Bioinspired NEMS-Prospective of Collaboration with Nature

The fields of micro- and nanomechanics are strongly interconnected with the development of micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) and nano-electro-mechanical (NEMS) devices, their fabrication and applications. This article highlights the biomimetic concept of designing new nanodevices for advanced materials and sensing applications

Integrated System For Forest Fire Early Detection and Management

Abstract Background and Purpose: Forest fires are a universal problem that both confronts and confounds many countries. Such fires not only destroy large amount of natural resources, but also destroys wildlife and their natural habitat, wreaks general havoc on ecosystems and creates environmental pollution. For all that, fire fighting is one of today’s most important matters for natural and environmental resource protection and preservation. Material and Methods: The growing concern regarding environmental devastation of this kind is the underlying reason for the development of modern fire-detection system. Forest-fire automatic detection is a complex problem that involves substantial amount of various sensorial information and data. Furthermore, the reliability of automatic detection systems is still a significant issue in the domain. This paper presents a scheme of an integrated system for early detection of forest fires. The system uses a telecommunication network to link several components for cooperative detection. The perception system is based on a network of sensorial stations and central stations. The sensorial stations collect data including infrared and visual images and meteorological information. The central stations exchange data to perform distributed analysis. An implementation of the system has been carried out at the Ruđer Bošković Institute, Centre for Informatics and Computing. The paper includes some experiments carried out in the Natural Park of island Mljet and Molat (Croatia) (1). Results: This paper proposes a new distributed intelligent system for reliable forest-fire detection based on the integration of information from several distributed sensors and sources of information

Thermography hand temperature distribution in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis

Background and Purpose: Earliest written medical text from ancient Egypt mentioned temperature as an indicator of a disease. Although already known, thermal imaging has not been routinely used in medicine. Inflammation of peripheral joints, close to skin surface, is the dominant type of presentation of rheumatoid arthritis and due to that, those joints are suitable for infrared thermal scanning. Considering the changes of the bones in the affected joints, as a control group, apart from healthy subjects, study was conducted on patients with osteoarthritis as well. Purpose of this paper was to investigate thermal images of the hands of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis and analyze temperature distribution. Materials and Methods: Thermographic images of both hands of healthy subjects, patients with rheumatoid arthritis and patients with osteoarthritis were made. On thermal images obtained, temperature distribution of certain regionswas analyzed. Basic statistical analyses (minimum,maximum, standard deviation, mean, and variance) were performed. Results: There is a statistically significant difference in finger andmetacarpophalangeal joint mean temperature values on ventral and dorsal sides for both healthy patients and patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Also, there is a statistically significant difference of mean temperature values between the aforementioned patient groups. Temperature distribution curves of patients with osteoarthritis have been narrower than those of subjects with rheumatoid arthritis and normal subjects. Temperature distribution curves of patients with rheumatoid arthritis have been shifted towards higher temperatures than those of subjects with osteoartritis and normal subjects. Conclusion: From the results obtained it was concluded that heat distribution over the skin surface apart from depending on the affected joint and on the intensity of the disease and given drug therapy also differs between the patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, making the use of thermography a possible method of differentiating normal subjects and rheumatoid arthritis subjects and osteoarthritis subjects from each other

Effectivity of flavonoids on animal model psoriasis – thermographic evaluation

Background and purpose: Psoriasiform lesions are characterized by hyperproliferation and aberrant differentiation of epidermal keratinocytes, accompanied by inflammation, leading to a disrupted skin barrier with an abnormal stratum corneum. Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease whose etiopathogenesis has not yet been fully resolved, and therefore there is no standardized therapeutical approach. This study examined the possible positive effects of propolis and its polyphenolic/flavonoid compounds on animal model psoriasis, induced by the Di-n-Propyl Disulfide iritant (PPD), and the possibility to assess usefulness of thermography in psoriatic lesion regression. Material and methods: We monitored the inflammation process by monitoring the total number of inflammatory cells in peritoneal cavity, macrophage spreading index and thermographic scanning. Thermographic is scanning an effective and simplemethod which reproducibly records thermographic images of the examined area. The tested animals were divided into sixteen groups and locally processed during five days with PPD, water and ethanolic extract (WSDP or EEP) of propolis preparations and flavonoids (Epigallocatechin 3-gallate, Quercetin, Chrisin, Curcumin). Results: The results of thermal imaging showed no statistically significant differences in temperature changes on skin locuses of psoriasis formed lesions among the examined groups. The total number of inflammatory cells in peritoneal cavity and the macrophage spreading index were reduced in psoriatic mice treated with test components. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that topical application of propolis and the flavonoids present in propolis may improve psoriatic-like skin lesions by suppressing functional activity of macrophages and ROS production. Taken toghether, it is suggested that propolis and flavonoids offer some protection against psoriatic complications through their roles as inhibitors of inflammation and as free radical scavengers. Thermal imaging was realistic, and can be applicable in examining the inflammatory process in psoriasis and in evaluating the effectiveness of tested substances

