Deep Learning-Based Object Detection for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs)-Based Inspections of Construction Stormwater Practices.

Construction activities typically create large amounts of ground disturbance, which can lead to increased rates of soil erosion. Construction stormwater practices are used on active jobsites to protect downstream waterbodies from offsite sediment transport. Federal and state regulations require routine pollution prevention inspections to ensure that temporary stormwater practices are in place and performing as intended. This study addresses the existing challenges and limitations in the construction stormwater inspections and presents a unique approach for performing unmanned aerial system (UAS)-based inspections. Deep learning-based object detection principles were applied to identify and locate practices installed on active construction sites. The system integrates a post-processing stage by clustering results. The developed framework consists of data preparation with aerial inspections, model training, validation of the model, and testing for accuracy. The developed model was created from 800 aerial images and was used to detect four different types of construction stormwater practices at 100% accuracy on the Mean Average Precision (MAP) with minimal false positive detections. Results indicate that object detection could be implemented on UAS-acquired imagery as a novel approach to construction stormwater inspections and provide accurate results for site plan comparisons by rapidly detecting the quantity and location of field-installed stormwater practices.

Perceptions of the professional and personal impact of hybrid fellowship training: a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to elucidate graduate perceptions of how fellowship training impacted their post-training professional and personal lives. METHODS: Interviews were conducted with 13 graduates of a hybrid (e.g. blended-learning) fellowship program. All participants were at least 1 year post completion of fellowship to limit recall bias and allow for post-training personal and professional development. Qualitative analysis was performed on interview transcriptions using directed content analysis with two coders other than the interviewers, followed by discussion until agreement was reached if there were disputes related to coding analysis. If needed, arbitration was provided from one of two interviewers. RESULTS: Analysis revealed three primary constructs of post-fellowship impact: practical, social, and personal. Practical subthemes were centric to care delivery. Social subthemes extended to intra, inter, and non-professional connections. Personal subthemes noted professional and cognitive evolution. DISCUSSION: Participants clearly described impact extending well beyond day-to-day practice suggesting that fellowship impacted the whole person versus sole practitioner. This study may impact program structure and content inclusion for fellowship programs as well as providing support for fellows in training.

Review: Vascular dementia: clinicopathologic and genetic considerations.

The incidence and severity of cerebrovascular disease (CVD) increase with advancing age, as does the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). Not surprisingly, heterogeneous forms of CVD may coexist with AD changes in the 'ageing brain'. These include angiopathies (affecting both large and small arteries) that result from 'classical' risk factors (hypertension, smoking and diabetes) and others (cerebral amyloid angiopathy) that are biochemically closely linked to AD. The morphologic consequences of these various vascular diseases are infarcts and/or haemorrhages of varying sizes within the brain, which lead to neurocognitive decline that may mimic AD - though the vascular abnormalities are usually detectable by neuroimaging. More subtle effects of CVD may include neuroinflammation and biochemical 'lesions' that have no reliable morphologic correlate and thus escape the attention of even an experienced Neuropathologist. The pathogenesis of hippocampal injury resembling ischaemic change - commonly seen in the brains of geriatric subjects - remains controversial. In recent years, genetically determined forms of microangiopathy (e.g. CADASIL, CARASIL, Trex1-related microangiopathies, CARASAL, familial forms of cerebral amyloid angiopathy or CAA) have provided interesting cellular and molecular clues to the pathogenesis of sporadic microvascular disease such as arteriolosclerosis and AD-related CAA.

Acceptance of evidence-supported hypotheses generates a stronger signal from an underlying functionally-connected network.

Choosing one's preferred hypothesis requires multiple brain regions to work in concert as a functionally connected network. We predicted that a stronger network signal would underlie cognitive coherence between a hypothesis and the available evidence. In order to identify such functionally connected networks in magnetoencephalography (MEG) data, we first localized the generators of changes in oscillatory power within three frequency bands, namely alpha (7-13 Hz), beta (18-24 Hz), and theta (3-7 Hz), with a spatial resolution of 5mm and temporal resolution of 50 ms. We then used principal component analysis (PCA) to identify functionally connected networks reflecting co-varying post-stimulus changes in power. As predicted, PCA revealed a functionally connected network with a stronger signal when the evidence supported accepting the hypothesis being judged. This difference was driven by beta-band power decreases in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC), posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), and midline occipital cortex.

