Coarse Pattern Research Articles

Dynamic analysis of the three-phase magneto-electro-elastic (MEE) structures with the finite element method enriched by proper enrichment functions

In this study, a carefully designed enriched finite element method (EFEM) is presented to improve the solution accuracy of the conventional FEM by analyzing the dynamic behavior of the magnetic-electric-elastic (MEE) composite structures, which are frequently used in designing various smart and intelligent devices. By formulating the proper EFEM with ideal numerical performance, different enrichment functions are considered and the corresponding solution quality of different versions of the EFEM is compared and examined in great detail. When the Lagrange polynomial basis functions together with the harmonic trigonometric functions are used as enrichment functions, the obtained EFEM shows extremely powerful and ideal numerical performance, which is obviously better than the other versions of EFEM and the conventional FEM, in studying the free vibration and harmonic frequency responses of the MEE structures. Nearly exact numerical solutions for three-phase physical fields of MEE structures can be generated by the proposed EFEM even if very coarse mesh patterns are used. Intensive numerical studies are conducted to confirm and verify the excellent properties of the proposed EFEM in performing dynamic analysis of the MEE structures.

Augmented degree correction for bipartite networks with applications to recommender systems

In recommender systems, users rate items, and are subsequently served other product recommendations based on these ratings. Even though users usually rate a tiny percentage of the available items, the system tries to estimate unobserved preferences by finding similarities across users and across items. In this work, we treat the observed ratings data as partially observed, dense, weighted, bipartite networks. For a class of systems without outside information, we adapt an approach developed for dense, weighted networks to account for unobserved edges and the bipartite nature of the problem. The approach begins with clustering both users and items into communities, and locally estimates the patterns of ratings within each subnetwork induced by restricting attention to one community of users and one community of items community. The local fitting procedure relies on estimating local sociability parameters for every user and item, and selecting the function that determines the degree correction contours which best models the underlying data. We compare the performance of our proposed approach to existing methods on a simulated data set, as well as on a data set of joke ratings, examining model performance in both cases at differing levels of sparsity. On the joke ratings data set, our proposed model performs better than existing alternatives in relatively sparse settings, though other approaches achieve better results when more data is available. Collectively, the results indicate that despite struggling to pick up subtler signals, the proposed approach’s recovery of large scale, coarse patterns may still be useful in practical settings where high sparsity is typical.

Edge lithography based on aluminum dry etching

Traditional nanolithography methods, such as electron beam or ion beam lithography, can be expensive and slow, limiting their applications. Edge lithography offers a promising alternative for efficiently and effectively creating nanoscale patterns using lower-cost lithography equipment with higher throughput. Our paper presents a new edge lithography technique to pattern fine structures with coarse patterns utilizing aluminum plasma dry etching without thin film deposition. The aluminum oxide layer generated on the sidewall of the Al structure during the etching process defines the final nanostructures. Our experiments show that this layer is formed through the oxidation of the aluminum layer itself, providing a simple and practical approach to creating complex nanostructures without additional steps or materials. In addition, using the non-switching pseudo-Bosch etching process, we transferred the nano-edge pattern formed in aluminum oxide into the silicon substrate. Our technique allows for cost-effective and efficient nanoscale patterning for various applications.

Discrimination of facial identity based on simple contrast patterns generated by shading and shadows

The pattern of shadows and shading across a face is determined partly by face shape and may therefore provide a cue for facial recognition. In this study, we measured the ability of human observers to discriminate facial identity based simply on the coarse pattern of contrast produced by the interaction between facial geometry and lighting direction. We used highly realistic 3D models of human heads to create images of faces illuminated from different horizontal and vertical directions, which were then converted to two-tone images (‘Mooney faces’) to isolate the coarse pattern of contrast. Participants were presented with pairs of two-tone faces and judged whether it was the same person in both images. Participants could discriminate facial identity based on the minimal cues within the two-tone images, though sensitivity depended on the horizontal and vertical lighting direction. Performance on the Mooney recognition task correlated with general facial recognition ability, though the role of face-specific processing in this relationship was not significant. Our results demonstrate that shading information in the form of simple contrast cues is sufficient for discriminating facial identity, and support the idea that visual processing is somewhat optimised for overhead lighting – here, in the relatively high-level context of face identity recognition.

