbricating running suture or with fibrin glue, is an unrewarding surgical act with the sole effect of prolonging the operative time.

  19. Assessment and visualization of uncertainty for countrywide soil organic matter map of Hungary using local entropy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Szatmári, Gábor; Pásztor, László

    2016-04-01

    Uncertainty is a general term expressing our imperfect knowledge in describing an environmental process and we are aware of it (Bárdossy and Fodor, 2004). Sampling, laboratory measurements, models and so on are subject to uncertainty. Effective quantification and visualization of uncertainty would be indispensable to stakeholders (e.g. policy makers, society). Soil related features and their spatial models should be stressfully targeted to uncertainty assessment because their inferences are further used in modelling and decision making process. The aim of our present study was to assess and effectively visualize the local uncertainty of the countrywide soil organic matter (SOM) spatial distribution model of Hungary using geostatistical tools and concepts. The Hungarian Soil Information and Monitoring System's SOM data (approximately 1,200 observations) and environmental related, spatially exhaustive secondary information (i.e. digital elevation model, climatic maps, MODIS satellite images and geological map) were used to model the countrywide SOM spatial distribution by regression kriging. It would be common to use the calculated estimation (or kriging) variance as a measure of uncertainty, however the normality and homoscedasticity hypotheses have to be refused according to our preliminary analysis on the data. Therefore, a normal score transformation and a sequential stochastic simulation approach was introduced to be able to model and assess the local uncertainty. Five hundred equally probable realizations (i.e. stochastic images) were generated. The number of the stochastic images is fairly enough to provide a model of uncertainty at each location, which is a complete description of uncertainty in geostatistics (Deutsch and Journel, 1998). Furthermore, these models can be applied e.g. to contour the probability of any events, which can be regarded as goal oriented digital soil maps and are of interest for agricultural management and decision making as well. A

  20. Simultaneous Localization and Mapping with Iterative Sparse Extended Information Filter for Autonomous Vehicles

    PubMed Central

    He, Bo; Liu, Yang; Dong, Diya; Shen, Yue; Yan, Tianhong; Nian, Rui

    2015-01-01

    In this paper, a novel iterative sparse extended information filter (ISEIF) was proposed to solve the simultaneous localization and mapping problem (SLAM), which is very crucial for autonomous vehicles. The proposed algorithm solves the measurement update equations with iterative methods adaptively to reduce linearization errors. With the scalability advantage being kept, the consistency and accuracy of SEIF is improved. Simulations and practical experiments were carried out with both a land car benchmark and an autonomous underwater vehicle. Comparisons between iterative SEIF (ISEIF), standard EKF and SEIF are presented. All of the results convincingly show that ISEIF yields more consistent and accurate estimates compared to SEIF and preserves the scalability advantage over EKF, as well. PMID:26287194

  1. Simultaneous Localization and Mapping with Iterative Sparse Extended Information Filter for Autonomous Vehicles.

    PubMed

    He, Bo; Liu, Yang; Dong, Diya; Shen, Yue; Yan, Tianhong; Nian, Rui

    2015-08-13

    In this paper, a novel iterative sparse extended information filter (ISEIF) was proposed to solve the simultaneous localization and mapping problem (SLAM), which is very crucial for autonomous vehicles. The proposed algorithm solves the measurement update equations with iterative methods adaptively to reduce linearization errors. With the scalability advantage being kept, the consistency and accuracy of SEIF is improved. Simulations and practical experiments were carried out with both a land car benchmark and an autonomous underwater vehicle. Comparisons between iterative SEIF (ISEIF), standard EKF and SEIF are presented. All of the results convincingly show that ISEIF yields more consistent and accurate estimates compared to SEIF and preserves the scalability advantage over EKF, as well.

  2. Filter methods to preserve local contrast and to avoid artifacts in gamut mapping

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meili, Marcel; Küpper, Dennis; Barańczuk, Zofia; Caluori, Ursina; Simon, Klaus

    2010-01-01

    Contrary to high dynamic range imaging, the preservation of details and the avoidance of artifacts is not explicitly considered in popular color management systems. An effective way to overcome these difficulties is image filtering. In this paper we investigate several image filter concepts for detail preservation as part of a practical gamut mapping strategy. In particular we define four concepts including various image filters and check their performance with a psycho-visual test. Additionally, we compare our performance evaluation to two image quality measures with emphasis on local contrast. Surprisingly, the most simple filter concept performs highly efficient and achieves an image quality which is comparable to the more established but slower methods.

  3. Generating Multi-Destination Maps.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Junsong; Fan, Jiepeng; Luo, Zhenshan

    2017-08-01

    Multi-destination maps are a kind of navigation maps aimed to guide visitors to multiple destinations within a region, which can be of great help to urban visitors. However, they have not been developed in the current online map service. To address this issue, we introduce a novel layout model designed especially for generating multi-destination maps, which considers the global and local layout of a multi-destination map. We model the layout problem as a graph drawing that satisfies a set of hard and soft constraints. In the global layout phase, we balance the scale factor between ROIs. In the local layout phase, we make all edges have good visibility and optimize the map layout to preserve the relative length and angle of roads. We also propose a perturbation-based optimization method to find an optimal layout in the complex solution space. The multi-destination maps generated by our system are potential feasible on the modern mobile devices and our result can show an overview and a detail view of the whole map at the same time. In addition, we perform a user study to evaluate the effectiveness of our method, and the results prove that the multi-destination maps achieve our goals well.

  4. Urban topography for flood modeling by fusion of OpenStreetMap, SRTM and local knowledge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Winsemius, Hessel; Donchyts, Gennadii; Eilander, Dirk; Chen, Jorik; Leskens, Anne; Coughlan, Erin; Mawanda, Shaban; Ward, Philip; Diaz Loaiza, Andres; Luo, Tianyi; Iceland, Charles

    2016-04-01

    Topography data is essential for understanding and modeling of urban flood hazard. Within urban areas, much of the topography is defined by highly localized man-made features such as roads, channels, ditches, culverts and buildings. This results in the requirement that urban flood models require high resolution topography, and water conveying connections within the topography are considered. In recent years, more and more topography information is collected through LIDAR surveys however there are still many cities in the world where high resolution topography data is not available. Furthermore, information on connectivity is required for flood modelling, even when LIDAR data are used. In this contribution, we demonstrate how high resolution terrain data can be synthesized using a fusion between features in OpenStreetMap (OSM) data (including roads, culverts, channels and buildings) and existing low resolution and noisy SRTM elevation data using the Google Earth Engine platform. Our method uses typical existing OSM properties to estimate heights and topology associated with the features, and uses these to correct noise and burn features on top of the existing low resolution SRTM elevation data. The method has been setup in the Google Earth Engine platform so that local stakeholders and mapping teams can on-the-fly propose, include and visualize the effect of additional features and properties of features, which are deemed important for topography and water conveyance. These features can be included in a workshop environment. We pilot our tool over Dar Es Salaam.

  5. Genetic mapping and legume synteny of aphid resistance in African cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) grown in California.

    PubMed

    Huynh, Bao-Lam; Ehlers, Jeffrey D; Ndeve, Arsenio; Wanamaker, Steve; Lucas, Mitchell R; Close, Timothy J; Roberts, Philip A

    The cowpea aphid Aphis craccivora Koch (CPA) is a destructive insect pest of cowpea, a staple legume crop in Sub-Saharan Africa and other semiarid warm tropics and subtropics. In California, CPA causes damage on all local cultivars from early vegetative to pod development growth stages. Sources of CPA resistance are available in African cowpea germplasm. However, their utilization in breeding is limited by the lack of information on inheritance, genomic location and marker linkage associations of the resistance determinants. In the research reported here, a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from a cross between a susceptible California blackeye cultivar (CB27) and a resistant African breeding line (IT97K-556-6) was genotyped with 1,536 SNP markers. The RILs and parents were phenotyped for CPA resistance using field-based screenings during two main crop seasons in a 'hotspot' location for this pest within the primary growing region of the Central Valley of California. One minor and one major quantitative trait locus (QTL) were consistently mapped on linkage groups 1 and 7, respectively, both with favorable alleles contributed from IT97K-556-6. The major QTL appeared dominant based on a validation test in a related F2 population. SNP markers flanking each QTL were positioned in physical contigs carrying genes involved in plant defense based on synteny with related legumes. These markers could be used to introgress resistance alleles from IT97K-556-6 into susceptible local blackeye varieties by backcrossing.

  6. Regionalization of local geomorphometric derivations for geological mapping in the sedimentary domain of central Amazônia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Valeriano, Márcio de Morisson; Rossetti, Dilce de Fátima

    2017-03-01

    This paper reports procedures to prepare locally derived geomorphometric data for geological mapping at regional scale in central Amazônia. The size of the study area, approximately 1.5 million km2, and the prevailing flat topography of the targeted environment were the constraints motivating the aims, at spatial and numerical synthesis of the detailed geomorphometric information derived from SRTM DEM. The developed approach consisted in assigning single (average) values to terrain patches, to represent the regional distribution of pixel-based geomorphometric information (slope, profile curvature and relative relief). In analogy to the nature of sedimentary packs, patches were established as contiguous elevation strata, constructed through a procedure combining segmentation, filterings and range compressions. For slope only, pre-processing of locally derived data with median filtering effectively avoided the typical flattening of the regionalized results due to input distribution characteristics. Profile curvature was transformed into absolute values and thus a different meaning from the original (pixel) variable was considered in the interpretation, also avoiding the compensation of original values (positive and negative) tending to zero value when averaged through a regionally flat extension. Examinations near major river valleys showed patched elevation to depict alluvial terraces. In the interfluves and floodplains, contrasting patterns in the averaged variables among patches of similar elevations allowed the recognition of important relief features. In addition to the reduction of the distribution ranges, the correlation between regionalized geomorphometric variables was higher than observed in the originally local data, due to the thematic synthesis following regionalization. Depth of dissection, claimed to be related to the relative age of sedimentary units, was the main factor to explain the overall variations of the geomorphometric results. The developed

  7. A Multi-Sensorial Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) System for Low-Cost Micro Aerial Vehicles in GPS-Denied Environments

    PubMed Central

    López, Elena; García, Sergio; Barea, Rafael; Bergasa, Luis M.; Molinos, Eduardo J.; Arroyo, Roberto; Romera, Eduardo; Pardo, Samuel

    2017-01-01

    One of the main challenges of aerial robots navigation in indoor or GPS-denied environments is position estimation using only the available onboard sensors. This paper presents a Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) system that remotely calculates the pose and environment map of different low-cost commercial aerial platforms, whose onboard computing capacity is usually limited. The proposed system adapts to the sensory configuration of the aerial robot, by integrating different state-of-the art SLAM methods based on vision, laser and/or inertial measurements using an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF). To do this, a minimum onboard sensory configuration is supposed, consisting of a monocular camera, an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and an altimeter. It allows to improve the results of well-known monocular visual SLAM methods (LSD-SLAM and ORB-SLAM are tested and compared in this work) by solving scale ambiguity and providing additional information to the EKF. When payload and computational capabilities permit, a 2D laser sensor can be easily incorporated to the SLAM system, obtaining a local 2.5D map and a footprint estimation of the robot position that improves the 6D pose estimation through the EKF. We present some experimental results with two different commercial platforms, and validate the system by applying it to their position control. PMID:28397758

  8. Nonunique and nonuniform mapping in few-body Coulomb-explosion imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sayler, A. M.; Eckner, E.; McKenna, J.; Esry, B. D.; Carnes, K. D.; Ben-Itzhak, I.; Paulus, G. G.

    2018-03-01

    Much of our knowledge of molecular geometry and interaction dynamics comes from indirect measurements of the molecular fragments following breakup. This technique—Coulomb-explosion imaging (CEI), i.e., determining the initial molecular configuration of a system from the momenta of the resulting fragments using knowledge of the particle interactions—is one of the fundamental tools of molecular physics. Moreover, CEI has been a staple of molecular studies for decades. Here we show that one often cannot assign a unique initial configuration to the few-body breakup of a polyatomic molecule given the measurement of the resulting fragments' momenta. Specifically, multiple initial configurations can result in identical momenta for a molecule breaking into three or more parts. Further, the nonunique and nonuniform mapping from the initial configuration to the measured momenta also significantly complicates the determination of molecular alignment at the time of breakup.

  9. IntegratedMap: a Web interface for integrating genetic map data.

    PubMed

    Yang, Hongyu; Wang, Hongyu; Gingle, Alan R

    2005-05-01

    IntegratedMap is a Web application and database schema for storing and interactively displaying genetic map data. Its Web interface includes a menu for direct chromosome/linkage group selection, a search form for selection based on mapped object location and linkage group displays. An overview display provides convenient access to the full range of mapped and anchored object types with genetic locus details, such as numbers, types and names of mapped/anchored objects displayed in a compact scrollable list box that automatically updates based on selected map location and object type. Also, multilinkage group and localized map views are available along with links that can be configured for integration with other Web resources. IntegratedMap is implemented in C#/ASP.NET and the package, including a MySQL schema creation script, is available from http://cggc.agtec.uga.edu/Data/download.asp

  10. Pelvic flexure enterotomy closure in the horse with a TA-90 stapling device: A retrospective clinical study of 84 cases (2001–2008)

    PubMed Central

    Rosser, Julie; Brounts, Sabrina; Slone, Don; Lynch, Tim; Livesey, Michael; Hughes, Faith; Clark, Carol

    2012-01-01

    Our objective was to compare survival and complication rates of horses undergoing pelvic flexure enterotomy closure with a TA-90 stapler to those with hand-sewn closure. Medical records of horses undergoing pelvic flexure enterotomy between 2001 and 2008 were reviewed. History, clinical signs, surgical findings, surgical techniques, and post-operative complications were recorded. Long-term outcome was established by telephone questionnaire. Of 84 pelvic flexure enterotomies performed, 70 were stapled and 14 were hand-sewn. Seventy-seven horses survived to discharge (91.7%). There were no significant associations between survival and closure technique (P = 0.69). Follow-up was available for 54 horses; 50 survived long-term (93.0%). No statistical significance was identified between long-term survival and closure method (P = 0.39). Forty horses went on to athletic performance (80.0%). TA-90 stapled closure of pelvic flexure enterotomies is a safe technique resulting in survival and complication rates equivalent to those of hand-sewn closure. PMID:23204584

  11. Tsunami Mapping Related to Local Earthquakes on the French-Italian Riviera (Western Mediterranean)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ioualalen, Mansour; Larroque, Christophe; Scotti, Oona; Daubord, Camille

    2014-07-01

    undergo in order to propose a synoptic mapping of the tsunami threat in the area. The spatial distribution of the maximum wave height (MWH) is provided with a tentative identification of the processes that are responsible for it. This latter issue is imperative in order to make our mapping as generic as possible in the framework of our deterministic approach (based on realistic scenarios and not on ensemble statistics). The predictions suggest that the wave impact is mostly local, considering the relatively moderate size of the rupture planes. Although the present-day seismicity in this region is moderate, stronger earthquakes ( M > 6.5) have occurred in the past. The studied scenarios show that for such events specific localities along the French-Italian Riviera may experience very significant MWH related to the shallow focal depth tested for such scenarios. We may reasonably conclude that the tsunami threat is relatively significant and uniform at the Italian side of the Riviera (from Ventimiglia to Imperia), while it is more localized (sporadic) at the French side from Antibes to Menton with, however, higher local level of inundation, e.g., Nice city center.

  12. Assessment and application of national environmental databases and mapping tools at the local level to two community case studies.

    PubMed

    Hammond, Davyda; Conlon, Kathryn; Barzyk, Timothy; Chahine, Teresa; Zartarian, Valerie; Schultz, Brad

    2011-03-01

    Communities are concerned over pollution levels and seek methods to systematically identify and prioritize the environmental stressors in their communities. Geographic information system (GIS) maps of environmental information can be useful tools for communities in their assessment of environmental-pollution-related risks. Databases and mapping tools that supply community-level estimates of ambient concentrations of hazardous pollutants, risk, and potential health impacts can provide relevant information for communities to understand, identify, and prioritize potential exposures and risk from multiple sources. An assessment of existing databases and mapping tools was conducted as part of this study to explore the utility of publicly available databases, and three of these databases were selected for use in a community-level GIS mapping application. Queried data from the U.S. EPA's National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment, Air Quality System, and National Emissions Inventory were mapped at the appropriate spatial and temporal resolutions for identifying risks of exposure to air pollutants in two communities. The maps combine monitored and model-simulated pollutant and health risk estimates, along with local survey results, to assist communities with the identification of potential exposure sources and pollution hot spots. Findings from this case study analysis will provide information to advance the development of new tools to assist communities with environmental risk assessments and hazard prioritization. © 2010 Society for Risk Analysis.

  13. A consensus linkage map of lentil based on DArT markers from three RIL mapping populations.

    PubMed

    Ates, Duygu; Aldemir, Secil; Alsaleh, Ahmad; Erdogmus, Semih; Nemli, Seda; Kahriman, Abdullah; Ozkan, Hakan; Vandenberg, Albert; Tanyolac, Bahattin

    2018-01-01

    Lentil (Lens culinaris ssp. culinaris Medikus) is a diploid (2n = 2x = 14), self-pollinating grain legume with a haploid genome size of about 4 Gbp and is grown throughout the world with current annual production of 4.9 million tonnes. A consensus map of lentil (Lens culinaris ssp. culinaris Medikus) was constructed using three different lentils recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations, including "CDC Redberry" x "ILL7502" (LR8), "ILL8006" x "CDC Milestone" (LR11) and "PI320937" x "Eston" (LR39). The lentil consensus map was composed of 9,793 DArT markers, covered a total of 977.47 cM with an average distance of 0.10 cM between adjacent markers and constructed 7 linkage groups representing 7 chromosomes of the lentil genome. The consensus map had no gap larger than 12.67 cM and only 5 gaps were found to be between 12.67 cM and 6.0 cM (on LG3 and LG4). The localization of the SNP markers on the lentil consensus map were in general consistent with their localization on the three individual genetic linkage maps and the lentil consensus map has longer map length, higher marker density and shorter average distance between the adjacent markers compared to the component linkage maps. This high-density consensus map could provide insight into the lentil genome. The consensus map could also help to construct a physical map using a Bacterial Artificial Chromosome library and map based cloning studies. Sequence information of DArT may help localization of orientation scaffolds from Next Generation Sequencing data.

  14. Assessment of MRI issues at 3-Tesla for metallic surgical implants: findings applied to 61 additional skin closure staples and vessel ligation clips.

    PubMed

    Gill, Amreeta; Shellock, Frank G

    2012-01-09

    Metallic skin closure staples and vessel ligation clips should be tested at 3-Tesla to characterize MRI issues in order to ensure patient safety. Therefore, metallic surgical implants were assessed at 3-Tesla for magnetic field interactions, MRI-related heating, and artifacts. A skin closure staple (Visistat Skin Stapler, staple, Polytetrafluoroethylene, PTFE, coated 316L/316LVM stainless steel; Teleflex Medical, Durham, NC) and a vessel ligation clip (Hemoclip Traditional, stainless steel; Teleflex Medical, Durham, NC) that represented the largest metallic sizes made from materials with the highest magnetic susceptibilities (i.e., based on material information) among 61 other surgical implants (52 metallic implants, 9 nonmetallic implants) underwent evaluation for magnetic field interactions, MRI-related heating, and artifacts using standardized techniques. MRI-related heating was assessed by placing each implant in a gelled-saline-filled phantom with MRI performed using a transmit/receive RF body coil at an MR system reported, whole body averaged SAR of 2.9-W/kg for 15-min. Artifacts were characterized using T1-weighted, SE and GRE pulse sequences. Each surgical implant showed minor magnetic field interactions (20- and 27-degrees, which is acceptable from a safety consideration). Heating was not substantial (highest temperature change, ≤ 1.6°C). Artifacts may create issues if the area of interest is in the same area or close to the respective surgical implant. The results demonstrated that it would be acceptable for patients with these metallic surgical implants to undergo MRI at 3-Tesla or less. Because of the materials and dimensions of the surgical implants that underwent testing, these findings pertain to 61 additional similar implants.