High-Temperature Cross-Linking of Carbon Nanotube Multi-Yarn Using Polyvinylpyrrolidone as a Binding Agent.

Carbon nanotube (CNT) multi-yarn was cross-linked together at elevated temperatures using a poly- mer, with the intent of improving their strength and electrical conductivity. They were functionalized using an acid treatment and immersed in a bath of different concentrations (0.5%, 0.1%, and 0.2%) of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Then they were placed in an oven at various temperatures (180 °C, 200 °C, and 220 °C) in order to cause cross-linking among the carbon nanotube yarns. The phys- ical, chemical, electrical, and mechanical properties of the cross-linked yarns were investigated. The yarns cross-linked at higher temperatures and greater concentrations of PVP had a greater increase in linear mass density, indicating that the cross-linking process had worked as expected. Yarns that were cross-linked at lower temperatures had greater tensile strength and better spe- cific electrical conductivity. Those that were treated with a greater concentration of polymer had a greater ultimate tensile strength. All these results are encouraging first step, but still need further development if CNT yarn is to replace copper wire.

Modification of classical approximations for diffusion in fluids with density gradients.

An analysis of classical approximations is performed for diffusion in fluids with density gradients. This approach gives a new diffusion equation taking into account the asymmetry of molecular mean-free paths and the velocity distribution in the flux term. It is shown that new model is consistent with Einstein's evolution equation for an asymmetric distribution of spatial displacements and with molecular dynamic simulations for hard spheres.

Secondary contact during adaptive radiation: a community matrix for Lake Malawi cichlids.

We used a community of Lake Malawi rock-dwelling cichlids to study secondary contact during adaptive radiation. Using abundance data from survey plots we constructed a matrix of pair-wise interaction coefficients for males of 21 native and eight transplanted species. After controlling for the effects of habitat variation, correlations among residual male abundances suggest that coevolved species compete less than those brought into artificial secondary contact 30 years ago and that species with the same body colour compete more than those with different body colours. The latter result provides evidence that a trait related to reproductive isolation affects competitive interactions and the distribution of individuals throughout an entire community. Our results further suggest lake level fluctuations that divide and reconnect communities act to increase local (alpha), as well as total (gamma) diversity, in this adaptive radiation. The communities are not, however, unsaturated in the simplest sense; new species can enter a community, but they disproportionately reduce the abundance of original community members.

3-D ultrasound guidance of surgical robotics using catheter transducers: feasibility study.

The goal of this study was to test the feasibility of using a real-time 3-D (RT3D) ultrasound scanner with matrix array catheter probes to guide a surgical robot. We tested the accuracy of using 3-D catheter transducers with the 3-D measurement software of the scanner to direct automatically a robot arm that touched two needle tips together within a water tank and inside a vascular graft. RMS measurement error ranged from 2.4 to 3.4 mm for two catheter designs.

A randomized clinical trial of valacyclovir in multiple sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: The human Herpesvirus type-6 (HHV-6) has been implicated in multiple sclerosis (MS). Valacyclovir is an antiviral agent with an excellent safety profile. A two-year placebo-controlled, double-blind study was conducted to (1) ascertain if high-dose, prolonged treatment with valacyclovir would be safe and (2) observe if valacyclovir would delay the progression of MS clinically or by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). DESIGN/METHODS: Fifty-eight patients were stratified as to severity and randomly assigned to receive valacyclovir (3000 mg/day) or placebo for a period of two years. Patients were followed clinically over the two-year period by means of the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), the Ambulation Index (AI) and brain MRI scans. Patients underwent routine lab studies every three months. Patients continued on the medication for two years unless they had a sustained progression or repeated exacerbations. RESULTS: No patient discontinued the study due to side effects or toxicity. In Relative Ranking of Progression, time to first attack, attack rate, and time to withdrawal there were trends (but not statistically significant) toward drug effect over placebo in the Severe clinical category. MRI evaluation showed no significant drug effect. CONCLUSIONS: Although not statistically significant, positive trends were detected for acyclovir by clinical measures, but not by MRI.

