An automated plant monitoring system using machine vision.

A plant growth chamber equipped with a machine vision (MV) system was developed for the continuous, non-contact sampling and near-real-time evaluation of the top projected leaf area (TPLA) of lettuce (Lactuca sativa, cv. Ostinata) seedlings. A rotary table enabled automatic, individual presentation of the lettuce plants to the imaging system. Hourly measurements were continuously made for 16 plants from the first true leaf stage through 30 days from seeding. A near-infrared radiation source illuminated the plants during the dark period, permitting measurements without interrupting the 12 hour photoperiod. Daily minimum hourly change of TPLA for the plants occurred from 3 to 4 hours after the start of the light period. Most rapid increase in TPLA occurred from 4 to 5 hours after the onset of the dark period. The machine vision system was capable of determining a plant physiological response to the nutrient stress within 24 hours of the change of the nutrient regime.

Imaging features of splenic epidermoid cyst with pathologic correlation.

The spleen can be involved in a variety of cystic lesions ranging from cystic neoplasms and parasitic cysts to "true" and "false" cysts. Epidermoid splenic cyst is a rare true cyst that is developmental in origin. We present two young patients with such a cyst and illustrate their features on ultrasound, CT, and MRI with pathologic correlation.

Spleen Injury in Sports.

In brief People who sustain sports-related spleen injuries develop constant pain in the left flank or left upper quadrant that may worsen when they move or breathe deeply. CT is the most effective diagnostic tool, but other diagnostic imaging techniques and blood tests aid in diagnosis. Most patients can be treated nonsurgically in an intensive care or step-down unit with bed rest, intravenous therapy, and careful monitoring.

Spleen Injury in Sports.

In brief Following injury, stabilized patients who might have suffered significant trauma to the spleen require ongoing clinical assessment coupled with radiographic imaging. CT is the initial method of choice, although radionuclide scintigraphy may be indicated for pregnant patients and for those who have an iodine allergy. The roles of ultrasound, angiography, and abdominal plain film radiography are limited. Abnormalities demonstrated on contrast-enhanced CT studies include spleen laceration, subcapsular hematoma, and hemoperitoneum. Radionuclide scintigraphy will help diagnose splenosis.

Complications associated with central venous catheters inserted in critically ill neonates.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the incidence and spectrum of complications associated with central venous catheter (CVC) placement in the critically ill infant. DESIGN: A prospective study of all babies hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) from January 1989 to December 1989. Potential risk factors associated with infection were evaluated by a case-control comparison. SETTING: Conducted at a university-affiliated, tertiary care community hospital. PATIENTS: Neonates requiring intensive care and a central venous catheter. Controls consisted of noninfected babies. RESULTS: Of 263 critically ill neonates, only 13 (4.9%) required a CVC insertion. Seventeen CVCs were placed in these 13 neonates for a total duration of 600 days (median, 32 days/cannula). Fifteen (88%) of these cannulas had one or more complications during its catheter life including dislodgement or leakage (53%), occlusion or thrombosis (47%), infections (29%), or minor bleeding (12%). Five babies (29%) developed 6 episodes of bloodstream infection including 3 sporadic cases due to Staphylococcus epidermidis and a cluster of fungemia due to Malassezia furfur associated with lipid emulsion therapy. Infants with a CVC-associated infection were a younger gestational age (24 weeks versus 32 weeks, p = .04) and weighed less at birth (580 g versus 1285 g, p = .02). The overall rate of bloodstream infection was one episode per 100 days of catheter use. CONCLUSIONS: CVCs may be lifesaving to a critically ill neonate, but complications occur frequently. Use must be restricted to infants in whom alternate delivery routes of intravenous therapy or support are otherwise unavailable.

Renal multicystic dysplasia: an occasional manifestation of the hereditary renal adysplasia syndrome.

Renal multicystic dysplasia is commonly regarded as a sporadic anomaly, although several studies of renal agenesis have shown the occasional occurrence of multicystic dysplasia in relatives of propositi with bilateral agenesis. We report the occurrence of unilateral multicystic dysplasia in an infant whose mother and maternal aunt had unilateral renal agenesis. The aunt's daughter, a first cousin of the proposita, had unilateral megaureter and hydronephrosis secondary to obstruction at the ureteropelvic junction. These observations suggest that nonsyndromal multicystic renal dysplasia can occur as part of the spectrum of hereditary renal adysplasia, with what appears to be autosomal dominant inheritance, and that the primary abnormality may reside in the ureter, with secondary renal maldevelopment.

Operative management of stress ulcers in children.

The operative management of stress ulcer in children is controversial. Between the years 1969 and 1981, ten children were operated on at the Babies Hospital for stress ulcer. Their illnesses included connective tissue disorders (3), sepsis (2), Reye's syndrome (1), hemolytic uremic syndrome (1), leukemia (1), closed head injury (1), and renal failure (1). In those with bleeding (8), aggressive conventional medical management was attempted prior to operation. Four children also received intravenous cimetidine. Four patients underwent embolization of a feeding artery and/or selective vasopressin infusion. In those patients who perforated (2), operation was performed after a brief period of resuscitation. Ten patients underwent 11 operations. In those who bled, multiple ulcerations were the most common finding. Operative procedures consisted of partial gastrectomy and vagotomy (4), partial gastrectomy alone (2), and vagotomy and pyloroplasty (2). One child who underwent vagotomy and pyloroplasty required partial gastrectomy for recurrent bleeding. Of the two children who perforated, one was managed by plication and the other by partial gastrectomy. There were two deaths (20%), both occurring in patients who had undergone gastrectomy. One survivor has mild dumping. This experience suggests that in children (1) stress ulcers are commonly multiple when associated with major medical illnesses; (2) partial gastrectomy with or without vagotomy affords maximum protection against recurrent bleeding; (3) lesser procedures are effective for solitary bleeding duodenal ulcers or perforation; and (4) selective arterial embolization or vasopressin infusion are unreliable methods for controlling bleeding.