564 research outputs found
Toward City-Scale Litter Monitoring using Autonomous Ground Vehicles
Littering is a significant challenge for environmental sustainability and a major burden for cities and densely populated areas. Current solutions for litter monitoring, such as litter watch campaigns and city-operated litter collection, are costly and challenging to conduct at large-scale. This paper presents a vision for using autonomous ground vehicles (AGVs) for litter monitoring and removal and introduces a mechanism for AGVs that uses thermal dissipation resulting from sunlight to identify and remove litter objects. We identify and highlight key challenges for deploying the envisioned solution on a city-scale, and demonstrate the feasibility of the solution through extensive experiments.Peer reviewe
Diagnostic value of MRI-based PSA density in predicting transperineal sector-guided prostate biopsy outcomes
PURPOSE: Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) density (PSAD) has potential to increase the diagnostic utility of PSA, yet has had poor uptake in clinical practice. We aimed to determine the diagnostic value of magnetic resonance imaging-derived PSAD (MR-PSAD) in predicting transperineal sector-guided prostate biopsy (TPSB) outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Men presenting for primary TPSB from 2007 to 2014 were considered. Histological outcomes were assessed and defined as: presence of any cancer or significant cancer defined as presence of Gleason 4 and/or maximum tumour core length (MCCL) ≥ 4 mm (G4); or Gleason 4 and/or MCCL ≥ 6 mm (G6). Sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values were calculated, and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves were generated to compare MR-PSAD and PSA. RESULTS: Six hundred fifty-nine men were evaluated with mean age 62.5 ± 9 years, median PSA 6.7 ng/ml (range 0.5-40.0), prostate volume 40 cc (range 7-187) and MR-PSAD 0.15 ng/ml/cc (range 0.019-1.3). ROC area under the curve (95% CI) was significantly better for MR-PSAD than PSA for all cancer definitions (p < 0.001): 0.73 (0.70-0.76) versus 0.61 (0.57-0.64) for any cancer; 0.75 (0.71-0.78) versus 0.66 (0.62-0.69) for G4; and 0.77 (0.74-0.80) versus 0.68 (0.64-0.71) for G6. Sensitivities for MR-PSAD < 0.1 ng/ml/cc were 85.0, 89.9 and 91.9% for any, G4 and G6 cancer, respectively. CONCLUSION: MR-PSAD may be better than total PSA in determining risk of positive biopsy outcome. Its use may improve risk stratification and reduce unnecessary biopsies
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‘Fair and square’: what do students think about the ethnicity degree awarding gap?
In UK higher education, minority ethnic students are less likely to graduate with a good degree than their White British counterparts, even when prior attainment is considered. Until recently, concerns about this ethnicity degree awarding gap have not received the research attention it deserves. In this paper, we contribute to this gap in knowledge with a focus on how students make sense of the difference in degree outcomes by ethnicity. Informed by 69 in-depth interviews with minority and majority ethnic students at a UK university, we explore their views toward the ethnicity degree awarding gap, why it exists and what would be their solution to reduce this difference. Although some students perceived the awarding gap as a reflection of individual aptitude, others have attributed social barriers for degree outcome differences. We present five recommendations as suggested by students for policy and practice. Firstly, the provision of greater economic support for minority ethnic students, which will improve access and a more diverse student population. Secondly, to establish an institutional commitment to challenge and eradicate all forms of racism on campus, including microaggressions. Thirdly, to increase representation of minority ethnic staff and students in higher education to improve students’ sense of belongings and aspirations, with the emphasis on greater staff diversity. Fourthly, to diversify the curriculum with a wider range of values and perspectives incorporated into teaching. Finally, universities need to be proactive and reflective to ensure structural barriers are reduced or eliminated through additional support or alternative provisions
An AP-MS- and BioID-compatible MAC-tag enables comprehensive mapping of protein interactions and subcellular localizations
Protein-protein interactions govern almost all cellular functions. These complex networks of stable and transient associations can be mapped by affinity purification mass spectrometry (AP-MS) and complementary proximity-based labeling methods such as BioID. To exploit the advantages of both strategies, we here design and optimize an integrated approach combining AP-MS and BioID in a single construct, which we term MAC-tag. We systematically apply the MAC-tag approach to 18 subcellular and 3 sub-organelle localization markers, generating a molecular context database, which can be used to define a protein's molecular location. In addition, we show that combining the AP-MS and BioID results makes it possible to obtain interaction distances within a protein complex. Taken together, our integrated strategy enables the comprehensive mapping of the physical and functional interactions of proteins, defining their molecular context and improving our understanding of the cellular interactome.Peer reviewe
Doyne lecture 2016:intraocular health and the many faces of inflammation
Dogma for reasons of immune privilege including sequestration (sic) of ocular antigen, lack of lymphatic and immune competent cells in the vital tissues of the eye has long evaporated. Maintaining tissue and cellular health to preserve vision requires active immune responses to prevent damage and respond to danger. A priori the eye must contain immune competent cells, undergo immune surveillance to ensure homoeostasis as well as an ability to promote inflammation. By interrogating immune responses in non-infectious uveitis and compare with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), new concepts of intraocular immune health emerge. The role of macrophage polarisation in the two disorders is a tractable start. TNF-alpha regulation of macrophage responses in uveitis has a pivotal role, supported via experimental evidence and validated by recent trial data. Contrast this with the slow, insidious degeneration in atrophic AMD or in neovasular AMD, with the compelling genetic association with innate immunity and complement, highlights an ability to attenuate pathogenic immune responses and despite known inflammasome activation. Yolk sac-derived microglia maintains tissue immune health. The result of immune cell activation is environmentally dependent, for example, on retinal cell bioenergetics status, autophagy and oxidative stress, and alterations that skew interaction between macrophages and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). For example, dead RPE eliciting macrophage VEGF secretion but exogenous IL-4 liberates an anti-angiogenic macrophage sFLT-1 response. Impaired autophagy or oxidative stress drives inflammasome activation, increases cytotoxicity, and accentuation of neovascular responses, yet exogenous inflammasome-derived cytokines, such as IL-18 and IL-33, attenuate responses
Revealing the short-range structure of the "mirror nuclei" H and He
When protons and neutrons (nucleons) are bound into atomic nuclei, they are
close enough together to feel significant attraction, or repulsion, from the
strong, short-distance part of the nucleon-nucleon interaction. These strong
interactions lead to hard collisions between nucleons, generating pairs of
highly-energetic nucleons referred to as short-range correlations (SRCs). SRCs
are an important but relatively poorly understood part of nuclear structure and
mapping out the strength and isospin structure (neutron-proton vs proton-proton
pairs) of these virtual excitations is thus critical input for modeling a range
of nuclear, particle, and astrophysics measurements. Hitherto measurements used
two-nucleon knockout or ``triple-coincidence'' reactions to measure the
relative contribution of np- and pp-SRCs by knocking out a proton from the SRC
and detecting its partner nucleon (proton or neutron). These measurementsshow
that SRCs are almost exclusively np pairs, but had limited statistics and
required large model-dependent final-state interaction (FSI) corrections. We
report on the first measurement using inclusive scattering from the mirror
nuclei H and He to extract the np/pp ratio of SRCs in the A=3 system.