  15. Assessment of MRI issues at 3-Tesla for metallic surgical implants: findings applied to 61 additional skin closure staples and vessel ligation clips

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Purpose Metallic skin closure staples and vessel ligation clips should be tested at 3-Tesla to characterize MRI issues in order to ensure patient safety. Therefore, metallic surgical implants were assessed at 3-Tesla for magnetic field interactions, MRI-related heating, and artifacts. Methods A skin closure staple (Visistat Skin Stapler, staple, Polytetrafluoroethylene, PTFE, coated 316L/316LVM stainless steel; Teleflex Medical, Durham, NC) and a vessel ligation clip (Hemoclip Traditional, stainless steel; Teleflex Medical, Durham, NC) that represented the largest metallic sizes made from materials with the highest magnetic susceptibilities (i.e., based on material information) among 61 other surgical implants (52 metallic implants, 9 nonmetallic implants) underwent evaluation for magnetic field interactions, MRI-related heating, and artifacts using standardized techniques. MRI-related heating was assessed by placing each implant in a gelled-saline-filled phantom with MRI performed using a transmit/receive RF body coil at an MR system reported, whole body averaged SAR of 2.9-W/kg for 15-min. Artifacts were characterized using T1-weighted, SE and GRE pulse sequences. Results Each surgical implant showed minor magnetic field interactions (20- and 27-degrees, which is acceptable from a safety consideration). Heating was not substantial (highest temperature change, ≤ 1.6°C). Artifacts may create issues if the area of interest is in the same area or close to the respective surgical implant. Conclusions The results demonstrated that it would be acceptable for patients with these metallic surgical implants to undergo MRI at 3-Tesla or less. Because of the materials and dimensions of the surgical implants that underwent testing, these findings pertain to 61 additional similar implants. PMID:22230200

  16. 30-Day Outcomes of Revisional Bariatric Stapling Procedures: First Report Based on MBSAQIP Data Registry.

    PubMed

    El Chaar, Maher; Stoltzfus, Jill; Melitics, Maureen; Claros, Leonardo; Zeido, Ahmad

    2018-06-06

    The number of bariatric revisional cases has nearly doubled since 2011, and now comprises 13.6% of the total number of cases. The objective of this study is to evaluate the outcomes and safety of the two most common stapling revisional procedures, namely, sleeve and gastric bypass in comparison to primary stapling procedures using the MBSAQIP data registry. We reviewed all the sleeve and gastric bypass cases entered between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2015, in the MBSAQIP data registry. We, then, identified sleeve and bypass patients who have had a previous bariatric procedure. Demographics and 30 day outcomes of all sleeve and gastric bypass patients were analyzed. We conducted within group comparisons comparing primary sleeve gastrectomy (PS) and primary gastric bypass (PB) patients to revisional sleeve (RS) and revisional gastric bypass (RB) patients, respectively. We, then, conducted group comparisons comparing RS to RB patients. The total number of patients analyzed was 141,577 (98,292 or 69% sleeve patients and 43,285 or 31% gastric bypass patients). Among the sleeve patients, 92,666 (94%) had a PS and 5626 (6%) had RS. Among the bypass patients, 39,567 (91%) had a PB and 3718 patients (9%) had RB. 30-day readmission rate of RS was significantly higher as compared to PS (4.1 vs 0.4%, p < 0.05). The incidence of at least one complication requiring reoperation or reintervention within 30 days following RS was twice as high as compared to PS (1.9 and 2% for RS vs 0.9 and 1.1% for PS respectively, p < 0.05). Length of stay and 30 day mortality rates for PS and RS were the same. 30-day readmission rate of RB as compared to PB was 8.3 vs 6.3% (p < 0.05). Also, the incidence of at least one complication requiring reoperation or reintervention following RB was 3.9 and 4%, respectively vs 2.4 and 2.7% for PB (p < 0.05). In addition, readmission rates and unplanned admission rates to the ICU were significantly higher for RB compared to RS (8

  17. Residual delay maps unveil global patterns of atmospheric nonlinearity and produce improved local forecasts

    PubMed Central

    Sugihara, George; Casdagli, Martin; Habjan, Edward; Hess, Dale; Dixon, Paul; Holland, Greg

    1999-01-01

    We use residual-delay maps of observational field data for barometric pressure to demonstrate the structure of latitudinal gradients in nonlinearity in the atmosphere. Nonlinearity is weak and largely lacking in tropical and subtropical sites and increases rapidly into the temperate regions where the time series also appear to be much noisier. The degree of nonlinearity closely follows the meridional variation of midlatitude storm track frequency. We extract the specific functional form of this nonlinearity, a V shape in the lagged residuals that appears to be a basic feature of midlatitude synoptic weather systems associated with frontal passages. We present evidence that this form arises from the relative time scales of high-pressure versus low-pressure events. Finally, we show that this nonlinear feature is weaker in a well regarded numerical forecast model (European Centre for Medium-Range Forecasts) because small-scale temporal and spatial variation is smoothed out in the grided inputs. This is significant, in that it allows us to demonstrate how application of statistical corrections based on the residual-delay map may provide marked increases in local forecast accuracy, especially for severe weather systems. PMID:10588685

  18. Localizing Ground Penetrating RADAR: A Step Towards Robust Autonomous Ground Vehicle Localization

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-07-14

    localization designed to complement existing approaches with a low sensitivity to failure modes of LIDAR, camera, and GPS/INS sensors due to its low...the detailed design and results from highway testing, which uses a simple heuristic for fusing LGPR estimates with a GPS/INS system. Cross-track... designed to enable a priori map-based local- ization. LGPR offers complementary capabilities to tradi- tional optics-based approaches to map-based

  19. A survey of simultaneous localization and mapping on unstructured lunar complex environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yiqiao; Zhang, Wei; An, Pei

    2017-10-01

    Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) technology is the key to realizing lunar rover's intelligent perception and autonomous navigation. It embodies the autonomous ability of mobile robot, and has attracted plenty of concerns of researchers in the past thirty years. Visual sensors are meaningful to SLAM research because they can provide a wealth of information. Visual SLAM uses merely images as external information to estimate the location of the robot and construct the environment map. Nowadays, SLAM technology still has problems when applied in large-scale, unstructured and complex environment. Based on the latest technology in the field of visual SLAM, this paper investigates and summarizes the SLAM technology using in the unstructured complex environment of lunar surface. In particular, we focus on summarizing and comparing the detection and matching of features of SIFT, SURF and ORB, in the meanwhile discussing their advantages and disadvantages. We have analyzed the three main methods: SLAM Based on Extended Kalman Filter, SLAM Based on Particle Filter and SLAM Based on Graph Optimization (EKF-SLAM, PF-SLAM and Graph-based SLAM). Finally, this article summarizes and discusses the key scientific and technical difficulties in the lunar context that Visual SLAM faces. At the same time, we have explored the frontier issues such as multi-sensor fusion SLAM and multi-robot cooperative SLAM technology. We also predict and prospect the development trend of lunar rover SLAM technology, and put forward some ideas of further research.

  20. Integrated physical map of bread wheat chromosome arm 7DS to facilitate gene cloning and comparative studies.

    PubMed

    Tulpová, Zuzana; Luo, Ming-Cheng; Toegelová, Helena; Visendi, Paul; Hayashi, Satomi; Vojta, Petr; Paux, Etienne; Kilian, Andrzej; Abrouk, Michaël; Bartoš, Jan; Hajdúch, Marián; Batley, Jacqueline; Edwards, David; Doležel, Jaroslav; Šimková, Hana

    2018-03-08

    Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a staple food for a significant part of the world's population. The growing demand on its production can be satisfied by improving yield and resistance to biotic and abiotic stress. Knowledge of the genome sequence would aid in discovering genes and QTLs underlying these traits and provide a basis for genomics-assisted breeding. Physical maps and BAC clones associated with them have been valuable resources from which to generate a reference genome of bread wheat and to assist map-based gene cloning. As a part of a joint effort coordinated by the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium, we have constructed a BAC-based physical map of bread wheat chromosome arm 7DS consisting of 895 contigs and covering 94% of its estimated length. By anchoring BAC contigs to one radiation hybrid map and three high resolution genetic maps, we assigned 73% of the assembly to a distinct genomic position. This map integration, interconnecting a total of 1713 markers with ordered and sequenced BAC clones from a minimal tiling path, provides a tool to speed up gene cloning in wheat. The process of physical map assembly included the integration of the 7DS physical map with a whole-genome physical map of Aegilops tauschii and a 7DS Bionano genome map, which together enabled efficient scaffolding of physical-map contigs, even in the non-recombining region of the genetic centromere. Moreover, this approach facilitated a comparison of bread wheat and its ancestor at BAC-contig level and revealed a reconstructed region in the 7DS pericentromere. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  1. Anastomotic stenoses occurring after circular stapling in esophageal cancer surgery.

    PubMed

    Petrin, G; Ruol, A; Battaglia, G; Buin, F; Merigliano, S; Constantini, M; Pavei, P; Cagol, M; Scappin, S; Ancona, E

    2000-07-01

    Circular staplers have reduced the incidence of anastomotic leaks in esophagovisceral anastomosis. However, the prevalence of stenosis is greater with staplers than with manual suturing. The aim of this study was to analyze potential risk factors for the onset of anastomotic stenoses and to evaluate their treatment and final outcome. Between 1990 and 1995, 187 patients underwent esophagectomy and esophagogastrostomy with anastomosis performed inside the chest using a circular stapler. Twenty-three patients (12.3%) developed an anastomotic stenosis. The incidence of strictures was inversely related to the diameter of the stapler. Concomitant cardiovascular diseases; morphofunctional disorders of the tubulized stomach, such as those related to duodenogastric reflux; and neoadjuvant chemotherapy were also recognized as significant risk factors. Endoscopic dilatations proved safe and were effective in the treatment of most anastomotic stenoses. To reduce the risk of anastomotic stenosis after stapled intrathoracic esophagogastrostomy, adequate vascularization of the viscera being anastomized should be maintained, and it is mandatory to use the largest circular stapler suitable. Furthermore, it is essential to reduce the negative inflammation-inducing effects of duodenogastroesophageal reflux to a minimum. Endoscopic dilatations are safe and effective in curing the great majority of anastomotic stenoses.

  2. Performance analysis of the Microsoft Kinect sensor for 2D Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) techniques.

    PubMed

    Kamarudin, Kamarulzaman; Mamduh, Syed Muhammad; Shakaff, Ali Yeon Md; Zakaria, Ammar

    2014-12-05

    This paper presents a performance analysis of two open-source, laser scanner-based Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) techniques (i.e., Gmapping and Hector SLAM) using a Microsoft Kinect to replace the laser sensor. Furthermore, the paper proposes a new system integration approach whereby a Linux virtual machine is used to run the open source SLAM algorithms. The experiments were conducted in two different environments; a small room with no features and a typical office corridor with desks and chairs. Using the data logged from real-time experiments, each SLAM technique was simulated and tested with different parameter settings. The results show that the system is able to achieve real time SLAM operation. The system implementation offers a simple and reliable way to compare the performance of Windows-based SLAM algorithm with the algorithms typically implemented in a Robot Operating System (ROS). The results also indicate that certain modifications to the default laser scanner-based parameters are able to improve the map accuracy. However, the limited field of view and range of Kinect's depth sensor often causes the map to be inaccurate, especially in featureless areas, therefore the Kinect sensor is not a direct replacement for a laser scanner, but rather offers a feasible alternative for 2D SLAM tasks.

  3. Performance Analysis of the Microsoft Kinect Sensor for 2D Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) Techniques

    PubMed Central

    Kamarudin, Kamarulzaman; Mamduh, Syed Muhammad; Shakaff, Ali Yeon Md; Zakaria, Ammar

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents a performance analysis of two open-source, laser scanner-based Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) techniques (i.e., Gmapping and Hector SLAM) using a Microsoft Kinect to replace the laser sensor. Furthermore, the paper proposes a new system integration approach whereby a Linux virtual machine is used to run the open source SLAM algorithms. The experiments were conducted in two different environments; a small room with no features and a typical office corridor with desks and chairs. Using the data logged from real-time experiments, each SLAM technique was simulated and tested with different parameter settings. The results show that the system is able to achieve real time SLAM operation. The system implementation offers a simple and reliable way to compare the performance of Windows-based SLAM algorithm with the algorithms typically implemented in a Robot Operating System (ROS). The results also indicate that certain modifications to the default laser scanner-based parameters are able to improve the map accuracy. However, the limited field of view and range of Kinect's depth sensor often causes the map to be inaccurate, especially in featureless areas, therefore the Kinect sensor is not a direct replacement for a laser scanner, but rather offers a feasible alternative for 2D SLAM tasks. PMID:25490595

  4. Discovery and mapping of single feature polymorphisms in wheat using Affymetrix arrays

    PubMed Central

    Bernardo, Amy N; Bradbury, Peter J; Ma, Hongxiang; Hu, Shengwa; Bowden, Robert L; Buckler, Edward S; Bai, Guihua

    2009-01-01

    Background Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a staple food crop worldwide. The wheat genome has not yet been sequenced due to its huge genome size (~17,000 Mb) and high levels of repetitive sequences; the whole genome sequence may not be expected in the near future. Available linkage maps have low marker density due to limitation in available markers; therefore new technologies that detect genome-wide polymorphisms are still needed to discover a large number of new markers for construction of high-resolution maps. A high-resolution map is a critical tool for gene isolation, molecular breeding and genomic research. Single feature polymorphism (SFP) is a new microarray-based type of marker that is detected by hybridization of DNA or cRNA to oligonucleotide probes. This study was conducted to explore the feasibility of using the Affymetrix GeneChip to discover and map SFPs in the large hexaploid wheat genome. Results Six wheat varieties of diverse origins (Ning 7840, Clark, Jagger, Encruzilhada, Chinese Spring, and Opata 85) were analyzed for significant probe by variety interactions and 396 probe sets with SFPs were identified. A subset of 164 unigenes was sequenced and 54% showed polymorphism within probes. Microarray analysis of 71 recombinant inbred lines from the cross Ning 7840/Clark identified 955 SFPs and 877 of them were mapped together with 269 simple sequence repeat markers. The SFPs were randomly distributed within a chromosome but were unevenly distributed among different genomes. The B genome had the most SFPs, and the D genome had the least. Map positions of a selected set of SFPs were validated by mapping single nucleotide polymorphism using SNaPshot and comparing with expressed sequence tags mapping data. Conclusion The Affymetrix array is a cost-effective platform for SFP discovery and SFP mapping in wheat. The new high-density map constructed in this study will be a useful tool for genetic and genomic research in wheat. PMID:19480702

  5. Mapping local and global variability in plant trait distributions

    DOE PAGES

    Butler, Ethan E.; Datta, Abhirup; Flores-Moreno, Habacuc; ...

    2017-12-01

    Accurate trait-environment relationships and global maps of plant trait distributions represent a needed stepping stone in global biogeography and are critical constraints of key parameters for land models. Here, we use a global data set of plant traits to map trait distributions closely coupled to photosynthesis and foliar respiration: specific leaf area (SLA), and dry mass-based concentrations of leaf nitrogen (Nm) and phosphorus (Pm); We propose two models to extrapolate geographically sparse point data to continuous spatial surfaces. The first is a categorical model using species mean trait values, categorized into plant functional types (PFTs) and extrapolating to PFT occurrencemore » ranges identified by remote sensing. The second is a Bayesian spatial model that incorporates information about PFT, location and environmental covariates to estimate trait distributions. Both models are further stratified by varying the number of PFTs; The performance of the models was evaluated based on their explanatory and predictive ability. The Bayesian spatial model leveraging the largest number of PFTs produced the best maps; The interpolation of full trait distributions enables a wider diversity of vegetation to be represented across the land surface. These maps may be used as input to Earth System Models and to evaluate other estimates of functional diversity.« less

  6. Mapping local and global variability in plant trait distributions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Butler, Ethan E.; Datta, Abhirup; Flores-Moreno, Habacuc

    Accurate trait-environment relationships and global maps of plant trait distributions represent a needed stepping stone in global biogeography and are critical constraints of key parameters for land models. Here, we use a global data set of plant traits to map trait distributions closely coupled to photosynthesis and foliar respiration: specific leaf area (SLA), and dry mass-based concentrations of leaf nitrogen (Nm) and phosphorus (Pm); We propose two models to extrapolate geographically sparse point data to continuous spatial surfaces. The first is a categorical model using species mean trait values, categorized into plant functional types (PFTs) and extrapolating to PFT occurrencemore » ranges identified by remote sensing. The second is a Bayesian spatial model that incorporates information about PFT, location and environmental covariates to estimate trait distributions. Both models are further stratified by varying the number of PFTs; The performance of the models was evaluated based on their explanatory and predictive ability. The Bayesian spatial model leveraging the largest number of PFTs produced the best maps; The interpolation of full trait distributions enables a wider diversity of vegetation to be represented across the land surface. These maps may be used as input to Earth System Models and to evaluate other estimates of functional diversity.« less

  7. A consensus linkage map of lentil based on DArT markers from three RIL mapping populations

    PubMed Central

    Ates, Duygu; Aldemir, Secil; Alsaleh, Ahmad; Erdogmus, Semih; Nemli, Seda; Kahriman, Abdullah; Ozkan, Hakan; Vandenberg, Albert

    2018-01-01

    Background Lentil (Lens culinaris ssp. culinaris Medikus) is a diploid (2n = 2x = 14), self-pollinating grain legume with a haploid genome size of about 4 Gbp and is grown throughout the world with current annual production of 4.9 million tonnes. Materials and methods A consensus map of lentil (Lens culinaris ssp. culinaris Medikus) was constructed using three different lentils recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations, including “CDC Redberry” x “ILL7502” (LR8), “ILL8006” x “CDC Milestone” (LR11) and “PI320937” x “Eston” (LR39). Results The lentil consensus map was composed of 9,793 DArT markers, covered a total of 977.47 cM with an average distance of 0.10 cM between adjacent markers and constructed 7 linkage groups representing 7 chromosomes of the lentil genome. The consensus map had no gap larger than 12.67 cM and only 5 gaps were found to be between 12.67 cM and 6.0 cM (on LG3 and LG4). The localization of the SNP markers on the lentil consensus map were in general consistent with their localization on the three individual genetic linkage maps and the lentil consensus map has longer map length, higher marker density and shorter average distance between the adjacent markers compared to the component linkage maps. Conclusion This high-density consensus map could provide insight into the lentil genome. The consensus map could also help to construct a physical map using a Bacterial Artificial Chromosome library and map based cloning studies. Sequence information of DArT may help localization of orientation scaffolds from Next Generation Sequencing data. PMID:29351563

  8. An Adaptive Scheme for Robot Localization and Mapping with Dynamically Configurable Inter-Beacon Range Measurements

    PubMed Central

    Torres-González, Arturo; Martinez-de Dios, Jose Ramiro; Ollero, Anibal

    2014-01-01

    This work is motivated by robot-sensor network cooperation techniques where sensor nodes (beacons) are used as landmarks for range-only (RO) simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). This paper presents a RO-SLAM scheme that actuates over the measurement gathering process using mechanisms that dynamically modify the rate and variety of measurements that are integrated in the SLAM filter. It includes a measurement gathering module that can be configured to collect direct robot-beacon and inter-beacon measurements with different inter-beacon depth levels and at different rates. It also includes a supervision module that monitors the SLAM performance and dynamically selects the measurement gathering configuration balancing SLAM accuracy and resource consumption. The proposed scheme has been applied to an extended Kalman filter SLAM with auxiliary particle filters for beacon initialization (PF-EKF SLAM) and validated with experiments performed in the CONET Integrated Testbed. It achieved lower map and robot errors (34% and 14%, respectively) than traditional methods with a lower computational burden (16%) and similar beacon energy consumption. PMID:24776938

  9. An adaptive scheme for robot localization and mapping with dynamically configurable inter-beacon range measurements.

    PubMed

    Torres-González, Arturo; Martinez-de Dios, Jose Ramiro; Ollero, Anibal

    2014-04-25

    This work is motivated by robot-sensor network cooperation techniques where sensor nodes (beacons) are used as landmarks for range-only (RO) simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). This paper presents a RO-SLAM scheme that actuates over the measurement gathering process using mechanisms that dynamically modify the rate and variety of measurements that are integrated in the SLAM filter. It includes a measurement gathering module that can be configured to collect direct robot-beacon and inter-beacon measurements with different inter-beacon depth levels and at different rates. It also includes a supervision module that monitors the SLAM performance and dynamically selects the measurement gathering configuration balancing SLAM accuracy and resource consumption. The proposed scheme has been applied to an extended Kalman filter SLAM with auxiliary particle filters for beacon initialization (PF-EKF SLAM) and validated with experiments performed in the CONET Integrated Testbed. It achieved lower map and robot errors (34% and 14%, respectively) than traditional methods with a lower computational burden (16%) and similar beacon energy consumption.

