Graph-based Mumford-Shah segmentation of dynamic PET with application to input function estimation

Author name used in this publication: (David) Dagan Feng2004-2005 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordPublishe

Infection avoidance behavior: Viral exposure reduces the motivation to forage in female Drosophila melanogaster

Infection avoidance behaviors are the first line of defense against pathogenic encounters. Behavioral plasticity in response to internal or external cues of infection can therefore generate potentially significant heterogeneity in infection. We tested whether Drosophila melanogaster exhibits infection avoidance behavior, and whether this behavior is modified by prior exposure to Drosophila C Virus (DCV) and by the risk of DCV encounter. We examined 2 measures of infection avoidance: (1) the motivation to seek out food sources in the presence of an infection risk and (2) the preference to land on a clean food source over a potentially infectious source. While we found no evidence for preference of clean food sources over potentially infectious ones, previously exposed female flies showed lower motivation to pick a food source when presented with a risk of encountering DCV. We discuss the relevance of behavioral plasticity during foraging for host fitness and pathogen spread

Performance optimization of a leagility inspired supply chain model: a CFGTSA algorithm based approach

Lean and agile principles have attracted considerable interest in the past few decades. Industrial sectors throughout the world are upgrading to these principles to enhance their performance, since they have been proven to be efficient in handling supply chains. However, the present market trend demands a more robust strategy incorporating the salient features of both lean and agile principles. Inspired by these, the leagility principle has emerged, encapsulating both lean and agile features. The present work proposes a leagile supply chain based model for manufacturing industries. The paper emphasizes the various aspects of leagile supply chain modeling and implementation and proposes a new Hybrid Chaos-based Fast Genetic Tabu Simulated Annealing (CFGTSA) algorithm to solve the complex scheduling problem prevailing in the leagile environment. The proposed CFGTSA algorithm is compared with the GA, SA, TS and Hybrid Tabu SA algorithms to demonstrate its efficacy in handling complex scheduling problems

Morphology and hemodynamics in isolated common iliac artery aneurysms impacts proximal aortic remodeling

Objective- Isolated common iliac artery aneurysms (CIAA) are rare. Their prognosis and influence on aortoiliac blood flow and remodeling are unclear. We evaluated the hypotheses that morphology at and distal to the aortic bifurcation, together with the associated hemodynamic changes, influence both the natural history of CIAA and proximal aortic remodeling. Approach and Results- Twenty-five isolated CIAAs (15 intact, 10 ruptured), in 23 patients were reconstructed and analyzed with computational fluid dynamics: all showed abnormal flow. Then we studied a series of 24 hypothetical aortoiliac geometries in silico with varying abdominal aortic deflection and aortic bifurcation angles: key findings were assessed in an independent validation cohort of 162 patients. Wall shear stress in isolated unilateral CIAAs was lower than the contralateral common iliac artery, 0.38±0.33 Pa versus 0.61±0.24 Pa, inversely associated with CIAA diameter ( P<0.001) and morphology (high shear stress in variants distal to a sharp kink). Rupture usually occurred in regions of elevated low and oscillatory shear with a wide aortic bifurcation angle. Abdominal aortas deflected towards the CIAA for most unilateral isolated CIAAs (14/21). In silico, wider bifurcation angles created high focal regions of low and oscillatory shear in the common iliac artery. The associations of unilateral CIAA with aortic deflection and common iliac artery diameter with bifurcation angle were confirmed in the validation cohort. Conclusions- Decreasing wall shear stress is strongly associated with CIAA progression (larger aneurysms and rupture), whereas abnormal blood flow in the CIAA seems to promote proximal aortic remodeling, with adaptive lateral deflection of the abdominal aorta towards the aneurysmal side

Resurrecting melancholia

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65798/1/j.1600-0447.2007.00958.x.pd

Symptomatic venous thromboembolism following a hip fracture: Incidence and risk factors in 5,300 patients

Background and purpose Venous thromboembolism (VTE) remains a substantial cause of morbidity and mortality following hip fracture. Previous work has not identified any risk factors associated with the type of hip fracture. We report the incidence of and risk factors for development of symptomatic VTE in patients following a hip fracture

A review on BIPV-induced temperature effects on urban heat islands

Urban Heat Islands (UHI) occur in and around cities, leading to warmer temperatures than in surrounding rural areas. The UHI effect increases energy demand, air pollution levels, and heat-related illness and mortality. Solar energy is one of the most widely adopted renewable energy generation technologies in the built environment. Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, integrated into building envelopes, can form a cohesive design, construction and energy solution for buildings, namely, building-integrated photovoltaic system (BIPV). However, the BIPV panels might potentially exacerbate the UHI intensity by trapping more heat in urban areas. This review paper uses a detailed literature survey of over 100 sources to evaluate whether the uptake of BIPV systems in urban areas contributes to an aggravation of the UHI effect. The survey found both direct and indirect impacts of BIPV systems on UHI, which also identified the fundamental causes of UHI such as the albedo effect and heat dispersion and how this would be embodied in the BIPV installations. Furthermore, this paper discusses how to mitigate the impact of BIPV systems on the UHI, as well as the future research directions around this concern in relation to the urban design

