Simulation-to-Real domain adaptation with teacher-student learning for endoscopic instrument segmentation

Purpose: Segmentation of surgical instruments in endoscopic videos is essential for automated surgical scene understanding and process modeling. However, relying on fully supervised deep learning for this task is challenging because manual annotation occupies valuable time of the clinical experts. Methods: We introduce a teacher-student learning approach that learns jointly from annotated simulation data and unlabeled real data to tackle the erroneous learning problem of the current consistency-based unsupervised domain adaptation framework. Results: Empirical results on three datasets highlight the effectiveness of the proposed framework over current approaches for the endoscopic instrument segmentation task. Additionally, we provide analysis of major factors affecting the performance on all datasets to highlight the strengths and failure modes of our approach. Conclusion: We show that our proposed approach can successfully exploit the unlabeled real endoscopic video frames and improve generalization performance over pure simulation-based training and the previous state-of-the-art. This takes us one step closer to effective segmentation of surgical tools in the annotation scarce setting.Comment: Accepted at IPCAI202

Youth Celebrations: a report of experiences

O texto tem o objetivo de refletir sobre as celebrações nos grupos e o envolvimento juvenil nos espaços celebrativos. A partir de experiências práticas no trabalho com jovens na igreja, se torna marcante e significativa a participação e o engajamento do jovem na celebração. "Quando a juventude se compromete a participar de uma celebração, ela contribui com a sua criatividade, seu jeito de pensar, de falar e de vivenciar a celebração." O artigo oferece, assim, subsídios para celebrações.This text aims to think about the celebrations in youth groups and the youth involvement in the celebrative spaces. Starting from experiences of working with young people in the church, it is important to observe the participation and the involvement of young people in celebrations. "When the young people are committed to participating of a celebration, they contribute with their creativity, their way of thinking, talking and living the celebration". The article provides subsidies for celebration

Modelo de uso multiplo dos recursos naturais da Floresta Nacional do Jamari

O presente trabalho consistiu, principalmente, na elaboração de um modelo de uso múltiplo dos recursos naturais da Floresta Nacional do Jamari. Esta Floresta possui 225.794,82 ha, fica situada no Norte do estado de Rondônia no município de Porto Velho, entre os km 100 e 142,2 da rodovia 364. Essa característica, entre outras coloca esta floresta em situação favorável à implantação de um sistema de uso múltiplo. Neste trabalho, revisou-se os objetivos das Floresta Nacionais, os conceitos e as aplicações práticas de uso múltiplo, legislação sobre os recursos naturais, recuperação de áreas degradadas e a exploração florestal: com o objetivo de subsidiar o modelo de uso múltiplo proposto e fornecer ao Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e Recursos Naturais Renováveis (IBAMA), bases sólidas para o manuseio dessas Florestas, fez-se um estudo detalhado dos recursos existentes nesta Unidade de Conservação, tomando-se como base os conceitos de aproveitamento racional e sustentado. Como objetivo definidos foram realizados os seguintes estudos: - Revisão do conceito de uso múltiplo procurando adaptá-lo a realidade da Floresta Nacional do Jamari - Formulação de bases de uma Política Ambiental para exploração mineral na área da Floresta Nacional, - Avaliação do estoque florestal existente na área da floresta Nacional. - Formulação de bases teóricas para determinar uma metodologia de trabalho para a recuperação de áreas degradadas, - Elaboração de um esquema básico para auxiliar na definição das decisões a serem tomadas, com vistas à otimização do uso múltiplo dos recursos naturais. Com base na análise dos levantamentos, nas características e nas condições atuais dos recursos naturais daquela floresta propõe-se que a mesma assuma o papel de uma área de pesquisa, onde sejam implantados todos os projetos sugeridos no modelo de uso múltiplo proposto. Servindo assim como base técnica para aS Florestas Nacionais, com características similares e que estejam situadas na Amazônia Legal

Dynamic pressure analysis of novel interpositional knee spacer implants in 3D-printed human knee models

