Guided sparse camera pose estimation

In this paper, we present an idea for a sparse approach to calculate camera poses from RGB images and laser distance measurements to perform subsequent facade reconstruction. The core idea is to guide the image recording process by choosing distinctive features with the laser range finder, e.g. building or window corners. From these distinctive features, we can establish correspondences between views to compute metrically accurate camera poses from just a few precise measurements. In our experiments, we achieve reasonable results in building facade reconstruction with only a fraction of features compared to standard structure from motion

Silicon Promotes Exodermal Casparian Band Formation in Si-Accumulating and Si-Excluding Species by Forming Phenol Complexes

We studied the effect of Silicon (Si) on Casparian band (CB) development, chemical composition of the exodermal CB and Si deposition across the root in the Si accumulators rice and maize and the Si non-accumulator onion. Plants were cultivated in nutrient solution with and without Si supply. The CB development was determined in stained root cross-sections. The outer part of the roots containing the exodermis was isolated after enzymatic treatment. The exodermal suberin was transesterified with MeOH/BF3 and the chemical composition was measured using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) and flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (LA-ICP-MS) was used to determine the Si deposition across root cross sections. Si promoted CB formation in the roots of Si-accumulator and Si non-accumulator species. The exodermal suberin was decreased in rice and maize due to decreased amounts of aromatic suberin fractions. Si did not affect the concentration of lignin and lignin-like polymers in the outer part of rice, maize and onion roots. The highest Si depositions were found in the tissues containing CB. These data along with literature were used to suggest a mechanism how Si promotes the CB development by forming complexes with phenols.DFG/SCHR 506/12-

UAV-Anwendungen im Bergbau - Modellversuche als Beitrag zur photogrammetrischen Forschung und Entwicklung

Als Grundlage für die fortschreitende Digitalisierung und Automatisierung im Bergbau, kommt der Herstellung von optisch realistischen und hochgenauen 3D Modellen, sowie deren automatischer Interpretation und Weiterverarbeitung, eine besondere Bedeutung zu. Insbesondere für Vermessungs- und Inspektionsanwendungen sind mit Kameras ausgerüstete unbemannte Flugsysteme mittlerweile weit verbreitet und zählen zum aktuellen Stand der Technik. Der größte zukünftige Forschungsbedarf besteht mit Sicherheit in der Datenverarbeitung, wobei einerseits die erreichbare Modellqualität, und andererseits die automatisierte Dateninterpretation für spezielle bergtechnische Fragestellungen wie zum Beispiel die Haufwerkscharakterisierung oder geologische Charakterisierung im Zentrum der Arbeiten steht. Insbesondere aufgrund der möglichen Reproduzierbarkeit, aber auch aufgrund der oft einfacheren Durchführbarkeit nehmen - neben klassischen realmaßstäblichen Untersuchun-gen im Feld - auch Modellversuche derzeit einen gewichtigen Stellenwert in der photogrammetrischen Forschung an der Montanuniversität ein. Im vorliegenden Beitrag werden Beispiele aus der angewandten und grundlagenorientierten Forschung gegeben, wobei der Mehrwert von Laborversuchen, bei gleichzeitiger kritischer Gegenüberstellung mit der Realität, hervorgehoben wird.As basis for the ongoing digitization and automation in mining, the creation of visually appealing and highly accurate 3D models, as well as their automatic interpretation and processing, is of particular importance. Especially for surveying and inspection applications unmanned aerial systems equipped with cameras are now widely used and are state of the art. However the greatest future need for research certainly lies in data processing, where on the one hand the achievable model quality, and on the other hand the automated data interpretation for special mining related issues such as the characterization of muck-piles or geological characterization is at the center of the work. In particular, due to the possibility of reproducibility, but also due to higher operability, model experiments are currently playing an important role in photogrammetric research at the Montanuniversität in addition to classical real-scale investigations in the field. In the present paper, examples from applied and fundamental research are given, highlighting the added value of laboratory experiments while critically contrasting them with reality

Genetic landscape of pediatric acute liver failure of indeterminate origin.

BACKGROUND AIMS Pediatric acute liver failure (PALF) is a life-threatening condition. In Europe, main causes are viral infections (12-16%) and inherited metabolic diseases (14-28%). Yet, in up to 50% of cases the underlying etiology remains elusive, challenging clinical management, including liver transplantation. We systematically studied indeterminate PALF cases referred for genetic evaluation by whole-exome sequencing (WES), and analyzed phenotypic and biochemical markers, and the diagnostic yield of WES in this condition. METHODS With this international, multicenter observational study, patients (0-18 y) with indeterminate PALF were analyzed by WES. Data on the clinical and biochemical phenotype were retrieved and systematically analyzed. RESULTS In total, 260 indeterminate PALF patients from 19 countries were recruited between 2011 and 2022, of whom 59 had recurrent PALF (RALF). WES established a genetic diagnosis in 37% of cases (97/260). Diagnostic yield was highest in children with PALF in the first year of life (46%), and in children with RALF (64%). Thirty-six distinct disease genes were identified. Defects in NBAS (n=20), MPV17 (n=8) and DGUOK (n=7) were the most frequent findings. When categorizing, most frequent were mitochondrial diseases (45%), disorders of vesicular trafficking (28%) and cytosolic aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase deficiencies (10%). One-third of patients had a fatal outcome. Fifty-six patients received liver transplants. CONCLUSION This study elucidates a large contribution of genetic causes in PALF of indeterminate origin with an increasing spectrum of disease entities. The high proportion of diagnosed cases and potential treatment implications argue for exome or in future rapid genome sequencing in PALF diagnostics

