Unexpected Locations Research Articles

Visual Search in Naturalistic Scenes Reveals Impaired Cognitive Processing Speed in Multiple Sclerosis.

BackgroundStandardized neuropsychological testing serves to quantify cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. However, the exact mechanism underlying the translation of cognitive dysfunction into difficulties in everyday tasks has remained unclear. To answer this question, we tested if MS patients with intact vs. impaired information processing speed measured by the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) differ in their visual search behavior during ecologically valid tasks reflecting everyday activities.MethodsForty-three patients with relapsing-remitting MS enrolled in an eye-tracking experiment consisting of a visual search task with naturalistic images. Patients were grouped into “impaired” and “unimpaired” according to their SDMT performance. Reaction time, accuracy and eye-tracking parameters were measured.ResultsThe groups did not differ regarding age, gender, and visual acuity. Patients with impaired SDMT (cut-off SDMT-z-score < −1.5) performance needed more time to find and fixate the target (q = 0.006). They spent less time fixating the target (q = 0.042). Impaired patients had slower reaction times and were less accurate (both q = 0.0495) even after controlling for patients' upper extremity function. Exploratory analysis revealed that unimpaired patients had higher accuracy than impaired patients particularly when the announced target was in unexpected location (p = 0.037). Correlational analysis suggested that SDMT performance is inversely linked to the time to first fixation of the target only if the announced target was in its expected location (r = −0.498, p = 0.003 vs. r = −0.212, p = 0.229).ConclusionDysfunctional visual search behavior may be one of the mechanisms translating cognitive deficits into difficulties in everyday tasks in MS patients. Our results suggest that cognitively impaired patients search their visual environment less efficiently and this is particularly evident when top-down processes have to be employed.

AUTOMATIC EFFUSION MEASUREMENT WITH LIMITED LABELED DATA

Accurate quantification of effusion volume is becoming more important as OA is increasingly recognized to have inflammatory components including joint effusion. Effective clinical management requires accurate quantification of features related to inflammation; particularly synovitis and joint effusion which represents a target for therapy. Rather than relying on highly variable subjective assessment of joint effusions, with the development of deep learning techniques we have witnessed increased automation of radiological assessments. However, most of these techniques use supervised learning and are trained on large annotated datasets. Acquiring “ground truth” labels for large datasets is expensive and time-consuming. This becomes even more complicated and challenging when it comes to detecting medical image features like effusion. Detecting effusions accurately requires a high level of expertise. Because pockets of joint fluid can be in unexpected locations, human experts frequently need to step back to look at the entire image stack multiple times to prevent inattentional error. Therefore, proposing a method for learning from limited labeled data is crucial for medical image analysis. To perform automated measurement of knee effusion volume using minimal labeled data. In this method, we aim to develop an alternative deep learning training strategy based on self-supervised pretraining on unlabeled knee MRI scans. This study requires two sets of data: 1) a large unlabeled dataset, and 2) a small labeled dataset. For the large unlabeled dataset, we have used 4 different OAI MRI sequence data (64k slices have been selected randomly). For the labeled dataset we have used low-resolution sagittal Turbo Spin Echo (TSE) MR sequences from the OAI dataset. Effusion regions were extracted by a trained musculoskeletal radiologist (DC) for 23 participants (a total of 31 scans) using an interactive software developed in-house. We have used 5 scans for the test and 26 scans (a total of 700 slices) for training. In this method, IMaskRCNN deep learning architecture with the ResNet-101 backbone have been used. The training process has been performed in two-phase, self-supervised pretraining, and fine-tuning. The self-supervised pretraining using the fill-blank method was performed on unlabeled images to learn visual representations in musculoskeletal MRIs. After pretraining, we fined-tuned last layers of the network (backbone weights have been frozen) using the training division of the small TSE dataset. The dice similarity coefficient, Intersection over union (IoU) was used to compare the result of the segmentation between the predicted output and the ground truth. Qualitative results of the proposed method is presented in the figure. As shown the network was able to provide a good prediction of effusion location and extracting it. The segmentation model using the proposed pretraining method was successful in finding the location of effusion for 90% of the slices with IoU = 60%. The dice score for the detected effusion is 0.70 indicates a high agreement between the automatic segmentation and the labels provided by the expert. Self-supervised pretraining on the OAI dataset, can be a solution to the scarcity of pixel-wise ground truth (GT) for effusion quantification. Alberta Innovates, AHS Chair in Diagnostic Imaging, Medical Imaging Consultants, CIHR. CORRESPONDENCE ADDRESS: banafshe.felfeliyan@ucalgary.ca

