Signal Detection Sensitivity Research Articles

Influences of age, tongue region, and chorda tympani nerve sectioning on signal detection measures of lingual taste sensitivity

Although the ability to taste is critical for ingestion, nutrition, and quality of life, a clear understanding of the influences of age, sex, and chorda tympani (CT) resection on taste function in different regions of the anterior tongue is generally lacking. In this study we employed criterion-free signal detection analysis to assess electric and chemical taste function on multiple tongue regions in normal individuals varying in age and sex and in patients with unilateral CT resections. The subjects were 33 healthy volunteers, ranging from 18 to 87years of age, and 9 persons, 27 to 77years of age, with unilateral CT lesions. The influences of age, sex, tongue region, and chorda tympani resections on signal detection sensitivity (d′) and response bias (β) measures was assessed in 16 tongue regions to weak electric currents and solutions of sucrose, sodium chloride, and caffeine. Significant age-related decrements in d′ were found for sucrose (p=0.012), sodium chloride (p=0.002), caffeine (p=0.006), and electric current (EC) (p=0.0001). Significant posterior to anterior, and medial to lateral, gradients of increasing performance were present for most stimuli. β was larger on the anterior than the posterior tongue for the electrical stimulus in the youngest subjects, whereas the opposite was true for sucrose in the oldest subjects. No sex differences were apparent. d′ was depressed ipsilateral to the CT lesion side to varying degrees in all tongue regions, with the weakest influences occurring on the medial and anterior tongue. CT did not meaningfully influence β. This study is the first to employ signal detection analysis to assess the regional sensitivity of the tongue to chemical and electrical stimuli. It clearly demonstrates that tongue regions differ from one another in terms of their age-related sensitivity and their susceptibility to CT lesions.

Quantification of tumor fluorescence during intraoperative optical cancer imaging.

Intraoperative optical cancer imaging is an emerging technology in which surgeons employ fluorophores to visualize tumors, identify tumor-positive margins and lymph nodes containing metastases. This study compares instrumentation to measure tumor fluorescence. Three imaging systems (Spectropen, Glomax, Flocam) measured and quantified fluorescent signal-to-background ratios (SBR) in vitro, murine xenografts, tissue phantoms and clinically. Evaluation criteria included the detection of small changes in fluorescence, sensitivity of signal detection at increasing depths and practicality of use. In vitro, spectroscopy was superior in detecting incremental differences in fluorescence than luminescence and digital imaging (Ln[SBR] = 6.8 ± 0.6, 2.4 ± 0.3, 2.6 ± 0.1, p = 0.0001). In fluorescent tumor cells, digital imaging measured higher SBRs than luminescence (6.1 ± 0.2 vs. 4.3 ± 0.4, p = 0.001). Spectroscopy was more sensitive than luminometry and digital imaging in identifying murine tumor fluorescence (SBR = 41.7 ± 11.5, 5.1 ± 1.8, 4.1 ± 0.9, p = 0.0001), and more sensitive than digital imaging at detecting fluorescence at increasing depths (SBR = 7.0 ± 3.4 vs. 2.4 ± 0.5, p = 0.03). Lastly, digital imaging was the most practical and least time-consuming. All methods detected incremental differences in fluorescence. Spectroscopy was the most sensitive for small changes in fluorescence. Digital imaging was the most practical considering its wide field of view, background noise filtering capability, and sensitivity to increasing depth.

Improvement of high-resolution fluorescence insitu hybridisation mapping on chromosomes of Brassica oleracea var. capitata.

The low resolution of chromosome-based Fluorescence insitu hybridisation (FISH) mapping is primarily due to the structure of the plant cell wall and cytoplasm and the compactness of regular chromosomes, which represent a significant obstacle to FISH. In order to improve spatial resolution and signal detection sensitivity, we provide a reproducible method to generate high-quality extended chromosomes that are ~13 times as long as their pachytene counterparts. We demonstrate that proteinase K used in this procedure is crucial for stretching pachytene chromosomes of Brassica oleracea in the context of a modified Carnoy's II fixative (6:1:3, ethanol:chloroform:acetic acid). The quality of super-stretched chromosomes was assessed in several FISH experiments. FISH signals from both repetitive 5S rDNA and single-copy ARC1 on super-stretched chromosomes are brighter than those on other different types of chromosome due to enhanced accessibility to targets on stretched pachytene chromosomes. In conclusion, the resulting extended chromosomes are suitable for FISH mapping for repetitive DNA sequences and the localisation of a single-copy locus, and FISH performed on super-stretched chromosomes can achieve significantly higher sensitivity and spatial resolution than other chromosome-based FISH mapping techniques.

