296 research outputs found
The association of parental dental anxiety and knowledge of caries preventive measures with psychological profiles and children's oral health
Occult Cushing\u27s Syndrome Presenting with Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a frequent complication both of endogenous hypercortisolism and of long-term treatment with corticosteroids, but only rarely is it the major clinical feature with the more characteristic features absent or minimally present. In the two patients presented, hypercortisolism was uncovered only during routine evaluation of osteoporosis. This presentation is probably due to slow progression of the disease and is often associated with so-called black adenoma of the adrenal gland. Secondary causes should be sought in all patients with seemingly senile or postmenopausal osteoporosis
Climbing Robot for Steel Bridge Inspection: Design Challenges
Inspection of bridges often requires high risk operations such as working at heights, in confined spaces, in hazardous environments; or sites inaccessible by humans. There is significant motivation for robotic solutions which can carry out these inspection tasks. When inspection robots are deployed in real world inspection scenarios, it is inevitable that unforeseen challenges will be encountered. Since 2011, the New South Wales Roads & Maritime Services and the Centre of Excellence for Autonomous Systems at the University of Technology, Sydney, have been working together to develop an innovative climbing robot to inspect high risk locations on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Many engineering challenges have been faced throughout the development of several prototype climbing robots, and through field trials in the archways of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. This paper will highlight some of the key challenges faced in designing a climbing robot for inspection, and then present an inchworm inspired robot which addresses many of these challenges
Visual parameter optimisation for biomedical image processing
Background: Biomedical image processing methods require users to optimise input parameters to ensure high quality
output. This presents two challenges. First, it is difficult to optimise multiple input parameters for multiple
input images. Second, it is difficult to achieve an understanding of underlying algorithms, in particular, relationships
between input and output.
Results: We present a visualisation method that transforms users’ ability to understand algorithm behaviour by
integrating input and output, and by supporting exploration of their relationships. We discuss its application to a
colour deconvolution technique for stained histology images and show how it enabled a domain expert to
identify suitable parameter values for the deconvolution of two types of images, and metrics to quantify
deconvolution performance. It also enabled a breakthrough in understanding by invalidating an underlying
assumption about the algorithm.
Conclusions: The visualisation method presented here provides analysis capability for multiple inputs and outputs
in biomedical image processing that is not supported by previous analysis software. The analysis supported by our
method is not feasible with conventional trial-and-error approaches
The HST/ACS Coma Cluster Survey. II. Data Description and Source Catalogs
The Coma cluster was the target of a HST-ACS Treasury program designed for
deep imaging in the F475W and F814W passbands. Although our survey was
interrupted by the ACS instrument failure in 2007, the partially completed
survey still covers ~50% of the core high-density region in Coma. Observations
were performed for 25 fields that extend over a wide range of cluster-centric
radii (~1.75 Mpc) with a total coverage area of 274 arcmin^2. The majority of
the fields are located near the core region of Coma (19/25 pointings) with six
additional fields in the south-west region of the cluster. In this paper we
present reprocessed images and SExtractor source catalogs for our survey
fields, including a detailed description of the methodology used for object
detection and photometry, the subtraction of bright galaxies to measure faint
underlying objects, and the use of simulations to assess the photometric
accuracy and completeness of our catalogs. We also use simulations to perform
aperture corrections for the SExtractor Kron magnitudes based only on the
measured source flux and half-light radius. We have performed photometry for
~73,000 unique objects; one-half of our detections are brighter than the
10-sigma point-source detection limit at F814W=25.8 mag (AB). The slight
majority of objects (60%) are unresolved or only marginally resolved by ACS. We
estimate that Coma members are 5-10% of all source detections, which consist of
a large population of unresolved objects (primarily GCs but also UCDs) and a
wide variety of extended galaxies from a cD galaxy to dwarf LSB galaxies. The
red sequence of Coma member galaxies has a constant slope and dispersion across
9 magnitudes (-21<M_F814W<-13). The initial data release for the HST-ACS Coma
Treasury program was made available to the public in 2008 August. The images
and catalogs described in this study relate to our second data release.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJS. A high-resolution version is
available at http://archdev.stsci.edu/pub/hlsp/coma/release2/PaperII.pd
Relating basic properties of bright early-type dwarf galaxies to their location in Abell 901/902
We present a study of the population of bright early-type dwarf galaxies in
the multiple-cluster system Abell 901/902. We use data from the STAGES survey
and COMBO-17 to investigate the relation between the color and structural
properties of the dwarfs and their location in the cluster. The definition of
the dwarf sample is based on the central surface brightness and includes
galaxies in the luminosity range -16 >= M_B >~-19 mag. Using a fit to the color
magnitude relation of the dwarfs, our sample is divided into a red and blue
subsample. We find a color-density relation in the projected radial
distribution of the dwarf sample: at the same luminosity dwarfs with redder
colors are located closer to the cluster centers than their bluer counterparts.
