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Adaptive optics, in combination with multi-photon techniques, is a powerful approach to image deep into a specimen. Remarkably, virtually all adaptive optics schemes today rely on wavefront modulators that are reflective, diffractive or both. This, however, can pose a severe limitation for applications. Here, we present a fast and robust sensorless adaptive optics scheme adapted for transmissive wavefront modulators. We study our scheme in numerical simulations and in experiments with a novel, optofluidic wavefront shaping device that is transmissive, refractive, polarisation-independent, and broadband. We demonstrate scatter correction of two-photon-excited fluorescence images of microbeads as well as brain cells and benchmark our device against a liquid-crystal spatial light modulator. Our method and technology could open new routes for adaptive optics in scenarios where previously, the restriction to reflective and diffractive devices may have staggered innovation and progress.

WO3 nanoparticles were synthesized using the modified polymer complex method. The synthesized powders were characterized using infrared and UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL), scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopies. Results revealed the synthesized WO3 particles are monocrystalline, with a monoclinic structure (space group P21/c) and a size of 30 nm, a gap of 2.8 eV with structural defects promoting gas sensing. Using these powders, ceramic pieces were formed by the slip casting method and the sintered pieces evaluated for their electrical behavior in the presence of oxygen and acetone vapors. The favorable ability of WO3 to sense these gases and its potential use by way of acetone sensing in the diagnosis of diseases such as diabetes mellitus were reiterated in light of the results obtained in this trial.

Philadelphia chromosome-positive Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a de novo acute leukemia in which patients show no evidence of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) before or after their treatment. This kind of leukemia has an aggressive clinical course, with poor response to traditional chemotherapy or monotherapy with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKI), and a high risk of early relapse after induction therapy. We report a rare case of de novo ALM with t(9;22). A 26-year-old male patient was referred to our hospital for an examination of anemia, thrombocytopenia (hemoglobin 5.7 g/dL and platelets 110 000/L) and elevated White Blood Cell (WBC) count (11 600 μ/L, 24% segmented, 63% lymphocytes, 11% monocytes). Bone marrow smear was compatible with AML. Cytogenetic study revealed t(9;22)(q34;q11). Our patient was treated with chemotherapy for AML and a second-generation TKI and remains in complete remission pending a bone marrow transplant.

Hydrologic fluxes in the Great Lakes region have been altered relative to pre-settlement conditions in response to major land use changes during the past 150 yr. Land surface characteristics and processes including leaf area index, roughness, albedo, soil moisture, and rates of momentum, energy and water vapor exchange are strongly influenced by land use. Changes in land use including urbanization and de(/re)forestation continue to affect the nature and magnitude of groundwater – surface water interactions and water availability influencing ecosystems and their services. One of the goals of the present work is to develop a baseline scenario relative to which the impacts of land use changes on hydrological and environmental processes can be evaluated. In addition, the study can help in quantifying the potential impacts of future projected changes in land use in order to mitigate the negative impacts of these changes on goods and services of value to society. The present study explores the relationship between land use changes and hydrologic indicators within the agricultural regions of Michigan and Wisconsin. Two sets of land use data, the circa 1800 County Base and the 2001 National Land Cover Dataset, were used to setup the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. First, sensitivity analyses were performed both based on pre-settlement and current land use scenarios and the most sensitive parameters were identified. Then, the model was calibrated against measured daily stream flow data obtained from eight United States Geological Survey gauging stations. The impacts of land use changes were studied at three scales: subbasin-level, watershed-level, and basin-level. At the subbasin level, most of the hydrologic behavior can be described by percent change in land cover. At the watershed scale, significant differences were observed based on the long-term average hydrologic fluxes under the current and pre-settlement scenarios. In addition, an overall increase in the amount of evapotranspiration and overland flow and overall decrease in the amount of baseflow and water yield were observed. However, at the basin-level, the majority of the area experienced increased overland flow, decreased baseflow, lateral flow, and recharge to aquifers, and minor changes in evapotranspiration and water yield.

