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At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Application of an Electronic Aroma Sensing System to Cork Stopper Quality Control.

Cork odors were characterized using an electronic aroma sensing system. The electronic system is a compact, benchtop instrument comprising a sensor array, signal processing hardware, a measurement algorithm, and a pattern classification system. The sensor array responds to the presence of aroma volatile compounds by changes in their electrical properties. Resistance changes are displayed as a histogram, which is a fingerprint of the aroma being analyzed. Five different cork odors were studied: NE, which is considered as standard cork odor; CO, exhibiting the pleasant boiled cork odor (it is also considered as a good odor); PO, corresponding to rotten odor; and B and BO, representing moldy and very intensely moldy odors, respectively. This electronic aroma sensing system could discriminate quickly and objectively between acceptable odor and the unacceptable taint. Characterization and selection of a subset of sensors were performed. A relation between sensors and specific odors was established. The system, once trained with representative acceptable and unacceptable samples, could be used as a simple quality control tool and incorporated into the normal quality control procedures for each batch of product, by providing real-time analysis of a sample overall aroma.

Journal Article↗

Mapping the turkey erythrocyte beta receptor: a distance geometry approach.

Extensions and refinements of the receptor mapping method as originally developed by Crippen are presented. In a set of newly developed algorithms measures are taken to reduce the number of required energy parameters to a statistically acceptable degree. The most important measure is the incorporation of lipophilicity as a hydrophobic bonding parameter to describe the binding of parts of the ligands to lipophilic areas on the receptor. In order to test the applicability of our set of programs, we mapped the turkey erythrocyte beta receptor using a data set of Bilezikian. It was found that the experimentally determined free energies of binding can be reasonably described using a nine-point geometrical representation of the receptor site and only six energy parameters. The deduced model predicts that the phenyl rings of phenylethanolamines and phenoxypropanolamines occupy different parts of the receptor site.

Animals↗

Intensified screening and treatment of the metabolic syndrome for cardiovascular risk reduction.

The metabolic syndrome (MetS), characterized by a clustering of risk factors associated with insulin resistance and abdominal obesity, is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease mortality. Persons with MetS have a wide spectrum of coronary heart disease risk and appropriate evaluation of risk using global risk algorithms. Measurement of other risk markers and subclinical disease is potentially needed to best set treatment goals and accompanying treatment regimens. The presence of MetS risk factors should be considered in global risk assessment. Clinical management emphasizes addressing underlying risk factors predisposing to MetS-specifically overweight/obesity and physical inactivity. Further recommendations are given for clinical risk factors, including atherogenic dyslipidemia, elevated blood pressure, insulin resistance/hyperglycemia, prothrombotic state, and proinflammatory state. Clinicians are recommended to assess MetS in their routine practice and to intensify efforts to adequately treat accompanying lifestyle and clinical risk factors.

Age Distribution↗

Effect of low-dose scopolamine on autonomic control of the heart.

BACKGROUND: In low doses, scopolamine paradoxically enhances parasympathetic outflow to the heart. The mechanisms which mediate this action are not fully understood. Moreover, there are conflicting data regarding the potential role of sympathetic activity. This study in 17 healthy individuals was designed to characterize the influence of low dose transdermal scopolamine on the gain of the baroreflex and respiratory heart rate reflex and to determine the role of sympathetic activity. METHODS: The effect of scopolamine was analyzed in the time and frequency domain by computing heart rate variability indices. The gains of the respiratory heart rate reflex and the baroreflex were estimated simultaneously by means of a cardiovascular system identification approach using an optimized autoregressive moving average algorithm. Measurements were repeated in the upright posture to assess the influence of enhanced sympathetic activity. In six subjects ambulatory ECGs were recorded to determine whether there are diurnal variations of the effect of scopolamine. RESULTS: Scopolamine enhances vagal modulation of heart rate through both the respiratory-heart rate reflex and the baroreflex, as the gains of both were augmented by the drug in the supine and in the upright postures. CONCLUSIONS: Scopolamine increases parasympathetic cardiac control by augmenting the gain of the respiratory-heart rate and baroreflex. This action is not attenuated in the upright posture when sympathetic tone is increased.

