Robot kinematic structure classification from time series of visual data

In this paper we present a novel algorithm to solve the robot kinematic structure identification problem. Given a time series of data, typically obtained processing a set of visual observations, the proposed approach identifies the ordered sequence of links associated to the kinematic chain, the joint type interconnecting each couple of consecutive links, and the input signal influencing the relative motion. Compared to the state of the art, the proposed algorithm has reduced computational costs, and is able to identify also the joints' type sequence

Monolithic read-out electronics for the silicon calorimeters at SSC/LHC colliders

Abstract A very fast monolithic charge sensitive preamplifier using HF2CMOS technology featuring less than 45mW power dissipation for a 5V maximum output voltage swing, with a slew rate about 700V/μsec for 150pF input capacitance (≈ 7nsec rise time), has been realized. A front-end set up for the read out of more detectors and the shaping of the signal with a 20nsec RC-CR filter employing only monolithic preamplifiers is described and tested. The measured value of ENC (Electronic Noise Charge) for the arrangement with 150pF input capacitance is 17keRMS. The preamplifier meets the requirements for silicon calorimetry application for experiments at the hadron colliders SSC/LHC

Letter to the editor

A response to Dango S, Lin R, Hennings E, Passlick B. Initial experience with a synthetic sealant PleuraSeal™ after pulmonary resections: a prospective study with retrospective case matched controls. Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery 2010, 5:50

Postpneumonectomy-Like Syndrome in an Infant With Right Lung Agenesis and Left Main Bronchus Hypoplasia

We report a 1-year-old child born with agenesis of the right lung who sustained an episode of acute respiratory failure related to a postpneumonectomy-like syndrome, with severe mediastinal shift and subsequent stretching and stenosis of the left main bronchus. The insertion of an expandable prosthesis in the right empty pleural space markedly improved the patient's clinical condition

How Wind Turbines Alignment to Wind Direction Affects Efficiency? A Case Study through SCADA Data Mining

SCADA control systems are the keystone for reliable performance optimization of wind farms. Processing into knowledge the amount of information they spread is a challenging task, involving engineering, physics, statistics and computer science skills. The present work deals with the effects on the efficiency of turbine inability of optimal aligning to the wind direction, due to meandering wind caused by wakes. The approach is tested on a judiciously chosen cluster of turbines of a wind farm sited in southern Italy. By a post-processing method based on discretization of nacelle position measurements, a set of dominant patterns of the cluster is identified. The patterns associated to best performances are individuated and it is shown that they correspond to non-trivial alignment to wind direction

Endoscopic evacuation of massive intraventricular hemorrhages reduces shunt dependency: a meta-analysis

Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is characterized by severe prognosis. The amount of intraventricular blood is the most important, disease-specific, prognostic factor, as acute complications are strictly dependent on clot formation. Although external ventricular drain (EVD) placement is the standard treatment, in the past 15 years neuroendoscopic (NE) evacuation of IVH has been advocated, but available comparative data are limited. A systematic review of the literature was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Included articles compare the treatment of primary and secondary IVH with NE and EVD. The meta-analysis was performed in terms of shunt dependency. Cochran's Q-test and I2 statistics were used to assess heterogeneity in the studies. No heterogeneity was considered for p greater than 0.05 and I2 less than 20%. A random-effect model was used, with restricted maximum likelihood to estimate the heterogeneity variance. After screening 744 articles, 5 were included in the meta-analysis. A total of 303 patients presenting with primary or pure (50 patients) and secondary (253 patients) IVH, undergoing either NE (151) or EVD (152), were included in the metanalysis. The risk of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt was higher in the EVD group (relative risk: 1.93, 95% confidence interval: 1.28-2.92, p  = 0.0094). The risk of VP shunt was higher in the EVD group, but the overall outcome remains poor for patients with IVH, with a moderate-to-high disability. Large randomized controlled trials are needed to evaluate more deeper both advantages and effects on the outcome of NE over EVD

The entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae for the European grapevine moth, Lobesia botrana Den. & Schiff. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and its effect to the phytopathogenic fungus, Botrytis cinerea

The European grapevine moth, Lobesia botrana Den. & Schiff. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and the gray rot fungus(Botrytis cinerea) are two important factors that cause elevated losses of productivity in vineyards globally. TheEuropean grapevine moth is one of the most important pests in vineyards around the world, not only because ofits direct damage to crops, but also due to its association with the gray rot fungus; both organisms are highlydetrimental to the same crop. Currently, there is no effective, economic, and eco-friendly technique that can beapplied for the control of both agents. On the other hand, Metarhizium anisopliae belongs to a diverse group ofentomopathogenic fungi of asexual reproduction and global distribution. Several Metarhizium isolates have beendiscovered causing large epizootics to over 300 insects? species worldwide. In this study, a simple design wasconducted to evaluate the potential of native M. anisopliae isolates as one of biological control agents against L.botrana and as possible growth inhibitors to B. cinerea. Entomopathogenic fungal strains were isolated from aridsoils under vine (Vitis vinifera) culture. Results suggest that the three entomopathogenic strains (CEP413, CEP589,and CEP591) were highly efficient in controlling larval and pupal stages of L. botrana, with mortality rates rangingfrom 81 to 98% (within 4?6 days). Also, growth inhibition over B. cinerea strains resulted in percentages rangedfrom 47 to 64%. Finally, the compatibility of the entomopathogenic strains, with seven commercial fungicides, wasevaluated. The potential of the entomopathogenic fungal strains to act as control agents is discussed.Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectore

Primary Hodgkin lymphoma of the lung arising with hemoptysis and pulmonary consolidation: a case report.

