A Visibility and Spatial Constraint-Based Approach for Geopositioning

Over the past decade, automated systems dedicated to geopositioning have been the object of considerable development. Despite the success of these systems for many applications, they cannot be directly applied to qualitative descriptions of space. The research presented in this paper introduces a visibility and constraintbased approach whose objective is to locate an observer from the verbal description of his/her surroundings. The geopositioning process is formally supported by a constraint-satisfaction algorithm. Preliminary experiments are applied to the description of environmental scenes

A semantic and language-based representation of an environmental scene

The modeling of a landscape environment is a cognitive activity that requires appropriate spatial representations. The research presented in this paper introduces a structural and semantic categorization of a landscape view based on panoramic photographs that act as a substitute of a given natural environment. Verbal descriptions of a landscape scene provide themodeling input of our approach. This structure-based model identifies the spatial, relational, and semantic constructs that emerge from these descriptions. Concepts in the environment are qualified according to a semantic classification, their proximity and direction to the observer, and the spatial relations that qualify them. The resulting model is represented in a way that constitutes a modeling support for the study of environmental scenes, and a contribution for further research oriented to the mapping of a verbal description onto a geographical information system-based representation

A Visibility and Spatial Constraint-Based Approach for Geopositioning

Over the past decade, automated systems dedicated to geopositioning have been the object of considerable development. Despite the success of these systems for many applications, they cannot be directly applied to qualitative descriptions of space. The research presented in this paper introduces a visibility and constraintbased approach whose objective is to locate an observer from the verbal description of his/her surroundings. The geopositioning process is formally supported by a constraint-satisfaction algorithm. Preliminary experiments are applied to the description of environmental scenes

A semantic and language-based representation of an environmental scene

The modeling of a landscape environment is a cognitive activity that requires appropriate spatial representations. The research presented in this paper introduces a structural and semantic categorization of a landscape view based on panoramic photographs that act as a substitute of a given natural environment. Verbal descriptions of a landscape scene provide themodeling input of our approach. This structure-based model identifies the spatial, relational, and semantic constructs that emerge from these descriptions. Concepts in the environment are qualified according to a semantic classification, their proximity and direction to the observer, and the spatial relations that qualify them. The resulting model is represented in a way that constitutes a modeling support for the study of environmental scenes, and a contribution for further research oriented to the mapping of a verbal description onto a geographical information system-based representation

Polyfunctional T cell responses in children in early stages of chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection contrast with monofunctional responses of long-term infected adults

Background: Adults with chronic Trypanosoma cruzi exhibit a poorly functional T cell compartment, characterized by monofunctional (IFN-γ-only secreting) parasite-specific T cells and increased levels of terminally differentiated T cells. It is possible that persistent infection and/or sustained exposure to parasites antigens may lead to a progressive loss of function of the immune T cells. Methodology/Principal Findings: To test this hypothesis, the quality and magnitude of T. cruzi-specific T cell responses were evaluated in T. cruzi-infected children and compared with long-term T. cruzi-infected adults with no evidence of heart failure. The phenotype of CD4+ T cells was also assessed in T. cruzi-infected children and uninfected controls. Simultaneous secretion of IFN-γ and IL-2 measured by ELISPOT assays in response to T. cruzi antigens was prevalent among T. cruzi-infected children. Flow cytometric analysis of co-expression profiles of CD4+ T cells with the ability to produce IFN-γ, TNF-α, or to express the co-stimulatory molecule CD154 in response to T. cruzi showed polyfunctional T cell responses in most T. cruzi-infected children. Monofunctional T cell responses and an absence of CD4+TNF-α+-secreting T cells were observed in T. cruzi-infected adults. A relatively high degree of activation and differentiation of CD4+ T cells was evident in T. cruzi-infected children. Conclusions/Significance: Our observations are compatible with our initial hypothesis that persistent T. cruzi infection promotes eventual exhaustion of immune system, which might contribute to disease progression in long-term infected subjects.Fil: Albareda, María Cecilia. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Parasitología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital Interzonal de Agudos "Eva Perón"; ArgentinaFil: de Rissio, Ana María. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Parasitología; ArgentinaFil: Tomas, Gonzalo. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Parasitología; ArgentinaFil: Serjan, Alicia. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Agudos "Juan A. Fernández"; ArgentinaFil: Alvarez, María Gabriela. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital Interzonal de Agudos "Eva Perón"; ArgentinaFil: Viotti, Rodolfo Jorge. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital Interzonal de Agudos "Eva Perón"; ArgentinaFil: Fichera, Laura Edith. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Parasitología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Esteva, Mónica Inés. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Parasitología; ArgentinaFil: Potente, Daniel Fernando. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital Interzonal de Agudos "Eva Perón"; ArgentinaFil: Armenti, Alejandro. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital Interzonal de Agudos "Eva Perón"; ArgentinaFil: Tarleton, Rick L.. University of Georgia; Estados UnidosFil: Laucella, Susana Adriana. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Parasitología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