  10. Spirit rover localization and topographic mapping at the landing site of Gusev crater, Mars

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Li, R.; Archinal, B.A.; Arvidson, R. E.; Bell, J.; Christensen, P.; Crumpler, L.; Des Marais, D.J.; Di, K.; Duxbury, T.; Golombek, M.P.; Grant, J. A.; Greeley, R.; Guinn, J.; Johnson, Aaron H.; Kirk, R.L.; Maimone, M.; Matthies, L.H.; Malin, M.; Parker, T.; Sims, M.; Thompson, S.; Squyres, S. W.; Soderblom, L.A.

    2006-01-01

    By sol 440, the Spirit rover has traversed a distance of 3.76 km (actual distance traveled instead of odometry). Localization of the lander and the rover along the traverse has been successfully performed at the Gusev crater landing site. We localized the lander in the Gusev crater using two-way Doppler radio positioning and cartographic triangulations through landmarks visible in both orbital and ground images. Additional high-resolution orbital images were used to verify the determined lander position. Visual odometry and bundle adjustment technologies were applied to compensate for wheel slippage, azimuthal angle drift, and other navigation errors (which were as large as 10.5% in the Husband Hill area). We generated topographic products, including 72 ortho maps and three-dimensional (3-D) digital terrain models, 11 horizontal and vertical traverse profiles, and one 3-D crater model (up to sol 440). Also discussed in this paper are uses of the data for science operations planning, geological traverse surveys, surveys of wind-related features, and other science applications. Copyright 2006 by the American Geophysical Union.

  11. Advanced dynamic statistical parametric mapping with MEG in localizing epileptogenicity of the bottom of sulcus dysplasia.

    PubMed

    Nakajima, Midori; Wong, Simeon; Widjaja, Elysa; Baba, Shiro; Okanishi, Tohru; Takada, Lynne; Sato, Yosuke; Iwata, Hiroki; Sogabe, Maya; Morooka, Hikaru; Whitney, Robyn; Ueda, Yuki; Ito, Tomoshiro; Yagyu, Kazuyori; Ochi, Ayako; Carter Snead, O; Rutka, James T; Drake, James M; Doesburg, Sam; Takeuchi, Fumiya; Shiraishi, Hideaki; Otsubo, Hiroshi

    2018-06-01

    To investigate whether advanced dynamic statistical parametric mapping (AdSPM) using magnetoencephalography (MEG) can better localize focal cortical dysplasia at bottom of sulcus (FCDB). We analyzed 15 children with diagnosis of FCDB in surgical specimen and 3 T MRI by using MEG. Using AdSPM, we analyzed a ±50 ms epoch relative to each single moving dipole (SMD) and applied summation technique to estimate the source activity. The most active area in AdSPM was defined as the location of AdSPM spike source. We compared spatial congruence between MRI-visible FCDB and (1) dipole cluster in SMD method; and (2) AdSPM spike source. AdSPM localized FCDB in 12 (80%) of 15 children whereas dipole cluster localized six (40%). AdSPM spike source was concordant within seizure onset zone in nine (82%) of 11 children with intracranial video EEG. Eleven children with resective surgery achieved seizure freedom with follow-up period of 1.9 ± 1.5 years. Ten (91%) of them had an AdSPM spike source in the resection area. AdSPM can noninvasively and neurophysiologically localize epileptogenic FCDB, whether it overlaps with the dipole cluster or not. This is the first study to localize epileptogenic FCDB using MEG. Copyright © 2018 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Mapping local orientation of aligned fibrous scatterers for cancerous tissues using backscattering Mueller matrix imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    He, Honghui; Sun, Minghao; Zeng, Nan; Du, E.; Liu, Shaoxiong; Guo, Yihong; Wu, Jian; He, Yonghong; Ma, Hui

    2014-10-01

    Polarization measurements are sensitive to the microstructure of tissues and can be used to detect pathological changes. Many tissues contain anisotropic fibrous structures. We obtain the local orientation of aligned fibrous scatterers using different groups of the backscattering Mueller matrix elements. Experiments on concentrically well-aligned silk fibers and unstained human papillary thyroid carcinoma tissues show that the m22, m33, m23, and m32 elements have better contrast but higher degeneracy for the extraction of orientation angles. The m12 and m13 elements show lower contrast, but allow us to determine the orientation angle for the fibrous scatterers along all directions. Moreover, Monte Carlo simulations based on the sphere-cylinder scattering model indicate that the oblique incidence of the illumination beam introduces some errors in the orientation angles obtained by both methods. Mapping the local orientation of anisotropic tissues may not only provide information on pathological changes, but can also give new leads to reduce the orientation dependence of polarization measurements.

  13. Open access resources for genome-wide association mapping in rice

    PubMed Central

    McCouch, Susan R.; Wright, Mark H.; Tung, Chih-Wei; Maron, Lyza G.; McNally, Kenneth L.; Fitzgerald, Melissa; Singh, Namrata; DeClerck, Genevieve; Agosto-Perez, Francisco; Korniliev, Pavel; Greenberg, Anthony J.; Naredo, Ma. Elizabeth B.; Mercado, Sheila Mae Q.; Harrington, Sandra E.; Shi, Yuxin; Branchini, Darcy A.; Kuser-Falcão, Paula R.; Leung, Hei; Ebana, Kowaru; Yano, Masahiro; Eizenga, Georgia; McClung, Anna; Mezey, Jason

    2016-01-01

    Increasing food production is essential to meet the demands of a growing human population, with its rising income levels and nutritional expectations. To address the demand, plant breeders seek new sources of genetic variation to enhance the productivity, sustainability and resilience of crop varieties. Here we launch a high-resolution, open-access research platform to facilitate genome-wide association mapping in rice, a staple food crop. The platform provides an immortal collection of diverse germplasm, a high-density single-nucleotide polymorphism data set tailored for gene discovery, well-documented analytical strategies, and a suite of bioinformatics resources to facilitate biological interpretation. Using grain length, we demonstrate the power and resolution of our new high-density rice array, the accompanying genotypic data set, and an expanded diversity panel for detecting major and minor effect QTLs and subpopulation-specific alleles, with immediate implications for rice improvement. PMID:26842267

  14. Greenhouse gas emissions and reactive nitrogen releases during the life-cycles of staple food production in China and their mitigation potential.

    PubMed

    Xia, Longlong; Ti, Chaopu; Li, Bolun; Xia, Yongqiu; Yan, Xiaoyuan

    2016-06-15

    Life-cycle analysis of staple food (rice, flour and corn-based fodder) production and assessments of the associated greenhouse gas (GHG) and reactive nitrogen (Nr) releases, from environmental and economic perspectives, help to develop effective mitigation options. However, such evaluations have rarely been executed in China. We evaluated the GHG and Nr releases per kilogram of staple food production (carbon and Nr footprints) and per unit of net economic benefit (CO2-NEB and Nr-NEB), and explored their mitigation potential. Carbon footprints of food production in China were obviously higher than those in some developed countries. There was a high spatial variation in the footprints, primarily attributable to differences in synthetic N use (or CH4 emissions) per unit of food production. Provincial carbon footprints had a significant linear relationship with Nr footprints, attributed to large contribution of N fertilizer use to both GHG and Nr releases. Synthetic N fertilizer applications and CH4 emissions dominated the carbon footprints, while NH3 volatilization and N leaching were the main contributors to the Nr footprints. About 564 (95% uncertainty range: 404-701) TgCO2eqGHG and 10 (7.4-12.4) Tg Nr-N were released every year during 2001-2010 from staple food production. This caused the total damage costs of 325 (70-555) billion ¥, equivalent to nearly 1.44% of the Gross Domestic Product of China. Moreover, the combined damage costs and economic input costs, accounted for 66%-80% of the gross economic benefit generated from food production. A reduction of 92.7TgCO2eqyr(-1) and 2.2TgNr-Nyr(-1) could be achieved by reducing synthetic N inputs by 20%, increasing grain yields by 5% and implementing off-season application of straw and mid-season drainage practices for rice cultivation. In order to realize these scenarios, an ecological compensation scheme should be established to incentivize farmers to gradually adopt knowledge-based managements. Copyright © 2016

  15. A safe and reproducible anastomotic technique for minimally invasive Ivor Lewis oesophagectomy: the circular-stapled anastomosis with the trans-oral anvil.

    PubMed

    Campos, Guilherme M; Jablons, David; Brown, Lisa M; Ramirez, René M; Rabl, Charlotte; Theodore, Pierre

    2010-06-01

    In expert hands, the intrathoracic oesophago-gastric anastamosis usually provides a low rate of strictures and leaks. However, anastomoses can be technically challenging and time consuming when minimally invasive techniques are used. We present our preliminary results of a standardised 25 mm/4.8mm circular-stapled anastomosis using a trans-orally placed anvil. We evaluated a prospective cohort of 37 consecutive patients offered minimally invasive Ivor Lewis oesophagectomy at a tertiary referral centre. The oesophago-gastric anastomosis was created using a 25-mm anvil (Orvil, Autosuture, Norwalk, CT, USA) passed trans-orally, in a tilted position, and connected to a 90-cm long polyvinyl chloride delivery tube through an opening in the oesophageal stump. The anastomosis was completed by joining the anvil to a circular stapler (end-to-end anastomosis stapler (EEA XL) 25 mm with 4.8-mm staples, Autosuture, Norwalk, CT, USA) inserted into the gastric conduit. Primary outcomes were leak and stricture rates. Thirty-seven patients (mean age 65 years) with distal oesophageal adenocarcinoma (n=29), squamous cell cancer (n=5) or high-grade dysplasia in Barrett's oesophagus (n=3) underwent an Ivor Lewis oesophagectomy between October 2007 and August 2009. The abdominal portion was operated laparoscopically in 30 patients (81.1%). The thoracic portion was done using a muscle-sparing mini-thoracotomy in 23 patients (62.2%) and thoracoscopic techniques in 14 patients (37.8%). There were no intra-operative technical failures of the anastomosis or deaths. Five patients had strictures (13.5%) and all were successfully treated with endoscopic dilations. One patient had an anastomotic leak (2.7%) that was successfully treated by re-operation and endoscopic stenting of the anastomosis. The circular-stapled anastomosis with the trans-oral anvil allows for an efficient, safe and reproducible anastomosis. This straightforward technique is particularly suited to the completely minimally

  16. A studyforrest extension, retinotopic mapping and localization of higher visual areas

    PubMed Central

    Sengupta, Ayan; Kaule, Falko R.; Guntupalli, J. Swaroop; Hoffmann, Michael B.; Häusler, Christian; Stadler, Jörg; Hanke, Michael

    2016-01-01

    The studyforrest (http://studyforrest.org) dataset is likely the largest neuroimaging dataset on natural language and story processing publicly available today. In this article, along with a companion publication, we present an update of this dataset that extends its scope to vision and multi-sensory research. 15 participants of the original cohort volunteered for a series of additional studies: a clinical examination of visual function, a standard retinotopic mapping procedure, and a localization of higher visual areas—such as the fusiform face area. The combination of this update, the previous data releases for the dataset, and the companion publication, which includes neuroimaging and eye tracking data from natural stimulation with a motion picture, form an extremely versatile and comprehensive resource for brain imaging research—with almost six hours of functional neuroimaging data across five different stimulation paradigms for each participant. Furthermore, we describe employed paradigms and present results that document the quality of the data for the purpose of characterising major properties of participants’ visual processing stream. PMID:27779618

  17. A Robust Crowdsourcing-Based Indoor Localization System.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Baoding; Li, Qingquan; Mao, Qingzhou; Tu, Wei

    2017-04-14

    WiFi fingerprinting-based indoor localization has been widely used due to its simplicity and can be implemented on the smartphones. The major drawback of WiFi fingerprinting is that the radio map construction is very labor-intensive and time-consuming. Another drawback of WiFi fingerprinting is the Received Signal Strength (RSS) variance problem, caused by environmental changes and device diversity. RSS variance severely degrades the localization accuracy. In this paper, we propose a robust crowdsourcing-based indoor localization system (RCILS). RCILS can automatically construct the radio map using crowdsourcing data collected by smartphones. RCILS abstracts the indoor map as the semantics graph in which the edges are the possible user paths and the vertexes are the location where users may take special activities. RCILS extracts the activity sequence contained in the trajectories by activity detection and pedestrian dead-reckoning. Based on the semantics graph and activity sequence, crowdsourcing trajectories can be located and a radio map is constructed based on the localization results. For the RSS variance problem, RCILS uses the trajectory fingerprint model for indoor localization. During online localization, RCILS obtains an RSS sequence and realizes localization by matching the RSS sequence with the radio map. To evaluate RCILS, we apply RCILS in an office building. Experiment results demonstrate the efficiency and robustness of RCILS.

  18. A Robust Crowdsourcing-Based Indoor Localization System

    PubMed Central

    Zhou, Baoding; Li, Qingquan; Mao, Qingzhou; Tu, Wei

    2017-01-01

    WiFi fingerprinting-based indoor localization has been widely used due to its simplicity and can be implemented on the smartphones. The major drawback of WiFi fingerprinting is that the radio map construction is very labor-intensive and time-consuming. Another drawback of WiFi fingerprinting is the Received Signal Strength (RSS) variance problem, caused by environmental changes and device diversity. RSS variance severely degrades the localization accuracy. In this paper, we propose a robust crowdsourcing-based indoor localization system (RCILS). RCILS can automatically construct the radio map using crowdsourcing data collected by smartphones. RCILS abstracts the indoor map as the semantics graph in which the edges are the possible user paths and the vertexes are the location where users may take special activities. RCILS extracts the activity sequence contained in the trajectories by activity detection and pedestrian dead-reckoning. Based on the semantics graph and activity sequence, crowdsourcing trajectories can be located and a radio map is constructed based on the localization results. For the RSS variance problem, RCILS uses the trajectory fingerprint model for indoor localization. During online localization, RCILS obtains an RSS sequence and realizes localization by matching the RSS sequence with the radio map. To evaluate RCILS, we apply RCILS in an office building. Experiment results demonstrate the efficiency and robustness of RCILS. PMID:28420108

  19. Multiatlas segmentation of thoracic and abdominal anatomy with level set-based local search.

    PubMed

    Schreibmann, Eduard; Marcus, David M; Fox, Tim

    2014-07-08

    Segmentation of organs at risk (OARs) remains one of the most time-consuming tasks in radiotherapy treatment planning. Atlas-based segmentation methods using single templates have emerged as a practical approach to automate the process for brain or head and neck anatomy, but pose significant challenges in regions where large interpatient variations are present. We show that significant changes are needed to autosegment thoracic and abdominal datasets by combining multi-atlas deformable registration with a level set-based local search. Segmentation is hierarchical, with a first stage detecting bulk organ location, and a second step adapting the segmentation to fine details present in the patient scan. The first stage is based on warping multiple presegmented templates to the new patient anatomy using a multimodality deformable registration algorithm able to cope with changes in scanning conditions and artifacts. These segmentations are compacted in a probabilistic map of organ shape using the STAPLE algorithm. Final segmentation is obtained by adjusting the probability map for each organ type, using customized combinations of delineation filters exploiting prior knowledge of organ characteristics. Validation is performed by comparing automated and manual segmentation using the Dice coefficient, measured at an average of 0.971 for the aorta, 0.869 for the trachea, 0.958 for the lungs, 0.788 for the heart, 0.912 for the liver, 0.884 for the kidneys, 0.888 for the vertebrae, 0.863 for the spleen, and 0.740 for the spinal cord. Accurate atlas segmentation for abdominal and thoracic regions can be achieved with the usage of a multi-atlas and perstructure refinement strategy. To improve clinical workflow and efficiency, the algorithm was embedded in a software service, applying the algorithm automatically on acquired scans without any user interaction.

  20. Conditional Random Field-Based Offline Map Matching for Indoor Environments

    PubMed Central

    Bataineh, Safaa; Bahillo, Alfonso; Díez, Luis Enrique; Onieva, Enrique; Bataineh, Ikram

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, we present an offline map matching technique designed for indoor localization systems based on conditional random fields (CRF). The proposed algorithm can refine the results of existing indoor localization systems and match them with the map, using loose coupling between the existing localization system and the proposed map matching technique. The purpose of this research is to investigate the efficiency of using the CRF technique in offline map matching problems for different scenarios and parameters. The algorithm was applied to several real and simulated trajectories of different lengths. The results were then refined and matched with the map using the CRF algorithm. PMID:27537892

  1. Conditional Random Field-Based Offline Map Matching for Indoor Environments.

    PubMed

    Bataineh, Safaa; Bahillo, Alfonso; Díez, Luis Enrique; Onieva, Enrique; Bataineh, Ikram

    2016-08-16

    In this paper, we present an offline map matching technique designed for indoor localization systems based on conditional random fields (CRF). The proposed algorithm can refine the results of existing indoor localization systems and match them with the map, using loose coupling between the existing localization system and the proposed map matching technique. The purpose of this research is to investigate the efficiency of using the CRF technique in offline map matching problems for different scenarios and parameters. The algorithm was applied to several real and simulated trajectories of different lengths. The results were then refined and matched with the map using the CRF algorithm.

