216 research outputs found
Optimized routing of unmanned aerial systems for the interdiction of improvised explosive devices
As of September 2007, improvised explosive devices (IED) account for 43% of U.S. casualties in Iraq - the largest single cause of death. One reason for their high rate of effectiveness is that they are extremely difficult to detect. This research develops a tool for selecting routes that will best employ unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for the purpose of detecting IED or related activity. We refer to this tool as IED Search Optimization Model (ISOM). ISOM - which uses prediction model results as an underpinning - accounts for factors such as winds, sensor sweep-width, and aircraft deconfliction. We formulate the problem as an Integer Program and optimally solve it to select the best routes. Initial evaluation of ISOM through field experiments with actual UAS suggest that the tool produces realistic routes which can be flown in the expected amount of time. Furthermore, these routes result in a 42% increase in the likelihood of achieving a detection opportunity over searching nodes in a random manner. ISOM could be implemented as a "reach-back" capability with an analyst providing daily routes for tactical operators.http://archive.org/details/optimizedrouting109453242Outstanding ThesisUS Marine Corps (USMC) author.Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited
Characterization of Brown Adipose Tissue in a Diabetic Mouse Model with Spiral Volumetric Optoacoustic Tomography
PURPOSE
Diabetes is associated with a deterioration of the microvasculature in brown adipose tissue (BAT) and with a decrease in its metabolic activity. Multispectral optoacoustic tomography has been recently proposed as a new tool capable of differentiating healthy and diabetic BAT by observing hemoglobin gradients and microvasculature density in cross-sectional (2D) views. We report on the use of spiral volumetric optoacoustic tomography (SVOT) for an improved characterization of BAT.
PROCEDURES
A streptozotocin-induced diabetes model and control mice were scanned with SVOT. Volumetric oxygen saturation (sO) as well as total blood volume (TBV) in the subcutaneous interscapular BAT (iBAT) was quantified. Segmentation further enabled separating feeding and draining vessels from the BAT anatomical structure.
RESULTS
Scanning revealed a 46Â % decrease in TBV and a 25Â % decrease in sO in the diabetic iBAT with respect to the healthy control.
CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that SVOT may serve as an effective tool for studying the effects of diabetes on BAT. The volumetric optoacoustic imaging probe used for the SVOT scans can be operated in a handheld mode, thus potentially providing a clinical translation route for BAT-related studies with this imaging technology
Ă propos de The Practice of Liberal Pluralism de William Galston : un dialogue avec lâauteur
Document de travailLa publication de The Practice of Liberal Pluralism est apparue comme
un événement de premiÚre importance dans la réflexion contemporaine
sur lâapport du pluralisme au libĂ©ralisme. La pensĂ©e de William Galston
a connu une Ă©volution : dans Liberal Purposes, lâaccent est mis sur la critique
du neutralisme et la position dâun libĂ©ralisme perfectionniste, tandis
que Liberal Pluralism sâintĂ©resse au contraire aux limites de lâintervention
Ă©tatique. Cette Ă©volution fait lâobjet de nombreuses questions dans la
discussion qui suit. The Practice of Liberal Pluralism opĂšre une synthĂšse
intéressante sur ce point. Galston se définit comme un libéral pluraliste
dans la lignĂ©e de Berlin. Bien quâil insiste sur le conflit tragique des
valeurs, il minimise cet aspect dans les discussions qui suivent, et pose la
possibilitĂ© consĂ©cutive dâavoir des devoirs prima facie (cf. la discussion
sur sa négation du particularisme moral). Un des arguments centraux pour
justifier le pluralisme des valeurs est quâil rend le mieux compte de la
complexité de notre univers moral (cf. la discussion sur le pluralisme et le
sentiment de regret). Galston endosse Ă©galement un pluralisme politique,
lequel signifie que les sources dâautoritĂ© sont multiples. Le libĂ©ralisme de
Galston est trĂšs tolĂ©rant Ă lâĂ©gard des pratiques communautaires non libĂ©rales.