The tradeoff between signal detection and recognition rules auditory sensitivity under variable background noise conditions

Animal acoustic communication commonly takes place under masked conditions. For instance, sound signals relevant for mating and survival are very often masked by background noise, which makes their detection and recognition by organisms difficult. Ambient noise (AN) varies in level and shape among different habitats, but also remarkable variations in time and space occurs within the same habitat. Variable AN conditions mask hearing thresholds of the receiver in complex and unpredictable ways, thereby causing distortions in sound perception. When communication takes place in a noisy environment, a highly sensitive system might confer no advantage to the receiver compared to a less sensitive one. The effects of noise masking on auditory thresholds and hearing-related functions are well known, and the potential role of AN in the evolution of the species’ auditory sensitivity has been recognized by few authors. The mechanism of the underlying selection process has never been explored, however. Here I present a simple fitness model that seeks for the best sensitivity of a hearing system performing the detection and recognition of the sound under variable AN conditions. The model predicts higher sensitivity (i.e. lower hearing thresholds) as best strategy for species living in quiet habitats and lower sensitivity (i.e. higher hearing thresholds) as best strategy for those living in noisy habitats provided the cost of incorrect recognition is not low. The tradeoff between detection and recognition of acoustic signals appears to be a key factor determining the best level of hearing sensitivity of a species when acoustic communication is corrupted by noise.

Effects of subsampling on characteristics of RNA-seq data from triple-negative breast cancer patients.

BackgroundData from RNA-seq experiments provide a wealth of information about the transcriptome of an organism. However, the analysis of such data is very demanding. In this study, we aimed to establish robust analysis procedures that can be used in clinical practice.MethodsWe studied RNA-seq data from triple-negative breast cancer patients. Specifically, we investigated the subsampling of RNA-seq data.ResultsThe main results of our investigations are as follows: (1) the subsampling of RNA-seq data gave biologically realistic simulations of sequencing experiments with smaller sequencing depth but not direct scaling of count matrices; (2) the saturation of results required an average sequencing depth larger than 32 million reads and an individual sequencing depth larger than 46 million reads; and (3) for an abrogated feature selection, higher moments of the distribution of all expressed genes had a higher sensitivity for signal detection than the corresponding mean values.ConclusionsOur results reveal important characteristics of RNA-seq data that must be understood before one can apply such an approach to translational medicine.

A 13-color parametric analysis for TBNK subset for the CytoFLEX instrument (TECH3P.935)

Abstract CytoFLEX is the newest cytometer offered by Beckman Coulter, Inc. that provides up to 3 lasers, 13 colors for detection in a compact system. This instrument incorporates the latest technology, Fiber array photodiode, FADP, to provide high resolution, dynamic range and sensitivity in signal detection. To demonstrate the ability of its multicolor detection, the standard multicolor panel design principles were followed to develop a 14 marker, 13 color experiment. The cocktail design process also took into account the desired immunophenotypic markers, the available fluorochromes, and the use of well-defined control populations to identify the classic TBNK populations. Data was collected from normal, whole blood stained with single color reagents and lysed with VersaLyseTM Lysing Solution. Data was analyzed using the CytExpert software and is presented here with special emphasis on the optimization of flow analysis and compensation visualization. Results show that all TBNK populations were well resolved, notably the CD25+ subset in CD4+ T-cells, even though this maker was placed in the PC7 channel, which normally has poor resolution. The data presented demonstrates the ability of the CytoFLEX to provide sound detection and resolution for even the most dim versus negative population.

