Obliteration study of lambdatic and obelionic region sutures in ruminant, carnivores and hominids

The morphology of Orce cranial fragment VM-0 is contrasted with the fronto-parietal region in artiodactyls, and the obelionic region in carnivores and primates including hominids. Sutural development at obelion is compared in those taxa throughout the growth period up to the onset of sutural obliteration, and ontogenetic differences between non-primates and primates lead us to conclude that the configuration in VM-0 more resembles that found in hominids than in artiodactyls or carnivores. Moreover, cranial capacity for VM-0 is estimated at >470cm3, comparable to Plio Pleistocene hominids, but greater than in young equids.La morfología del fragmento cranial de Orce (VM-0) se contrasta con la región fronto-parietal de los artiodáctilos y con la región obélica de los carnívoros y primates incluyendo los homínidos. Se compara en estos taxones, el desarrollo de las suturas en esta región a lo largo del periodo de crecimiento hasta que ocurre la obliteración de las mismas. Las diferencias ontogenéticas entre no primates y primates nos permiten concluir que la anatomía de VM-0 es más próxima a los hominidos que a la de los artiodáctilos y carnívoros. Se estima que la capacidad craneana de VM-0 tiene que ser > 470 cm3, comparable a la de los homínidos del Plio-Pleistoceno y mayor que la de los équidos juveniles

Automatic tuning of PI controllers for an irrigation canal pool

The paper presents a method to automatically tune decentralized Proportional Integral (PI) controllers for an irrigation canal pool. The Auto Tune Variation (ATV) method is based on a relay experiment, which leads to small amplitude oscillations of the canal pool. The test signal is automatically generated by a relay inserted in the feedback loop. The method automatically estimates the ultimate gain and ultimate frequency of the pool, which can be used to tune P, PI or PID controllers. This method does not require advanced automatic control knowledge and is implemented in SIC software, developed by Cemagref, which also incorporates a SCADA module for real-time control. The ATV method is evaluated by simulations and experiments on a real irrigation canal located in the South of France, for local upstream, local downstream and distant downstream controller tuning

Static and dynamic data reconciliation for an irrigation canal

International audienceThis paper deals with the problem of fault detection and isolation in irrigation canals. We develop a method which combines static and dynamic data reconciliation for the validation of measurements, detection and isolation of sensors and actuator faults and reconstruction of missing data. Static data reconciliation uses static models at a regulation gate to validate measurements and detect sensor and actuator faults. It also enabled us to detect a drift in the stage discharge rating curve. The dynamic data reconciliation uses additional measurements and a dynamic model of the canal in order to validate measurements and detect faults and withdrawals. The combination of the two methods allowed us to distinguish between withdrawals and faults. Both methods are evaluated on measurements from a real irrigation canal located in the South of France

Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium DT104 Isolated from Humans, United States, 1985, 1990, and 1996

First isolated from an ill person in 1985, multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium DT104 emerged in the mid-1990s as a strain of Salmonella frequently isolated from humans in the United States. We compared the integron content, plasmid profile, and XbaI pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns of multidrug-resistant S. Typhimurium DT104 (MR-DT104) isolated from humans in the United States in 1985, 1990, and 1996. All isolates contained a 60-mDa plasmid and had indistinguishable PFGE and integron profiles, supporting the idea of a clonal relationship between recent and historical isolates. The data suggest that the widespread emergence of MR-DT104 in humans and animals in the 1990s may have been due to the dissemination of a strain already present in the United States rather than the introduction of a new strain

Superconductivity in an Einstein Solid AxV2Al20 (A = Al and Ga)

A cage compound AxV2Al20 (Al10V), that was called an Einstein solid by Caplin and coworkers 40 years ago, is revisited to investigate the low-energy, local vibrations of the A atoms and their influence on the electronic and superconducting properties of the compound. Polycrystalline samples with A = Al, Ga, Y, and La are studied through resistivity and heat capacity measurements. Weak-coupling BCS superconductivity is observed below Tc = 1.49, 1.66, and 0.69 K for Ax = Al0.3, Ga0.2, and Y, respectively, but not above 0.4 K for Ax = La. Low-energy modes are detected only for A = Al and Ga, which are approximately described by the Einstein model with Einstein temperatures of 24 and 8 K, respectively. A weak but significant coupling between the low-energy modes, which are almost identical to those called rattling in recent study, and conduction electrons manifests itself as anomalous enhancement in resistivity at around low temperatures corresponding to the Einstein temperatures.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, to be published in J. Phys. Soc. Jp

Tracking the fate of stem cell implants with fluorine-19 MRI.

BACKGROUND: In this study we used cellular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) labeled with a Fluorine-19 (19F) agent. 19F-MRI offers unambiguous detection and in vivo quantification of labeled cells. METHODS: We investigated two common stem cell transplant mouse models: an immune competent, syngeneic transplant model and an immune compromised, xenograft transplant model. 19F labelled stem cells were implanted intramuscularly into the hindlimb of healthy mice. The transplant was then monitored for up to 17 days using 19F-MRI, after which the tissue was excised for fluorescence microscopy and immunohistochemisty. RESULTS: Immediately following transplantation, 19F-MRI quantification correlated very well with the expected cell number in both models. The 19F signal decreased over time in both models, with a more rapid decrease in the syngeneic model. By endpoint, only 2/7 syngeneic mice had any detectable 19F signal. In the xenograft model, all mice had detectable signal at endpoint. Fluorescence microscopy and immunohistochemistry were used to show that the 19F signal was related to the presence of bystander labeled macrophages, and not original MSC. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that 19F-MRI is an excellent tool for verifying the delivery of therapeutic cells early after transplantation. However, in certain circumstances the transfer of cellular label to other bystander cells may confuse interpretation of the long-term fate of the transplanted cells