E58 The rheumatologic masquerader: a case report on SLE-dermatomyositis-systemic scleroderma overlap syndrome

Abstract Introduction Juvenile dermatomyositis is an autoimmune connective tissue disorder characterized by idiopathic inflammatory myopathy primarily affecting the skin and muscles(1, 2). It may occur alone or in overlap syndromes usually with systemic scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and mixed connective tissue disease(3, 4). There is need to further describe and characterize cases encountered in different set ups. Objective To describe a case of dermatomyositis-scleroderma overlap in an African male adolescent. Methods We carried out a retrospective chart review to ascertain clinical features and management strategies. Results We present a case of a 17- year old African male patient who presented with a diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus made at a peripheral facility in February 2021, and started on azathioprine 50 mg daily, hydroxychloroquine 200 mg daily and prednisolone 5 mg twice daily. He presented on 30th November 2022 with a 2-year history of bilateral elbow, knee, ankle pain and swelling with an 8-month history of bilateral proximal upper and lower limb muscle weakness. Review of systems revealed alopecia, occasional fever and hyperpigmentation over his proximal interphalangeal and metacarpophalangeal joints that has since evolved to hypopigmentation. Positive examination findings included fine sparse hair, heliotrope rash, Gottron's papule, salt and pepper skin rash, hardening of the skin over the arm and thighs with a rodnan score 3/3 over the phalanges, nodular non tender lesions in the abdominal subcutaneous tissue and dactylitis with fixed flexion deformities of both elbows. He had bilateral flexion contractures of both elbows and knees with dactylitic fingers. Laboratory investigations showed an elevated CRP 94 mg/l, elevated lactate dehydrogenase 458 U/l, elevated creatine kinase 492U/l, positive antinuclear antibodies (1:640 titres) with a nuclear coarse and large speckled pattern, positive double stranded DNA antibodies and weak positive anti SM, anti RNP and PCNA antibodies. Myositis panel was positive for MDA5 and OJ. Pelvic MRI showed features of proximal inflammatory myositis. The childhood myositis assessment scale revealed a score of 25/52. ECHO and chest radiograph were normal. Pulmonary function test showed a low FEV 1 and FVC in keeping with a restrictive lung picture. Gastroenterology review revealed gastritis with no other stigmata of autoimmune disease. Management has consisted of monthly therapy with intravenous immunoglobulin. Azathioprine therapy was switched with mycophenolate mofetil 1 gram twelve hourly. He was advised on sunscreen protection. Physiotherapy and occupational therapy has been ongoing. Three months of follow up has led to the resolution of the flexion knee contractures, improved functionality in activities of daily living and a rodnan score of 2/3 over the phalanges. Conclusion SLE-juvenile dermatomyositis and systemic scleroderma can occur as an overlap syndrome and a definitive diagnosis remains elusive to many clinicians. A thorough history and comprehensive physical examination remains key to establishing a correct diagnosis. Early patient referral to paediatric rheumatologist for prompt appropriate treatment can avert debilitating morbidity and mortality.

Influence of Staphylococcus epidermidis on Collagen Crimp Patterns of Soft Tissue Allograft

