Design and Implementation of a Hybrid Wireless Power and Communication System for Medical Implants

Data collection and analysis from multiple implant nodes in humans can provide targeted medicine and treatment strategies that can prevent many chronic diseases. This data can be collected for a long time and processed using artificial intelligence (AI) techniques in a medical network for early detection and prevention of diseases. Additionally, machine learning (ML) algorithms can be applied for the analysis of big data for health monitoring of the population. Wireless powering, sensing, and communication are essential parts of future wireless implants that aim to achieve the aforementioned goals. In this paper, we present the technical development of a wireless implant that is powered by radio frequency (RF) at 401 MHz, with the sensor data being communicated to an on-body reader. The implant communication is based on two simultaneous wireless links: RF backscatter for implant-to-on-body communication and a galvanic link for intra-body implant-to-implant connectivity. It is demonstrated that RF powering, using the proposed compact antennas, can provide an efficient and integrable system for powering up to an 8 cm depth inside body tissues. Furthermore, the same antennas are utilized for backscatter and galvanic communication

Sustainability Choice of Different Hybrid Timber Structure for Low Medium Cost Single-story Residential Building: Environmental, Economic and Social Assessment

The impact of different hybrid timber building construction on three different categories namely: environment, economic and social is analyzed in this research. Five types of hybrid timber structure have been chosen in this study toward finding the most optimum choice for Malaysian low income housing. The base material of all case studies are wood and only main frame of structures are different. The environmental impact of each individual design encompasses material extraction, transportation, construction, maintenance and end-of-life phases. The life cycle aspect of current research is evaluated for global warming potential (GWP), human-toxicity potential (HTP), eutrophication (EP), fossil depletion (FDP), acidification (AP), life cycle cost (LCC) and social life cycle assessment (SLCA). The result revealed the different emissions between various structural schemes in all stages. Decision making process was oriented to sustainability as the hybrid steel stud & timber (T2) generally performed better than timber structure with concrete, LVL or GLT with steel. Particularly, T2 had the lowest GWP (3.31E+3 kg-CO2-eq) and LCC (212,750 MYR) which was the lowest in comparison with other hybrid timber structures. Also the result of job creation revealed that timber sector will provide higher wage not only for existing employees but for timber sector regarding creating higher job possibility. The sensitivity analysis was accomplished on electricity usage and assumed instead of full fossil fuel mix electricity applied for acquiring construction material on mill. The result shows almost 15–30% less GWP emission for all building structure

GENDER DIFFERENCES IN VERTICAL GROUND REACTION FORCE ATTENUATION DURING STOP-JUMP TASK

The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences in peak vertical ground reaction forces (VGRF) and rate of loading (ROL) during stop-jump task. Forty four healthy students from kinesiology department (22 males and 22 females) volunteered in this study. Subjects performed stop-jump task on the force plate and Peak VGRF and ROL calculated using GRF data. To evaluate differences in peak VGRF and ROL between two groups Multivariate analysis of Variance at the P level of 0.05 used. Differences in ROL was significant between two groups (F1,41=5.63, Wilks’ Lambda = 0.37, ) but differences in Peak VGRF was not significant (F1,42 = 2.82, ). Based on our results, Increase in ROL during impact of landing can increase knee loading and consequently create higher incidence of ACL injuries among females compare to males

GENDER DIFFERENCES IN VERTICAL GROUND REACTION FORCE ATTENUATION DURING STOP-JUMP TASK

The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences in peak vertical ground reaction forces (VGRF) and rate of loading (ROL) during stop-jump task. Forty four healthy students from kinesiology department (22 males and 22 females) volunteered in this study. Subjects performed stop-jump task on the force plate and Peak VGRF and ROL calculated using GRF data. To evaluate differences in peak VGRF and ROL between two groups Multivariate analysis of Variance at the P level of 0.05 used. Differences in ROL was significant between two groups (F1,41=5.63, Wilks’ Lambda = 0.37, ) but differences in Peak VGRF was not significant (F1,42 = 2.82, ). Based on our results, Increase in ROL during impact of landing can increase knee loading and consequently create higher incidence of ACL injuries among females compare to males