Furthermore, the redder dwarfs are on average more compact and rounder than the
bluer dwarfs. These findings are consistent with theoretical expectations
assuming that bright early-type dwarfs are the remnants of transformed
late-type disk galaxies involving processes such as ram pressure stripping and
galaxy harassment. This indicates that a considerable fraction of dwarf
elliptical galaxies in clusters are the results of transformation processes
related to interactions with their host cluster.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in A&A, typo corrected
in abstrac
Anti-chemokine antibodies after SARS-CoV-2 infection correlate with favorable disease course.
Infection by SARS-CoV-2 leads to diverse symptoms, which can persist for months. While antiviral antibodies are protective, those targeting interferons and other immune factors are associated with adverse COVID-19 outcomes. Instead, we discovered that antibodies against specific chemokines are omnipresent after COVID-19, associated with favorable disease, and predictive of lack of long COVID symptoms at one year post infection. Anti-chemokine antibodies are present also in HIV-1 and autoimmune disorders, but they target different chemokines than those in COVID-19. Finally, monoclonal antibodies derived from COVID- 19 convalescents that bind to the chemokine N-loop impair cell migration. Given the role of chemokines in orchestrating immune cell trafficking, naturally arising anti-chemokine antibodies associated with favorable COVID-19 may be beneficial by modulating the inflammatory response and thus bear therapeutic potential.
One-Sentence Summary
Naturally arising anti-chemokine antibodies associate with favorable COVID-19 and are predictive of lack of long COVID
Freshwater temperature in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil, and its implication for fish culture
Peak bone mineral density in Vietnamese women
While the prevalence of osteoporosis and risk factors for low bone mineral density (BMD) has been well documented in Caucasian populations, there is a lack of data from Asia. This work was designed to clarify to what extent osteoporosis could be regarded as a major public health problem in Vietnam. Furthermore, to elucidate the prevalence of certain risk factors, such as vitamin D deficiency and other determinants of bone mass as a basis to indentify high-risk individuals among the Vietnamese women and men.
The clinical studies were designed as cross-sectional investigations using a multistage sampling scheme. Within the setting of northern Vietnam (latitude 21°N), districts were selected to represent urban and rural areas. In total 612 healthy women and 222 men aged 13-83 years were investigated. BMD was measured at the lumbar spine, femoral neck and total hip in all qualified subjects with dual energy X-ray absortiometry. Serum concentrations of 25(OH)D, parathyroid hormone, estrogen and testosterone were quantified by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Data on clinical history and lifestyle were collected by individual face-to-face interviews.
Reference values for peak BMD were defined. These data allowed the calculation of T-scores and thus for the first time, an accurate identification of osteoporosis in a Vietnamese population. As determined at the femoral neck, the prevalence of osteoporosis was 17-23% in women and 9% in men. The results clearly suggest that osteoporosis is an important public health problem. Postmenopausal women living in urban areas experienced osteoporosis more than rural residents. Serum levels of 25(OH)D and estrogen were significantly associated with bone mass in both women and men. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL) was very high, 30% in women and 16% in men.
An experimental study on the isoflavone content of different soymilk preparations was performed by HPLC (high pressure liquid chromatography). Values of isoflavones were very low, around 60-80 mg/L, and there were only 10-20% of bioactive aglycones. This is far below the reported threshold levels to exert significant effects on bone.
In the future these data will be useful as a valuable reference base to diagnose osteoporosis and for the clinical management of its consequences. The high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency should raise the awareness of potentially important health issues such as osteoporosis but also about other serious diseases within the Vietnamese society
Sugar-added beverages consumption among kindergarten children of Crete: effects on nutritional status and risk of obesity
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Objective</p> <p>To assess the intake of sugar-added beverages such as soft drinks and commercially available fruit juices in kindergarten children, and to examine its association with obesity indices, physical activity levels and dietary habits.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 856 children aged 4–7 years living in Crete, Greece in 2004–5 were included in this cross-sectional study. Nutrient and food intake was assessed with the use of 3-day weighed food records. Body measurements were used in order to assess BMI and waist circumference, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was calculated with the use of a questionnaire.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Approximately 59.8% of all children consumed sugar-added beverages on a daily basis. High intake of sugar-added beverages (> 250 g/day) was associated with low intakes of calcium (p < 0.001), vitamin A and E (p < 0.010), fruits and vegetables (p = 0.007), and milk and yogurt (p = 0.048). Compared to non or low consumers, high consumers of sugar-added beverages (> 250 g/day) had higher BMI levels and two times greater risk of being overweight and/or obese (OR:2.35, p = 0.023).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>High intake of sugar-added beverages in kindergarten children is associated with poor eating habits and inadequate nutrient intake, as well as increased risk for developing childhood obesity.</p
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