Potential of Augmented Reality for Intelligent Transportation Systems

Rapid advances in wireless communication technologies coupled with ongoing massive development in vehicular networking standards and innovations in computing, sensing, and analytics have paved the way for intelligent transportation systems (ITS) to develop rapidly in the near future. ITS provides a complete solution for the efficient and intelligent management of real-time traffic, wherein sensory data is collected from within the vehicles (i.e., via their onboard units) as well as data exchanged between the vehicles, between the vehicles and their supporting roadside infrastructure/network, among the vehicles and vulnerable pedestrians, subsequently paving the way for the realization of the futuristic Internet of Vehicles. The traditional intent of an ITS system is to detect, monitor, control, and subsequently reduce traffic congestion based on a real-time analysis of the data pertinent to certain patterns of the road traffic, including traffic density at a geographical area of interest, precise velocity of vehicles, current and predicted travelling trajectories and times, etc. However, merely relying on an ITS framework is not an optimal solution. In case of dense traffic environments, where communication broadcasts from hundreds of thousands of vehicles could potentially choke the entire network (and so could lead to fatal accidents in the case of autonomous vehicles that depend on reliable communications for their operational safety), a fall back to the traditional decentralized vehicular ad hoc network (VANET) approach becomes necessary. It is therefore of critical importance to enhance the situational awareness of vehicular drivers so as to enable them to make quick but well-founded manual decisions in such safety-critical situations.Comment: In: Lee N. (eds) Encyclopedia of Computer Graphics and Games. Springer, Cham, 201

c-myc, not her-2/neu, can predict the prognosis of breast cancer patients: how novel, how accurate, and how significant?

The predictive and prognostic implication of oncogene amplification in breast cancer has received great attention in the past two decades. her-2/neu and c-myc are two oncogenes that are frequently amplified and overexpressed in breast carcinomas. Despite the extensive data on these oncogenes, their prognostic and predictive impact on breast cancer patients remains controversial. Schlotter and colleagues have recently suggested that c-myc, and not her-2/neu, could predict the recurrence and mortality of patients with node-negative breast carcinomas. Regardless of the promising results, caution should be exercised in the interpretation of data from studies assessing gene amplification without in situ analysis. We address the novelty, accuracy and clinical significance of the study by Schlotter and colleagues

Using agent-based models to understand the role of individuals in the song evolution of humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae )

Male humpback whales produce hierarchically structured songs, primarily during the breeding season. These songs gradually change over the course of the breeding season, and are generally population specific. However, instances have been recorded of more rapid song changes where the song of a population can be replaced by the song of an adjacent population. The mechanisms that drive these changes are not currently understood, and difficulties in tracking individual whales over long migratory routes mean field studies to understand these mechanisms are not feasible. In order to help understand the mechanisms that drive these song changes, we present here a spatially explicit agent-based model inspired by methods used in computer music research. We model the migratory patterns of humpback whales, a simple song learning and production method coupled with sound transmission loss, and how often singing occurs during these migratory cycles. This model is then extended to include learning biases that may be responsible for driving changes in the song, such as a bias towards novel song, production errors, and the coupling of novel song bias and production errors. While none of the methods showed population song replacement, our model shows that shared feeding grounds where conspecifics are able to mix provides key opportunities for cultural transmission, and production errors facilitated gradually changing songs. Our results point towards other learning biases being necessary in order for population song replacement to occur.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

The waters of São Tomé: a calving ground for West African humpback whales?

In the Southern Hemisphere, humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae feed in Antarctic waters during the austral summer and migrate to their breeding grounds in subtropical and tropical waters during the winter. Historical whaling records suggest that the Archipelago of Sao Tome and Principe, located in the Gulf of Guinea, serves as a possible breeding ground. In order to investigate the temporal occurrence and group composition of humpback whales around Sao Tome Island, annual surveys were conducted during the breeding season between 2002 and 2006. A total of 186 boat-based surveys took place during this period. Data collected during each sighting included geographical positions, group size, group composition and behavioural classifications. Of the 66 groups encountered, mother/calf pairs made up a large proportion (65.15%), followed by solitary individuals (15.15%). Mother/calf pairs were seen in the region into November and resightings of identified animals indicate periods of occupancy that extended over three weeks. Few behaviours typically associated with mating activity were observed. Given the high percentage of mother/calf pairs, sometimes with very young calves, and the low frequency of mating activity, the waters of Sao Tome may primarily serve as a calving and nursing or resting area for humpback whales.Projecto Delfim; Rolas Island Resort; ECOFAC (Conservation et utilisation rationnelle des Ecosystemes Forestiers en Afrique Centrale); Wildlife Conservation Society

Factors that contribute to faecal cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA expression in subjects with colorectal cancer

浜松医科大学学位論文　医博第600号（平成23年3月16日

Structural analysis of the Ss sialoglycoprotein specific for Henshaw blood group from human erythrocyte membranes

