1,249 research outputs found
Overview of the ImageCLEFmed 2019 concept detection task
This paper describes the ImageCLEF 2019 Concept Detection Task. This is the 3rd edition of the medical caption task, after it was first proposed in ImageCLEF 2017. Concept detection from medical images remains a challenging task. In 2019, the format changed to a single subtask and it is part of the medical tasks, alongside the tuberculosis and visual question and answering tasks. To reduce noisy labels and limit variety, the data set focuses solely on radiology images rather than biomedical figures, extracted from the biomedical open access literature (PubMed Central). The development data consists of 56,629 training and 14,157 validation images, with corresponding Unified Medical Language System (UMLSR) concepts, extracted from the image captions. In 2019 the participation is higher, regarding the number of participating teams as well as the number of submitted runs. Several approaches were used by the teams, mostly deep learning techniques. Long short-term memory (LSTM) recurrent neural networks (RNN), adversarial auto-encoder, convolutional neural networks (CNN) image encoders and transfer learning-based multi-label classification models were the frequently used approaches. Evaluation uses F1-scores computed per image and averaged across all 10,000 test images
Heterotic Black Horizons
We show that the supersymmetric near horizon geometry of heterotic black
holes is either an AdS_3 fibration over a 7-dimensional manifold which admits a
G_2 structure compatible with a connection with skew-symmetric torsion, or it
is a product R^{1,1} * S^8, where S^8 is a holonomy Spin(7) manifold,
preserving 2 and 1 supersymmetries respectively. Moreover, we demonstrate that
the AdS_3 class of heterotic horizons can preserve 4, 6 and 8 supersymmetries
provided that the geometry of the base space is further restricted. Similarly
R^{1,1} * S^8 horizons with extended supersymmetry are products of R^{1,1} with
special holonomy manifolds. We have also found that the heterotic horizons with
8 supersymmetries are locally isometric to AdS_3 * S^3 * T^4, AdS_3 * S^3 * K_3
or R^{1,1} * T^4 * K_3, where the radii of AdS_3 and S^3 are equal and the
dilaton is constant.Comment: 35 pages, latex. Minor alterations to equation (3.11) and section
4.1, the conclusions are not affecte
Oxygenation-sensitive CMR for assessing vasodilator-induced changes of myocardial oxygenation
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>As myocardial oxygenation may serve as a marker for ischemia and microvascular dysfunction, it could be clinically useful to have a non-invasive measure of changes in myocardial oxygenation. However, the impact of induced blood flow changes on oxygenation is not well understood. We used oxygenation-sensitive CMR to assess the relations between myocardial oxygenation and coronary sinus blood oxygen saturation (SvO<sub>2</sub>) and coronary blood flow in a dog model in which hyperemia was induced by intracoronary administration of vasodilators.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>During administration of acetylcholine and adenosine, CMR signal intensity correlated linearly with simultaneously measured SvO<sub>2 </sub>(<it>r</it><sup>2 </sup>= 0.74, <it>P </it>< 0.001). Both SvO<sub>2 </sub>and CMR signal intensity were exponentially related to coronary blood flow, with SvO2 approaching 87%.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Myocardial oxygenation as assessed with oxygenation-sensitive CMR imaging is linearly related to SvO<sub>2 </sub>and is exponentially related to vasodilator-induced increases of blood flow. Oxygenation-sensitive CMR may be useful to assess ischemia and microvascular function in patients. Its clinical utility should be evaluated.</p
DNA-based Self-Assembly of Chiral Plasmonic Nanostructures with Tailored Optical Response
Surface plasmon resonances generated in metallic nanostructures can be
utilized to tailor electromagnetic fields. The precise spatial arrangement of
such structures can result in surprising optical properties that are not found
in any naturally occurring material. Here, the designed activity emerges from
collective effects of singular components equipped with limited individual
functionality. Top-down fabrication of plasmonic materials with a predesigned
optical response in the visible range by conventional lithographic methods has
remained challenging due to their limited resolution, the complexity of
scaling, and the difficulty to extend these techniques to three-dimensional
architectures. Molecular self-assembly provides an alternative route to create