Administration, Cutaneous↗

Anatomic brain abnormalities in monozygotic twins discordant for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

OBJECTIVE: To examine brain-behavior relationships in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the authors obtained magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of monozygotic twins discordant for ADHD. METHOD: National recruitment was followed by in-person assessment. MRI scans were measured algorithmically for nine pairs of monozygotic twins discordant for ADHD. RESULTS: The affected twins had significantly smaller caudate volumes (mean difference=-0.56 ml, CI=-0.92 to -0.21) than their unaffected co-twins. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide further support for striatal models of ADHD pathophysiology.

Adolescent↗

Single-cell analysis of glucocorticoid receptor action reveals that stochastic post-chromatin association mechanisms regulate ligand-specific transcription.

The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) dynamically interacts with response elements in the mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) promoter to regulate steroid-dependent transcription. In a clonal mammary carcinoma cell line containing a tandem array of MMTV promoter-reporter gene cassettes integrated at a single genomic locus, direct binding of a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-GR fusion protein to the MMTV regulatory elements can be observed in living cells. After ligand treatment, MMTV-dependent transcription in individual cells was detected by RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). High-resolution fluorescence images were acquired from large numbers of randomly selected cells. Images were analyzed with a novel automated computer algorithm, measuring the RNA FISH signal and the relative GFP-GR fluorescence intensity at the MMTV array for each cell. Although dexamethasone increased the mean RNA FISH signal approximately 10-fold, RU486 produced only about a 2-fold induction, as expected for this mixed antagonist. For all treatment conditions, the relative GFP-GR fluorescence at the array for the averaged cells paralleled the RNA FISH measurements, suggesting that image analysis accurately detected an increase in steady-state GR association with the MMTV array that was responsible for the increase in transcriptional activity. The antagonist-dependent decreases in GR association with the MMTV promoter were confirmed by chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments, supporting the image analysis results. A pronounced cell-to-cell variability was observed in RNA FISH signal and GR-MMTV association within treatment groups. We observed a nonlinear relationship between GR-MMTV association and RNA FISH in individual cells, indicating that differences in GR-MMTV interaction account for some, but not all, of the transcriptional heterogeneity between individual cells. In selected cell subpopulations with equal levels of GR-MMTV association, there was a decrease in RNA FISH signal with RU486 treatment compared with dexamethasone treatment. These results indicate that stochastic events occurring after GR-promoter association, such as the actions of chromatin remodeling complexes or other cofactors, change in a ligand-dependent manner and regulate heterogeneous transcription in individual cells.

Animals↗

Generalized method for wave-front analysis.

We suggest and demonstrate a new method for wave-front analysis based on common-path phase-shift interferometry. We introduce a formalism and an iterative mathematical algorithm in which the wave front is transformed, modified, and inversely transformed. The resulting intensity data are sufficient to reconstruct the entire wave front. In a more restricted case, in which the wave-front modifications are arbitrarily applied over arbitrary spatial regions of the wave front, the wave front is reconstructed semianalytically by use of a model that allows a local solution, followed by an iterative algorithm. Measurement results indicating that the suggested approach has an improved measurement accuracy with respect to existing quantitative phase measurement methods are presented.

Journal Article↗

Electron beam CT versus 16-MDCT on the variability of repeated coronary artery calcium measurements in a variable heart rate phantom.

OBJECTIVE: High reproducibility of coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring is a key requirement for monitoring the progression of coronary atherosclerosis. The purposes of this study were to compare electron beam CT and 16-MDCT scanners in the variability of repeated CAC measurements and to assess the factors influencing this variability. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CAC models of different sizes attached to a cardiac phantom with a programmable variable heart rate were scanned three times, and interscan variability of the CAC measurement was calculated each time. For helical CT, different slice-thickness images of either retrospective ECG-gated or prospective ECG-triggering reconstruction were obtained. The detection of small amounts of calcium, variability of the Agatston score, and CAC measurement algorithms (Agatston, volume, and mass scores) were compared between CT scanners and protocols. RESULTS: All 1-mm-sized calcium models were detected on 0.625- and 1.25-mm helical CT, whereas some were missed on electron beam CT and 2.5-mm helical CT. Retrospective ECG-gated thin-slice helical CT showed the lowest variability. Reduction of variability by volume and mass scoring algorithms was less effective on 0.625- and 1.25-mm-thickness CT. CONCLUSION: Retrospective ECG-gated thin-slice helical CT has the potential to be a useful tool for monitoring coronary atherosclerosis.