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66122/1/j.1432-1033.1984.tb08155.x.pd

Analysis of baseline parameters in the HALT polycystic kidney disease trials

HALT PKD consists of two ongoing randomized trials with the largest cohort of systematically studied patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease to date. Study A will compare combined treatment with an angiotensin-converting inhibitor and receptor blocker to inhibitor alone and standard compared with low blood pressure targets in 558 early-stage disease patients with an eGFR over 60ml/min per 1.73m2. Study B will compare inhibitor-blocker treatment to the inhibitor alone in 486 late-stage patients with eGFR 25–60ml/min per 1.73m2. We used correlation and multiple regression cross-sectional analyses to determine associations of baseline parameters with total kidney, liver, or liver cyst volumes measured by MRI in Study A and eGFR in both studies. Lower eGFR and higher natural log-transformed urine albumin excretion were independently associated with a larger natural log–transformed total kidney volume adjusted for height (ln(HtTKV)). Higher body surface area was independently associated with a higher ln(HtTKV) and lower eGFR. Men had larger height-adjusted total kidney volume and smaller liver cyst volumes than women. A weak correlation was found between the ln(HtTKV) and natural log–transformed total liver volume adjusted for height or natural log liver cyst volume in women only. Women had higher urine aldosterone excretion and lower plasma potassium. Thus, our analysis (1) confirms a strong association between renal volume and functional parameters, (2) shows that gender and other factors differentially affect the development of polycystic disease in the kidney and liver, and (3) suggests an association between anthropomorphic measures reflecting prenatal and/or postnatal growth and disease severity

Towards real-time cardiovascular magnetic resonance guided transarterial CoreValve implantation: in vivo evaluation in swine

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Real-time cardiovascular magnetic resonance (rtCMR) is considered attractive for guiding TAVI. Owing to an unlimited scan plane orientation and an unsurpassed soft-tissue contrast with simultaneous device visualization, rtCMR is presumed to allow safe device navigation and to offer optimal orientation for precise axial positioning. We sought to evaluate the preclinical feasibility of rtCMR-guided transarterial aortic valve implatation (TAVI) using the nitinol-based Medtronic CoreValve bioprosthesis.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>rtCMR-guided transfemoral (n = 2) and transsubclavian (n = 6) TAVI was performed in 8 swine using the original CoreValve prosthesis and a modified, CMR-compatible delivery catheter without ferromagnetic components.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>rtCMR using TrueFISP sequences provided reliable imaging guidance during TAVI, which was successful in 6 swine. One transfemoral attempt failed due to unsuccessful aortic arch passage and one pericardial tamponade with subsequent death occurred as a result of ventricular perforation by the device tip due to an operating error, this complication being detected without delay by rtCMR. rtCMR allowed for a detailed, simultaneous visualization of the delivery system with the mounted stent-valve and the surrounding anatomy, resulting in improved visualization during navigation through the vasculature, passage of the aortic valve, and during placement and deployment of the stent-valve. Post-interventional success could be confirmed using ECG-triggered time-resolved cine-TrueFISP and flow-sensitive phase-contrast sequences. Intended valve position was confirmed by ex-vivo histology.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our study shows that rtCMR-guided TAVI using the commercial CoreValve prosthesis in conjunction with a modified delivery system is feasible in swine, allowing improved procedural guidance including immediate detection of complications and direct functional assessment with reduction of radiation and omission of contrast media.</p

The Genome of Borrelia recurrentis, the Agent of Deadly Louse-Borne Relapsing Fever, Is a Degraded Subset of Tick-Borne Borrelia duttonii

In an effort to understand how a tick-borne pathogen adapts to the body louse, we sequenced and compared the genomes of the recurrent fever agents Borrelia recurrentis and B. duttonii. The 1,242,163–1,574,910-bp fragmented genomes of B. recurrentis and B. duttonii contain a unique 23-kb linear plasmid. This linear plasmid exhibits a large polyT track within the promoter region of an intact variable large protein gene and a telomere resolvase that is unique to Borrelia. The genome content is characterized by several repeat families, including antigenic lipoproteins. B. recurrentis exhibited a 20.4% genome size reduction and appeared to be a strain of B. duttonii, with a decaying genome, possibly due to the accumulation of genomic errors induced by the loss of recA and mutS. Accompanying this were increases in the number of impaired genes and a reduction in coding capacity, including surface-exposed lipoproteins and putative virulence factors. Analysis of the reconstructed ancestral sequence compared to B. duttonii and B. recurrentis was consistent with the accelerated evolution observed in B. recurrentis. Vector specialization of louse-borne pathogens responsible for major epidemics was associated with rapid genome reduction. The correlation between gene loss and increased virulence of B. recurrentis parallels that of Rickettsia prowazekii, with both species being genomic subsets of less-virulent strains