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PubMed1996

Effects of concentrate intake on subsequent roughage intake and eating behavior of cows in an automatic milking system.

Twenty-three cows were kept in a free-stall barn with an automatic system for milking and feeding. The cows were offered mixed silage for ad libitum consumption. Concentrates were fed with the automatic milking system. This experiment examined the eating behavior of cows and the relationship between the intake of concentrate and the subsequent intake of roughage in a free-stall barn with an automatic milking system. An individual meal criterion was used to characterize the meal pattern of each cow. Daily roughage intake and the time spent on meals ranged from 25.6 to 40.2 kg/d and from 70.1 to 240.0 min/d, respectively. Meal duration and size did not differ, regardless of whether concentrate was eaten or not eaten during the premeal interval. Multiple regression analysis showed that the partial regression coefficient for the duration of the premeal interval was significant for each cow, and the regression coefficient for the intake of concentrate during the premeal interval was significant for 78% of the cows. Separation of the eating phases into concentrate and roughage showed that the cows made many repeated traffic cycles through the automatic milking system and feeding section of the barn, thus revealing a high demand for concentrate under the experimental conditions.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1990

Is memory for spatial location automatically encoded?

Naveh-Benjamin (1987, 1988) has shown that memory for spatial location does not meet the criteria for automatic encoding as claimed by Hasher and Zacks (1979). Age, intention, concurrent processing demands, practice, strategies, and individual differences affected memory for location. These variables should have affected effortful but not automatic processing. The experiments reported in the present paper, in which a different task was used, showed that intention, practice, and concurrent processing demands did not affect memory for location. I concluded that (1) the location task used by Naveh-Benjamin included effortful subtasks and also incidental cover or concurrent processing tasks that interfered directly with performance, and (2) the variables that he manipulated may not have affected the encoding of location. The need to differentiate processes from task performance in analyzing the automaticity issue is discussed. The dominant mode for remembering location is automatic, but such information may also be remembered voluntarily.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Automaticity and the detection of speech.

The development of automatic perceptual responses to speech stimuli was examined. In the first experiment, phoneme-monitoring performance for speech syllables was examined under conditions in which stimulus-to-response mapping and memory load were manipulated. The results indicated that automaticity develops under consistent-mapping conditions. In the second experiment, a dual-task procedure was combined with mapping and selective attention manipulations in order to examine the development of automaticity across single- and multiple-channel conditions. The results indicated that performance under consistently mapped training conditions was interfered with by dividing attention across multiple channels of input. It is concluded that there may be differences in the way that automaticity develops across visual and auditory modalities and that these differences need to be examined more closely.

Attention↗
PubMed1990

Voluntary allocation versus automatic capture of visual attention.

Is there a difference in the kind of attention elicited by an abrupt-onset peripheral cue and that elicited by an instruction (e.g., a central arrow cue) to move attention to a peripheral location? In Experiment 1, we found that peripheral cues are no more effective in orienting attention than are central cues. No evidence was found for separable attentional systems consisting of a volitional response to central cues and an automatic response triggered only by peripheral cues. Rather, an identical or similar attentional process seems to be activated by either type of cue, although perhaps in different ways. Peripheral cues seem to have an automatic component, however, in that once attention is engaged by a peripheral cue, it cannot easily be disengaged for refocus elsewhere. In Experiment 2, after several sessions of practice, subjects were able to circumvent automatic attentional capture by an abrupt-onset peripheral cue and to volitionally redirect the focus of attention. Thus, attentional capture by abrupt-onset stimuli is not strongly automatic.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

[Automatic activation of addition and multiplication facts: an examination of effects of SOA, problem size, and presentation of operator symbol].

The purpose of this study was to examine boundary conditions and time course in automatic activation of addition and multiplication facts. Utilizing a number-matching task in which subjects were required to verify whether a target had been presented in a previously viewed number pair, the stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA), problem size, and operator symbol were manipulated. As a result, products were rejected more slowly than unrelated numbers in all problem size conditions, but sums were rejected more slowly than unrelated numbers only in small size condition, and this effect was not related to SOA and operator symbol. These results suggest that (a) automatic activation is restricted to small facts in addition, but not restricted in multiplication, (b) operator symbols have no effect on automatic activation, and (c) time course in automatic activation of addition facts does not differ from that of multiplication facts.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

[CT scanners with automatic focus alteration capability].

