Automated Mobile System for Accurate Outdoor Tree Crop Enumeration Using an Uncalibrated Camera.

This paper demonstrates an automated computer vision system for outdoor tree crop enumeration in a seedling nursery. The complete system incorporates both hardware components (including an embedded microcontroller, an odometry encoder, and an uncalibrated digital color camera) and software algorithms (including microcontroller algorithms and the proposed algorithm for tree crop enumeration) required to obtain robust performance in a natural outdoor environment. The enumeration system uses a three-step image analysis process based upon: (1) an orthographic plant projection method integrating a perspective transform with automatic parameter estimation; (2) a plant counting method based on projection histograms; and (3) a double-counting avoidance method based on a homography transform. Experimental results demonstrate the ability to count large numbers of plants automatically with no human effort. Results show that, for tree seedlings having a height up to 40 cm and a within-row tree spacing of approximately 10 cm, the algorithms successfully estimated the number of plants with an average accuracy of 95.2% for trees within a single image and 98% for counting of the whole plant population in a large sequence of images.

Cast Titanium for Obturator Framework Construction in Maxillofacial Prosthodontics.

A 37 year old male presented with the complaint of a loose and bulky acrylic obturator prosthesis. He had previously tried to using a different acrylic obturator prostheses as well as both cobalt chromium and titanium framework obturators. The most successful previous prosthesis was a titanium based obturator which had performed well prior to a fractured clasp. Accordingly, following an exploration of the available surgical and prosthodontic treatment options, a further tooth borne partial maxillary obturator was provided successfully. The case highlights the relative merits and limitations of the use of cast titanium as a denture base material in partial denture and obturator construction.

Airway compromise by dislodged obturator in a patient with severe trismus.

A patient presented with impending airway obstruction due to a dislodged interim maxillary obturator. The removal was complicated by the presence of severe trismus due to previous maxillectomy and recent radiotherapy. An emergency tracheotomy with the patient under local anesthetic was required to provide a definitive airway and to permit subsequent removal of the obturator with the patient under general anesthesia. The situation highlights the risks associated with interim obturators while awaiting the provision of an ideally fitted, well-retained, definitive obturator. Displaced obturators are potentially life threatening and difficult to remove in emergency situations.

Management of the single discoloured tooth. Part 1: Aetiology, prevention and minimally invasive restorative options.

UNLABELLED: The single discoloured tooth is commonly encountered in general practice. This is the first of two articles covering the broad range of management options for the single discoloured tooth. This first part outlines the common causes of discoloration and possible methods of prevention. Minimally invasive techniques are covered. Clinical procedures are outlined and clinical cases used to demonstrate outcomes that can be achieved. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The single discoloured tooth is a commonly encountered clinical problem in general dental practice. A wide variety of management options exist and any one in particular may be most appropriate given the clinical scenario. It is therefore essential that general dental practitioners are familiar with the range of options that exist, as well as their indications, and consider adopting minimally invasive techniques in the first instance before moving to more invasive therapies.

Management of the single discoloured tooth. Part 2: Restorative options.

UNLABELLED: This is the second article of a two part series covering the aetiology, prevention and broad range of management options for the single discoloured tooth. The article covers situations where masking and simulation techniques with direct composite are required. Direct composite, indirect composite and ceramic veneers are then considered, as well as full coverage crowns. The option of extraction of the affected tooth and its prosthodontic replacement will also be considered. Clinical cases are used to illustrate various scenarios. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The single discoloured tooth is a commonly encountered clinical problem in general dental practice. A wide variety of management options exist and it is recommended that general dental practitioners consider adopting minimally invasive techniques in the first instance before moving on to more invasive therapies.

Pediatric Pulmonology 2023 year in review: Rare and diffuse lung disease.

The field of pediatric rare and diffuse lung disease continues its maturation as research advances the understanding of diagnosis and treatment of children's interstitial lung disease, noncystic fibrosis bronchiectasis, and primary ciliary dyskinesia. The rarity and breadth of these conditions make them challenging to study, yet we continue to make progress in our understanding of pathophysiology, genotype/phenotype relationships, and treatment. Papers published on these topics in Pediatric Pulmonology and other journals in 2023 describe the power of multicenter cooperation and patient registries, enhance our understanding of pathophysiology and genotype/phenotype relationships, and report progress in treatments. In this review, we hope to increase awareness and knowledge of these conditions and to inspire future research.

Organic matter preservation through complexation with iron minerals in two basins of a dimictic boreal lake with contrasting deep water redox regimes.