WASICA: An effective wavelet-shrinkage based ICA model for brain fMRI data analysis

BackgroundResearches declared that the super-Gaussian property contributed to the success of some spatial independent component analysis (ICA) algorithms in brain fMRI source separation (e.g., Infomax and FastICA), which implied that sparse approximation transforming the sources (super-Gaussian or Gaussian-like) with stronger super-Gaussian feature would possibly improve the separation performance of these algorithms. New methodThis paper presented a novel wavelet-shrinkage based ICA (WASICA) model, an extension of our previous SACICA, for single-subject analysis. In contrast, two main aspects had been effectively enhanced: (1) sparse approximation coefficients set formation, made up of two sub-procedures: the wavelet-shrinkage of wavelet packet (WP) tree nodes, and the automatic nodes selection and integration based on the relative WP energy; (2) ICA-based decomposition and reconstruction, composed of temporal dynamics extraction using ICA, WP reconstruction based on the sparse approximation coefficients set and least-square-based functional networks reconstruction. ResultsThe wavelet-shrinkage and the automatic nodes selection and integration simultaneously transformed both the mixtures and underlying sources into effective sparse approximation coefficients sets, exhibiting stronger super-Gaussian distribution; WP projected-back approximation with nuisance-exclusion contributed to networks reconstruction. Comparison with existing methodsSimulation 1 revealed WASICA successfully recovered super-Gaussian and some Gaussian-like sources. Simulation 2 and hybrid data experiments showed that WASICA with good temporal performance had stronger source recovery ability and signal detection sensitivity spatially than FastICA, Infomax and SACICA did; the higher intra-consistency in task-related experiments denoted WASICA occupied stronger spatial robustness against smooth kernels. ConclusionsWASICA was a promising brain signal separation model with charming spatial–temporal performance.

Consumer reporting of adverse events following immunization

Surveillance of adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) is an essential component of vaccine safety monitoring. The most commonly utilized passive surveillance systems rely predominantly on reporting by health care providers (HCP). We reviewed adverse event reports received in Victoria, Australia since surveillance commencement in July 2007, to June 2013 (6 years) to ascertain the contribution of consumer (vaccinee or their parent/guardian) reporting to vaccine safety monitoring and to inform future surveillance system development directions. Categorical data included were: reporter type; serious and non-serious AEFI category; and, vaccinee age group. Chi-square test and 2-sample test of proportions were used to compare categories; trend changes were assessed using linear regression. Consumer reporting increased over the 6 years, reaching 21% of reports received in 2013 (P <0.001), most commonly for children aged less than 7 years. Consumer reports were 5% more likely to describe serious AEFI than HCP (P = 0.018) and 10% more likely to result in specialist clinic attendance (P <0.001). Although online reporting increased to 32% of all report since its introduction in 2010, 85% of consumers continued to report by phone. Consumer reporting of AEFI is a valuable component of vaccine safety surveillance in addition to HCP reporting. Changes are required to AEFI reporting systems to implement efficient consumer AEFI reporting, but may be justified for their potential impact on signal detection sensitivity.

A novel bio-sensor based on DNA strand displacement.

DNA strand displacement technology performs well in sensing and programming DNA segments. In this work, we construct DNA molecular systems based on DNA strand displacement performing computation of logic gates. Specifically, a class of so-called “DNA neurons” are achieved, in which a “smart” way inspired by biological neurons encoding information is developed to encode and deliver information using DNA molecules. The “DNA neuron” is bistable, that is, it can sense DNA molecules as input signals, and release “negative” or “positive” signals DNA molecules. We design intelligent DNA molecular systems that are constructed by cascading some particularly organized “DNA neurons”, which could perform logic computation, including AND, OR, XOR logic gates, automatically. Both simulation results using visual DSD (DNA strand displacement) software and experimental results are obtained, which shows that the proposed systems can detect DNA signals with high sensitivity and accretion; moreover, the systems can process input signals automatically with complex nonlinear logic. The method proposed in this work may provide a new way to construct a sensitive molecular signal detection system with neurons spiking behavior in vitro, and can be used to develop intelligent molecular processing systems in vivo.

Partial discharge detection by RF coil in 161 kV power transformer

The partial discharge (PD) sensor based on the copper coil will be used to on-line detect the radio frequency (RF) signal emitted from PD in 161 kV power transformer. The coil sensor is attached onto the surface of the power transformers to increase the sensitivity of PD signal detection. In the oil-filled power transformer, according to the electromagnetic (EM) wave propagation theory, the PD-induced EM wave could propagate to the metal tank, and most of the electric field attenuates within the short range (i.e. skin depth) of the inner surface of metal tank. However, the magnetic field of the EM wave could pass through the metal tank. Thus, the PD signal can be detected with RF coil sensor placed the outside surface of metal tank. Three RF sensor arrays with line configuration are designed to achieve PD detection and localization. From the amplitude variation among the sensors, we can predict where PD occurs. In the open-tank examination, the results show that the PD source location in power transformer is consistent with the experimental results of proposed RF detection method. Therefore, in this paper, the proposed RF detection method provides a simple and reliable early-stage on-line examination for the power apparatuses.