Unexpected intracranial location of a Cephenemyia stimulator larva in a roe deer, Capreolus capreolus, revealed by computed tomography

In this study we describe the finding of a Cephenemyia stimulator larva in the brain of a roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) after performing a computed tomography (CT) scan of its head. Despite this anatomical location of oestrid larvae could be relatively frequent in other genera, such as Oestrus, to our knowledge, this is the first reported case involving the genus Cephenemyia. Concretely, a second-instar C. stimulator larva was found in the basis of the cranium. The location of a macroscopic hemorrhagic lesion involving the brain parenchyma peripheral to the location of the larva suggests that tissue colonization occurred before the animal was hunted. Since no detectable alterations or damage to the cranial bones were observed, we suggest a possible larval migration route drilling the skull bones. Finally, we propose the use of the term “neuromyiasis” to be referred to the invasion of the central nervous system by dipteran larvae, particularly oestrids.

Radio-anatomical aspects of a rare case: interpeduncular lipoma

Intracranial lipomas can be associated with other congenital abnormalities, but they are commonly found incidentally on imaging studies. Although the location of intracranial lipomas can be quite variable, they are extremely rare in interpeduncular fossa. We report a case of interpeduncular lipoma with its radio-anatomical features in terms of distinction with pathologies that can appear similarly, as the unexpected location of rare cases can be challenging for radiologists. The MR images of a 55-year-old male patient suffering from episodic dizziness attacks and impaired walking showed two different lipoma masses in interpeduncular fossa and chiasmatic cistern which are isointense with adipose tissue in T1, T2-weighted and FLAIR sequences. Intracranial lipomas can be located in the corpus callosum and almost in all cisterns, however they are extremely rare in interpeduncular fossa. Due to the mass effect, the structures located in close proximity of the lipomas should be evaluated.

Macrophage deletion of Noc4l triggers endosomal TLR4/TRIF signal and leads to insulin resistance

In obesity, macrophages drive a low-grade systemic inflammation (LSI) and insulin resistance (IR). The ribosome biosynthesis protein NOC4 (NOC4) mediates 40 S ribosomal subunits synthesis in yeast. Hereby, we reported an unexpected location and function of NOC4L, which was preferentially expressed in human and mouse macrophages. NOC4L was decreased in both obese human and mice. The macrophage-specific deletion of Noc4l in mice displayed IR and LSI. Conversely, Noc4l overexpression by lentivirus treatment and transgenic mouse model improved glucose metabolism in mice. Importantly, we found that Noc4l can interact with TLR4 to inhibit its endocytosis and block the TRIF pathway, thereafter ameliorated LSI and IR in mice.

Inhibition of return in time-lapse: Brain Rhythms during grip force control for spatial attention