Effectivity of flavonoids on animal model psoriasis – thermographic evaluation

Background and purpose: Psoriasiform lesions are characterized by hyperproliferation and aberrant differentiation of epidermal keratinocytes, accompanied by inflammation, leading to a disrupted skin barrier with an abnormal stratum corneum. Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease whose etiopathogenesis has not yet been fully resolved, and therefore there is no standardized therapeutical approach. This study examined the possible positive effects of propolis and its polyphenolic/flavonoid compounds on animal model psoriasis, induced by the Di-n-Propyl Disulfide iritant (PPD), and the possibility to assess usefulness of thermography in psoriatic lesion regression. Material and methods: We monitored the inflammation process by monitoring the total number of inflammatory cells in peritoneal cavity, macrophage spreading index and thermographic scanning. Thermographic is scanning an effective and simplemethod which reproducibly records thermographic images of the examined area. The tested animals were divided into sixteen groups and locally processed during five days with PPD, water and ethanolic extract (WSDP or EEP) of propolis preparations and flavonoids (Epigallocatechin 3-gallate, Quercetin, Chrisin, Curcumin). Results: The results of thermal imaging showed no statistically significant differences in temperature changes on skin locuses of psoriasis formed lesions among the examined groups. The total number of inflammatory cells in peritoneal cavity and the macrophage spreading index were reduced in psoriatic mice treated with test components. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that topical application of propolis and the flavonoids present in propolis may improve psoriatic-like skin lesions by suppressing functional activity of macrophages and ROS production. Taken toghether, it is suggested that propolis and flavonoids offer some protection against psoriatic complications through their roles as inhibitors of inflammation and as free radical scavengers. Thermal imaging was realistic, and can be applicable in examining the inflammatory process in psoriasis and in evaluating the effectiveness of tested substances

Simplified description and interpretation of pathological thermography signs in malignant breast lesions

Background and Purpose: Breast cancer is the leading cause of death among women aged 20–59 years in developed countries, with similar mortality trends, observed among women in Croatia. Breast cancer detection usually relies on mammography, ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), however, thermography is a noninvasive, reliable and applicable diagnostic procedure for early detection of breast disease that has attracted interest in this field. The aim of this study was to establish the frequency and characteristics of pathological thermographic signs in female patients, who were operated on malignant breast lesions. In addition, the authors offered a simplified description and interpretation of pathological thermographic signs, based on published literature. Matherial and Methods: The seventy four female patients with histopathologically confirmed breast cancer were included in the study. In all patients breast cancer was diagnosed using standard protocol which have included clinical examination, mammography, ultrasound and for selected patients MRI and/or fine needle aspiration (FNA). Thermographic imaging has been conducted 1 to 14 days before scheduled surgical procedures. Results: Mean tumor size positively correlated with number of pathological thermographic signs (IR 3 vs. IR 5, p < 0.05). Mean number of pathological thermographic signs per patient was 3.5±1, 72 (range 1 to 8). The most frequently noted singular signs were heat in area of finding and vascular signs, as well. Conclusion: The simplified description could offer a suitable clinical tool for standardization of pathological thermography signs in malignant breast lesions, taking into account the learning curve of medical teams involved and ethical aspects, as well