Immunomodulatory Effect of Toll-Like Receptor-3 Ligand Poly I:C on Cortical Spreading Depression

The release of inflammatory mediators following cortical spreading depression (CSD) is suggested to play a role in pathophysiology of CSD-related neurological disorders. Toll-like receptors (TLR) are master regulators of innate immune function and involved in the activation of inflammatory responses in the brain. TLR3 agonist poly I:C exerts anti-inflammatory effect and prevents cell injury in the brain. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of systemic administration of poly I:C on the release of cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-4, TGF-β1, and GM-CSF) in the brain and spleen, splenic lymphocyte proliferation, expression of GAD65, GABAAα, GABAAβ as well as Hsp70, and production of dark neurons after induction of repetitive CSD in juvenile rats. Poly I:C significantly attenuated CSD-induced production of TNF-α and IFN-γ in the brain as well as TNF-α and IL-4 in the spleen. Poly I:C did not affect enhancement of splenic lymphocyte proliferation after CSD. Administration of poly I:C increased expression of GABAAα, GABAAβ as well as Hsp70 and decreased expression of GAD65 in the entorhinal cortex compared to CSD-treated tissues. In addition, poly I:C significantly prevented production of CSD-induced dark neurons. The data indicate neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of TLR3 activation on CSD-induced neuroinflammation. Targeting TLR3 may provide a novel strategy for developing new treatments for CSD-related neurological disorders. © 2014, Springer Science+Business Media New York

Immunomodulatory Effect of Toll-Like Receptor-3 Ligand Poly I:C on Cortical Spreading Depression

The release of inflammatory mediators following cortical spreading depression (CSD) is suggested to play a role in pathophysiology of CSD-related neurological disorders. Toll-like receptors (TLR) are master regulators of innate immune function and involved in the activation of inflammatory responses in the brain. TLR3 agonist poly I:C exerts anti-inflammatory effect and prevents cell injury in the brain. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of systemic administration of poly I:C on the release of cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-4, TGF-β1, and GM-CSF) in the brain and spleen, splenic lymphocyte proliferation, expression of GAD65, GABAAα, GABAAβ as well as Hsp70, and production of dark neurons after induction of repetitive CSD in juvenile rats. Poly I:C significantly attenuated CSD-induced production of TNF-α and IFN-γ in the brain as well as TNF-α and IL-4 in the spleen. Poly I:C did not affect enhancement of splenic lymphocyte proliferation after CSD. Administration of poly I:C increased expression of GABAAα, GABAAβ as well as Hsp70 and decreased expression of GAD65 in the entorhinal cortex compared to CSD-treated tissues. In addition, poly I:C significantly prevented production of CSD-induced dark neurons. The data indicate neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of TLR3 activation on CSD-induced neuroinflammation. Targeting TLR3 may provide a novel strategy for developing new treatments for CSD-related neurological disorders. © 2014, Springer Science+Business Media New York

GROUND REACTION FORCES ATTENUATION IN SUPINATED AND PRONATED FOOT DURING SINGLE LEG DROP- LANDING

The purpose of this study was to compare the GRF attenuation between normal, supinated and pronated foot during single leg drop-landing. 30 healthy male students from kinesiology department participated in this study. Subjects were assigned to three groups by navicular drop test and performed single leg drop-landing on the force plate from the box with height of 30 Cm. peak VGRF and ROL calculated using GRF data. To evaluate differences in peak VGRF and ROL between three groups MANOVA at the P level of 0.05 used. Differences in ROL was significant between three groups (F2, 22=15.553, Wilks’ Lambda = 0.370,) but differences in Peak VGRF was not significant (F2, 22 = 2.632, ). These results suggest that supinated foot is associated with specific lower extremity kinetics. Differences in these parameters may subsequently lead to differences in injury patterns in supinated foot in athletes

