3,097 research outputs found
Catching GRBs with atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes
Fermi has shown GRBs to be a source of >10 GeV photons. We present an
estimate of the detection rate of GRBs with a next generation Cherenkov
telescope. Our predictions are based on the observed properties of GRBs
detected by Fermi, combined with the spectral properties and redshift
determinations for the bursts population by instruments operating at lower
energies. While detection of VHE emission from GRBs has eluded ground-based
instruments thus far, our results suggest that ground-based detection may be
within reach of the proposed Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), albeit with a low
rate, 0.25 - 0.5/yr. Such a detection would help constrain the emission
mechanism of gamma-ray emission from GRBs. Photons at these energies from
distant GRBs are affected by the UV-optical background light, and a
ground-based detection could also provide a valuable probe of the Extragalactic
Background Light (EBL) in place at high redshift.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, to appear in the Proceedings of "Gamma Ray Bursts
2010", held Nov. 1-4, 2010 in Annapolis, M
Needle Tip Force Estimation using an OCT Fiber and a Fused convGRU-CNN Architecture
Needle insertion is common during minimally invasive interventions such as
biopsy or brachytherapy. During soft tissue needle insertion, forces acting at
the needle tip cause tissue deformation and needle deflection. Accurate needle
tip force measurement provides information on needle-tissue interaction and
helps detecting and compensating potential misplacement. For this purpose we
introduce an image-based needle tip force estimation method using an optical
fiber imaging the deformation of an epoxy layer below the needle tip over time.
For calibration and force estimation, we introduce a novel deep learning-based
fused convolutional GRU-CNN model which effectively exploits the
spatio-temporal data structure. The needle is easy to manufacture and our model
achieves a mean absolute error of 1.76 +- 1.5 mN with a cross-correlation
coefficient of 0.9996, clearly outperforming other methods. We test needles
with different materials to demonstrate that the approach can be adapted for
different sensitivities and force ranges. Furthermore, we validate our approach
in an ex-vivo prostate needle insertion scenario.Comment: Accepted for Publication at MICCAI 201
Advance directives and the impact of timing. A qualitative study with Swiss general practitioners.
PRINCIPLES: Advance directives are seen as an important tool for documenting the wishes of patients who are no longer competent to make decisions in regards to their medical care. Due to their nature, approaching the subject of advance directives with a patient can be difficult for both the medical care provider and the patient. This paper focuses on general practitioners' perspectives regarding the timing at which this discussion should take place, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the different moments.
METHODS: In 2013, 23 semi-structured face-to-face interviews were performed with Swiss general practitioners. Interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis.
RESULTS: In our sample, 23 general practitioners provided different options that they felt were appropriate moments: either (a) when the patient is still healthy, (b) when illness becomes predominant, or (c) when a patient has been transferred to a long-term care facility. Furthermore, general practitioners reported uncertainty and discomfort regarding initiating the discussion.
