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Substantial knowledge is available on the association of the indoor school environment and its effect among schoolchildren. In the same context, the SINPHONIE (School indoor pollution and health: Observatory network in Europe) conducted a study to collect data and determine the distribution of several indoor air pollutants (IAPs), physical and thermal parameters and their association with eye, skin, upper-, lower respiratory and systemic disorder symptoms during the previous three months. Finally, data from 115 schools in 54 European cities from 23 countries was collected and included 5175 schoolchildren using a harmonized and standardized protocol. The association between exposures and the health outcomes were examined using logistic regression models on individual indoor air pollutants (IAPs); a VOC (volatile organic compound) score defined as the sum of the number of pollutants to which the children were highly exposed (concentration > median of the distribution) in classroom was also introduced to evaluate the multiexposure – outcome association, while adjusting for several confounding factors. Schoolchildren exposed to above or equal median concentration of PM2.5, benzene, limonene, ozone and radon were at significantly higher odds of suffering from upper, lower airways, eye and systemic disorders. Increased odds were also observed for any symptom (sick school syndrome) among schoolchildren exposed to concentrations of limonene and ozone above median values. Furthermore, the risks for upper and lower airways and systemic disorders significantly increased with the VOCs score. Results also showed that increased ventilation rate was significantly associated with decreased odds of suffering from eye, skin disorders whereas similar association was observed between temperature and upper airways symptoms. The present study provides evidence that exposure to IAPs in schools is associated with allergic and respiratory symptoms in children. Further investigations are needed to confirm our findings. © 2020 Elsevier B.V.

Assessment of cardiac function is the leading parameter when evaluating the state of the cardiovascular system of patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis. The aim of the paper: to assess the state of the cardiovascular system of these patients using new sensitive echocardiography and Doppler techniques and thus advance the prevention of cardiovascular disease.Method: Twenty children with end-stage renal insufficiency on chronic hemodialysis and twenty healthy controls underwent echocardiographic monitoring using standard Doppler and tissue Doppler imaging. Structural and functional changes in the left ventricle were evaluated.Results: Patients on hemodialysis had significantly greater left ventricular mass indices compared to the controls (p0.05). Early diastolic function in children on hemodialysis was also preserved: the E/A and Em/Am ratio did not differ significantly from the control group (p>0.05). Children on hemodialysis exhibited impaired late diastolic function (compliance index), that is, considerably higher E/Em compared to controls (p

Patients with asthma need uninterrupted supplies of affordable, quality-assured essential medicines. However, access in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is limited. The World Health Organization (WHO) Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Global Action Plan 2013–2020 sets an 80% target for essential NCD medicines’ availability. Poor access is partly due to medicines not being included on the national Essential Medicines Lists (EML) and/or National Reimbursement Lists (NRL) which guide the provision of free/subsidised medicines. We aimed to determine how many countries have essential asthma medicines on their EML and NRL, which essential asthma medicines, and whether surveys might monitor progress. A cross-sectional survey in 2013–2015 of Global Asthma Network principal investigators generated 111/120 (93%) responses—41 high-income countries and territories (HICs); 70 LMICs. Patients in HICs with NRL are best served (91% HICs included ICS (inhaled corticosteroids) and salbutamol). Patients in the 24 (34%) LMICs with no NRL and the 14 (30%) LMICs with an NRL, however no ICS are likely to have very poor access to affordable, quality-assured ICS. Many LMICs do not have essential asthma medicines on their EML or NRL. Technical guidance and advocacy for policy change is required. Improving access to these medicines will improve the health system’s capacity to address NCDs.