Background: Postoperative infections, commonly from Staphylococcus epidermidis, may result in anterior cruciate ligament graft failure and necessitate revision surgery. In biomechanical studies, S. epidermidis has been shown to establish biofilms on tendons and reduce graft strength. Purpose/Hypothesis: The goal of this study was to determine the effect of bacterial bioburden on the collagen structure of tendon. It was hypothesized that an increase in S. epidermidis biofilm would compromise tendon crimp, a pattern necessary for mechanical integrity, of soft tissue allografts. Study design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Cultures of S. epidermidis were used to inoculate tibialis anterior cadaveric tendons. Conditions assessed included 5 × 105 colony-forming units or concentrated spent media from culture (no living bacteria). Incubation times of 30 minutes, 3 hours, 6 hours, and 24 hours were utilized. Second-harmonic generation imaging allowed for visualization of collagen autofluorescence. Crimp lengths were determined using ImageJ and compared based on incubation time. Results: Incubation time positively correlated with increasing S. epidermidis bioburden. Both fine and coarse crimp patterns lengthened with increasing incubation time. Significant coarse crimp changes were observed after only 30-minute incubations (P < .029), whereas significant fine crimp lengthening occurred after 6 hours (P < .0001). No changes in crimp length were identified after incubation in media lacking living bacteria. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that exposure to S. epidermidis negatively affects collagen crimp structure. Structural alterations at the collagen fiber level occur within 30 minutes of exposure to media containing S. epidermidis. Clinical Relevance: Our study highlights the need for antimicrobial precautions to prevent graft colonization and maximize graft mechanical strength.

On coarse patterns in the atmospheric concentration of ice nucleating particles

The atmospheric concentration of ice nucleating particles active at around −10 °C (INP−10) is very low. Nevertheless, these particles play a role in the development of cloud systems, so their spatial and temporal patterns merit attention. We collated available datasets on INP−10 to identify such patterns. Among the five low altitude observatories in northern Eurasia, median values throughout May to October were lowest in Scandinavia (4 and 6 m−3), somewhat higher in central Europe (11 m−3), substantially higher in the West Siberian Plain (69 m−3) and highest in the Central Yakutian Lowland (204 m−3), suggesting that the abundance of INP−10 in northern Eurasia may increase with continentality and from West to East. The range of values at the same observatories was narrower throughout November to April (2 to 27 m−3). On average, by an order of magnitude smaller values were reported for the four Arctic observatories. Consequently, increasing poleward transport of air masses from the midlatitudes likely raises the concentration of INP−10 in the Arctic, particularly when air masses had surface contact in eastern parts of northern Eurasia.

Understanding Unsupervised Deep Learning for Text Line Segmentation

We propose an unsupervised feature learning approach for segmenting text lines of handwritten document images with no labelling effort. Humans can easily group local text line features to global coarse patterns. We leverage this coherent visual perception of text lines as a supervising signal by formulating the feature learning as a global pattern differentiation task. The machine is trained to detect whether a document patch contains a similar global text line pattern with its identity or neighbours, and a different global text line pattern with its 90-degree-rotated identity or neighbours. Clustering the central windows of document image patches using their extracted features, forms blob lines which strike through the text lines. The blob lines guide an energy minimization function for extracting text lines in a binary image and guide a seam carving function for detecting baselines in a colour image. In identifying the aspect of the input patch that supports the actual prediction and clustering, we contribute toward the understanding of input patch functionality. We evaluate the method on several variants of text line segmentation datasets to demonstrate its effectiveness, visualize what it has learned, and enable it to comprehend its clustering strategy from a human perspective.

Acoustic occurrence of baleen whales, particularly blue, fin, and humpback whales, off eastern Canada, 2015-2017

Six baleen whale species occur off eastern Canada, but little is known of their year-round occurrence across this large region. This complicates identifying areas that are important to them and may require critical habitat designation, especially for those species considered at risk. This is particularly true between fall and spring because of a lack of visual survey effort. The main objective of this paper is to provide a year-round and pluriannual description of the minimum acoustic occurrence of baleen whales, particularly blueBalaenoptera musculus, finB. physalus, and humpback whalesMegaptera novaeangliae. We deployed 25 acoustic recorders off eastern Canada between May 2015 and November 2017, and the data were analyzed using a combination of automated detectors and manual validation to identify vocalizations produced by these species. Blue, fin, and humpback whales occurred off eastern Canada year-round, a finding which contrasts the traditional seasonal latitude migration narrative for these species. The Scotian Shelf region and Flemish Pass-Orphan Basin areas seem particularly important for these animals and should be the focus of future research. SeiB. borealis, minkeB. acutorostrata, and North Atlantic right whaleEubalaena glacialisvocalizations also occurred in the data but were not adequately captured by the adopted methodology. Coarse patterns of occurrence are presented for these species as a foundation for more detailed analyses. This study is the first to cover eastern Canadian waters for an extended continuous period and provides a baseline against which future changes can be assessed.

