In this paper we present methods for scene understanding, localization and classification of complex, visually heterogeneous objects from overhead imagery. Key features of this work include: determining boundaries of objects within large field-of-view images, classification of increasingly complex object classes through hierarchical descriptions, and exploiting automatically extracted hypotheses about the surrounding region to improve classification of a more localized region. Our system uses a principled probabilistic approach to classify increasingly larger and more complex regions, and then iteratively uses this automatically determined contextual information to reduce false alarms and misclassifications.
We introduce the use of geodesic distances and geodesic radius for calculating pairwise similarities needed in various graph cuts based methods. By using geodesics on an edge strength function we are able to calculate similarities between pixels in a more natural way. Our technique improves the speed and reliability of calculating similarities and leads to reasonably good image segmentation results. Our algorithm takes an edge strength function as its input and its speed is independent of the feature dimension or the distance measure used.
The author report the observations carried out on the distal part of the hemorrhoidal artery, obtained with a research on the vascularization of the large intestine, studied by the angiographic method and injection of the c.m. in the anatomical specimen immediately after surgical extirpation. The study was based on 92 anatomical specimens and reveals a variability of the terminal arterial distribution which can be summarized in few more frequent models, but cannot be given an absolute rule.
Abstract Motivation: Many aging genes have been found from unbiased screens in model organisms. Genetic interventions promoting longevity are usually quantitative, while in many other biological fields (e.g. development) null mutations alone have been very informative. Therefore, in the case of aging the task is larger and the need for a more efficient genetic search strategy is especially strong. Results: The topology of genetic and metabolic networks is organized according to a scale-free distribution, in which hubs with large numbers of links are present. We have developed a computational model of aging genes as the hubs of biological networks. The computational model shows that, after generalized damage, the function of a network with scale-free topology can be significantly restored by a limited intervention on the hubs. Analyses of data on aging genes and biological networks support the applicability of the model to biological aging. The model also might explain several of the properties of aging genes, including the high degree of conservation across different species. The model suggests that aging genes tend to have a higher number of connections and therefore supports a strategy, based on connectivity, for prioritizing what might otherwise be a random search for aging genes. Contact: giovanni@burnham.org
Objectives: Studies regarding the effects of parity on blood pressure in later life produced conflicting results. The aim of our study is to analyse whether parity influences the prevalence of hypertension in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Methods: One thousand perimenopausal and postmenopausal women (mean age 55.2 ± 5.4 years) were enrolled with a median follow-up of 63.0 months. The study sample consisted of patients who self-referred, in 1998–2009, to the BenEssere Donna Clinic, dedicated to menopause-related disorders. Results: One hundred and twenty-two (12.2%) women were nulliparous and 878 (87.8%) had at least one child. Thirty-four (27.9%) women among nulliparous and 326 (37.1%) among parous were hypertensive at baseline (P = 0.046) and 812 women (81.2%) were in their postmenopausal period. Univariate analysis showed that women with one or more children were at higher risk of being hypertensive [odds ratio (OR): 1.529; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.006–2.324; P = 0.047]. Likewise, multivariate analysis revealed that parity (OR: 2.907; 95% CI: 1.290–6.547; P = 0.010), BMI (OR: 1.097; 95% CI: 1.048–1.149; P < 0.001) and family history of hypertension (OR: 3.623; 95% CI: 2.231–5.883; P < 0.001) were independently related to hypertension at baseline. In a subanalysis of 640 initially normotensive women, 109 (17.0%) patients developed hypertension after follow-up, without a statistically significant association with parity (13.6% in nulliparous versus 17.6% in parous; P = 0.362). Consistently, parity showed no relationship with the incidence of hypertension during follow-up (OR: 1.350; 95% CI: 0.707–2.579; P = 0.363). Conclusion: For the first time in a population of White perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, parity was demonstrated to be independently associated with early hypertension during menopausal transition. Conversely, postmenopausal hypertension was not related with parity.
Asthma is the most frequent chronic disease of childhood, affecting up to 20% of children worldwide. The main guidelines on asthma maintenance therapy in pediatrics suggest different approaches and describe different stages of asthma to determine the most appropriate treatment. This project aims to summarize the most recent evidence regarding maintenance therapy for asthma in children and adolescents. A multidisciplinary panel of experts was asked clinical questions regarding the treatment of children and adolescents with asthma. Overall, 10 clinical questions were addressed, and the search strategy included accessing electronic databases and a manual search of gray literature published in the last 25 years. After data extraction and narrative synthesis of results, recommendations were developed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) methodology. Results showed that the choice of medication depends on the severity of the child’s asthma, phenotype, age, preference, and individual factors. In addition to medications, the identification of comorbidities and modifiable factors is crucial to obtaining good control. Asthma in children is heterogeneous, and its evolution varies over time. Since most recommendations for asthma management in childhood are extrapolated from clinical studies performed in adults, more clinical trials specifically designed for young children should be conducted.
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