Assessment of cardiac function is the leading parameter when evaluating the state of the cardiovascular system of patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis. The aim of the paper: to assess the state of the cardiovascular system of these patients using new sensitive echocardiography and Doppler techniques and thus advance the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Method: Twenty children with end-stage renal insufficiency on chronic hemodialysis and twenty healthy controls underwent echocardiographic monitoring using standard Doppler and tissue Doppler imaging. Structural and functional changes in the left ventricle were evaluated. Results: Patients on hemodialysis had significantly greater left ventricular mass indices compared to the controls (p < 0.001). The patients on hemodialysis had preserved systolic function—their fractional shortening, ejection fraction and Sm (systolic myocardial velocity) did not differ significantly compared to the controls (p > 0.05). Early diastolic function in children on hemodialysis was also preserved: the E/A and Em/Am ratio did not differ significantly from the control group (p > 0.05). Children on hemodialysis exhibited impaired late diastolic function (compliance index), that is, considerably higher E/Em compared to controls (p < 0.00). Myocardial Performance Index values showed statistically significant elevation in children on hemodialysis compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Tissue Doppler in tandem with conventional Pulsed Doppler can provide additional information on left ventricular filling pressures (E/Em) in children on hemodialysis. It is therefore recommended to perform routine measuring of Em waves and the E/Em ratio, not only in order to evaluate myocardial relaxation and ventricular filling pressures, but primarily to stratify risk and provide a prognosis.

Data on primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) epidemiology is scarce and published studies are characterised by low numbers. In the framework of the European Union project BESTCILIA we aimed to combine all available datasets in a retrospective international PCD cohort (iPCD Cohort). We identified eligible datasets by performing a systematic review of published studies containing clinical information on PCD, and by contacting members of past and current European Respiratory Society Task Forces on PCD. We compared the contents of the datasets, clarified definitions and pooled them in a standardised format. As of April 2016 the iPCD Cohort includes data on 3013 patients from 18 countries. It includes data on diagnostic evaluations, symptoms, lung function, growth and treatments. Longitudinal data are currently available for 542 patients. The extent of clinical details per patient varies between centres. More than 50% of patients have a definite PCD diagnosis based on recent guidelines. Children aged 10–19 years are the largest age group, followed by younger children (≤9 years) and young adults (20–29 years). This is the largest observational PCD dataset available to date. It will allow us to answer pertinent questions on clinical phenotype, disease severity, prognosis and effect of treatments, and to investigate genotype–phenotype correlations., The iPCD Cohort offers a unique opportunity to study PCD in an international retrospective cohort of >3000 patients http://ow.ly/rn0m304Jgsu

This study deals with the radiation pattern and impedance calculation for a quarter wavelength monopole antenna placed at the center of circular and square perfect electric conductor (PEC) ground planes. The analysis is based on analytical approximations as well as on two different numerical methods, namely the Method of Moments (MoM) and the Finite-Difference Time-Domain method (FDTD). The previously known analytical expressions for a quarter wavelength monopole antenna above a circular ground plane were studied in more detail, particularly with regard to their validity constraints. Antenna radiation pattern and impedance were studied for various ground plane dimensions. The simulation results were validated by comparison with analytical results. Achieving excellent agreement for the examined circular ground planes, the MoM was further used to investigate several square ground planes with areas equal to the examined circular discs. Moreover, the convergence of the antenna parameters towards the values for an infinite ground plane was examined. The results showed very slow convergence of the radiation pattern, but quite rapid convergence of the input impedance.

