Time-of-day perception in paintings.

The spectral shape, irradiance, direction, and diffuseness of daylight vary regularly throughout the day. The variations in illumination and their effect on the light reflected from objects may in turn provide visual information as to the time of day. We suggest that artists' color choices for paintings of outdoor scenes might convey this information and that therefore the time of day might be decoded from the colors of paintings. Here we investigate whether human viewers' estimates of the depicted time of day in paintings correlate with their image statistics, specifically chromaticity and luminance variations. We tested time-of-day perception in 17th- to 20th-century Western European paintings via two online rating experiments. In Experiment 1, viewers' ratings from seven time choices varied significantly and largely consistently across paintings but with some ambiguity between morning and evening depictions. Analysis of the relationship between image statistics and ratings revealed correlations with the perceived time of day: higher "morningness" ratings associated with higher brightness, contrast, and saturation and darker yellow/brighter blue hues; "eveningness" with lower brightness, contrast, and saturation and darker blue/brighter yellow hues. Multiple linear regressions of extracted principal components yielded a predictive model that explained 76% of the variance in time-of-day perception. In Experiment 2, viewers rated paintings as morning or evening only; rating distributions differed significantly across paintings, and image statistics predicted people's perceptions. These results suggest that artists used different color palettes and patterns to depict different times of day, and the human visual system holds consistent assumptions about the variation of natural light depicted in paintings.

Soft like velvet and shiny like satin: Perceptual material signatures of fabrics depicted in 17th century paintings.

Dutch 17th century painters were masters in depicting materials and their properties in a convincing way. Here, we studied the perception of the material signatures and key image features of different depicted fabrics, like satin and velvet. We also tested whether the perception of fabrics depicted in paintings related to local or global cues, by cropping the stimuli. In Experiment 1, roughness, warmth, softness, heaviness, hairiness, and shininess were rated for the stimuli shown either full figure or cropped. In the full figure, all attributes except shininess were rated higher for velvet, whereas shininess was rated higher for satin. This distinction was less clear in the cropped condition, and some properties were perceived significantly different between the two conditions. In Experiment 2 we tested whether this difference was due to the choice of the cropped area. On the basis of the results of Experiment 1, shininess and softness were rated for multiple crops from each fabric. Most crops from the same fabric differed significantly in shininess, but not in softness perception. Perceived shininess correlated positively with the mean luminance of the crops and the highlights' coverage. Experiment 1 showed that painted velvet and satin triggered distinct perceptions, indicative of robust material signatures of the two fabrics. The results of Experiment 2 suggest that the presence of local image cues affects the perception of optical properties like shininess, but not mechanical properties such as softness.

Painterly depiction of material properties.

Painters are masters of depiction and have learned to evoke a clear perception of materials and material attributes in a natural, three-dimensional setting, with complex lighting conditions. Furthermore, painters are not constrained by reality, meaning that they could paint materials without exactly following the laws of nature, while still evoking the perception of materials. Paintings have to our knowledge not been studied on a big scale from a material perception perspective. In this article, we studied the perception of painted materials and their attributes by using human annotations to find instances of 15 materials, such as wood, stone, fabric, etc. Participants made perceptual judgments about 30 unique segments of these materials for 10 material attributes, such as glossiness, roughness, hardness, etc. We found that participants were able to perform this task well while being highly consistent. Participants, however, did not consistently agree with each other, and the measure of consistency depended on the material attribute being perceived. Additionally, we found that material perception appears to function independently of the medium of depiction-the results of our principal component analysis agreed well with findings in former studies for photographs and computer renderings.

The effect of nonideal cascade impactor stage collection efficiency curves on the interpretation of the size of inhaler-generated aerosols.

Cascade impactors, operating on the principle of inertial size separation in (ideally) laminar flow, are used to determine aerodynamic particle size distributions (APSDs) of orally inhaled product (OIP) aerosols because aerodynamic diameter can be related to respiratory tract deposition. Each stage is assumed typically to be an ideal size fractionator. Thus, all particles larger than a certain size are considered collected and all finer particles are treated as penetrating to the next stage (a step function stage efficiency curve). In reality, the collection efficiency of a stage smoothly increases with particle size as an "S-shaped" curve, from approximately 0% to 100%. Consequently, in some cases substantial overlap occurs between neighboring stages. The potential for bias associated with the step-function assumption has been explored, taking full resolution and two-stage abbreviated forms of the Andersen eight-stage nonviable impactor (ACI) and the next-generation pharmaceutical impactor (NGI) as example apparatuses. The behavior of unimodal, log-normal APSDs typical of OIP-generated aerosols has been investigated, comparing known input values to calculated values of central tendency (mass median aerodynamic diameter) and spread (geometric standard deviation, GSD). These calculations show that the error introduced by the step change assumption is larger for the ACI than for the NGI. However, the error is sufficiently small to be inconsequential unless the APSD in nearly monodisperse (GSD ≤1.2), a condition that is unlikely to occur with realistic OIPs. Account may need to be taken of this source of bias only for the most accurate work with abbreviated ACI systems.