The use of cover crops is reported to enhance ecosystem services, however their adoption by farmers has remained limited. A challenge to farmer uptake is high spatial and temporal variability in cover crop growth and performance. Since topography plays an important role in spatial processes that ultimately affect plant performance, it could be used to quantify cover crop spatial variability and cover crop contribution to a subsequent cash crop. We assessed the effects of topography and cover crop (red clover) biomass on corn yields. Hierarchical path analysis was used to identify direct and indirect relationships among topography, red clover biomass, and corn yield, while taking into account the effects of agricultural management practices, multiple years, and multiple experimental fields. We observed that topography contribute significantly to explaining the variability in both red clover biomass and corn yields. Higher red clover biomass was produced in flat areas, whereas higher corn yield was produced in areas with high curvature. Red clover biomass positively influenced corn yield, however, the magnitude of that effect varied both temporally and spatially. The effect of red clover on corn yields was significant only in the years with lowest precipitation; and its magnitude was more pronounced at summit and slope topographical positions. Therefore, a good cover crop stand will be most beneficial to subsequent corn crop at summit and slope positions. Accounting for variability in fields and years using a hierarchical model significantly improved analysis of the interactive relationships between topography, red clover, and corn; therefore we encouraged its use in agroecological research.

Anaplasma phagocytophilum (Dumler et al.) is the bacterial agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis, an emerging infectious disease. The main vector of A. phagocytophilum in the United States is the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis (Say)) and various small and medium-sized mammals are reservoirs. Previous studies indicate that birds are exposed to A. phagocytophilum; however, because no studies have directly investigated avian susceptibility, reservoir competence, and morbidity for A. phagocytophilum, uncertainty remains as to what role birds could play in its transmission ecology. In a controlled laboratory study, we tested whether two species, the American robin (Turdus migratorius (L.)) and the gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis (L.)), can become infected with and then transmit A. phagocytophilum to feeding ticks, and whether exposed birds develop disease. Wild caught, seronegative birds (n = 10 per species) were exposed to A. phagocytophilum-infected I. scapularis nymphs (day 0). Transmission was assessed by xenodiagnosis on days 7, 14, 42, and 77; blood was assayed for bacteremia and serology. A. phagocytophilum was detected using quantitative polymerase chain reaction targeting the 16s rRNA gene. One robin infected 2 of 13 larval ticks (15%) on day 7; no other birds were found to infect feeding ticks at any time. Birds did not develop bacteremia, specific antibodies or significant illness because of exposure. Mouse controls became bacteremic, infected feeding ticks, and seroconverted. Our results suggest that these two avian species are unlikely to play a significant role in the maintenance of the agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis and that avian serosurveys may not be a reliable indicator of A. phagocytophilum exposure.

The use of cover crops generates a number of agro-ecological benefits for sustainable row-crop agriculture. However, their performance across agricultural fields is often highly spatially variable and there is insufficient information on factors affecting this variability and on tools to manage it. Topography is one of the main factors affecting spatial patterns of plant growth in the American Midwest. Digital elevation models are readily available for deriving topographic attributes; also sensor digital data can be used to indirectly assess cover crop biomass. However, processing procedures for identifying the proper scale of topographic and biomass representations are not well defined. The objectives of this study are to examine how relationships between cover crop biomass, assessed using the normalized difference vegetation index ( NDVI ), and topography depend on the neighborhood size used for deriving topographic attributes and creating NDVI maps; and identify the optimal neighborhood size for correlation and regression analyses. Slope, relative elevation and the potential solar radiation index were the variables that contributed the most to explaining variability in NDVI for raw data. However, other topographic attributes became significant predictors of NDVI at larger neighborhood sizes. We demonstrated that neighborhood size greatly affects some topographic attributes, i.e. curvature, flow accumulation, flow length and the wetness index; and changing the neighborhood size in both topography and NDVI considerably changes the strength of the prediction performance in multiple regression models. We studied six neighborhood sizes from 1 to 40 m and the original raw data. On average, across all studied fields the best performance of multiple regression, as determined by the adjusted- R 2 , was obtained at neighborhood sizes 20 and 40 m. Parameters of semivariogram models for terrain slope, such as the spatial autocorrelation range and the nugget/sill ratio, were found to be good indicators of prediction performance and optimum neighborhood size for filtering the raw data. The results demonstrate that topographic effects on growth and biomass production of cover crops are most pronounced at certain spatial scales, and topographic model predictions will be most accurate when used at the optimal scales.

Winter climate is expected to change under future climate scenarios, yet the majority of winter ecology research is focused in cold-climate ecosystems. In many temperate systems, it is unclear how winter climate relates to biotic responses during the growing season. The objective of this study was to examine how winter weather relates to plant and animal communities in a variety of terrestrial ecosystems ranging from warm deserts to alpine tundra. Specifically, we examined the association between winter weather and plant phenology, plant species richness, consumer abundance, and consumer richness in 11 terrestrial ecosystems associated with the U.S. Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network. To varying degrees, winter precipitation and temperature were correlated with all biotic response variables. Bud break was tightly aligned with end of winter temperatures. For half the sites, winter weather was a better predictor of plant species richness than growing season weather. Warmer winters were correlated with lower consumer abundances in both temperate and alpine systems. Our findings suggest winter weather may have a strong influence on biotic activity during the growing season and should be considered in future studies investigating the effects of climate change on both alpine and temperate systems.