Algorithms↗

[Fast SEP measurement applied to intraoperative spinal cord monitoring].

Spinal cord monitoring techniques based on measuring somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) are presented. The principles and the experimental system for spinal cord monitoring are described in detail in the paper. The fast SEP measurement algorithm using pseudo-random sequence technique is also given. Experimental results show that our techniques can greatly improve the monitoring as compared to the traditional method, and further research in this connection is worth doing.

Algorithms↗

Trainable rule-based algorithm for the measurement of joint space width in digital radiographic images of the knee.

The progression of osteoarthritis (OA) can be monitored by measuring the minimum joint space width (mJSW) between the edges of the femoral condyle and the tibial plateau on radiographs of the knee. This is generally performed by a trained physician using a graduated magnifying lens and is prone to the subjectivity and variation associated with observer measurement. We have developed software that performs this measurement automatically on digitized radiographs. The test data consisted of 180 digitized radiographs of the knee (90 duplicate acquisitions) from 18 normal (nonarthritic) subjects and 38 images from 10 subjects with OA. These were digitized and manually cropped so that the images were free of nonanatomical structures and the knee was approximately centered. The software first determined the edge of the femoral condyle on 400 microm pixel subsampled images. Contours marking the location of the tibial plateau in the medial compartment were found on 100 microm images using the femoral edge as a reference. The algorithm was trained using an independent but similar data set and using a jackknife approach with the test data. The results were compared to contours drawn by a trained reader and the duplicate acquisitions were used to measure the reproducibility of the mJSW measurement. The reproducibility was 0.16 mm and 0.18 mm for normal and osteoarthritic knees, respectively, representing an improvement of approximately a factor of 2 over manual measurement. The algorithm also showed excellent agreement with the hand-drawn contours and with mJSW determined by the manual method.

Algorithms↗

[Substantiation of an algorithm of sanitary measures to improve quality of drinking water].

The authors analyzed different data available in the literature, reports of inspection of sanitary-and-epidemiological facilities and departments for ensuring the standard quality of water, and the results of long-term activities to eliminate the negative influence of water agent on morbidity. The protocols of epidemiological investigations of water-induced outbreaks of acute intestinal infections (AII) in the Republic of Byelarus in 1987-1997 were explored. The duration of outbreaks of water-borne AII in the country in these years was found to depend on the time of elaboration of an effective scheme of measures and on that of properly informative analysis of the established situation due to the quality of routine drinking water supply for the population. The more rapidly these measures are implemented, the shorter the outbreaks of AII are. An algorithm (schemes of laboratory control and measures) is substantiated and introduced for working out measures to eliminate the cause of water quality deterioration in the central water supply system.

Acute Disease↗

Self-organizing map algorithm and distortion measure.

We study the statistical meaning of the minimization of distortion measure and the relation between the equilibrium points of the SOM algorithm and the minima of the distortion measure. If we assume that the observations and the map lie in a compact Euclidean space, we prove the strong consistency of the map which almost minimizes the empirical distortion. Moreover, after calculating the derivatives of the theoretical distortion measure, we show that the points minimizing this measure and the equilibria of the Kohonen map do not match in general. We illustrate, with a simple example, how this occurs.

Algorithms↗

An algorithm for automatic measurement of stimulation thresholds: clinical performance and preliminary results.

We have developed an algorithmic method for automatic determination of stimulation thresholds in both cardiac chambers in patients with intact atrioventricular (AV) conduction. The algorithm utilizes ventricular sensing, may be used with any type of pacing leads, and may be downloaded via telemetry links into already implanted dual-chamber Thera pacemakers. Thresholds are determined with 0.5 V amplitude and 0.06 ms pulse-width resolution in unipolar, bipolar, or both lead configurations, with a programmable sampling interval from 2 minutes to 48 hours. Measured values are stored in the pacemaker memory for later retrieval and do not influence permanent output settings. The algorithm was intended to gather information on continuous behavior of stimulation thresholds, which is important in the formation of strategies for programming pacemaker outputs. Clinical performance of the algorithm was evaluated in eight patients who received bipolar tined steroid-eluting leads and were observed for a mean of 5.1 months. Patient safety was not compromised by the algorithm, except for the possibility of pacing during the physiologic refractory period. Methods for discrimination of incorrect data points were developed and incorrect values were discarded. Fine resolution threshold measurements collected during this study indicated that: (1) there were great differences in magnitude of threshold peaking in different patients; (2) the initial intensive threshold peaking was usually followed by another less intensive but longer-lasting wave of threshold peaking; (3) the pattern of tissue reaction in the atrium appeared different from that in the ventricle; and (4) threshold peaking in the bipolar lead configuration was greater than in the unipolar configuration. The algorithm proved to be useful in studying ambulatory thresholds.

