Common Projection Research Articles

Viscero-visceral hyperalgesia: Characterization in different clinical models

Co-existing algogenic conditions in two internal organs in the same patient may mutually enhance pain symptoms (viscero-visceral hyperalgesia). The present study assessed this phenomenon in different models of visceral interaction. In a prospective evaluation, patients with: (a) coronary artery disease (CAD)+gallstone (Gs) (common sensory projection: T5); (b) irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)+dysmenorrhea (Dys) (T10-L1); (c) dysmenorrhea/endometriosis+urinary calculosis (Cal)(T10-L1); and (d) gallstone+left urinary calculosis (Gs+LCal) (unknown common projection) were compared with patients with CAD, Gs, IBS, Dys or Cal only, for spontaneous symptoms (number/intensity of pain episodes) over comparable time periods and for referred symptoms (muscle hyperalgesia; pressure/electrical pain thresholds) from each visceral location. In patients’ subgroups, symptoms were also re-assessed after treatment of each condition or after no treatment. (a) CAD+Gs presented more numerous/intense angina/biliary episodes and more referred muscle chest/abdominal hyperalgesia than CAD or Gs; cardiac revascularization or cholecystectomy also reduced biliary or cardiac symptoms, respectively (0.001<p<0.05). (b) IBS+Dys had more intestinal/menstrual pain and abdomino/pelvic muscle hyperalgesia than IBS or Dys; hormonal dysmenorrhea treatment also reduced IBS symptoms; IBS dietary treatment also improved dysmenorrhea (0.001<p<0.05) while no treatment of either conditions resulted in no improvement in time of symptoms from both. (c) Cal+Dys had more urinary/menstrual pain and referred lumbar/abdominal hyperalgesia than Cal or Dys; hormonal dysmenorrhea treatment/laser treatment for endometriosis also improved urinary symptoms; lithotripsy for urinary stone also reduced menstrual symptoms (0.001<p<0.05). (d) In Gs+LCal, cholecystectomy or urinary lithotripsy did not improve urinary or biliary symptoms, respectively. Mechanisms of viscero-visceral hyperalgesia between organs with documented partially common sensory projection probably involve sensitization of viscero-viscero-somatic convergent neurons.

New cooperative projection neural network for nonlinearly constrained variational inequality

This paper proposes a new cooperative projection neural network (CPNN), which combines automatically three individual neural network models with a common projection term. As a special case, the proposed CPNN can include three recent recurrent neural networks for solving monotone variational inequality problems with limit or linear constraints, respectively. Under the monotonicity condition of the corresponding Lagrangian mapping, the proposed CPNN is theoretically guaranteed to solve monotone variational inequality problems and a class of nonmonotone variational inequality problems with linear and nonlinear constraints. Unlike the extended projection neural network, the proposed CPNN has no limitation on the initial point for global convergence. Compared with other related cooperative neural networks and numerical optimization algorithms, the proposed CPNN has a low computational complexity and requires weak convergence conditions. An application in real-time grasping force optimization and examples demonstrate good performance of the proposed CPNN.

Rewriting systems in alternating knot groups with the Dehn presentation

Every tame, prime and alternating knot is equivalent to a tame, prime and alternating knot in regular position, with a common projection. In this work, we show that the Dehn presentation of the knot group of a tame, prime, alternating knot, with a regular and common projection has a finite and complete rewriting system. Although there are rules in the rewriting system with left-hand side a generator and which increase the length of the words we show that the system is terminating.