Patterns of depredation in the Hawai‘i deep‐set longline fishery informed by fishery and false killer whale behavior

AbstractFalse killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) depredate bait and catch in the Hawai‘i‐based deep‐set longline fishery, and as a result, this species is hooked or entangled more than any other cetacean in this fishery. We analyzed data collected by fisheries observers and from satellite‐linked transmitters deployed on false killer whales to identify patterns of odontocete depredation that could help fishermen avoid overlap with whales. Odontocete depredation was observed on ˜6% of deep‐set hauls across the fleet from 2004 to 2018. Model outcomes from binomial GAMMs suggested coarse patterns, for example, higher rates of depredation in winter, at lower latitudes, and with higher fishing effort. However, explanatory power was low, and no covariates were identified that could be used in a predictive context. The best indicator of depredation was the occurrence of depredation on a previous set of the same vessel. We identified spatiotemporal scales of this repeat depredation to provide guidance to fishermen on how far to move or how long to wait to reduce the probability of repeated interactions. The risk of depredation decreased with both space and time from a previous occurrence, with the greatest benefits achieved by moving ˜400 km or waiting ˜9 d, which reduced the occurrence of depredation from 18% to 9% (a 50% reduction). Fishermen moved a median 46 km and waited 4.7 h following an observed depredation interaction, which our analysis suggests is unlikely to lead to large reductions in risk. Satellite‐tagged pelagic false killer whales moved up to 75 km in 4 h and 335 km in 24 h, suggesting that they can likely keep pace with longline vessels for at least four hours and likely longer. We recommend fishermen avoid areas of known depredation or bycatch by moving as far and as quickly as practical, especially within a day or two of the depredation or bycatch event. We also encourage captains to communicate depredation and bycatch occurrence to enable other vessels to similarly avoid high‐risk areas.

Disentangling the independent effects of vegetation cover and pattern on runoff and sediment yield in dryland systems – Uncovering processes through mimicked plant patches

There is strong empirical evidence on the importance of the spatial pattern of vegetation in dryland hydrologic and geomorphologic dynamics. However, changes in vegetation cover and spatial pattern are often linked, making it difficult to disentangle and assess their independent hydro-geomorphologic roles. We used synthetic sponges placed on the soil surface to mimic the aboveground structure of vegetation patches, and manipulated patch cover and pattern as well as the sink capacity of the patches on a set of 24 (2 × 1 m) runoff plots. Combining natural-rainfall and simulated-rainfall experiments, we aimed to test that (1) both vegetation cover and pattern independently control runoff and sediment yield; (2) for any given cover, coarsening the vegetation pattern entails increasing runoff and sediment yield; and (3) pattern effect is mostly exerted by modulating the source-sink dynamics of the system. We found that increasing either patch cover or patch density decreased runoff and sediment yields from natural rainfalls, yet the effect of patch density largely disappeared when the effect of the co-varying patch cover was removed. Simulated-rainfall experiments on plots with equal medium-low patch cover showed however that coarser patterns (lower patch density; higher patch size) increased runoff coefficients and reduced time to runoff as compared with finer patterns. The effect of patch density was particularly clear when the sink function of vegetation patches was also mimicked. Rainfall interception and direct soil protection proved to be critical mechanisms underlying the effects of patch cover, yet they barely contributed to the effects of patch pattern. The control of overland flow by patch pattern was exerted through changes in the level of runoff disruption. However, physical obstructions to runoff hardly reduced runoff unless coupled to mimicked soil sinks. Overall this work demonstrates the independent effects of patch cover and pattern on the hydro-geomorphologic functioning of patchy landscapes, with patch cover being the primary hydrologic control factor and patch pattern exhibiting its full potential for low and medium low patch cover values. Our findings provide useful information for modelling and understanding dryland vegetation dynamics, and for designing management and restoration measures that take into account the critical role played by source-sink dynamics and hydrological connectivity in dryland landscapes.