Classic Hodgkin lymphomas are neoplasms originating from lymphoid tissue. Primary extranodal classic Hodgkin lymphoma (PE-cHL) of the lung is rare. A 37-year-old Caucasian male was referred to our hospital for recurrent episodes of hemoptysis, cough and bronchitis. A CT scan showed a massive left upper lung consolidation, which was positive at the PET scan. After several inconclusive tests and no benefit from medical therapies, the patient underwent a left upper lobectomy; pathology report showed a classical type Hodgkin lymphoma with no lymph-nodes involvement. Four cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy were administered with no toxicity. At the last follow up 14 months after surgery, the patient is alive and free from disease. Primary extranodal classical Hodgkin lymphoma of the lung is a rare entity, but it should be considered as a differential diagnosis in young patients with pulmonary consolidation even without systemic symptoms

Dual effects of entomopathogenic fungi on control of the pest Lobesia botrana and the pathogenic fungus Eutypella microtheca on grapevine

Background: Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) are the natural enemies of insect pests. Nevertheless, research on the use of EPF for simultaneous prevention of pest and disease agents on the same crop is limited. In this study, we explored the potential dual effects of three strains of the EPF Metarhizium anisopliae on the control of detrimental agents of Vitis vinifera L., including different developmental stages (larvae, pupae, and adult) of the insect pest Lobesia botrana and the phytopathogenic fungus Eutypella microtheca. Methods: Laboratory pathogenicity trials were performed to examine the effects of the three M. anisopliae strains on the mortality rate of L. botrana. In addition, field trials were conducted to assess the biocontrol potential of one selected M. anisopliae strain on the larval stage of L. botrana. Moreover, inhibitory effects of the three EPF strains on E. microtheca growth were examined in vitro. Results: All the M. anisopliae strains were highly effective, killing all stages of L. botrana as well as inhibiting the growth of E. microtheca. The in vitro mortality of larvae treated with the strains was over 75%, whereas that of treated pupae and adults was over 85%. The three EPF strains showed similar efficacy against larvae and adult stages; nevertheless, pupal mortality was observed to be strain dependent. Mortality of L. botrana larvae ranged from 64 to 91% at field conditions. Inhibition of E. microtheca growth reached 50% in comparison to the control. Conclusions: Our study showed that M. anisopliae strains were highly effective in ensuring control of two different detrimental agents of V. vinifera L., providing new evidence to support the dual effects of entomopathogenic fungi.Fil: Aguilera Sammaritano, Juan Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción; ChileFil: Caballero, Juan Jose. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Biotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Deymié Terzi, María Celina. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Biotecnología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Rosa, Melisa. Universidad Nacional de San Juan; ArgentinaFil: Vazquez, Fabio. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Biotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Pappano, Delia Beatriz. Universidad Nacional de San Juan; ArgentinaFil: Lechner, Bernardo Ernesto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Micología y Botánica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Micología y Botánica; ArgentinaFil: González Teuber, Marcia. Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción; Chil

Entomopathogenic fungi: Are polisporic isolates more pathogenic than monosporic strains?

Currently only monosporic strains from several entomopathogenic fungi have been selected and used for mass production and bioinsecticide manufacturing worldwide. The main reasons for the use of single spore instead of multispore strains are the attenuated virulence and the contaminants of the same species. In this study, different polisporic isolates and their monosporic combinations were tested against Tenebrio molitor (Linnaeus) larvae as an insect model. Isolates were obtained from arid soils. Four Metarhizium sp. (Metschn.) multisporic isolates (CEP413, CEP589, CEP590 and CEP591) were selected for bioassays. Trials were performed to evaluate mortality on three treatments, Full Polisporic (FP), Partial Polisporic (PP) and Pure Monosporic (PM). Cumulative mortality was measured at day 4 post infection. Sporulation percentage was assessed at day 6 post infection. The highest mortality was found at FP treatment (94%), the lowest mortality at day 4 was found at PM-CEP413 (32%). At day 6 the sporulation percentage was higher on FP (94%) and it was different from the rest of the treatments. To elucidate different polisporic and monosporic combinations to improve their effectiveness, may help to expand the use of bioinsecticides based on entomopathogenic fungi.Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectore