In this work, we investigated two issues: (1) How the fusion of lidar and camera data can improve semantic segmentation performance compared with the individual sensor modalities in a supervised ...learning context; and (2) How fusion can also be leveraged for semi-supervised learning in order to further improve performance and to adapt to new domains without requiring any additional labelled data. A comparative study was carried out by providing an experimental evaluation on networks trained in different setups using various scenarios from sunny days to rainy night scenes. The networks were tested for challenging, and less common, scenarios where cameras or lidars individually would not provide a reliable prediction. Our results suggest that semi-supervised learning and fusion techniques increase the overall performance of the network in challenging scenarios using less data annotations.
Histo-blood group antigens (HBGAs) and the Lewis and secretor antigens are associated with susceptibility to rotavirus infection in a genotype-dependent manner. Nicaraguan children were prospectively ...enrolled in two cohorts vaccinated with either RotaTeq RV5 (n = 68) or Rotarix RV1 (n = 168). Lewis and secretor antigens were determined by saliva phenotyping and genotyping. Seroconversion was defined as a 4-fold increase in plasma IgA antibody titer 1 month after administration of the first dose of the vaccine. Regardless of the vaccine administered, significantly fewer of the children with Lewis A phenotype (0/14) seroconverted after receiving the first vaccine dose compared to 26% (45/175) of those with the Lewis B phenotype and 32% (15/47) of the Lewis negative individuals (P < 0.01). Furthermore, following administration of the RV1 vaccine, secretor-positive ABO blood group B children seroconverted to a significantly lesser extent (5%) compared to secretor-positive children with ABO blood groups A (26%) and O (27%) (P < 0.05). Other factors such as pre-vaccination titers, sex, breastfeeding, and calprotectin levels did not influence vaccine-take. Differences in HBGA expression appear to be a contributing factor in the discrepancy in vaccine-take and thus, in vaccine efficacy in different ethnic populations.
Norovirus (NoV) constitutes the second most common viral pathogen causing pediatric diarrhea after rotavirus. In Africa, diarrhea is a major health problem in children, and yet few studies have been ...performed regarding NoV. The association of histo-blood group antigens (HBGA) and susceptibility to NoV infection is well established in Caucasian populations with non-secretors being resistant to many common NoV strains. No study regarding HBGA and NoV susceptibility has yet been performed in Africa. We collected 309 stool and 208 saliva samples from diarrheal children in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; May 2009 to March 2010. NoV was detected using real-time PCR, and genotyped by sequencing. Saliva samples were ABO, Lewis and secretor phenotyped using in house ELISA assays. NoV was detected in 12% (n = 37) of the samples. The genotype diversity was unusually large; overall the 37 positive samples belonged to 14 genotypes. Only children <2 years of age were NoV positive and the GII.4 NoVs were more frequent in the late dry season (Jan-May). NoV infections were observed less in children with the secretor-negative phenotype or blood group A (OR 0.18; p = 0.012 and OR 0.31; p = 0.054; respectively), with two non-secretors infected with genotypes GII.7 and GII.4 respectively. Lewis-negative (Le(a-b-)) children, representing 32% of the study population, were susceptible to GII, but were not infected with any NoV GI. GII.4 strains preferentially infected children with blood group B whereas secretor-positive children with blood group O were infected with the largest variety of genotypes. This is the first study identifying host genetic factors associated with susceptibility to NoV in an African population, and suggests that while the non-secretor phenotype provides protection; the Lewis b antigen is not necessary for GII infection.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Two observational studies, one of a waterborne and another of a foodborne outbreak caused by genotype GI.3 strains in the Netherlands and Sweden, respectively 22,23, found no association between ...secretor status and susceptibility to symptomatic infection. ...a birth cohort study in Ecuador with prospective follow-up found significantly higher rates of non-GII.4 norovirus infections in secretor-negative children 15, suggesting that the non-secretor geno/phenotype may increase susceptibility to certain norovirus genotypes. Do Populations with a Higher Proportion of Secretors Have Higher Rates of Norovirus Disease? Since distribution of the ABO(H), secretor, and Lewis genotypes is strongly dependent on ethnicity, we hypothesize that molecular epidemiology differs between regions because of host population genetics.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
In this paper, we present the Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC) architecture, which was proposed and implemented by the team from Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden, that ...joined the Grand Cooperative Driving Challenge (GCDC) in 2011. The proposed CACC architecture consists of the following three main components, which are described in detail: 1) communication; 2) sensor fusion; and 3) control. Both simulation and experimental results are provided, demonstrating that the proposed CACC system can drive within a vehicle platoon while minimizing the inter-vehicle spacing within the allowed range of safety distances, tracking a desired speed profile, and attenuating acceleration shockwaves.