Alternative treatment methods for knee osteoarthritis (OA) are in demand, to delay the young (< 50 Years) patient’s need for osteotomy or knee replacement. Novel interpositional knee spacers shape based on statistical shape model (SSM) approach and made of polyurethane (PU) were developed to present a minimally invasive method to treat medial OA in the knee. The implant should be supposed to reduce peak strains and pain, restore the stability of the knee, correct the malalignment of a varus knee and improve joint function and gait. Firstly, the spacers were tested in artificial knee models. It is assumed that by application of a spacer, a significant reduction in stress values and a significant increase in the contact area in the medial compartment of the knee will be registered. Biomechanical analysis of the effect of novel interpositional knee spacer implants on pressure distribution in 3D-printed knee model replicas: the primary purpose was the medial joint contact stress-related biomechanics. A secondary purpose was a better understanding of medial/lateral redistribution of joint loading. Six 3D printed knee models were reproduced from cadaveric leg computed tomography. Each of four spacer implants was tested in each knee geometry under realistic arthrokinematic dynamic loading conditions, to examine the pressure distribution in the knee joint. All spacers showed reduced mean stress values by 84–88% and peak stress values by 524–704% in the medial knee joint compartment compared to the non-spacer test condition. The contact area was enlarged by 462–627% as a result of the inserted spacers. Concerning the appreciable contact stress reduction and enlargement of the contact area in the medial knee joint compartment, the premises are in place for testing the implants directly on human knee cadavers to gain further insights into a possible tool for treating medial knee osteoarthritis

Stenotrophomonas comparative genomics reveals genes and functions that differentiate beneficial and pathogenic bacteria

BACKGROUND: In recent years, the number of human infections caused by opportunistic pathogens has increased dramatically. Plant rhizospheres are one of the most typical natural reservoirs for these pathogens but they also represent a great source for beneficial microbes with potential for biotechnological applications. However, understanding the natural variation and possible differences between pathogens and beneficials is the main challenge in furthering these possibilities. The genus Stenotrophomonas contains representatives found to be associated with human and plant host. RESULTS: We used comparative genomics as well as transcriptomic and physiological approaches to detect significant borders between the Stenotrophomonas strains: the multi-drug resistant pathogenic S. maltophilia and the plant-associated strains S. maltophilia R551-3 and S. rhizophila DSM14405(T) (both are biocontrol agents). We found an overall high degree of sequence similarity between the genomes of all three strains. Despite the notable similarity in potential factors responsible for host invasion and antibiotic resistance, other factors including several crucial virulence factors and heat shock proteins were absent in the plant-associated DSM14405(T). Instead, S. rhizophila DSM14405(T) possessed unique genes for the synthesis and transport of the plant-protective spermidine, plant cell-wall degrading enzymes, and high salinity tolerance. Moreover, the presence or absence of bacterial growth at 37°C was identified as a very simple method in differentiating between pathogenic and non-pathogenic isolates. DSM14405(T) is not able to grow at this human-relevant temperature, most likely in great part due to the absence of heat shock genes and perhaps also because of the up-regulation at increased temperatures of several genes involved in a suicide mechanism. CONCLUSIONS: While this study is important for understanding the mechanisms behind the emerging pattern of infectious diseases, it is, to our knowledge, the first of its kind to assess the risk of beneficial strains for biotechnological applications. We identified certain traits typical of pathogens such as growth at the human body temperature together with the production of heat shock proteins as opposed to a temperature-regulated suicide system that is harnessed by beneficials. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-482) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

A gestão como característica da agricultura familiar / Management as a characteristic of family agriculture

