Coherent Dynamics in Quantum Emitters under Dichromatic Excitation.

We characterize the coherent dynamics of a two-level quantum emitter driven by a pair of symmetrically detuned phase-locked pulses. The promise of dichromatic excitation is to spectrally isolate the excitation laser from the quantum emission, enabling background-free photon extraction from the emitter. While excitation is not possible without spectral overlap between the exciting pulse and the quantum emitter transition for ideal two-level systems due to cancellation of the accumulated pulse area, we find that any additional interactions that interfere with cancellation of the accumulated pulse area may lead to a finite stationary population inversion. Our spectroscopic results of a solid-state two-level system show that, while coupling to lattice vibrations helps to improve the inversion efficiency up to 50% under symmetric driving, coherent population control and a larger amount of inversion are possible using asymmetric dichromatic excitation, which we achieve by adjusting the ratio of the intensities between the red- and blue-detuned pulses. Our measured results, supported by simulations using a real-time path-integral method, offer a new perspective toward realizing efficient, background-free photon generation and extraction.

Guidance to 2018 good practice: ARIA digitally-enabled, integrated, person-centred care for rhinitis and asthma.

AIMS: Mobile Airways Sentinel NetworK (MASK) belongs to the Fondation Partenariale MACVIA-LR of Montpellier, France and aims to provide an active and healthy life to rhinitis sufferers and to those with asthma multimorbidity across the life cycle, whatever their gender or socio-economic status, in order to reduce health and social inequities incurred by the disease and to improve the digital transformation of health and care. The ultimate goal is to change the management strategy in chronic diseases. METHODS: MASK implements ICT technologies for individualized and predictive medicine to develop novel care pathways by a multi-disciplinary group centred around the patients. STAKEHOLDERS: Include patients, health care professionals (pharmacists and physicians), authorities, patient's associations, private and public sectors. RESULTS: MASK is deployed in 23 countries and 17 languages. 26,000 users have registered. EU GRANTS 2018: MASK is participating in EU projects (POLLAR: impact of air POLLution in Asthma and Rhinitis, EIT Health, DigitalHealthEurope, Euriphi and Vigour). LESSONS LEARNT: (i) Adherence to treatment is the major problem of allergic disease, (ii) Self-management strategies should be considerably expanded (behavioural), (iii) Change management is essential in allergic diseases, (iv) Education strategies should be reconsidered using a patient-centred approach and (v) Lessons learnt for allergic diseases can be expanded to chronic diseases.

MASK 2017: ARIA digitally-enabled, integrated, person-centred care for rhinitis and asthma multimorbidity using real-world-evidence.

mHealth, such as apps running on consumer smart devices is becoming increasingly popular and has the potential to profoundly affect healthcare and health outcomes. However, it may be disruptive and results achieved are not always reaching the goals. Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) has evolved from a guideline using the best evidence-based approach to care pathways suited to real-life using mobile technology in allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma multimorbidity. Patients largely use over-the-counter medications dispensed in pharmacies. Shared decision making centered around the patient and based on self-management should be the norm. Mobile Airways Sentinel networK (MASK), the Phase 3 ARIA initiative, is based on the freely available MASK app (the Allergy Diary, Android and iOS platforms). MASK is available in 16 languages and deployed in 23 countries. The present paper provides an overview of the methods used in MASK and the key results obtained to date. These include a novel phenotypic characterization of the patients, confirmation of the impact of allergic rhinitis on work productivity and treatment patterns in real life. Most patients appear to self-medicate, are often non-adherent and do not follow guidelines. Moreover, the Allergy Diary is able to distinguish between AR medications. The potential usefulness of MASK will be further explored by POLLAR (Impact of Air Pollution on Asthma and Rhinitis), a new Horizon 2020 project using the Allergy Diary.

Real-time mobile detection of drug use with wearable biosensors: a pilot study.

While reliable detection of illicit drug use is paramount to the field of addiction, current methods involving self-report and urine drug screens have substantial limitations that hinder their utility. Wearable biosensors may fill a void by providing valuable objective data regarding the timing and contexts of drug use. This is a preliminary observational study of four emergency department patients receiving parenteral opioids and one individual using cocaine in a natural environment. A portable biosensor was placed on the inner wrist of each subject, to continuously measure electrodermal activity (EDA), skin temperature, and acceleration. Data were continuously recorded for at least 5 min prior to drug administration, during administration, and for at least 30 min afterward. Overall trends in biophysiometric parameters were assessed. Injection of opioids and cocaine use were associated with rises in EDA. Cocaine injection was also associated with a decrease in skin temperature. Opioid tolerance appeared to be associated with a blunted physiologic response as measured by the biosensor. Laterality may be an important factor, as magnitude of response varied between dominant and nondominant wrists in a single patient with bilateral wrist measurements. Changes in EDA and skin temperature are temporally associated with intravenous administration of opioids and cocaine; the intensity of response, however, may vary depending on history and extent of prior use.

