An Emulated Digital CNN Implementation

A new emulated digital CNN Universal Machine chip architecture is introduced and the main steps of the design process are shown in this paper. One core processor can be implemented on 2 × 2 mm² silicon area with a 0.35 m CMOS technology. Assuming an array of 24 processors on a chip, its speed is 1ns/virtual cell/CNN iteration with 12 bit precision. This enables the execution of over five hundred 3 × 3 convolution operations on each frame of a 240 × 320-pixel 25 fps digital image flow. Another new feature of the design is its variable precision capability. This allows the user to trade off precision for speed. The architecture supports some non-linear filter implementation as well.     

Microbial population in a hydrogen-dependent denitrification reactor

The bacterial population in an H2-dependent denitrification system was studied. The laboratory set-up was designed for the treatment of potable water and consisted of an electrochemical cell, where the water to be treated was enriched with H2 prior to entering a bioreactor. Bioreactors (columns packed with granulated active carbon) were inoculated with denitrifying bacterial strains isolated from a previous reactor, then sampled immediately after inoculation, or after 1 or 3 months of continuous operation. Total number of the bacteria and numbers of each different strain were determined at various levels of the bioreactor. The strains present in the inoculum were identified as Ochrobactrum anthropi, Pseudomonas stutzeri, Paracoccus panthotrophus and Paracoccus denitrificans. Numbers of the latter declined markedly with time with the other three strains being responsible for nitrate removal. A correlation was found between the relative abundance of each strain and its specific denitrification activity.     

A short solid-state synthesis leading to titanate compounds with porous structure and nanosheet morphology

A novel method was developed for the synthesis of titanate nanosheets with high surface area. A solid-state mixture of NaOH and TiO₂ was reacted at 600 °C for several minutes. The aqueous dispersion of the resulting melt was aged at room temperature for periods up to 14 days. After hydrochloric acid treatment and washing procedures, the reaction product was characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, N₂-sorption and small-angle X-ray scattering measurements. The titanate compound not subjected to the aging process was amorphous and possessed a microporous framework, while the aged samples displayed nanosheet morphology and high specific surface area (396-509 m² g⁻¹). It was revealed that the very short heat treatment is of crucial importance for the titania-titanate phase transformation, while the aging process is needed for the morphological evolution of the titanate samples. The effects of the aging time on the structure and the morphology are discussed.     

Leaching of antimony from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles into mineral water

The Sb leaching from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) package material into 10 different brands of still (non-carbonated) and sparkling (carbonated) Hungarian mineral water purchased in supermarkets was investigated by inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometry (ICP-SF-MS). The Sb concentration measured in PET package materials varied between 210 and 290 mg/kg. Generally, the Sb concentration of still mineral water was lower than that of sparkling in the case of identical storage time. For modelling improper storage conditions, storage time (10-950 days), temperature (22 °C-70 °C), illumination (dark vs. 23 W daylight lamp for 116 h) as well as bottle volume (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 L) were taken into consideration. Under certain extreme light and temperature storage conditions, the Sb concentration of some samples exceeded the concentration value of 2 ng/mL. The extent of Sb leaching from the PET recipients of different brands of mineral water can differ by even one order of magnitude in experiments conducted under the same conditions. Thus, the adequate selection of the polymer used for the production of the PET bottle for the solar water disinfection (SODIS) procedure seems to ensure low Sb levels in the water samples.     

Peripheral sensory nerve dysfunction in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus

The aim of the present study was to investigate peripheral sensory nerve function in diabetic children and adolescents without neurological symptoms. Ninety-two children and adolescents with Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus (mean +/- SD age: 14.2 +/- 2.1 years, diabetes duration: 5.8 +/- 3.0 years) and 80 healthy control subjects (age: 13.8 +/- 2.2 years) matched for age, sex, body mass index, and height standard deviation score were involved in the study. Using a sine-wave transcutaneous stimulator, current perception threshold (CPT) testing at 2000, 250 and 5 Hz was performed on the left median and peroneal nerves. Diabetic children had increased CPT at 2000 Hz on both nerves as compared to the control group (median (interquartile range), median nerve: 2.43 (2.20-3.43) vs 1.80 (1.51-2.60) mA, p = 0.02; peroneal nerve: 3.51 (2.81-4.82) vs 2.70 (2.04-3.70) mA, p = 0.01). Twenty-one (23%) of patients had CPT values higher than that of any healthy individual. Of these, elevated CPT was observed in 9 (9.8%) patients on the median nerve, in 8 (8.7%) patients on the peroneal nerve, and in 4 (4.3%) patients on both median and peroneal nerves. Using multiple logistic regression analysis, worse long-term metabolic control and advanced puberty were independently predictive of peripheral sensory nerve dysfunction as the dependent variable (adjusted OR (95% CI): 3.4 (1.2-6.2), p = 0.01, and 2.8 (1.1-5.6), p = 0.03, respectively). In conclusion, evidence of peripheral sensory nerve dysfunction is not rare in children and adolescents with diabetes and can be demonstrated by CPT testing in asymptomatic patients. Poor metabolic control is a risk factor for such subclinical neuropathy, and pubertal development may be involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.     

