Hierarchical model fitting to 2D and 3D data

©2006 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. However, permission to reprint/republish this material for advertising or promotional purposes or for creating new collective works for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or to reuse any copyrighted component of this work in other works must be obtained from the IEEE.We propose a method for interactively generating a model-based reconstruction of a scene from a set of images. The method facilitates the fitting of multiple object models to the data in a manner that provides the best overall fit to the image set. This requires that models are not fit independently, but rather collectively, each potentially impacting upon the fit of the other.A. van den Hengel, A. Dick, T. Thormahlen, B. Ward, P. H. S. Tor

An approximation framework for two-stage ambiguous stochastic integer programs under mean-MAD information

We consider two-stage recourse models in which only limited information is available on the probability distributions of the random parameters in the model. If all decision variables are continuous, then we are able to derive the worst-case and best-case probability distributions under the assumption that only the means and mean absolute deviations of the random parameters are known. Contrary to most existing results in the literature, these probability distributions are the same for every first-stage decision. The ambiguity set that we use in this paper also turns out to be particularly suitable for ambiguous recourse models involving integer decisions variables. For such problems, we develop a general approximation framework and derive error bounds for using these approximatons. We apply this approximation framework to mixed-ambiguous mixed-integer recourse models in which some of the probability distributions of the random parameters are known and others are ambiguous. To illustrate these results we carry out numerical experiments on a surgery block allocation problem. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Quantitative Assessment of Experimental Ocular Inflammatory Disease

Ocular inflammation imposes a high medical burden on patients and substantial costs on the health-care systems that mange these often chronic and debilitating diseases. Many clinical phenotypes are recognized and classifying the severity of inflammation in an eye with uveitis is an ongoing challenge. With the widespread application of optical coherence tomography in the clinic has come the impetus for more robust methods to compare disease between different patients and different treatment centers. Models can recapitulate many of the features seen in the clinic, but until recently the quality of imaging available has lagged that applied in humans. In the model experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU), we highlight three linked clinical states that produce retinal vulnerability to inflammation, all different from healthy tissue, but distinct from each other. Deploying longitudinal, multimodal imaging approaches can be coupled to analysis in the tissue of changes in architecture, cell content and function. This can enrich our understanding of pathology, increase the sensitivity with which the impacts of therapeutic interventions are assessed and address questions of tissue regeneration and repair. Modern image processing, including the application of artificial intelligence, in the context of such models of disease can lay a foundation for new approaches to monitoring tissue health

Psychophysiological Measures of Driver Distraction and Workload While Intoxicated

The crash risk associated with cell phone use while driving is acontentious issue. Many states are introducing Advanced Traveler InformationSystems (ATIS) that may be accessed with cell phones while driving (e.g., 511Traveler Information Services). In these contexts, there is a need for relevantresearch to determine the risk of cell phone use. This study compared driverperformance while conversing on a hands-free cell phone to conditions ofoperating common in-vehicle controls (e.g., radio, fan, air conditioning) andalcohol intoxication (BAC 0.08). In addition, the study examined the combinedeffects of being distracted and being intoxicated given that there may be a higherrisk of a crash if the driver engages in a combination of risk factors. Duringsimulated traffic scenarios, resource allocation was assessed through an eventrelatedpotential (ERP) novelty oddball paradigm. Intoxicated drivers were lessattentive to all stimuli and drivers engaged in secondary tasks had weakerresponses to unexpected novel sounds in brain regions associated with evaluativeprocessing. Drivers conversing on the cell phone and in-vehicle tasks while soberhad lower accuracy during the target tone task than intoxicated drivers notcompleting any secondary task

The molecular basis of color vision in colorful fish: Four Long Wave-Sensitive (LWS) opsins in guppies (Poecilia reticulata) are defined by amino acid substitutions at key functional sites

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Comparisons of functionally important changes at the molecular level in model systems have identified key adaptations driving isolation and speciation. In cichlids, for example, long wavelength-sensitive (LWS) opsins appear to play a role in mate choice and male color variation within and among species. To test the hypothesis that the evolution of elaborate coloration in male guppies (<it>Poecilia reticulata</it>) is also associated with opsin gene diversity, we sequenced long wavelength-sensitive (LWS) opsin genes in six species of the family Poeciliidae.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Sequences of four LWS opsin genes were amplified from the guppy genome and from mRNA isolated from adult guppy eyes. Variation in expression was quantified using qPCR. Three of the four genes encode opsins predicted to be most sensitive to different wavelengths of light because they vary at key amino acid positions. This family of LWS opsin genes was produced by a diversity of duplication events. One, an intronless gene, was produced prior to the divergence of families Fundulidae and Poeciliidae. Between-gene PCR and DNA sequencing show that two of the guppy LWS opsins are linked in an inverted orientation. This inverted tandem duplication event occurred near the base of the poeciliid tree in the common ancestor of <it>Poecilia </it>and <it>Xiphophorus</it>. The fourth sequence has been uncovered only in the genus <it>Poecilia</it>. In the guppies surveyed here, this sequence is a hybrid, with the 5' end most similar to one of the tandem duplicates and the 3' end identical to the other.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Enhanced wavelength discrimination, a possible consequence of opsin gene duplication and divergence, might have been an evolutionary prerequisite for color-based sexual selection and have led to the extraordinary coloration now observed in male guppies and in many other poeciliids.</p

