Análise do protocolo 6LowPAN/RPL para simulação de redes de sensores voltadas sem fio voltadas ao IoT Healthcare utilizando o COOJA/Contiki

TCC(graduação) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Campus Araranguá. Engenharia da Computação.Devido ao grande crescimento da Internet das Coisas, o avanço das tecnologias de comunicação e a difusão das redes de sensores sem fio, o 6LowPAN, protocolo de utilização do IPv6 para dispositivos IoT, junto ao RPL, responsável pela transmissão e conectividade entre os nodos de uma rede IPv6, tem se mostrado a próxima geração da tecnologia sem fio aplicada junto a sensores, tornando-se um forte candidado a substituir as tecnologias presentes nos hospitais para aquisição de dados de pacientes. Este estudo tem como objetivo analisar diferentes cenários de healthcare utilizando o protocolo 6LowPAN/RPL como principal tecnologia de comunicação de uma rede de sensores sem fio. As simulações destes cenários serão realizadas no simulador para dispositivos IoT do Contiki-OS, COOJA. Foram analizadas quatro diferentes topologias de rede buscando elucidar quais os principais aspectos presentes nas tecnologias utilizadas fazendo assim um estudo comparativo entre as topologias escolhidas. As redes simuladas apresentaram um baixo custo energético e uma ótima conectividade apesar da grande quantidade de nodos presentes na rede, o que vai de encontro com a proposta da tecnologia. Verificou-se também que o principal fator que deve ser levado em consideração ao implemetar o 6LowPAN/RPL em cenários de healthcare é a organização da rede, onde as distâncias entre os nodos, quantidade de nós sink e sender da rede e a disposição destes nós influenciam diretamente no desempenho da rede como um todo.Due to the big growth of the Internet of Things (IoT), the advance of communication technologies and the spread of wireless sensor networks, 6LowPAN, a protocol for using IPv6 for IoT devices, together with RPL, the responsible for the transmission and connectivity between the nodes of a IPv6 network, has shown to be the next generation of wireless technology applied to sensors, becoming a strong candidate to replace the technologies present in hospitals for patient data acquisition. This study aims to analyze different healthcare scenarios using the 6LowPAN/RPL protocol as main communication technology of a wireless sensor network. The simulations of these scenarios will be carried out in the Contiki-OS simulator for IoT devices, COOJA. Four different network topologies were analyzed seeking to elucidate which are the main aspects present in the technologies used, thus making a comparative study between the chosen topologies. The simulated networks had a low energy cost and excellent connectivity despite the large number of nodes present in the network, which is aligned with the 6lowPAN technology proposal. It was also found that the main factor that should be taken into account when implementing 6LowPAN/RPL in healthcare scenarios is the organization of the network, where the distances between the nodes, the number of sink and sender nodes in the network and the arrangement of these nodes directly influence the performance of the network as a whole

An analysis-ready and quality controlled resource for pediatric brain white-matter research

We created a set of resources to enable research based on openly-available diffusion MRI (dMRI) data from the Healthy Brain Network (HBN) study. First, we curated the HBN dMRI data (N = 2747) into the Brain Imaging Data Structure and preprocessed it according to best-practices, including denoising and correcting for motion effects, susceptibility-related distortions, and eddy currents. Preprocessed, analysis-ready data was made openly available. Data quality plays a key role in the analysis of dMRI. To optimize QC and scale it to this large dataset, we trained a neural network through the combination of a small data subset scored by experts and a larger set scored by community scientists. The network performs QC highly concordant with that of experts on a held out set (ROC-AUC = 0.947). A further analysis of the neural network demonstrates that it relies on image features with relevance to QC. Altogether, this work both delivers resources to advance transdiagnostic research in brain connectivity and pediatric mental health, and establishes a novel paradigm for automated QC of large datasets

Cathepsin mRNA level in bovine cumulus cells fails to be a good marker of oocyte quality