Tobacco availability and point of sale marketing in demographically contrasting districts of Massachusetts.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence and characteristics of tobacco sales and point-of-sale promotions and advertising in predominantly Latino business districts, and in comparison districts; and the economic importance of tobacco sales and marketing to Latino owned small businesses. DESIGN: Observational surveys of retail establishments and interviews with store managers. SETTING: Demographically contrasting business districts of eastern Massachusetts. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Percentage of businesses selling tobacco, numbers and characteristics of exterior and interior tobacco advertisements per store, merchant reports of promotional allowances received from tobacco distributors. RESULTS: The proportion of businesses selling tobacco, and hence having storefront tobacco advertising, is strongly negatively correlated with per capita income in the census tracts where businesses are located (Spearman's rho = -0.794, p = 0.006). Mentholated brands are marketed disproportionately in low income, urban communities. Latino merchants are highly dependent on tobacco sales, but would require relatively modest compensation to forego tobacco promotional allowances. CONCLUSIONS: Storefront tobacco advertising is far more prevalent in predominantly minority, low income communities than in non-minority, higher income communities, principally because of the differing mix of kinds of businesses in the two types of communities, and the greater prevalence of tobacco vendors in lower income neighbourhoods. Tobacco companies obtain this advertising at little cost.

Lack of serologic association of human herpesvirus-8 (KSHV) in patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance with and without progression to multiple myeloma.

Because human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) DNA has been found in multiple myeloma (MM) patients by polymerase chain reaction, it was suggested that HHV-8 may play a role in the transformation of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) to MM. Therefore, 362 MGUS sera with and without progression to MM were tested for IgG antibody to HHV-8. Only 7.8% of the MGUS sera contained HHV-8 antibody to lytic proteins, and IgG antibody to HHV-8 latent antigen was even lower than lytic antibody (2.9%). No differences were observed in the distribution of antibody to HHV-8 in sera from MGUS patients who progressed to MM. The seroprevalences of HHV-8 in MGUS (7.8%), MM (5.4%), and healthy donors (5.9%) were similar, thus arguing for the lack of epidemiologic evidence of HHV-8 participation in the pathogenesis of MM. MGUS patients were immune competent in response to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection because 97% contained antibody to EBV virus capsid antigen.

Frequent HHV-6 reactivation in multiple sclerosis (MS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients.

BACKGROUND: HHV-6 is a ubiquitous virus and its infection usually occurs in childhood and then becomes a latent infection. HHV-6 reactivation has been shown to play a role in the pathogenesis of AIDS and several other diseases. OBJECTIVES: To determine what role HHV-6 infection or reactivation plays in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). RESULTS: Twenty-one MS and 35 CFS patients were studied and followed clinically. In these patients, we measured HHV-6 IgG and IgM antibody levels and also analyzed their peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) for the presence of HHV-6, using a short term culture assay. In both MS and CFS patients, we found higher levels of HHV-6 IgM antibody and elevated levels of IgG antibody when compared to healthy controls. Seventy percent of the MS patients studied contained IgM antibodies for HHV-6 late antigens (capsid), while only 15% of the healthy donors (HD) and 20% of the patients with other neurological disorders (OND) had HHV-6 IgM antibodies. Higher frequency of IgM antibody was also detected in CFS patients (57.1%) compared to HD (16%). Moreover, 54% of CFS patients exhibited antibody to HHV-6 early protein (p41/38) compared to only 8.0% of the HD. Elevated IgG antibody titers were detected in both the MS and the CFS patients. PBMCs from MS, CFS and HD were analyzed in a short term culture assay in order to detect HHV-6 antigen expressing cells and to characterize the viral isolates obtained as either Variant A or B. Fifty-four percent of MS patients contained HHV-6 early and late antigen producing cells and 87% of HHV-6 isolates were Variant B. Isolates from CFS, patients were predominately Variant A (70%) and isolates from HD were predominately Variant B (67%). Moreover, one isolate from OND was also Variant B. Persistent HHV-6 infection was found in two CFS patients over a period of 2.5 years and HHV-6 specific cellular immune responses were detected in PBMCs from ten CFS patients. CONCLUSION: In both MS and CFS patients, we found increased levels of HHV-6 antibody and HHV-6 DNA. A decrease in cellular immune responses was also detected in CFS patients. These data suggest that HHV-6 reactivation plays a role in the pathogenesis of these disorders.