Fragilaria irregularis sp. nov. a new araphid species (Fragilariaceae, Bacillariophyta) from the River Adegoy, Krasnodar Territory, Russia

During a survey of the diatom flora of the Adegoy River (Krasnodar Territory, Russia), an unknown Fragilaria species (Bacillariophyta) was found that could not be identified using the currently available literature and here we describe it as a new species. The morphology of Fragilaria irregularis sp. nov. was studied using light and scanning electron microscopy and compared to similar species including Fragilaria deformis, F. rinoi, F. septentrionalis and Fragilariforma bicapitata. It differed from these taxa in several characters. Most observed valves showed an irregular striation pattern, a feature not observed in other species. Other important differences include valve outline (linear with parallel margins) and stria density (7–14 in 10 µm, lower compared to all other species). The new taxon has a linear valve outline with parallel to weakly convex margins, subcapitate apices and a very irregular, coarse striation pattern.

All Shades of Shrimp: Preferences of Colour Morphs of a Freshwater Shrimp Neocaridina davidi (Decapoda, Atyidae) for Substrata of Different Colouration

Simple SummaryExamination of preferences of an aquarium “Red Cherry” shrimp for differently coloured backgrounds revealed common traits, irrespective of shrimp body colouration. The shrimp selected dark backgrounds and coarse patterns over light and fine patterned substrata. Thus, the use of materials with dark and uniform colouration can contribute to designing proper monitoring tools to detect biological invasions after releasing this pet into the wild, as well as to provide shrimp with comfortable conditions in captivity.An ornamental freshwater shrimp, Neocaridina davidi, is popular as an aquarium hobby and, therefore, a potentially invasive species. There is a growing need for proper management of this species to determine not only their optimum breeding conditions, but also their ability to colonise novel environments. We tested habitat preferences of colour morphs (brown, red, white) of N. davidi for substratum colour (black, white, grey shades, red) and fine or coarse chess-board patterns to recognise their suitable captivity conditions and predict their distribution after potential release into nature. We conducted laboratory choice experiments (n = 8) with three individuals of the same morph exposed for two hours to a range of backgrounds. Shrimp preferred dark backgrounds over light ones irrespective of their own colouration and its match with the background colour. Moreover, the brown and red morphs, in contrast to the white morph, preferred the coarse background pattern over the finer pattern. This suggests that the presence of dark, uniform substrata (e.g., rocks, macrophytes) will favour N. davidi. Nevertheless, the polymorphism of the species has little effect on its total niche breadth, and thus its invasive potential.

The clinical significance of antinuclear antibodies and specific autoantibodies in juvenile and adult systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

Juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE) and adult SLE (ASLE) patients present with different clinical manifestations, but it is unknown if there are differences in their antinuclear autoantibody (ANA) profiles or if staining patterns are associated with specific autoantibodies and clinical manifestations. To determine whether distinct types and numbers of ANA-staining patterns are associated with specific autoantibodies and clinical manifestations in JSLE and ASLE patients. A retrospective study was performed in Thai children (n = 146) and adults (n = 180) diagnosed with SLE using the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics classification criteria. JSLE patients with a homogeneous pattern of staining and anti-dsDNA or anti-nucleosome antibodies in serum, developed renal involvement, leukopenia and acute/subacute cutaneous LE. Coarse speckled pattern with anti-RNP or anti-Sm showed thrombocytopenia and renal involvement in JSLE patients, but leukopenia in both groups. JSLE patients with fine-coarse speckled pattern and anti-RNP, anti-Sm, anti-Ro-52 or anti-SSA developed leukopenia, thrombocytopenia and renal involvement, whilst hemolytic anemia and serositis were commonly found in those with anti-Ro-52. Median SLEDAI score was higher in JSLE than ASLE patients. Detailed ANA-staining patterns with specific autoantibodies show particular clinical manifestations and hence prompt further clinical investigations in both JSLE and ASLE patients. Therefore, this study demonstrates that distinct patterns of ANA staining and specific autoantibodies are clinically important in both children and adults with SLE.