Influence of cylinder‐on‐plate or block‐on‐ring sliding configurations on friction and wear of pure and filled engineering polymers

Polyamides, polyesters and polyacetals are often used in line contacts under reciprocating or continuous sliding. These contacts are simulated on cylinder‐on‐plate (COP) or block‐on‐ring (BOR) tribotests. Comparative tests for pure, oil‐filled and solid lubricated polymers at 100N and 0.3m/s are presented for relative material classification. Differences are discussed according to the sliding geometries. Thermal effects dominate friction and wear behaviour: the polymer glass transition temperature is exceeded in COP tests while the temperature is lower in BOR tests. Thick and brittle films are observed for pure polymers in BOR tests, promoting higher friction. The test configuration is mainly important for evaluation of internal lubricants. The efficiency of oil‐lubricated polymers is not demonstrated in COP tests, while solid lubricants are not efficient in BOR tests. Deformation restricts the diffusion of oil lubricants in COP tests while solid lubricants are deposited on the polymer surface rather than being incorporated in the transfer film in BOR tests. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Optimization of Lyophilized Hyperacute Serum (HAS) as a Regenerative Therapeutic in Osteoarthritis

Hyperacute serum (HAS) is a blood derivative product that promotes the proliferation of various cell types and controls inflammation in vitro. The aim of this study is to investigate the regenerative potential of different formulations of HAS, including lyophilized and hyaluronic acid combined versions, to obtain a stable and standardized therapeutic in osteoarthritis (OA), which may be able to overcome the variability limitations of platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Primary human osteoarthritic chondrocytes were used for testing cellular viability and gene expression of OA-related genes. Moreover, a co-culture of human explants of cartilage, bone and synovium under inflammatory conditions was used for investigating the inflammatory control capacities of the different therapeutics. In this study, one formulation of lyophilized HAS achieved the high cell viability rates of liquid HAS and PRP. Gene expression analysis showed that HAS induced higher Col1a1 expression than PRP. Cytokine quantification from supernatant fluids revealed that HAS treatment of inflamed co-cultures significantly reduced levels of IL-5, IL-15, IL-2, TNFα, IL-7 and IL-12. To conclude, lyophilized HAS is a stable and standardized therapeutic with high potential in joint regeneration.     

Factor XIII B Subunit Polymorphisms and the Risk of Coronary Artery Disease

The aim of the case-control study was to explore the effect of coagulation factor XIII (FXIII) B subunit (FXIII-B) polymorphisms on the risk of coronary artery disease, and on FXIII levels. In the study, 687 patients admitted for coronary angiography to investigate suspected coronary artery disease and 994 individuals representing the Hungarian population were enrolled. The patients were classified according to the presence of significant coronary atherosclerosis (CAS) and history of myocardial infarction (MI). The F13B gene was genotyped for p.His95Arg and for intron K nt29756 C>G polymorphisms; the latter results in the replacement of 10 C-terminal amino acids by 25 novel amino acids. The p.His95Arg polymorphism did not influence the risk of CAS or MI. The FXIII-B intron K nt29756 G allele provided significant protection against CAS and MI in patients with a fibrinogen level in the upper tertile. However, this effect prevailed only in the presence of the FXIII-A Leu34 allele, and a synergism between the two polymorphisms was revealed. Carriers of the intron K nt29756 G allele had significantly lower FXIII levels, and FXIII levels in the lower tertile provided significant protection against MI. It is suggested that the protective effect of the combined polymorphisms is related to decreased FXIII levels.