A Survey of Robotic Harvesting Systems and Enabling Technologies.

This paper presents a comprehensive review of ground agricultural robotic systems and applications with special focus on harvesting that span research and commercial products and results, as well as their enabling technologies. The majority of literature concerns the development of crop detection, field navigation via vision and their related challenges. Health monitoring, yield estimation, water status inspection, seed planting and weed removal are frequently encountered tasks.

ASC proneural factors are necessary for chromatin remodeling during neuroectodermal to neuroblast fate transition to ensure the timely initiation of the neural stem cell program.

Background: In both Drosophila and mammals, the achaete-scute (ASC/ASCL) proneural bHLH transcription factors are expressed in the developing central and peripheral nervous systems, where they function during specification and maintenance of the neural stem cells in opposition to Notch signaling. In addition to their role in nervous system development, ASC transcription factors are oncogenic and exhibit chromatin reprogramming activity; however, the impact of ASC on chromatin dynamics during neural stem cell generation remains elusive. Here, we investigate the chromatin changes accompanying neural commitment using an integrative genetics and genomics methodology.

The effect of atropine used in dobutamine stress echocardiography on pupil diameter.

Background: The use of atropine during dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) is contraindicated in persons with narrow angle glaucoma though there is limited evidence that low doses of intravenous atropine do not cause pupillary dilation.

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate whether atropine when administered in persons without glaucoma during dobutamine stress echocardiography causes pupillary dilation.

Methods And Results: Out of 144 patients without a history of glaucoma referred for DSE for clinical indications, 105 patients received intravenous atropine doses ranging from 0.

Segmentation errors and motion artifacts in OCT-A associated with epiretinal membranes.

Objective: To explore segmentation errors, image quality, and motion-associated artifacts in eyes with idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM).

Methods: This is a prospective observational study. We included 39 eyes affected by ERM and 40 eyes from age-matched healthy subjects.

Conservative management of streptococcal necrotizing periorbital fasciitis following primary VZV infection.

A 45-year old male patient, with a past history of illicit drug abuse and hepatitis C, presented with a 2 day history of worsening eyelid edema. Examination of the globe was impossible due to eyelid fusion caused by extensive soft tissue damage. Based on the examination, a diagnosis of necrotic fasciitis secondary to VZV infection was Romamade.

Prognostic role of diastolic dysfunction in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Objectives: Prior studies have shown that left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (DD) is associated with increased mortality after surgical aortic valve replacement but studies on transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) are limited and have not taken into account mitral annular calcification (MAC), which limits the use of mitral valve annular tissue Doppler imaging. We performed a single-center retrospective analysis to better evaluate the role of baseline DD on outcomes after TAVR.

Methods: After excluding patients with atrial fibrillation, mitral valve prostheses and significant mitral stenosis, 359 consecutive TAVR patients were included in the study.

Development and Implementation of Psychiatric Services in a Student-Operated Clinic.

This article chronicles the development and implementation of Monday Psychiatry Clinic, a psychiatry component of a medical student-operated free clinic (The Monday Clinic) in Dallas, Texas, providing assessment data systematically collected in the clinic. The established clinical purpose of Monday Psychiatry Clinic is to assess common psychiatric disorders and refer patients in need to appropriate sources of care. This clinic provided leadership education and volunteering opportunities to medical students who learned to interact with patients with psychiatric concerns, established clinical interviewing skills, and became familiar with psychiatric diagnostic criteria.

Correlates of Duration of Intimate Partner Violence Among Women Seeking Services at a Domestic Violence Support Center.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) duration may reflect factors preventing women from leaving abusive relationships. Although many studies have analyzed factors associated with IPV occurrence, few studies have evaluated factors associated with IPV duration. This exploratory study examined intake forms completed by 230 women seeking services at an IPV support center over a 2.

A Deese-Roediger-McDermott study of trauma memory among employees of New York City companies affected by the September 11, 2001, attacks.

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been found to be associated with abnormalities in memory function. This relationship has not previously been studied using the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) false memory paradigm in disaster-exposed populations.

Methods: Three years after the September 11, 2001 (9/11) attacks, 281 participants from a volunteer sample of 379, recruited from 8 companies directly affected by the attacks, completed an interview about their disaster experience, a structured diagnostic interview, and the DRM paradigm.

A minor experimental stenosis in porcine descending thoracic aorta affects the spectral content of pressure pulse wave.

Objective: To carry out research into the possible changes of the spectral content of pressure pulse wave after the creation of an experimentally induced stenosis in the pig descending thoracic aorta.

Methods: Eight healthy, normotensive Landrace pigs were subjected to thoracotomy under sterile conditions. At the upper segment of the descending thoracic aorta, a 5-mm-long circumferential symmetric constriction was imposed and stabilized; hence, a 15-20 mm Hg pressure gradient was established.

