In-vehicle vibration study of child safety seats

This paper reports experimental measurements of the in-vehicle vibrational behaviour of stage 0&1 child safety seats. Road tests were performed for eight combinations of child, child seat and automobile. Four accelerometers were installed in the vehicles and orientated to measure as closely as possible in the vertical direction; two were attached to the floor and two located at the human interfaces. An SAE pad was placed under the ischial tuberosities of the driver at the seat cushion and a child pad, designed for the purpose of this study, was placed under the child. Four test runs were made over a pave' (cobblestone) surface for the driver's seat and four for the child seat at both 20 km h(-1) and 40 km h(-1). Power spectral densities were determined for all measurement points and acceleration transmissibility functions (ATFs) were estimated from the floor of the vehicle to the human interfaces. The system composed of automobile seat, child seat and child was found to transmit greater vibration than the system composed of automobile seat and driver. The ensemble mean transmissibility in the frequency range from 1 to 60 Hz was found to be 77% for the child seats systems as opposed to 61% for the driver's seats. The acceleration transmissibility for the child seat system was found to be higher than that of the driver's seat at most frequencies above 10 Hz for all eight systems tested. The measured ATFs suggest that the principal whole-body vibration resonance of the children occurred at a mean frequency of 8.5, rather than the 3.5 to 5.0 Hz typically found in the case of seated adults. It can be concluded that current belt-fastened child seats are less effective than the vehicle primary seating systems in attenuating vibrational disturbances. The results also suggest the potential inability of evaluating child comfort by means of existing whole-body vibration standards.     

xOpat: eXplainable Open Pathology Analysis Tool

Histopathology research quickly evolves thanks to advances in whole slide imaging (WSI) and artificial intelligence (AI). However, existing WSI viewers are tailored either for clinical or research environments, but none suits both. This hinders the adoption of new methods and communication between the researchers and clinicians. The paper presents xOpat, an open-source, browser-based WSI viewer that addresses these problems. xOpat supports various data sources, such as tissue images, pathologists' annotations, or additional data produced by AI models. Furthermore, it provides efficient rendering of multiple data layers, their visual representations, and tools for annotating and presenting findings. Thanks to its modular, protocol-agnostic, and extensible architecture, xOpat can be easily integrated into different environments and thus helps to bridge the gap between research and clinical practice. To demonstrate the utility of xOpat, we present three case studies, one conducted with a developer of AI algorithms for image segmentation and two with a research pathologist.     

Proteomics integrated with Escherichia coli vector-based vaccines and antigen microarrays reveals the immunogenicity of a surface sialidase-like protein of Propionibacterium acnes

Proteomics is a powerful tool for the identification of proteins, which provides a basis for rational vaccine design. However, it is still a highly technical and time‐consuming task to examine a protein's immunogenicity utilizing traditional approaches. Here, we present a platform for effectively evaluating protein immunogenicity and antibody detection. A tetanus toxin C fragment (Tet‐c) was used as a representative antigen to establish this platform. A cell wall‐anchoring sialidase‐like protein (SLP) of Propionibacterium acnes was utilized to assess the efficacy of this platform. We constructed an Escherichia coli vector‐based vaccine by overexpressing Tet‐c or SLP in E. coli and utilized an intact particle of E. coli itself as a vaccine (E. coli Tet‐c or SLP vector). After ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, the E. coli vector‐based vaccines were administered intranasally into imprinting control region mice without adding exogenous adjuvants. For antibody detection, we fabricated antigen microarrays by printing with purified recombinant proteins including Tet‐c and SLP. Our results demonstrated that detectable antibodies were elicited in mice 6 weeks after intranasal administration of UV‐irradiated E. coli vector‐based vaccines. The antibody production of Tet‐c and SLP was significantly elevated after boosting. Notably, the platform with main benefits of using E. coli itself as a vaccine carrier provides a critical template for applied proteomics aimed at screening novel vaccine targets. In addition, the novel immunogenic SLP potentially serves as an antigen candidate for the development of vaccines targeting P. acnes‐associated diseases.     

Measurement of water colour using AVIRIS imagery to assess the potential for an operational monitoring capability in the Pamlico Sound Estuary,USA

The monitoring of water colour parameters can provide an important diagnostic tool for the assessment of aquatic ecosystem condition. Remote sensing has long been used to effectively monitor chlorophyll concentrations in open ocean systems; however, operational monitoring in coastal and estuarine areas has been limited because of the inherent complexities of coastal systems, and the coarse spectral and spatial resolutions of available satellite systems. Data were collected using the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Advanced Visible–Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) flown at an altitude of approximately 20 000 m to provide hyperspectral imagery and simulate both MEdium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) data. AVIRIS data were atmospherically corrected using a radiative transfer modelling approach and analysed using band ratio and linear regression models. Regression analysis was performed with simultaneous field measurements data in the Neuse River Estuary (NRE) and Pamlico Sound on 15 May 2002. Chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentrations were optimally estimated using AVIRIS bands (9.5 nm) centred at 673.6 and 692.7 nm, resulting in a coefficient of determination (R ²) of 0.98. Concentrations of Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM), Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and Fixed Suspended Solids (FSS) were also estimated, resulting in coefficients of determination of R ² = 0.90, 0.59 and 0.64, respectively. Ratios of AVIRIS bands centred at or near those corresponding to the MERIS and MODIS sensors indicated that relatively good satellite‐based estimates could potentially be derived for water colour constituents at a spatial resolution of 300 and 500 m, respectively.     