Heat accumulation in X-ray tubes results in disarrangement of focus owing to heat expansion of the anode. CT scanners with automatic focus alteration capability have been developed to counteract this problem. We compared CT scanners with and without focus alteration capabilities and discuss the effect of focus disarrangement on the CT images. Images were obtained when heat accumulation was high and low. Subtraction images were made to define the disarrangement of focus. A comparison was made between CT scanners with and without automatic focus alteration capability. ROI was selected and changes in CT values, SD, and slice thickness were observed under changing anode heat accumulation. Results indicated that images from both scanners showed disarrangement of the focus and elevation of CT values as anode heat accumulated. However, the scanner with automatic focus alteration produced images with less focus disarrangement from the center of the slice and less elevation of CT values. Scanners with automatic focus alteration are less prone to the focus disarrangement and elevation of CT values caused by anode heat accumulation and enable reproducible images to be obtained.

Electrodes↗
PubMed1983

Mortality in patients with implanted automatic defibrillators.

Fifty-two patients who survived several arrhythmic cardiac arrests had implantation of an automatic defibrillator along with additional cardiovascular surgery as indicated. The mean follow-up was 14.4 months and the longest was 3 years. In the hospital, the implanted devices identified and reverted 82 episodes of spontaneous and 81 of 99 episodes of induced malignant tachyarrhythmias. There were 62 automatic resuscitations in 17 patients outside the hospital. Twelve patients died; four of the deaths were not witnessed. These deaths represent a 22.9% total and 8.5% sudden-death 1-year mortality rate. Because the expected 1-year mortality in patients without the automatic defibrillator was calculated to be 48%, there was an estimated 52% decrease in anticipated total deaths. The automatic implantable defibrillator can identify and correct potentially lethal ventricular tachyarrhythmias, leading to a substantial increase in 1-year survival in properly selected high-risk patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Evaluation of differences between observers and automatic-manual measurements in calculation of Doppler parameters.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to search for differences between observers and automatic and manual measurements in calculations of Doppler parameters. METHODS: The middle cerebral artery (MCA), central retinal artery, ophthalmic artery (OA), common carotid artery (CCA), vertebral artery (VA), popliteal artery (PA), interlobar renal artery (IRA), and arcuate renal artery (ARA) were evaluated in 20 healthy subjects bilaterally. Peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV), time-averaged maximum velocity (TAMAX), resistive index (RI), and pulsatility index (PI) were measured from the same spectrum manually by 3 observers and automatically. Results of 4 measurements were compared by analysis of variance and Pearson tests. RESULTS: The comparison of the 4 measurements revealed significant differences for most parameters except TAMAX of the OA, VA, and ARA and PSV, EDV, and PI of the PA. An automatic calculator yielded lower PSV, RI, and PI values (except the MCA and PA) and higher EDV values compared with manual measurements. The magnitudes of difference were in the range of 1% to 16% for velocities and 4% to 14% for RI and PI. The means of difference were 3.185 cm/s for PSV of the CCA and 0.054 for RI of the IRA. Correlation was high for PSV, EDV, and TAMAX in all arteries (except TAMAX of PA) and relatively low for PI and RI in most of the arteries. CONCLUSIONS: Although our study was performed on healthy subjects, our results showed that, in most cases, readers and the automatic approach disagreed on evaluation of Doppler parameters. This may be important in preventing false diagnoses in cases with Doppler values close to upper limits and may necessitate establishment of new limits for each method.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Illnesses associated with use of automatic insecticide dispenser units--selected states and United States, 1986-1999.

To control indoor flying insects, restaurants and other businesses commonly use pyrethrin and pyrethroid insecticides sprayed from automatic dispensing units. Usually placed near entrances, these units are designed to kill flying insects in food service or work areas. On May 18, 1999, the Florida Department of Health (FDH) was notified by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) that during May 12-17, three persons developed pesticide-related illnesses associated with improperly placed automatic insecticide dispensers. After FDH conducted a follow-up investigation and notified CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of this event, surveillance data were reviewed to identify additional cases of pesticide-related illnesses associated with automatic insecticide dispensers. Data were provided by the Toxic Exposure Surveillance System (TESS), the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR), the Montana Department of Agriculture (MDA), the National Pesticide Telecommunications Network (NPTN), and the Washington State Department of Health (WSDH)*. This report describes cases, summarizes surveillance data for pesticide-related illnesses associated with automatic insecticide dispensers, and provides recommendations for safe dispenser use.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Postexercise lung uptake of 99mTc-sestamibi determined by a new automatic technique: validation and application in detection of severe and extensive coronary artery disease and reduced left ventricular function.

