Brain Surface Segmentation of Magnetic Resonance Images of the Fetus

In this work we present a method for the image analysisof Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of fetuses. Our goalis to segment the brain surface from multiple volumes(axial, coronal and sagittal acquisitions) of a fetus. Tothis end we propose a two-step approach: first, a FiniteGaussian Mixture Model (FGMM) will segment the image into3 classes: brain, non-brain and mixture voxels. Second, aMarkov Random Field scheme will be applied tore-distribute mixture voxels into either brain ornon-brain tissue. Our main contributions are an adaptedenergy computation and an extended neighborhood frommultiple volumes in the MRF step. Preliminary results onfour fetuses of different gestational ages will be shown.

Examining chemical compound biodegradation at low concentrations through bacterial cell proliferation.

We show proof of principle for assessing compound biodegradation at 1-2 mg C per L by measuring microbial community growth over time with direct cell counting by flow cytometry. The concept is based on the assumption that the microbial community will increase in cell number through incorporation of carbon from the added test compound into new cells in the absence of (as much as possible) other assimilable carbon. We show on pure cultures of the bacterium Pseudomonas azelaica that specific population growth can be measured with as low as 0.1 mg 2-hydroxybiphenyl per L, whereas in mixed community 1 mg 2-hydroxybiphenyl per L still supported growth. Growth was also detected with a set of fragrance compounds dosed at 1-2 mg C per L into diluted activated sludge and freshwater lake communities at starting densities of 10(4) cells per ml. Yield approximations from the observed community growth was to some extent in agreement with standard OECD biodegradation test results for all, except one of the examined compounds.

Classification des leucémies aiguës par les marqueurs de surface et corrélation avec le diagnostic morphologique résultats sur 111 cas

111 patients with acute leukemia, including 29 children, were classified according to the surface markers and cytochemistry of their blasts. The acute leukemias were separated into two majors groups (lymphoid and non-lymphoid) depending on the presence or absence of specific lymphoid markers. On the basis of these criteria a correlation of 94% with the hematological diagnosis was obtained. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) was divisible into three sub-groups: 11 cases expressing T-cell specific markers were classified as T-ALL and 33 cases expressing the common ALL antigen (CALLA) as c-ALL. 18 of the latter expressed an additional marker, DSA (Daudi surface antigen), splitting c-ALL cases in two subgroups. Cytochemistry of the cases lacking specific surface markers (n = 67) served to diagnose 41 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cases and 8 monoblastic leukemias. The remaining 18 cases could not be classified. The presence of absence of HLD-DR (Ia) antigens served to subdivide AML into two major subgroups. The prognostic significance of these new diagnostic splits is under active study.

Cholesterol and Fatty Acids Regulate Dynamic Caveolin Trafficking through the Golgi Complex and between the Cell Surface and Lipid Bodies

Caveolins are a crucial component of plasma membrane (PM) caveolae but have also been localized to intracellular compartments, including the Golgi complex and lipid bodies. Mutant caveolins associated with human disease show aberrant trafficking to the PM and Golgi accumulation. We now show that the Golgi pool of mainly newly synthesized protein is detergent-soluble and predominantly in a monomeric state, in contrast to the surface pool. Caveolin at the PM is not recognized by specific caveolin antibodies unless PM cholesterol is depleted. Exit from the Golgi complex of wild-type caveolin-1 or -3, but not vesicular stomatitis virus-G protein, is modulated by changing cellular cholesterol levels. In contrast, a muscular dystrophy-associated mutant of caveolin-3, Cav3P104L, showed increased accumulation in the Golgi complex upon cholesterol treatment. In addition, we demonstrate that in response to fatty acid treatment caveolin can follow a previously undescribed pathway from the PM to lipid bodies and can move from lipid bodies to the PM in response to removal of fatty acids. The results suggest that cholesterol is a rate-limiting component for caveolin trafficking. Changes in caveolin flux through the exocytic pathway can therefore be an indicator of cellular cholesterol and fatty acid levels.

Immunity to pneumococcal surface proteins in children with community-acquired pneumonia: a distinct pattern of responses to pneumococcal choline-binding protein A.