The Rho family GEF FARP2 is activated by aPKC iota to control tight junction formation and polarity

The elaboration of polarity is central to organismal development and to the maintenance of functional epithelia. Among the controls determining polarity are the PAR proteins, PAR6, aPKCι and PAR3, regulating both known and unknown effectors. Here, we identify FARP2 as a ‘RIPR’ motif-dependent partner and substrate of aPKCι that is required for efficient polarisation and junction formation. Binding is conferred by a FERM/FA domain–kinase domain interaction and detachment promoted by aPKCι-dependent phosphorylation. FARP2 is shown to promote GTP loading of Cdc42, which is consistent with it being involved in upstream regulation of the polarising PAR6–aPKCι complex. However, we show that aPKCι acts to promote the localised activity of FARP2 through phosphorylation. We conclude that this aPKCι−FARP2 complex formation acts as a positive feedback control to drive polarisation through aPKCι and other Cdc42 effectors

Role of the mesoamygdaloid dopamine projection in emotional learning

Amygdala dopamine is crucially involved in the acquisition of Pavlovian associations, as measured via conditioned approach to the location of the unconditioned stimulus (US). However, learning begins before skeletomotor output, so this study assessed whether amygdala dopamine is also involved in earlier 'emotional' learning. A variant of the conditioned reinforcement (CR) procedure was validated where training was restricted to curtail the development of selective conditioned approach to the US location, and effects of amygdala dopamine manipulations before training or later CR testing assessed. Experiment 1a presented a light paired (CS+ group) or unpaired (CS- group) with a US. There were 1, 2 or 10 sessions, 4 trials per session. Then, the US was removed, and two novel levers presented. One lever (CR+) presented the light, and lever pressing was recorded. Experiment 1b also included a tone stimulus. Experiment 2 applied intra-amygdala R(+) 7-OH-DPAT (10 nmol/1.0 A mu l/side) before two training sessions (Experiment 2a) or a CR session (Experiment 2b). For Experiments 1a and 1b, the CS+ group preferred the CR+ lever across all sessions. Conditioned alcove approach during 1 or 2 training sessions or associated CR tests was low and nonspecific. In Experiment 2a, R(+) 7-OH-DPAT before training greatly diminished lever pressing during a subsequent CR test, preferentially on the CR+ lever. For Experiment 2b, R(+) 7-OH-DPAT infusions before the CR test also reduced lever pressing. Manipulations of amygdala dopamine impact the earliest stage of learning in which emotional reactions may be most prevalent

Synthesis of global satellite observations of magmatic and volcanic deformation: implications for volcano monitoring & the lateral extent of magmatic domains

Global Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) measurements made over the past decades provide insights into the lateral extent of magmatic domains, and capture volcanic process on scales useful for volcano monitoring. Satellite-based SAR imagery has great potential for monitoring topographic change, the distribution of eruptive products and surface displacements (InSAR) at subaerial volcanoes. However, there are challenges in applying it routinely, as would be required for the reliable operational assessment of hazard. The deformation detectable depends upon satellite repeat time and swath widths, relative to the spatial and temporal scales of volcanological processes. We describe the characteristics of InSAR-measured volcano deformation over the past two decades, highlighting both the technique’s capabilities and its limitations as a monitoring tool. To achieve this, we draw on two global datasets of volcano deformation: the Smithsonian Institution Volcanoes of the World database and the Centre for the Observation and Modelling of Earthquakes, Volcanoes and Tectonics volcano deformation catalogue, as well as compiling some measurement characteristics and interpretations from the primary literature. We find that a higher proportion of InSAR observations capture non-eruptive and non-magmatic processes than those from ground-based instrument networks, and that both transient ( 5 years) deformation episodes are under-represented. However, satellite radar is already used to assess the development of extended periods of unrest and long-lasting eruptions, and improved spatial resolution and coverage have resulted in the detection of previously unrecognised deformation at both ends of the spatial scale (~ 10 to > 1000 km²). ‘Baseline’ records of past InSAR measurements, including ‘null’ results, are fundamental for any future interpretation of interferograms in terms of hazard‚ both by providing information about past deformation at an individual volcano, and for assessing the characteristics of deformation that are likely to be detectable (and undetectable) using InSAR. More than half of all InSAR deformation signals attributed to magmatic processes have sources in the shallow crust (< 5 km depth). While the depth distribution of InSAR-derived deformation sources is affected by measurement limitations, their lateral distribution provides information about the extent of active magmatic domains. Deformation is common (24% of all potentially magmatic events) at loci ≥5 km away from the nearest active volcanic vent. This demonstrates that laterally extensive active magmatic domains are not exceptional, but can comprise the shallowest part of trans-crustal magmatic systems in a range of volcanic settings