Estimating and projecting subacute care demand: findings from a review of international methods

A review of projection methodologies used to project sub-acute inpatient activity in various international health care jurisdictions was undertaken as part of a project to develop subacute inpatient activity projections for the state with the largest population in Australia. The literature search identified nearly 200 articles and found three main groups of projection methodologies: projections with a focus on subacute care; projections with a focus on acute care, but which often included subacute activity in the overall projections; and projections of specific diseases/conditions influencing the demand for subacute care. In terms of the examples in the literature specifically regarding subacute care, the most common method of estimating current or future need was the use of normative benchmark ratios of beds to population. This was mainly to provide a policy basis to encourage development of subacute services, but also because of convenience. In the literature regarding acute activity projection methodologies, many incorporated subacute activity in the overall activity measures of the acute hospital unit. The most common method of acute care activity projection was use of current or trended utilisation rates applied to population projections. It appears that a significant amount of planning and demand projection being undertaken internationally on subacute care takes place within acute care methodologies. In regard to the potential use of specific diseases/conditions that drive demand for subacute care, such as stroke or cancer, it is suggested that the best use of these disease-specific projections is in reality testing the results of other modelling. A number of conclusions are made and issues highlighted regarding projections of subacute inpatient activity.

Manoeuvring target motion parameter estimation for ISAR image fusion

In inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imaging applications, generating an image of a manoeuvring target is a challenge due to the tradeoff between the fine image resolution requirements and the temporal variability of the Doppler response. The time frequency transform (TFT) is a common method to solve this problem. Prior TFT-based research assumes that the ISAR observes the target from a single fixed aspect. Because of its manoeuvring characteristics, the target motion features are sometimes not extractable from the observing aspect, but become much more distinct from other aspects. ISAR image fusion is thus able to provide significant advantages, since multiple looks of the same target from different aspects will increase the available knowledge. After constructing the common projection plane and building up the physical connection between radars and the manoeuvring target, the parameters that describe the target motion are estimated for very short time duration within which the Doppler response can be assumed to be a constant. Simulation results confirm the effectiveness of the estimation procedure and thus the fusion method. The authors conclude that the ISAR system must be carefully configured in order to realise the full benefits of their image fusion technique for manoeuvring targets.

Effect of scatter and attenuation correction in ROI analysis of brain perfusion scintigraphy

The AIM of this study was to evaluate the effect of scatter and attenuation correction in region of interest (ROI) analysis of brain perfusion single-photon emission tomography (SPECT), and to assess the influence of selecting the reference area on the calculation of lesion-to-reference count ratios. Data were collected from a brain phantom and ten patients with unilateral internal carotid artery stenosis. A simultaneous emission and transmission scan was performed after injecting 123I-iodoamphetamine. We reconstructed three SPECT images from common projection data: with scatter correction and nonuniform attenuation correction, with scatter correction and uniform attenuation correction, and with uniform attenuation correction applied to data without scatter correction. Regional count ratios were calculated by using four different reference areas (contralateral intact side, ipsilateral cerebellum, whole brain and hemisphere). Scatter correction improved the accuracy of measuring the count ratios in the phantom experiment. It also yielded marked difference in the count ratio in the clinical study when using the cerebellum, whole brain or hemisphere as the reference. Difference between nonuniform and uniform attenuation correction was not significant in the phantom and clinical studies except when the cerebellar reference was used. Calculation of the lesion-to-normal count ratios referring the same site in the contralateral hemisphere was not dependent on the use of scatter correction or transmission scan-based attenuation correction. Scatter correction was indispensable for accurate measurement in most of the ROI analyses. Nonuniform attenuation correction is not necessary when using the reference area other than the cerebellum.

REWRITING SYSTEMS IN ALTERNATING KNOT GROUPS

Every tame, prime and alternating knot is equivalent to a tame, prime and alternating knot in regular position, with a common projection. In this work, we show that the augmented Dehn presentation of the knot group of a tame, prime, alternating knot in regular position, with a common projection has a finite and complete rewriting system. This provides an algorithm for solving the word problem with this presentation and we find an algorithm for solving the word problem with the Dehn presentation also.

Schmerztopik bei lumbalen Bandscheibenschäden

The aim of this study was to find out the reliability of several dermatomic maps (description of pain pattern within a nerve root lesion) according to the respective segmental area. Different studies which deal with pain pattern caused by disc lesions were searched for with MedLine support and then reviewed. A clear correlation between the pain projections of the lumbar spine does not seem to exist. A contradiction of the most common pain projection (S1) and operated disc (L4/5) is described. Even though there are studies of high scientific design and value (Nitta H, Wolff A) the pain pattern of dermatomic maps is only of limited value for the definition of the affected segment.