Clin Microbiol Infect ABSTRACT: The aetiological diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is challenging in children, and serological markers would be useful surrogates for epidemiological studies of pneumococcal CAP. We compared the use of anti-pneumolysin (Ply) antibody alone or with four additional pneumococcal surface proteins (PSPs) (pneumococcal histidine triad D (PhtD), pneumococcal histidine triad E (PhtE), LytB, and pneumococcal choline-binding protein A (PcpA)) as serological probes in children hospitalized with CAP. Recent pneumococcal exposure (positive blood culture for Streptococcus pneumoniae, Ply(+) blood PCR finding, and PSP seroresponse) was predefined as supporting the diagnosis of presumed pneumococcal CAP (P-CAP). Twenty-three of 75 (31%) children with CAP (mean age 33.7 months) had a Ply(+) PCR finding and/or a ≥2-fold increase of antibodies. Adding seroresponses to four PSPs identified 12 additional patients (35/75, 45%), increasing the sensitivity of the diagnosis of P-CAP from 0.44 (Ply alone) to 0.94. Convalescent anti-Ply and anti-PhtD antibody titres were significantly higher in P-CAP than in non P-CAP patients (446 vs. 169 ELISA Units (EU)/mL, p 0.031, and 189 vs. 66 EU/mL, p 0.044), confirming recent exposure. Acute anti-PcpA titres were three-fold lower (71 vs. 286 EU/mL, p <0.001) in P-CAP children. Regression analyses confirmed a low level of acute PcpA antibodies as the only independent predictor (p 0.002) of P-CAP. Novel PSPs facilitate the demonstration of recent pneumococcal exposure in CAP children. Low anti-PcpA antibody titres at admission distinguished children with P-CAP from those with CAP with a non-pneumococcal origin.

Miles of Public Roads in Iowa by Surface Type, December 31, 2009

Public roads by surface type in Iowa by Iowa Department of Transportation.

Ab initio study of NOx compounds adsorption on SnO2 surface

An ab initio study of the adsorption processes on NOx compounds on (1 1 0) SnO2 surface is presented with the aim of providing theoretical hints for the development of improved NOx gas sensors. From first principles calculations (DFT¿GGA approximation), the most relevant NO and NO2 adsorption processes are analyzed by means of the estimation of their adsorption energies. The resulting values and the developed model are also corroborated with experimental desorption temperatures for NO and NO2, allowing us to explain the temperature-programmed desorption experiments. The interference of the SO2 poisoning agent on the studied processes is discussed and the adsorption site blocking consequences on sensing response are analyzed.

Surface states in template synthesized tin oxide nanoparticles

Tin-oxide nanoparticles with controlled narrow size distributions are synthesized while physically encapsulated inside silica mesoporous templates. By means of ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, a redshift of the optical absorbance edge is observed. Photoluminescence measurements corroborate the existence of an optical transition at 3.2 eV. The associated band of states in the semiconductor gap is present even on template-synthesized nanopowders calcined at 800°C, which contrasts with the evolution of the gap states measured on materials obtained by other methods. The gap states are thus considered to be surface localized, disappearing with surface faceting or being hidden by the surface-to-bulk ratio decrease.

Raman microprobe characterization of electrodeposited S-rich CuIn(S,Se)2 for photovoltaic applications: Microstructural analysis

This article reports a detailed Raman scattering and microstructural characterization of S-rich CuIn(S,Se)2 absorbers produced by electrodeposition of nanocrystalline CuInSe2 precursors and subsequent reactive annealing under sulfurizing conditions. Surface and in-depth resolved Raman microprobe measurements have been correlated with the analysis of the layers by optical and scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and in-depth Auger electron spectroscopy. This has allowed corroboration of the high crystalline quality of the sulfurized layers. The sulfurizing conditions used also lead to the formation of a relatively thick MoS2 intermediate layer between the absorber and the Mo back contact. The analysis of the absorbers has also allowed identification of the presence of In-rich secondary phases, which are likely related to the coexistence in the electrodeposited precursors of ordered vacancy compound domains with the main chalcopyrite phase, in spite of the Cu-rich conditions used in the growth. This points out the higher complexity of the electrodeposition and sulfurization processes in relation to those based in vacuum deposition techniques.

Leishmania major: differential regulation of the surface metalloprotease in amastigote and promastigote stages.