UNLABELLED: This study validated a new automatic algorithm for assessment of lung-to-heart ratio (L/H) of radiotracers in myocardial perfusion SPECT and assessed the diagnostic value of (99m)Tc-sestamibi L/H after exercise. METHODS: The new technique extracts a left ventricular region of interest (ROI) from a summed anterior projection image and generates a lung ROI by reshaping and translating the left ventricular ROI. This algorithm was applied to 230 patients who underwent exercise (99m)Tc-sestamibi SPECT (gated SPECT, n = 88) with first-pass ventriculography. Normal values were established in 26 patients in whom the likelihood of coronary artery disease (CAD) was 5% or less. An abnormality threshold for detecting severe and extensive CAD was defined in a subgroup of 109 patients who underwent coronary angiography and was validated in a prospective group (n = 72). RESULTS: The success rate of the automatic algorithm was 97%. Excellent correlation was found between automatic and manual L/H values (r = 0.95; P < 0.001). The mean L/H was higher in patients with a peak exercise ejection fraction (EF) less than 40% versus 40% or more (0.51 +/- 0.07 versus 0.43 +/- 0.05, P < 0.001) and in patients with a poststress EF less than 40% versus 40% or more (0.50 +/- 0.07 versus 0.44 +/- 0.06, P < 0.01). A threshold of L/H greater than 0.44 yielded a sensitivity and specificity of 63% and 81%, respectively, for identifying severe and extensive CAD in the prospective group and a sensitivity of 86% in identifying stenosis of 90% or more in the proximal left anterior descending artery. CONCLUSION: The new automatic algorithm for assessing L/H correlated well with manually derived L/H for (99m)Tc-sestamibi as well as (201)TI SPECT. An increased postexercise (99m)Tc-sestamibi L/H adds significant diagnostic value to study myocardial perfusion SPECT as a marker of severe and extensive CAD and reduced ventricular function.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

An automatic virtual patient reconstruction from CT-scans for hepatic surgical planning.

UNLABELLED: PROBLEM/BACKGROUND: In order to help hepatic surgical planning we perfected automatic 3D reconstruction of patients from conventional CT-scan, and interactive visualization and virtual resection tools. TOOLS AND METHODS: From a conventional abdominal CT-scan, we have developed several methods allowing the automatic 3D reconstruction of skin, bones, kidneys, lung, liver, hepatic lesions, and vessels. These methods are based on deformable modeling or thresholding algorithms followed by the application of mathematical morphological operators. From these anatomical and pathological models, we have developed a new framework for translating anatomical knowledge into geometrical and topological constraints. More precisely, our approach allows to automatically delineate the hepatic and portal veins but also to label the portal vein and finally to build an anatomical segmentation of the liver based on Couinaud definition which is currently used by surgeons all over the world. Finally, we have developed a user friendly interface for the 3D visualization of anatomical and pathological structures, the accurate evaluation of volumes and distances and for the virtual hepatic resection along a user-defined cutting plane. RESULTS: A validation study on a 30 patients database gives 2 mm of precision for liver delineation and less than 1 mm for all other anatomical and pathological structures delineation. An in vivo validation performed during surgery also showed that anatomical segmentation is more precise than the delineation performed by a surgeon based on external landmarks. This surgery planning system has been routinely used by our medical partner, and this has resulted in an improvement of the planning and performance of hepatic surgery procedures. CONCLUSION: We have developed new tools for hepatic surgical planning allowing a better surgery through an automatic delineation and visualization of anatomical and pathological structures. These tools represent a first step towards the development of an augmented reality system combined with computer assisted tele-robotical surgery.