Hydrologic variables in the Great Lakes region have been altered relative to pre-settlement conditions in response to major land use changes during the past 150 years. One of the goals of the present work is to develop a baseline scenario relative to which the impacts of land use changes on hydrological and environmental processes can be evaluated. In addition, this study can help in quantifying the potential impacts of future projected changes in land use in order to mitigate the negative impacts of these changes, especially in regard to a shift toward urbanization and second-generation bioenergy crop production derived from lignocellulosic crops. The present study explores the relationship between land use changes and hydrologic indicators within the agricultural regions of Michigan and Wisconsin. Two sets of land use data, the circa 1800 county base and the 2001 National Land Cover Dataset, were used to set up the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. First, sensitivity analyses were performed based on both pre-settlement and current land use scenarios. Results showed that parameter sensitivity analysis may not always explain how the variation in model output can be attributed to different sources of variation in the model input. Therefore, effort should be made to determine the true importance of sensitive parameters by considering their placement in model algorithms. The model was then calibrated against measured daily streamflow data obtained from eight U.S. Geological Survey gauging stations. The impacts of land use changes were studied at three scales: subwatershed, watershed, and basin. At the subwatershed scale, most of the hydrologic behavior can be described by percent change in land cover. However, the trend was more apparent for land use conversion from mixed forest to urban and agriculture lands than for other land use conversions. At the watershed scale, significant differences were observed based on the long-term average hydrologic variables under the current and pre-settlement scenarios. In addition, an increase in evapotranspiration (up to 16.5%) and surface runoff (up to 93.9%) contribution to streamflow, a decrease in recharge to aquifers (up to -51.5%) and baseflow (up to -50.1%), and mixed impacts on water yield (-21.5% to 24.6%) were detected. However, at the basin scale, more than 70% of the study area experienced decreased lateral subsurface flow and recharge to aquifers, while 65% of the area experienced increased overland flow and minor changes in evapotranspiration and water yield.

Efficient tools for accurate soil carbon (SC) mapping are imperative for large scale assessment of total SC stocks and their changes in time as well as for site-specific tailoring of agricultural management practices. On-the-go near infrared (NIR) reflectance spectroscopy has been used recently in aid to the conventional, laborious and expensive soil analyses, since NIR measurements are taken in-situ quickly and non-destructively. However, NIR spectrum data need to be effectively calibrated with conventionally measured SC. Our objectives are to compare calibration approaches, including pre-processing transformations (Savitzky–Golay derivatives, standard normal variate and mean centering) and multivariate statistical methods (principal component regression, partial least squares, partial least squares leaving one-outlier-out) for using NIR spectra data as SC predictor, to evaluate NIR reliability in predicting SC under low carbon contents typical for Midwest Alfisols; and finally to compare predictions of SC by using three sources of auxiliary information (NIR spectral data, visible-NIR reflectance obtained from aerial photographs and topographical features). No improvements in calibration accuracy were observed when using pre-processing transformations. Partial least squares (RMSE = 1.90) tended to perform better than principal component regression (RMSE = 1.96); especially when spectral-NIR outliers are dropped (RMSE = 1.68). Our results suggested that visible-NIR data from aerial photographs used along with topographical attributes outperformed on-the-go spectral NIR data. Topographical data improved prediction in the models with aerial photograph visible-NIR data; however no improvement was noticed when used with spectral-NIR data. Though, NIR spectral data is frequently used as a proxy for SC prediction, we notice that this auxiliary information is not well suited under all scenarios. Particularly, when SC levels are low and the range of SC data is narrow, as in this study, NIR was only moderately successful in predicting SC.

Incorporating cover crops into agricultural systems can improve soil structural properties, increase nutrient availability, reduce erosion and loss of agrochemicals, and suppress weeds. These benefits are a function of the amount of cover crop biomass that enters the soil. The ability to easily and inexpensively quantify the spatial variability of cover crop biomass is needed to better understand and predict its potential as an input to agricultural systems. Here, we explore the use of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) as a source of information for improving accuracy and precision of cover crop biomass prediction. We focus on developing models that account for biomass variability within and among fields. These models are used to produce digital data layers of predicted biomass and associated uncertainty. We propose hierarchical nonlinear models with field random effects and a residual variance function to accommodate strong heteroscedasticity. These models are motivated using aboveground biomass of red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) measured on three different dates in five fields in southwest Michigan. Model adequacy was assessed using the Deviance Information Criterion. Given this criterion, the “best” fitting model included field effects and a polynomial function to account for non-constant residual variance. Importantly, we demonstrate that accounting for heteroscedasticity in the model fitting is critical for capturing uncertainty in subsequent biomass prediction.