During its life cycle, the protozoan parasite Leishmania major alternates from an intracellular amastigote form in the mammalian host to a flagellated promastigote form in the insect vector. The expression of the surface metalloprotease (PSP) during differentiation in vitro was investigated by Western and Northern blots, by immunoprecipitation of cells metabolically labeled with [35S]methionine or labeled at the surface with radioactive iodine, and by quantification of the proteolytic activity in substrate-containing polyacrylamide gels. We report that the surface metalloprotease is down-regulated at both the mRNA and the protein level in amastigotes, where it represents less than 1% of the equivalent proteolytic activity detected in promastigotes. A significant amount of mRNA is detected 4 hr after the onset of differentiation. The expression of the protease begins at that time and reaches steady state 8 hr later. The synthesis of PSP precedes the complete morphological differentiation to the promastigote stage and the appearance of the lipophosphoglycan, another major promastigote surface component. In contrast to PSP, a family of mercaptoethanol-activated proteases present in the amastigote exists only at a reduced level in the promastigote. The confinement of the surface metalloprotease to the insect stage of the parasite suggests that it has no physiological function in the parasitism maintenance of mammalian host macrophages.

La coordination des dirigeants économiques face à la financiarisation : gouvernance d'entreprise, relations industrielles et élites dirigeantes dans l'industrie suisse des machines, de l'électrotechnique et de la métallurgie (1970-2008)

Résumé Cette recherche analyse les transformations de la gouvernance d'entreprise et des relations industrielles entre 1970 et 2008 dans le contexte suisse, en mettant l'accent sur les changements survenus depuis les années 1990. Elle se centre sur le secteur de l'industrie des machines, de l'électrotechnique et de la métallurgie -noyau historique du capitalisme helvétique et principal employeur et exportateur industriel du pays - et discute l'hypothèse de la convergence des économies coordonnées vers le modèle libéral. Elle examine d'abord les formes de coordination hors-marché qui se sont consolidées entre les élites économiques suisses au cours de la période d'après-guerre. Les stratégies d'innovation incrémentale des grandes sociétés étaient soutenues par une gouvernance marquée par la faible pression des marchés des capitaux, en raison notamment de la forte concentration de l'actionnariat, de mécanismes protectionnistes en matière d'accès au contrôle des sociétés, ainsi que d'une grande interdépendance entre banques et entreprises. Cette interdépendance apparaît dans la forte densité du réseau d'interconnexions des Conseils d'administration, où les principales banques tiennent une place centrale. Le réseau met également en relation les sociétés du secteur entre elles, ainsi qu'avec des firmes actives sur d'autres marchés, ce qui témoigne de l'irréductibilité des stratégies industrielles à une pure logique de compétition centrée sur les marchés. Les stratégies à long terme du management peuvent également s'appuyer sur un système pacifié de relations industrielles, caractérisé par l'autorégulation des acteurs privés dans le cadre d'un partenariat social de branche entre des associations aux stratégies modérées, « néocorporatistes ». Nous analysons alors l'impact de la libéralisation et de la financiarisation de l'économie suisse sur la coordination des élites économiques durant les années 1990. Nous montrons que l'affirmation des fonds d'investissement a déstabilisé le système traditionnel de gouvernance d'entreprise. Ce dernier a ainsi été marqué par l'émergence d'un marché pour le contrôle de l'entreprise -fin du «capital patient » -, la dissolution de l'interdépendance entre banques et industries et plus globalement des formes de coordination hors-marché reposant sur le réseau d'interconnexions des Conseils d'administration, ainsi que par de profondes restructurations des grandes sociétés orientées vers la création de richesse pour les actionnaires. La recherche explore alors les logiques d'interactions entre la sphère de la gouvernance d'entreprise et celle des relations industrielles, l'affirmation du capital financier faisant pression sur le partenariat social dans le sens d'une flexibilisation et déréglementation du marché du travail. Par ailleurs, nous mettons en perspective le rôle central des élites dans le changement institutionnel. Loin de subir la pression des actionnaires, les préférences d'une nouvelle élite managériale au profil financier ont convergé avec les intérêts des investisseurs dans le processus de financiarisation. Ces préférences ont également participé à l'érosion du partenariat social de branche. Du côté syndical, l'émergence -ici aussi - d'une nouvelle élite, académique et issue de la gauche politique, au cours des années 1990, a remis en cause les recettes de l'ancienne génération de syndicalistes ouvriers. La principale association du secteur a ainsi diversifié ses registres d'action en investissant la sphère politique et en relativisant la paix absolue du travail, deux stratégies activement rejetées par le syndicat au cours du régime de croissance d'après-guerre. Tout en mettant la sociologie des élites au service d'une meilleure compréhension des processus de changement institutionnel dans les capitalismes contemporains, cette recherche souligne des logiques de changement différentes dans les sphères sous revue :changement disruptif dans la gouvernance d'entreprise, incrémentai dans les relations industrielles. L'analyse s'est appuyée sur le croisement de différentes méthodes : analyse documentaire, entretiens semi-directifs, analyse du parcours et profil des élites, analyse de réseau, études de cas.