Single domain antibodies: promising experimental and therapeutic tools in infection and immunity

Antibodies are important tools for experimental research and medical applications. Most antibodies are composed of two heavy and two light chains. Both chains contribute to the antigen-binding site which is usually flat or concave. In addition to these conventional antibodies, llamas, other camelids, and sharks also produce antibodies composed only of heavy chains. The antigen-binding site of these unusual heavy chain antibodies (hcAbs) is formed only by a single domain, designated VHH in camelid hcAbs and VNAR in shark hcAbs. VHH and VNAR are easily produced as recombinant proteins, designated single domain antibodies (sdAbs) or nanobodies. The CDR3 region of these sdAbs possesses the extraordinary capacity to form long fingerlike extensions that can extend into cavities on antigens, e.g., the active site crevice of enzymes. Other advantageous features of nanobodies include their small size, high solubility, thermal stability, refolding capacity, and good tissue penetration in vivo. Here we review the results of several recent proof-of-principle studies that open the exciting perspective of using sdAbs for modulating immune functions and for targeting toxins and microbes

P2RX7 Purinoceptor: A Therapeutic Target for Ameliorating the Symptoms of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

open access articleDuchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common inherited muscle disease, leading to severe disability and death in young men. Death is caused by the progressive degeneration of striated muscles aggravated by sterile inflammation. The pleiotropic effects of the mutant gene also include cognitive and behavioral impairments and low bone density. Current interventions in DMD are palliative only as no treatment improves the long-term outcome. Therefore, approaches with a translational potential should be investigated, and key abnormalities downstream from the absence of the DMD product, dystrophin, appear to be strong therapeutic targets. We and others have demonstrated that DMD mutations alter ATP signaling and have identified P2RX7 purinoceptor up-regulation as being responsible for the death of muscles in the mdx mouse model of DMD and human DMD lymphoblasts. Moreover, the ATP–P2RX7 axis, being a crucial activator of innate immune responses, can contribute to DMD pathology by stimulating chronic inflammation. We investigated whether ablation of P2RX7 attenuates the DMD model mouse phenotype to assess receptor suitability as a therapeutic target

Prevention of acute kidney injury and protection of renal function in the intensive care unit

Acute renal failure on the intensive care unit is associated with significant mortality and morbidity. To determine recommendations for the prevention of acute kidney injury (AKI), focusing on the role of potential preventative maneuvers including volume expansion, diuretics, use of inotropes, vasopressors/vasodilators, hormonal interventions, nutrition, and extracorporeal techniques. A systematic search of the literature was performed for studies using these potential protective agents in adult patients at risk for acute renal failure/kidney injury between 1966 and 2009. The following clinical conditions were considered: major surgery, critical illness, sepsis, shock, and use of potentially nephrotoxic drugs and radiocontrast media. Where possible the following endpoints were extracted: creatinine clearance, glomerular filtration rate, increase in serum creatinine, urine output, and markers of tubular injury. Clinical endpoints included the need for renal replacement therapy, length of stay, and mortality. Studies are graded according to the international Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) group system Several measures are recommended, though none carries grade 1A. We recommend prompt resuscitation of the circulation with special attention to providing adequate hydration whilst avoiding high-molecular-weight hydroxy-ethyl starch (HES) preparations, maintaining adequate blood pressure using vasopressors in vasodilatory shock. We suggest using vasopressors in vasodilatory hypotension, specific vasodilators under strict hemodynamic control, sodium bicarbonate for emergency procedures administering contrast media, and periprocedural hemofiltration in severe chronic renal insufficiency undergoing coronary intervention

Combining Edge Images and Depth Maps for Robust Visual Odometry

In this work, we propose a robust visual odometry system for RGBD sensors. The core of our method is a combination of edge images and depth maps for joint camera pose estimation. Edges are more stable under varying lighting conditions than raw intensity values and depth maps further add stability in poorly textured environments. This leads to higher accuracy and robustness in scenes, where feature- or photoconsistency-based approaches often fail. We demonstrate the robustness of our method under challenging conditions on various real-world scenarios recorded with our own RGBD sensor. Further, we evaluate on several sequences from standard benchmark datasets covering a wide variety of scenes and camera motions. The results show that our method performs best in terms of trajectory accuracy for most of the sequences indicating that the chosen combination of edge and depth terms in the cost function is suitable for a multitude of scenes