such materials which is not bound by the above limitations. We demonstrate how
the DNA origami method can be used to produce plasmonic materials with a
tailored optical response at visible wavelengths. Harnessing the assembly power
of 3D DNA origami, we arranged metal nanoparticles with a spatial accuracy of 2
nm into nanoscale helices. The helical structures assemble in solution in a
massively parallel fashion and with near quantitative yields. As a designed
optical response, we generated giant circular dichroism and optical rotary
dispersion in the visible range that originates from the collective
plasmon-plasmon interactions within the nanohelices. We also show that the
optical response can be tuned through the visible spectrum by changing the
composition of the metal nanoparticles. The observed effects are independent of
the direction of the incident light and can be switched by design between left-
and right-handed orientation. Our work demonstrates the production of complex
bulk materials from precisely designed nanoscopic assemblies and highlights the
potential of DNA self-assembly for the fabrication of plasmonic nanostructures.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
A Change in the Dark Room: The Effects of Human Factors and Cognitive Loading Issues for NextGen TRACON Air Traffic Controllers
By 2020 all aircraft in United States airspace must use ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) Out. This is a key component of the Next Generation (NextGen) Air Transportation System, which marks the first time all aircraft will be tracked continuously using satellites instead of ground-based radar. Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS) in the Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) is a primary NextGen upgrade where digitized automation/information surrounds STARS controllers while controlling aircraft. Applying the SHELL model, the authors analyze human factors changes affecting TRACON controllers from pre-STARS technology through NextGen technologies on performance. Results of an informal survey of STARS controllers assessed cognitive processing issues and indicates the greatest concern is with movements to view other displays and added time to re-engage STARS
Pharmacological Analysis of Ionotropic Glutamate Receptor Function in Neuronal Circuits of the Zebrafish Olfactory Bulb
Although synaptic functions of ionotropic glutamate receptors in the olfactory bulb have been studied in vitro, their roles in pattern processing in the intact system remain controversial. We therefore examined the functions of ionotropic glutamate receptors during odor processing in the intact olfactory bulb of zebrafish using pharmacological manipulations. Odor responses of mitral cells and interneurons were recorded by electrophysiology and 2-photon Ca2+ imaging. The combined blockade of AMPA/kainate and NMDA receptors abolished odor-evoked excitation of mitral cells. The blockade of AMPA/kainate receptors alone, in contrast, increased the mean response of mitral cells and decreased the mean response of interneurons. The blockade of NMDA receptors caused little or no change in the mean responses of mitral cells and interneurons. However, antagonists of both receptor types had diverse effects on the magnitude and time course of individual mitral cell and interneuron responses and, thus, changed spatio-temporal activity patterns across neuronal populations. Oscillatory synchronization was abolished or reduced by AMPA/kainate and NMDA receptor antagonists, respectively. These results indicate that (1) interneuron responses depend mainly on AMPA/kainate receptor input during an odor response, (2) interactions among mitral cells and interneurons regulate the total olfactory bulb output activity, (3) AMPA/kainate receptors participate in the synchronization of odor-dependent neuronal ensembles, and (4) ionotropic glutamate receptor-containing synaptic circuits shape odor-specific patterns of olfactory bulb output activity. These mechanisms are likely to be important for the processing of odor-encoding activity patterns in the olfactory bulb
Information transmission in oscillatory neural activity
Periodic neural activity not locked to the stimulus or to motor responses is
usually ignored. Here, we present new tools for modeling and quantifying the
information transmission based on periodic neural activity that occurs with
quasi-random phase relative to the stimulus. We propose a model to reproduce
characteristic features of oscillatory spike trains, such as histograms of
inter-spike intervals and phase locking of spikes to an oscillatory influence.