The biogeochemical cycles of iron and organic carbon (OC) are closely interconnected in terrestrial and aquatic systems. In ocean waters, the concentration of reactive Fe is tightly controlled by soluble organic ligands. In soils, Fe stabilizes OC by forming aggregates that shield OC from degradation. In lake sediments however, the role of Fe in the preservation of OC has not been explored as extensively yet. We investigated Fe-OC interactions in sediment collected from Lake Tantaré, in which two basins are characterized by contrasting redox conditions. These contrasting redox conditions provide an opportunity to assess their importance in the formation of stable Fe-OC complexes. On average, 30.1 ± 6.4 % of total OC was liberated upon reductively dissolving reactive iron. The Fe-associated and the non-Fe-associated OC pools were characterized at the elemental (OC, TN), isotopic (δ13C, δ15N) and functional group (FTIR) levels. Large differences in OC:Fe and TN:Fe ratios between the two basins were found which were not linked to OM chemical composition but rather to differences in reactive iron concentrations stemming from the higher abundance of iron sulfides in the anoxic basin. Nevertheless, since the affinity of OM for iron sulfides is lower than that for iron hydroxides, using OC:Fe and TN:Fe ratios as a diagnostic tool for the type of OM-Fe interactions should be done with care in anoxic environment. Same caution should be considered for oxic sediments due to the variation of the proportion of iron hydroxides associated with OM from sample to sample.

Emissions from plastic incineration induce inflammation, oxidative stress, and impaired bioenergetics in primary human respiratory epithelial cells.

Inhalation exposure to plastic incineration emissions (PIEs) is a problem of increasing human relevance, as plastic production and waste creation have drastically increased since mainstream integration during the 20th century. We investigated the effects of PIEs on human nasal epithelial cells (HNECs) to understand if such exposures cause damage and dysfunction to respiratory epithelia. Primary HNECs from male and female donors were cultured at air-liquid interface (ALI), and 16HBE cells were cultured on coverslips. Smoke condensates were generated from incineration of plastic at flaming (640°C) and smoldering (500°C) temperatures, and cells were subsequently exposed to these materials at 5-50 µg/cm2 concentrations. HNECs were assessed for mitochondrial dysfunction and 16HBE cells for glutathione oxidation in real-time analyses. HNEC culture supernatants and total RNA were collected at 4-h postexposure for cytokine and gene expression analysis, and results show that PIEs can acutely induce inflammation, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction in HNECs, and that incineration temperature modifies biological responses. Specifically, condensates from flaming and smoldering PIEs significantly increased HNEC secretion of cytokines IL-8, IL-1ß, and IL-13, as well as expression of xenobiotic metabolism pathways and genes such as CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 at 5 and 20 µg/cm2 concentrations. Only 50 µg/cm2 flaming PIEs significantly increased glutathione oxidation in 16HBEs, and decreased respiration and ATP production in HNEC mitochondria. Impact Statement: Our data reveal the impact of incineration temperatures on biological outcomes associated with PIE exposures, emphasizing the importance of temperature as a factor when evaluating respiratory disease associated with PIEs exposure.

Enhancing secondary ion yields in time of flight-secondary ion mass spectrometry using water cluster primary beams.

Low secondary ion yields from organic and biological molecules are the principal limitation on the future exploitation of time of flight-secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) as a surface and materials analysis technique. On the basis of the hypothesis that increasing the density of water related fragments in the ion impact zone would enhance proton mediated reactions, a prototype water cluster ion beam has been developed using supersonic jet expansion methodologies that enable ion yields using a 10 keV (H2O)1000(+) beam to be compared with those obtained using a 10 keV Ar1000(+) beam. The ion yields from four standard compounds, arginine, haloperidol, DPPC, and angiotensin II, have been measured under static+ and high ion dose conditions. Ion yield enhancements relative to the argon beam on the order of 10 or more have been observed for all the compounds such that the molecular ion yield per a 1 µm pixel can be as high as 20, relative to 0.05 under an argon beam. The water beam has also been shown to partially lift the matrix effect in a 1:10 mixture of haloperidol and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) that suppresses the haloperidol signal. These results provide encouragement that further developments of the water cluster beam to higher energies and larger cluster sizes will provide the ion yield enhancements necessary for the future development of TOF-SIMS.

The Ras activator RasGRP3 mediates diabetes-induced embryonic defects and affects endothelial cell migration.