  2. Mapping local and global variability in plant trait distributions.

    PubMed

    Butler, Ethan E; Datta, Abhirup; Flores-Moreno, Habacuc; Chen, Ming; Wythers, Kirk R; Fazayeli, Farideh; Banerjee, Arindam; Atkin, Owen K; Kattge, Jens; Amiaud, Bernard; Blonder, Benjamin; Boenisch, Gerhard; Bond-Lamberty, Ben; Brown, Kerry A; Byun, Chaeho; Campetella, Giandiego; Cerabolini, Bruno E L; Cornelissen, Johannes H C; Craine, Joseph M; Craven, Dylan; de Vries, Franciska T; Díaz, Sandra; Domingues, Tomas F; Forey, Estelle; González-Melo, Andrés; Gross, Nicolas; Han, Wenxuan; Hattingh, Wesley N; Hickler, Thomas; Jansen, Steven; Kramer, Koen; Kraft, Nathan J B; Kurokawa, Hiroko; Laughlin, Daniel C; Meir, Patrick; Minden, Vanessa; Niinemets, Ülo; Onoda, Yusuke; Peñuelas, Josep; Read, Quentin; Sack, Lawren; Schamp, Brandon; Soudzilovskaia, Nadejda A; Spasojevic, Marko J; Sosinski, Enio; Thornton, Peter E; Valladares, Fernando; van Bodegom, Peter M; Williams, Mathew; Wirth, Christian; Reich, Peter B

    2017-12-19

    Our ability to understand and predict the response of ecosystems to a changing environment depends on quantifying vegetation functional diversity. However, representing this diversity at the global scale is challenging. Typically, in Earth system models, characterization of plant diversity has been limited to grouping related species into plant functional types (PFTs), with all trait variation in a PFT collapsed into a single mean value that is applied globally. Using the largest global plant trait database and state of the art Bayesian modeling, we created fine-grained global maps of plant trait distributions that can be applied to Earth system models. Focusing on a set of plant traits closely coupled to photosynthesis and foliar respiration-specific leaf area (SLA) and dry mass-based concentrations of leaf nitrogen ([Formula: see text]) and phosphorus ([Formula: see text]), we characterize how traits vary within and among over 50,000 [Formula: see text]-km cells across the entire vegetated land surface. We do this in several ways-without defining the PFT of each grid cell and using 4 or 14 PFTs; each model's predictions are evaluated against out-of-sample data. This endeavor advances prior trait mapping by generating global maps that preserve variability across scales by using modern Bayesian spatial statistical modeling in combination with a database over three times larger than that in previous analyses. Our maps reveal that the most diverse grid cells possess trait variability close to the range of global PFT means.

  3. Mapping local and global variability in plant trait distributions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Butler, Ethan E.; Datta, Abhirup; Flores-Moreno, Habacuc

    2017-12-01

    Our ability to understand and predict the response of ecosystems to a changing environment depends on quantifying vegetation functional diversity. However, representing this diversity at the global scale is challenging. Typically, in Earth system models, characterization of plant diversity has been limited to grouping related species into plant functional types (PFTs), with all trait variation in a PFT collapsed into a single mean value that is applied globally. Using the largest global plant trait database and state of the art Bayesian modeling, we created fine-grained global maps of plant trait distributions that can be applied to Earth system models. Focusingmore » on a set of plant traits closely coupled to photosynthesis and foliar respiration—specific leaf area (SLA) and dry mass-based concentrations of leaf nitrogen (N m) and phosphorus (P m), we characterize how traits vary within and among over 50,000 ~50×50-km cells across the entire vegetated land surface. We do this in several ways—without defining the PFT of each grid cell and using 4 or 14 PFTs; each model’s predictions are evaluated against out-of-sample data. This endeavor advances prior trait mapping by generating global maps that preserve variability across scales by using modern Bayesian spatial statistical modeling in combination with a database over three times larger than that in previous analyses. Our maps further reveal that the most diverse grid cells possess trait variability close to the range of global PFT means.« less

  4. a Performance Comparison of Feature Detectors for Planetary Rover Mapping and Localization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wan, W.; Peng, M.; Xing, Y.; Wang, Y.; Liu, Z.; Di, K.; Teng, B.; Mao, X.; Zhao, Q.; Xin, X.; Jia, M.

    2017-07-01

    Feature detection and matching are key techniques in computer vision and robotics, and have been successfully implemented in many fields. So far there is no performance comparison of feature detectors and matching methods for planetary mapping and rover localization using rover stereo images. In this research, we present a comprehensive evaluation and comparison of six feature detectors, including Moravec, Förstner, Harris, FAST, SIFT and SURF, aiming for optimal implementation of feature-based matching in planetary surface environment. To facilitate quantitative analysis, a series of evaluation criteria, including distribution evenness of matched points, coverage of detected points, and feature matching accuracy, are developed in the research. In order to perform exhaustive evaluation, stereo images, simulated under different baseline, pitch angle, and interval of adjacent rover locations, are taken as experimental data source. The comparison results show that SIFT offers the best overall performance, especially it is less sensitive to changes of image taken at adjacent locations.

  5. Simultaneous quantitative susceptibility mapping and Flutemetamol-PET suggests local correlation of iron and β-amyloid as an indicator of cognitive performance at high age.

    PubMed

    van Bergen, J M G; Li, X; Quevenco, F C; Gietl, A F; Treyer, V; Meyer, R; Buck, A; Kaufmann, P A; Nitsch, R M; van Zijl, P C M; Hock, C; Unschuld, P G

    2018-03-13

    The accumulation of β-amyloid plaques is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and recently published data suggest that increased brain iron burden may reflect pathologies that synergistically contribute to the development of cognitive dysfunction. While preclinical disease stages are considered most promising for therapeutic intervention, the link between emerging AD-pathology and earliest clinical symptoms remains largely unclear. In the current study we therefore investigated local correlations between iron and β-amyloid plaques, and their possible association with cognitive performance in healthy older adults. 116 older adults (mean age 75 ± 7.4 years) received neuropsychological testing to calculate a composite cognitive score of performance in episodic memory, executive functioning, attention, language and communication. All participants were scanned on a combined PET-MRI instrument and were administered T1-sequences for anatomical mapping, quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) for assessing iron, and 18F-Flutemetamol-PET for estimating β-amyloid plaque load. Biological parametric mapping (BPM) was used to generate masks indicating voxels with significant (p < 0.05) correlation between susceptibility and 18F-Flutemetamol-SUVR. We found a bilateral pattern of clusters characterized by a statistical relationship between magnetic susceptibility and 18F-Flutemetamol-SUVR, indicating local correlations between iron and β-amyloid plaque deposition. For two bilateral clusters, located in the frontal and temporal cortex, significant relationships (p<0.05) between local β-amyloid and the composite cognitive performance score could be observed. No relationship between whole-cortex β-amyloid plaque load and cognitive performance was observable. Our data suggest that the local correlation of β-amyloid plaque load and iron deposition may provide relevant information regarding cognitive performance of healthy older adults. Further studies are needed

  6. APFiLoc: An Infrastructure-Free Indoor Localization Method Fusing Smartphone Inertial Sensors, Landmarks and Map Information

    PubMed Central

    Shang, Jianga; Gu, Fuqiang; Hu, Xuke; Kealy, Allison

    2015-01-01

    The utility and adoption of indoor localization applications have been limited due to the complex nature of the physical environment combined with an increasing requirement for more robust localization performance. Existing solutions to this problem are either too expensive or too dependent on infrastructure such as Wi-Fi access points. To address this problem, we propose APFiLoc—a low cost, smartphone-based framework for indoor localization. The key idea behind this framework is to obtain landmarks within the environment and to use the augmented particle filter to fuse them with measurements from smartphone sensors and map information. A clustering method based on distance constraints is developed to detect organic landmarks in an unsupervised way, and the least square support vector machine is used to classify seed landmarks. A series of real-world experiments were conducted in complex environments including multiple floors and the results show APFiLoc can achieve 80% accuracy (phone in the hand) and around 70% accuracy (phone in the pocket) of the error less than 2 m error without the assistance of infrastructure like Wi-Fi access points. PMID:26516858

  7. Hazards, Disasters, and The National Map

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Carswell, William J.; Newell, Mark R.

    2009-01-01

    Federal, State, and local response and management personnel must have current, reliable, and easily accessible geographic information and maps to prepare for, respond to, or recover from emergency situations. In life-threatening events, such as earthquakes, floods, or wildland fires, geographic information is essential for locating critical infrastructure and carrying out evacuation and rescue operations. The USGS promotes partnerships to ensure that base map data are up to date, readily available, and shareable among local, state, and National users. The National Map enables other government agencies, private industry, and the public to link and share additional data that provide even more information. These efforts with state and local governments have helped standardize the data by reducing data inconsistencies between neighboring jurisdictions and will help fill in the gaps for those places where data are lacking.

  8. Stapled haemorrhoidopexy for the treatment of haemorrhoids: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Burch, J; Epstein, D; Sari, A Baba-Akbari; Weatherly, H; Jayne, D; Fox, D; Woolacott, N

    2009-03-01

    This systematic review aimed to evaluate the short- and long-term safety, efficacy and costs of stapled haemorrhoidopexy (SH) compared with conventional haemorrhoidectomy. We searched 26 electronic databases and websites for studies in any language up to July 2006. Inclusion criteria were predefined, and each stage of the review process was conducted in duplicate. Twenty-seven randomized controlled trials were included (n = 2279). All had some methodological flaws. Postoperatively, 19 trials (95%) reported less pain, 17 (89%) reported a shorter operating time, 14 (88%) a shorter hospital stay, and 14 (93%) a shorter convalescence time following SH. However, prolapse was significantly more common after SH (OR 3.38; 95% CI: 1.00, 11.47). In the longer term, prolapse was significantly more common after SH (OR 4.34; 95% CI: 1.67, 11.28) as was reintervention for prolapse (OR 6.78; 95% CI: 2.00, 23.00). There were no differences in the rate or type of complications. Conventional haemorrhoidectomy and SH had similar costs during the initial admission. Compared with conventional haemorrhoidectomy, SH resulted in less postoperative pain, shorter operating time, a shorter hospital stay, and a shorter convalescence, but a higher rate of prolapse and reintervention for prolapse.

  9. New Map Symbol System for Disaster Management

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marinova, Silvia T.

    2018-05-01

    In the last 10 years Bulgaria was frequently affected by natural and man-made disasters that caused considerable losses. According to the Bulgarian Disaster Management Act (2006) disaster management should be planned at local, regional and national level. Disaster protection is based on plans that include maps such as hazard maps, maps for protection, maps for evacuation planning, etc. Decision-making and cooperation between two or more neighboring municipalities or regions in crisis situation are still rendered difficult because the maps included in the plans differ in scale, colors, map symbols and cartographic design. To improve decision-making process in case of emergency and to reduce the number of human loss and property damages disaster management plans at local and regional level should be supported by detailed thematic maps created in accordance with uniform contents, map symbol system and design. The paper proposes a new symbol system for disaster management that includes a four level hierarchical classification of objects and phenomena according to their type and origin. All objects and phenomena of this classification are divided into five categories: disasters; infrastructure; protection services and infrastructure for protection; affected people and affected infrastructure; operational sites and activities. The symbols of these categories are shown with different background colors and shapes so that they are identifiable. All the symbols have simple but associative design. The new symbol system is used in the design of a series of maps for disaster management at local and regional level.

  10. A triallelic genetic male sterility locus in Brassica napus: an integrative strategy for its physical mapping and possible local chromosome evolution around it

    PubMed Central

    Lu, Wei; Liu, Jun; Xin, Qiang; Wan, Lili; Hong, Dengfeng; Yang, Guangsheng

    2013-01-01

    Background and Aims Spontaneous male sterility is an advantageous trait for both constructing efficient pollination control systems and for understanding the developmental process of the male reproductive unit in many crops. A triallelic genetic male-sterile locus (BnMs5) has been identified in Brassica napus; however, its complicated genome structure has greatly hampered the isolation of this locus. The aim of this study was to physically map BnMs5 through an integrated map-based cloning strategy and analyse the local chromosomal evolution around BnMs5. Methods A large F2 population was used to integrate the existing genetic maps around BnMs5. A map-based cloning strategy in combination with comparative mapping among B. napus, Arabidopsis, Brassica rapa and Brassica oleracea was employed to facilitate the identification of a target bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clone covering the BnMs5 locus. The genomic sequences from the Brassica species were analysed to reveal the regional chromosomal evolution around BnMs5. Key Results BnMs5 was finally delimited to a 0·3-cM genetic fragment from an integrated local genetic map, and was anchored on the B. napus A8 chromosome. Screening of a B. napus BAC clone library and identification of the positive clones validated that JBnB034L06 was the target BAC clone. The closest flanking markers restrict BnMs5 to a 21-kb region on JBnB034L06 containing six predicted functional genes. Good collinearity relationship around BnMs5 between several Brassica species was observed, while violent chromosomal evolutionary events including insertions/deletions, duplications and single nucleotide mutations were also found to have extensively occurred during their divergence. Conclusions This work represents major progress towards the molecular cloning of BnMs5, as well as presenting a powerful, integrative method to mapping loci in plants with complex genomic architecture, such as the amphidiploid B. napus. PMID:23243189

  11. Map Separates

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    ,

    2001-01-01

    U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) topographic maps are printed using up to six colors (black, blue, green, red, brown, and purple). To prepare your own maps or artwork based on maps, you can order separate black-and-white film positives or negatives for any color printed on a USGS topographic map, or for one or more of the groups of related features printed in the same color on the map (such as drainage and drainage names from the blue plate.) In this document, examples are shown with appropriate ink color to illustrate the various separates. When purchased, separates are black-and-white film negatives or positives. After you receive a film separate or composite from the USGS, you can crop, enlarge or reduce, and edit to add or remove details to suit your special needs. For example, you can adapt the separates for making regional and local planning maps or for doing many kinds of studies or promotions by using the features you select and then printing them in colors of your choice.

  12. Value of epicardial potential maps in localizing pre-excitation sites for radiofrequency ablation. A simulation study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hren, Rok

    1998-06-01

    Using computer simulations, we systematically investigated the limitations of an inverse solution that employs the potential distribution on the epicardial surface as an equivalent source model in localizing pre-excitation sites in Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. A model of the human ventricular myocardium that features an anatomically accurate geometry, an intramural rotating anisotropy and a computational implementation of the excitation process based on electrotonic interactions among cells, was used to simulate body surface potential maps (BSPMs) for 35 pre-excitation sites positioned along the atrioventricular ring. Two individualized torso models were used to account for variations in torso boundaries. Epicardial potential maps (EPMs) were computed using the L-curve inverse solution. The measure for accuracy of the localization was the distance between a position of the minimum in the inverse EPMs and the actual site of pre-excitation in the ventricular model. When the volume conductor properties and lead positions of the torso were precisely known and the measurement noise was added to the simulated BSPMs, the minimum in the inverse EPMs was at 12 ms after the onset on average within cm of the pre-excitation site. When the standard torso model was used to localize the sites of onset of the pre-excitation sequence initiated in individualized male and female torso models, the mean distance between the minimum and the pre-excitation site was cm for the male torso and cm for the female torso. The findings of our study indicate that a location of the minimum in EPMs computed using the inverse solution can offer non-invasive means for pre-interventional planning of the ablative treatment.

  13. Map based localization to assist commercial fleet operations.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2014-08-01

    This report outlines key recent contributions to the state of the art in lane detection, lane departure warning, : and map-based sensor fusion algorithms. These key studies are used as a basis for a discussion about the : limitations of systems that ...

  14. Optogenetic mapping of brain circuitry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Augustine, George J.; Berglund, Ken; Gill, Harin; Hoffmann, Carolin; Katarya, Malvika; Kim, Jinsook; Kudolo, John; Lee, Li M.; Lee, Molly; Lo, Daniel; Nakajima, Ryuichi; Park, Min Yoon; Tan, Gregory; Tang, Yanxia; Teo, Peggy; Tsuda, Sachiko; Wen, Lei; Yoon, Su-In

    2012-10-01

    Studies of the brain promise to be revolutionized by new experimental strategies that harness the combined power of optical techniques and genetics. We have mapped the circuitry of the mouse brain by using both optogenetic actuators that control neuronal activity and optogenetic sensors that detect neuronal activity. Using the light-activated cation channel, channelrhodopsin-2, to locally photostimulate neurons allows high-speed mapping of local and long-range circuitry. For example, with this approach we have mapped local circuits in the cerebral cortex, cerebellum and many other brain regions. Using the fluorescent sensor for chloride ions, Clomeleon, allows imaging of the spatial and temporal dimensions of inhibitory circuits in the brain. This approach allows imaging of both conventional "phasic" synaptic inhibition as well as unconventional "tonic" inhibition. The combined use of light to both control and monitor neural activity creates unprecedented opportunities to explore brain function, screen pharmaceutical agents, and potentially to use light to ameliorate psychiatric and neurological disorders.

  15. MAPPING IN MICRONESIA.

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Olsen, Randle W.; Swinnerton, J.R.

    1984-01-01

    The U. S. Geological Survey has recently completed a series of new topographic maps of Micronesia in cooperation with the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the Federal agency administering the islands. Monocolor 1:10,000-scale manuscripts were compiled, from which 1:25,000-scale metric quadrangles were derived with symbology consistent with USGS quadrangle mapping. The publication of these new maps coincides with the impending political changes resulting from self-determination referendums held in Micronesia. Local sources have helped considerably with field logistics and resolution of geographic name controversies. Technical aspects of this project included development of tropical feature symbology, location of cadastral subdivisions and associated boundaries and mapping of many outlying coral reefs.

  16. Retention of Provitamin A Carotenoids in Staple Crops Targeted for Biofortification in Africa: Cassava, Maize and Sweet Potato

    PubMed Central

    De Moura, Fabiana F.; Miloff, Alexander; Boy, Erick

    2015-01-01

    HarvestPlus, part of the Consultative Group on Internation Agriculture research (CGIAR) Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH) uses conventional plant breeding techniques to develop staple food crops that are rich in micronutrients, a food-based approach to reduce micronutrient malnutrition known as biofortification. The nutritional breeding targets are established based on the food intake of target populations, nutrient losses during storage and processing and bioavailability. This review collates the evidence on the retention of provitamin A carotenoid (pVAC) after processing, cooking, and storing of the staple crops targeted for pVAC biofortification: cassava, maize, and sweet potato. Sun drying was more detrimental to the pVAC levels (27–56% retention) in cassava than shade (59%) or oven (55–91%) drying, while the pVAC retention levels (66–96%) in sweet potato were not significantly different among the various drying methods. Overall, boiling and steaming had higher pVAC retention (80–98%) compared to baking (30–70%) and frying (18–54%). Gari, the most frequently consumed form of cassava in West Africa had the lowest pVAC retention (10–30%). The pVAC retention of maize grain and cassava and sweet potato flour reached levels as low as 20% after 1–4 months of storage and was highly dependent on genotype. Therefore, we recommend that an evaluation of the pVAC degradation rate among different genotypes be performed before a high pVAC crop is promoted. PMID:24915386

  17. [Prevention of post-operative pain and haemorrhage in PPH (Procedure for Prolapse and Hemorrhoids) and STARR (Stapled Trans-Anal Rectal Resection). Preliminary results in 261 cases].