A PDMS-Based Cylindrical Hybrid Lens for Enhanced Fluorescence Detection in Microfluidic Systems

Microfluidic systems based on fluorescence detection have been developed and applied for many biological and chemical applications. Because of the tiny amount of sample in the system; the induced fluorescence can be weak. Therefore, most microfluidic systems deploy multiple optical components or sophisticated equipment to enhance the efficiency of fluorescence detection. However, these strategies encounter common issues of complex manufacturing processes and high costs. In this study; a miniature, cylindrical and hybrid lens made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to improve the fluorescence detection in microfluidic systems is proposed. The hybrid lens integrates a laser focusing lens and a fluorescence collecting lens to achieve dual functions and simplify optical setup. Moreover, PDMS has advantages of low-cost and straightforward fabrication compared with conventional optical components. The performance of the proposed lens is first examined with two fluorescent dyes and the results show that the lens provides satisfactory enhancement for fluorescence detection of Rhodamine 6G and Nile Red. The overall increments in collected fluorescence signal and detection sensitivity are more than 220% of those without lens, and the detection limits of Rhodamine 6G and Nile red are lowered to 0.01 μg/mL and 0.05 μg/mL, respectively. The hybrid lens is further applied to the detection of Nile red-labeled Chlorella vulgaris cells and it increases both signal intensity and detection sensitivity by more than 520%. The proposed hybrid lens also dramatically reduces the variation in detected signal caused by the deviation in incident angle of excitation light.

Carboxymethyl Cellulose Film as a Substrate for Microarray Fabrication

Magnetic beads (MB) are widely used for quick and highly sensitive signal detection in microarray-based assays. However, this technique imposes stringent requirements for smoothness and adhesive properties of the surface, which most common substrates do not satisfy. We report here a new type of substrate for microarrays with a low adhesion to MB-thermally cross-linked carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) film. This substrate can be readily fabricated on a conventional glass slide. A highly cross-linked CMC film (∼1 cross-link per monomer unit) possesses a surface smooth on a nanometer scale and a low adhesion to protein-coated MB, which partly originates from electrostatic repulsion of MB from negatively charged CMC surface. The efficiency of the CMC substrate is demonstrated hereby in fabrication of microarrays for the detection of three bacterial toxins: cholera toxin, staphylococcal enterotoxin A, and toxic shock syndrome toxin. The assay employing a primary antibodies arrayed on a CMC surface and detection of the bound bacterial toxins with a biotinylated secondary antibodies and streptavidin-coated MB resulted in a limits of detection as low as 0.1 ng/mL. The CMC-based microarrays demonstrated very high storage stability; their activity did not change after one year storage at room temperature.

Fabrication of Graphene Nanopores and a Preliminary Study onλ-DNA Translocation

Nanopore sequencing is among the most promising technologies to achieve the goals of the "$1,000 Genome." Two major types of nanopores have been extensively investigated, protein and silicon-based solid-state nanopores. However, protein pores are short-lived and the length of solid-state nanopores is much larger than the distance between adjacent bases, resulting in incapability to discriminate individual bases along the single-stranded DNA molecules. In this paper, we report λ-DNA translocations through graphene nanopore. A large nanopore with diameter of about 30 nm on silicon nitride substrates were first fabricated using focused ion beam(FIB) system under the beam current of 2 pA, accelerating voltage of 30 kV and sculpting time of 1 s. Individual graphene membranes were suspended onto the substrates to cover the large pore, and nanopores with a diameter less than 10 nm are sculpted in the graphene sheet by focused electron beam(FEB) from a transmission electron microscope(TEM) under a 400 kx magnification times and 300 kV accelerating voltage at 1×105~5×105A/m2 current density for 2~3 min. The edges of these graphene nanopores became smoother and sharper when the temperature was increased to about 450 ℃, which might help to lower interactions between graphene nanopores and the analytes. The signals of DNA translocation through graphene nanopores had been recorded using a patch clamp amplifier at 10 kHz sampling frequency filtered at 5 kHz via an integrated four-pole low-pass Bessel filter. Analyses of the DNA translocation current traces indicated that different conformations of DNA molecules may exist during entrance into nanopores. In addition, our overall detection platform had a low noise amplitude of around 10 pA, which allowed more sensitive signal detection. Taken together, our observations demonstrate that graphene nanopores are feasible for DNA sensing, leading a forward step towards single-molecule DNA sequencing using monolayered graphene nanopores.