RATIONALE: Fetuses that develop in diabetic mothers have a higher incidence of birth defects that include cardiovascular defects, but the signaling pathways that mediate these developmental effects are poorly understood. It is reasonable to hypothesize that diabetic maternal effects are mediated by 1 or more pathways activated downstream of aberrant glucose metabolism, because poorly controlled maternal glucose levels correlate with the frequency and severity of the defects. OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether RasGRP3 (Ras guanyl-releasing protein 3), a Ras activator expressed in developing blood vessels, mediates diabetes-induced vascular developmental defects. RasGRP3 is activated by diacylglycerol, and diacylglycerol is overproduced by aberrant glucose metabolism in diabetic individuals. We also investigated the effects of overactivation and loss of function for RasGRP3 in primary endothelial cells and developing vessels. METHODS AND RESULTS: Analysis of mouse embryos from diabetic mothers showed that diabetes-induced developmental defects were dramatically attenuated in embryos that lacked Rasgrp3 function. Endothelial cells that expressed activated RasGRP3 had elevated Ras-ERK signaling and perturbed migration, whereas endothelial cells that lacked Rasgrp3 function had attenuated Ras-ERK signaling and did not migrate in response to endothelin-1. Developing blood vessels exhibited endothelin-stimulated vessel dysmorphogenesis that required Rasgrp3 function. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide the first evidence that RasGRP3 contributes to developmental defects found in embryos that develop in a diabetic environment. The results also elucidate RasGRP3-mediated signaling in endothelial cells and identify endothelin-1 as an upstream input and Ras/MEK/ERK as a downstream effector pathway. RasGRP3 may be a novel therapeutic target for the fetal complications of diabetes.

Pediatric Pulmonology 2022 year in review: Rare and diffuse lung disease.

The field of rare and diffuse pediatric lung disease continues to evolve and expand rapidly as clinicians and researchers make advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of children's interstitial and diffuse lung disease, non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis, and primary ciliary dyskinesia. Papers published on these topics in Pediatric Pulmonology and other journals in 2022 describe newly recognized disorders, elucidate disease mechanisms and courses, explore potential biomarkers, and assess novel treatments. In this review, we will discuss these important advancements and place them in the context of existing literature.

Acute and Chronic Ethanol Effects during Adolescence on Neuroimmune Responses: Consequences and Potential Pharmacologic Interventions.

Heavy ethanol consumption during adolescence has been linked to neuroimmune response dysregulation and cognitive deficits in the developing adolescent brain. During adolescence, the brain is particularly susceptible to the pharmacological effects of ethanol that are induced by acute and chronic bouts of exposure. Numerous preclinical rodent model studies have used different ethanol administration techniques, such as intragastric gavage, self-administration, vapor, intraperitoneal, and free access, and while most models indicated proinflammatory neuroimmune responses in the adolescent brain, there are various factors that appear to influence this observation. This review synthesizes the most recent findings of the effects of adolescent alcohol use on toll-like receptors, cytokines, and chemokines, as well as the activation of astrocytes and microglia with an emphasis on differences associated with the duration of ethanol exposure (acute vs. chronic), the amount of exposure (e.g., dose or blood ethanol concentrations), sex differences, and the timing of the neuroimmune observation (immediate vs. persistent). Finally, this review discusses new therapeutics and interventions that may ameliorate the dysregulation of neuroimmune maladaptations after ethanol exposure.

Laterality Defects in Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia: Relationship to Ultrastructural Defect or Genotype.

Rationale: The association between organ laterality abnormalities and ciliary ultrastructural defect or genotype in primary ciliary dyskinesia is poorly understood. Objectives: To determine if there is an association between presence and/or type of laterality abnormality and ciliary ultrastructural defect or genotype. Methods: Participants with primary ciliary dyskinesia in a multicenter, prospective study were grouped based on ciliary ultrastructural defect or genotype. In a retrospective analysis of these data, the association of ciliary ultrastructural defect or genotype and likelihood of a laterality abnormality was evaluated by logistic regression adjusted for presence of two loss-of-function versus one or more not-loss-of-function variants. Results: Of 559 participants, 286 (51.2%), 215 (38.5%), and 58 (10.4%) were identified as having situs solitus, situs inversustotalis, and situs ambiguus, respectively; heterotaxy, defined as situs ambiguus with complex cardiovascular defects, was present in 14 (2.5%). Compared with the group with inner dynein arm defects with microtubular disorganization, laterality defects were more likely in the outer dynein arm defects group (odds ratio [OR], 2.07; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21-3.54; P < 0.01) and less likely in the normal/near normal ultrastructure group (OR, 0.04; 95% CI, 0.013-0.151; P < 0.01). Heterotaxy was present in 11 of 242 (4.5%) in the outer dynein arm defects group but 0 of 96 in the inner dynein arm defects with microtubular disorganization group (P = 0.038). Conclusion: In primary ciliary dyskinesia, risk of a laterality abnormality differs by ciliary ultrastructural defect. Pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying these differences require further exploration.