    PubMed

    Mongardini, M; Custureri, F; Schillaci, F; Cola, A; Maturo, A; Fanello, G; Corelli, S; Pappalardo, G

    2005-04-01

    Intra- and early (first week) post-operative haemorrhages are the most common complications in stapled hemorrhoidectomy PPH (Procedure for Prolapse and Hemorrhoids) and in circumferential resection of the rectal prolapse STARR (Stapled Trans Anal Rectal Resection). Performing PPH and STARR we employed a gelatin based haemostatic sealant with thrombin component (FloSeal) to control intra-operative bleeding and to reduce post-operative bleeding avoiding haemostatic stitches on suture line. We report the preliminary results on 197 PPH and 64 STARR; 44 PPH (22.4%) and 27 STARR (42.2%) were treated by FloSeal. No major post-operative bleeding was observed in all patients treated by FloSeal, compared to 1.3% and 2.7% of hemorrhage respectively in PPH and STARR patients treated without sealant. Post-operative pain was less severe in patients treated by FloSeal, without a difference statistically significant. The data are preliminary and must be confirmed in prospective randomized trials in larger series.

  18. Satellite-map position estimation for the Mars rover

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hayashi, Akira; Dean, Thomas

    1989-01-01

    A method for locating the Mars rover using an elevation map generated from satellite data is described. In exploring its environment, the rover is assumed to generate a local rover-centered elevation map that can be used to extract information about the relative position and orientation of landmarks corresponding to local maxima. These landmarks are integrated into a stochastic map which is then matched with the satellite map to obtain an estimate of the robot's current location. The landmarks are not explicitly represented in the satellite map. The results of the matching algorithm correspond to a probabilistic assessment of whether or not the robot is located within a given region of the satellite map. By assigning a probabilistic interpretation to the information stored in the satellite map, researchers are able to provide a precise characterization of the results computed by the matching algorithm.

  19. Lybatides from Lycium barbarum Contain An Unusual Cystine-stapled Helical Peptide Scaffold.

    PubMed

    Tan, Wei Liang; Wong, Ka H; Lei, Jian; Sakai, Naoki; Tan, Hong Wei; Hilgenfeld, Rolf; Tam, James P

    2017-07-12

    Cysteine-rich peptides (CRPs) of 2-6 kDa are generally thermally and proteolytically stable because of their multiple cross-bracing disulfide bonds. Here, we report the discovery and characterization of two novel cystine-stapled CRPs, designated lybatide 1 and 2 (lyba1 and lyba2), from the cortex of Lycium barbarum root. Lybatides, 32 to 33 amino acids in length, are hyperstable and display a novel disulfide connectivity with a cysteine motif of C-C-C-C-CC-CC which contains two pairs of adjacent cysteines (-CC-CC). X-ray structure analysis revealed the presence of a single cystine-stabilized (α + π)-helix in lyba2, a rare feature of CRPs. Together, our results suggest that lybatides, one of the smallest four-disulfide-constrained plant CRPs, is a new family of CRPs. Additionally, this study provides new insights into the molecular diversity of plant cysteine-rich peptides and the unusual lybatide scaffold could be developed as a useful template for peptide engineering and therapeutic development.

  20. Chemical Synthesis of Hydrocarbon-Stapled Peptides for Protein Interaction Research and Therapeutic Targeting

    PubMed Central

    Bird, Gregory H.; Crannell, W. Christian; Walensky, Loren D.

    2016-01-01

    The peptide alpha-helix represents one of Nature’s most featured protein shapes and is employed in a diversity of protein architectures, spanning the very cytoskeletal infrastructure of the cell to the most intimate contact points between crucial signaling proteins. By installing an all-hydrocarbon crosslink into native sequences, we recapitulate the shape and biological activity of natural peptide alpha-helices, yielding a chemical toolbox to both interrogate the protein interactome and modulate interaction networks for potential therapeutic benefit. Here, we describe our latest approach to synthesizing Stabilized Alpha-Helices (SAH) corresponding to key protein interaction domains. We emphasize a stepwise approach to the production of crosslinking non-natural amino acids, their incorporation into peptide templates, and the application of ruthenium-catalyzed ring closing metathesis to generate hydrocarbon-stapled peptides. Through facile derivatization and functionalization steps, SAHs can be tailored for a broad range of applications in biochemical, structural, proteomic, cellular and in vivo studies. PMID:23801563

  1. Mapping in vitro local material properties of intact and disrupted virions at high resolution using multi-harmonic atomic force microscopy.

    PubMed

    Cartagena, Alexander; Hernando-Pérez, Mercedes; Carrascosa, José L; de Pablo, Pedro J; Raman, Arvind

    2013-06-07

    Understanding the relationships between viral material properties (stiffness, strength, charge density, adhesion, hydration, viscosity, etc.), structure (protein sub-units, genome, surface receptors, appendages), and functions (self-assembly, stability, disassembly, infection) is of significant importance in physical virology and nanomedicine. Conventional Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) methods have measured a single physical property such as the stiffness of the entire virus from nano-indentation at a few points which severely limits the study of structure-property-function relationships. We present an in vitro dynamic AFM technique operating in the intermittent contact regime which synthesizes anharmonic Lorentz-force excited AFM cantilevers to map quantitatively at nanometer resolution the local electro-mechanical force gradient, adhesion, and hydration layer viscosity within individual φ29 virions. Furthermore, the changes in material properties over the entire φ29 virion provoked by the local disruption of its shell are studied, providing evidence of bacteriophage depressurization. The technique significantly generalizes recent multi-harmonic theory (A. Raman, et al., Nat. Nanotechnol., 2011, 6, 809-814) and enables high-resolution in vitro quantitative mapping of multiple material properties within weakly bonded viruses and nanoparticles with complex structure that otherwise cannot be observed using standard AFM techniques.

  2. HGDP and HapMap analysis by Ancestry Mapper reveals local and global population relationships.

    PubMed

    Magalhães, Tiago R; Casey, Jillian P; Conroy, Judith; Regan, Regina; Fitzpatrick, Darren J; Shah, Naisha; Sobral, João; Ennis, Sean

    2012-01-01

    Knowledge of human origins, migrations, and expansions is greatly enhanced by the availability of large datasets of genetic information from different populations and by the development of bioinformatic tools used to analyze the data. We present Ancestry Mapper, which we believe improves on existing methods, for the assignment of genetic ancestry to an individual and to study the relationships between local and global populations. The principle function of the method, named Ancestry Mapper, is to give each individual analyzed a genetic identifier, made up of just 51 genetic coordinates, that corresponds to its relationship to the HGDP reference population. As a consequence, the Ancestry Mapper Id (AMid) has intrinsic biological meaning and provides a tool to measure similarity between world populations. We applied Ancestry Mapper to a dataset comprised of the HGDP and HapMap data. The results show distinctions at the continental level, while simultaneously giving details at the population level. We clustered AMids of HGDP/HapMap and observe a recapitulation of human migrations: for a small number of clusters, individuals are grouped according to continental origins; for a larger number of clusters, regional and population distinctions are evident. Calculating distances between AMids allows us to infer ancestry. The number of coordinates is expandable, increasing the power of Ancestry Mapper. An R package called Ancestry Mapper is available to apply this method to any high density genomic data set.

  3. Mapping Crop Yield and Sow Date Using High Resolution Imagery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Royal, K.

    2015-12-01

    Keitasha Royal, Meha Jain, Ph.D., David Lobell, Ph.D Mapping Crop Yield and Sow Date Using High Resolution ImageryThe use of satellite imagery in agriculture is becoming increasingly more significant and valuable. Due to the emergence of new satellites, such as Skybox, these satellites provide higher resolution imagery (e.g 1m) therefore improving the ability to map smallholder agriculture. For the smallholder farm dominated area of northern India, Skybox high-resolution satellite imagery can aid in understanding how to improve farm yields. In particular, we are interested in mapping winter wheat in India, as this region produces approximately 80% of the country's wheat crop, which is important given that wheat is a staple crop that provides approximately 20% of household calories. In northeast India, the combination of increased heat stress, limited irrigation access, and the difficulty for farmers to access advanced farming technologies results in farmers only producing about 50% of their potential crop yield. The use of satellite imagery can aid in understanding wheat yields through time and help identify ways to increase crop yields in the wheat belt of India. To translate Skybox satellite data into meaningful information about wheat fields, we examine vegetation indices, such as the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), to measure the "greenness" of plants to help determine the health of the crops. We test our ability to predict crop characteristics, like sow date and yield, using vegetation indices of 59 fields for which we have field data in Bihar, India.

  4. Mapping fire regimes from data you may already have: assessing LANDFIRE fire regime maps using local products

    Treesearch

    Melissa A. Thomas-Van Gundy

    2014-01-01

    LANDFIRE maps of fire regime groups are frequently used by land managers to help plan and execute prescribed burns for ecosystem restoration. Since LANDFIRE maps are generally applicable at coarse scales, questions often arise regarding their utility and accuracy. Here, the two recently published products from West Virginia, a rule-based and a witness tree-based model...

  5. Downscaling climate information for local disease mapping.

    PubMed

    Bernardi, M; Gommes, R; Grieser, J

    2006-06-01

    The study of the impacts of climate on human health requires the interdisciplinary efforts of health professionals, climatologists, biologists, and social scientists to analyze the relationships among physical, biological, ecological, and social systems. As the disease dynamics respond to variations in regional and local climate, climate variability affects every region of the world and the diseases are not necessarily limited to specific regions, so that vectors may become endemic in other regions. Climate data at local level are thus essential to evaluate the dynamics of vector-borne disease through health-climate models and most of the times the climatological databases are not adequate. Climate data at high spatial resolution can be derived by statistical downscaling using historical observations but the method is limited by the availability of historical data at local level. Since the 90s', the statistical interpolation of climate data has been an important priority of the Agrometeorology Group of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), as they are required for agricultural planning and operational activities at the local level. Since 1995, date of the first FAO spatial interpolation software for climate data, more advanced applications have been developed such as SEDI (Satellite Enhanced Data Interpolation) for the downscaling of climate data, LOCCLIM (Local Climate Estimator) and the NEW_LOCCLIM in collaboration with the Deutscher Wetterdienst (German Weather Service) to estimate climatic conditions at locations for which no observations are available. In parallel, an important effort has been made to improve the FAO climate database including at present more than 30,000 stations worldwide and expanding the database from developing countries coverage to global coverage.

  6. Nonlocal response with local optics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kong, Jiantao; Shvonski, Alexander J.; Kempa, Krzysztof

    2018-04-01

    For plasmonic systems too small for classical, local simulations to be valid, but too large for ab initio calculations to be computationally feasible, we developed a practical approach—a nonlocal-to-local mapping that enables the use of a modified local system to obtain the response due to nonlocal effects to lowest order, at the cost of higher structural complexity. In this approach, the nonlocal surface region of a metallic structure is mapped onto a local dielectric film, mathematically preserving the nonlocality of the entire system. The most significant feature of this approach is its full compatibility with conventional, highly efficient finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulation codes. Our optimized choice of mapping is based on the Feibelman's d -function formalism, and it produces an effective dielectric function of the local film that obeys all required sum rules, as well as the Kramers-Kronig causality relations. We demonstrate the power of our approach combined with an FDTD scheme, in a series of comparisons with experiments and ab initio density functional theory calculations from the literature, for structures with dimensions from the subnanoscopic to microscopic range.

  7. Totally intracorporeal delta-shaped B-I anastomosis following laparoscopic distal gastrectomy using the Tri-Staple™ reloads on the manual Ultra handle: a prospective cohort study with historical controls.

    PubMed

    Man-I, Mariko; Suda, Koichi; Kikuchi, Kenji; Tanaka, Tsuyoshi; Furuta, Shimpei; Nakauchi, Masaya; Ishikawa, Ken; Ishida, Yoshinori; Uyama, Ichiro

    2015-11-01

    A delta-shaped anastomosis in totally laparoscopic Billroth I gastrectomy could be performed easily and sufficiently using only laparoscopic linear staplers. However, the restricted maneuverability and severe blurring of these staplers along with their limited hemostability induced strain. In this study, we determined the feasibility and safety of performing delta-shaped anastomosis using the Endo GIA™ Reloads with Tri-Staple™ Technology combined with Endo GIA™ Ultra Universal stapler (Tri-Staple) with a particular focus on short-term surgical outcomes. We performed a single-institutional prospective interventional study (UMIN 000008014). The Tri-Staple was prospectively used on 23 consecutive patients who underwent a curative totally laparoscopic Billroth I gastrectomy with delta-shaped anastomosis. These patients were matched with the 19 patients previously treated using the ENDOPATH(®) ETS Articulating Linear Cutters (ETS) on clinical and demographic characteristics. There were no differences between the groups in anastomosis-related local complications, morbidity, non-anastomosis-related local complications, total systemic complications, and short-term outcomes with the exception of significantly reduced blood loss in the Tri-Staple group (ETS vs. Tri-Staple: 37 [10-306] vs. 15 [5-210] mL, p = 0.02). Intraoperative bleeding from the staple line was significantly reduced in the Tri-Staple group. The postoperative drain indwelling period (ETS vs. Tri-Staple, 6 [4-10] vs. 4 [2-43] days, p = 0.032), fasting period (5 [3-7] vs. 3 [3-24] days, p = 0.022), and hospital stay (14 [10-47] vs. 11 [6-58] days, p = 0.025) were significantly shorter in the Tri-Staple group. There was no mortality in this series. Acceleration assessed as indices of blurring of stapler tip might have a significant adverse influence on staple-line bleeding at stapling sites. Totally laparoscopic Billroth I distal gastrectomy using Tri-Staple was feasible and safe with favorable

  8. Registering Ground and Satellite Imagery for Visual Localization

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-08-01

    reckoning, inertial, stereo, light detection and ranging ( LIDAR ), cellular radio, and visual. As no sensor or algorithm provides perfect localization in...by metric localization approaches to confine the region of a map that needs to be searched. Simultaneous Localization and Mapping ( SLAM ) (5, 6), using...estimate the metric location of the camera. Se et al. (7) use SIFT features for both appearance-based global localization and incremental 3D SLAM . Johns and

  9. Real-Time Large-Scale Dense Mapping with Surfels

    PubMed Central

    Fu, Xingyin; Zhu, Feng; Wu, Qingxiao; Sun, Yunlei; Lu, Rongrong; Yang, Ruigang

    2018-01-01

    Real-time dense mapping systems have been developed since the birth of consumer RGB-D cameras. Currently, there are two commonly used models in dense mapping systems: truncated signed distance function (TSDF) and surfel. The state-of-the-art dense mapping systems usually work fine with small-sized regions. The generated dense surface may be unsatisfactory around the loop closures when the system tracking drift grows large. In addition, the efficiency of the system with surfel model slows down when the number of the model points in the map becomes large. In this paper, we propose to use two maps in the dense mapping system. The RGB-D images are integrated into a local surfel map. The old surfels that reconstructed in former times and far away from the camera frustum are moved from the local map to the global map. The updated surfels in the local map when every frame arrives are kept bounded. Therefore, in our system, the scene that can be reconstructed is very large, and the frame rate of our system remains high. We detect loop closures and optimize the pose graph to distribute system tracking drift. The positions and normals of the surfels in the map are also corrected using an embedded deformation graph so that they are consistent with the updated poses. In order to deal with large surface deformations, we propose a new method for constructing constraints with system trajectories and loop closure keyframes. The proposed new method stabilizes large-scale surface deformation. Experimental results show that our novel system behaves better than the prior state-of-the-art dense mapping systems. PMID:29747450

  10. Accurate Mobile Urban Mapping via Digital Map-Based SLAM †

    PubMed Central

    Roh, Hyunchul; Jeong, Jinyong; Cho, Younggun; Kim, Ayoung

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents accurate urban map generation using digital map-based Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). Throughout this work, our main objective is generating a 3D and lane map aiming for sub-meter accuracy. In conventional mapping approaches, achieving extremely high accuracy was performed by either (i) exploiting costly airborne sensors or (ii) surveying with a static mapping system in a stationary platform. Mobile scanning systems recently have gathered popularity but are mostly limited by the availability of the Global Positioning System (GPS). We focus on the fact that the availability of GPS and urban structures are both sporadic but complementary. By modeling both GPS and digital map data as measurements and integrating them with other sensor measurements, we leverage SLAM for an accurate mobile mapping system. Our proposed algorithm generates an efficient graph SLAM and achieves a framework running in real-time and targeting sub-meter accuracy with a mobile platform. Integrated with the SLAM framework, we implement a motion-adaptive model for the Inverse Perspective Mapping (IPM). Using motion estimation derived from SLAM, the experimental results show that the proposed approaches provide stable bird’s-eye view images, even with significant motion during the drive. Our real-time map generation framework is validated via a long-distance urban test and evaluated at randomly sampled points using Real-Time Kinematic (RTK)-GPS. PMID:27548175

  11. Accounting for Protein Subcellular Localization: A Compartmental Map of the Rat Liver Proteome*

    PubMed Central

    Jadot, Michel; Boonen, Marielle; Thirion, Jaqueline; Wang, Nan; Xing, Jinchuan; Zhao, Caifeng; Tannous, Abla; Qian, Meiqian; Zheng, Haiyan; Everett, John K.; Moore, Dirk F.; Sleat, David E.; Lobel, Peter

    2017-01-01

    Accurate knowledge of the intracellular location of proteins is important for numerous areas of biomedical research including assessing fidelity of putative protein-protein interactions, modeling cellular processes at a system-wide level and investigating metabolic and disease pathways. Many proteins have not been localized, or have been incompletely localized, partly because most studies do not account for entire subcellular distribution. Thus, proteins are frequently assigned to one organelle whereas a significant fraction may reside elsewhere. As a step toward a comprehensive cellular map, we used subcellular fractionation with classic balance sheet analysis and isobaric labeling/quantitative mass spectrometry to assign locations to >6000 rat liver proteins. We provide quantitative data and error estimates describing the distribution of each protein among the eight major cellular compartments: nucleus, mitochondria, lysosomes, peroxisomes, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi, plasma membrane and cytosol. Accounting for total intracellular distribution improves quality of organelle assignments and assigns proteins with multiple locations. Protein assignments and supporting data are available online through the Prolocate website (http://prolocate.cabm.rutgers.edu). As an example of the utility of this data set, we have used organelle assignments to help analyze whole exome sequencing data from an infant dying at 6 months of age from a suspected neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorder of unknown etiology. Sequencing data was prioritized using lists of lysosomal proteins comprising well-established residents of this organelle as well as novel candidates identified in this study. The latter included copper transporter 1, encoded by SLC31A1, which we localized to both the plasma membrane and lysosome. The patient harbors two predicted loss of function mutations in SLC31A1, suggesting that this may represent a heretofore undescribed recessive lysosomal storage disease

  12. Accounting for Protein Subcellular Localization: A Compartmental Map of the Rat Liver Proteome.

    PubMed

    Jadot, Michel; Boonen, Marielle; Thirion, Jaqueline; Wang, Nan; Xing, Jinchuan; Zhao, Caifeng; Tannous, Abla; Qian, Meiqian; Zheng, Haiyan; Everett, John K; Moore, Dirk F; Sleat, David E; Lobel, Peter