Cette tolérance est cependant assortie de la défense du « droit de
sortie », notion qui apparaßt donc comme fondamentale. Dans les discussions
qui suivent, Galston propose la maniÚre adéquate de comprendre
lâexercice de ce droit de sortie (cf. les discussions sur les rapports entre
liberté expressive, droit de sortie et autonomie).The publication of The Practice of Liberal Pluralism has appeared as an
event of first importance regarding contemporary theory about the relation
between pluralism and liberalism. William Galstonâs theory has had
a visible evolution: in Liberal Purposes, the main object is a critique of
neutralism and a defence of perfectionist liberalism, whereas Liberal
Pluralism main concern was to draw the limits of state intervention. This
evolution is the object of numerous questions in the following discussion.
The Practice of Liberal Pluralism operates an interesting synthesis on this
point. Galston defines himself as a liberal pluralist such as Berlin, but
although he acknowledges that conflict between values can be tragic, he
minimizes this aspect in the following discussions, and considers the possibility
of having prima facie duties (cf. the discussion on his rejection of
moral particularism). One of the main arguments for the defence of value
pluralism is its capacity to explain the complexity of the moral universe
(cf. the discussion on pluralism and regret). Galston endorses a political
pluralism, which means that the sources of authority are multiple.
Galstonâs liberalism is very tolerant regarding non-liberal communitarian
practices, although this tolerance is based on the defence of an exit right,
which is a fundamental notion in his theory. In the following discussion
Galston proposes how to understand this right of exit in an adequate manner
(cf. the questions regarding expressive liberty, exit rights and autonomy)
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A Smartphone-Based Tool for Rapid, Portable, and Automated Wide-Field Retinal Imaging.
Purpose:High-quality, wide-field retinal imaging is a valuable method for screening preventable, vision-threatening diseases of the retina. Smartphone-based retinal cameras hold promise for increasing access to retinal imaging, but variable image quality and restricted field of view can limit their utility. We developed and clinically tested a smartphone-based system that addresses these challenges with automation-assisted imaging. Methods:The system was designed to improve smartphone retinal imaging by combining automated fixation guidance, photomontage, and multicolored illumination with optimized optics, user-tested ergonomics, and touch-screen interface. System performance was evaluated from images of ophthalmic patients taken by nonophthalmic personnel. Two masked ophthalmologists evaluated images for abnormalities and disease severity. Results:The system automatically generated 100° retinal photomontages from five overlapping images in under 1 minute at full resolution (52.3 pixels per retinal degree) fully on-phone, revealing numerous retinal abnormalities. Feasibility of the system for diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening using the retinal photomontages was performed in 71 diabetics by masked graders. DR grade matched perfectly with dilated clinical examination in 55.1% of eyes and within 1 severity level for 85.2% of eyes. For referral-warranted DR, average sensitivity was 93.3% and specificity 56.8%. Conclusions:Automation-assisted imaging produced high-quality, wide-field retinal images that demonstrate the potential of smartphone-based retinal cameras to be used for retinal disease screening. Translational Relevance:Enhancement of smartphone-based retinal imaging through automation and software intelligence holds great promise for increasing the accessibility of retinal screening
FUS/TLS contributes to replication-dependent histone gene expression by interaction with U7 snRNPs and histone-specific transcription factors
Replication-dependent histone genes are up-regulated during the G1/S phase transition to meet the requirement for histones to package the newly synthesized DNA. In mammalian cells, this increment is achieved by enhanced transcription and 3âČ end processing. The non-polyadenylated histone mRNA 3âČ ends are generated by a unique mechanism involving the U7 small ribonucleoprotein (U7 snRNP). By using affinity purification methods to enrich U7 snRNA, we identified FUS/TLS as a novel U7 snRNP interacting protein. Both U7 snRNA and histone transcripts can be precipitated by FUS antibodies predominantly in the S phase of the cell cycle. Moreover, FUS depletion leads to decreased levels of correctly processed histone mRNAs and increased levels of extended transcripts. Interestingly, FUS antibodies also co-immunoprecipitate histone transcriptional activator NPAT and transcriptional repressor hnRNP UL1 in different phases of the cell cycle. We further show that FUS binds to histone genes in S phase, promotes the recruitment of RNA polymerase II and is important for the activity of histone gene promoters. Thus, FUS may serve as a linking factor that positively regulates histone gene transcription and 3âČ end processing by interacting with the U7 snRNP and other factors involved in replication-dependent histone gene expressio