Computer Graphics↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Automatic evaluation of total lung capacity and of emphysema involvement with spiral computerized tomography (CT) in obstructive pneumonia].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate, in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease or chronic bronchitis, inspiratory helical CT with 3D postprocessing, to measure lung volumes and the amount of emphysema and to compare these measurements with lung function tests. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seventeen patients with chronic obstructive lung disease disease or chronic bronchitis underwent pulmonary function tests and helical CT after a full inspiration with 3D postprocessing (lower threshold -1024 HU, upper thresholds -200, -300 and -400 HU). Lung inspiratory volumes (TLC-CT) were determined for each model; the amount of emphysema was evaluated by means of an automatic score and a visual score with HRCT. RESULTS: There is a good correlation between automatic and visual scores (p < 0.001); the automatic score had a good correlation with lung function tests, above all with total lung capacity (r = -0.56; p = 0.01) but the visual score had a much closer correlation with DLCO (r = -0.70; p < 0.001). TLC-CT had a significant correlation with pletismographic TLC (TLC-P); the upper threshold -200 HU was more correct (TLC-P = 8011 cc.; TLC-CT 200 = 7138 cc.; r = 0.83; p < 0.001). The volume change of 3D model was about 230 cc. per 100 HU (p < 0.001) modifying upper thresholds, but no change was observed in the volume occupied by emphysema and the percentage of emphysema presented minimal, clinically non significant modifications. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: In emphysematous patients, the helical CT with 3D model construction is a good technique to evaluate lung volumes and to quantify emphysema with automatic score; this one, however, probably underscores the extent of pathology; therefore, the addition of a visual score with HRCT is probably worthwhile.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[An automatic system for anatomophysiological correlation in three planes simultaneously during functional neurosurgery].

INTRODUCTION: The Neurosurgical Deep Recording System (NDRS) using a personal computer takes the place of complex electronic equipment for recording and processing deep cerebral electrical activity, as a guide in stereotaxic functional neurosurgery. It also permits increased possibilities of presenting information in direct graphic form with automatic management and sufficient flexibility to implement different analyses. OBJECTIVE: This paper describes the possibilities of automatic simultaneous graphic representation in three almost orthogonal planes, available with the new 5.1 version of NDRS so as to facilitate the analysis of anatomophysiological correlation in the localization of deep structures of the brain during minimal access surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This new version can automatically show the spatial behaviour of signals registered throughout the path of the electrode inside the brain, superimposed simultaneously on sagittal, coronal and axial sections of an anatomical atlas of the brain, after adjusting the scale automatically according to the dimensions of the brain of each individual patient. This may also be shown in a tridimensional representation of the different planes themselves intercepting. RESULTS: The NDRS system has been successfully used in Spain and Cuba in over 300 functional neurosurgery operations. The new version further facilitates analysis of spatial anatomophysiological correlation for the localization of brain structures. CONCLUSION: This system has contributed to increase the precision and safety in selecting surgical targets in the control of Parkinson s disease and other disorders of movement.

Brain↗
PubMed2002

Assessment of static isolator cages with automatic watering when used with conventional husbandry techniques as a factor in the transmission of mouse hepatitis virus.

This study evaluated protection against mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) afforded by static filter-top caging when automatic watering was used with conventional husbandry techniques as a labor-saving option. We fitted one side of a double-sided 72-cage rack with valves external to each cage; cages on the other side were fitted with shielded internal valves. More than 50% of the mice were breeding mice, and 30% were genetically altered. One cage of mice on each shelf on both sides of the rack was infected with MHV-A59. Each row of cages also contained one standard cage (no filter top) of uninoculated mice at various distances from the infected cage. At 2, 4, and 6 weeks after infection of the mice in the test cages, uninoculated mice in 22 cages were tested by serology, and at 8 weeks the uninoculated mice in 54 cages were tested by serology and those in 24 cages were tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of fecal samples to assess transmission of infection. At 8 weeks post-infection, mice in one uninoculated cage (which had a filter top and an internal valve and was adjacent to a cage of inoculated mice) was seropositive. Examination of feces by PCR revealed MHV shedding in mice in nine uninoculated cages (three lacking filter tops but with internal valve cages; two with filter tops and internal valve cages and adjacent to non-filter top cages; two non-filter-top cages with external valves; and two filter-top cages with external valves, of which one was adjacent to a non-filter-top cage). Routine husbandry using either automatic water valve system prevented (with one exception) transmission among filter-top cages for at least 6 weeks. The 10 cages where transmission occurred were non-filter-top cages (n = 5) and filter-top cages adjacent to non-filter top, infected, or sentinel cages (n = 5). These results suggest that the use of filter top-caging with automatic watering may limit MHV transmission for 6 weeks, during which immunocompetent mice would be expected to clear the virus. Our findings also suggest that long-term use of automatic watering in static filter-top cages handled using conventional husbandry techniques may not prevent transmission in the vicinity of high virus concentrations or open caging.

Animal Husbandry↗
PubMed2002

[Use of semi-automatic defibrillators outside the hospital].