The inhibition of return (IoR) is the observable slowed response to a target at a cued position for cue-target intervals of longer than 300 ms; when there has been enough time to disengage from a previously-cued location, an inhibitory after-effect can be observed. Studies aimed at understanding whether mechanisms underlying IoR act at a perceptual/attentional or a later response-execution stage have offered divergent results. Though focusing on the brain's responses to cue-target intervals can offer significant information on the nature of IoR, few studies have investigated neural activity during this interval; these studies suggest the generation of inhibitory tags on the spatial coordinates of the previously attended position which, in turn, inhibit motor programming toward that position. As such, a cue-target task was administered in this study; the rhythmic activity of EEG signals on the entire cue-target interval was measured to determine whether IoR is referred to early or late response processing stages. A visually-guided force variation during isometric contraction, instead of a key press response, was required to reduce the effect of motor response initiation. Our results indicated the prominent involvement of the fronto-parietal and occipital cortical areas post-cue appearance, with a peculiar theta band modulation characterizing the posterior parietal cortex. Theta activity in this region was enhanced post-cue onset, decreased over time, and was enhanced again when a target appeared in an unexpected location rather than in a cued position. This suggests that the mechanism that generates IoR sequentially affects perceptual/attentional processing and motor preparation rather than response execution.

ANALISIS RISIKO PENINGKATAN INFRASTRUKTUR JALAN RUAS ABEPURA-YETTI DENGAN PERSPEKTIF KONTRAKTOR DI JAYAPURA PAPUA

Activities to improve road infrastructure in Jayapura Papua are growing. There are many risks faced by construction service companies in its implementation. One of them is the implementation of work to improve the road infrastructure for the Abepura-Yetti section. This study aims to identify the possible risks that occur in improving the road infrastructure for the Abepura-Yetti section and analyze the handling of the dominant risks in improving the AbepuraYetti road section. Data retrieval is carried out to contractors who are carrying out work. It is estimated that the risks that occur may hamper the completion of the road infrastructure improvement work for the Abepura-Yetti section. The indicator with the highest level of risk that affects cost performance and time performance on road infrastructure improvement for the Abepura-Yetti section is a late project related to land followed by unexpected land / location conditions and unexpected project location conditions.

Modelling the effects of cold temperature during the reproductive stage on the yield of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

During the reproductive stage, chilling temperatures and frost reduce the yield of chickpea and limit its adaptation. The adverse effects of chilling temperature and frost in terms of the threshold temperatures, impact of cold duration, and genotype-by-environment-by-management interactions are not well quantified. Crop growth models that predict flowering time and yield under diverse climates can identify combinations of cultivars and sowing time to reduce frost risk in target environments. The Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM-chickpea) model uses daily temperatures to model basic crop growth but does not include penalties for either frost damage or cold temperatures during flowering and podding stages. Regression analysis overcame this limitation of the model for chickpea crops grown at 95 locations in Australia using 70 years of historic data incorporating three cultivars and three sowing times (early, mid, and late). We modified model parameters to include the effect of soil water on thermal time calculations, which significantly improved the prediction of flowering time. Simulated data, and data from field experiments grown in Australia (2013 to 2019), showed robust predictions for flowering time (n = 29; R2 = 0.97), and grain yield (n = 22; R2 = 0.63–0.70). In addition, we identified threshold cold temperatures that significantly affected predicted yield, and combinations of locations, variety, and sowing time where the overlap between peak cold temperatures and peak flowering was minimal. Our results showed that frost and/or cold temperature–induced yield losses are a major limitation in some unexpected Australian locations, e.g., inland, subtropical latitudes in Queensland. Intermediate sowing maximise yield, as it avoids cold temperature, late heat, and drought stresses potentially limiting yield in early and late sowing respectively.

Usefulness of Color Doppler Ultrasonography for the Preoperative Evaluation of Thin Anterolateral Thigh Flap Perforators

