MM4Drone: A Multi-spectral Image and mmWave Radar Approach for Identifying Mosquito Breeding Grounds via Aerial Drones

Mosquitoes spread diseases such as Dengue and Zika that affect a significant portion of the world population. One approach to hamper the spread of the diseases is to identify the mosquitoes' breeding places. Recent studies use drones to detect breeding sites, due to their low cost and flexibility. In this paper, we investigate the applicability of drone-based multi-spectral imagery and mmWave radios to discover breeding habitats. Our approach is based on the detection of water bodies. We introduce our Faster R-CNN-MSWD, an extended version of the Faster R-CNN object detection network, which can be used to identify water retention areas in both urban and rural settings using multi-spectral images. We also show promising results for estimating extreme shallow water depth using drone-based multi-spectral images. Further, we present an approach to detect water with mmWave radios from drones. Finally, we emphasize the importance of fusing the data of the two sensors and outline future research directions

Influence of bottom topography on integral constraints in zonal flows with parameterized potential vorticity fluxes

An integral constraint for eddy fluxes of potential vorticity (PV), corresponding to global momentum conservation, is applied to two-layer zonal quasi-geostrophic channel flow. This constraint must be satisfied for any type of parameterization of eddy PV fluxes. Bottom topography strongly influence the integral constraint compared to a flat bottom channel. An analytical solution for the mean flow solution has been found by using asymptotic expansion in a small parameter which is the ratio of the Rossby radius to the meridional extent of the channel. Applying the integral constraint to this solution, one can find restrictions for eddy PV transfer coefficients which relate the eddy fluxes of PV to the mean flow. These restrictions strongly deviate from restrictions for the channel with flat bottom topography

Resonances and fluctuations of strange particle in 200 GeV Au-Au collisions

We perform an analysis of preliminary data on strange particles yields and fluctuations within the Statistical hadronization model. We begin by describing the theoretical disagreements between different statistical models currently on the market. We then show how the simultaneous analysis of yields and fluctuations can be used to differentiate between the different models, and determine if one of them can be connected to underlying physics. We perform a study on a RHIC 200 GeV data sample that includes stable particles, resonances, and the event-by-event fluctuation of the $K/\pi$ ratio. We show that the equilibrium statistical model can not describe the fluctuation, unless an unrealistically small volume is assumed. Such small volume then makes it impossible to describe the total particle multiplicity. The non-equilibrium model,on the other hand, describes both the $K/\pi$ fluctuation and yields acceptably due to the extra boost to the $\pi$ fluctuation provided by the high pion chemical potential. $\Lambda(1520)$ and $K^*$ abundance is described within error bars, but the $\Sigma^*$ is under-predicted to $\sim$ 1.5 standard deviations. We suggest further measurements that have the potential to test the non-equilibrium model, as well as gauge the effect of re-interactions between hadronization and freeze-out.Comment: References added, equations corrected. As accepted for publication by Journal of Physics

Vasopressors and Inotropes in the Treatment of Human Septic Shock: Effect on Innate Immunity?

Catecholamines have been suggested to modulate innate immune responses in experimental settings. The significance hereof in the treatment of human septic shock is unknown. We therefore sought if and how vasopressor/inotropic doses relate to pro-inflammatory mediators during treatment of septic shock. We prospectively studied 20 consecutive septic shock patients. For 3 days after admission, hemodynamic variables, lactate and plasma levels of interleukins (IL)-6 and 8, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and elastase-α1-antitrypsin were measured six hourly. Doses of vasoactive drugs were recorded. Of the 20 patients, nine died in the intensive care unit. Dobutamine doses were positively associated and related to TNF-α plasma levels, independently of disease severity, hemodynamics, and outcome, in multivariable models. Dopamine doses were positively associated with IL-6, and norepinephrine was inversely associated with IL-8 and TNF-α levels. Our observations suggest that catecholamines used in the treatment of human septic shock differ in their potential modulation of the innate immune response to sepsis in vivo. Dobutamine treatment may contribute to circulating TNF-α and dopamine to IL-6, independently of activated neutrophils. Conversely, norepinephrine may lack pro-inflammatory actions

Stability analysis of a class of two-dimensional multipolar vortex equilibria

Published versio

Baryon Stopping and Charged Particle Distributions in Central Pb+Pb Collisions at 158 GeV per Nucleon

Net proton and negative hadron spectra for central \PbPb collisions at 158 GeV per nucleon at the CERN SPS were measured and compared to spectra from lighter systems. Net baryon distributions were derived from those of net protons, utilizing model calculations of isospin contributions as well as data and model calculations of strange baryon distributions. Stopping (rapidity shift with respect to the beam) and mean transverse momentum \meanpt of net baryons increase with system size. The rapidity density of negative hadrons scales with the number of participant nucleons for nuclear collisions, whereas their \meanpt is independent of system size. The \meanpt dependence upon particle mass and system size is consistent with larger transverse flow velocity at midrapidity for \PbPb compared to \SS central collisions.Comment: This version accepted for publication in PRL. 4 pages, 3 figures. Typos corrected, some paragraphs expanded in response to referee comments, to better explain details of analysi

Severe postpartum sepsis with prolonged myocardial dysfunction: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Severe sepsis during pregnancy or in the postpartum period is a rare clinical event. In non obstetric surviving patients, the cardiovascular changes seen in sepsis and septic shock are fully reversible five to ten days after their onset. We report a case of septic myocardial dysfunction lasting longer than ten days. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of prolonged septic myocardial dysfunction in a parturient.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 24 year old Hispanic woman with no previous medical history developed pyelonephritis and severe sepsis with prolonged myocardial dysfunction after a normal spontaneous vaginal delivery.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Septic myocardial dysfunction may be prolonged in parturients requiring longer term follow up and pharmacologic treatment.</p

Multiplicity fluctuations in nuclear collisions at 158 A GeV

System size dependence of multiplicity fluctuations of charged particles produced in nuclear collisions at 158 A GeV was studied in the NA49 CERN experiment. Results indicate a non-monotonic dependence of the scaled variance of the multiplicity distribution with a maximum for semi-peripheral Pb+Pb interactions with number of projectile participants of about 35. This effect is not observed in a string-hadronic model of nuclear collision HIJING.Comment: Presented at "Focus on Multiplicity", 17-19 of June, Bari, Ital

High p_T Spectra of Identified Particles Produced in Pb+Pb Collisions at 158GeV/nucleon Beam Energy

Transverse momentum spectra of pi^{+/-}, p, pbar, K^{+/-}, K^0_s and Lambda at midrapidity were measured at high p_T in Pb+Pb collisions at 158GeV/nucleon beam energy by the NA49 experiment. Particle yield ratios (p/pi, K/pi and Lambda/K^0_s) show an enhancement of the baryon/meson ratio for p_T>2GeV/c. The nuclear modification factor R_{CP} is extracted and compared to RHIC measurements and pQCD calculations.Comment: Quark Matter 2005 parallel section proceeding

Omega and Antiomega production in central Pb+Pb collisions at 40 and 158 AGeV

Results are presented on Omega production in central Pb+Pb collisions at 40 and 158 AGeV beam energy. Given are transverse-mass spectra, rapidity distributions, and total yields for the sum Omega+Antiomega at 40 AGeV and for Omega and Antiomega separately at 158 AGeV. The yields are strongly under-predicted by the string-hadronic UrQMD model and are in better agreement with predictions from a hadron gas models.Comment: 5 papes, 4 figures, 1 table, updated figure 4 and table 1. Final version, including some editorial changes, as published in PR