First Report of 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' Associated with Huanglongbing on Citrus latifolia in Martinique and Guadeloupe, French West Indies.

Huanglongbing is an unculturable vascular citrus pathogen transmitted from infected to healthy plants through grafting or by citrus psyllids, Diaphorina citri mainly in Asia and America and Trioza erytreae in Africa. This phloem limited gram-negative bacterium causes dramatic yield losses and is classified into three species based on 16S rDNA sequence analysis (2): (i) 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' (Las), the most epidemiologically active, widespread and heat tolerant species; (ii) 'Ca. L. africanus' (Laf), only found in Africa; and (iii) the newly described 'Ca. L. americanus' (Lam), which appeared in 2005 in Brazil (5). Considered as a quarantine organism in America and Europe, Las is actively affecting North America and Asia, and research is leading toward psyllid management and resistance breeding. Despite the fact that Reunion Island has successfully controlled Las by introducing a psyllid parasitoid, Tamarixia radiata (1), this strategy was less effective or reproducible within other territories. D. citri was first detected in Guadeloupe in 1998, where the control of the the psyllid population has been effective with T. radiata (3); and was first detected in Martinique in 2012. Following the outbreak in the United States and the Caribbean, and also supported by reports of symptoms in citrus orchards, local National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPO) organized a detection survey across both islands to verify the occurrence of Huanglongbing. Since 2012, 450 sites were prospected each year in Martinique and Guadeloupe, where 20 leaves from 10 to 30 trees were analyzed. DNA extraction was performed (DNeasy Plant Mini Kit, Qiagen) on fresh or dried leaf midribs, along with negative control midribs (Citrus paradisi 'Star Rubis') and PCR amplification was done with the species-specific primers A2/J5 (4) and GB1/GB3 (5). Only Las-specific 703-bp amplicons were obtained (n = 43) and 20 were sequenced (Beckman Coulter Genomics, United Kingdom; sequences available through GenBank Accession Nos. KF699074 to KF699093) and blasted against the National Center for Biotechnology Information non-redondant database (NCBI-nr). BLAST analysis revealed 100% identity with the 50S ribosomal protein subunit L1 (rplA) and L10 (rplJ) of 'Ca. L. asiaticus' (all strains), and no significant homology to other organisms. Additionally, sequence assembly on a reference genome (NC_012985) showed 100% homology. Huanglongbing was detected in Guadeloupe on March 2012 at Le Moule (East coast) in a Tahiti lime orchard (C. latifolia) and crossed the island in 6 months. Las was detected in Martinique on May 2013 on Tahiti lime (C. latifolia) at Bellefontaine (Northwest) in a private garden and at Le Lorrain (Northeast) in an orchard. Other species from the Rutaceae family were affected by HLB (C. reticulat and C. sinensis) on both islands; however, few of the positive samples showed HLB symptoms (blotchy mottle patterns and green islands on leaves), but presented symptoms similar to nutrient deficiencies. Despite the former presence of T. radiata in Guadeloupe and its detection in Martinique a few weeks after the detection of D. citri, where it had a mean parasitism rate of 70%, an outbreak of HLB spread across both islands. These analyses confirm the presence of HLB in Martinique and Guadeloupe and to our knowledge represent the first report of Las in the French West Indies. Introduction events remain unclear, but this report raises the importance of plant certification, psyllid population control, and surveillance of territories close to the French West Indies, with regards to the risk that HLB presents to citrus production worldwide. References: (1) B. Aubert et al. Fruits. 38, 1983. (2) J. M. Bové. J. Plant Pathol. 88:1, 2006. (3) J. Etienne et al. Fruits. 56:05, 2001. (4) A. Hocquellet et al. Mol. Cell. Probes 13:5, 1999. (5) D. C. Teixeira et al. Mol. Cell. Probes 19:3, 2005.

Autonomic changes with seizures correlate with postictal EEG suppression.