Carboxyl terminus structural requirements for glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol anchor addition to cell surface proteins.

Glycosyl phosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins contain in their COOH-terminal region a peptide segment that is thought to direct glycolipid addition. This signal has been shown to require a pair of small amino acids positioned 10-12 residues upstream of an hydrophobic C-terminal domain. We analysed the contribution of the region separating the anchor acceptor site and the C-terminal hydrophobic segment by introducing amino acid deletions and substitutions in the spacer element of the GPI-anchored Thy-1 glycoprotein. Deletions of 7 amino acids in this region, as well as the introduction of 2 charged residues, prevented the glycolipid addition to Thy-1, suggesting that the length and the primary sequence of the spacer domain are important determinants in the signal directing GPI anchor transfer onto a newly synthesized polypeptide. Furthermore, we tested these rules by creating a truncated form of the normally transmembranous Herpes simplex virus I glycoprotein D (gDI) and demonstrating that when its C-terminal region displays all the features of a GPI-anchored protein, it is able to direct glycolipid addition onto another cell surface molecule.

Influence of premetallization surface treatment on the formation of Schottky Au-nGaN contacts

The influence of premetallization surface preparation on the structural, chemical, and electrical properties of Au-nGaN interfaces has been investigated by x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), current-voltage measurement (I-V) and cross-section transmission electron microscopy (TEM). XPS analysis showed that the three GaN substrate treatments investigated i.e., ex situ hydrofluoric acid etch, in situ anneal in ultrahigh-vacuum (UHV), and in situ Ga reflux cleaning in UHV result in surfaces increasingly free of oxygen contamination. XPS and TEM characterization of Au-nGaN formed after the three premetallization surface treatments show that HF etching and UHV annealing produce abrupt, well-defined interfaces. Conversely, GaN substrate cleaning in a Ga flux results in Au/GaN intermixing. I-V characterization of Au¿nGaN contacts yields a Schottky barrier height of 1.25 eV with a very low-ideality factor and very good contact uniformity for the premetallization UHV anneal, while the Ga reflux cleaning results in a much lower barrier (0.85 eV), with poor ideality and uniformity. I-V and XPS results suggest a high density of acceptor states at the surface, which is further enhanced by UHV annealing. These results are discussed in the context of current models of Schottky barrier formation.

Measurement of Pavement Surface Variations, July 1974

The measurement of pavement roughness has been the concern of highway engineers for more than 70 years. This roughness is referred to as "riding quality" by the traveling public. Pavement roughness evaluating devices have attempted to place either a graphical or numerical value on the public's riding comfort or discomfort. Early graphical roughness recorders had many different designs. In 1900 an instrument called the "Viagraph" was developed by an Irish engineer.' The "Viagraph" consisted of a twelve foot board with graphical recorder drawn over the pavement. The "Profilometer" built in Illinois in 1922 was much more impressive. ' The instrument's recorder was mounted on a frame supported by 32 bicycle wheels mounted in tandem. Many other variations of profilometers with recorders were built but most were difficult to handle and could not secure uniformly reproducible results. The Bureau of Public Roads (BPR) Road Roughness Indicator b u i l t in 1941 is the most widely used numerical roughness recorder.' The BPR Road Roughness Indicator consists of a trailer unit with carefully selected springs, means of dampening, and balanced wheel.