Seroprevalence of human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) in countries of Southeast Asia compared to the USA, the Caribbean and Africa.

Seroprevalence of HHV-8 has been studied in Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Trinidad, Jamaica and the USA, in both healthy individuals and those infected with HIV. Seroprevalence was found to be low in these countries in both the healthy and the HIV-infected populations. This correlates with the fact that hardly any AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma has been reported in these countries. In contrast, the African countries of Ghana, Uganda and Zambia showed high seroprevalences in both healthy and HIV-infected populations. This suggests that human herpes virus-8 (HHV-8) may be either a recently introduced virus or one that has extremely low infectivity. Nasopharyngeal and oral carcinoma patients from Malaysia, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka who have very high EBV titres show that only 3/82 (3.7%) have antibody to HHV-8, demonstrating that there is little, if any, cross-reactivity between antibodies to these two gamma viruses.

Seroprevalence of human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) in countries of Southeast Asia compared to the USA, the Caribbean and Africa

Seroprevalence of HHV-8 has been studied in Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Trinidad, Jamaica and the USA, in both healthy individuals and those infected with HIV. Seroprevalence was found to be low in these countries. In contrast, the African countries of Ghana, Uganda and Zambia showed high seroprevalences in both healthy and HIV-infected populations. This suggests that human herpes virus-8 (HHV-8) may be either a recently introduced virus or one that has extremely low infectivity. Nasopharyngeal and oral carcinoma patients from Malaysia, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka who have very high EBV titres to show that only 3/82 (3.7 percent) have antibody to HHV-8, demonstrating that there is little, if any, cross-relativity between antibodies to these two gamma viruses. (AU)

The association of the human herpesvirus-6 and MS.

Given the clinical and pathological nature of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a viral infection has long been hypothesized as part of the etiology. In this study we investigated the possibility that the human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) is present in a dormant or active phase in the tissue of MS patients, specifically oligodendrocytes. Using PCR assays of MS and non-MS brain sections with primers prepared against the HHV-6 structural protein 101, the results demonstrated that 36% of MS brains were positive for the virus, while 13.5% of non-MS brains were positive. Antibody to the HHV-6 structural protein was also used in immunohistochemical experiments in brain tissue. 47% (7/15) of MS brains were positive for HHV-6, whereas 0/16 controls were positive. In addition, MS patients demonstrated high immune reactivity to this virus, even when compared to auto-immune diseases, which might cause polyclonal activation. Sera obtained from MS and control patients revealed that the IgM response to the HHV-6 virus was significantly elevated in 80% patients compared to 16% non-MS controls, P<.001. The above experiments strongly suggest that a significant number of MS brain samples contain HHV-6 antigens and genomic fragments in a dormant or active phase compared to control specimens and that MS patients mount a brisk, early IgM response.

Human herpesvirus 8 cellular immune responses in homosexual men.

Little is known about cellular immunity to human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), the virus associated with Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). T cell proliferative responses to purified HHV-8 were measured in homosexual men, a group with elevated HHV-8 seroprevalence and high risk of KS. None of 20 blood donor controls had T cell responses to HHV-8. Among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative homosexual men, 8 (42%) of 19 HHV-8 seropositive men responded as did 4 (16%) of 25 HHV-8 seronegative men. Among HIV-positive homosexual men, however, none of 21 HHV-8 seropositives had T cell responses to HHV-8, even though most responded to common recall antigens, and 10 had >/=400 CD4 cells/mm3. The results suggest that HHV-8 T cell proliferative responses are common in HIV-negative homosexual men and that HIV infection may be associated with diminished HHV-8 cellular immunity, possibly before there is substantial depletion of CD4 cells. If correct, this could explain why KS occurs relatively early in HIV infection/AIDS.