Good Cascade Impactor Practice (GCIP) and considerations for "in-use" specifications.

The multi-stage cascade impactor (CI) is widely used to determine aerodynamic particle size distributions (APSDs) of orally inhaled products. Its size-fractionating capability depends primarily on the size of nozzles of each stage. Good Cascade Impactor Practice (GCIP) requires that these critical dimensions are linked to the accuracy of the APSD measurement based on the aerodynamic diameter size scale. Effective diameter (Deff) is the critical dimension describing any nozzle array, as it is directly related to stage cut-point size (d50). d50 can in turn be determined by calibration using particles of known aerodynamic diameter, providing traceability to the international length standard. Movements in Deff within manufacturer tolerances for compendial CIs result in the worst case in shifts in d50 of <±10%. Stage mensuration therefore provides satisfactory control of measurement accuracy. The accurate relationship of Deff to d50 requires the CI system to be leak-free, which can be checked by sealing the apparatus at the entry to the induction port and isolating it from the vacuum source and measuring the rate of pressure rise before each use. Mensuration takes place on an infrequent basis compared with the typical interval between individual APSD determinations. Measurement of stage flow resistance (pressure drop; ΔPstage) could enable the user to know that the CI stages are fit for use before every APSD measurement, by yielding an accurate measure of Deff. However, more data are needed to assess the effects of wear and blockage before this approach can be advocated as part of GCIP.

Systemic complement profiling in multiple sclerosis as a biomarker of disease state.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence of significant and dynamic systemic activation and upregulation of complement in multiple sclerosis (MS), which may contribute to disease pathogenesis. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the pathological role of complement in MS and the potential role for complement profiling as a biomarker of MS disease state. METHODS: Key components of the classical, alternative and terminal pathways of complement were measured in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with MS in different clinical phases of disease and in matched controls. RESULTS: Increased plasma levels of C3 (p<0.003), C4 (p<0.001), C4a (p<0.001), C1 inhibitor (p<0.001), and factor H (p<0.001), and reduced levels of C9 (p<0.001) were observed in MS patients compared with controls. Combined profiling of these analytes produced a statistical model with a predictive value of 97% for MS and 73% for clinical relapse when combined with selected demographic data. CSF-plasma correlations suggested that source of synthesis of these components was both systemic and central. CONCLUSION: These data provide further evidence of alterations in both local and systemic expression and activation of complement in MS and suggest that complement profiling may be informative as a biomarker of MS disease, although further work is needed to determine its use in distinguishing MS from its differential.

Materials In Paintings (MIP): An interdisciplinary dataset for perception, art history, and computer vision.

In this paper, we capture and explore the painterly depictions of materials to enable the study of depiction and perception of materials through the artists' eye. We annotated a dataset of 19k paintings with 200k+ bounding boxes from which polygon segments were automatically extracted. Each bounding box was assigned a coarse material label (e.g., fabric) and half was also assigned a fine-grained label (e.g., velvety, silky). The dataset in its entirety is available for browsing and downloading at materialsinpaintings.tudelft.nl. We demonstrate the cross-disciplinary utility of our dataset by presenting novel findings across human perception, art history and, computer vision. Our experiments include a demonstration of how painters create convincing depictions using a stylized approach. We further provide an analysis of the spatial and probabilistic distributions of materials depicted in paintings, in which we for example show that strong patterns exists for material presence and location. Furthermore, we demonstrate how paintings could be used to build more robust computer vision classifiers by learning a more perceptually relevant feature representation. Additionally, we demonstrate that training classifiers on paintings could be used to uncover hidden perceptual cues by visualizing the features used by the classifiers. We conclude that our dataset of painterly material depictions is a rich source for gaining insights into the depiction and perception of materials across multiple disciplines and hope that the release of this dataset will drive multidisciplinary research.

The abbreviated impactor measurement (AIM) concept: part 1--Influence of particle bounce and re-entrainment-evaluation with a "dry" pressurized metered dose inhaler (pMDI)-based formulation.

