Non-intrusive Head Movement Analysis of Videotaped Seizures of Epileptic Origin

Abstract — In this work we propose a non-intrusive video analytic system for patient’s body parts movement analysis in Epilepsy Monitoring Unit. The system utilizes skin color modeling, head/face pose template matching and face detection to analyze and quantify the head movements. Epileptic patients’ heads are analyzed holistically to infer seizure and normal random movements. The patient does not require to wear any special clothing, markers or sensors, hence it is totally nonintrusive. The user initializes the person-specific skin color and selects few face/head poses in the initial few frames. The system then tracks the head/face and extracts spatio-temporal features. Support vector machines are then used on these features to classify seizure-like movements from normal random movements. Experiments are performed on numerous long hour video sequences captured in an Epilepsy Monitoring Unit at a local hospital. The results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed system in pediatric epilepsy monitoring and seizure detection. I

Insights into plant biomass conversion from the genome of the anaerobic thermophilic bacterium Caldicellulosiruptor bescii DSM 6725

Caldicellulosiruptor bescii DSM 6725 utilizes various polysaccharides and grows efficiently on untreated high-lignin grasses and hardwood at an optimum temperature of ∼80°C. It is a promising anaerobic bacterium for studying high-temperature biomass conversion. Its genome contains 2666 protein-coding sequences organized into 1209 operons. Expression of 2196 genes (83%) was confirmed experimentally. At least 322 genes appear to have been obtained by lateral gene transfer (LGT). Putative functions were assigned to 364 conserved/hypothetical protein (C/HP) genes. The genome contains 171 and 88 genes related to carbohydrate transport and utilization, respectively. Growth on cellulose led to the up-regulation of 32 carbohydrate-active (CAZy), 61 sugar transport, 25 transcription factor and 234 C/HP genes. Some C/HPs were overproduced on cellulose or xylan, suggesting their involvement in polysaccharide conversion. A unique feature of the genome is enrichment with genes encoding multi-modular, multi-functional CAZy proteins organized into one large cluster, the products of which are proposed to act synergistically on different components of plant cell walls and to aid the ability of C. bescii to convert plant biomass. The high duplication of CAZy domains coupled with the ability to acquire foreign genes by LGT may have allowed the bacterium to rapidly adapt to changing plant biomass-rich environments

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Correction to: Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Fabrication and conductivity enhancement of carbon nanotube transparent conducting film via solid state protonation

At present, Indium-Tin-Oxide (ITO) is widely used as the transparent conducting electrodes in optoelectronics devices. The increasing of market demand causes the sustainability of this material to be questioned due to its scarcity, high cost and toxicity. Thus, to sustain the demand of such devices, an alternative replacement for conventional ITO has to be developed. In this aspect, Carbon Nanotube (CNT) has always been a promising candidate to replace ITO because of its excellent properties, availability and cost. However, the performance of CNT electrodes is still not comparable to those of ITO. A widely use approach is to employ acid treatment to further enhance the conductivity of the CNT thin films. In this project, different types of CNTs were air-sprayed and investigated to identify the potential CNTs as an alternative replacement for ITO. It was found that the quality of CNTs from different manufacturers differed greatly due to the difference in fabrication and purification technique of each manufacturer. To better understand the factors of conductivity of the CNT films, several important points for the fabrication of conductive CNT films were discussed: 1) diameter of CNT, 2) purity of CNT and 3) selective population of CNT. Dispersion quality of CNT was also performed by varying 2 parameters: 1) the presence of surfactants and 2) CNT concentration. At 0.5mg/ml with 0.5wt% of 4-dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (SDBS), the best film conductivity was achieved; P3 CNTs obtained 70 ohm/sq at 62% transparency (T) and 45 ohm/sq at 48% T. Protonation, by using Bronsted acid such as HNO3, H2SO4, H2O2, was discussed in detail as the conductivity mechanism of the solid thin CNT films.Bachelor of Engineering (Materials Engineering

A behavioral study comparing the effects of 2D and 3D on holistic and featural processing of faces

Face recognition is crucial to our daily social interactions and it is widely regarded as a unique process marked by holistic processing, although featural processing has been widely reported for inverted faces. The current study examined how 3-dimensional (3D) imagery influences both holistic and featural processing of faces. Twenty-five participants completed a match-to-sample face recognition test consisting of upright and inverted faces that were presented in both 2-dimensional (2D) and 3D formats. Based on the premise that 3D provides greater detail to an image than does 2D, we expected that 3D would improve face recognition performance of both upright and inverted faces, reflecting an enhancement in holistic and featural processing respectively. It was found that 3D upright faces were recognised with significantly greater accuracy than 2D upright faces. This indicates an enhancement in the precision of face recognition mechanisms facilitated by the additional information provided by 3D. We also found no significant difference in accuracy or reaction times between 2D and 3D inverted faces. This suggests that the advantages of 3D do not manifest when the first-order information of faces is disrupted, where the positions of individual features do not match our cognitive face template. Taken together, these results provide evidence that 3D enhances holistic processing but not featural processing of faces. Thus, this study adds new knowledge to a research area that has yet to be explored comprehensively and serves as a platform for future studies examining the role of 3D in face recognition processes.Bachelor of Art

Accounting variables as determinants of systematic risk in Singaporean common stocks

In this study, we investigated the relationship between finance accounting variables and systematic risks of industrial and financial companies pertaining to ordinary shares listed on the Stock Exchange of Singapore Mainboard. Through our research, we hope to contribute to the teaching and research of finance as well as to help managers assess the implications of their decisions on the risks borne by their companies.ACCOUNTANC

Considerations of HLA, Renal Failure, Valproic Acid Use, and Current Treatment Guidelines in Clozapine-Induced Agranulocytosis

Clozapine, the choice atypical antipsychotic for refractory schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder, has been shown to reduce positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Clozapine, though beneficial in reducing the need for hospitalization, rehabilitation, and health care costs, is known as a drug of last resort due to its potential adverse event of clozapine-induced agranulocytosis, which holds a case fatality rate between 4.2 and 16%. Herein, we describe a female patient with longstanding schizoaffective disorder and chronic kidney disease who suffered from clozapine-induced agranulocytosis after failing two other atypical antipsychotics. Retrospective considerations of this case and management highlight risk factors such as HLA status, renal failure, and concurrent valproic acid use which presently do not have official screening, guidelines, or restrictions in place when prescribing clozapine. Additionally, there are no specific clozapine-induced agranulocytosis management recommendations such as G-CSF/filgrastim dose, timing of bone marrow aspirate and biopsy, and use of concomitant valproate. We propose that further comprehensive official screening, monitoring, and guidelines in the prescribing of clozapine, and further guidelines in the treatment of clozapine induced agranulocytosis, could increase the cost-effectiveness of clozapine treatment, and decrease the incidence, and morbidity of this feared adverse event