Anaplasma marginale is a tick-borne bacterial pathogen that causes bovine anaplasmosis, one of the most important tick-borne diseases of ruminants worldwide. Despite its importance no satisfactory control methods are available. The development of new vaccine formulations capable of preventing transmission would have significant economic impact. This approach would require a better understanding of mechanisms underlying the complex interactions between A. marginale and its vector ticks. The research presented in this thesis has delineated new molecular interactions that occur at the tick–pathogen interface by identification and characterization tick genes/proteins that facilitate infection and multiplication of A. marginale. During the course of the experiments described in this thesis, a new tick species is tested for the vector competence of A. marginale. It was found that Dermacentor reticulatus male ticks are competent biological vectors of A. marginale by intrastadial transmission (Chapter 2). In Chapter 3 it is demonstrated that A. marginale infection modifies gene expression in Dermacentor variabilis ticks and cultured Ixodes scapularis cells. A functional genomics approach was used to identify and characterize tick genes/proteins that are differentially regulated in response to A. marginale and that facilitate the trafficking of the pathogen from infection of the gut cells through infection and transmission from salivary glands. This study was extended by identifying genes differentially expressed in Rhipicephalus microplus male salivary glands (Chapter 4). In addition, R. microplus derived tick cell line BME26 was used for the first time to study A. marginale-tick interactions (Chapter 4). Four of the identified differentially expressed genes were further analyzed by RNA interference (RNAi) and the effects of silencing on A. marginale development and infection levels in ticks was characterized by means of quantitative PCR and microscopy (Chapter 5). The gene knock down affected the pathogen developmental cycle in D. variabilis ticks, suggesting that the four genes are potential candidates for transmission blocking vaccines. In Chapter 6 the expression of tick protective antigen subolesin in several tick species in response to different pathogens (including A. marginale) is described. The results suggest possible direct and indirect effects of subolesin knockdown on the level of infection of pathogens in ticks. Finally, the molecular response to infection with different obligate intracellular tick–transmitted bacteria is described in Chapter 7. A. marginale and A. phagocytophilum were found by microarray and quantitative RT-PCR to elicit different gene expression responses in cultured tick cells. Overall, the results described in this thesis are expected to contribute to a better understanding of the A. marginale-tick interface and to the development of a new generation of pathogen transmission blocking vaccines designed to prevent transmission and reduce exposure of vertebrate hosts to tick-borne pathogens.

The lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum, vectors pathogens of emerging diseases of humans and animals in the United States. Currently, measures are not available for effective control of A. americanum infestations. Development of vaccines directed against tick proteins may reduce tick infestations and the transmission of tick-borne pathogens. However, the limiting step in tick vaccine development has been the identification of tick protective antigens. Herein, we report the application of RNA interference (RNAi) for screening an A. americanum cDNA library for discovery of tick protective antigens that reduce tick survival and weights after feeding. Four cDNA clones, encoding for putative threonyl-tRNA synthetase (2C9), 60S ribosomal proteins L13a (2D10) and L13e (2B7), and interphase cytoplasm foci protein 45 (2G7), were selected for vaccine studies in cattle, along with subolesin, a tick protective protein identified previously. In vaccinated cattle, an overall efficacy (E) > 30% was obtained when considering the vaccine effect on both nymphs and adults, but only 2D10, 2G7 and subolesin affected both tick stages. The highest efficacy of control for adult ticks (E > 55%) was obtained in cattle vaccinated with recombinant 2G7 or subolesin. These collective results demonstrated the feasibility of developing vaccines for the control of lone star tick infestations. The use of RNAi for identification of tick protective antigens proved to be a rapid and cost-effective tool for discovery of candidate vaccine antigens, and this approach could likely be applied to other parasites of veterinary and medical importance., This research was supported by grants from NRI-USDA (project No. 2007-04613); INIA, Spain (project FAU2008-00014-00-00); the Consejería de Educación y Ciencia, JCCM, Spain (project PEII09-0118-8907); the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station (project 1669) and the Walter R. Sitlington Endowed Chair for Food Animal Research (K. M. Kocan, Oklahoma State University). Raúl Manzano-Roman was funded by Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, Spain. V. Naranjo was founded by the European Social Fund and the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (Program FSE 2007-2013), Spain. M. Canales was funded by the Wellcome Trust under the “Animal Health in the Developing World” initiative (project 0757990). R.C. Galindo was funded by Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, Spain. M. Villar was funded by the JAE-DOC program (CSIC-FSE), Spain.