Termografija skrotuma u procjeni ishoda operacije varikokele: prikaz slučaja

Scrotal thermography is a diagnostic method for varicocele. In short, there are five diagnostic thermographic criteria for varicocele, i.e., pattern of scrotal thermographic image indicative of varicocele, temperature at pampiniform plexus ≥34 C°, temperature difference between left and right pampiniform plexus ≥0.5 C°, enhancement of image during Valsalva maneuver, and temperature at pampiniform plexus ≥ temperature at ipsilateral thigh. Three or more positive signs are indicative of varicocele. The aim of this report is to present the use of digital thermography as a diagnostic method to evaluate the outcome of varicocele repair. We present a case of a student diagnosed with varicocele grade III, and assessed preoperatively and followed up postoperatively by scrotal thermography. According to thermographic indicators, our patient was positive for varicocele diagnosis before surgical treatment. Three months after varicocele repair, the patient did not show positive thermographic indicators of varicocele while physical examination and color Doppler ultrasound were equivocal. This case report suggests that infrared digital thermography of scrotum could be very valuable for monitoring patients in the period after surgery for varicocele, however, it should be confirmed in a larger number of patients.Termografija skrotuma je metoda dijagnostike varikokele. Postoji pet termografskih dijagnostičkih kriterija za dijagnozu varikokele: termografski prikaz karakterističan za varikokelu, temperatura pampiniformnog pleksusa ≥34 C°, razlika temperature između lijevog i desnog pampiniformnog pleksusa ≥0,5 C°, indikativna promjena slike prilikom Valsalvina manevra i temperatura pampiniformnog pleksusa koja je ≥ temperaturi ipsilateralne natkoljenice. Tri ili više pozitivnih znakova predstavlja pozitivan nalaz u slučaju dijagnostike varikokele. Cilj ovoga rada je prikazati primjenu termografije skrotuma kao dijagnostičke metode u procjeni ishoda operacije varikokele. Prikazat ćemo slučaj studenta koji je imao dijagnozu varikokele III. stupnja te je prijeoperacijski dijagnosticiran, a poslijeoperacijski praćen termografijom skrotuma. Prema termografskim kriterijima ovaj bolesnik je prijeoperacijski imao varikokelu. Tri mjeseca nakon operacije bolesnik nije imao pozitivne termografske znakove za varikokelu, međutim, klinički pregled i obojeni doppler nisu bilo tako uvjerljivi. Ovaj prikaz slučaja pokazuje mogućnost primjene termografije skrotuma u praćenju bolesnika nakon operacije varikokele, no ovo svakako treba potvrditi na većem broju ispitanika

Digital thermography in analysis of temperature changes in Pelophylax ridibundus frog

Background and Purpose: Physiological field of metabolism manipulation tries to elucidate how tissues recuperate after ischemic reperfusion changes, how signal molecules coordinate metabolic pathways and what physiological changes are to be expected in induced artificial hypometabolism or suspended animation in biomedicine. Evolutionary developed mechanisms of lowered metabolism (torpor, hibernation and aestivation) followed by arousals to normal metabolic/thermoregulatory states present perfect models for such studies. In the light of the vast current interest inmanipulating metabolism, natural behavior and adaptations of frogs, makes them among other organisms, an appropriate standard model animal for such studies. The exact measurements of thermal changes of frog’s body temperature correlated with ambient temperature (Ta) changes are essential. Materials and Methods: Male frogs Pelophylax ridibundus (Eurasian Marsh Frog) were kept for 30 days at Ta=8°C (artificial hibernation) and then exposed to Ta = 23°C (artificial arousal). The dynamics of body temperature change over 146 minutes was analyzed with IR camera NEC Thermo tracer TH7102WL and ThermoWEB measuring system. Results and Conclusions: Use of thermography allowed real time thermal measurement of changes in body temperature in frogs in a noninvasive manner. Previous attempts at thermography in hibernating frogs have not been reported, perhaps because of the lack of precision of earlier instruments. New generation cameras have the accuracy and software support to discriminate subtle differences in temperature of different body regions of analyzed frogs and the surrounding environment, as documented in this study

Metabolic and Molecular Response to High-Fat Diet Differs between Rats with Constitutionally High and Low Serotonin Tone

Maintaining energy balance is a complex physiological function whose dysregulation can lead to obesity and associated metabolic disorders. The bioamine serotonin (5HT) is an important regulator of energy homeostasis, with its central and peripheral pools influencing energy status in opposing ways. Using sublines of rats with constitutionally increased (high-5HT) or decreased (low5HT) whole-body 5HT tone, we have previously shown that under standard diet constitutionally higher 5HT activity is associated with increased body weight, adiposity, and impaired glucose homeostasis. Here, we investigated the response of 5HT sublines to an obesogenic diet. Consistent with previous findings, high-5HT animals fed a standard diet had poorer metabolic health. However, in response to a high-fat diet, only low-5HT animals increased body weight and insulin resistance. They also showed more pronounced changes in blood metabolic parameters and the expression of various metabolic genes in hypothalamus and adipose tissue. On the other hand, high-5HT animals appeared to be protected from major metabolic disturbances of the obesogenic diet. The results suggest that constitutionally low 5HT activity is associated with higher susceptibility to harmful effects of a high-energy diet. High-5HT subline, which developed less adverse metabolic outcomes on hypercaloric diets, may prove useful in understanding metabolically healthy obesity in humans