Purpose: The anterolateral thigh flap is commonly applied to various body sites for reconstruction. However, surgeons often struggle against unexpected locations and the nature of perforator vessels during surgery. Thus, this study aimed to assess the accuracy and usefulness of color Doppler ultrasonography as a preoperative tool for the perforator position and course of anterolateral thigh flaps.Methods: A prospective study involving 77 anterolateral thigh flaps was conducted between March 2016 and February 2021. Among them, 37 perforators (group A) were detected using the preoperative color Doppler ultrasound, and the other 40 perforators (group B) were tested using a hand-held Doppler only. All patients in group A underwent color Doppler ultrasonography performed by a radiologist at our institution. The nature and course of the perforator vessels were recorded, and their precise locations were plotted in an orthonormal coordinate system.Results: A total of 37 anterolateral thigh perforator flaps (group A) were successfully dissected. The median distance between the preoperative color Doppler ultrasonography and the real location during surgery of the perforators was 7.50 mm, which was statistically smaller than 10 mm (p&lt;0.001). This preoperative ultrasound test also had a success rate of 94.6% to determine the nature of the perforators (musculocutaneous type vs. septocutaneous type).Conclusion: Preoperative color Doppler ultrasonography provides a harmless, reliable, and accurate technique for visualizing the vascular anatomy of anterolateral thigh flaps. It has a high correlation with surgical findings, allowing surgeons to cope with variable vascular anatomy.

Unexpected organellar locations of ESCRT machinery in Giardia intestinalis and complex evolutionary dynamics spanning the transition to parasitism in the lineage Fornicata

BackgroundComparing a parasitic lineage to its free-living relatives is a powerful way to understand how that evolutionary transition to parasitism occurred. Giardia intestinalis (Fornicata) is a leading cause of gastrointestinal disease world-wide and is famous for its unusual complement of cellular compartments, such as having peripheral vacuoles instead of typical endosomal compartments. Endocytosis plays an important role in Giardia’s pathogenesis. Endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT) are membrane-deforming proteins associated with the late endosome/multivesicular body (MVB). MVBs are ill-defined in G. intestinalis, and roles for identified ESCRT-related proteins are not fully understood in the context of its unique endocytic system. Furthermore, components thought to be required for full ESCRT functionality have not yet been documented in this species.ResultsWe used genomic and transcriptomic data from several Fornicata species to clarify the evolutionary genome streamlining observed in Giardia, as well as to detect any divergent orthologs of the Fornicata ESCRT subunits. We observed differences in the ESCRT machinery complement between Giardia strains. Microscopy-based investigations of key components of ESCRT machinery such as GiVPS36 and GiVPS25 link them to peripheral vacuoles, highlighting these organelles as simplified MVB equivalents. Unexpectedly, we show ESCRT components associated with the endoplasmic reticulum and, for the first time, mitosomes. Finally, we identified the rare ESCRT component CHMP7 in several fornicate representatives, including Giardia and show that contrary to current understanding, CHMP7 evolved from a gene fusion of VPS25 and SNF7 domains, prior to the last eukaryotic common ancestor, over 1.5 billion years ago.ConclusionsOur findings show that ESCRT machinery in G. intestinalis is far more varied and complete than previously thought, associates to multiple cellular locations, and presents changes in ESCRT complement which pre-date adoption of a parasitic lifestyle.

A computational model of upper airway respiratory function with muscular coupling

A two dimensional finite element model of upper airway respiratory function was developed emphasizing the effects of dilator muscular activation on the human retro-lingual airway. The model utilized an upright mid-sagittal computed tomography of the human head and neck to reconstruct relevant structures of the tongue, mandible, and the hyoid-related soft tissues, along with the retro-lingual airway. The reconstructed geometry was divided into fluid and solid domains and discretized into finite element (FE) meshes used for the computational model. Three cases were investigated: standing position; supine position; and supine position coupled with dilator muscle activation. Computations were performed for the inspiration stage of the breathing cycle, utilizing a fluid-structure interaction (FSI) method to couple structural deformation with airflow dynamics. The spatio-temporal deformation of the structures surrounding the airway wall were predicted to be in general agreement with known changes from upright to supine posture on luminal opening, as well as the distribution of airflow. The model effectively captured the effects of muscular stimulation on the upper airway anatomical changes, the flow characteristics relevant to airway reduction in the supine position and airway enlargement with muscle activation. The smallest airway opening in the retro-lingual section is predicted to occur at the epiglottic region in all the three cases considered, an unexpected vulnerable location of airway obstruction. The model also predicted that hyoid displacement would be associated with recovery from airway collapse. This information may be useful for building more complex models relevant to mechanisms and clinical interventions for obstructive sleep apnea.