Management of pediatric radiation dose using Philips fluoroscopy systems DoseWise: perfect image, perfect sense

Although image quality (IQ) is the ultimate goal for accurate diagnosis and treatment, minimizing radiation dose is equally important. This is especially true when pediatric patients are examined, because their sensitivity to radiation-induced cancer is two to three times greater than that of adults. DoseWise is an ALARA-based philosophy within Philips Medical Systems that is active at every level of product design. It encompasses a set of techniques, programs and practices that ensures optimal IQ while protecting people in the X-ray environments. DoseWise methods include management of the X-ray beam, less radiation-on time and more dose information for the operator. Smart beam management provides automatic customization of the X-ray beam spectrum, shape, and pulse frequency. The Philips-patented grid-controlled fluoroscopy (GCF) provides grid switching of the X-ray beam in the X-ray tube instead of the traditional generator switching method. In the examination of pediatric patients, DoseWise technology has been scientifically documented to reduce radiation dose to <10% of the dose of traditional continuous fluoroscopy systems. The result is improved IQ at a significantly lower effective dose, which contributes to the safety of patients and staff

Single Eye mRNA-Seq Reveals Normalisation of the Retinal Microglial Transcriptome Following Acute Inflammation

Background: Whether retinal microglia can maintain or restore immune homeostasis during and after inflammation is unclear. We performed single-eye mRNA-sequencing on microglia at different timepoints following a single inflammatory stimulus to characterise their transcriptome during and after resolution of endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU). / Experimental Approach: Cx3cr1CreER:R26-tdTomato (C57BL/6) male heterozygotes were administered tamoxifen via different regimes at 4–5 weeks of age. Four weeks post-tamoxifen, mice were injected intravitreally with 10 ng lipopolysaccharide (endotoxin induced uveitis, EIU). Six-hundred retinal microglia were obtained by FACS from individual naïve retinas and at 4 h, 18 h, and 2 weeks following EIU induction. Samples were sequenced to a depth of up to 16.7 million reads using the SMART-Seq v4 Ultra Low Input RNA kit. The data was analysed using Partek software and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. Genes were considered differentially-expressed (DEG) if the FDR step-up p-value was ≤0.05 and the fold-change was ≥±2. / Results: Flow cytometric analysis indicates that the Cx3cr1CreER:R26-tdTomato strain is both sensitive (>95% tagging) and specific (>95% specificity) for microglia when tamoxifen is administered topically to the eye for 3 days. During “early” activation, 613 DEGs were identified. In contrast, 537 DEGs were observed during peak cellular infiltrate and none at 2 weeks, compared to baseline controls (1,069 total unique DEGs). Key marker changes were validated by qPCR, flow cytometry, and fluorescence microscopy. C5AR1 was identified and validated as a robust marker of differentiating microglial subsets during an LPS response. / Conclusion: Using EIU to provide a single defined inflammatory stimulus, mRNA-Seq identified acute transcriptional changes in retinal microglia which returned to their original transcriptome after 2 weeks. Yolk-sac derived microglia are capable of restoring their homeostatic state after acute inflammation

Being relevant: Practical guidance for early career researchers interested in solving conservation problems

AbstractIn a human-altered world where biodiversity is in decline and conservation problems abound, there is a dire need to ensure that the next generation of conservation scientists have the knowledge, skills, and training to address these problems. So called “early career researchers” (ECRs) in conservation science have many challenges before them and it is clear that the status quo must change to bridge the knowledge–action divide. Here we identify thirteen practical strategies that ECRs can employ to become more relevant. In this context, “relevance” refers to the ability to contribute to solving conservation problems through engagement with practitioners, policy makers, and stakeholders. Conservation and career strategies outlined in this article include the following: thinking ‘big picture’ during conservation projects; embracing various forms of knowledge; maintaining positive relationships with locals familiar with the conservation issue; accepting failure as a viable (and potentially valuable) outcome; daring to be creative; embracing citizen science; incorporating interdisciplinarity; promoting and practicing pro-environmental behaviours; understanding financial aspects of conservation; forming collaboration from the onset of a project; accepting the limits of technology; ongoing and effective networking; and finally, maintaining a positive outlook by focusing on and sharing conservation success stories. These strategies move beyond the generic and highlight the importance of continuing to have an open mind throughout the entire conservation process, from establishing one’s self as an asset to embracing collaboration and interdisciplinary work, and striving to push for professional and personal connections that strengthen personal career objectives