5,244 research outputs found
Deep convolutional networks for automated detection of posterior-element fractures on spine CT
Injuries of the spine, and its posterior elements in particular, are a common
occurrence in trauma patients, with potentially devastating consequences.
Computer-aided detection (CADe) could assist in the detection and
classification of spine fractures. Furthermore, CAD could help assess the
stability and chronicity of fractures, as well as facilitate research into
optimization of treatment paradigms.
In this work, we apply deep convolutional networks (ConvNets) for the
automated detection of posterior element fractures of the spine. First, the
vertebra bodies of the spine with its posterior elements are segmented in spine
CT using multi-atlas label fusion. Then, edge maps of the posterior elements
are computed. These edge maps serve as candidate regions for predicting a set
of probabilities for fractures along the image edges using ConvNets in a 2.5D
fashion (three orthogonal patches in axial, coronal and sagittal planes). We
explore three different methods for training the ConvNet using 2.5D patches
along the edge maps of 'positive', i.e. fractured posterior-elements and
'negative', i.e. non-fractured elements.
An experienced radiologist retrospectively marked the location of 55
displaced posterior-element fractures in 18 trauma patients. We randomly split
the data into training and testing cases. In testing, we achieve an
area-under-the-curve of 0.857. This corresponds to 71% or 81% sensitivities at
5 or 10 false-positives per patient, respectively. Analysis of our set of
trauma patients demonstrates the feasibility of detecting posterior-element
fractures in spine CT images using computer vision techniques such as deep
convolutional networks.Comment: To be presented at SPIE Medical Imaging, 2016, San Dieg
Involving your librarian in instruction : or ... how I learned to stop worrying and love my librarian
Presented at 2015 FaCET Conference at UMKC, January 15, 2015Title from PDF, viewed on March 13, 201
A review of coxiellosis (Q fever) and brucellosis in goats and humans: implications for disease control in smallholder farming systems in Southeast Asia
Coxiella burnetii and Brucella spp. are pathogenic bacteria that can cause large-scale outbreaks in livestock. Furthermore, these infectious agents are capable of causing zoonotic infections and therefore pose a risk to the close relationship between farm households and their livestock, especially goats. A review of seroprevalence studies of Coxiella burnetii and Brucella spp. in domestic goats demonstrated large differences in the total number of samples tested in different regions and countries. This review aims to provide information on coxiellosis (Q fever in humans) and brucellosis in goats concerning the characteristics of the causative agent, surveillance, and available prevention and control measures at a global level. Implications for Coxiella burnetii and Brucella spp. infections in domesticated goats in Southeast Asia are discussed
Parent-child interaction in Nigerian families: conversation analysis, context and culture
This paper uses a conversation analysis (CA) approach to explore parent child interaction (PCI) within Nigerian families. We illustrate how speech and language therapists (SLTs), by using CA, can tailor recommendations according to the interactional style of each individual family that are consonant with the family’s cultural beliefs. Three parent-child dyads were videoed playing and talking together in their home environments. The analysis uncovered a preference for instructional talk similar to that used in the classroom. Closer examination revealed that this was not inappropriate when considering the context of the activities and their perceived discourse role. Furthermore, this was not necessarily at the expense of responsivity or semantic contingency. The preference for instructional talk appeared to reflect deeply held cultural beliefs about the role of adults and children within the family and it is argued that the cultural paradigm is vitally important to consider when evaluating PCI. Given a potential risk that such young children may be vulnerable in terms of language difficulties, we offer an example of how PCI can be enhanced to encourage language development without disrupting the naturally occurring talk or the underlying purpose of the interaction
Angular momentum coefficients for meson strong decay and unquenched quark models
In most meson strong decay and unquenched (coupled-channel) quark models, the
pair-creation operator is a scalar product of vectors in the spin and spatial
degrees of freedom. While differing in the spatial part, most models have the
same spin part, which creates a qq* pair coupled to spin triplet, with the
spins of the initial quarks as spectators. This is a basic assumption of the
3P0 model, and is well-known to arise also in the flux tube model, starting
from the strong coupling expansion of lattice QCD. In this article the same
structure is shown to emerge in the Cornell model, in the dominant
contributions of a more general microscopic decay model, and in the
pseudoscalar-meson emission model. A solution is obtained for arbitrary matrix
elements in these ``non-flip, triplet'' models, expressed as a weighted sum
over spatial matrix elements. The coefficients in the expansion, which involve
the spin degrees of freedom and the associated angular momentum algebra, are
model-independent. Tables of the angular momentum coefficients are presented
which can be used in future calculations, avoiding tedious Clebsch-Gordan sums.
The symmetry and orthogonality properties of the coefficients are discussed, as
well as their application to transitions involving hybrid mesons and states of
mixed spin. New selection rules are derived, and existing ones generalised. The
coefficients lead to model-independent relations among decay amplitudes and
widths which can be tested in experiment and lattice QCD. They can also be used
to explain how mass shifts in the unquenched quark model do not spoil
successful predictions of the ordinary (quenched) quark model.Comment: 45 pages, 4 figures, 16 table
Doppler-free spectroscopy of the 1S0-3P0 optical clock transition in laser-cooled fermionic isotopes of neutral mercury
We have performed for the first time direct laser spectroscopy of the 1S0-3P0
optical clock transition at 265.6 nm in fermionic isotopes of neutral mercury
laser-cooled in a magneto-optical trap. Spectroscopy is performed by measuring
the depletion of the magneto-optical trap induced by the excitation of the
long-lived 3P0 state by a probe at 265.6 nm. Measurements resolve the
Doppler-free recoil doublet allowing for a determination of the transition
frequency to an uncer- tainty well below the Doppler-broadened linewidth. We
have performed absolute measurement of the frequency with respect to an
ultra-stable reference monitored by LNE-SYRTE fountain pri- mary frequency
standards using a femtosecond laser frequency comb. The measured frequency is
1128575290808 +/- 5.6 kHz in 199Hg and 1128569561140 +/- 5.3 kHz in 201Hg, more
than 4 orders of magnitude better than previous indirect determinations. Owing
to a low sensitivity to blackbody radiation, mercury is a promising candidate
for reaching the ultimate performance of optical lattice clocks
Heterogeneous Timed Machines
International audienceWe present an algebra of discrete timed input/output au- tomata that execute in the context of different clock granularities -- timed machines -- as models of systems that can be dynamically inter- connected at run time in a heterogeneous context. We show how timed machines can be refined to a lower granularity of time and how timed machines with different clock granularities can be composed. We propose techniques for checking whether timed machines are consistent or feasi- ble. Finally, we investigate how consistency and feasibility of composition can be proved at run-time without computing products of automata
Numerical Simulations of Internal Wave Generation by Convection in Water
Water's density maximum at 4C makes it well suited to study internal gravity
wave excitation by convection: an increasing temperature profile is unstable to
convection below 4C, but stably stratified above 4C. We present numerical
simulations of a water-like fluid near its density maximum in a two dimensional
domain. We successfully model the damping of waves in the simulations using
linear theory, provided we do not take the weak damping limit typically used in
the literature. In order to isolate the physical mechanism exciting internal
waves, we use the novel spectral code Dedalus to run several simplified model
simulations of our more detailed simulation. We use data from the full
simulation as source terms in two simplified models of internal wave excitation
by convection: bulk excitation by convective Reynolds stresses, and interface
forcing via the mechanical oscillator effect. We find excellent agreement
between the waves generated in the full simulation and the simplified
simulation implementing the bulk excitation mechanism. The interface forcing
simulations over excite high frequency waves because they assume the excitation
is by the "impulsive" penetration of plumes, which spreads energy to high
frequencies. However, we find the real excitation is instead by the "sweeping"
motion of plumes parallel to the interface. Our results imply that the bulk
excitation mechanism is a very accurate heuristic for internal wave generation
by convection.Comment: Accepted to PR
Patient Outcomes in Palliative Care - NSW and ACT, January - June 2019
The Australian palliative care sector is a world leader in using routine clinical assessment information to guide patient centred care and measure patient and family outcomes. Providers of palliative care are commended for their commitment to excellence in delivering evidence-based, patient-centred care by using the routine Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration (PCOC) assessment framework and contributing patient data toward national outcome measurement and benchmarking. PCOC acknowledges the dedication and willingness of clinicians to improve the care of patients, their families and caregivers. The information collected is not just data - it represents the real-life outcomes of over 40,000 Australians who die an expected death every year. While the focus of this report is on the most recent information relating to January to June 2019, results over the last three years are also presented to highlight achievements and improvement in outcomes. The most recent information corresponds to 24,562 patients, having 31,826 episodes of care and 73,209 palliative care phases from 138 services who provide palliative care in hospital / hospice or in the person\u27s home
Transplanted enteric neural stem cells integrate within the developing chick spinal cord: implications for spinal cord repair
Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes paralysis, multisystem impairment and reduced life expectancy, as yet with no cure. Stem cell therapy can potentially replace lost neurons, promote axonal regeneration and limit scar formation, but an optimal stem cell source has yet to be found. Enteric neural stem cells (ENSC) isolated from the enteric nervous system (ENS) of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract are an attractive source. Here, we used the chick embryo to assess the potential of ENSC to integrate within the developing spinal cord. In vitro, isolated ENSC formed extensive cell connections when co-cultured with spinal cord (SC)-derived cells. Further, qRT-PCR analysis revealed the presence of TuJ1+ neurons, S100+ glia and Sox10+ stem cells within ENSC neurospheres, as well as expression of key neuronal subtype genes, at levels comparable to SC tissue. Following ENSC transplantation to an ablated region of chick embryo SC, donor neurons were found up to 12\xc2\xa0days later. These neurons formed bridging connections within the SC injury zone, aligned along the anterior/posterior axis, and were immunopositive for TuJ1. These data provide early proof of principle support for the use of ENSCs for SCI, and encourage further research into their potential for repair
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