In the first of 2 experiments, we evalu- ated the effects on anestrous sows of pretreatment with FSH to stimulate the growth of small follicles, followed by eCG to stimulate the growth of medium follicles, es- trus, and ovulation. In Exp. 2, we examined the effect of sows receiving 400 IU of eCG plus 200 IU of hCG (PG 600, Intervet/Schering Plough Animal Health, Boxmeer, the Netherlands) at weaning and then different doses and timing of supplemental hCG. In Exp. 1, a total of 87 multiparous Hypor sows deemed anestrus 7 d after weaning were assigned to intramuscular (i.m.) injection of 1) PG 600, 2) eCG (600 IU), 3) pretreatment with 87.5 IU of FSH on d 7 and 8 plus eCG on d 9, or were 4) noninjected controls. Sows had daily boar contact for 15 d after weaning for estrus detection. Blood samples were obtained on d 9 and 19 and assayed for proges- terone to determine ovulation status. The weaning-to- estrus interval, number of sows in estrus and ovulating, farrowing rate, and litter size were not different (P > 0.1) in treated groups compared with controls. In Exp. 2, a total of 247 Hypor sows were assigned at weaning by parity (1 and 2 or ≥3) to receive 1) an i.m. injec- tion of PG 600, 2) PG 600 supplemented with 100 IU of hCG injected either concurrently or after 24 h, 3) 200 IU of hCG after 24 h, or 4) no injection (controls). Sows were exposed to boars daily for 7 d. After treat- ment of parity 1 and 2 sows, all gonadotropin-treated groups had an increased (P 0.1). After treatment of parity ≥3 sows, there was no treatment effect on the estrous response and weaning-to-estrus interval; compared with control and PG 600-treated sows, farrowing rate was decreased (P 0.1) of treatment on litter size. We conclude that gonadotropins can be used to increase estrus response in weaned sows, but that hCG treatment subsequent to PG 600 may be detrimental to sow fertility in parity ≥3 sows.

The success of nuclear reprogramming following somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is thought to depend on factors present in the egg. Little is known about the role - if any - played by the somatic cell type on the outcome of the procedure. We tested whether cells of different lineages might have different capacities for reprogramming following SCNT, comparing cells isolated from five different tissues of transgenic zebrafish for their developmental potential when used as SCNT donor cells. We used transgenic zebrafish lines expressing green fluorescence protein under an endogenous tissue-specific promoter: HGn62A-skin, HGn28A-skin, HGn8E-heart, HG21C-fin and notochord and HGn30A-hatch gland. We analyzed the efficiency of cloning, as measured by reconstructed embryos that developed up to the hatched-fry stage. Specifically, donor cells of fin and notochord origin yielded the best rate of cloned fish production. All of the other cell types used were capable of producing cloned fish, albeit with significantly lower efficiency. These results indicate that the type of zebrafish cells used for SCNT can influence the outcome of the procedure. Future epigenetic analysis of these cells will help determine specific chromatin profiles in somatic cells that have an impact on nuclear reprogramming procedures.

This work proposes an ADRC (Active Disturbance Rejection Control) for parallel robotic platform, namely the Stewart-Gough configuration. The platform is intended for CNC machining processes where repeatability and accuracy requirements of the robot's motion are of utmost importance. The proposed approach makes use of linear high gain disturbance observation, where model uncertainties and external disturbances are lumped together into a general additive disturbance input that is estimated by Generalized Proportional Integral (GPI) observers and rejected on-line. The GPI control strategy replaces the more common PID controller in the joint control framework, and is used in order to better reject disturbances and non-linearities related with the robot configuration. Simulation results obtained by a co-simulation between Matlab and NX software, where the interaction dynamics and actuator non-linearities of the platform (i.e. saturation and headbands) were taking into account, closely approximate real robot operation and shows that the GPI observer-based linear control presents a better performance tracking trajectories compared with other control schemes, i.e. mixed sensitivity H∞ control.

