Long- incubation time- interferon-gamma release assays in response to PPD-, ESAT-6- and/or CFP-10 for the diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in children.

Background:Diagnosis of childhood active tuberculosis (aTB) or latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection (LTBI) remains a challenge, and replacement of tuberculin skin tests (TST) by commercialized interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA) is not currently recommended.Methods:266 children between 1 month and 15 years of age, 214 being at risk of recent Mtb infection and 51 being included as controls, were prospectively enrolled. According results of clinical evaluation, TST, chest X-Ray and microbiology, children were classified as non-infected, LTBI or aTB. Long-incubation time PPD-, ESAT-6-, and CFP-10-IGRA were performed and evaluated for their accuracy to correctly classify the children.Results:Whereas both TST and PPD-IGRA were suboptimal to detect aTB, combining CFP-10-IGRA with TST or with PPD-IGRA allowed us to detect all the children with aTB, with 96% specificity for children who were positive for CFP-10-IGRA. Moreover, combination of CFP-10- and PPD-IGRA also detected 96% of children classified as LTBI, but a strong IFN-γ response to CFP-10 (>500 pg/ml) was highly suggestive of aTB at least among children less than 3 years old.Conclusions:Long-incubation time CFP-10- and PPD-IGRA should help the clinicians to identify quickly aTB or LTBI in young children.

Análisis del efecto adyuvante de calreticulina sobre la inmunogenicidad de los antígenos Ag85b, Esat-6, Cfp-10 y la protección contra el daño causado por mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Tesis (Doctor en Ciencias con Orientación Terminal en Morfología) UANL, 2011.

Diagnóstico serológico de tuberculosis pulmonar mediante la detección por citometría de flujo de anticuerpos IgM e IgG contra microesferas cubiertas con ESAT-6 y CFP-10.

Tesis (Doctor en Medicina) UANL, 2013.

CFP Ephemere Architektur

Call for Papers für die kommende Ausgabe von *archimaera* (Herbst 2009)

Cyan fluorescent protein expression in ganglion and amacrine cells in a thy1-CFP transgenic mouse retina.

PURPOSE: To characterize cyan fluorescent protein (CFP) expression in the retina of the thy1-CFP (B6.Cg-Tg(Thy1-CFP)23Jrs/J) transgenic mouse line. METHODS: CFP expression was characterized using morphometric methods and immunohistochemistry with antibodies to neurofilament light (NF-L), neuronal nuclei (NeuN), POU-domain protein (Brn3a) and calretinin, which immunolabel ganglion cells, and syntaxin 1 (HPC-1), glutamate decarboxylase 67 (GAD(67)), GABA plasma membrane transporter-1 (GAT-1), and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), which immunolabel amacrine cells. RESULTS: CFP was extensively expressed in the inner retina, primarily in the inner plexiform layer (IPL), ganglion cell layer (GCL), nerve fiber layer, and optic nerve. CFP fluorescent cell bodies were in all retinal regions and their processes ramified in all laminae of the IPL. Some small, weakly CFP fluorescent somata were in the inner nuclear layer (INL). CFP-containing somata in the GCL ranged from 6 to 20 microm in diameter, and they had a density of 2636+/-347 cells/mm2 at 1.5 mm from the optic nerve head. Immunohistochemical studies demonstrated colocalization of CFP with the ganglion cell markers NF-L, NeuN, Brn3a, and calretinin. Immunohistochemistry with antibodies to HPC-1, GAD(67), GAT-1, and ChAT indicated that the small, weakly fluorescent CFP cells in the INL and GCL were cholinergic amacrine cells. CONCLUSIONS: The total number and density of CFP-fluorescent cells in the GCL were within the range of previous estimates of the total number of ganglion cells in the C57BL/6J line. Together these findings suggest that most ganglion cells in the thy1-CFP mouse line 23 express CFP. In conclusion, the thy1-CFP mouse line is highly useful for studies requiring the identification of ganglion cells.

Infra-red pupil detection for use in a face recognition system

This paper presents a new method of eye localisation and face segmentation for use in a face recognition system. By using two near infrared light sources, we have shown that the face can be coarsely segmented, and the eyes can be accurately located, increasing the accuracy of the face localisation and improving the overall speed of the system. The system is able to locate both eyes within 25% of the eye-to-eye distance in over 96% of test cases.