The abbreviated impactor measurement concept is a potential improvement to the labor-intensive full-resolution cascade impactor methodology for inhaler aerosol aerodynamic particle size distribution (APSD) measurement by virtue of being simpler and therefore quicker to execute. At the same time, improved measurement precision should be possible by eliminating stages upon which little or no drug mass is collected. Although several designs of abbreviated impactor systems have been developed in recent years, experimental work is lacking to validate the technique with aerosols produced by currently available inhalers. In part 1 of this two-part article that focuses on aerosols produced by pressurized metered dose inhalers (pMDIs), the evaluation of two abbreviated impactor systems (Copley fast screening Andersen impactor and Trudell fast screening Andersen impactor), based on the full-resolution eight-stage Andersen nonviable cascade impactor (ACI) operating principle, is reported with a formulation producing dry particles. The purpose was to investigate the potential for non-ideal collection behavior associated with particle bounce in relation to internal losses to surfaces from which particles containing active pharmaceutical ingredient are not normally recovered. Both abbreviated impactors were found to be substantially equivalent to the full-resolution ACI in terms of extra-fine and fine particle and coarse mass fractions used as metrics to characterize the APSD of these pMDI-produced aerosols when sampled at 28.3 L/min, provided that precautions are taken to coat collection plates to minimize bounce and entrainment.

The abbreviated impactor measurement (AIM) concept: part II--Influence of evaporation of a volatile component-evaluation with a "droplet-producing" pressurized metered dose inhaler (pMDI)-based formulation containing ethanol as cosolvent.

The abbreviated impactor measurement (AIM) concept is a potential solution to the labor-intensive full-resolution cascade impactor (CI) methodology for inhaler aerosol aerodynamic particle size measurement. In this validation study, the effect of increasing the internal dead volume on determined mass fractions relating to aerodynamic particle size was explored with two abbreviated impactors both based on the Andersen nonviable cascade impactor (ACI) operating principle (Copley fast screening Andersen impactor [C-FSA] and Trudell fast screening Andersen impactor [T-FSA]). A pressurized metered dose inhaler-delivered aerosol producing liquid ethanol droplets after propellant evaporation was chosen to characterize these systems. Measures of extrafine, fine, and coarse particle mass fractions from the abbreviated systems were compared with corresponding data obtained by a full-resolution ACI. The use of liquid ethanol-sensitive filter paper provided insight by rendering locations visible where partly evaporated droplets were still present when the "droplet-producing" aerosol was sampled. Extrafine particle fractions based on impactor-sized mass were near equivalent in the range 48.6% to 54%, comparing either abbreviated system with the benchmark ACI-measured data. The fine particle fraction of the impactor-sized mass determined by the T-FSA (94.4 +/- 1.7%) was greater than using the C-FSA (90.5 +/- 1.4%) and almost identical with the ACI-measured value (95.3 +/- 0.4%). The improved agreement between T-FSA and ACI is likely the result of increasing the dead space between the entry to the induction port and the uppermost impaction stage, compared with that for the C-FSA. This dead space is needed to provide comparable conditions for ethanol evaporation in the uppermost parts of these impactors.

Design of facemasks for delivery of aerosol-based medication via pressurized metered dose inhaler with valved holding chamber: key issues that affect performance.

Valved holding chambers (VHCs) are widely prescribed for use with pressurized metered dose inhalers (pMDIs) for the treatment of respiratory disease by aerosol therapy. The facemask is the preferred patient interface for use by infants and small children, as well as by geriatric patients, due primarily to poor coordination skills. However, care is required in the design of the facemask-VHC system to optimize the delivery of medication. In particular, it is essential to achieve an effective mask-to-face seal and to minimize the volume of dead space. It is also important to ensure that the fit of the facemask is comfortable to the patient when applied with sufficient force to create a seal. We review each of these design principles and their application in the evolution of a range of VHCs from the same family of devices during the past fifteen years. We also examine the various methods available for evaluating VHC-facemasks as a system, recommending where future work might be directed.

Comparison of novel hemostatic factors and conventional risk factors for prediction of coronary heart disease.