Situs Ambiguus Is Associated With Adverse Clinical Outcomes in Children With Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia.

BACKGROUND: Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare disorder of motile cilia associated with situs abnormalities. At least 12% of patients with PCD have situs ambiguus (SA), including organ laterality defects falling outside normal arrangement (situs solitus [SS]) or mirror image inversion (situs inversus totalis [SIT]). RESEARCH QUESTION: Do patients with PCD and SA achieve worse clinical outcomes compared with those with SS or SIT? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This cross-sectional, multicenter study evaluated participants aged 21 years or younger with PCD. Participants were classified as having SA, including heterotaxy, or not having SA (SS or SIT). Markers of disease severity were compared between situs groups, adjusting for age at enrollment and severe CCDC39 or CCDC40 genotype, using generalized linear models and logistic and Poisson regression. RESULTS: In 397 participants with PCD (mean age, 8.4 years; range, 0.1-21), 42 patients were classified as having SA, including 16 patients (38%) with complex cardiovascular malformations or atrial isomerism, 13 patients (31%) with simple CVM, and 13 patients (31%) without cardiovascular malformations. Of these, 15 patients (36%) underwent cardiac surgery, 24 patients (57%) showed an anatomic spleen abnormality, and seven patients (17%) showed both. The remaining 355 participants did not have SA, including 152 with SIT and 203 with SS. Overall, 70 participants (17%) harbored the severe CCDC39 or CCDC40 genotype. Compared with participants without SA, those with SA showed lower median BMI z scores (P = .03), lower FVC z scores (P = .01), and more hospitalizations and IV antibiotic courses for acute respiratory infections during the 5 years before enrollment (P < .01). Participants with cardiovascular malformations requiring surgery or with anatomic spleen abnormalities showed lower median BMI z scores and more hospitalizations and IV therapies for respiratory illnesses compared with participants without SA. INTERPRETATION: Children with PCD and SA achieve worse nutritional and pulmonary outcomes with more hospitalizations for acute respiratory illnesses than those with SS or SIT combined. Poor nutrition and increased hospitalizations for respiratory infections in participants with SA and PCD are associated with cardiovascular malformations requiring cardiac surgery, splenic anomalies, or both. TRIAL REGISTRY: ClinicalTrials.gov; Nos.: NCT02389049 and NCT00323167; URL: www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov.

Conditional cash lotteries increase COVID-19 vaccination rates.

Conditional cash lotteries (CCLs) provide people with opportunities to win monetary prizes only if they make specific behavioral changes. We conduct a case study of Ohio's Vax-A-Million initiative, the first CCL targeting COVID-19 vaccinations. Forming a synthetic control from other states, we find that Ohios incentive scheme increases the vaccinated share of state population by 1.5 percent (0.7 pp), costing sixty-eight dollars per person persuaded to vaccinate. We show this causes significant reductions in COVID-19, preventing at least one infection for every six vaccinations that the lottery had successfully encouraged. These findings are promising for similar CCL public health initiatives.

Parainfluenza and corona viruses in a fallow deer (Dama dama) with fatal respiratory disease.

Parainfluenza virus type 3 (PIV-3) and coronaviruses (CoV) are commonly found in respiratory tracts of ruminants and capable of causing clinical disease. Here, we investigated the cause of ill-thrift and sudden death in a five-month-old male fallow deer which occurred in December 2019. The calf was one of the five calves in a herd of 170 deer that, along with three adult hinds, died during a 2-week period. The deer calves were in a shed, sharing airspace with young cattle that had been reported to be coughing. Significant gross pathology was observed in the respiratory and alimentary tracts of the deer calf and histopathology of the lung and trachea was suggestive of likely involvement of PIV-3. Strong and specific cytoplasmic labeling of bronchiolar epithelium and terminal airway, alike those seen with PIV-3 pneumonia in cattle, was observed using a polyclonal bovine PIV-3 antibody. Metagenomic analysis detected a PIV-3 and a CoV in the lung tissue. The PIV-3 L protein gene had the highest sequence identity with those of bovine PIV-3 (83.1 to 98.4%) and phylogenetically clustered with bovine PIV-3 in the genotype C. The CoV spike protein gene shared 96.7% to 97.9% sequence identity with those of bovine CoVs, but only 53.1% identity with SARS-CoV-2 reference virus. We believe this is the first report of PIV-3 and CoV co-infection in fallow deer and their association with fatal pneumonia; major pathology caused by PIV-3.

A multi-disciplinary, comprehensive approach to management of children with heterotaxy.