INTRODUCTION: Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare hereditary recessive disease with symptoms of recurrent pneumonia, chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis, and chronic sinusitis. Chronic rhinitis is often the presenting symptom in newborns and infants. Approximately half of the patients show visceral mirror image arrangements (situs inversus). In this study, we aimed 1) to determine the number of paediatric PCD patients in Austria, 2) to show the diagnostic and therapeutic modalities used in the clinical centres and 3) to describe symptoms of children with PCD. PATIENTS, MATERIAL AND METHODS: For the first two aims, we analysed data from a questionnaire survey of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) task force on Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia in children. All paediatric respiratory units in Austria received a questionnaire. Symptoms of PCD patients from Vienna Children's University Hospital (aim 3) were extracted from case histories. RESULTS: In 13 Austrian clinics 48 patients with PCD (36 aged from 0–19 years) were identified. The prevalence of reported cases (aged 0–19 yrs) in Austria was 1:48000. Median age at diagnosis was 4.8 years (IQR 0.3–8.2), lower in children with situs inversus compared to those without (3.1 vs. 8.1 yrs, p = 0.067). In 2005–2006, the saccharine test was still the most commonly used screening test for PCD in Austria (45%). Confirmation of the diagnosis was usually by electron microscopy (73%). All clinics treated exacerbations immediately with antibiotics, 73% prescribed airway clearance therapy routinely to all patients. Other therapies and diagnostic tests were applied very inconsistently across Austrian hospitals. All PCD patients from Vienna (n = 13) had increased upper and lower respiratory secretions, most had recurring airway infections (n = 12), bronchiectasis (n = 7) and bronchitis (n = 7). CONCLUSION: Diagnosis and therapy of PCD in Austria are inhomogeneous. Prospective studies are needed to learn more about the course of the disease and to evaluate benefits and harms of different treatment strategies.

Vision-based localization, mapping and navigation is often performed by searching for corresponding image points and estimating the epipolar geometry. It is known that the possible relative poses of a camera mounted on a mobile robot that moves over a planar ground floor, has two degrees of freedom. This report provides insight in the problem of estimating the exact planar robot pose difference using only two image point correspondences. We describe an algorithm which uses this minimal set of correspondences termed the Two-point algorithm. It is shown that sometimes two non-degenerate correspondences do not define a unique relative robot pose, but lead to two possible real solutions. The algorithm is especially useful as hypothesis generator for the well known RANSAC (RANdom SAmple Consensus) method. The algorithm is evaluated using both simulated data and data acquired by a mobile robot equipped with an omnidirectional camera. The improvement over existing methods is analogous to the improvement of the well known Five-point algorithm over other algorithms for general non-planar camera motions.

We study the problem of mapping a large indoor environment using an omnivideo camera. Local features from omnivideo images and epipolar geometry are used to compute the relative pose between pairs of images. These poses are then used in an Extended Information Filter using a trajectory based representation where only the robot poses corresponding to captured images are reconstructed. The features with the geometric constraints also give a robust similarity measure that is used for data association. Our experiments show that an accurate map can be built in real time of a small office environment. For large environments, big loops can be closed and a map can be built in nearly linear time.

Loop closing in vision based SLAM applications is a difficult task. Comparing new image data with all previous image data acquired for the map is practically impossible because of the high computational costs. This problem is part of the bigger problem to acquire local geometric constraints from sensor data for geometric map building termed data association. Commonly the computational costs are kept small by sampling the image data uniformly over time or using a position estimate from a mapping and localization algorithm. In this paper we propose a more natural sampling approach, by determining a subset that best describes the complete image data in the space of all previously seen images. The actual problem of finding such a subset is called the Connected Dominating Set problem which is well studied in field of graph theory. The proposed method is particularly beneficial for realistic mapping scenarios including moving objects and persons, motion blur and changing light conditions. Evaluation on multiple large indoor datasets show that the method performance is very close to that of an exhaustive data association scheme and outperforms other sampling approaches.

In the first part of this paper, an improved slope-intercept like representation is proposed for implementation of Standard Hough Transform (SHT) on SIMD (Single-Instruction, Multiple-Data) architectures with no local indirect addressing support. The real-time implementation is realized with high accuracy on our Wireless Smart Camera (WiCa) platform. The processing time of this approach is independent of the number of edge points or the number of detected lines. In the second part, we focus on analyzing the differences between the SHT implementations on 1-D SIMD architectures with and without local indirect addressing. Three aspects are compared: total operation number, memory access/ energy consumption, and memory area cost. When local indirect addressing is supported, the results show a considerable amount of reduction in total operations and energy consumption at the cost of extra chip area. The results also show that the focuses for further optimization of these two architectures are different.