BACKGROUND: This study sought to assess whether novel markers of hemostatic activity are predictive of coronary heart disease (CHD) and improve risk assessment. METHODS AND RESULTS: Conventional CHD risk factors, the activation peptides of factor IX and factor X, factor VII activity and antigen, activated factor XII, prothrombin fragment 1+2, fibrinopeptide A, and fibrinogen were measured in 1153 men aged 50 to 61 years who were free of myocardial infarction at recruitment. Activated factor VII (VIIa) was measured in 829 men. During 7.8 years of follow-up, 104 had a CHD event. Baseline status was related to outcome by logistic regression by using a modified nested case-control design. Screening performance was judged from receiver operating characteristic curves. A high activated factor XII was associated with increased CHD risk, but low levels were not protective. Plasma VIIa and factor X activation peptide were independently and inversely related to risk. Plasma factor IX activation peptide and fibrinogen were positively associated with risk, but the relations were no longer statistically significant after adjustment for other factors, including VIIa and apoA-I. Other hemostatic markers were not associated with CHD risk. CONCLUSIONS: Hemostatic status did not add significant predictive power to that provided by conventional CHD risk factors yet was able to substitute effectively for these factors.

Induction of a Pea Cell-Wall Invertase Gene by Wounding and Its Localized Expression in Phloem.

A full-length cell-wall invertase cDNA obtained from pea (Pisum sativum L.) seedlings was cloned previously. The gene exhibits tissue-specific expression, and both its transcript and enzyme activities are abundant only in root tissues. Mechanical wounding dramatically induced the accumulation of the cell-wall invertase mRNA in detached or intact leaves, stems, and roots. In both detached and intact tissues mRNA started to accumulate 3 h after wounding and in detached tissues (except root tissues) was much stronger and lasted longer compared with that in intact pea plants. The induction of cell-wall invertase by wounding was not systemic, since no significant increase of transcript was found in the unwounded tissues remote from the site of wounding. Accumulation of this cell-wall invertase was induced by abscisic or jasmonic acid, and in situ hybridization studies show that this invertase mRNA is differentially localized in wounded plant tissue, being most abundant in the phloem. mRNA accumulation was limited mainly to the wounded area; no significant increase was detected in the unwounded portions of the wounded stem segments. The results suggest that, as part of the wounding response, this cell-wall invertase may provide energy through hexose availability to companion cells in the phloem.

Agricultural dust production in standard and conservation tillage systems in the San Joaquin Valley.

The negative health effects of repeated dust exposure have been well documented. In California's San Joaquin Valley, agricultural operations may contribute substantially to airborne particulates. We evaluated four management systems to assess impacts on dust production and soil properties for a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)-tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) rotation: standard tillage with (STCC) and without (STNO) cover crop, and conservation tillage with (CTCC) and without (CTNO) cover crop. Gravimetric analysis of total dust (TD, <100-mum aerodynamic diameter) and respirable dust (RD, 4-mum aerodynamic diameter) samples collected in the plume generated by field implements showed that dust concentrations for CTNO treatments were about one-third of their STNO counterparts for both cumulative TD and RD measured throughout the two-year rotation, primarily due to fewer in-field operations. The TD and RD production for STNO and STCC was comparable, whereas the CTCC system produced about twice as much TD and RD as CTNO. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analyses showed absolute increases of 8 and 39% organic fragments in STCC and CTCC over STNO and CTNO, respectively, while organic fragments in the TD increased by 6% in both cover crop treatments. Soil C content was positively correlated with clay content and increased by an average of 0.12 and 0.07% in the cover crop and non-cover crop treatments, respectively, although soil C for each treatment showed a distinct response to a field texture gradient. While dust emissions show an immediate decrease due to fewer field operations for the conservation tillage treatments, long-term sampling is necessary to determine the effects that increased aggregation through organic matter additions may have on dust production.

Tissue-plasminogen activator for pulmonary embolism resulting in shock: two case reports and discussion of the literature.

Two patients with significant relative contraindications to fibrinolysis, and with refractory shock caused by acute pulmonary embolism, who were successfully treated with recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) are reported. The role of rt-PA in the management of pulmonary embolism is discussed, and pertinent literature is reviewed.

Does inflammatory proteolytic activity contribute to the increased factor IX activation peptide in men at high risk of coronary heart disease? A preliminary study.