A new predictor of bleeding based on ultrasonographic features in percutaneous liver mass biopsy

Background/aimAn ultrasound-guided liver mass biopsy is a method frequently used in determining the diagnosis and treatment plan. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential new predictors of bleeding based on ultrasonographic features in liver mass biopsies, which are frequently applied in routine clinical practice.Materials and methodsThe images and data of patients aged over 18 years, who underwent an imaging-guided percutaneous liver mass biopsy between January 2018 and December 2019 with various indications, were retrospectively reviewed. Liver size, liver steatosis status, parenchyma appearance, and mass vascularity on Doppler ultrasonography before the procedure, and hemoglobin (Hb) values before and after the procedure were recorded.ResultsA total of 176 patients were included in the study. Ninety-six patients were male (54.5%) and 80 were female (45.5%). The mean age of the patients was 64 ± 12.3 years. The mean hemoglobin values of the patients were 11.5 ± 1.9 gr/dL before the procedure and 11.4 ± 1.5 gr/dL after the procedure. While 144 of the patients had less than 10% hemoglobin decrease (81.8%), 32 had more than 10% decrease (8.2%). In 56 patients, a heterogeneous and coarse granular pattern was observed in the liver parenchyma (31.8%). The decrease in the Hb rate was significantly higher in patients with heterogeneous and coarse granular liver parenchyma (8.7%) than in patients with normal parenchyma (6.6%) (P = 0.036).ConclusionIn our study, it was shown for the first time in the literature that the ultrasonographic appearance of the liver (heterogeneous and coarse granular parenchyma) may also be one of the parameters that can help to predict the risk of bleeding.

Over 150 Years of Change: Object-Oriented Analysis of Historical Land Cover in the Main River Catchment, Bavaria/Germany

The monitoring of land cover and land use change is critical for assessing the provision of ecosystem services. One of the sources for long-term land cover change quantification is through the classification of historical and/or current maps. Little research has been done on historical maps using Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA). This study applied an object-based classification using eCognition tool for analyzing the land cover based on historical maps in the Main river catchment, Upper Franconia, Germany. This allowed land use change analysis between the 1850s and 2015, a time span which covers the phase of industrialization of landscapes in central Europe. The results show a strong increase in urban area by 2600%, a severe loss of cropland (−24%), a moderate reduction in meadows (−4%), and a small gain in forests (+4%). The method proved useful for the application on historical maps due to the ability of the software to create semantic objects. The confusion matrix shows an overall accuracy of 82% for the automatic classification compared to manual reclassification considering all 17 sample tiles. The minimum overall accuracy was 65% for historical maps of poor quality and the maximum was 91% for very high-quality ones. Although accuracy is between high and moderate, coarse land cover patterns in the past and trends in land cover change can be analyzed. We conclude that such long-term analysis of land cover is a prerequisite for quantifying long-term changes in ecosystem services.

Morphological analyses of nephrin expression in progressive glomerulonephropathy of common marmosets.

In this study, we focused on nephrin, one of the key molecules within the slit diaphragm of podocytes, as although there have been reports on its expression in humans and rats, their presence in common marmosets has not been reported. We investigated nephrin expression and changes in glomeruli, depending on the development of spontaneous progressive glomerulonephropathy in common marmosets. Nineteen common marmosets at two to ten years of age were evaluated. The kidney was examined by microscopy with hematoxylin and eosin and immunohistochemical staining for nephrin. The lesions were classified into three grades according to a renal lesion grading system reported previously. The nephrin-positive area was measured by morphometric analysis, and the nephrin-positive ratio was calculated. Nephrin expression was observed along the glomerular capillary loop in a continuous linear pattern in renal lesion grades 0 to 2 and either discontinuous linear or coarse granular pattern in grade 3. Nephrin expression tended to decrease significantly depending on the grade of renal lesions. Alteration in nephrin expression has been suggested to play an important role in the progression of renal lesions.