Adult↗

Scene-segmentation algorithm development using error measures.

Development of scene-segmentation algorithms has generally been an ad hoc process. This paper presents a systematic technique for developing these algorithms using error-measure minimization. If scene segmentation is regarded as a problem of pixel classification whereby each pixel of a scene is assigned to a particular object class, development of a scene-segmentation algorithm becomes primarily a process of feature selection. In this study, four methods of feature selection were used to develop segmentation techniques for cervical cytology images: (1) random selection, (2) manual selection (best features in the subjective judgment of the investigator), (3) eigenvector selection (ranking features according to the largest contribution to each eigenvector of the feature covariance matrix) and (4) selection using the scene-segmentation error measure A2. Four features were selected by each method from a universe of 35 features consisting of gray level, color, texture and special pixel neighborhood features in 40 cervical cytology images . Evaluation of the results was done with a composite of the scene-segmentation error measure A2, which depends on the percentage of scenes with measurable error, the agreement of pixel class proportions, the agreement of number of objects for each pixel class and the distance of each misclassified pixel to the nearest pixel of the misclassified class. Results indicate that random and eigenvector feature selection were the poorest methods, manual feature selection somewhat better and error-measure feature selection best. The error-measure feature selection method provides a useful, systematic method of developing and evaluating scene-segmentation algorithms.

Computers↗

Clinical evaluation of algorithms for ST measurement during exercise test.

HYPOTHESIS: Computer processing of the exercise electrocardiogram (ECG) has many advantages, but the reliability of the analysis algorithms is not easily evaluable. No standard annotated database, nor recommended practice for testing and reporting performance results is available: thus, performance evaluation of such devices can be accomplished only by using a set of unannotated recordings, obtained in clinical practice. We evaluated the accuracy of an original microcomputer-based exercise test analyzer comparing the ST computer output with the measurements obtained by two experienced cardiologists. METHODS: Six hundred ECG strips were randomly selected from the exercise test recordings of 60 patients. The ST shift (at J + 80 ms) was blindly assessed by two observers (with the aid of a calibrated lens) and compared with computer measurements. Correlation coefficients, linear regression equations, percent of discrepant measurements, and 95% confidence limits of the mean error were calculated for all leads, peripheral leads, precordial leads, and "stress-test" leads (II, III, aVF, V4, V5, V6). RESULTS: The computer did not analyze five samples on a total of 600 (0.83%) ECG strips because of excessive noise or signal loss, while 51 (8.5%) were considered unreadable by both observers and 67 (11.2%) were rejected by at least one observer. Correlation between the measurements taken by computer and observer(s) measurements was statistically significant (p < 0.001 for all lead groups), no systematic measurement bias was found, and the mean difference was lower than human eye resolution. CONCLUSIONS: Our algorithms provide results as good as those provided by trained cardiologists in measuring ST changes occurring during exercise test. However, this study did not evaluate whether computer improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio would allow accurate measurements even on cardiologists' uninterpretable ECG. This potential advantage of computer-assisted analysis could be assessed only by using a dedicated exercise test database, in which different patterns of noise are superimposed on noise-free recordings previously annotated for ST level.

Adult↗

Emphysema: effect of reconstruction algorithm on CT imaging measures.

In the current study, the effects of reconstruction algorithms on quantitative measures derived from computed tomographic (CT) lung images were assessed in patients with emphysema. CT image data sets were reconstructed with a standard algorithm and alternative algorithm(s) for 42 subjects. Algorithms were grouped as overenhancing, sharp, standard, or smooth. Density mask and volume measurements from the alternative algorithm data sets were compared with standard algorithm data sets. The overenhancing category yielded an average shift of 9.4% (ie, a shift in average score from 35.5% to 44.9%); the sharp category, a shift of 2.4%; and the smooth category, a shift of -1.0%. Differences in total lung volume measurements were less than 1%. In conclusion, the CT reconstruction algorithm may strongly affect density mask results, especially for certain reconstruction algorithms.

Aged↗