Influence of photon scattering and attenuation on ROI analysis in brain perfusion single-photon emission tomographic imaging of normal subjects

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of scatter and attenuation correction in region of interest (ROI) analysis in brain perfusion single-photon emission tomography (SPECT) and to assess the influence of selecting the reference area on semi-quantification. Ten normal subjects were enrolled and injected with 123I-iodoamphetamine to undergo simultaneous emission and transmission scanning for scatter and attenuation correction. We reconstructed three SPECT images from common projection data of each subject: with scatter correction and non-uniform attenuation correction, with scatter correction and uniform attenuation correction, and with uniform attenuation correction applied to data without scatter correction. A program for automated ROI drawing was used to set ROIs on various regions in brain images. Regional count ratios were compared in images with different correction procedures by using three different reference areas. The effect of the combination of scatter and attenuation correction was marked in the precentral, temporal, posterior, hippocampus and especially in the cerebellum. In contrast, it was not appreciable in the central and parietal areas. When using the cerebellar ROI as the reference, the count ratio varied widely depending on the correction procedures. On the other hand, the whole brain reference offered the least variation in the count ratio. The influence of photon scattering and attenuation was dependent on regions. Since the count in the cerebellar ROI is greatly affected by photon scattering and attenuation, nonuniform attenuation correction combined with scatter correction deserves consideration when using the cerebellar ROI as the reference.

Color in Projection Displays

This paper presents how full-color is created and optimized in rear projection television systems. It discusses briefly how color is quantified and considers a general method for choosing primary red, green,, and blue for maximum corrected brightness in common three-panel projection systems. It uses the commercially successful CQ90 architecture as an example. An external passive approach to white correction using tunable double notch polarization filters is also introduced before considering color optimization in single and two-panel projectors.

Molecular, topographic, and functional organization of the cerebellar cortex: a study with combined aldolase C and olivocerebellar labeling.

Aldolase C (zebrin) expression in Purkinje cells reveals stripe-shaped compartments in the cerebellar cortex. However, it is not clear how these compartments are related to cerebellar functional localization. Therefore, we identified olivocerebellar projections to aldolase C compartments by labeling climbing fibers with biotinylated dextran injected into various small areas within the inferior olive in rats. Specific rostral and caudal aldolase C compartments were linked in an orderly manner by common olivocerebellar projection across the rostrocaudal boundary on lobule VIc-crus Ib. Based on the localization of the olivary origins of projection to similar compartments, the compartments and olivocerebellar projections could be sorted into five groups: group I, positive compartments extending from the posterior lobe to the anterior lobe innervated by the principal olive and some neighboring areas; group II, positive compartments localized within the posterior lobe innervated by several medial subnuclei; group III, vermal and central negative compartments innervated by the centrocaudal medial accessory olive; group IV, negative and lightly positive compartments in the hemisphere and the rostral and caudal pars intermedia innervated by the dorsal accessory olive and some neighboring areas; group V, the flocculus and nodulus. The olivocerebellar topography within each group was simple and suggests an "orientation axis" within the concerned parts of the inferior olive. Furthermore, parts of the inferior olive in each group receive specific afferent inputs, indicating a close relationship between aldolase C compartments and functional localization. Thus, the five-group scheme we propose here may integrate the molecular, topographic, and functional organization of the cerebellum.