OBJECTIVE: Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) poses a poorly understood but considerable risk to people with uncontrolled epilepsy. There is controversy regarding the significance of postictal generalized EEG suppression as a biomarker for SUDEP risk, and it remains unknown whether postictal EEG suppression has a neurologic correlate. Here, we examined the profile of autonomic alterations accompanying seizures with a wrist-worn biosensor and explored the relationship between autonomic dysregulation and postictal EEG suppression. METHODS: We used custom-built wrist-worn sensors to continuously record the sympathetically mediated electrodermal activity (EDA) of patients with refractory epilepsy admitted to the long-term video-EEG monitoring unit. Parasympathetic-modulated high-frequency (HF) power of heart rate variability was measured from concurrent EKG recordings. RESULTS: A total of 34 seizures comprising 22 complex partial and 12 tonic-clonic seizures from 11 patients were analyzed. The postictal period was characterized by a surge in EDA and heightened heart rate coinciding with persistent suppression of HF power. An increase in the EDA response amplitude correlated with an increase in the duration of EEG suppression (r = 0.81, p = 0.003). Decreased HF power correlated with an increase in the duration of EEG suppression (r = -0.87, p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: The magnitude of both sympathetic activation and parasympathetic suppression increases with duration of EEG suppression after tonic-clonic seizures. These results provide autonomic correlates of postictal EEG suppression and highlight a critical window of postictal autonomic dysregulation that may be relevant in the pathogenesis of SUDEP.

Coupling between agonist and chloride ionophore sites of the GABA(A) receptor: agonist/antagonist efficacy of 4-PIOL.

Eight gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) mimetics were tested on their ability to differentiate native GABA(A) receptor subtypes present in various rat brain regions. In rat brain cryostat sections, little regional variations by the agonistic actions of muscimol, thiomuscimol, 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoazolo(5,4-c)pyridin-3-ol, piperidine-4-sulphonic acid, taurine and beta-alanine on [35S]t-butylbicyclophosphorothionate ([35S]TBPS) binding to GABA(A) receptor channels were found. They were very similar to those found for GABA itself and indicated no direct correlation with single subunit distributions for any of these compounds. Only the low-efficacy GABA mimetic 5-(4-piperidyl)isoxazol-3-ol (4-PIOL) acted like a weak partial agonist or antagonist depending on the brain area. As the cerebellar granule cell layer was relatively insensitive to both modes of action, we tested 4-PIOL in recombinant alpha1beta2gamma2 (widespread major subtype) and alpha6beta2gamma2 (cerebellar granule cell restricted) receptors where it had different effects on GABA-modulated [35S]TBPS binding and on electrophysiological responses. 4-PIOL may thus serve as a potential lead for receptor subtype selective compounds.

Effect of interfacial tension on propagating polymerization fronts.

This paper is devoted to the investigation of polymerization fronts converting a liquid monomer into a liquid polymer. We assume that the monomer and the polymer are immiscible and study the influence of the interfacial tension on the front stability. The mathematical model consists of the reaction-diffusion equations coupled with the Navier-Stokes equations through the convection terms. The jump conditions at the interface take into account the interfacial tension. Simple physical arguments show that the same temperature distribution could not lead to Marangoni instability for a nonreacting system. We fulfill a linear stability analysis and show that interaction of the chemical reaction and of the interfacial tension can lead to an instability that has another mechanism: the heat produced by the reaction decreases the interfacial tension and initiates the liquid motion. It brings more monomer to the reaction zone and increases even more the heat production. This feedback mechanism can lead to the instability if the frontal Marangoni number exceeds a critical value. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics.

Quantifying driver stress: developing a system for collecting and processing bio-metric signals in natural situations.

A system for quantifying the physiological features of emotional stress is being developed for use during a driving task. Two prototypes, using sensors that measure the driver's skin conductance, respiration, muscle activity, and heart activity are presented. The first system allows sampling rates of 200 Hz on two fast channels and 20 Hz on six additional channels. It uses a wearable computer to do real-time processing on the signals and has an attached digital camera which was used to capture images of the driver's facial expression once every minute. The second system uses a car-based computer that allows a sampling rate of 1984 samples per second on eight channels. This system uses multiple video cameras to continuously capture the driver's facial expression and road conditions. The data is then synchronized with the physiological signals using a video quad-splitter. The methods for extracting physiological features in the driving environment are discussed, including measurement of the skin conductance orienting response, muscle activity, pulse, and respiration patterns. Preliminary studies show how using multiple modalities of sensors can help discriminate reactions to driving events and how individual's response to similar driving conditions can vary from day to day.

Cluster-based probability model and its application to image and texture processing.