Abandoned object detection using multi-layer motion detection

Abandoned object detection (AOD) systems are required to run in high traffic situations, with high levels of occlusion. Systems rely on background segmentation techniques to locate abandoned objects, by detecting areas of motion that have stopped. This is often achieved by using a medium term motion detection routine to detect long term changes in the background. When AOD systems are integrated into person tracking system, this often results in two separate motion detectors being used to handle the different requirements. We propose a motion detection system that is capable of detecting medium term motion as well as regular motion. Multiple layers of medium term (static) motion can be detected and segmented. We demonstrate the performance of this motion detection system and as part of an abandoned object detection system.

Multi-sensor tracking using a scalable condensation filter

Surveillance and tracking systems typically use a single colour modality for their input. These systems work well in controlled conditions but often fail with low lighting, shadowing, smoke, dust, unstable backgrounds or when the foreground object is of similar colouring to the background. With advances in technology and manufacturing techniques, sensors that allow us to see into the thermal infrared spectrum are becoming more affordable. By using modalities from both the visible and thermal infrared spectra, we are able to obtain more information from a scene and overcome the problems associated with using visible light only for surveillance and tracking. Thermal images are not affected by lighting or shadowing and are not overtly affected by smoke, dust or unstable backgrounds. We propose and evaluate three approaches for fusing visual and thermal images for person tracking. We also propose a modified condensation filter to track and aid in the fusion of the modalities. We compare the proposed fusion schemes with using the visual and thermal domains on their own, and demonstrate that significant improvements can be achieved by using multiple modalities.

Identifying familiarity in older and younger adults

This paper discusses research into familiarity amongst younger and older adults. It explains the relevance of familiarity in product interactions. An experiment is discussed which investigates differences in familiarity between younger and older adults. A comprehensive coding scheme was developed to help analyse the data collected. This paper discusses the results and findings from the observational data. The results indicate that there is a negative relationship between age and familiarity. Also older adults are less likely to demonstrate familiarity though verbalisation than their younger counterparts.

eBusiness use in the United Arab Emirates : lessons for evolving markets

Since the early 1990’s the United Arab Emirates has been actively seeking to diversify into non-oil sectors. The nation has set out to market itself as a hub for foreign and domestic companies; realizing to achieve these goals that it must provide appropriate e-business frameworks and infrastructures. While the nation itself is paving the way for other nations in the Middle East to undertake electronic business initiatives, the use of everyday e-business in the UAE appears to be somewhat stifled. An investigation into reasons for the apparent low levels of adoption of e-business by UAE inhabitants has been conducted using an autoethnographic research methodology coupled with qualitative interviews of selected stakeholders. Findings from this research may contribute to a better understanding of how e-business initiatives in specific regions need to take into account local cultural and other issues which may be irrelevant elsewhere.

Identifying the presence of psychopathy in the community

Aim: Researchers have suggested that approximately 1% of individuals with psychopathic tendencies can successfully function within the community, although there has been a lack of research to support this claim. The current study aimed to identify individuals with psychopathic tendencies within a community sample and furthermore the socio-demographic correlates of this community integrated psychopath (e.g. relationship stability, substance use, and employment status). Procedure: 300 participants completed the Self-Reported Psychopathy scale – version 3 which contains four core psychopathy subfactors: (a) Interpersonal Manipulation, (b) Callous Affect, (c) Erratic Lifestyle and (d) Criminal Tendencies as well as the Paulhus Deception Scales to explore the effect of impression management and self-deception on the identification of psychopathy. Findings: Results indicated that at least 1% of the current community displayed characteristics consistent with psychopathic tendencies. A series of bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses were conducted which indicated that gender, age and alcohol misuse were predictive of psychopathy scores for this sample. More specifically, younger males who tend to misuse alcohol were found to be most likely to have psychopathic tendencies. Interestingly, impression management and self-deception was not associated with such tendencies. Discussion: The results provide some support for the assertion that individuals with psychopathic tendencies can be identified within the community (regardless of impression management techniques) and that such tendencies are associated with specific socio-demographic characteristics.

Some problems with a behavioristic account of early group pretense

In normal child development, both individual and group pretense first emerges at approximately two years of age. The metarepresentational account of pretense holds that children already have the concept PRETEND when they first engage in early group pretense. A behavioristic account suggests that early group pretense is analogous to early beliefs or desires and thus require no mental state concepts. I argue that a behavioral account does not explain the actual behavior observed in children and it cannot explain how children come to understand that a specific action is one of pretense versus one of belief. I conclude that a mentalistic explanation of pretense best explains the behavior under consideration.