Cathepsins (CTS) are lysosomal cysteine proteinases, of which elevated transcript content is attributed to the reduced quality of oocytes. The aim of this study was to investigate whether transcript content of three CTS genes in cumulus cells (CC) may be related to oocyte quality. The relationships between mRNA content of CTS genes in CC, the fatty acids profile in follicular fluid (FF) and selected quality traits of the corresponding oocyte (COC morphology, follicle diameter, mtDNA copy number) were investigated. Although an increased RA of the CTSB and the CTSK genes was accompanied by inferior COC morphology, it was also correlated with a higher mtDNA copy number in the oocyte and an increased content of C18.3n3 and n3 in FF. The last two traits were attributed to better quality oocytes, which contrasts with the high RA of the CTS genes. In conclusion, elevated transcript levels of CTS genes within CC are of limited value as an indicator of reduced quality in bovine oocytes. We suggest that the possible reason for the ambiguity of the obtained data could be the origin of cumulus cells within the COC, which may prove to be crucial for this type of studies

Effects of two sources of tannins (Quercus L. and Vaccinium vitis idaea L.) on rumen microbial fermentation: an in vitro study

The aim of the experiment was to determine the effect of different sources of tannins on the in vitro rumen fermentation with focus on methane production. In the experiment, a rumen simulation system (RUSITEC) equipped with 4 fermenters (1 L) was used in three replicated runs (6 d of adaptation and 4 d of sampling) to study the effects of Quercus cortex extract (QC), Vaccinium vitis idaea (VVI) dried leaf extract and a mixture of VVI/QC on rumen microbial fermentation. Fermenters were fed 10.9 g/d of dry matter (DM) of a 600:400 forage:concentrate diet. Treatments were control, QC (2.725 mL), VVI leaves 0.080 g) and mixture of QC/VVI (1.362 mL+0.040 g) and were randomly assigned to fermenters within periods. The equivalent of 2.5 g of tannins/kg dietary DM from three sources of tannins was evaluated. All tannin sources decreased CH4 and ammonia concentrations, as well as protozoa and methanogen counts (P<0.001). Vaccinium vitis idaea and QC/VVI tended (P=0.005) to reduce the acetate to propionate ratio. There were no changes in nutrient digestion. Results suggest that these sources of tannins, especially VVI have the potential to reduce rumen CH4 production and ammonia concentration without negative effects on in vitro DM digestibility, total volatile fatty acids and pH

The flight feather moult pattern of the bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus).

Moult is an extremely time-consuming and energy-demanding task for large birds. In addition, there is a trade-off between the time devoted to moulting and that invested in other activities such as breeding and/or territory exploration. Moreover, it takes a long time to grow a long feather in large birds, and large birds that need to fly while moulting cannot tolerate large gaps in the wing, but only one or two simultaneously growing feathers. As a consequence, large birds take several years to complete a full moult cycle, and they resume the moult process during suboptimal conditions. A clear example of this pattern is the Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), which needs 2-3 years for changing all flight feathers. Here we describe the sequence, extent, and timing of moult of 124 Bearded Vultures in detail for the first time. We found that extent and timing of flight feather moult was different between age classes. Subadults (from 3rd to 5th calendar year) started moult, on average, in early March, whereas adults only started moult, on average, in late April, possibly due to breeding requirements. Second calendar year individuals delayed onset of moult until the middle of May. In general, the moult lasted until November, and although adults started to moult later than subadults, they moulted more feathers. Subadults needed 3 years for moulting all flight feathers, whereas adults normally completed it in 2 years

Cathepsin mRNA level in bovine cumulus cells fails to be a good marker of oocyte quality

Cathepsins (CTS) are lysosomal cysteine proteinases, of which elevated transcript content is attributed to the reduced quality of oocytes. The aim of this study was to investigate whether transcript content of three CTS genes in cumulus cells (CC) may be related to oocyte quality. The relationships between mRNA content of CTS genes in CC, the fatty acids profile in follicular fluid (FF) and selected quality traits of the corresponding oocyte (COC morphology, follicle diameter, mtDNA copy number) were investigated. Although an increased RA of the CTSB and the CTSK genes was accompanied by inferior COC morphology, it was also correlated with a higher mtDNA copy number in the oocyte and an increased content of C18.3n3 and n3 in FF. The last two traits were attributed to better quality oocytes, which contrasts with the high RA of the CTS genes. In conclusion, elevated transcript levels of CTS genes within CC are of limited value as an indicator of reduced quality in bovine oocytes. We suggest that the possible reason for the ambiguity of the obtained data could be the origin of cumulus cells within the COC, which may prove to be crucial for this type of studies.This article is published as Warzych E., Cieslak A., Wolc A., Lechniak D. 2016. Cathepsins mRNA level in bovine cumulus cells fail to be a good marker for oocyte quality. Animal Science Papers and Reports 34:339-349.</p