Integration of Chemosensory Pathways in the Drosophila Second-Order Olfactory Centers

Background: Behavioral responses to odorants require neurons of the higher olfactory centers to integrate signals detected by different chemosensory neurons. Recent studies revealed stereotypic arborizations of second-order olfactory neurons from the primary olfactory center to the secondary centers, but how third-order neurons read this odor map remained unknown.Results: Using the Drosophila brain as a model system, we analyzed the connectivity patterns between second-order and third-order olfactory neurons. We first isolated three common projection zones in the two secondary centers, the mushroom body (MB) and the lateral horn (LH). Each zone receives converged information via second-order neurons from particular subgroups of antennal-lobe glomeruli. In the MB, third-order neurons extend their dendrites across various combinations of these zones, and axons of this heterogeneous population of neurons converge in the output region of the MB. In contrast, arborizations of the third-order neurons in the LH are constrained within a zone. Moreover, different zones of the LH are linked with different brain areas and form preferential associations between distinct subsets of antennal-lobe glomeruli and higher brain regions.Conclusions: MB is known to be an indispensable site for olfactory learning and memory, whereas LH function is reported to be sufficient for mediating direct nonassociative responses to odors. The structural organization of second-order and third-order neurons suggests that MB is capable of integrating a wide range of odorant information across glomeruli, whereas relatively little integration between different subsets of the olfactory signal repertoire is likely to occur in the LH.

Vieillissement de la population et dépenses publiques de soins de santé et de soins aux personnes âgées

The aim of this paper is to present projections of public expenditure on health care and long-term care for the elderly, in view of ageing populations, undertaken by the Working Group on Ageing of the European Economic Policy Committee and presented to the ECOFIN Council in 2001. These projections cover almost all of the fifteen EU Member States, and make initial projections of expenditure for the first half of the current century (2000-2050). The expenditure projections were produced using a common methodology, a common demographic projection and commonly agreed macroeconomic assumptions. Projections of health care expenditure and long-term care expenditure were run separately in order to analyse the implications of ageing for the two different expenditure components. In summary, the projections reveal that the impact of ageing for public finances, from increased public expenditure on health and long-term care, is likely to be significant in the first half of the current century. The results of the projections are to be understood as reflecting the impact of future demographic changes on overall levels of health and long-term care expenditure – one way of interpreting the projections is to treat them as a picture of what expenditure levels would be today if we had the demographic com- position of future years. As such, these numbers are subject to both upside and downside risks. Upside risks stem from the fact that key non-demographic drivers of health and long-term care expenditure are not explicitly modelled in the projections. Moreover, assumptions for the developments of expenditures per head are mostly lower than those that would be predicted from long-term historical trends. Downside risks stem from the fact that the relationship between age and health status, and thus age and care needs, is likely to change over time.

Maskless lithography using low-energy electron beam: Recent results for proof-of-concept system

In order to realize a system on a chip fabrication at low cost with quick turn-around-time, we have proposed a maskless lithography strategy, a low-energy electron-beam direct writing (LEEBDW) system with a common character projection (CP) aperture. This article presents a status report on our proof-of-concept (POC) system. We have developed a compact EB column consisting of small electrostatic lenses and deflectors. The experimental results for our POC system indicated that the patterns corresponding to 50-nm-node logic devices can be obtained with CP exposure at the incident energy of 5 keV. The technique to reduce the raw process time using a scanning electron microscope function of LEEBDW system is also reported.

Viewpoints on abelian projections

We discuss the relation of the Faddeev-Niemi model with SU(2) gauge theory, and the identification of constituent monopoles in the SU(3) caloron solutions through degenerate eigenvalues of the Polyakov loop. These have in common abelian projection and Hopf invariant.

Segmentation with gray-scale connectedness can separate arteries and veins in MRA.

To describe and present some preliminary results for a novel algorithm for segmentation with gray-scale connectedness as a means to separate arteries and veins in magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). The proposed algorithm, SeparaSeed, uses the gray-scale degree of connectedness as a tool to find the zone surrounding each vessel, in order to split the original volume into its different vessel components. In contrast to traditional segmentation methods, no gray-scale information is lost in the process. The segmentation is performed in one step, resulting in a partition of the initial volume into a chosen number of regions of interest (ROIs). Finally, visualization is achieved by projecting the 3D vessel trees to 2D using the common maximum intensity projection (MIP). The algorithm was tested in two MRA data sets of the vessels of the pelvis acquired after injection of an intravascular contrast agent and in one data set of the vessels of the neck with gadolinium. In all data sets, a large proportion of the venous signal was removed while preserving that of the arteries, thus improving visualization of the relevant vessels. Separation of arteries and veins is feasible with the proposed algorithm with a moderate amount of interaction.