With an annual incidence of 1 to 2@1000 and a rate of survival without complication of 2%, sudden death outside hospital constitutes a serious public health problem in France. Ventricular fibrillation (VF) is responsible for more than three quarters of these deaths. The rate of survival is inversely proportional to the duration of VF making early defibrillation a strong link in the chain of survival. The chances of survival are much greater if the cardio-respiratory arrest occurs with a witness, basic first aid is started rapidly, diagnosis of VF is made quickly and the first shock is delivered as soon as possible. These last two criteria are being met more often since the advent of the semi-automatic defibrillator (SAD) and its availability to first line rescuers. The SAD is a light and compact defibrillator capable of automatic analysis of the electrocardiographic trace, charging if it detects ventricular tachycardia (VT) or VF. By analysing the QRS amplitude, its slope, its morphology, its spectral density and the duration of the isoelectric line, the SAD is capable of recognising VF with a sensibility of 98% and a specificity of 93%. The shock, however, is only delivered with a manoeuvre from the operator. The SAD memorizes both the rhythmic event treated and certain parameters relating to its use. During the last decade, the SAD has benefited from the technological evolutions of the implantable automatic defibrillator, with the introduction of a biphasic shock. The use of a biphasic shock allows reduction in the minimal defibrillation charge and thus lightens the apparatus and increases the number of shocks which the SAD can deliver on a charged battery. In authorizing paramedics by statute to use the SAD, it has been possible to reduce the interval from alert to first delivered shock to 8 minutes although it would be 10 minutes if the medical team was awaited, and to obtain a survival rate without complication of 6.3%. The progress achieved by the use of the SAD in the chain of survival cannot be denied. However, to surpass automatic defibrillation and widen the use of defibrillators to an informed and motivated public would certainly bring our results closer to those obtained in America where the survival rate reaches 30% in the best cases; subject to widespread first aid training for the population.

Automation↗
PubMed1976

Development of reference systems for automatic identification of clinical isolates of bacteria.

The reported work describes experiments on automatic identification based on a material of 636 clinical isolates of bacteria. It is shown that three different and mutually independent automatic identification principles produce almost identical identification conclusions. It is also shown that an automatic procedure which continuously corrects the basic classification gives results which are independent of the classification background. Automatic correction logics develop conventionally-based, as well as numerically-based initial reference systems toward almost similar solutions. This may indicate that automated identification methods based on numerical classifications possess general validity.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1992

Further evidence against a direct automatic neuromotor link between the ACL and hamstrings.

The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether reflexive, or more broadly, automatic hamstrings excitation could be elicited during isometric, maximum effort, step increases in knee extension torque. Eight healthy subjects without lower extremity dysfunction or injury performed maximum effort isometric knee extension at 15 and 85 degrees of knee flexion in minimum elapsed time. Surface electromyography was used to record medial (semimembranosis and semitendinosis) and lateral (biceps femoris--long head) hamstrings excitation that was subsequently normalized to the excitation during maximum isometric knee flexion. To assess whether automatic hamstrings excitation was elicited, the amplitude of the EMG signals was analyzed and compared for 50 ms prior to peak knee extension torque, and three consecutive 50 ms windows following peak knee extension torque. The amplitude of the EMG subsequent to the peak knee extension torque failed to support the contention of an automatic hamstrings excitation mediated by neural circuitry from the ACL. The present results, in conjunction with previous work, suggest that a protective automatic hamstrings contraction is not normally elicited in response to conditions subjecting the anterior cruciate ligament to strain.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Automatic detection of microcalcifications in mammography using a neuromimetic system based on retina.

The incidence of breast cancer in France is roughly 26,000 and the annual number of deaths is 11,000. The mammography is the choice examination for the early identification of the tumours in an asymptomatic population. This is a simple, reliable, inexpensive examination, allowing to identify a grave and frequent pathology, but that can be the object of an effective treatment if early detected. The recognition of the microcalcifications in the mammographies is the key for early detection of cancers. Automatic detection methods were already proposed, but they have a very weak specificity and a relatively low sensibility. Currently, the eye of the expert still remains the better judge. We propose a neuromimetic method to localize automatically the microcalcifications. In this method, we devise a network of formal neurones inspired from the mammal retina architecture. This model mimics one characteristic of the retina which is is a sensor that automatically adapts to the image characteristics to analyse and realize the outlines extraction and adaptative filtering of the pictures, based on its network properties. The results were tested using a public standardized data set (DDSM), which was designed to test the automatic detection methods. We show that our "retina" can extracts most of the microcalcifications that can be grouped together in clusters. While we achieve a 95% sensitivity, we must acknowledge a low specificity (22%). Current efforts will focus to enhance this latter parameter.

Animals↗