Multifactorial Analysis of the Follicular Environment is Predictive of Oocyte Morphology in Cattle

Numerous attempts have been recently made in the search for a reliable, fast and noninvasive assay for selection of oocytes suitable for in vitro embryo production. Potential markers have been described in the follicle such as follicular fluid (FF) or cumulus cells (CCs). However, the reported findings are contradictory, which may reflect the complexity of metabolism of the ovarian follicle. In the present experiment, a data set from individual follicles of known diameter was obtained: cumulus-oocyte complex (COC) morphology, fatty acid composition and glucose concentration in FF as well as apoptotic index in CCs. The obtained data was statistically analyzed either separately (univariate analysis) or simultaneously (multivariate analysis) to examine its predictive value in morphology assessment of bovine COCs. Although the univariate analysis yielded a complex relation system of the selected parameters, no clear outcome could be established. In multivariate analysis, the concentration of the four fatty acids (C16:0, C16:1, C18:1cis9, C22:5n3) and Δ9-desaturase (16) as well as elongase activities were selected as covariates. This allowed prediction of the morphology of a COC with an accuracy of 72%, which is the most interesting finding of the experiment. The present study indicates that the multifactorial model comprising of selected parameters related to the follicle appeared more effective in predicting the morphology of a bovine COC, which may improve the effectiveness of in vitro production systems.This article is published as Warzych, Ewelina, Adam Cieslak, Zofia E. Madeja, Piotr Pawlak, Anna Wolc, and Dorota Lechniak. "Multifactorial analysis of the follicular environment is predictive of oocyte morphology in cattle." Journal of Reproduction and Development 60 (2014): 1-8. doi: 10.1262/jrd.2013-086.</p

In vitro antiplatelet activity of extract and its fractions of Paulownia Clone in Vitro 112 leaves

Background: Paulownia Clone in Vitro 112, also known as Oxytree is a hybrid of Paulownia elongata and Paulownia fortunei, developed under laboratory conditions. Its seeds are sterile, making it a noninvasive variety that can only be propagated in the laboratory. In China, species from the Paulownia genus (Paulowniaceae) are widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of infectious diseases, such as gonorrhea and erysipelas. It has a broad spectrum of bioactivity, including neuroprotective, antioxidant, antibacterial, antiphlogistic, antiviral, and cytotoxic actions. However, the antiplatelet potential of Paulownia Clone in Vitro 112 has not yet been described. Study design: The aim of our study was thus to examine the effect of an extract and four fractions from leaves of Paulownia Clone in Vitro 112 on various parameters of platelet activation in an in vitro model. Methods: Composition of the investigated extract and fractions was determined by UHPLC-UV-MS. The following parameters of platelet activation were investigated: nonenzymatic lipid peroxidation in resting platelets; enzymatic lipid peroxidation (AA metabolism) in platelets activated by thrombin; superoxide anion (O2−.) generation in the resting and activated platelets; platelet adhesion to collagen type I and fibrinogen; platelet aggregation stimulated by various physiological agonists, such as ADP, collagen, and thrombin. The effect of the extract and fractions on extracellular LDH activity, a marker of cell damage, was also determined. Results: Verbascoside a phenylethnanoid glycoside, was the main secondary metabolite of the extract from leaves of oxytree (constituting approximately 45 % of all compounds). There were also iridoids, such as catalpol, aucubin, and 7-hydroxytomentoside, as well as flavonoids, such as luteolin and apigenin glycosides. Moreover, the extract had stronger antiplatelet properties than the fractions. For example, the extract at 10 μg/mL inhibited five parameters of platelet activation. Conclusions: Our results show that Paulownia Clone in Vitro 112 leaves are a new valuable source of compounds with antiplatelet potential