Viral infections have a major impact on physiology and behavior. The clinical symptoms of human rotavirus and norovirus infection are primarily diarrhea, fever, and vomiting, but several other ...sickness symptoms, such as nausea, loss of appetite, and stress response are never or rarely discussed. These physiological and behavioral changes can be considered as having evolved to reduce the spread of the pathogen and increase the chances of survival of the individual as well as the collective. The mechanisms underlying several sickness symptoms have been shown to be orchestrated by the brain, specifically, the hypothalamus. In this perspective, we have described how the central nervous system contributes to the mechanisms underlying the sickness symptoms and behaviors of these infections. Based on published findings, we propose a mechanistic model depicting the role of the brain in fever, nausea, vomiting, cortisol-induced stress, and loss of appetite.
Phenomenography is a research tradition originating from research on students’ studying and learning. The research methods of phenomenography have been discussed and criticized by many authors. There ...is a need for a presentation of the historical methodological foundation of phenomenography. The phenomenographic research methods are best understood as placed within the general research methodology and research approach of contextual analysis. The following description is directed to all interested in phenomenography and its methodological foundation. It is also directed to all interested in research methodology, especially in the fields of empirical educational and social science research. After a brief introduction, the common background of contextual analysis and phenomenography, and the origin and development of contextual analysis and phenomenography, are briefly outlined. Then, the methodological reflections and orientations in phenomenography, and the foundation of contextual analysis and phenomenography are presented. The article ends with a conclusion.
Norovirus (NoV) is recognized as the commonest cause of acute gastroenteritis among adults. Susceptibility to disease has been associated with histo-blood group antigens and secretor status; ...nonsecretors are almost completely resistant to disease. We report a foodborne outbreak of GI.3 NoV gastroenteritis that affected 33/83 (40%) persons. Symptomatic disease was as likely to develop in nonsecretors as in secretors (odds ratio OR 1.41, 95% confidence interval CI 0.46-4.36 vs. OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.23-2.18, p = 0.57). Moreover, no statistical difference in susceptibility was found between persons of different Lewis or ABO phenotypes. The capsid gene of the outbreak strain shares high amino acid homology with the Kashiwa645 GI.3 strain, previously shown to recognize nonsecretor saliva, as well as synthetic Lewis a. This norovirus outbreak affected persons regardless of secretor status or Lewis or ABO phenotypes.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Rotavirus (RV) has been shown to infect and stimulate secretion of serotonin from human enterochromaffin (EC) cells and to infect EC cells in the small intestine of mice. It remains to identify which ...intracellularly expressed viral protein(s) is responsible for this novel property and to further establish the clinical role of serotonin in RV infection. First, we found that siRNA specifically silencing NSP4 (siRNANSP4) significantly attenuated secretion of serotonin from Rhesus rotavirus (RRV) infected EC tumor cells compared to siRNAVP4, siRNAVP6 and siRNAVP7. Second, intracellular calcium mobilization and diarrhoeal capacity from virulent and avirulent porcine viruses correlated with the capacity to release serotonin from EC tumor cells. Third, following administration of serotonin, all (10/10) infants, but no (0/8) adult mice, responded with diarrhoea. Finally, blocking of serotonin receptors using Ondansetron significantly attenuated murine RV (strain EDIM) diarrhoea in infant mice (2.9 vs 4.5 days). Ondansetron-treated mice (n = 11) had significantly (p < 0.05) less diarrhoea, lower diarrhoea severity score and lower total diarrhoea output as compared to mock-treated mice (n = 9). Similarly, Ondansetron-treated mice had better weight gain than mock-treated animals (p < 0.05). A most surprising finding was that the serotonin receptor antagonist significantly (p < 0.05) also attenuated total viral shedding. In summary, we show that intracellularly expressed NSP4 stimulates release of serotonin from human EC tumor cells and that serotonin participates in RV diarrhoea, which can be attenuated by Ondansetron.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Rotavirus and norovirus cause acute gastroenteritis with severe diarrhoea and vomiting, symptoms that may lead to severe dehydration and death. The objective of this randomized double-blinded ...placebo-controlled study was to investigate whether ondansetron, a serotonin receptor antagonist could attenuate rotavirus- and norovirus-induced vomiting and diarrhoea, which would facilitate oral rehydration and possibly accelerate recovery and reduce need for hospitalization.
Children with acute gastroenteritis, aged 6 months to 16 years where enrolled (n = 104) and randomized to one single oral dose (0.15mg/kg) of ondansetron (n = 52) or placebo (n = 52). The number of diarrhoea and vomiting episodes during the 24 hours following treatment was reported as well as the number of days with symptoms. Pathogens in faeces were diagnosed by real-time PCR. Outcome parameters were analyzed for rotavirus- and norovirus-positive children.
One dose of oral ondansetron reduced duration of rotavirus clinical symptoms (p = 0.014), with a median of two days. Furthermore, ondansetron reduced diarrhea episodes, most pronounced in children that had been sick for more than 3 days before treatment (p = 0.028).
Ondansetron may be a beneficial treatment for children with rotavirus gastroenteritis.
European Clinical Trial Database EudraCT 2011-005700-15.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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