A agricultura familiar tem se mostrado um pilar do desenvolvimento em vários países, e sobrevivido apesar de previsões em contrário. Através de uma revisão de literatura verificou-se os conceitos de desenvolvimento, de agricultura familiar e quais as ferramentas gerenciais podem ser utilizadas por essas propriedades. Verificou-se que o desenvolvimento busca equilíbrio entre fatores econômicos, sociais e culturais. A agricultura familiar requer que a gestão é feita por membros da família, e essa premissa está alinhada entre teoria e legislação brasileira. Algumas ferramentas que tratam de planejamento de produção, gestão de qualidade, gestão de custos, comercialização, gestão de recursos financeiros e gestão de outros recursos como a terra, mão de obra e outros imobilizados foram relacionadas como importantes para a gestão rural na agricultura familiar, para que a mesma sobreviva em meio ao mercado competitivo que está inserida

An investigation of the relationships among perceptual modality, temporality, and academic achievement of selected middle school sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students

The primary foci of the study were to determine the relationships among perceptual modality, temporality, and academic achievement, and to develop implications for the academic counseling of middle school students based on the findings. The sample was composed of 613 students enrolled in Prineville Junior High School. The Edmonds Learning Style Identification Exercise, the metronome, and the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills were the instruments used to collect data. Five statistical tools were used in the analysis of data. The findings at the .05 level of significance were as follows: 1. There were no significant differences in perceptual modality mean scores for the three temporal groups. 2. There were no significant relationships between sex and temporal grouping (slow, medium, fast). 3. A significant relationship existed between grade level and temporal group. There was a higher concentration of sixth graders in the slow temporal group. 4. There was a significant difference between sex and the perceptual modality score of visualization. Males scored significantly higher. For the other three perceptual modality scores and sex, there was no significant differences. 5. There was no significant difference for grade level and perceptual modality mean scores. 6. There was no interaction for grade level and sex on perceptual modality mean scores. 7. There were no significant relationships among perceptual modality scores within each temporal group. 8. There were no significant relationships among academic achievement scores, preferred temporal pace, and perceptual modality scores. Implications for the academic counseling of middle school students stressed the importance of using visual materials in the curriculum for males, and the varying of instructional pace to accommodate differences in students' temporal paces

Development and validation of a dissolution method for a BCS class IV drug tadalafil

The present study describes the development and validation of a dissolution method for tadalafil, a Biopharmaceutical Classification System class II drug. 0.1 N hydrochloric acid (HCl)+0.5% sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), pH 4.5-acetate buffer+0.5% SLS and pH 6.8phosphate buffer+0.5% SLS were tested as dissolution medium, and influences of apparatus, and rotation speed were evaluated. Samples were analyzed by UV spectrophotometric method at 225 nm. The results also shows a better dissolution profile using pH 6.8phosphate buffer + 0.5% SLS as medium and paddle as apparatus is a speed of 100 rpm. The conditions that allowed dissolution determination were USP type II apparatus at 100 rpm, containing 900 mL of pH 6.8phosphate buffer+0.5% SLS as dissolution medium, with analysis at wavelength of 225 nm. Samples were analyzed by UV spectrophotometric method and validated as per ICH guidelines, showing specificity, linearity, precision and accuracy

Potential of natural forest production in Sinop County in the Amazonia region, Brazil.

Edição dos abstracts do 24º IUFRO World Congress, 2014, Salt Lake City. Sustaining forests, sustaining people: the role of research

Landmark-Free Statistical Shape Modeling Via Neural Flow Deformations

Statistical shape modeling aims at capturing shape variations of an anatomical structure that occur within a given population. Shape models are employed in many tasks, such as shape reconstruction and image segmentation, but also shape generation and classification. Existing shape priors either require dense correspondence between training examples or lack robustness and topological guarantees. We present FlowSSM, a novel shape modeling approach that learns shape variability without requiring dense correspondence between training instances. It relies on a hierarchy of continuous deformation flows, which are parametrized by a neural network. Our model outperforms state-of-the-art methods in providing an expressive and robust shape prior for distal femur and liver. We show that the emerging latent representation is discriminative by separating healthy from pathological shapes. Ultimately, we demonstrate its effectiveness on two shape reconstruction tasks from partial data. Our source code is publicly available (https://github.com/davecasp/flowssm)