Forestry applications of ground-penetrating radar

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is a geophysical and close-range remote sensing technique based on the use of radar pulses to obtain cross-section images of underground features. This method is characterized by the transmission of an electromagnetic short length pulse (1-2 ns), presenting a centre frequency ranging from 10 MHz to 2.5 GHz. The principles of GPR operation are based on the ability of low frequency radar waves to penetrate into a non-conductive medium, usually subsoil, but also walls, concrete or wood. Those waves are detected after suffering a reflection in electromagnetic discontinuities of the propagation medium. Therefore, this is a suitable method to study changes in those physical properties, and also to characterize different mediums and the reflective targets providing information about their physical properties. The aim of this work is to describe and demonstrate different applications of GPR in forestry, showing the obtained results together with their interpretation. Firstly, in this paper, it is illustrated how GPR is able to map shallow bedrock, subsoil stratigraphy and also to estimate shallow watertable depth. Secondly, different tree trunks as well as dry timber are analyzed, evaluating the different radar data obtained in each particular case, and observing differences in their electromagnetic properties related to the GPR response. Finally, several measurements were taken in order to analyze the use of GPR to detect tree root systems using polarimetric techniques, being possible to detect medium and big size roots, together with groups of small roots. Key words: GPR, remote sensing, bedrock, watertable, trunk, root system.Postprint (published version

Chondromalacia patellae: comparison of high-field strength versus low-field strength magnetic resonance imaging findings

OBJECTIVE: To compare the performance of low-field-strength and high-field-strength magnetic resonance imaging equipments for evaluation of the patella articular cartilage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was developed using GRE 2D, GRE 3D, FSE T2, STIR sequences (low-field) and TSE T2 SPIR sequence. Each sequence has been separately analyzed for evaluation of the cartilage without knowledge of other sequences results or any patients data; the lesion was assigned a grade from 0 to 3 and had its location defined. Agreement and disagreement results were analyzed by Kappa and McNemar tests. RESULTS: Medial facet has presented low agreement index and disagreements showed to be significantly overestimated. Lateral facet has presented a reasonable agreement index and disagreement index was not significant. Medial ridge has presented a reasonable agreement index and disagreement index has showed to be underestimated. CONCLUSION: The STIR sequence versus TSE T2 SPIR sequence has presented the higher agreement index. High grade lesions are better characterized by low-field-strength magnetic resonance imaging equipment sequences. Areas of increased signal intensity make difficult the study of the patella medial facet cartilage in low-field-strength equipment.OBJETIVO: Comparar os aparelhos de ressonância magnética de baixo campo e de alto campo para estudo da cartilagem articular da patela. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Foi realizado estudo usando as seqüências GRE 2D, GRE 3D, FSE T2 e STIR (baixo campo) e TSE T2 SPIR. Cada seqüência foi analisada separadamente para o estudo da cartilagem, sem o conhecimento dos dados do paciente e do resultado das outras seqüências, sendo atribuído grau de lesão de 0 a 3 e descrita a sua localização. Os resultados de concordância e discordância foram analisados pelos testes de Kappa e McNemar. RESULTADOS: Na faceta medial houve baixas concordâncias e as discordâncias mostraram significativa superestimação. Na faceta lateral houve boas concordâncias e as discordâncias não foram significativas. No ápice houve boas concordâncias e as discordâncias mostraram significativa subestimação. CONCLUSÃO: A seqüência STIR teve a melhor concordância com a seqüência TSE T2 SPIR. Lesões de alto grau são mais bem caracterizadas pelas seqüências do aparelho de baixo campo. Áreas de aumento de sinal dificultam o estudo da cartilagem da faceta medial da patela no aparelho de baixo campo.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de Diagnóstico por ImagemUniversidade Santo Amaro Faculdade de MedicinaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de Ortopedia e TraumatologiaUniversidade Federal de SergipeUniversidade Santo AmaroUNIFESP, Depto. de Diagnóstico por ImagemUNIFESP, Depto. de Ortopedia e TraumatologiaSciEL

FusionFinder: A Software Tool to Identify Expressed Gene Fusion Candidates from RNA-Seq Data