    2017-02-01

    Accurate knowledge of the intracellular location of proteins is important for numerous areas of biomedical research including assessing fidelity of putative protein-protein interactions, modeling cellular processes at a system-wide level and investigating metabolic and disease pathways. Many proteins have not been localized, or have been incompletely localized, partly because most studies do not account for entire subcellular distribution. Thus, proteins are frequently assigned to one organelle whereas a significant fraction may reside elsewhere. As a step toward a comprehensive cellular map, we used subcellular fractionation with classic balance sheet analysis and isobaric labeling/quantitative mass spectrometry to assign locations to >6000 rat liver proteins. We provide quantitative data and error estimates describing the distribution of each protein among the eight major cellular compartments: nucleus, mitochondria, lysosomes, peroxisomes, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi, plasma membrane and cytosol. Accounting for total intracellular distribution improves quality of organelle assignments and assigns proteins with multiple locations. Protein assignments and supporting data are available online through the Prolocate website (http://prolocate.cabm.rutgers.edu). As an example of the utility of this data set, we have used organelle assignments to help analyze whole exome sequencing data from an infant dying at 6 months of age from a suspected neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorder of unknown etiology. Sequencing data was prioritized using lists of lysosomal proteins comprising well-established residents of this organelle as well as novel candidates identified in this study. The latter included copper transporter 1, encoded by SLC31A1, which we localized to both the plasma membrane and lysosome. The patient harbors two predicted loss of function mutations in SLC31A1, suggesting that this may represent a heretofore undescribed recessive lysosomal storage disease

  13. A Bouguer Gravity Anomaly Map of Africa.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    A Bouguer Gravity Anomaly Map of Africa has been compiled using only terrestrial data. The map is a contoured representation of one degree x one...The anomaly pattern shown on the map is discussed and evaluated with respect to regional and local tectonic and geologic patterns. The entire Bouguer

  14. Midterm outcome of stapled transanal rectal resection for obstructed defecation syndrome: A single-institution experience in China

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Bin; Ding, Jian-Hua; Zhao, Yu-Juan; Zhang, Meng; Yin, Shu-Hui; Feng, Ying-Ying; Zhao, Ke

    2013-01-01

    AIM: To assess midterm results of stapled transanal rectal resection (STARR) for obstructed defecation syndrome (ODS) and predictive factors for outcome. METHODS: From May 2007 to May 2009, 75 female patients underwent STARR and were included in the present study. Preoperative and postoperative workup consisted of standardized interview and physical examination including proctoscopy, colonoscopy, anorectal manometry, and defecography. Clinical and functional results were assessed by standardized questionnaires for the assessment of constipation constipation scoring system (CSS), Longo’s ODS score, and symptom severity score (SSS), incontinence Wexner incontinence score (WS), quality of life Patient Assessment of Constipation-Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAC-QOL), and patient satisfaction visual analog scale (VAS). Data were collected prospectively at baseline, 12 and 30 mo. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 30 mo (range, 30-46 mo). Late postoperative complications occurred in 11 (14.7%) patients. Three of these patients required procedure-related reintervention (one diverticulectomy and two excision of staple granuloma). Although the recurrence rate was 10.7%, constipation scores (CSS, ODS score and SSS) significantly improved after STARR (P < 0.0001). Significant reduction in ODS symptoms was matched by an improvement in the PAC-QOL and VAS (P < 0.0001), and the satisfaction index was excellent in 25 (33.3%) patients, good in 23 (30.7%), fairly good in 14 (18.7%), and poor in 13 (17.3%). Nevertheless, the WS increased after STARR (P = 0.0169). Incontinence was present or deteriorated in 8 (10.7%) patients; 6 (8%) of whom were new onsets. Univariate analysis revealed that the occurrence of fecal incontinence (preoperative, postoperative or new-onset incontinence; P = 0.028, 0.000, and 0.007, respectively) was associated with the success of the operation. CONCLUSION: STARR is an acceptable procedure for the surgical correction of ODS. However, its impact on

  15. A map of local adaptation in Arabidopsis thaliana.

    PubMed

    Fournier-Level, A; Korte, A; Cooper, M D; Nordborg, M; Schmitt, J; Wilczek, A M

    2011-10-07

    Local adaptation is critical for species persistence in the face of rapid environmental change, but its genetic basis is not well understood. Growing the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana in field experiments in four sites across the species' native range, we identified candidate loci for local adaptation from a genome-wide association study of lifetime fitness in geographically diverse accessions. Fitness-associated loci exhibited both geographic and climatic signatures of local adaptation. Relative to genomic controls, high-fitness alleles were generally distributed closer to the site where they increased fitness, occupying specific and distinct climate spaces. Independent loci with different molecular functions contributed most strongly to fitness variation in each site. Independent local adaptation by distinct genetic mechanisms may facilitate a flexible evolutionary response to changing environment across a species range.

  16. Putting Chronic Disease on the Map: Building GIS Capacity in State and Local Health Departments

    PubMed Central

    Casper, Michele; Tootoo, Joshua; Schieb, Linda

    2013-01-01

    Techniques based on geographic information systems (GIS) have been widely adopted and applied in the fields of infectious disease and environmental epidemiology; their use in chronic disease programs is relatively new. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention is collaborating with the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors and the University of Michigan to provide health departments with capacity to integrate GIS into daily operations, which support priorities for surveillance and prevention of chronic diseases. So far, 19 state and 7 local health departments participated in this project. On the basis of these participants’ experiences, we describe our training strategy and identify high-impact GIS skills that can be mastered and applied over a short time in support of chronic disease surveillance. We also describe the web-based resources in the Chronic Disease GIS Exchange that were produced on the basis of this training and are available to anyone interested in GIS and chronic disease (www.cdc.gov/DHDSP/maps/GISX). GIS offers diverse sets of tools that promise increased productivity for chronic disease staff of state and local health departments. PMID:23786907

  17. Putting chronic disease on the map: building GIS capacity in state and local health departments.

    PubMed

    Miranda, Marie Lynn; Casper, Michele; Tootoo, Joshua; Schieb, Linda

    2013-06-20

    Techniques based on geographic information systems (GIS) have been widely adopted and applied in the fields of infectious disease and environmental epidemiology; their use in chronic disease programs is relatively new. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention is collaborating with the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors and the University of Michigan to provide health departments with capacity to integrate GIS into daily operations, which support priorities for surveillance and prevention of chronic diseases. So far, 19 state and 7 local health departments participated in this project. On the basis of these participants' experiences, we describe our training strategy and identify high-impact GIS skills that can be mastered and applied over a short time in support of chronic disease surveillance. We also describe the web-based resources in the Chronic Disease GIS Exchange that were produced on the basis of this training and are available to anyone interested in GIS and chronic disease (www.cdc.gov/DHDSP/maps/GISX). GIS offers diverse sets of tools that promise increased productivity for chronic disease staff of state and local health departments.

  18. Is the staple diet eaten in Medawachchiya, Sri Lanka, a predisposing factor in the development of chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology? - A comparison based on urinary β2-microglobulin measurements

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Exact mechanism of causation of chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) in Sri Lanka is not described to date, despite the identification of possible multiple risk factors. Questions have been raised as to why only some are affected while others remain intact, though they are inhabitants of the same locality. Methods Comparative studies were carried out, assessing urinary β2 microglobulin (β2m) and the dietary patterns of CKDu patients and age sex matched non-CKDu subjects. Urinary β2m levels of spot urine samples were analyzed using the Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and dietary patterns were studied using twenty four hour dietary recalls and frequency consumption of foods of animal origin performed on three occasions at six months intervals within a period of one and half years. Results The mean urinary β2m level of CKDu patients from Medawachchiya was significantly (p < 0.05) higher when compared with that of the non-CKDu subjects. The mean urinary β2m level of the non-CKDu subjects was within the reference limits for spot urine samples (0 – 0.3 μg/mL). White raw rice was the staple diet of both CKDu patients and non-CKDu subjects and the level of consumption was almost the same. The consumption of fresh water fish products of CKDu patients under high (14, 14%), moderate (36, 36%), low (26, 26%) and less (20, 20%) categories did not show significant variations (p > 0.05) compared to non-CKDu subjects. Conclusions Staple food in diet and the consumption pattern of CKDu patients from Medawachchiya were similar to that of non-CKDu subjects from the same area despite their urinary β2m concentration being significantly higher. PMID:24988874

  19. Is the staple diet eaten in Medawachchiya, Sri Lanka, a predisposing factor in the development of chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology? - A comparison based on urinary β2-microglobulin measurements.

    PubMed

    Siriwardhana, E A Ranga I E; Perera, Ponnumperuma A J; Sivakanesan, Ramiah; Abeysekara, Thilak; Nugegoda, Danaseela B; Weerakoon, Kosala G A D

    2014-07-02

    Exact mechanism of causation of chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) in Sri Lanka is not described to date, despite the identification of possible multiple risk factors. Questions have been raised as to why only some are affected while others remain intact, though they are inhabitants of the same locality. Comparative studies were carried out, assessing urinary β2 microglobulin (β2m) and the dietary patterns of CKDu patients and age sex matched non-CKDu subjects. Urinary β2m levels of spot urine samples were analyzed using the Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and dietary patterns were studied using twenty four hour dietary recalls and frequency consumption of foods of animal origin performed on three occasions at six months intervals within a period of one and half years. The mean urinary β2m level of CKDu patients from Medawachchiya was significantly (p<0.05) higher when compared with that of the non-CKDu subjects. The mean urinary β2m level of the non-CKDu subjects was within the reference limits for spot urine samples (0 - 0.3 μg/mL). White raw rice was the staple diet of both CKDu patients and non-CKDu subjects and the level of consumption was almost the same. The consumption of fresh water fish products of CKDu patients under high (14, 14%), moderate (36, 36%), low (26, 26%) and less (20, 20%) categories did not show significant variations (p>0.05) compared to non-CKDu subjects. Staple food in diet and the consumption pattern of CKDu patients from Medawachchiya were similar to that of non-CKDu subjects from the same area despite their urinary β2m concentration being significantly higher.

  20. Toward a national fuels mapping strategy: Lessons from selected mapping programs

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Loveland, Thomas R.

    2001-01-01

    The establishment of a robust national fuels mapping program must be based on pertinent lessons from relevant national mapping programs. Many large-area mapping programs are under way in numerous Federal agencies. Each of these programs follows unique strategies to achieve mapping goals and objectives. Implementation approaches range from highly centralized programs that use tightly integrated standards and dedicated staff, to dispersed programs that permit considerable flexibility. One model facilitates national consistency, while the other allows accommodation of locally relevant conditions and issues. An examination of the programmatic strategies of four national vegetation and land cover mapping initiatives can identify the unique approaches, accomplishments, and lessons of each that should be considered in the design of a national fuel mapping program. The first three programs are the U.S. Geological Survey Gap Analysis Program, the U.S. Geological Survey National Land Cover Characterization Program, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Survey National Wetlands Inventory. A fourth program, the interagency Multiresolution Land Characterization Program, offers insights in the use of partnerships to accomplish mapping goals. Collectively, the programs provide lessons, guiding principles, and other basic concepts that can be used to design a successful national fuels mapping initiative.

  1. Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials comparing outcomes for stapled hemorrhoidopexy versus LigaSure hemorrhoidectomy for symptomatic hemorrhoids in adults.

    PubMed

    Lee, Ko-Chao; Chen, Hong-Hwa; Chung, Kuan-Chih; Hu, Wan-Hsiang; Chang, Chia-Lo; Lin, Shung-Eing; Tsai, Kai-Lung; Lu, Chien-Chang

    2013-01-01

    This purpose of the meta-analysis was to compare treatment outcomes for adult patients with symptomatic hemorrhoids treated by stapled hemorrhoidopexy or LigaSure hemorrhoidectomy. A search of public medical databases was made to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing stapled hemorrhoidopexy (SH) with LigaSure hemorrhoidectomy (LH) for the treatment of adult patients with symptomatic grade 3 and grade 4 hemorrhoids. Postoperative pain as measured using a visual analog scale was the primary outcome, and rate of recurrent prolapse and postoperative bleeding were secondary outcome measures. Four RCTs were identified that met the inclusion criteria. Data for the pooled outcomes were analyzed using odds ratio (OR) analysis. None of the studies in the analysis indicated a significant difference between SH and LH for the outcomes VAS pain score, recurrence rate, or postoperative bleeding. Pooled analysis revealed a significant OR in favor of the SH method for recurrent prolapse (OR = 5.529, P = 0.016) for up to 2 years after surgery. No significant differences between the two methods were identified for VAS pain scores (OR = -1.060, P = 0.149) or postoperative bleeding OR = 1.188, P = 0.871). Pooled analysis of RCT results comparing SH to LH for symptomatic hemorrhoids revealed a significantly greater incidence of recurrent prolapse for SH. The two techniques were associated with similar levels of postoperative pain and postoperative bleeding. Copyright © 2013 Surgical Associates Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Exploration and Discovery through Maps: Teaching Science with Technology

    EPA Science Inventory

    Online maps have the power to bring students closer to their local natural environments. EnviroAtlas is an interactive, web-based tool that was designed by the EPA and its partners to provide access to maps that show the status of the local environment and social elements of an ...

  3. The use of bioabsorbable staple line reinforcement for circular stapler (BSG "Seamguard") in colorectal surgery: initial experience.

    PubMed

    Franklin, Morris E; Ramila, Guillermo Portillo; Treviño, Jorge M; González, John J; Russek, Karla; Glass, Jeffrey L; Kim, Greg

    2006-12-01

    Of all the complications associated with colorectal surgery, the most devastating and constant, despite all techniques being performed properly is anastomotic leakage, especially in left colon and rectal resections with rates as high as 50% when the rectum is involved. In 2005, our center published the preliminary experience with the use of linear staple line reinforcement for colon surgery. The purpose of this paper is to present a series of cases using a new conformation of bioabsorbable reinforcement for circular staplers in 5 patients, 2 patients with rectal cancer, 2 patients with diverticular disease, and 1 patient with sigmoid cancer. These initial data are very promising and has encouraged us to continue using this device on further patients.

  4. HGDP and HapMap Analysis by Ancestry Mapper Reveals Local and Global Population Relationships

    PubMed Central

    Magalhães, Tiago R.; Casey, Jillian P.; Conroy, Judith; Regan, Regina; Fitzpatrick, Darren J.; Shah, Naisha; Sobral, João; Ennis, Sean

    2012-01-01

    Knowledge of human origins, migrations, and expansions is greatly enhanced by the availability of large datasets of genetic information from different populations and by the development of bioinformatic tools used to analyze the data. We present Ancestry Mapper, which we believe improves on existing methods, for the assignment of genetic ancestry to an individual and to study the relationships between local and global populations. The principle function of the method, named Ancestry Mapper, is to give each individual analyzed a genetic identifier, made up of just 51 genetic coordinates, that corresponds to its relationship to the HGDP reference population. As a consequence, the Ancestry Mapper Id (AMid) has intrinsic biological meaning and provides a tool to measure similarity between world populations. We applied Ancestry Mapper to a dataset comprised of the HGDP and HapMap data. The results show distinctions at the continental level, while simultaneously giving details at the population level. We clustered AMids of HGDP/HapMap and observe a recapitulation of human migrations: for a small number of clusters, individuals are grouped according to continental origins; for a larger number of clusters, regional and population distinctions are evident. Calculating distances between AMids allows us to infer ancestry. The number of coordinates is expandable, increasing the power of Ancestry Mapper. An R package called Ancestry Mapper is available to apply this method to any high density genomic data set. PMID:23189146

  5. Mapping Inhibitory Neuronal Circuits by Laser Scanning Photostimulation

    PubMed Central

    Ikrar, Taruna; Olivas, Nicholas D.; Shi, Yulin; Xu, Xiangmin

    2011-01-01

    Inhibitory neurons are crucial to cortical function. They comprise about 20% of the entire cortical neuronal population and can be further subdivided into diverse subtypes based on their immunochemical, morphological, and physiological properties1-4. Although previous research has revealed much about intrinsic properties of individual types of inhibitory neurons, knowledge about their local circuit connections is still relatively limited3,5,6. Given that each individual neuron's function is shaped by its excitatory and inhibitory synaptic input within cortical circuits, we have been using laser scanning photostimulation (LSPS) to map local circuit connections to specific inhibitory cell types. Compared to conventional electrical stimulation or glutamate puff stimulation, LSPS has unique advantages allowing for extensive mapping and quantitative analysis of local functional inputs to individually recorded neurons3,7-9. Laser photostimulation via glutamate uncaging selectively activates neurons perisomatically, without activating axons of passage or distal dendrites, which ensures a sub-laminar mapping resolution. The sensitivity and efficiency of LSPS for mapping inputs from many stimulation sites over a large region are well suited for cortical circuit analysis. Here we introduce the technique of LSPS combined with whole-cell patch clamping for local inhibitory circuit mapping. Targeted recordings of specific inhibitory cell types are facilitated by use of transgenic mice expressing green fluorescent proteins (GFP) in limited inhibitory neuron populations in the cortex3,10, which enables consistent sampling of the targeted cell types and unambiguous identification of the cell types recorded. As for LSPS mapping, we outline the system instrumentation, describe the experimental procedure and data acquisition, and present examples of circuit mapping in mouse primary somatosensory cortex. As illustrated in our experiments, caged glutamate is activated in a spatially

  6. ClimateWizard: A Framework and Easy-to-Use Web-Mapping Tool for Global, Regional, and Local Climate-Change Analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Girvetz, E. H.; Zganjar, C.; Raber, G. T.; Hoekstra, J.; Lawler, J. J.; Kareiva, P.