A method of detecting line spectrum of ship-radiated noise using a new intermittent chaotic oscillator

In order to achieve the effective detection of the line spectrum of ship-radiated noise in low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), in this paper we improve the conventional intermittent chaotic oscillator series method, and propose a signal detection method based on the adaptive step intermittent chaotic oscillator. Through setting a sequence of the calculating steps which can cover the frequency band of the signal to be measured, the method can use just one Duffing oscillator to accomplish the searching detection for the weak signal with unknown frequency. In order to further improve the weak signal detection performance, we analyze the Holmes Duffing equation’s sensitivity for weak signal detection at different internal frequencies. Through theoretical analysis and simulation study, it is found that the Duffing oscillator has the best weak signal detection performance when its internal frequency is 0.4 rad/s. According to this result we optimize the Duffing oscillator. The simulation result shows that the signal detection performance of the improved Duffing oscillator increases 14 dB. In the end, we use the proposed method to detect a set of actual data which contain the ship radiated line spectrum, the result shows that this method could achieve effective detection of the line spectrum in low SNR.

Seeing the unseen: Autism involves reduced susceptibility to inattentional blindness.

Attention research in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has produced conflicting results. Some findings demonstrate greater distractibility while others suggest superior focused attention. Applying Lavie's load theory of attention to account for this discrepancy led us to hypothesize increased perceptual capacity in ASD. Preliminary support for our hypothesis has so far been found for adults with ASD with reaction time (RT) and signal detection sensitivity measures. Here we test the novel prediction we derived from this hypothesis that children with ASD should have lower rates of inattentional blindness than controls. Twenty-four children with ASD (mean age = 10 years 10 months) and 39 typically developing children (age and IQ matched) took part in the study. We assessed the effects of perceptual load on the rates of inattentional blindness in each group. Participants performing a line discrimination task in either a high load or low load condition were presented with an unexpected extra stimulus on a critical trial. Performance on the line judgment task and rates of detection and stimulus identification were recorded. Overall rates of detection and identification were higher in the ASD group than in the controls. Moreover, whereas both detection and identification rates were significantly lower in the high (compared with low) load conditions for the controls, these were unaffected by load in the ASD group. Reduced inattentional blindness rates under load in ASD suggests higher perceptual capacity is a core feature, present from childhood and leading to superior performance in various measures of perception and attention.

Short-Term Effects of Black Pepper (Piper nigrum) and Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis and Rosmarinus eriocalyx) on Sustained Attention and on Energy and Fatigue Mood States in Young Adults with Low Energy

The purpose was to test whether a single dose of black pepper or rosemary produced short-term enhancements in sustained attention, motivation to perform cognitive tasks, or feelings of mental energy and fatigue. Outcomes were measured in 40 young adults with below average feelings of energy before and twice after they orally consumed capsules containing either black pepper (2.0 g), rosemary (1.7 g), or a placebo (3.1 g rice flour). Sustained attention was measured using a 16-min dual task, in which, single-digit numbers were presented every second on a screen and the participant performed both a primary task [detection of three successive, different odd digits] and a secondary task [detection of the number 6]. Feelings of energy and fatigue were measured using the vigor and fatigue subscales of the Profile of Mood States and visual analog scales (VAS). Analysis of variance showed nonsignificant condition (spice versus placebo)×time (T1, T2, & T3) effects for motivation, measured with a VAS, and the intensity of energy and fatigue feelings. Unadjusted effect sizes revealed that rosemary induced small, transient reductions in false alarm errors (d=0.21) and mental fatigue (d=0.40) at isolated time periods. Time-varying analysis of covariance, controlling for motivation to perform cognitive tasks, showed no significant effects on the primary or secondary task outcomes of correct responses (hits), errors (false alarms, misses), speed of response (reaction time), and signal detection sensitivity. It is concluded that black pepper and rosemary, consumed in a capsule form, in the doses used and while wearing a nose clip to block olfactory effects, do not induce consistent short-term improvements in sustained attention, motivation to perform cognitive tasks, or feelings of mental energy and fatigue in young adults with low energy.