Evaluation of the participation of Aretaieion Hospital, Greece in the WHO Pilot Project of Health Promoting Hospitals.

Aretaieion University Hospital participated in the World Health Organization (WHO) Pilot Health Promoting Hospitals Project from 1993 until 1997, when the Hellenic Network of Health Promoting Hospitals was established. This study is an overall evaluation of the participation of Aretaieion Hospital at the HPH Pilot Project. The evaluation comprised two questionnaire surveys, one among all the professionals, and the other among the patients involved in the subprojects.

Effect of an experimental stenosis in the porcine descending thoracic aorta.

Objective: To investigate the alterations of mechanical properties in pre- (A) and post- (B) stenotic aortic regions after an experimentally induced stenosis in the descending thoracic aorta.

Methods: Eight healthy, normalipemic and normotensive Landrace pigs were subjected to thoracotomy under sterile conditions. In the upper segment of the descending thoracic aorta a circumferential symmetric constriction 5 mm in length was imposed and stabilized; thus, a 15-20 mm Hg pressure gradient was established.

Colour Doppler ultrasonography of the ophthalmic artery: flow parameters in normal subjects. The significance of the resistance index.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the flow characteristics in ophthalmic arteries and to detect their possible relationships to those in the common and internal carotid arteries.

Methods: Sixty healthy subjects (age range 20-74 years) with normal vascular findings, stratified by age and sex were recruited to the study. A colour Doppler ultrasound examination of the neck arteries was performed, followed by a colour Doppler ultrasound examination of the 120 ophthalmic arteries included.

[Laryngeal insufficiency as a post-traumatic complication of facial skull injury].

Laryngeal incompetence is characterised by incoordination in deglutition and fluid leakage around the tracheostomy tube. It occurs very rarely and is attributed to injury of the recurrent laryngeal nerve. To our experience this condition demands no treatment and gradually disappears.

Neurophysiological and neuro-otological study of homozygous beta-thalassemia under long-term desferrioxamine (DFO) treatment.

This report presents data on visual evoked potentials (VEPs) and brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs), as well as neurologic, ophthalmologic and otologic assessments performed on 120 patients with beta-thalassemia major undergoing long-term DFO treatment. A total of 32 patients showed abnormal VEPs and 14 abnormal BAEPs; seven had both VEP and BAEP abnormalities; 12 had sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL); 18 had conductive hearing loss, while 14 showed a combination of SNHL and conductive hearing loss. After DFO administration was modified (taking in consideration the serum ferritin levels) patients with abnormal findings were retested.

Plasma cell myeloma of the jaws.

Solitary myeloma may be the first manifestation of the disseminated form, known as multiple myeloma, and characterized by multiple skeletal lesions, general metabolic alterations, impairment of renal function and eventually death. Involvement of the jaws is not unusual, although infrequently reported. We present 2 cases, where oral involvement was the first indication of the disease.

Orbital apex syndrome.

The orbital apex syndrome is a very rare complication of fractures of the facial skeleton, as well as other conditions and is characterized by blindness, fixed dilated pupils, proptosis, ptosis of the eye and ophthalmoplegia. We are reporting such a case we had the opportunity of treating.

Benign neurogenic tumors of the oral cavity.

Neurogenic tumors are rare in the oral cavity, particularly so when malignant. Traumatic neuroma, although usually included with neurogenic tumors, is a reactive process rather than a true neoplasm. Neurofibroma and schwannoma derive from nerve fibers, the perineurium, the endoneurium and the neurolemmomal cells.

Chondrosarcoma of the orofacial region. Review of the literature and report of two cases.

Chondrosarcoma of the jaws arises from vestigial rests and is considered a rare entity, although it is more common than its benign counterpart. Occasionally it may be extremely difficult under the microscope to decide whether a case is benign or malignant. The treatment of choice is surgical with wide margins.

Aneurysmal bone cyst of the jaws. Review of the literature and report of 2 cases.

Strictly speaking, the aneurysmal bone cyst is not a true cyst. It is a lesion characterized by replacement of bone by fibro-osseous tissue containing blood-filled cavernous spaces. It is usually treated by surgical curettage, and access within the jaws may sometimes be difficult.

Traumatic Le Fort III osteotomy.

A case of a Le Fort III type of fracture is described which resulted after its reduction, in the correction of pre-existing Class III skeletal relationship.

The superior orbital fissure syndrome.

The superior orbital fissure syndrome is a very rare condition, characterized by a fixed dilated pupil, ptosis and proptosis of the eye and ophthalmoplegia. We have had the opportunity to observe a number of such cases, and now report four of them.