Heterotaxy (HTX) is a rare condition of abnormal thoraco-abdominal organ arrangement across the left-right axis of the body. The pathogenesis of HTX includes a derangement of the complex signaling at the left-right organizer early in embryogenesis involving motile and non-motile cilia. It can be inherited as a single-gene disorder, a phenotypic feature of a known genetic syndrome or without any clear genetic etiology. Most patients with HTX have complex cardiovascular malformations requiring surgical intervention. Surgical risks are relatively high due to several serious comorbidities often seen in patients with HTX. Asplenia or functional hyposplenism significantly increase the risk for sepsis and therefore require antimicrobial prophylaxis and immediate medical attention with fever. Intestinal rotation abnormalities are common among patients with HTX, although volvulus is rare and surgical correction carries substantial risk. While routine screening for intestinal malrotation is not recommended, providers and families should promptly address symptoms concerning for volvulus and biliary atresia, another serious morbidity more common among patients with HTX. Many patients with HTX have chronic lung disease and should be screened for primary ciliary dyskinesia, a condition of respiratory cilia impairment leading to bronchiectasis. Mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions need to be carefully considered among this population of patients living with a substantial medical burden. Optimal care of children with HTX requires a cohesive team of primary care providers and experienced subspecialists collaborating to provide compassionate, standardized and evidence-based care. In this statement, subspecialty experts experienced in HTX care and research collaborated to provide expert- and evidence-based suggestions addressing the numerous medical issues affecting children living with HTX.

TOF-SIMS with argon gas cluster ion beams: a comparison with C60+.

Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) is an established technique for the characterization of solid sample surfaces. The introduction of polyatomic ion beams, such as C(60), has provided the associated ability to perform molecular depth-profiling and 3D molecular imaging. However, not all samples perform equally under C(60) bombardment, and it is probably naïve to think that there will be an ion beam that will be applicable in all situations. It is therefore important to explore the potential of other candidates. A systematic study of the suitability of argon gas cluster ion beams (Ar-GCIBs) of general composition Ar(n)(+), where n = 60-3000, as primary particles in TOF-SIMS analysis has been performed. We have assessed the potential of the Ar-GCIBs for molecular depth-profiling in terms of damage accumulation and sputter rate and also as analysis beams where spectral quality and secondary ion yields are considered. We present results with direct comparison with C(60) ions on the same sample in the same instrument on polymer, polymer additive, and biomolecular samples, including lipids and small peptides. Large argon clusters show reduced damage accumulation compared with C(60) with an approximately constant sputter rate as a function of Ar cluster size. Further, on some samples, large argon clusters produce changes in the mass spectra indicative of a more gentle ejection mechanism. However, there also appears to be a reduction in the ionization of secondary species as the size of the Ar cluster increases.

Pediatric Pulmonology 2020 year in review: Asthma.

Pediatric asthma is a heterogeneous and common chronic condition with significant morbidity and burden on the healthcare system. Despite advances in the field, the disease has proven to be increasingly complex to diagnose and management strategies are constantly evolving. Studies from 2020 have advanced the field even further, particularly with regard to new methods of diagnosis and monitoring, treatment of severe asthma, modifiable risk factors like exercise and obesity, aerosol delivery, and viral respiratory infections contributing to the development of asthma. Continued studies are needed to improve our care for children with asthma and we look forward to future advances. This article is part of our 2020 "Year in Review" series, in which we summarize publications in major topic areas, in the context of selected literature from other journals relevant to our discipline.

Two-dimensional high performance liquid chromatography purification of underivatized urinary testosterone and metabolites for compound-specific stable carbon isotope analysis.

Testosterone doping in sports is detected through the measurement of the carbon isotopic signature (δ13 C) of testosterone and its metabolites in urine. A critical step in achieving accurate and precise δ13 C values during compound-specific stable carbon isotope analysis (CSIA) is the removal of interfering matrix components. To this end, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) recommends the use of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) as a method of sample pretreatment. We provide a description of an automated two-dimensional HPLC (2D-HPLC) purification method for urine extracts that has made possible the CSIA of underivatized steroids, requiring only 36 min per sample. Eight urinary steroids including testosterone (T) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and four of their metabolites as well as two endogenous reference compounds were collected during HPLC purification. Comparative GC chromatograms are used to contrast the efficiency of two-dimensional (2D) purification to a previously established 1D-HPLC method. The 2D purification leads to improved sample purity while simultaneously decreasing the analysis time, allowing for unprecedented sample throughput. Precision of δ13 C for all analyzed compounds in negative and positive controls was 0.5‰ or better, which is comparable with the precision of pure reference materials at similar intensities.