We obtain a measure of the np/pp SRC ratio that is an order of magnitude more
precise than previous experiments, and find a dramatic deviation from the
near-total np dominance observed in heavy nuclei. This result implies an
unexpected structure in the high-momentum wavefunction for He and H.
Understanding these results will improve our understanding of the short-range
part of the N-N interaction
Comparing proton momentum distributions in and 3 nuclei via H H and He measurements
We report the first measurement of the reaction cross-section
ratios for Helium-3 (He), Tritium (H), and Deuterium (). The
measurement covered a missing momentum range of
MeV, at large momentum transfer (
(GeV)) and , which minimized contributions from non
quasi-elastic (QE) reaction mechanisms. The data is compared with plane-wave
impulse approximation (PWIA) calculations using realistic spectral functions
and momentum distributions. The measured and PWIA-calculated cross-section
ratios for He and H extend to just above the typical nucleon
Fermi-momentum ( MeV) and differ from each other by , while for He/H they agree within the measurement accuracy of
about 3\%. At momenta above , the measured He/H ratios differ from
the calculation by . Final state interaction (FSI) calculations
using the generalized Eikonal Approximation indicate that FSI should change the
He/H cross-section ratio for this measurement by less than 5\%. If
these calculations are correct, then the differences at large missing momenta
between the He/H experimental and calculated ratios could be due to the
underlying interaction, and thus could provide new constraints on the
previously loosely-constrained short-distance parts of the interaction.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures (4 panels
Strong Interaction Physics at the Luminosity Frontier with 22 GeV Electrons at Jefferson Lab
This document presents the initial scientific case for upgrading the
Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) at Jefferson Lab (JLab)
to 22 GeV. It is the result of a community effort, incorporating insights from
a series of workshops conducted between March 2022 and April 2023. With a track
record of over 25 years in delivering the world's most intense and precise
multi-GeV electron beams, CEBAF's potential for a higher energy upgrade
presents a unique opportunity for an innovative nuclear physics program, which
seamlessly integrates a rich historical background with a promising future. The
proposed physics program encompass a diverse range of investigations centered
around the nonperturbative dynamics inherent in hadron structure and the
exploration of strongly interacting systems. It builds upon the exceptional
capabilities of CEBAF in high-luminosity operations, the availability of
existing or planned Hall equipment, and recent advancements in accelerator
technology. The proposed program cover various scientific topics, including
Hadron Spectroscopy, Partonic Structure and Spin, Hadronization and Transverse
Momentum, Spatial Structure, Mechanical Properties, Form Factors and Emergent
Hadron Mass, Hadron-Quark Transition, and Nuclear Dynamics at Extreme
Conditions, as well as QCD Confinement and Fundamental Symmetries. Each topic
highlights the key measurements achievable at a 22 GeV CEBAF accelerator.
Furthermore, this document outlines the significant physics outcomes and unique
aspects of these programs that distinguish them from other existing or planned
facilities. In summary, this document provides an exciting rationale for the
energy upgrade of CEBAF to 22 GeV, outlining the transformative scientific
potential that lies within reach, and the remarkable opportunities it offers
for advancing our understanding of hadron physics and related fundamental
phenomena.Comment: Updates to the list of authors; Preprint number changed from theory
to experiment; Updates to sections 4 and 6, including additional figure
Observation of the Rare Decay of the η Meson to Four Muons
A search for the rare η→μ+μ−μ+μ− double-Dalitz decay is performed using a sample of proton-proton collisions, collected by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC with high-rate muon triggers during 2017 and 2018 and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 101 fb−1. A signal having a statistical significance well in excess of 5 standard deviations is observed. Using the η→μ+μ− decay as normalization, the branching fraction B(η→μ+μ−μ+μ−)=[5.0±0.8(stat)±0.7(syst)±0.7(B2μ)]×10−9 is measured, where the last term is the uncertainty in the normalization channel branching fraction. This work achieves an improved precision of over 5 orders of magnitude compared to previous results, leading to the first measurement of this branching fraction, which is found to agree with theoretical predictions
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