Building Height Using the UAS DJI Phantom 3 and Drone2Map Software

At Stephen F. Austin State University, the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture has invested in the most current drone technology in order to keep up with the new trends in Geographic Information System (GIS). Students and faculty can fly the drone and get up to date images of the area. When it comes to analyzing data and creating maps, all measurements must be extremely accurate in order for the map to be reliable. With this in mind, the objective of this project is to determine if the height measurements from DJI Phantom 3 drone are as accurate as the real-world measurements

Accuracy of Unmanned Aerial System (Drone) Height Measurements

Vertical height estimates of earth surface features using an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) are important in natural resource management quantitative assessments. An important research question concerns both the accuracy and precision of vertical height estimates acquired with a UAS and to determine if it is necessary to land a UAS between individual height measurements or if GPS derived height versus barometric pressure derived height while using a DJI Phantom 3 would affect height accuracy and precision. To examine this question, height along a telescopic height pole on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) were estimated at 2, 5, 10 and 15 meters above ground using a DJI Phantom 3 UAS. The DJI Phantom 3 UAS (i.e., drone) was flown up and down the telescopic height pole to estimate height at the 2, 5, 10 and 15 meter locations using four different user controlled flight modes with a total of 30 observations per flight mode. Flight mode configurations consisted of having GPS estimate height while landing the drone between flights, non-GPS mode to estimate height via barometric pressure while landing the drone between flights, flying continuously up and down the height pole while estimating height with GPS on, and flying continuously up and down the height pole in non-GPS mode to estimate height via barometric pressure. A total of 480 height measurements were recorded (30 measurements per height interval per all four flight mode combinations). Standard deviation results indicated that height measurements taken with the drone were less precise when landing was not reset between measurements. Root mean square error (RMSE) analysis indicated that having the landing reset without GPS on achieved the highest accuracy of all measurements taken. An ANOVA conducted on the absolute errors reconfirmed that having the landing reset before each height measurement using the drone achieved higher accuracy compared to flying the drone continuously. This indicates the practical application of height measurement of the DJI Phantom 3 UAS and the importance of resetting the UAS before each height measurement

Accuracy of Unmanned Aerial System (Drone) Height Measurements

Vertical height estimates of earth surface features using an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) are important in natural resource management quantitative assessments. An important research question concerns both the accuracy and precision of vertical height estimates acquired with a UAS and to determine if it is necessary to land a UAS between individual height measurements or if GPS derived height versus barometric pressure derived height while using a DJI Phantom 3 would affect height accuracy and precision. To examine this question, height along a telescopic height pole on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) were estimated at 2, 5, 10 and 15 meters above ground using a DJI Phantom 3 UAS. The DJI Phantom 3 UAS (i.e., drone) was flown up and down the telescopic height pole to estimate height at the 2, 5, 10 and 15 meter locations using four different user controlled flight modes with a total of 30 observations per flight mode. Flight mode configurations consisted of having GPS estimate height while landing the drone between flights, non-GPS mode to estimate height via barometric pressure while landing the drone between flights, flying continuously up and down the height pole while estimating height with GPS on, and flying continuously up and down the height pole in non-GPS mode to estimate height via barometric pressure. A total of 480 height measurements were recorded (30 measurements per height interval per all four flight mode combinations). Standard deviation results indicated that height measurements taken with the drone were less precise when landing was not reset between measurements. Root mean square error (RMSE) analysis indicated that having the landing reset without GPS on achieved the highest accuracy of all measurements taken. An ANOVA conducted on the absolute errors reconfirmed that having the landing reset before each height measurement using the drone achieved higher accuracy compared to flying the drone continuously. This indicates the practical application of height measurement of the DJI Phantom 3 UAS and the importance of resetting the UAS before each height measurement