The hallmarks of many haematological malignancies and solid tumours are chromosomal translocations, which may lead to gene fusions. Recently, next-generation sequencing techniques at the transcriptome level (RNA-Seq) have been used to verify known and discover novel transcribed gene fusions. We present FusionFinder, a Perl-based software designed to automate the discovery of candidate gene fusion partners from single-end (SE) or paired-end (PE) RNA-Seq read data. FusionFinder was applied to data from a previously published analysis of the K562 chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) cell line. Using FusionFinder we successfully replicated the findings of this study and detected additional previously unreported fusion genes in their dataset, which were confirmed experimentally. These included two isoforms of a fusion involving the genes BRK1 and VHL, whose co-deletion has previously been associated with the prevalence and severity of renal-cell carcinoma. FusionFinder is made freely available for non-commercial use and can be downloaded from the project website (http://bioinformatics.childhealthresearch.org.au/software/fusionfinder/)

The Changing Landscape for Stroke\ua0Prevention in AF: Findings From the GLORIA-AF Registry Phase 2

Background GLORIA-AF (Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation) is a prospective, global registry program describing antithrombotic treatment patterns in patients with newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation at risk of stroke. Phase 2 began when dabigatran, the first non\u2013vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC), became available. Objectives This study sought to describe phase 2 baseline data and compare these with the pre-NOAC era collected during phase 1. Methods During phase 2, 15,641 consenting patients were enrolled (November 2011 to December 2014); 15,092 were eligible. This pre-specified cross-sectional analysis describes eligible patients\u2019 baseline characteristics. Atrial fibrillation disease characteristics, medical outcomes, and concomitant diseases and medications were collected. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results Of the total patients, 45.5% were female; median age was 71 (interquartile range: 64, 78) years. Patients were from Europe (47.1%), North America (22.5%), Asia (20.3%), Latin America (6.0%), and the Middle East/Africa (4.0%). Most had high stroke risk (CHA2DS2-VASc [Congestive heart failure, Hypertension, Age  6575 years, Diabetes mellitus, previous Stroke, Vascular disease, Age 65 to 74 years, Sex category] score  652; 86.1%); 13.9% had moderate risk (CHA2DS2-VASc = 1). Overall, 79.9% received oral anticoagulants, of whom 47.6% received NOAC and 32.3% vitamin K antagonists (VKA); 12.1% received antiplatelet agents; 7.8% received no antithrombotic treatment. For comparison, the proportion of phase 1 patients (of N = 1,063 all eligible) prescribed VKA was 32.8%, acetylsalicylic acid 41.7%, and no therapy 20.2%. In Europe in phase 2, treatment with NOAC was more common than VKA (52.3% and 37.8%, respectively); 6.0% of patients received antiplatelet treatment; and 3.8% received no antithrombotic treatment. In North America, 52.1%, 26.2%, and 14.0% of patients received NOAC, VKA, and antiplatelet drugs, respectively; 7.5% received no antithrombotic treatment. NOAC use was less common in Asia (27.7%), where 27.5% of patients received VKA, 25.0% antiplatelet drugs, and 19.8% no antithrombotic treatment. Conclusions The baseline data from GLORIA-AF phase 2 demonstrate that in newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients, NOAC have been highly adopted into practice, becoming more frequently prescribed than VKA in Europe and North America. Worldwide, however, a large proportion of patients remain undertreated, particularly in Asia and North America. (Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation [GLORIA-AF]; NCT01468701

Forestry applications of ground-penetrating radar

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is a geophysical and close-range remote sensing technique based on the use of radar pulses to obtain cross-section images of underground features. This method is characterized by the transmission of an electromagnetic short length pulse (1-2 ns), presenting a centre frequency ranging from 10 MHz to 2.5 GHz. The principles of GPR operation are based on the ability of low frequency radar waves to penetrate into a non-conductive medium, usually subsoil, but also walls, concrete or wood. Those waves are detected after suffering a reflection in electromagnetic discontinuities of the propagation medium. Therefore, this is a suitable method to study changes in those physical properties, and also to characterize different mediums and the reflective targets providing information about their physical properties. The aim of this work is to describe and demonstrate different applications of GPR in forestry, showing the obtained results together with their interpretation. Firstly, in this paper, it is illustrated how GPR is able to map shallow bedrock, subsoil stratigraphy and also to estimate shallow watertable depth. Secondly, different tree trunks as well as dry timber are analyzed, evaluating the different radar data obtained in each particular case, and observing differences in their electromagnetic properties related to the GPR response. Finally, several measurements were taken in order to analyze the use of GPR to detect tree root systems using polarimetric techniques, being possible to detect medium and big size roots, together with groups of small roots. Key words: GPR, remote sensing, bedrock, watertable, trunk, root system