Two Coarse Spatial Patterns of Altered Brain Microstructure Predict Post-traumatic Amnesia in the Subacute Stage of Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.

Introduction: Diffuse traumatic axonal injury (TAI) is one of the key mechanisms leading to impaired consciousness after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). In addition, preferential regional expression of TAI in the brain may also influence clinical outcome.Aim: We addressed the question whether the regional expression of microstructural changes as revealed by whole-brain diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in the subacute stage after severe TBI may predict the duration of post-traumatic amnesia (PTA).Method: Fourteen patients underwent whole-brain DTI in the subacute stage after severe TBI. Mean fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were calculated for five bilateral brain regions: fronto-temporal, parieto-occipital, and midsagittal hemispheric white matter, as well as brainstem and basal ganglia. Region-specific calculation of mean FA and MD only considered voxels that showed no tissue damage, using an exclusive mask with all voxels that belonged to local brain lesions or microbleeds. Mean FA or MD of the five brain regions were entered in separate partial least squares (PLS) regression analyses to identify patterns of regional microstructural changes that account for inter-individual variations in PTA.Results: For FA, PLS analysis revealed two spatial patterns that significantly correlated with individual PTA. The lower the mean FA values in all five brain regions, the longer that PTA lasted. A pattern characterized by lower FA values in the deeper brain regions relative to the FA values in the hemispheric regions also correlated with longer PTA. Similar trends were found for MD, but opposite in sign. The spatial FA changes as revealed by PLS components predicted the duration of PTA. Individual PTA duration, as predicted by a leave-one-out cross-validation analysis, correlated with true PTA values (Spearman r = 0.68, ppermutation = 0.008).Conclusion: Two coarse spatial patterns of microstructural damage, indexed as reduction in FA, were relevant to recovery of consciousness after TBI. One pattern expressed was consistent with diffuse microstructural damage across the entire brain. A second pattern was indicative of a preferential damage of deep midline brain structures.

Can We See with Melanopsin?

A small fraction of mammalian retinal ganglion cells are directly photoreceptive thanks to their expression of the photopigment melanopsin. These intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) have well-established roles in a variety of reflex responses to changes in ambient light intensity, including circadian photoentrainment. In this article, we review the growing evidence, obtained primarily from laboratory mice and humans, that the ability to sense light via melanopsin is also an important component of perceptual and form vision. Melanopsin photoreception has low temporal resolution, making it fundamentally biased toward detecting changes in ambient light and coarse patterns rather than fine details. Nevertheless, melanopsin can indirectly impact high-acuity vision by driving aspects of light adaptation ranging from pupil constriction to changes in visual circuit performance. Melanopsin also contributes directly to perceptions of brightness, and recent data suggest that this influences the appearance not only of overall scene brightness, but also of low-frequency patterns.

Intra-Seasonal and Annual Variation of Aerosols and Their Radiative Impact in the Sahelian Zone of Burkina Faso

This paper deals with the characterization of aerosols in the Sahelian zone, particularly in Burkina Faso based on MODIS observations and in situ measurements of the AERONET network on the Ouagadougou site (12.2&#176N, 1.4&#176W). Thus, a seasonal spatial distribution of aerosols made over the period from 2001 to 2016 gives a very great variability of aerosols in Burkina Faso, whose maxima are encountered in Spring, characterized by winds from the North East. This seasonality of aerosols is also shown by the annual cycles of optical, radiative and microphysical parameters measured by AERONET between 1999 and 2006. Moreover, an analysis of these parameters shows the prevalence of mineral dusts characterized by low values of the Angstrom coefficient (α440-870 0.9) and the cooling noticed in the bottom of atmosphere (BOA) and at the top of the atmosphere (TOA). Also, the climatology of the volume size distribution of aerosols shows a very great variability of particles in terms of size influenced by the thin and coarse pattern where most sizes are between 1 and 10 μm.