FER-net: facial expression recognition using deep neural net

Neural Computing and Applications - Automatic facial expression recognition (FER) is one of the most challenging tasks in computer vision. FER admits a wide range of applications in...     

Molecular plasmonics: light meets molecules at the nanoscale

Certain metal nanoparticles exhibit the effect of localized surface plasmon resonance when interacting with light, based on collective oscillations of their conduction electrons. The interaction of this effect with molecules is of great interest for a variety of research disciplines, both in optics and in the life sciences. This paper attempts to describe and structure this emerging field of molecular plasmonics, situated between the molecular world and plasmonic effects in metal nanostructures, and demonstrates the potential of these developments for a variety of applications.     

Microwave‐assisted synthesis of Ag/ZnO hybrid filler,preparation, and characterization of antibacterial poly(vinyl chloride) composites made from the same

Hybrid silver/zinc oxide (Ag/ZnO) nanostructured microparticles were obtained via the fast and simple microwave‐assisted synthesis. The phase structure of filler particles was revealed by X‐ray diffraction analysis. Composites with medical‐grade poly(vinyl chloride) were prepared with filler concentration from 1 to 5 wt%. The scanning electron microscopy was used for morphology characterization and elemental analysis of both filler and composites. The mechanical properties of composites and the electrical resistivity were found suitable for medical device application. The excellent surface antibacterial performance of the prepared composite tested according to ISO 22196:2007 against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus showed the reliability of the material in the medical application field. POLYM. COMPOS., 35:19–26, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Effect of Cardiotonic Steroid Marinobufagenin on Vascular Remodeling and Cognitive Impairment in Young Dahl-S Rats

The hypertensive response in Dahl salt-sensitive (DSS) rats on a high-salt (HS) diet is accompanied by central arterial stiffening (CAS), a risk factor for dementia, and heightened levels of a prohypertensive and profibrotic factor, the endogenous Na/K-ATPase inhibitor marinobufagenin (MBG). We studied the effect of the in vivo administration of MBG or HS diet on blood pressure (BP), CAS, and behavioral function in young DSS rats and normotensive Sprague–Dawley rats (SD), the genetic background for DSS rats. Eight-week-old male SD and DSS rats were given an HS diet (8% NaCl, n = 18/group) or a low-salt diet (LS; 0.1% NaCl, n = 14–18/group) for 8 weeks or MBG (50 µg/kg/day, n = 15–18/group) administered via osmotic minipumps for 4 weeks in the presence of the LS diet. The MBG-treated groups received the LS diet. The systolic BP (SBP); the aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV), a marker of CAS; MBG levels; spatial memory, measured by a water maze task; and tissue collection for the histochemical analysis were assessed at the end of the experiment. DSS-LS rats had higher SBP, higher aPWV, and poorer spatial memory than SD-LS rats. The administration of stressors HS and MBG increased aPWV, SBP, and aortic wall collagen abundance in both strains vs. their LS controls. In SD rats, HS or MBG administration did not affect heart parameters, as assessed by ECHO vs. the SD-LS control. In DSS rats, impaired whole-heart structure and function were observed after HS diet administration in DSS-HS vs. DSS-LS rats. MBG treatment did not affect the ECHO parameters in DSS-MBG vs. DSS-LS rats. The HS diet led to an increase in endogenous plasma and urine MBG levels in both SD and DSS groups. Thus, the prohypertensive and profibrotic effect of HS diet might be partially attributed to an increase in MBG. The prohypertensive and profibrotic functions of MBG were pronounced in both DSS and SD rats, although quantitative PCR revealed that different profiles of profibrotic genes in DSS and SD rats was activated after MBG or HS administration. Spatial memory was not affected by HS diet or MBG treatment in either SD or DSS rats. Impaired cognitive function was associated with higher BP, CAS, and cardiovascular remodeling in young DSS-LS rats, as compared to young SD-LS rats. MBG and HS had similar effects on the cardiovascular system and its function in DSS and SD rats, although the rate of change in SD rats was lower than in DSS rats. The absence of a cumulative effect of increased aPWV and BP on spatial memory can be explained by the cerebrovascular and brain plasticity in young rats, which help the animals to tolerate CAS elevated by HS and MBG and to counterbalance the profibrotic effect of heightened MBG.     

The safety and usefulness of transgenic plants]

Transgenic crop plants, used in food and feed production, carry different beneficial transgenes, mostly for resistance to pests, herbicides and diseases. All new transgenic plant varieties, the genes they carry and their products have been thoroughly tested before released for agriculture and even more for marketing. Genetically modified organisms carry the same risk as any other organism. Food derived from genetically modified organisms due to legal regulation is most controlled and therefore most safe food ever placed on the market. In future, transgenic plants offer many new possibilities also for medical use, like plant vaccines, antibiotics and rare proteins of clinical importance produced by plants.     

Reactor Optimization in the Presence of Catalyst Decay

Interest over the past decade or so in the more quantitative aspects of catalyst deactivation has led to a body of work in the literature concerned with various reactor design/operation optimization problems that include the effects of catalyst mortality. From a chemical reaction engineering point of view these efforts provide a rather unique combination of reactor design, chemical kinetics, and optimal control theory. As was the case for much of the early work on optimization, this literature gives a number of cases of examples and counterexamples, assumptions that are sometimes stronger than the strong maximum principle, and plenty of “academic chemical reaction I” (A → B). For the hard-hats among us, some questions thus may be raised as to the practical import of much of this in terms of engineering application. Nonetheless, the sum of work is now approaching sufficient proportion to make at least a partial accounting of it worthwhile.     

Production of 230U/226Th for targeted alpha therapy via proton irradiation of 231Pa

(230)U and its daughter nuclide (226)Th are novel therapeutic nuclides for application in targeted alpha-therapy of cancer. We have investigated the feasibility of producing (230)U/(226)Th via proton irradiation of (231)Pa according to the reaction (231)Pa(p,2n)(230)U. The experimental excitation function for this reaction is reported for the first time. Cross sections were measured using thin targets of (231)Pa prepared by electrodeposition and (230)U yields were analyzed using alpha-spectrometry. Beam parameters (energy and intensity) were determined both by calculation using a mathematical model based on measured beam orbits and beam current integrator and by parallel monitor reactions on copper foils using high-resolution gamma-spectrometry and IAEA recommended cross-section data. The measured cross sections are in good agreement with model calculations using the EMPIRE-II code and are sufficiently high for the production of (230)U/(226)Th in clinically relevant amounts. A highly effective separation process was developed to isolate clinical grade (230)U from irradiated protactinium oxide targets. Product purity was assessed using alpha- and gamma-spectrometry as well as ICPMS.     

Routine individual monitoring of aircraft crew exposure: Czech experience and results since 1998

ICRP Publication 60 recommended that the radiation exposure due to the cosmic component at high altitudes be considered when appropriate as part of occupational exposure to the radiation. The recommendation was incorporated to the Czech regulation in 1997, and the studies on how to perform individual dosimetry of Czech companies aircraft crew started immediately. The individual monitoring values were calculated using the Transport code CARI. The results obtained since the beginning have been recalculated, now with the version 6. The information on the flight schedules and the participation of aircraft crew in the flight were received from the air company. Routine individual dosimetry had started in 1998. Main results for the period 1998-2003 are as follows: both relative frequencies, as well as, average annual effective doses vary with the company and with the year, without any evident general tendency; the average annual values of E were between 1.5 and 2 mSv; and collective effective dose increased regularly, from approximately 1.5 manSv to >2.2 manSv. More detailed analysis is presented, including the verification of the procedure by a series of onboard experimental measurements.