Unexpected location of pacemaker electrode: Is it right?

Unexpected location of pacemaker electrode: Is it right?

Unexpected location of pacemaker electrode: Is it right?

A 74-year-old woman presented with weakness, dizziness, dyspnea, and chest pain. A 2nd degree atrioventricular block was found. Transvenous temporary pacemaker (TTP) was implanted. Post-TTP implantation electrocardiography (ECG) showed a paced rhythm with a right branch block (RBBB) morphology, inconsistent with the right ventricular stimulation - as expected for this type of device.

Sinkhole Scanner: A New Method to Detect Sinkhole-Related Spatio-Temporal Patterns in InSAR Deformation Time Series

Sinkholes are sudden disasters that are usually small in size and occur at unexpected locations. They may cause serious damage to life and property. Sinkhole-prone areas can be monitored using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) time series. Defining a pattern using InSAR-derived spatio-temporal deformations, this study presents a sinkhole pattern detector, called the Sinkhole Scanner. The Sinkhole Scanner includes a spatio-temporal mathematical model such as a 2-dimensional time evolving Gaussian function as a kernel, which moves over the study area using a sliding window approach. The scanner attempts to fit the model over deformation time series of Constantly Coherent Scatterers (CCS) intersected by the window and returns the posterior variance as a measure of goodness of fit. In this way, the scanner searches for subsiding regions resembling sinkhole shapes over a sinkhole prone area. It is designed to detect large sinkholes with a high efficiency, and small sinkholes with a lower efficiency. It is tested at four different spatial scales, and on a simulated and real set of deformation data. Real data were obtained from Sentinel-1A SLC data in IW mode, over Ireland where a large sinkhole occurred on 24 September 2018. The Sinkhole Scanner was able to identify a pattern of low posterior variance zones consistent with the simulated set. In case of the real data, it is able to identify significantly low posterior variance zones near the sinkhole area with the lowest value being 51.1% of the maximum value. The results from Sinkhole Scanner over the real sinkhole site were compared with Multiple Hypothesis Testing (MHT), which identifies Breakpoint and Heaviside temporal anomalies in the deformation time series of CCS. MHT was able to identify high likelihood for Heaviside anomalies in deformation time series of CCS near the sinkhole site about 10 epochs before the sinkhole occurrence. We show that the Sinkhole Scanner is efficient in monitoring a large area and search for sinkholes and that MHT can be used successively to identify temporal anomalies in the vicinity of areas detected by the Sinkhole Scanner. Future research may address other Sinkhole shapes whereas the underlying stochastic model may be adjusted. We conclude that the Sinkhole Scanner is important to be applied at different levels of scale to converge on potential sinkhole centers.

Between Ransom and Release: Exploring Caringscapes of Ransom Kidnappings by Somali Pirates

ABSTRACT Recent scholarship on care has continued to push the boundaries of care research beyond the Global North and beyond the usual areas of study. In the spirit of finding care in unusual and troubling places, this article examines the role of care in an unexpected location – namely, ransom kidnappings by Somali pirates. Drawing on accounts from the memoirs of former hostages, this study explores the complicated relational dynamics of care that emerge between the pirates and their hostages. In particular, it focuses on the ways in which the locations of the hostage situations shape the manner and quality of care across four geographical zones in Somalia. The analysis draws on a caringscape approach and focuses on the “bricolage of care” pieced together from available goods, the limited skills of the pirates themselves, and the skills and resources of the hostages. By providing an unflinching account of care in these difficult contexts, this article seeks a more robust understanding of the varieties of caring behavior across the human experience and a more nuanced sense of where care fits into a discussion of ethics in a globalized world.

An Unexpected Location of Enostosis, a Pediatric "Never Mind" Bone Lesion

An Unexpected Location of Enostosis, a Pediatric "Never Mind" Bone Lesion

The Modulation of Exogenous Attention on Emotional Audiovisual Integration.