Application of scanning thermal microscopy for investigation of thermal boundaries in multilayered photonic structures

In current work the application of modified Scanning Thermal Microscopy (SThM) technique for thermal imaging of multilayered periodic photonic structures is presented. The measurements were carried out using non-standard operation mode of the SThM. The thermal probe was driven by the sum of DC and small AC currents. The main advantages of presented approach are mechanical stability of the probe during measurements and high sensitivity of AC signal detection by the use of lock-in amplifier. The amplitude and phase components of probe response signal are used for visualization and analysis of the thermal properties of the layer interfaces. Basing on topographic and thermal signals the thermal boundaries between layers were revealed and the periodicity of the structure was analyzed. Presented experiment indicates that the proposed method provides spatial resolution at least about 30% better than 100 nm, which is considered for standard nanofabricated thermal probes. Therefore, proposed technique may be successfully used for the thermal boundaries mapping, as well as for the high-resolution nanoscale imaging of thermal properties distribution. The results prove that thermal imaging provides additional information to that obtained by standard AFM imaging.

Detection of laser induced plasma with interdigital electrodes in laser material processing

Laser material processing has attracted great attention in the laser industry due to its ability to process various materials, high operating speeds and precision. However, optimal processing conditions are still underdeveloped, and a large portion of development is undertaken using trial and error procedures. Real-time process monitoring is one of the key technologies with regard to optimizing laser material processing. An external electric field provides a simple, low-cost method with which to monitor laser-induced plasma during the machining process. In this paper, we propose a new electrode design, i.e. an interdigital electrode, to increase the signal level and detection sensitivity of laser-induced plasma. We show the results pertaining to the detection of laser-induced plasma in the air and with materials. The signals detected by the plane and interdigital electrodes are compared. The results show that the signal detected by interdigital electrodes increases 126% when detecting the plasma in the air while the signal increases by four times in plasma generated with Al 5052.

The short‐term effects of black pepper (Piper nigrum) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) on sustained attention and energy and fatigue mood states in young adults with low energy

The aim was to test if black pepper (2 grams) or rosemary (1.7 grams) improved sustained attention, motivation, or feelings of mental energy and fatigue. Outcomes were measured in 40 low‐energy adults before and 60‐ and 90‐minutes after consumption of capsules containing black pepper, rosemary or a placebo (3.1 grams flour). Sustained attention was measured using a 16‐minute dual task in which single digit numbers were presented every second on a screen and the participant performed both a primary task (detection of three successive, different odd digits) and a secondary task (detect the number 6). Feelings of energy and fatigue were measured using the vigor and fatigue subscales of the Profile of Mood States and visual analog scales (VAS). ANOVAs showed non‐significant Condition X Time effects for motivation, also measured with a VAS, and the intensity of energy and fatigue feelings. Time‐varying ANCOVA, controlling for motivation, showed no significant effects on the primary or secondary task outcomes of: correct responses, errors, speed of response and signal detection sensitivity. It is concluded that black pepper and rosemary, consumed in capsule form, in the doses used and while wearing a nose clip to block olfactory effects, do not induce a short‐term improvement in sustained attention, motivation to perform cognitive tasks, or feelings of mental energy and fatigue in young adults with low energy.

High-sensitivity ultrasound-modulated optical tomography with a photorefractive polymer

By detecting ultrasonically tagged diffuse light, ultrasound-modulated optical tomography images optical contrast with ultrasonic resolution deep in turbid media, such as biological tissue. However, small detection etendues and weak tagged light submerged in strong untagged background light limit the signal detection sensitivity. In this Letter, we report the use of a large-area (~5 cm×5 cm) photorefractive polymer film that yields more than 10 times detection etendue over previous detection schemes. Our polymer-based system enabled us to resolve absorbing objects embedded inside diffused media thicker than 80 transport mean free paths, by using moderate light power and short ultrasound pulses.