Immunofluorescent Examination of Biopsies from Long-Term Renal Allografts

Immunofluorescent examination of open renal biopsies revealed clear-cut glomerular localization of immunoglobulins not related clearly to the quality of donor-recipient histocompatibility in 19 of 34 renal allografts. The biopsies were obtained 18 to 31 months after transplantations primarily from related donors with a variable quality of histocompatibility match. IgG was the predominant immunoglobulin class fixed in 13 biopsies, and IgM in six. The pattern of immunoglobulin deposition was linear, connoting anti-GBM antibody in four of the 19; it was granular and discontinuous, connoting antigen–antibodycomplex deposits, in 13. An immune process may affect glomeruli of renal allografts by mechanisms comparable to those that cause glomerulonephritis in native kidneys. The transplant glomerulonephritis may represent a persistence of the same disease that originally destroyed the host kidneys or the consequence of a new humoral antibody response to allograft antigens. © 1970, Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved

Integrating Faculty Led Service Learning Training to Quantify Height of Natural Resources from a Spatial Science Perspective

Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture (ATCOFA) faculty members were trained how to integrate service learning activities within senior level classes at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) in Nacogdoches, Texas. The service learning training, taught under the acronym Mentored Undergraduate Scholarship (MUGS), involved meeting with fellow faculty members over the course of an academic year during the fall semester to first learn how to incorporate service learning activities in a senior level class followed by its incorporation into a class the following spring semester. The service learning model was applied to students in GIS 420, a senior level Landscape Modeling, Spatial Analysis, and Quantitative Assessment course within ATCOFA. The students were instructed within a hands-on interactive environment on how to use geospatial analysis to quantify natural resources. The overall goal was for a student to demonstrate proficiency in understanding how to apply aerial photo interpretation, satellite remote sensing, global positioning system and geographic information systems technology to quantify, qualify, map, monitor and manage natural and environmental resources at the local and landscape scales. Students applied this concept within a quantitative resource assessment, whereby students compared the conventional methodology of measuring height of vertical features within a landscape using a clinometer with the newer ways of measuring height using Pictometry hyperspatial imagery and drone acquired digital imagery. Conventional results were compared to newer technological methodologies to determine the most efficient and accurate way to quantify vertical resources from a spatial perspective

Effect of Trans-Nasal Evaporative Intra-arrest Cooling on Functional Neurologic Outcome in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest : The PRINCESS Randomized Clinical Trial

© 2019 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.Importance: Therapeutic hypothermia may increase survival with good neurologic outcome after cardiac arrest. Trans-nasal evaporative cooling is a method used to induce cooling, primarily of the brain, during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ie, intra-arrest). Objective: To determine whether prehospital trans-nasal evaporative intra-arrest cooling improves survival with good neurologic outcome compared with cooling initiated after hospital arrival. Design, Setting, and Participants: The PRINCESS trial was an investigator-initiated, randomized, clinical, international multicenter study with blinded assessment of the outcome, performed by emergency medical services in 7 European countries from July 2010 to January 2018, with final follow-up on April 29, 2018. In total, 677 patients with bystander-witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest were enrolled. Interventions: Patients were randomly assigned to receive trans-nasal evaporative intra-arrest cooling (n = 343) or standard care (n = 334). Patients admitted to the hospital in both groups received systemic therapeutic hypothermia at 32°C to 34°C for 24 hours. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was survival with good neurologic outcome, defined as Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) 1-2, at 90 days. Secondary outcomes were survival at 90 days and time to reach core body temperature less than 34°C. Results: Among the 677 randomized patients (median age, 65 years; 172 [25%] women), 671 completed the trial. Median time to core temperature less than 34°C was 105 minutes in the intervention group vs 182 minutes in the control group (P < .001). The number of patients with CPC 1-2 at 90 days was 56 of 337 (16.6%) in the intervention cooling group vs 45 of 334 (13.5%) in the control group (difference, 3.1% [95% CI, -2.3% to 8.5%]; relative risk [RR], 1.23 [95% CI, 0.86-1.72]; P = .25). In the intervention group, 60 of 337 patients (17.8%) were alive at 90 days vs 52 of 334 (15.6%) in the control group (difference, 2.2% [95% CI, -3.4% to 7.9%]; RR, 1.14 [95% CI, 0.81-1.57]; P = .44). Minor nosebleed was the most common device-related adverse event, reported in 45 of 337 patients (13%) in the intervention group. The adverse event rate within 7 days was similar between groups. Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, trans-nasal evaporative intra-arrest cooling compared with usual care did not result in a statistically significant improvement in survival with good neurologic outcome at 90 days. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01400373.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Correction of Flexural Deformity of the Metacarpophalangeal Joint in a Calf