Forestry applications of ground-penetrating radar

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is a geophysical and close-range remote sensing technique based on the use of radar pulses to obtain cross-section images of underground features. This method is characterized by the transmission of an electromagnetic short length pulse (1-2 ns), presenting a centre frequency ranging from 10 MHz to 2.5 GHz. The principles of GPR operation are based on the ability of low frequency radar waves to penetrate into a non-conductive medium, usually subsoil, but also walls, concrete or wood. Those waves are detected after suffering a reflection in electromagnetic discontinuities of the propagation medium. Therefore, this is a suitable method to study changes in those physical properties, and also to characterize different mediums and the reflective targets providing information about their physical properties. The aim of this work is to describe and demonstrate different applications of GPR in forestry, showing the obtained results together with their interpretation. Firstly, in this paper, it is illustrated how GPR is able to map shallow bedrock, subsoil stratigraphy and also to estimate shallow watertable depth. Secondly, different tree trunks as well as dry timber are analyzed, evaluating the different radar data obtained in each particular case, and observing differences in their electromagnetic properties related to the GPR response. Finally, several measurements were taken in order to analyze the use of GPR to detect tree root systems using polarimetric techniques, being possible to detect medium and big size roots, together with groups of small roots. Key words: GPR, remote sensing, bedrock, watertable, trunk, root system

Comparative study between different kinds of internal lining in esophagical anastomosis in dogs

The aim of this work was to compare, in a prospective and randomized way, the use of two suture techniques: one using a PENROSE drain as an internal lining and the other using submucosal-mucosal invagination in the esophagus-esophagical cervical anastomosis. Thirty-two male dogs with an average weight between 8 and 10 Kg were distributed in two groups of 16 animals. Each group was divided into 2 subgroups based on post-operative time periods: 7 and 14 days. In each group, the morbidity and macroscopic and microscopic alterations caused by anastomosis were evaluated. No fistula and no death were observed in the pos-operative period. All animals from PENROSE drain as an internal lining group presented dysphagia by at least 7 days, while 4 animals presented transitory dysphagia for only 2 days in the invagination suture group. Optical microscopic analysis revealed deficiency of regeneration in the submucous and mucous tunics in the anastomosis with prosthesis. The results permitted to conclude that the esophagus-esophageal cervical anastomosis using a PENROSE drain as an internal lining is less efficient that executed by submucosal-mucosal invagination.O objetivo deste trabalho foi comparar, de modo prospectivo e casualizado, duas técnicas de sutura: uma com revestimento interno com dreno de PENROSE e outra utilizando a invaginação submucosa-mucosa nas anastomoses esôfago-esofágicas cervicais. Foram utilizados trinta e dois cães machos com pesos entre 8 e 10 Kg, distribuídos em dois grupos de dezesseis animais. Cada grupo foi dividido em dois subgrupos baseado nos períodos observados até o 7o e 14o dias de pós-operatórios. Em cada grupo, as anastomoses foram avaliadas em seus aspectos clínicos, macroscópicos e microscópicos. Nenhuma fístula ou óbito foi observado no pós-operatório. Todos os animais do grupo com revestimento interno com dreno de PENROSE apresentaram disfagia por tempo mínimo de sete dias, enquanto apenas quatro animais do grupo sutura com invaginação apresentaram disfagia transitória com duração máxima de dois dias. À microscopia óptica, foi observada deficiência na regeneração das túnicas submucosa e mucosa nas anastomoses com prótese. Os resultados observados permitem concluir que a anastomose esôfago-esofágica cervical com revestimento interno com dreno de PENROSE apresentou piores resultados do que a por invaginação.Universidade Estadual de Maringá (UEM)UNIFESPEPMUNIFESPEPMSciEL

Oral Myiasis Caused by Cochliomyia hominivorax in a Disabled Person

Myiasis is a parasitic disease caused by developing maggots of fly species, which can infect humans. Patients with special needs, especially those with severe neuropsychomotor limitations, may have oral manifestations of this disease. Here, we present a clinical case in which a disabled person was affected by oral myiasis caused by Cochliomyia hominivorax. Maggots were found in two ulcerated lesions, a 2 cm diameter lesion in the maxilla and a 6 cm diameter lesion in the mandible. Forty-five maggots were removed during inspection, whereas 75 maggots were surgically removed under general anesthesia with nasotracheal intubation. Dipyrone, ivermectin, and clindamycin were prescribed, and the patient remained hospitalized for 3 days. Seven days after surgical intervention, no maggots were observed. Our study emphasizes that dentists must recognize the symptoms and behaviors of parasitic diseases that affect the oral cavity