The proposed model is based on an inhomogeneous Gamma process governed by a
density function that is a product of the usual stimulus-dependent rate and a
quasi-periodic function. Further, we present an analysis method generalizing
the direct method (Rieke et al, 1999; Brenner et al, 2000) to assess the
information content in such data. We demonstrate these tools on recordings from
relay cells in the lateral geniculate nucleus of the cat.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures, to appear in Biological Cybernetic
Alterations in Vitamin D signalling and metabolic pathways in breast cancer progression: a study of VDR, CYP27B1 and CYP24A1 expression in benign and malignant breast lesions Vitamin D pathways unbalanced in breast lesions
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease associated with different patient prognosis and responses to therapy. Vitamin D has been emerging as a potential treatment for cancer, as it has been demonstrated that it modulates proliferation, apoptosis, invasion and metastasis, among others. It acts mostly through the Vitamin D receptor (VDR) and the synthesis and degradation of this hormone are regulated by the enzymes CYP27B1 and CYP24A1, respectively. We aimed to study the expression of these three proteins by immunohistochemistry in a series of breast lesions.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We have used a cohort comprising normal breast, benign mammary lesions, carcinomas <it>in situ </it>and invasive carcinomas and assessed the expression of the VDR, CYP27B1 and CYP24A1 by immunohistochemistry.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The results that we have obtained show that all proteins are expressed in the various breast tissues, although at different amounts. The VDR was frequently expressed in benign lesions (93.5%) and its levels of expression were diminished in invasive tumours (56.2%). Additionally, the VDR was strongly associated with the oestrogen receptor positivity in breast carcinomas. CYP27B1 expression is slightly lower in invasive carcinomas (44.6%) than in benign lesions (55.8%). In contrast, CYP24A1 expression was augmented in carcinomas (56.0% in <it>in situ </it>and 53.7% in invasive carcinomas) when compared with that in benign lesions (19.0%).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>From this study, we conclude that there is a deregulation of the Vitamin D signalling and metabolic pathways in breast cancer, favouring tumour progression. Thus, during mammary malignant transformation, tumour cells lose their ability to synthesize the active form of Vitamin D and respond to VDR-mediated Vitamin D effects, while increasing their ability to degrade this hormone.</p
Quantum Measurement Theory in Gravitational-Wave Detectors
The fast progress in improving the sensitivity of the gravitational-wave (GW)
detectors, we all have witnessed in the recent years, has propelled the
scientific community to the point, when quantum behaviour of such immense
measurement devices as kilometer-long interferometers starts to matter. The
time, when their sensitivity will be mainly limited by the quantum noise of
light is round the corner, and finding the ways to reduce it will become a
necessity. Therefore, the primary goal we pursued in this review was to
familiarize a broad spectrum of readers with the theory of quantum measurements
in the very form it finds application in the area of gravitational-wave
detection. We focus on how quantum noise arises in gravitational-wave
interferometers and what limitations it imposes on the achievable sensitivity.
We start from the very basic concepts and gradually advance to the general
linear quantum measurement theory and its application to the calculation of
quantum noise in the contemporary and planned interferometric detectors of
gravitational radiation of the first and second generation. Special attention
is paid to the concept of Standard Quantum Limit and the methods of its
surmounting.Comment: 147 pages, 46 figures, 1 table. Published in Living Reviews in
Relativit
Theorems on existence and global dynamics for the Einstein equations
This article is a guide to theorems on existence and global dynamics of
solutions of the Einstein equations. It draws attention to open questions in
the field. The local-in-time Cauchy problem, which is relatively well
understood, is surveyed. Global results for solutions with various types of
symmetry are discussed. A selection of results from Newtonian theory and
special relativity that offer useful comparisons is presented. Treatments of
global results in the case of small data and results on constructing spacetimes
with prescribed singularity structure or late-time asymptotics are given. A
conjectural picture of the asymptotic behaviour of general cosmological
solutions of the Einstein equations is built up. Some miscellaneous topics
connected with the main theme are collected in a separate section.Comment: Submitted to Living Reviews in Relativity, major update of Living
Rev. Rel. 5 (2002)
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