CONCLUSION: The distinct approaches, perspectives and rationales show that there is no well-defined or "right" moment. However, participants often associated advance directives with death. This link caused discomfort and uncertainty, which led to hesitation and delay on the part of general practitioners. Therefore we recommend further training on how to professionally initiate a conversation about advance directives. Furthermore, based on our results and experience, we recommend an early approach with healthy patients paired with later regular updates as it seems to be the most effective way to inform patients about their end-of-life care options
Bayesian alignments of warped multi-output Gaussian processes
We propose a novel Bayesian approach to modelling nonlinear alignments of time series based on latent shared information. We apply the method to the real-world problem of finding common structure in the sensor data of wind turbines introduced by the underlying latent and turbulent wind field. The proposed model allows for both arbitrary alignments of the inputs and non-parametric output warpings to transform the observations. This gives rise to multiple deep Gaussian process models connected via latent generating processes. We present an efficient varia-tional approximation based on nested variational compression and show how the model can be used to extract shared information between dependent time series, recovering an interpretable functional decomposition of the learning problem. We show results for an artificial data set and real-world data of two wind turbines
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Bayesian alignments of warped multi-output Gaussian processes
We propose a novel Bayesian approach to modelling nonlinear alignments of time series based on latent shared information. We apply the method to the real-world problem of finding common structure in the sensor data of wind turbines introduced by the underlying latent and turbulent wind field. The proposed model allows for both arbitrary alignments of the inputs and non-parametric output warpings to transform the observations. This gives rise to multiple deep Gaussian process models connected via latent generating processes. We present an efficient varia-tional approximation based on nested variational compression and show how the model can be used to extract shared information between dependent time series, recovering an interpretable functional decomposition of the learning problem. We show results for an artificial data set and real-world data of two wind turbines
The Warm Ionized Medium in the Milky Way and Other Galaxies
Observations of the "Warm Ionized Medium" (or, equivalently, the "Diffuse
Ionized Gas") of the local ISM, the Perseus arm in the Milky Way, and also in
several other galaxies show strong [NII]6563 (~H-alpha in some cases) and
[SII]6717/[NII]6583 = 0.6 - 0.7 in all locations and objects. Other line ratios
(e.g., [O III]5007/H-beta) vary considerably. Simple photoionization models
reproduce the observed spectra, providing extra heating beyond that supplied by
photoionization is assumed (Reynolds, Haffner, & Tufte 1999). With observed
gas-phase abundances (not solar), the line ratios in the local arm at b = 0 deg
are fitted with no extra heating and (S/H) = 13 ppm (solar is 20 ppm). Local
gas observed at b = -35 deg requires extra heating of about gamma = 0.75, where
gamma is the extra heating in units of 10^{-25} erg H^{-1} s^{-1}. In the
Perseus arm, there are similar results, with a domposition consistent with the
Galactic abundance gradient. The requirements for NGC 891 are similar to the
Perseus arm: little or no extra heating at |z| = 1 kpc and gamma 3 at 2 kpc. In
NGC 891 there is also an increase of 5007/H-alpha with |z| that can only come
about if most of the ionizing radiation is supplied by stars with T~50000 K.
Either their radiation must propagate from the plane to high |z| through very
little intervening matter, or else the stars are located at high |z|. The total
power requirement of the extra heating is <15% of the photoionization power.
[O~II]3727/H-beta can serve as a useful diagnostic of extra heating, but
[S~III] 9065,9531/H-alpha is not useful in this regard.Comment: 32 pages, including 2 figures. To appear in November 20 Ap
Road Traffic Related Injury Severity in Truck Drivers: A Prospective Medical and Technical Analysis of 582 Truck Crashes
Background: While cyclists and pedestrians are known to be at significant risk for severe injuries when exposed to road traffic accidents (RTA) involving trucks, little is known about RTA injury risk for truck drivers.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyze the injury severity in truck drivers following RTAs.
Patients and Methods: Our local accident research unit prospectively documented 43000 RTAs involving 582 trucks between 2000 and 2011. Injury severity, including the abbreviated injury scale (AIS) and the maximum abbreviated injury scale (MAIS) were analyzed. Technical parameters (e.g. delta-v, direction of impact), the location of accident, and its dependency on the road type were also taken into consideration.
Results: Thirteen percent (77/582) of truck drivers were injured. Extremities were found to be at highest risk of injury with the lower extremities (36x) being injured most severely (10x: AIS 2 and 3). Death occurred only after collisions with other trucks, and severity of injuries increased with an increased speed limit. The maximum abbreviated injury scale was higher in the crash opponents (56x MAIS ≥ 3) compared to the truck drivers (8x MAIS ≥ 3). Overall, 82% of the crash opponents were injured.
Conclusions: The safety of truck drivers is assured by their vehicles, the consequence being that the risk of becoming injured is likely to be low. However, the legs especially are at high risk for severe injuries during RTAs. This probability increases in the instance of a collision with another truck. Nevertheless, in RTAs involving trucks and regular passenger vehicles, the other party is in higher risk of injury
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