Development of an auxiliary system for the execution of vascular catheter interventions with a reduced radiological risk; system description and first experimental results

Vascular catheterization is a common procedure in clinical medicine. It is normally performed by a specialist using an X-ray fluoroscopic guide and contrast-media. In the present paper, an image-guided navigation system which indicates a path providing guidance to the desired target inside the vascular tree is described with the aim of reducing the exposure of personnel and patients to X-rays during the catheterization procedure. A 3D model of the patient vascular tree, reconstructed with data collected by an angiography before starting the intervention, is used as a guide map instead of fluoroscopic scans. An accurate spatial correspondence between the body of the patient and the 3D reconstructed vascular model is established and, by means of a position indicator installed over the catheter tip, the real-time position/orientation of the tip is indicated correctly. This paper describes the system and the operational procedures necessary to use the proposed method efficiently during a catheter intervention. Preliminary experimental results on a phantom are also reported.     

Induction Motor Identification by a Microcomputer-Based Structure

The paper deals with the parameter estimation of an induction motor performed through a microcomputer-based data acquisition system and recursive identification algorithms (RLS and RGLS) implemented by means of a general purpose computer. The microcomputer-based data acquisition system is essentially made by connecting the Z80 CPU with its peripherals and auxiliary memories through a bus standard. The motor is represented by a classical fifth-order model linearized around a usual working point; an approximate third-order model, obtained via balanced realization, is in good correlation with the original one according to the identification aims and to the measurement set efficiency. An original CAD procedure is utilized to determine the electrical parameters.     

How to Strip a Model to Its Essential Elements

Econometric models can be considered as a quantified representation of current economic theory. The paper suggests a procedure to check the correspondence between theory and practice. After an introduction about methodological aspects, a model of the Canadian economy is reduced by appropriate aggregation of the variables. Its condensed structure is then analysed, in order to investigate especially some noteworthy economic circuits such as financial flows and investment. The whole approach is strictly qualitative, based exclusively on the causal structure of the model. The results remain therefore consistent with any quantification of the model.     

Symptom profiles of depression among general medical service users compared with specialty mental health service users

BACKGROUND: Since depressive disorders are now eminently treatable and early detection and treatment could bring substantial benefits, it is critical to address alternative presentations of depression in the general medical setting. Concern regarding under-diagnosis of depression in general medical settings has given rise to the question of whether the clinical disorder of depression differs qualitatively or only quantitatively across care settings. METHODS: Symptom profiles of depression were compared across care sectors to investigate how the presentation of depression among general medical service users might differ qualitatively from specialty mental health service users. Data on depression symptoms within 6 months of interview gathered in three community surveys that were part of the NIMH Epidemiologic Catchment Area Program were analysed using methods developed to assess item bias. The subjects were 4931 and 363 persons who reported a visit to the general medical sector or to specialty mental health respectively, within 6 months of interview. RESULTS: Compared with specialty mental health service users, general medical service users were less likely to present dysphoria (adjusted Odds Ratio, aOR = 0.57; 95% Confidence Interval, CI = 0.38-0.84) and feeling worthless, sinful, or guilty (aOR = 0.63; 95% CI = 0.40-0.98), but were more likely to present fatigue (aOR = 1.71; 95% CI = 1.09-2.69), even after holding constant other characteristics that might influence reporting of symptoms as well as level of depression. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that there are qualitative differences in depression presenting in general medical care compared with specialty mental health care and call for a re-conceptualization of depression in the general medical setting.     

A Novel Homozygous Variant in DYSF Gene Is Associated with Autosomal Recessive Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy R2/2B

Mutations in the DYSF gene, encoding dysferlin, are responsible for Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy type R2/2B (LGMDR2/2B), Miyoshi myopathy (MM), and Distal Myopathy with Anterior Tibialis onset (MDAT). The size of the gene and the reported inter and intra familial phenotypic variability make early diagnosis difficult. Genetic analysis was conducted using Next Gene Sequencing (NGS), with a panel of 40 Muscular Dystrophies associated genes we designed. In the present study, we report a new missense variant c.5033G>A, p.Cys1678Tyr ({"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"NM_003494","term_id":"1675063869"}}NM_003494) in the exon 45 of DYSF gene related to Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy type R2/2B in a 57-year-old patient affected with LGMD from a consanguineous family of south Italy. Both healthy parents carried this variant in heterozygosity. Genetic analysis extended to two moderately affected sisters of the proband, showed the presence of the variant c.5033G>A in both in homozygosity. These data indicate a probable pathological role of the variant c.5033G>A never reported before in the onset of LGMDR2/2B, pointing at the NGS as powerful tool for identifying LGMD subtypes. Moreover, the collection and the networking of genetic data will increase power of genetic-molecular investigation, the management of at-risk individuals, the development of new therapeutic targets and a personalized medicine.