A global database for metacommunity ecology, integrating species, traits, environment and space

The use of functional information in the form of species traits plays an important role in explaining biodiversity patterns and responses to environmental changes. Although relationships between species composition, their traits, and the environment have been extensively studied on a case-by-case basis, results are variable, and it remains unclear how generalizable these relationships are across ecosystems, taxa and spatial scales. To address this gap, we collated 80 datasets from trait-based studies into a global database for metaCommunity Ecology: Species, Traits, Environment and Space; “CESTES”. Each dataset includes four matrices: species community abundances or presences/absences across multiple sites, species trait information, environmental variables and spatial coordinates of the sampling sites. The CESTES database is a live database: it will be maintained and expanded in the future as new datasets become available. By its harmonized structure, and the diversity of ecosystem types, taxonomic groups, and spatial scales it covers, the CESTES database provides an important opportunity for synthetic trait-based research in community ecology

Strong Carbon Features and a Red Early Color in the Underluminous Type Ia SN 2022xkq

We present optical, infrared, ultraviolet, and radio observations of SN 2022xkq, an underluminous fast-declining type Ia supernova (SN Ia) in NGC 1784 ($\mathrm{D}\approx31$ Mpc), from $<1$ to 180 days after explosion. The high-cadence observations of SN 2022xkq, a photometrically transitional and spectroscopically 91bg-like SN Ia, cover the first days and weeks following explosion which are critical to distinguishing between explosion scenarios. The early light curve of SN 2022xkq has a red early color and exhibits a flux excess which is more prominent in redder bands; this is the first time such a feature has been seen in a transitional/91bg-like SN Ia. We also present 92 optical and 19 near-infrared (NIR) spectra, beginning 0.4 days after explosion in the optical and 2.6 days after explosion in the NIR. SN 2022xkq exhibits a long-lived C I 1.0693 $\mu$m feature which persists until 5 days post-maximum. We also detect C II $\lambda$6580 in the pre-maximum optical spectra. These lines are evidence for unburnt carbon that is difficult to reconcile with the double detonation of a sub-Chandrasekhar mass white dwarf. No existing explosion model can fully explain the photometric and spectroscopic dataset of SN 2022xkq, but the considerable breadth of the observations is ideal for furthering our understanding of the processes which produce faint SNe Ia.Comment: 38 pages, 16 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ, the figure 15 input models and synthetic spectra are now available at https://zenodo.org/record/837925

Assessment of carotid artery stenosis before coronary artery bypass surgery. Is it always necessary?

International audienceBACKGROUND: Extracranial internal carotid artery stenosis is a risk factor for perioperative stroke in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery (CAB). Although selective and non-selective methods of preoperative carotid screening have been advocated, it remains unclear if this screening is clinically relevant. AIM: To test whether selective carotid screening is as effective as non-selective screening in detecting significant carotid disease. METHODS: The case records of patients consecutively undergoing CAB were reviewed. Patients were stratified retrospectively into high- or low-risk groups according to risk factors for significant carotid stenosis and perioperative stroke: peripheral vascular disease (PVD), carotid bruit, diabetes mellitus, age >70 years and/or history of cerebrovascular disease. Prevalence of carotid stenosis detected by ultrasonography, surgical management and perioperative stroke rates were determined in each group. RESULTS: Overall, 205 consecutive patients underwent preoperative carotid screening. The prevalence of significant carotid stenosis was 5.8%. Univariate analysis confirmed that PVD (P=0.005), carotid bruit (P=0.003) and diabetes mellitus (P=0.05) were significant risk factors for stenosis. Carotid stenosis was a risk factor for stroke (P=0.03). Prevalence of carotid stenosis was higher in the high-risk group (9.1%) than the low-risk group (1.2%) (P70 years, with carotid bruit, a history of cerebrovascular disease, diabetes mellitus or PVD would have reduced the screening load by 40%, with trivial impact on surgical management or neurological outcomes

Les avancées actuelles de l’immunothérapie dans le cancer de l’ovaire

International audienceOvarian cancers express highly immunogenic tissue-specific antigens. The resulting immune infiltration is a major prognostic factor. There is therefore a strong biological rationale for the development of immunotherapy in ovarian cancer. However, based on Phase I and II clinical trials data, the efficacy of anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPIs) remains limited in monotherapy in heavily pre-treated patients. Currently, the identification of predictive biomarkers of response and resistance is one of the major areas of research. Identifying effective combination of anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 with other anticancer agents is another clinical need. Several combinations were evaluated. The association of ICPIs with chemotherapy (anthracyclines or carboplatin+paclitaxel) is disappointing (JAVELIN studies). The association with PARP inhibitors, anti-angiogenic agents and CTLA-4 inhibitors seems promising. Other immune therapies such as cell therapies (adoptive transfer of intra-tumor lymphocytes, CAR T cells or vaccines from dendritic cells) could be the future of immunotherapy in ovarian cancer but only early phase studies clinical data is available at this time