In the Second Northwick Park Heart Study, the activation peptides of factor IX (FIXpep) and factor X (FXpep) were measured in 1261 middle-aged men by double-antibody radioimmunoassay. During follow-up 147 men who had a first coronary heart disease (CHD) event were found to have had an increased FIXpep (p = 0.003) and a reduced FXpep (p = 0.05) at baseline compared with those remaining CHD-free (controls). Plasma FIXpep and FXpep were positively associated, but the rate of rise in FIXpep with increasing FXpep was higher in cases than controls (p for interaction = 0.01). In a sample of 87 controls, FIXpep was positively and independently related to the concentrations of a polymorphonuclear-specific fibrinogen degradation product (p = 0.036) and FXpep (p = 0.004), but in larger samples no statistically significant associations were found either with C-reactive protein or with fibrinogen concentration. The findings suggested that the increased FIXpep in men at high CHD-risk may have been partly due to the generation of factor IX inactivation peptides by inflammatory proteolysis and their recognition together with true FIXpep in the radioimmunoassay. Direct evidence for this hypothesis requires development of assays for human elastase-specific factor IX inactivation peptides.

The effects of quality and timing of venepuncture on markers of blood coagulation in healthy middle-aged men.

Effects of the quality and the time of venepuncture on factor VII coagulant activity (VIIc) and the concentrations of fibrinogen, prothrombin fragment 1 + 2 (F1 + 2) and fibrinopeptide A (FPA) were sought in 2665 men, of whom 2334 were re-examined after about one year. Venepunctures were categorised as satisfactory, not fully satisfactory or unsatisfactory according to pre-defined criteria. Neither the quality nor timing of the venepuncture influenced VIIc or fibrinogen concentration. However, at baseline and re-examination F1 + 2 and FPA were increased on average by about 9% and 45% respectively when venepunctures were not fully satisfactory, and by about 11% and 100% when unsatisfactory. Plasma collected after 1500 h had slightly but significantly lower levels of F1 + 2 and FPA than samples taken earlier, possibly due to circadian rhythm. The results emphasise the need for careful surveillance of the venepuncture procedure and the value of FPA when using F1 + 2 as a marker of risk of thrombosis.

Guideline implementation in the department of defense.

To improve the effectiveness of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (CPGs), four other components of implementation are necessary. Together, they impressively optimize the process and outcomes of health care, and reduce undesirable variation of care. Aside from CPGs, the four components help make up a successful, long-term, facility-wide, comprehensive disease-management program. First, executive clinical and administrative leaders need to create the expectation and reveal hands-on commitment. Second, work-simplification tools are needed to accomplish the tasks more effectively and to encourage a path of least resistance. Third, useful, accurate metrics are needed to provide feedback for patients and health-care providers who need the most assistance. These metrics must be easily obtained, disseminated in near-real time, patient-specific, anonymous to others, and penalty free. Fourth, and most important, with nonmonetary compensation, this review addresses the question, "What's in it for all the passionate people who assist in the delivery of health care?"

Fluid balance during pulmonary edema. Is fluid gain a marker or a cause of poor outcome?

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the importance of fluid balance and changes in extravascular lung water (EVLW) on survival in the ICU and short-term outcome in patients with pulmonary edema. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of data (sorting by survival and "treatment received") from a recent randomized controlled trial of fluid restriction in this population. SETTING: Medical ICU of a university-affiliated, tertiary-care medical center. PATIENTS: Eighty-nine patients (from the previously mentioned study) requiring pulmonary artery catheterization with abnormally high EVLW (greater than 7 ml/kg). MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: When analyzed by survival, the survivors had no significant fluid gain or change in EVLW but decreased wedge pressure and body weight, compared to nonsurvivors. When analyzed by fluid balance, patients who gained less than 1 L of fluid by 36 hours into the study had a better rate of survival (74 percent) than the rest (50 percent; p less than 0.05). Also, the median duration of days on the ventilator, ICU days, and days of hospitalization was approximately half as long for each variable in the group with less than 1 L of fluid gain. Even accounting for baseline differences in the severity of illness, fluid balance was an independent predictor of survival (p less than 0.05). When analyzed by whether or not EVLW decreased by more than 15 percent between the first and last measurement, only patients with ARDS or sepsis had decreased days on the ventilator and ICU days. CONCLUSIONS: These data support the concept that positive fluid balance per se is at least partially responsible for poor outcome in patients with pulmonary edema and defend the strategy of attempting to achieve a negative fluid balance if tolerated hemodynamically.

Transfer of adoptive immunity by intra-arterial injection of tumor-immune pig lymph node cells: treatment of recurrent urinary bladder carcinoma after radical radiotherapy.

Twenty-four patients with invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder, recurrent after radiotherapy, were treated by intra-arterial infusion of tumor-immune pig lymph node cells. In 11 patients there was a remission of the disease process, and 3 patients remain alive and free of disease in excess of one year after treatment.