The present study was undertaken to assess the feasibility, toxicity and antileukemic activity of sequential chemotherapy including mitoxantrone, etoposide, carboplatin and intermediate-dose cytarabine in adult patients with refractory and relapsed acute myelogenous (AML) or lymphoid (ALL) leukemia. Fifty-one patients with poor-risk AML and ALL received 64 courses of MECA therapy. The overall response in the entire group was 51% (43% complete remission). The stage of the disease (relapsed or primarily refractory) and the age of the patients did not strongly affect the response rate. MECA therapy was more effective in ALL than in AML, and in those patients who presented at salvage treatment with a bone marrow infiltration lower than 25% blasts. Hematological and extra-hematological toxicities were tolerable and there were 6 deaths related to the treatment (11%). The incidence of documented infectious episodes was 71%. MECA therapy is a safe treatment and has a high antileukemic activity in relapsed and primarily refractory AML or ALL.

By systematic study the mapping of polycrystalline flow of sheet 304 austenitic stainless steel (ASS) during tension test at constant crosshead velocity at room temperature was obtained. The main results establish that the trajectory of crystals in the polycrystalline spatially extended system (PCSES), during irreversible deformation process obey a hyperbolic motion. Where, the ratio between the expansion velocity of the field and the velocity of the field source is not constant and the field lines of such trajectory of crystals become curved, this accelerated motion is called a hyperbolic motion. Such behavior is assisted by dislocations dynamics and self-accommodation process between crystals in the PCSES. Furthermore, by applying the quantum mechanics and relativistic model proposed by Munoz-Andrade, the activation energy for polycrystalline flow during the tension test of 304 ASS was calculated for each instant in a global form. In conclusion was established that the mapping of the polycrystalline flow is fundamental to describe in an integral way the phenomenology and mechanics of irreversible deformation processes.

Fournier's gangrene is a rare but life-threatening disease characterized by necrotizing fasciitis of the perineal area. It mostly affects adult patients with an immunosuppressant factor and there are only a few cases reported in children. Use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs has been associated with necrotizing fasciitis probably because of suppressing host immunity during infection. We describe a case of a six month old infant without immunosuppressant factors, with Founier's gangrene probably associated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory intake.

In general , the activation energy for irreversible deformation processes in spatially extended crystalline systems (SECS) is related with the phenomenology and mechanics for plastic flow, creep and superplastic flow. Earlier investigations have reported the analysis on effect of grain size, the effect of precipitates and the effect of chemical composition ratio on the activation energy in SECS. In addition, according to the nature of direct observations of the microstructure of a tension test micro specimen of a SECS after superplastic deformation, the model of cooperative grain boundary sliding by the glide cellular dislocations is supported and the results obtained are the deductive rule to establish the unified interpretation of plastic flow and superplastic flow in SECS. In this way some experimental results reported in the past had been analyzed in order to establish the model to predict the value of the activation energy for irreversible deformation processes in SECS.

The purpose was study the feasibility of ESHAP + G-CSF for peripheral blood hematopoietic progenitor cell (PBPC) mobilisation in resistant/relapsed Hodgkin's disease (HD) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Twenty-two consecutive patients with HD (8) and N-HL (14) received ESHAP chemotherapy and G-CSF (5 microg/Kg/d). When a minimum number of 10,000 peripheral blood CD34+ cells/mL was observed patients underwent leukapheresis until a CD34+ cell doseor = 2.5x10(6)/Kg was collected or the PBPC peak was lost. Blood cells kinetics and toxicity were analysed. Data concerning the day of first apheresis, number of procedures per patient, and cellular yield of the aphereses were recorded. Correlation between the CD34+ cell content in the apheresis product and the two diagnosis groups was attempted. Twelve patients (54%) developed short-lived severe neutropenia (0.5x10(9)/L). Thrombocytopenia (25x10(9)/L) had a median duration of 1 day. Fever appeared in 4 patients and CN Staph bacteriemia in 2 cases. Bleeding events did not supervene and no deaths occurred. Aphereses started at day +15 (median) and the median number of apheresis/patient was 2. Seventeen patients underwent 1 or 2 leukaphereses. Thirteen patients (59%) achieved the CD34+ cell target in the first apheresis. NHL patients obtained statistically significant better CD34+ cell collections than HD. Only 2 HD patients failed to mobilise, 1 previously treated with high-dose therapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation. ESHAP + G-CSF has been shown to be feasible for PBPC mobilisation in resistant/relapsed lymphoma. Toxicity was low and CD34+ cell yield high, especially in N-HL. This mobilisation regimen should be further explored in a larger patient population.