We develop, analyze, and apply a specific form of mixture modeling for density estimation within the context of image and texture processing. The technique captures much of the higher order, nonlinear statistical relationships present among vector elements by combining aspects of kernel estimation and cluster analysis. Experimental results are presented in the following applications: image restoration, image and texture compression, and texture classification.

Video orbits of the projective group a simple approach to featureless estimation of parameters.

We present direct featureless methods for estimating the eight parameters of an "exact" projective (homographic) coordinate transformation to register pairs of images, together with the application of seamlessly combining a plurality of images of the same scene, resulting in a single image (or new image sequence) of greater resolution or spatial extent. The approach is "exact" for two cases of static scenes: (1) images taken from the same location of an arbitrary three-dimensional (3-D) scene, with a camera that is free to pan, tilt, rotate about its optical axis, and zoom, or (2) images of a flat scene taken from arbitrary locations. The featureless projective approach generalizes interframe camera motion estimation methods that have previously used a camera model (which lacks the degrees of freedom to "exactly" characterize such phenomena as camera pan and tilt) and/or which have relied upon finding points of correspondence between the image frames. The featureless projective approach, which operates directly on the image pixels, is shown to be superior in accuracy and the ability to enhance the resolution. The proposed methods work well on image data collected from both good-quality and poor-quality video under a wide variety of conditions (sunny, cloudy, day, night). These new fully automatic methods are also shown to be robust to deviations from the assumptions of static scene and no parallax.

Expectant management of post-term patients: observations and outcome.

Post-term pregnancy is associated with increased perinatal mortality. In a retrospective study based on our post-term protocol from 1990 until May 1995 1,798 post-term pregnant women with reliable dating were evaluated for expectant management. A group of 2,633 pregnant women who delivered between 37 and 41 weeks during 1994 served as a control group. The perinatal mortality (0.56 per 1,000 vs. 0.75 per 1,000 in the control group) was similar in both groups. The incidence of induction of labor (7.45% vs. 7% in the control group), meconium of more than +1 (5.2% vs. 4% in the control group), shoulder dystocia (0.33% vs. 0.19%), high birthweight (> 4,500 g) (1% vs. 1%), and cesarean section rates (7.5% vs. 7% in the control group) were similar. However the fetal distress rates (11.6% vs 16%; P = .004), instrumental deliveries (10.1% vs. 13%, P = .002), and the rate of 5-minute Apgar score of less then 7 (1.1% vs. 5%, P = .000001) were found to be significantly lower in the post-date group than in the control group. We conclude that the expectant management and our intensive observation and follow-up in post-term is indicated for both mother and fetus.

On the efficiency of the orthogonal least squares training method for radial basis function networks.

The efficiency of the orthogonal least squares (OLS) method for training approximation networks is examined using the criterion of energy compaction. We show that the selection of basis vectors produced by the procedure is not the most compact when the approximation is performed using a nonorthogonal basis. Hence, the algorithm does not produce the smallest possible networks for a given approximation error. Specific examples are given using the Gaussian radial basis functions type of approximation networks.

M-lattice: from morphogenesis to image processing.

The paper is based on reaction-diffusion, a nonlinear mechanism first proposed by Turing in 1952 to account for morphogenesis, the formation of shape and pattern in nature. One of the key limitations of reaction-diffusion systems is that they are generally unbounded, making them awkward for digital image processing. In this paper we introduce the "M-lattice", a system that preserves the pattern-formation properties of reaction-diffusion and is bounded. On the theoretical front, we establish how the M-lattice is closely related to the analog Hopfield network and the cellular neural network, but has more flexibility in how its variables interact. Like many "neurally inspired" systems, the bounded M-lattice also enables computer or analog VLSI implementations to simulate a variety of partial and ordinary differential equations. On the practical front, we demonstrate two novel applications of reaction-diffusion formulated as the new M-lattice. These are adaptive filtering, applied to the restoration and enhancement of fingerprint images, and nonlinear programming, applied to image halftoning in both "faithful" and "special effects" styles.

Birth weight discordance, intrauterine growth retardation and perinatal outcomes in twins.