Background: The congenital flexural deformity is common in cattle, often affecting the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thoracic limbs. The deformity may be mild, moderate, or severe, and the therapy depends on the limb's degree of flexion and the affected joint. In severe deformities, tenotomy of the flexor tendons and desmotomy of the suspensor ligament is recommended. However, this surgical technique may not be sufficient to promote limb extension, and other interventions may be necessary. Thus, the purpose of this report is to describe a technique to correct severe flexural deformities of the metacarpophalangeal joint in calves.Case: A three-month-old, female, Dutch-bred calf weighing 46 kg was referred for treatment of congenital flexural deformity. On attendance, the patient presented severe deformity in the right thoracic limb and mild in the left thoracic limb both at the height of the metacarpophalangeal joints. During palpation it was possible to notice that the flexor tendons were contracted in both limbs. Radiographic exams were performed to rule out the presence of other diseases, confirming the diagnosis of flexural deformity. The patient was referred to surgery to correct the anatomical anomaly. The animal was submitted to general anesthesia and placed in right lateral decubitus. In the left thoracic limb, an incision was made in the medial region of the metacarpal bone, the tissues were divulsioned until the superficial digital and deep digital flexor tendons were exposed; these structures were sectioned with a scalpel, and the limb was extended, returning to the standard anatomical position. In the right thoracic limb, the same procedure was performed, but during the limb extension test, we observed that the limb remained flexed, we then followed with a second incision and section of the deep digital flexor tendon in the palmar region at the middle phalanx of the lateral and medial digits, with this procedure, the limb extended further. Nevertheless, the procedure was not enough to solve the problem in the right thoracic limb, and the patient needed a second surgical intervention, in which we performed again tenotomy of the flexor tendons and desmotomy of the digital annular, crossed sesamoid, and interdigital phalangiosamoid ligaments, associated to the capsule opening of the capsule from the affected right metacarpophalangeal joint. After this surgery, the patient recovered to the normal anatomical position of the right thoracic limb. The procedures were efficient in achieving the normality of both affected limbs, and the patient recovered without postoperative complications.Discussion: In severe flexural deformities of the metacarpophalangeal joint in bovines, the fetlock's flexor tendons and suspensory ligament are implicated in the limb contracture. For these cases the chosen treatment is surgery with sequential sectioning of the flexor tendons and the suspensory ligament until the extension of the flexed limb occurs. Although there are reports that confirm the efficacy of this technique, there are cases in which other anatomic structures are involved in the limb contracture. In addition, the desmotomy and tenotomy techniques are not enough to achieve the normality of the affected joint, with the limb remaining flexed, leading to euthanasia of the patient in some cases. In cattle, few reports demonstrate possible techniques for severe contractures of the metacarpophalangeal joint, requiring further studies and new techniques to achieve recovery of these patients. Keywords: bovine, congenital, anatomical anomaly, contracture, tendon, fetlock.Descritores: bovinos, congênita, anomalia anatômica, contratura, tendão, boleto.Título: Correção de deformidade flexural da articulação metacarpofalangeana em  uma bezerr

Invasive potential of cattle fever ticks in the southern United States

Background For >100 years cattle production in the southern United States has been threatened by cattle fever. It is caused by an invasive parasite-vector complex that includes the protozoan hemoparasites Babesia bovis and B. bigemina, which are transmitted among domestic cattle via Rhipicephalus tick vectors of the subgenus Boophilus. In 1906 an eradication effort was started and by 1943 Boophilus ticks had been confined to a narrow tick eradication quarantine area (TEQA) along the Texas-Mexico border. However, a dramatic increase in tick infestations in areas outside the TEQA over the last decade suggests these tick vectors may be poised to re-invade the southern United States. We investigated historical and potential future distributions of climatic habitats of cattle fever ticks to assess the potential for a range expansion. Methods We built robust spatial predictions of habitat suitability for the vector species Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus and R. (B.) annulatus across the southern United States for three time periods: 1906, present day (2012), and 2050. We used analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) to identify persistent tick occurrences and analysis of bias in the climate proximate to these occurrences to identify key environmental parameters associated with the ecology of both species. We then used ecological niche modeling algorithms GARP and Maxent to construct models that related known occurrences of ticks in the TEQA during 2001–2011 with geospatial data layers that summarized important climate parameters at all three time periods. Results We identified persistent tick infestations and specific climate parameters that appear to be drivers of ecological niches of the two tick species. Spatial models projected onto climate data representative of climate in 1906 reproduced historical pre-eradication tick distributions. Present-day predictions, although constrained to areas near the TEQA, extrapolated well onto climate projections for 2050. Conclusions Our models indicate the potential for range expansion of climate suitable for survival of R. microplus and R. annulatus in the southern United States by mid-century, which increases the risk of reintroduction of these ticks and cattle tick fever into major cattle producing areas.We thank USDA-APHIS mounted patrol inspectors for collecting field samples used in this study. This work was supported by USDA-NIFA Grant 2010-65104-20386. Use of trade, product, or firm names does not imply endorsement by the US Government. The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer

Structure and tissue distribution of some retinoid-binding proteins

Vitamin A has, apart from its function in the visual pigments, general effects on several organs. Early signs of vitamin A deficiency include keratinization of epithelia and hyperkeratosis of the skin. To elucidate a generalized function for vitamin A, we have taken the approach of tracing the vitamin from its storage site in the liver via its blood transport by the retinol-binding protein (RBP) to its uptake by susceptible cells. We have also examined the intracellular occurrence of vitamin A as regards its binding to specific receptor proteins. Here we summarize data on the amino acid sequences of several vitamin A-binding proteins. The finding that CRBP and CRABP, the two intracellular proteins, are homologous to each other, to a myelin protein, and to a fatty acid-binding protein may shed light on the functions of these proteins. Retinoic acid, which binds to CRABP but not CRBP, induces differentiation of teratocarcinoma cells. This is accompanied by a lowering of the CRABP concentration, an increase of the CRBP level, and an increase in the uptake of retinol from RBP. The epidermis contains both CRBP and CRABP, and their distributions are rather similar. However, in contrast to CRBP, CRABP is most abundant in cells lining the hair follicles. CRBP occurs in greatest relative amounts in the outer layers of the epidermis. Since techniques have been developed to measure CRBP and CRABP, normal and disease-affected skin may now be explored as to quantity and cellular distribution of the retinoid-binding proteins

Association between HLA Class I and Class II Alleles and the Outcome of West Nile Virus Infection: An Exploratory Study

BACKGROUND: West Nile virus (WNV) infection is asymptomatic in most individuals, with a minority developing symptoms ranging from WNV fever to serious neuroinvasive disease. This study investigated the impact of host HLA on the outcome of WNV disease. METHODS: A cohort of 210 non-Hispanic mostly white WNV(+) subjects from Canada and the U.S. were typed for HLA-A, B, C, DP, DQ, and DR. The study subjects were divided into three WNV infection outcome groups: asymptomatic (AS), symptomatic (S), and neuroinvasive disease (ND). Allele frequency distribution was compared pair-wise between the AS, S, and ND groups using χ2 and Fisher's exact tests and P values were corrected for multiple comparisons (Pc). Allele frequencies were compared between the groups and the North American population (NA) used as a control group. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the potential synergistic effect of age and HLA allele phenotype on disease outcome. RESULTS: The alleles HLA-A*68, C*08 and DQB*05 were more frequently associated with severe outcomes (ND vs. AS, P(A*68) = 0.013/Pc = 0.26, P(C*08) = 0.0075/Pc = 0.064, and P(DQB1*05) = 0.029/Pc = 0.68), However the apparent DQB1*05 association was driven by age. The alleles HLA-B*40 and C*03 were more frequently associated with asymptomatic outcome (AS vs. S, P(B*40) = 0.021/Pc = 0.58 and AS vs. ND P(C*03) = 0.039/Pc = 0.64) and their frequencies were lower within WNV(+) subjects with neuroinvasive disease than within the North American population (NA vs. S, P(B*40) = 0.029 and NA vs. ND, P(C*03) = 0.032). CONCLUSIONS: Host HLA may be associated with the outcome of WNV disease; HLA-A*68 and C*08 might function as "susceptible" alleles, whereas HLA-B*40 and C*03 might function as "protective" alleles