Although emotional audiovisual integration has been investigated previously, whether emotional audiovisual integration is affected by the spatial allocation of visual attention is currently unknown. To examine this question, a variant of the exogenous spatial cueing paradigm was adopted, in which stimuli varying by facial expressions and nonverbal affective prosody were used to express six basic emotions (happiness, anger, disgust, sadness, fear, surprise) via a visual, an auditory, or an audiovisual modality. The emotional stimuli were preceded by an unpredictive cue that was used to attract participants’ visual attention. The results showed significantly higher accuracy and quicker response times in response to bimodal audiovisual stimuli than to unimodal visual or auditory stimuli for emotional perception under both valid and invalid cue conditions. The auditory facilitation effect was stronger than the visual facilitation effect under exogenous attention for the six emotions tested. Larger auditory enhancement was induced when the target was presented at the expected location than at the unexpected location. For emotional perception, happiness shared the biggest auditory enhancement among all six emotions. However, the influence of exogenous cueing effect on emotional perception seemed to be absent.

Fibrous Dysplasia at Unusual Anatomic Sites: A Series of 86 Cases With Emphasis on Histologic Patterns.

Aims. Fibrous dysplasia (FD) is a benign fibro-osseous neoplasm that most commonly arises in the ribs, femur, and craniofacial bones. We analyzed features of FD arising in the spine/short tubular/small bones of the hands/feet (STSBHF), specifically assessing for pattern of bone formation (conventional, complex/anastomosing, psammomatoid/cementum like), myxoid change, and presence of osteoclast-type giant cells. Materials and methods. A total of 1958 cases of FD were reviewed, of which 131 arose in the spine/STSBHF representing 2.5% of institutional and 10% of consultation cases, respectively. Eighty-six cases had material available for review. Anatomic sites included vertebrae (n = 58, 67%), short tubular bones (n = 20, 23%), and small bones of the hands/feet (n = 8, 9%). The most common morphologic pattern of bone identified was conventional (n = 77, 90%), followed by complex/anastomosing (n = 22, 26%) and psammomatoid/cementum like (n = 22, 26%). Eighteen cases (21%) had matrix-poor areas. Hypercellular areas were identified in 6 cases, 2 cases of which showed matrix-poor areas. Osteoclast-type giant cells were noted in 9 cases and myxoid change was present in 3 cases. Radiologic imaging studies available for 41 cases nearly all demonstrated features typical of FD, but the diagnosis was not predicted due to the unexpected location. Conclusions. FD arising in the spine/STSBHF is rare and frequently results in expert consultation. A significant number of cases exhibited less commonly recognized patterns of bone formation, and stromal changes including osteoclast-type giant cells, and matrix poor areas. Furthermore, imaging features in the STSBHF are often less specific. Awareness of the morphologic spectrum at these locations coupled with radiologic correlation should aid in accurate classification.

Leaving the Market, Taking the Square: Space and Mobility in the Revolts of Late Medieval Tournai

Abstract This article studies the relation between the movement of people and objects and the use of urban places during revolts in late medieval Tournai. It posits that fixed locations were but one ingredient in the construction of medieval spaces of protest and contestation, and that most other essential elements, such as people, objects, and performances, were in fact mobile. As shown here through the case of Tournai, the mobile nature of these elements allowed rebels to transform urban space and its meanings as they moved across the town. The first part of the article looks at how rebels utilized mobility to disrupt and re-appropriate ordinary itineraries. The second part focuses on the “Becquerel revolts,” a series of uprisings that took place in a small, peripheral square. This is to show how urban guilds, by effectively managing to move people, objects, and performances to unexpected locations, not only took control of specific places, but also created their own spaces of contestation.

“Thou maiest inforce my body but not mee”: Racializing Consent in John Marston’sThe Wonder of Women

“Thou maiest inforce my body but not mee”: Racializing Consent in John Marston’s<i>The Wonder of Women</i>