In a population-based study, the association between twin perinatal outcome, birth weight discordance and intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) was investigated. Mortality was examined in 1,145 twin pairs, and neonatal morbidity was studied in 315 live-born pairs. In this study, birth weight discordance was defined as > or = 25% of the weight of the heavier twin, and IUGR was defined as < 10th percentile of gender- and gestational age-specific singleton birth weight. In univariate analyses IUGR and discordance were associated with mortality but not with morbidity. When twins were categorized by discordance and IUGR simultaneously, stillbirths were associated with IUGR, while discordant twins had elevated risks of early neonatal death. In multiple logistic regression analyses, which also included gestational age, mode of delivery, birth order, birth weight discordance and IUGR, low birth weight was the single consistent factor associated with elevated risks of mortality and morbidity. For every 250-g increase in birth weight, the risks for each condition examined fell by about 40%. Discordance was an independent risk factor only for hypoglycemia, while IUGR was not associated with any neonatal outcome. Birth weight itself seems to be the most important factor associated with perinatal outcome in twin births. Therefore, the weight of the individual fetus should be the focus of concern of the medical profession in the effort to reduce adverse outcomes in twin pregnancies.

Finding perceptually dominant orientations in natural textures.

An algorithm for detecting orientation in texture is developed and compared with results of humans detecting orientation in the same textures. The algorithm is based on the steerable filters of Freeman and Adelson (IEEE Trans. PAMI 13, 891-906, 1991), orientation-selective filters derived from derivatives of Gaussians. The filters are applied over multiple scales and their outputs non-linearly contrast-normalized. The data for humans were collected from forty subjects who were asked to identify 'the minimum number of dominant orientations' they perceived, and the 'strength' with which they perceived each orientation. Test data consisted of 111 grey-level images of natural textures taken from the Brodatz album, a standard collection used in computer vision and image processing. Results show that the computer and humans chose at least one of the same dominant orientations on 95 of the natural textures. Of these textures, 74 were also in 100% agreement on the location of all the dominant orientations chosen by both humans and computer. Disagreements are analyzed and possible causes are discussed. Some apparent limitations in the current filter shapes and sizes are illustrated, as well as some (surprisingly small) effects believed to be caused by semantic recognition and gestalt grouping.

Ethnicity and sex ratio in twin births.

The patterns of sex ratio in Israeli twins by maternal age and parity are described in two ethnic subpopulation. Jews and Bedouins differ one from the other in genetic, environmental, lifestyle, and reproductive factors. In the Jewish subpopulation, the proportion of males was significantly lower in twin than in singleton births; parity increased the odds of male twin births while maternal age had the inverse effect. In the Bedouin subpopulation, the sex ratio did not differ significantly from that of singletons, and no consistent patterns were found by maternal age and parity. The data suggest that several factors may influence the sex ratio in twin births. In Jewish twin births, the findings are consistent with the literature and can be largely explained in terms of high level of maternal gonadotropins. In the Bedouin subpopulation, paternal influence which could be related to lifestyle may be present, and as yet undefined genetic factors may also be involved. It would be of great interest, therefore, to continue monitoring of the effects of changes in lifestyle on the Bedouin population in order to tease out the relative importance of the varying factors on the sex ratio of twin births.

Factors associated with neonatal problems in twin gestations.

We examined the neonatal outcome of 644 twins weighing 500 g or more and 656 singletons, born in the years 1984-1986 in the Soroka Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel. There was nearly a four-fold risk of antepartum death in twins vs singletons, which disappeared when birth weight was controlled for. The risks for intrapartum and early neonatal mortality were not raised in this population. A statistically significant relative risk for congenital heart malformations in twins vs singletons remained (RR = 5.0, 95% CI = 1.5-16.3), after controlling for maternal age. Significantly higher rates of hyalin membrane disease, hypoglycemia, hyperbilirubinemia, anemia and septicemia were found in twins. Controlling for the confounding of the association between twinning and mortality or morbidity caused by differences in distributions of mode of delivery or gestational age between twins and singletons, was not as efficient as the controlling for birth weight. Thus, adjustment for birth weight removed all the excess risks detected except in hypoglycemia. Our findings suggest that the lower birth weight of twins, which is so intimately associated with multiple gestations, is probably the single most important factor associated with neonatal problems found in twin births.

[Congenital mitral and tricuspid double stenosis]. / Double sténose tricuspide et mitrale congénitale.

The authors report the case of a child followed up from the age of 4 months to the age of 15 for asymptomatic congenital heart disease. Initial clinical examination showed the presence of a systolic murmur and a diastolic rumble in the xiphoid area with signs of right atrial dilatation-hypertrophy. During follow-up, an apical diastolic rumble was detected with left atrial dilatation from the age of 3. Doppler echocardiography carried out recently showed double mitral and tricuspid valve stenosis with two-dimensional appearances of doming of both valves and moderate transvalvular pressure gradients with slight elevation of pulmonary artery pressures on the Doppler study. The very early detection of the malformation and the continuous follow-up of this patient indicate the congenital and not rheumatic origin of this double valve stenosis.