Propagation and characterization of human herpesvirus-7 (HHV-7) isolates in a continuous T-lymphoblastoid cell line (SupT1).

After initial culture of HHV-7 in PHA-stimulated human cord blood mononuclear cells (HCBMC), six HHV-7 isolates were propagated successfully in an immature continuous T-lymphoblastoid cell line SupT1. All six isolates infected efficiently the SupT1 cells, and the infected cells became grossly enlarged and multinucleated 7-21 days post-infection. Various stages of HHV-7 morphogenesis were detected. Cell-free supernatants from HHV-7-infected SupT1 cells were infectious to HCBMC as well as to SupT1 cells. The HHV-7-infected SupT1 and HCBMC cell lysates contained more infectious virus than the centrifuged cell culture fluid supernates from the same culture. The HHV-7 isolates H7-2, H7-3, JHC, and JB, concentrated 500 times, had average infectivity titers of 10(3.0) TCID50/ml while strains H7-4 and KHR titered approximately 1-2 logs higher. When all six HHV-7 isolates were propagated in SupT1 and culture fluid supernatants were examined 14-21 days post-infection by negative stain electron microscopy they contained an average of 1.9 x 10(9) virus particles/liter. IFA and ELISA, using HHV-7/SupT1 cell lysate as an antigen, seem to correlate well in detecting high and low HHV-7 antibody in sera from chronic fatigue patients and healthy donors as controls. HHV-7 from SupT1 cell culture was free of HHV-6 and other human herpesviruses as tested by PCR, and the HHV-7 PCR signal was still strong when the viral preparation was diluted to 4.82 x 10(2) genome copies. Since HCBMC are expensive to obtain and available in only small amounts, it is difficult to obtain large quantities of HHV-7 antigen. On the other hand, the SupT1 cell is an excellent source to produce consistently sufficient quantities of HHV-7 for purification studies, development of immunodiagnostics, in vivo infectivity studies, evaluation of antiviral drugs, and molecular biological studies.

HHV-6 infection in HIV-infected asymptomatic and AIDS patients.

In order to investigate the levels of HHV-6 infection and elevated antibodies to HHV-6 in HIV-1-infected asymptomatic and symptomatic patients, peripheral blood mononuclear cells were (PBMC) cultured. As patients progressed from asymptomatic HIV infection to AIDS, there was a concurrent increase in replicating HHV-6. Plasma obtained from several of these patients showed the presence of IgM antibody and a significantly elevated level of HHV-6 IgG antibody. Serial samples of plasma from 10 AIDS patients collected over a period of 4 years were assayed for the detection of HHV-6 core protein (gp116/64/54) by antigen capture ELISA. The results demonstrated that either a persistent infection or reactivation can occur based on the degree of fluctuation in HHV-6 antigen detected. ELISA to HHV-6 purified viral proteins, i.e., early (p41/38) and late (gp110), demonstrated that IgG antibody to gp110 did not differentiate between HIV-1-infected and healthy donors. IgG and IgM antibody to p41/38, however, showed a significantly higher prevalence in HIV-1-infected individuals (56.7-85.3%) than in normal healthy donors (19.0%), suggesting virus activation. PBMC culture from the AIDS patients expressing significant peaks of HHV-6 core antigen (gp116/64/54) in their plasma showed that in most cases, HHV-6 early and late antigens were detectable; however, those patients with consistently low antigen peaks had no detectable antigens in their PBMC. Only 55% of PBMC cultures established from IgM antibody-positive HIV-1-infected asymptomatic and AIDS patients expressed HHV-6 antigens in the short-term cultures, but HHV-6 antigens could not be demonstrated in PBMC culture from 4 IgM-antibody-positive healthy donors. HHV-6 isolates obtained from the HIV-1-positive patients were predominantly HHV-6 variant A, compared to healthy donors. Based on the data presented here, it is evident that the levels of HHV-6 infection increased in HIV-1-infected asymptomatic individuals as they progressed to AIDS. Our immunovirological data on HHV-6-infected individuals with HIV infection support a role for HHV-6 in the pathogenesis of AIDS. We believe that simultaneous active infection with HIV-1 and HHV-6 may contribute to enhanced immune suppression perhaps leading to disease manifestations.