Modulation of pain and hyperalgesia from the urinary tract by algogenic conditions of the reproductive organs in women

This study investigated the impact of algogenic conditions of the reproductive organs upon urinary pain perception in women. A 5-year survey was conducted among 69 fertile women with calculosis of one upper urinary tract via an ad-hoc questionnaire. At both retrospective (3 years) and prospective (2 years) investigation, dysmenorrheic women (D) reported more colics than non-dysmenorrheic women (ND) ( P<0.001) and women with previous dysmenorrhea treated with estroprogestins (DH)( P<0.05). Pain thresholds (electrical stimulation) of the oblique musculature ipsilateral to the stone (L1, site of referred hyperalgesia from upper urinary tract) were lower in D than in ND ( P<0.01) and DH ( P<0.05). Calculosis women with asymptomatic endometriosis / ovarian cysts also reported more colics (6-month prospective study) and greater threshold lowering ( P<0.05) than women with calculosis alone. The results show enhancement of urinary pain / hyperalgesia by both manifest and latent algogenic conditions of the female reproductive organs. This enhancement could derive from neuronal sensitization in spinal segments of common projection of the two visceral districts (T10-L1).

Wetland change detection on the Kafue Flats, Zambia, by classification of a multitemporal remote sensing image dataset

The paper describes a remote sensing change detection approach used to assess change on a section of the Kafue Flats floodplain wetland system in southern Zambia, which is under the pressures of reduced regional rainfall and damming and water abstraction by man. Four images from September 1984 (Landsat MSS), 1988 (Landsat MSS), 1991 (Landsat TM) and 1994 (Landsat TM) were used. Being near-anniversary images, the change detection error introduced by mere seasonal differences was minimized. Following atmospheric correction of the reference (1994) image, the images were radiometrically normalized and geometrically registered to a common map projection. Each image was separately classified into categories of open water, dense green vegetation, sparse green vegetation, very sparse green vegetation, dry and burnt land. Similar, supervised maximum likelihood classification procedures were employed on all images. The classified images produced were analysed for change in each land-cover category by overlaying them in a Geographic Information System (GIS) framework. The results indicated spatial reduction in area of dense green vegetation in upstream sections of the wetland. Inter-image changes in this land-cover class could be explained by the variations in the timing of regulated flood events on the Kafue Flats. The methodology employed appears to be applicable to monitoring southern Africa's inland wetland systems.

Organization of projections to temporal cortex originating in the thalamic posterior intralaminar nucleus of the rat.

Thalamic nuclei surrounding the medial geniculate body, among which the posterior intralaminar nucleus (PIN) is one of the largest, have great importance in fear-potentiated emotional behavior. Due to limited knowledge of the distribution of the cortical projections of the PIN, the connections between the temporal neocortex and the PIN were investigated by means of axonal transport of Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin or Mini-ruby. After iontophoretic injections of either tracer, anterogradely labeled terminals showed a broad, but not a diffuse, distribution in temporal and adjacent cortices (perirhinal, secondary auditory, visceral, secondary somatosensory, agranular insular cortices). A common projection to all areas was found in the upper layer I except for perirhinal cortex, where this projection was confined to the basal layer I. In selected cortical fields (ectorhinal, perirhinal, visceral cortices), an additional projection to layers III/IV was found. The corticofugal projection to the PIN originated from pyramidal neurons in layer V and - in some regions - in layer VI. The present results demonstrate a distinct and selective projection of the PIN to several areas of the temporal neocortex, which may activate inter- and intra-areal cortical circuits during processing of auditory stimuli.

High-resolution transmission electron microscopy of the composite crystal Sr1.145TiS3

The average structure of the incommensurate composite crystal Sr1 145 TiS3 was studied by means of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. With the comparison of structure model it is shown how the high-resolution image directly reveals the common projection of atom rows with remarkable displacive modulation.