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in psoriatic arthritis patients, a hospital-based cross-sectional study on Iranian population

Background: Psoriasis is a T-cell mediated chronic inflammatory disorder with multiple skin, nails and joints involvement. The reported prevalence of psoriatic arthritis varies from 5 to 42 cases per 100 psoriasis patients. Insulin resistance is believed to be central to the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome, a constellation of major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, including atherogenic dyslipidemia, truncal adiposity, hypertension and hyperglycemia. The association of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis with metabolic syndrome is increasingly being reported. Although the literature relating psoriatic arthritis to metabolic syndrome is accumulating, there is still a paucity of evidence, especially from Asia. Here, we examined the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components in patients with psoriatic arthritis. Methods: The study was performed among outpatients attending the specialty clinic and rheumatology ward of Rasoul-e-Akram general hospital between January 2014 and April 2015. A consecutive sample of 80 patients diagnosed as having psoriatic arthritis was studied. Age, gender, body mass index, blood pressure and waist circumference, and history of smoking of patients were measured and asked at the enrolment visit. Venous samples were taken after 8 h of overnight fasting for the estimation of serum lipid profile, glucose and uric acid levels. Also an ultrasonographic examination was done for detection of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Results: 46 patients (57.5) were male and 34 patients (42.5) were female. Mean age of the participants was 43 years (SD: 11.3). The prevalence of abnormal components of metabolic syndrome was 53.8 for BMI, 48.8 for TG level, 50 for HDL, 46.3 for LDL, 45 for Cholesterol, 23.8 for FBS, 46 for waist circumflex in men and 47.7 in women and 42.5 for uric acid. 40 of the patients had abnormal SBP and 41.2 had abnormal DBP. Thirty percent of the participants were current smokers and 43.8 had NAFLD on ultrasonographic examination. Conclusion: 51.3 of patients had metabolic syndrome according to the adult treatment panel III criteria for adult Asian patients. � 2016, Tehran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

An investigation on relationship of chemical indices of kilka (Clupeonella engrauliformis) with weight loss during cold storage at -18C

We studied the relationship between physical and chemical properties of frozen kilka with weight loss for packed and unpacked products during storage at amal 8 ' C. Statistical analysis of the results including variance, Duncan test and ANOVA showed relationships existed between changes in Total Volatile Nitrogen (TVN), Peroxide Value (PV), pH, moisture, organoleptic properties of frozen packed and unpacked kilka with product weight losses during cold storage at -18°C. The statistical treatment of the results showed that weight losses for packed samples in comparison to unpacked one at the level of P<0.0I was significant. The weight losses, changes of TVN, PV, pH and moisture losses for unpacked samples were 1.5, 1.35, and 4.5, 132 and 1.32 times more in comparison to the packed one, respectively. Also, the statistical analysis of the results showed a correlation between weight losses in unpacked samples of frozen kilka and the measured factors. The results of chemical and physical properties measured for packed samples of frozen kilka during cold storage and their statistical analysis showed a significant correlation P<0.01 between weight losses and the changes in TVN from 7 to 28mg/100gr, PV from 2.28 to 6.01meq/kg, pH from 6.08 to 6.37 and 1.72% loss in the moisture of the samples. According to these results and the organoleptic tests, the shelf life for packed and unpacked frozen kilka in cold storage at 48°C, is recommended 60 and 30 days, respectively

Energy conditions in f(R) gravity and Brans-Dicke theories

The equivalence between f(R) gravity and scalar-tensor theories is invoked to study the null, strong, weak and dominant energy conditions in Brans-Dicke theory. We consider the validity of the energy conditions in Brans-Dicke theory by invoking the energy conditions derived from a generic f(R) theory. The parameters involved are shown to be consistent with an accelerated expanding universe.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure, to appear in IJMP