    2008-12-01

    Now that there is overwhelming evidence of global climate change, scientists, managers and planners (i.e. practitioners) need to assess the potential impacts of climate change on particular ecological systems, within specific geographic areas, and at spatial scales they care about, in order to make better land management, planning, and policy decisions. Unfortunately, this application of climate science to real world decisions and planning has proceeded too slowly because we lack tools for translating cutting-edge climate science and climate-model outputs into something managers and planners can work with at local or regional scales (CCSP 2008). To help increase the accessibility of climate information, we have developed a freely-available, easy-to-use, web-based climate-change analysis toolbox, called ClimateWizard, for assessing how climate has and is projected to change at specific geographic locations throughout the world. The ClimateWizard uses geographic information systems (GIS), web-services (SOAP/XML), statistical analysis platforms (e.g. R- project), and web-based mapping services (e.g. Google Earth/Maps, KML/GML) to provide a variety of different analyses (e.g. trends and departures) and outputs (e.g. maps, graphs, tables, GIS layers). Because ClimateWizard analyzes large climate datasets stored remotely on powerful computers, users of the tool do not need to have fast computers or expensive software, but simply need access to the internet. The analysis results are then provided to users in a Google Maps webpage tailored to the specific climate-change question being asked. The ClimateWizard is not a static product, but rather a framework to be built upon and modified to suit the purposes of specific scientific, management, and policy questions. For example, it can be expanded to include bioclimatic variables (e.g. evapotranspiration) and marine data (e.g. sea surface temperature), as well as improved future climate projections, and climate-change impact

  7. New Tsunami Inundation Maps for California

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barberopoulou, Aggeliki; Borrero, Jose; Uslu, Burak; Kanoglu, Utku; Synolakis, Costas

    2010-05-01

    California is the first US State to complete its tsunami inundation mapping. A new generation of tsunami inundation maps is now available for 17 coastal counties.. The new maps offer improved coverage for many areas, they are based on the most recent descriptions of potential tsunami farfield and nearfield sources and use the best available bathymetric and topographic data for modelling. The need for new tsunami maps for California became clear since Synolakis et al (1998) described how inundation projections derived with inundation models that fully calculate the wave evolution over dry land can be as high as twice the values predicted with earlier threshold models, for tsunamis originating from tectonic source. Since the 1998 Papua New Guinea tsunami when the hazard from offshore submarine landslides was better understood (Bardet et al, 2003), the State of California funded the development of the first generation of maps, based on local tectonic and landslide sources. Most of the hazard was dominated by offshore landslides, whose return period remains unknown but is believed to be higher than 1000 years for any given locale, at least in Southern California. The new generation of maps incorporates local and distant scenarios. The partnership between the Tsunami Research Center at USC, the California Emergency Management Agency and the California Seismic Safety Commission let the State to be the first among all US States to complete the maps. (Exceptions include the offshore islands and Newport Beach, where higher resolution maps are under way). The maps were produced with the lowest cost per mile of coastline, per resident or per map than all other States, because of the seamless integration of the USC and NOAA databases and the use of the MOST model. They are a significant improvement over earlier map generations. As part of a continuous improvement in response, mitigation and planning and community education, the California inundation maps can contribute in

  8. Mapping of local argon impingement on a virtual surface: an insight for gas injection during FEBID

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wanzenboeck, H. D.; Hochleitner, G.; Mika, J.; Shawrav, M. M.; Gavagnin, M.; Bertagnolli, E.

    2014-12-01

    During the last decades, focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) has become a successful approach for direct-write fabrication of nanodevices. Such a deposition technique relies on the precursor supply to the sample surface which is typically accomplished by a gas injection system using a tube-shaped injector nozzle. This precursor injection strategy implies a position-dependent concentration gradient on the surface, which affects the geometry and chemistry of the final nanodeposit. Although simulations already proposed the local distribution of nozzle-borne gas molecules impinging on the surface, this isolated step in the FEBID process has never been experimentally measured yet. This work experimentally investigates the local distribution of impinging gas molecules on the sample plane, isolating the direct impingement component from surface diffusion or precursor depletion by deposition. The experimental setup used in this work maps and quantifies the local impinging rate of argon gas over the sample plane. This setup simulates the identical conditions for a precursor molecule during FEBID. Argon gas was locally collected with a sniffer tube, which is directly connected to a residual gas analyzer for quantification. The measured distribution of impinging gas molecules showed a strong position dependence. Indeed, a 300-µm shift of the deposition area to a position further away from the impingement center spot resulted in a 50 % decrease in the precursor impinging rate on the surface area. With the same parameters, the precursor distribution was also simulated by a Monte Carlo software by Friedli and Utke and showed a good correlation between the empirical and the simulated precursor distribution. The results hereby presented underline the importance of controlling the local precursor flux conditions in order to obtain reproducible and comparable deposition results in FEBID.

  9. An open, prospective, randomized pilot investigation evaluating pain with the use of a soft silicone wound contact layer vs bridal veil and staples on split thickness skin grafts as a primary dressing.

    PubMed

    Patton, Mary Lou; Mullins, Robert Fred; Smith, David; Korentager, Richard

    2013-01-01

    An open, prospective, randomized, pilot investigation was implemented to evaluate the pain, cost-effectiveness, ease of use, tolerance, efficacy, and safety of a soft silicone wound contact layer (Mepitel One) vs Bridal Veil and staples used on split thickness skin grafts in the treatment of deep partial or full-thickness thermal burns. Individuals aged between 18 and 70 years with deep partial or full-thickness thermal burns (1-25% TBSA) were randomized into two groups and treated for 14 days or until greater than 95% graft take was achieved, whichever occurred first. Data were obtained and analyzed on pain experienced before, during, and after dressing removal. Secondary considerations included the overall cost (direct), graft take and healing, the ease of product use, overall experience of the dressing, and adverse events. A total of 43 subjects were recruited. There were no significant differences in burn area profiles within the groups. The pain level during dressing removal was significant between the groups (P = .0118) with the removal of Mepitel One being less painful. The staff costs were lower in the group of patients treated with Mepitel One (P = .0064) as reflected in the shorter time required for dressing removal (P = .0005), with Mepitel One taking on average less than a quarter of the time to remove. There was no significant difference in healing between the two groups, with 99.0% of the Mepitel One group and 93.1% of the Bridal Veil and staples group showing greater than 95% graft take at post-op day 7 (+/-1) (P = .2373). Clinicians reported that the soft silicone dressing was easier to use, more conformable, and demonstrated better ability to stay in place, compared with the Bridal Veil and staples regime. Both treatments were well tolerated, with no serious adverse events in either treatment group. Mepitel One was at least as effective in the treatment of patients as the standard care (Bridal Veil and staples). In addition, the group of patients

  10. Counter Tunnel Exploration, Mapping, and Localization with an Unmanned Ground Vehicle

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-05-01

    support terrorist activity. Past robotic tunnel exploration efforts have had limited success in aiding law enforcement to explore and map the suspect...cross-border tunnels. These efforts have made use of adapted explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) or pipe inspection robotic systems that are not ideally... Robotics Enterprise (JGRE) to develop a prototype robotic system for counter-tunnel operations, focusing on exploration, mapping, and characterization of

  11. Conductance maps of quantum rings due to a local potential perturbation.

    PubMed

    Petrović, M D; Peeters, F M; Chaves, A; Farias, G A

    2013-12-11

    We performed a numerical simulation of the dynamics of a Gaussian shaped wavepacket inside a small sized quantum ring, smoothly connected to two leads and exposed to a perturbing potential of a biased atomic force microscope tip. Using the Landauer formalism, we calculated conductance maps of this system in the case of single and two subband transport. We explain the main features in the conductance maps as due to the AFM tip influence on the wavepacket phase and amplitude. In the presence of an external magnetic field, the tip modifies the ϕ0 periodic Aharonov-Bohm oscillation pattern into a ϕ0/2 periodic Al'tshuler-Aronov-Spivak oscillation pattern. Our results in the case of multiband transport suggest tip selectivity to higher subbands, making them more observable in the total conductance map.

  12. Aerial images visual localization on a vector map using color-texture segmentation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kunina, I. A.; Teplyakov, L. M.; Gladkov, A. P.; Khanipov, T. M.; Nikolaev, D. P.

    2018-04-01

    In this paper we study the problem of combining UAV obtained optical data and a coastal vector map in absence of satellite navigation data. The method is based on presenting the territory as a set of segments produced by color-texture image segmentation. We then find such geometric transform which gives the best match between these segments and land and water areas of the georeferenced vector map. We calculate transform consisting of an arbitrary shift relatively to the vector map and bound rotation and scaling. These parameters are estimated using the RANSAC algorithm which matches the segments contours and the contours of land and water areas of the vector map. To implement this matching we suggest computing shape descriptors robust to rotation and scaling. We performed numerical experiments demonstrating the practical applicability of the proposed method.

  13. Geologic map of Mars

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Tanaka, Kenneth L.; Skinner, James A.; Dohm, James M.; Irwin, Rossman P.; Kolb, Eric J.; Fortezzo, Corey M.; Platz, Thomas; Michael, Gregory G.; Hare, Trent M.

    2014-01-01

    This global geologic map of Mars, which records the distribution of geologic units and landforms on the planet's surface through time, is based on unprecedented variety, quality, and quantity of remotely sensed data acquired since the Viking Orbiters. These data have provided morphologic, topographic, spectral, thermophysical, radar sounding, and other observations for integration, analysis, and interpretation in support of geologic mapping. In particular, the precise topographic mapping now available has enabled consistent morphologic portrayal of the surface for global mapping (whereas previously used visual-range image bases were less effective, because they combined morphologic and albedo information and, locally, atmospheric haze). Also, thermal infrared image bases used for this map tended to be less affected by atmospheric haze and thus are reliable for analysis of surface morphology and texture at even higher resolution than the topographic products.

  14. Glycaemic Index and Load Values Tested in Normoglycemic Adults for Five Staple Foodstuffs: Pounded Yam, Pounded Cassava-Plantain, Placali, Attieke and Maize Meal Stiff Porridge

    PubMed Central

    Kouamé, Adam C.; Kouassi, Kouakou N.; N’dri, Yao D.; Amani, N’guessan G.

    2015-01-01

    There is currently an increased global interest in the published glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL) values of foods. However, data on the GI and GL values of different varieties of foods within Côte d’Ivoire are very limited. The study therefore aimed at finding the GI and GL of the main food staples in Côte d’Ivoire. Following the International Standard Organisation’s protocol (ISO/FDI 26642:2010), a selection of five staple foodstuffs were tested for their GI and GL. Fasted healthy subjects were given 50 g of available carbohydrate servings of a glucose reference, which was tested twice, and test foods which were tested once, on separate occasions. Excepted attieke (GI 63), the majority of foods tested have a high GI (GI > 70). Attieke (agbodjama) had a high GL (GL 29) while placali (GL 17) and maize meal stiff porridge (GL 16) had medium GLs. The GLs of pounded cassava-plantain and pounded yam are 26 and 22. Consumption of attieke could minimize postprandial blood glucose spikes, in spite of high GL and potentially have benefit in the management and prevention of some chronic diseases. PMID:25690417

  15. New GIS approaches to wild land mapping in Europe

    Treesearch

    Steffen Fritz; Steve Carver; Linda See

    2000-01-01

    This paper outlines modifications and new approaches to wild land mapping developed specifically for the United Kingdom and European areas. In particular, national level reconnaissance and local level mapping of wild land in the UK and Scotland are presented. A national level study for the UK is undertaken, and a local study focuses on the Cairngorm Mountains in...

  16. Procedures for adjusting regional regression models of urban-runoff quality using local data

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hoos, A.B.; Sisolak, J.K.

    1993-01-01

    Statistical operations termed model-adjustment procedures (MAP?s) can be used to incorporate local data into existing regression models to improve the prediction of urban-runoff quality. Each MAP is a form of regression analysis in which the local data base is used as a calibration data set. Regression coefficients are determined from the local data base, and the resulting `adjusted? regression models can then be used to predict storm-runoff quality at unmonitored sites. The response variable in the regression analyses is the observed load or mean concentration of a constituent in storm runoff for a single storm. The set of explanatory variables used in the regression analyses is different for each MAP, but always includes the predicted value of load or mean concentration from a regional regression model. The four MAP?s examined in this study were: single-factor regression against the regional model prediction, P, (termed MAP-lF-P), regression against P,, (termed MAP-R-P), regression against P, and additional local variables (termed MAP-R-P+nV), and a weighted combination of P, and a local-regression prediction (termed MAP-W). The procedures were tested by means of split-sample analysis, using data from three cities included in the Nationwide Urban Runoff Program: Denver, Colorado; Bellevue, Washington; and Knoxville, Tennessee. The MAP that provided the greatest predictive accuracy for the verification data set differed among the three test data bases and among model types (MAP-W for Denver and Knoxville, MAP-lF-P and MAP-R-P for Bellevue load models, and MAP-R-P+nV for Bellevue concentration models) and, in many cases, was not clearly indicated by the values of standard error of estimate for the calibration data set. A scheme to guide MAP selection, based on exploratory data analysis of the calibration data set, is presented and tested. The MAP?s were tested for sensitivity to the size of a calibration data set. As expected, predictive accuracy of all MAP?s for

  17. Vision-based mapping with cooperative robots

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Little, James J.; Jennings, Cullen; Murray, Don

    1998-10-01

    Two stereo-vision-based mobile robots navigate and autonomously explore their environment safely while building occupancy grid maps of the environment. The robots maintain position estimates within a global coordinate frame using landmark recognition. This allows them to build a common map by sharing position information and stereo data. Stereo vision processing and map updates are done at 3 Hz and the robots move at speeds of 200 cm/s. Cooperative mapping is achieved through autonomous exploration of unstructured and dynamic environments. The map is constructed conservatively, so as to be useful for collision-free path planning. Each robot maintains a separate copy of a shared map, and then posts updates to the common map when it returns to observe a landmark at home base. Issues include synchronization, mutual localization, navigation, exploration, registration of maps, merging repeated views (fusion), centralized vs decentralized maps.

  18. Karst map of Puerto Rico

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Alemán González, Wilma B.

    2010-01-01

    This map is a digital compilation, combining the mapping of earlier geologists. Their work, cited on the map, contains more detailed descriptions of karst areas and landforms in Puerto Rico. This map is the basis for the Puerto Rico part of a new national karst map currently being compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey. In addition, this product is a standalone, citable source of digital karst data for Puerto Rico. Nearly 25 percent of the United States is underlain by karst terrain, and a large part of that area is undergoing urban and industrial development. Accurate delineations of karstic rocks are needed at scales suitable for national, State, and local maps. The data on this map contribute to a better understanding of subsidence hazards, groundwater contamination potential, and cave resources as well as serve as a guide to topical research on karst. Because the karst data were digitized from maps having a different scale and projection from those on the base map used for this publication, some karst features may not coincide perfectly with physiographic features portrayed on the base map.

  19. Does stapled anopexy for bleeding haemorrhoids cure associated anaemia?

    PubMed

    Hidalgo-Grau, L A; Llorca-Cardeñosa, S; Heredia-Budó, A; Estrada-Ferrer, Ò; Del Bas-Rubia, M; García-Torralbo, E M; Suñol-Sala, X

    2014-10-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of stapled anopexy (SA) in patients with chronic bleeding haemorrhoids and secondary anaemia. Our department performed 340 SA procedure per patient for haemorrhoids between January 1999 and December 2011. Fifty (14.7%) of these patients (25 male patients and 25 female patients) had anaemia (haemoglobin concentration < 13 g/dl in male patients and < 12 g/dl in female patients) secondary to chronic haemorrhoidal bleeding. Patients with colorectal bleeding and anaemia not caused by haemorrhoids were excluded. The mean (SD) age was 56.4 (13.9) years and the mean (SD) haemoglobin concentration was 9.2 (1.6) g/dl for male patients and 10.4 (1.2) g/dl for female patients. Five (10%) patients with anaemia had Grade II, 22 (44%) had Grade III and 23 (46%) had Grade IV haemorrhoids. The median (range) duration of postoperative follow-up was six (1-12) years. None of the patients required early postoperative admission or experienced early or late complications related to SA. The procedure was successful (normal haemoglobin concentration and no bleeding at 6 months postsurgery) in 45 (90%) patients. Of the five (10%) patients in whom SA was ineffective, one had Grade II, three had Grade III and one had Grade IV haemorrhoids. All these patients underwent Milligan-Morgan haemorrhoidectomy 3 months after SA. SA is an effective treatment for patients with bleeding haemorrhoids and subsequent anaemia. In our experience, the success rate was satisfactory and there were no serious complications. Colorectal Disease © 2014 The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland.

  20. Modeling non-locality of plasmonic excitations with a fictitious film

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kong, Jiantao; Shvonski, Alexander; Kempa, Krzysztof

    Non-local effects, requiring a wavevector (q) dependent dielectric response are becoming increasingly important in studies of plasmonic and metamaterial structures. The phenomenological hydrodynamic approximation (HDA) is the simplest, and most often used model, but it often fails. We show that the d-function formalism, exact to first order in q, is a powerful and simple-to-use alternative. Recently, we developed a mapping of the d-function formalism into a purely local fictitious film. This geometric mapping allows for non-local extensions of any local calculation scheme, including FDTD. We demonstrate here, that such mapped FDTD simulation of metallic nanoclusters agrees very well with various experiments.

  1. Improved access and visibility during stapling of the ultra-low rectum: a comparative human cadaver study between two curved staplers

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background The purpose of this study was to compare in human cadavers the applicability of a commonly used stapling device, the CONTOUR® curved cutter (CC) (Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Cincinnati, OH) to a newly released, curved stapler, the Endo GIA™ Radial Reload with Tri-Staple™ Technology (RR) (Covidien, New Haven, CT) Methods Four experienced surgeons performed deep pelvic dissection with total mesorectal excision (TME) of the rectum in twelve randomized male cadavers. Both stapling devices were applied to the ultra-low rectum in coronal and sagittal configurations. Extensive measurements were recorded of anatomic landmarks for each cadaver pelvis along with various aspects of access, visibility, and ease of placement for each device. Results The RR reached significantly lower into the pelvis in both the coronal and sagittal positions compared to the CC. The median distance from the pelvic floor was 1.0 cm compared to 2.0 cm in the coronal position, and 1.0 cm versus 3.3 cm placed sagitally, p < 0.0001. Surgeons gave a higher visibility rating with less visual impediment in the sagittal plane using the RR Stapler. Impediment of visibility occurred in only 10% (5/48) of RR applications in the coronal position, compared to a rate of 48% (23/48) using the CC, p = 0.0002. Conclusions The RR device performed significantly better when compared to the CC stapler in regards to placing the stapler further into the deep pelvis and closer to the pelvic floor, while causing less obstructing of visualization. PMID:23148602

  2. An Integrated Tone Mapping for High Dynamic Range Image Visualization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liang, Lei; Pan, Jeng-Shyang; Zhuang, Yongjun

    2018-01-01

    There are two type tone mapping operators for high dynamic range (HDR) image visualization. HDR image mapped by perceptual operators have strong sense of reality, but will lose local details. Empirical operators can maximize local detail information of HDR image, but realism is not strong. A common tone mapping operator suitable for all applications is not available. This paper proposes a novel integrated tone mapping framework which can achieve conversion between empirical operators and perceptual operators. In this framework, the empirical operator is rendered based on improved saliency map, which simulates the visual attention mechanism of the human eye to the natural scene. The results of objective evaluation prove the effectiveness of the proposed solution.

  3. Mars Global Geologic Mapping: Amazonian Results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tanaka, K. L.; Dohm, J. M.; Irwin, R.; Kolb, E. J.; Skinner, J. A., Jr.; Hare, T. M.

    2008-01-01

    We are in the second year of a five-year effort to map the geology of Mars using mainly Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Express, and Mars Odyssey imaging and altimetry datasets. Previously, we have reported on details of project management, mapping datasets (local and regional), initial and anticipated mapping approaches, and tactics of map unit delineation and description [1-2]. For example, we have seen how the multiple types and huge quantity of image data as well as more accurate and detailed altimetry data now available allow for broader and deeper geologic perspectives, based largely on improved landform perception, characterization, and analysis. Here, we describe early mapping results, which include updating of previous northern plains mapping [3], including delineation of mainly Amazonian units and regional fault mapping, as well as other advances.