Multicellular Architecture of Malignant Breast Epithelia Influences Mechanics
Cellâmatrix and cellâcell mechanosensing are important in many cellular processes, particularly for epithelial cells. A crucial question, which remains unexplored, is how the mechanical microenvironment is altered as a result of changes to multicellular tissue structure during cancer progression. In this study, we investigated the influence of the multicellular tissue architecture on mechanical properties of the epithelial component of the mammary acinus. Using creep compression tests on multicellular breast epithelial structures, we found that pre-malignant acini with no lumen (MCF10AT) were significantly stiffer than normal hollow acini (MCF10A) by 60%. This difference depended on structural changes in the pre-malignant acini, as neither single cells nor normal multicellular acini tested before lumen formation exhibited these differences. To understand these differences, we simulated the deformation of the acini with different multicellular architectures and calculated their mechanical properties; our results suggest that lumen filling alone can explain the experimentally observed stiffness increase. We also simulated a single contracting cell in different multicellular architectures and found that lumen filling led to a 20% increase in the âperceived stiffnessâ of a single contracting cell independent of any changes to matrix mechanics. Our results suggest that lumen filling in carcinogenesis alters the mechanical microenvironment in multicellular epithelial structures, a phenotype that may cause downstream disruptions to mechanosensing
The phase separation-dependent FUS interactome reveals nuclear and cytoplasmic function of liquidâliquid phase separation
Liquidâliquid phase separation (LLPS) of proteins and RNAs has emerged as the driving force underlying the formation of membrane-less organelles. Such biomolecular condensates have various biological functions and have been linked to disease. The protein Fused in Sarcoma (FUS) undergoes LLPS and mutations in FUS have been causally linked to the motor neuron disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS-FUS). LLPS followed by aggregation of cytoplasmic FUS has been proposed to be a crucial disease mechanism. However, it is currently unclear how LLPS impacts the behaviour of FUS in cells, e.g. its interactome. Hence, we developed a method allowing for the purification of LLPS FUS-containing droplets from cell lysates. We observe substantial alterations in the interactome, depending on its biophysical state. While non-LLPS FUS interacts mainly with factors involved in pre-mRNA processing, LLPS FUS predominantly binds to proteins involved in chromatin remodelling and DNA damage repair. Interestingly, also mitochondrial factors are strongly enriched with LLPS FUS, providing a potential explanation for the observed changes in mitochondrial gene expression in mouse models of ALS-FUS. In summary, we present a methodology to investigate the interactomes of phase separating proteins and provide evidence that LLPS shapes the FUS interactome with implications for function and disease
Sales and sincerity: The role of relational framing in word-of-mouth marketing
In word-of-mouth marketing, marketers often provide financial rewards for referrals. These rewards introduce a financial motive into an interaction among friends or acquaintances, which may harm the perceived sincerity of the referring customer. We show that this negative effect can be mitigated by disclosing the presence of financial motives, but also by the activation of a market pricing (âsalesâ) relationship norm. However, such a norm has a negative effect on compliance with the referral. The effects of relationship norms are strongest when cognitive capacity is impaired, which suggests that the influence of relationship norms occurs outside the awareness of consumers. Conversely, the impact of disclosures is stronger when consumers have full cognitive capacity available
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