  4. SLAMM: Visual monocular SLAM with continuous mapping using multiple maps

    PubMed Central

    Md. Sabri, Aznul Qalid; Loo, Chu Kiong; Mansoor, Ali Mohammed

    2018-01-01

    This paper presents the concept of Simultaneous Localization and Multi-Mapping (SLAMM). It is a system that ensures continuous mapping and information preservation despite failures in tracking due to corrupted frames or sensor’s malfunction; making it suitable for real-world applications. It works with single or multiple robots. In a single robot scenario the algorithm generates a new map at the time of tracking failure, and later it merges maps at the event of loop closure. Similarly, maps generated from multiple robots are merged without prior knowledge of their relative poses; which makes this algorithm flexible. The system works in real time at frame-rate speed. The proposed approach was tested on the KITTI and TUM RGB-D public datasets and it showed superior results compared to the state-of-the-arts in calibrated visual monocular keyframe-based SLAM. The mean tracking time is around 22 milliseconds. The initialization is twice as fast as it is in ORB-SLAM, and the retrieved map can reach up to 90 percent more in terms of information preservation depending on tracking loss and loop closure events. For the benefit of the community, the source code along with a framework to be run with Bebop drone are made available at https://github.com/hdaoud/ORBSLAMM. PMID:29702697

  5. Mapping nanoscale effects of localized noise-source activities on photoconductive charge transports in polymer-blend films.

    PubMed

    Shekhar, Shashank; Cho, Duckhyung; Cho, Dong-Guk; Yang, Myungjae; Hong, Seunghun

    2018-05-18

    We develolped a method to directly image the nanoscale effects of localized noise-source activities on photoconducting charge transports in domain structures of phase-separated polymer-blend films of Poly(9,9-di-n-octylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl) and Poly(9,9-di-n-octylfluorene-alt-benzothiadiazole). For the imaging, current and noise maps of the polymer-blend were recorded using a conducting nanoprobe in contact with the surface, enabling the conductivity (σ) and noise-source density (N T ) mappings under an external stimulus. The blend-films exhibited the phase-separation between the constituent polymers at domains level. Within a domain, high σ (low N T ) and low σ (high N T ) regions were observed, which could be associated with the ordered and disordered regions of a domain. In the N T maps, we observed that noise-sources strongly affected the conduction mechanism, resulting in a scaling behavior of σ ∝ [Formula: see text] in both ordered and disordered regions. When a blend film was under an influence of an external stimulus such as a high bias or an illumination, an increase in the σ was observed, but that also resulted in increases in the N T as a trade-off. Interestingly, the Δσ versus ΔN T plot exhibited an unusual scaling behavior of Δσ ∝ [Formula: see text] which is attributed to the de-trapping of carriers from deep traps by the external stimuli. In addition, we found that an external stimulus increased the conductivity at the interfaces without significantly increasing their N T , which can be the origin of the superior performances of polymer-blend based devices. These results provide valuable insight about the effects of noise-sources on nanoscale optoelectronic properties in polymer-blend films, which can be an important guideline for improving devices based on polymer-blend.

  6. Mapping nanoscale effects of localized noise-source activities on photoconductive charge transports in polymer-blend films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shekhar, Shashank; Cho, Duckhyung; Cho, Dong-Guk; Yang, Myungjae; Hong, Seunghun

    2018-05-01

    We develolped a method to directly image the nanoscale effects of localized noise-source activities on photoconducting charge transports in domain structures of phase-separated polymer-blend films of Poly(9,9-di-n-octylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl) and Poly(9,9-di-n-octylfluorene-alt-benzothiadiazole). For the imaging, current and noise maps of the polymer-blend were recorded using a conducting nanoprobe in contact with the surface, enabling the conductivity (σ) and noise-source density (N T) mappings under an external stimulus. The blend-films exhibited the phase-separation between the constituent polymers at domains level. Within a domain, high σ (low N T) and low σ (high N T) regions were observed, which could be associated with the ordered and disordered regions of a domain. In the N T maps, we observed that noise-sources strongly affected the conduction mechanism, resulting in a scaling behavior of σ ∝ {{N}{{T}}}-0.5 in both ordered and disordered regions. When a blend film was under an influence of an external stimulus such as a high bias or an illumination, an increase in the σ was observed, but that also resulted in increases in the N T as a trade-off. Interestingly, the Δσ versus ΔN T plot exhibited an unusual scaling behavior of Δσ ∝ {{Δ }}{{N}{{T}}}0.5, which is attributed to the de-trapping of carriers from deep traps by the external stimuli. In addition, we found that an external stimulus increased the conductivity at the interfaces without significantly increasing their N T, which can be the origin of the superior performances of polymer-blend based devices. These results provide valuable insight about the effects of noise-sources on nanoscale optoelectronic properties in polymer-blend films, which can be an important guideline for improving devices based on polymer-blend.

  7. Initial implementation of The National Map

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Roth, K.

    2003-01-01

    The development of The National Map is "national" in the broadest sense of the word. Although the U.S. Geological Survey is taking the lead, local governments, states, and regions are active and essential partners in the process, contributing, for example, data updates, problem-solving data integration, and map development from multiple data layers.

  8. Atmospheric deposition maps for the Rocky Mountains

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Nanus, L.; Campbell, D.H.; Ingersoll, G.P.; Clow, D.W.; Mast, M.A.

    2003-01-01

    Variability in atmospheric deposition across the Rocky Mountains is influenced by elevation, slope, aspect, and precipitation amount and by regional and local sources of air pollution. To improve estimates of deposition in mountainous regions, maps of average annual atmospheric deposition loadings of nitrate, sulfate, and acidity were developed for the Rocky Mountains by using spatial statistics. A parameter-elevation regressions on independent slopes model (PRISM) was incorporated to account for variations in precipitation amount over mountainous regions. Chemical data were obtained from the National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends Network and from annual snowpack surveys conducted by the US Geological Survey and National Park Service, in cooperation with other Federal, State and local agencies. Surface concentration maps were created by ordinary kriging in a geographic information system, using a local trend and mathematical model to estimate the spatial variance. Atmospheric-deposition maps were constructed at 1-km resolution by multiplying surface concentrations from the kriged grid and estimates of precipitation amount from the PRISM model. Maps indicate an increasing spatial trend in concentration and deposition of the modeled constituents, particularly nitrate and sulfate, from north to south throughout the Rocky Mountains and identify hot-spots of atmospheric deposition that result from combined local and regional sources of air pollution. Highest nitrate (2.5-3.0kg/ha N) and sulfate (10.0-12.0kg/ha SO4) deposition is found in northern Colorado.

  9. Assessment of Social Vulnerability Identification at Local Level around Merapi Volcano - A Self Organizing Map Approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, S.; Maharani, Y. N.; Ki, S. J.

    2015-12-01

    The application of Self-Organizing Map (SOM) to analyze social vulnerability to recognize the resilience within sites is a challenging tasks. The aim of this study is to propose a computational method to identify the sites according to their similarity and to determine the most relevant variables to characterize the social vulnerability in each cluster. For this purposes, SOM is considered as an effective platform for analysis of high dimensional data. By considering the cluster structure, the characteristic of social vulnerability of the sites identification can be fully understand. In this study, the social vulnerability variable is constructed from 17 variables, i.e. 12 independent variables which represent the socio-economic concepts and 5 dependent variables which represent the damage and losses due to Merapi eruption in 2010. These variables collectively represent the local situation of the study area, based on conducted fieldwork on September 2013. By using both independent and dependent variables, we can identify if the social vulnerability is reflected onto the actual situation, in this case, Merapi eruption 2010. However, social vulnerability analysis in the local communities consists of a number of variables that represent their socio-economic condition. Some of variables employed in this study might be more or less redundant. Therefore, SOM is used to reduce the redundant variable(s) by selecting the representative variables using the component planes and correlation coefficient between variables in order to find the effective sample size. Then, the selected dataset was effectively clustered according to their similarities. Finally, this approach can produce reliable estimates of clustering, recognize the most significant variables and could be useful for social vulnerability assessment, especially for the stakeholder as decision maker. This research was supported by a grant 'Development of Advanced Volcanic Disaster Response System considering

  10. Automated map sharpening by maximization of detail and connectivity

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Terwilliger, Thomas C.; Sobolev, Oleg V.; Afonine, Pavel V.

    An algorithm for automatic map sharpening is presented that is based on optimization of the detail and connectivity of the sharpened map. The detail in the map is reflected in the surface area of an iso-contour surface that contains a fixed fraction of the volume of the map, where a map with high level of detail has a high surface area. The connectivity of the sharpened map is reflected in the number of connected regions defined by the same iso-contour surfaces, where a map with high connectivity has a small number of connected regions. By combining these two measures inmore » a metric termed the `adjusted surface area', map quality can be evaluated in an automated fashion. This metric was used to choose optimal map-sharpening parameters without reference to a model or other interpretations of the map. Map sharpening by optimization of the adjusted surface area can be carried out for a map as a whole or it can be carried out locally, yielding a locally sharpened map. To evaluate the performance of various approaches, a simple metric based on map–model correlation that can reproduce visual choices of optimally sharpened maps was used. The map–model correlation is calculated using a model withBfactors (atomic displacement factors; ADPs) set to zero. Finally, this model-based metric was used to evaluate map sharpening and to evaluate map-sharpening approaches, and it was found that optimization of the adjusted surface area can be an effective tool for map sharpening.« less

  11. Automated map sharpening by maximization of detail and connectivity

    DOE PAGES

    Terwilliger, Thomas C.; Sobolev, Oleg V.; Afonine, Pavel V.; ...

    2018-05-18

    An algorithm for automatic map sharpening is presented that is based on optimization of the detail and connectivity of the sharpened map. The detail in the map is reflected in the surface area of an iso-contour surface that contains a fixed fraction of the volume of the map, where a map with high level of detail has a high surface area. The connectivity of the sharpened map is reflected in the number of connected regions defined by the same iso-contour surfaces, where a map with high connectivity has a small number of connected regions. By combining these two measures inmore » a metric termed the `adjusted surface area', map quality can be evaluated in an automated fashion. This metric was used to choose optimal map-sharpening parameters without reference to a model or other interpretations of the map. Map sharpening by optimization of the adjusted surface area can be carried out for a map as a whole or it can be carried out locally, yielding a locally sharpened map. To evaluate the performance of various approaches, a simple metric based on map–model correlation that can reproduce visual choices of optimally sharpened maps was used. The map–model correlation is calculated using a model withBfactors (atomic displacement factors; ADPs) set to zero. Finally, this model-based metric was used to evaluate map sharpening and to evaluate map-sharpening approaches, and it was found that optimization of the adjusted surface area can be an effective tool for map sharpening.« less

  12. Water-sanitation-hygiene mapping: an improved approach for data collection at local level.

    PubMed

    Giné-Garriga, Ricard; de Palencia, Alejandro Jiménez-Fernández; Pérez-Foguet, Agustí

    2013-10-01

    Strategic planning and appropriate development and management of water and sanitation services are strongly supported by accurate and accessible data. If adequately exploited, these data might assist water managers with performance monitoring, benchmarking comparisons, policy progress evaluation, resources allocation, and decision making. A variety of tools and techniques are in place to collect such information. However, some methodological weaknesses arise when developing an instrument for routine data collection, particularly at local level: i) comparability problems due to heterogeneity of indicators, ii) poor reliability of collected data, iii) inadequate combination of different information sources, and iv) statistical validity of produced estimates when disaggregated into small geographic subareas. This study proposes an improved approach for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) data collection at decentralised level in low income settings, as an attempt to overcome previous shortcomings. The ultimate aim is to provide local policymakers with strong evidences to inform their planning decisions. The survey design takes the Water Point Mapping (WPM) as a starting point to record all available water sources at a particular location. This information is then linked to data produced by a household survey. Different survey instruments are implemented to collect reliable data by employing a variety of techniques, such as structured questionnaires, direct observation and water quality testing. The collected data is finally validated through simple statistical analysis, which in turn produces valuable outputs that might feed into the decision-making process. In order to demonstrate the applicability of the method, outcomes produced from three different case studies (Homa Bay District-Kenya-; Kibondo District-Tanzania-; and Municipality of Manhiça-Mozambique-) are presented. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Numerical simulations of human tibia osteosynthesis using modular plates based on Nitinol staples.

    PubMed

    Tarniţă, Daniela; Tarniţă, D N; Popa, D; Grecu, D; Tarniţă, Roxana; Niculescu, D; Cismaru, F

    2010-01-01

    The shape memory alloys exhibit a number of remarkable properties, which open new possibilities in engineering and more specifically in biomedical engineering. The most important alloy used in biomedical applications is NiTi. This alloy combines the characteristics of the shape memory effect and superelasticity with excellent corrosion resistance, wear characteristics, mechanical properties and a good biocompatibility. These properties make it an ideal biological engineering material, especially in orthopedic surgery and orthodontics. In this work, modular plates for the osteosynthesis of the long bones fractures are presented. The proposed modular plates are realized from identical modules, completely interchangeable, made of titanium or stainless steel having as connecting elements U-shaped staples made of Nitinol. Using computed tomography (CT) images to provide three-dimensional geometric details and SolidWorks software package, the three dimensional virtual models of the tibia bone and of the modular plates are obtained. The finite element models of the tibia bone and of the modular plate are generated. For numerical simulation, VisualNastran software is used. Finally, displacements diagram, von Misses strain diagram, for the modular plate and for the fractured tibia and modular plate ensemble are obtained.

  14. Global and local magnetic mapping using CrowdMag data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saltus, R.; Nair, M. C.

    2016-12-01

    NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), in partnership with the University of Colorado's CIRES develop magnetic field models to aid navigation, resource exploration and scientific research. We use observatories, satellites and ship/airborne surveys to map and model the Earth's magnetic field. However, the available measurements leave gaps in coverage, particularly for short-wavelength anomalies associated with man-made infrastructure ("urban noise"). In 2014, we started a project to address these gaps through the collection of vector magnetic data from digital magnetometers in smartphones. In October 2014, we released the "CrowdMag" Android and iOS apps for harvesting data from phones. Currently, the CrowdMag project has more than 10,000 enthusiastic users contributing more than 12 million magnetic data measurements from around the world. We present the first analysis results from the crowdsourced magnetic data. A global magnetic model derived solely from CrowdMag data is consistent to degree and order 4 with satellite-derived models such as World Magnetic Model. A unique contribution of CrowdMag project is the collection of ground level magnetic data in densely populated regions with an unprecedented spatial resolution. To demonstrate, we generated a magnetic map (by binning the data collected in 200x200m cells) of central Boulder, Colorado using 170,000 data points collected by about 60 devices over the duration October 2014- January 2016. The median value is consistent with the expected magnitude of the Earth's background magnetic field. The standard deviation of the CrowdMag total field (F) values is much higher than the expected natural (i.e., diurnal and geologic) magnetic field variation. However, the phone's magnetometer is sensitive enough to capture the larger magnitude magnetic signature from the urban magnetic sources. We discuss the potential reliability of crowdsourced magnetic maps and their applications to navigation and other

  15. Geomagnetism-Aided Indoor Wi-Fi Radio-Map Construction via Smartphone Crowdsourcing.

    PubMed

    Li, Wen; Wei, Dongyan; Lai, Qifeng; Li, Xianghong; Yuan, Hong

    2018-05-08

    Wi-Fi radio-map construction is an important phase in indoor fingerprint localization systems. Traditional methods for Wi-Fi radio-map construction have the problems of being time-consuming and labor-intensive. In this paper, an indoor Wi-Fi radio-map construction method is proposed which utilizes crowdsourcing data contributed by smartphone users. We draw indoor pathway map and construct Wi-Fi radio-map without requiring manual site survey, exact floor layout and extra infrastructure support. The key novelty is that it recognizes road segments from crowdsourcing traces by a cluster based on magnetism sequence similarity and constructs an indoor pathway map with Wi-Fi signal strengths annotated on. Through experiments in real world indoor areas, the method is proved to have good performance on magnetism similarity calculation, road segment clustering and pathway map construction. The Wi-Fi radio maps constructed by crowdsourcing data are validated to provide competitive indoor localization accuracy.

  16. Geomagnetism-Aided Indoor Wi-Fi Radio-Map Construction via Smartphone Crowdsourcing

    PubMed Central

    Li, Wen; Wei, Dongyan; Lai, Qifeng; Li, Xianghong; Yuan, Hong

    2018-01-01

    Wi-Fi radio-map construction is an important phase in indoor fingerprint localization systems. Traditional methods for Wi-Fi radio-map construction have the problems of being time-consuming and labor-intensive. In this paper, an indoor Wi-Fi radio-map construction method is proposed which utilizes crowdsourcing data contributed by smartphone users. We draw indoor pathway map and construct Wi-Fi radio-map without requiring manual site survey, exact floor layout and extra infrastructure support. The key novelty is that it recognizes road segments from crowdsourcing traces by a cluster based on magnetism sequence similarity and constructs an indoor pathway map with Wi-Fi signal strengths annotated on. Through experiments in real world indoor areas, the method is proved to have good performance on magnetism similarity calculation, road segment clustering and pathway map construction. The Wi-Fi radio maps constructed by crowdsourcing data are validated to provide competitive indoor localization accuracy. PMID:29738454

  17. RF-Based Location Using Interpolation Functions to Reduce Fingerprint Mapping

    PubMed Central

    Ezpeleta, Santiago; Claver, José M.; Pérez-Solano, Juan J.; Martí, José V.

    2015-01-01

    Indoor RF-based localization using fingerprint mapping requires an initial training step, which represents a time consuming process. This location methodology needs a database conformed with RSSI (Radio Signal Strength Indicator) measures from the communication transceivers taken at specific locations within the localization area. But, the real world localization environment is dynamic and it is necessary to rebuild the fingerprint database when some environmental changes are made. This paper explores the use of different interpolation functions to complete the fingerprint mapping needed to achieve the sought accuracy, thereby reducing the effort in the training step. Also, different distributions of test maps and reference points have been evaluated, showing the validity of this proposal and necessary trade-offs. Results reported show that the same or similar localization accuracy can be achieved even when only 50% of the initial fingerprint reference points are taken. PMID:26516862

  18. A multicriteria framework for producing local, regional, and national insect and disease risk maps

    Treesearch

    Frank J. Jr. Krist; Frank J. Sapio

    2010-01-01

    The construction of the 2006 National Insect and Disease Risk Map, compiled by the USDA Forest Service, State and Private Forestry Area, Forest Health Protection Unit, resulted in the development of a GIS-based, multicriteria approach for insect and disease risk mapping that can account for regional variations in forest health concerns and threats. This risk mapping...

  19. Using Local Materials To Teach Writing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ness, Verna M.

    1997-01-01

    English teachers in foreign countries frequently encounter a lack of materials in English dealing with local topics of interest to students. One suggestion is to use materials written in English for tourists, such as travel brochures or local maps. These materials are readily available in most places at little or no cost from local travel agencies…

  20. Automatic metro map layout using multicriteria optimization.

    PubMed

    Stott, Jonathan; Rodgers, Peter; Martínez-Ovando, Juan Carlos; Walker, Stephen G

    2011-01-01

    This paper describes an automatic mechanism for drawing metro maps. We apply multicriteria optimization to find effective placement of stations with a good line layout and to label the map unambiguously. A number of metrics are defined, which are used in a weighted sum to find a fitness value for a layout of the map. A hill climbing optimizer is used to reduce the fitness value, and find improved map layouts. To avoid local minima, we apply clustering techniques to the map-the hill climber moves both stations and clusters when finding improved layouts. We show the method applied to a number of metro maps, and describe an empirical study that provides some quantitative evidence that automatically-drawn metro maps can help users to find routes more efficiently than either published maps or undistorted maps. Moreover, we have found that, in these cases, study subjects indicate a preference for automatically-drawn maps over the alternatives. © 2011 IEEE Published by the IEEE Computer Society

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