New Vehicle Speed Measurement System with Image Processing

This research proposes a new vehicle speed measuring system based on image processing technique. Generally, in order to detect the vehicle from image taken in dark circumstance, expensive high-performance camera is needed. However, this system needs only a cheap general camera, like digital camera or the camera mounted on smartphones. Thereby, this system uses as speed gun. By controlling the shutter speed of camera, a bright line which comes from the headlamp of a moving vehicle is appeared in the picture. Moreover, from even the image taken from the slant, the vehicle speed can be measured with a process of projective transformation. In this work, we developed an algorithm depend on this feature. Experiment result shows a reasonable measuring value.The 2nd International Conference on Intelligent Systems and Image Processing 2014 (ICISIP2014), September 26-29, 2014, Nishinippon Institute of Technology, Kitakyushu, Japa

The Usefulness of CT-Diffusion Weighted Image Mismatch in Patients with Mild to Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has a complex and heterogeneous pathology. It is frequently difficult to predict the neurological deterioration of patients with TBI, and unpredictable change may occur even when TBI is mild to moderate. When computed tomography (CT) findings are considered to be inconsistent with the traumatic origin or with the neurological deterioration of patients observed on admission, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is employed based on the standards of our ethical committee. In this retrospective study, we compared CT and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) of patients with mild to moderate TBI in the very acute phase. When the high-intensity lesions on DWI are larger than the high-density lesions on CT images, we defined the imaging finding as a ʻCT-DWI mismatchʼ. Between January 2010 and December 2013, 92 patients were inspected using both CT and MRI at admission, and we detected a CT-DWI mismatch in 35 patients. CT-DWI mismatch was 92.6 (95 confidence interval 79.8-97.9) sensitive and 84.6 (95 confidence interval 79.3-86.3) specific for the prediction of enlargement of the hemorrhagic lesions on repeat CT. CT-DWI mismatch is considered to be useful as one of the predictors of the enlargement of hemorrhagic lesions in patients with mild to moderate TBI

Outcome of hospitalised heart failure in Japan and the United Kingdom stratified by plasma N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide

© 2018, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. Background: Mortality subsequent to a hospitalisation for heart failure is reported to be much lower in Japan than in the United Kingdom (UK). This could reflect differences in disease severity or in management. Accordingly, we directly compared patient backgrounds and outcomes between Japan and UK. Methods: Consecutive patients admitted to academic hospitals in the UK and Japan with heart failure had a common set of variables, including plasma concentrations of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), collected during admission. Mortality during hospitalisations, at 90 and 180 days was recorded and stratified by quintile of NT-proBNP. Results: Overall, 935 patients were enrolled; 197 from UK and 738 from Japan. Median (interquartile range) age [UK: 78 (71–88) vs. Japan: 78 (70–84) years; p = 0.947], glomerular filtration rate [UK: 49 (34–68) vs. Japan: 49 (33–65) ml/min/1.73 m2; p = 0.209] and plasma NT-proBNP [UK: 4957 (2278–10,977) vs. Japan: 4155 (1972–9623) ng/l; p = 0.186] were similar, but systolic blood pressure was lower in the UK [118 (105–131) vs. 137 (118–159) mmHg; p < 0.001]. Patients with a higher plasma NT-proBNP had a worse prognosis in both countries; in-hospital and post-discharge mortality rates were higher in the UK even after adjusting for prognostic variables including NT-proBNP. Conclusions: This analysis suggests that either unobserved differences in patient characteristics or differences in care (formal or informal) rather than greater heart failure severity may account for the worse outcome of heart failure in the UK compared to Japan

Widely Targeted Metabolomics Based on Large-Scale MS/MS Data for Elucidating Metabolite Accumulation Patterns in Plants

Metabolomics is an ‘omics’ approach that aims to analyze all metabolites in a biological sample comprehensively. The detailed metabolite profiling of thousands of plant samples has great potential for directly elucidating plant metabolic processes. However, both a comprehensive analysis and a high throughput are difficult to achieve at the same time due to the wide diversity of metabolites in plants. Here, we have established a novel and practical metabolomics methodology for quantifying hundreds of targeted metabolites in a high-throughput manner. Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) using tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (TQMS), which monitors both the specific precursor ions and product ions of each metabolite, is a standard technique in targeted metabolomics, as it enables high sensitivity, reproducibility and a broad dynamic range. In this study, we optimized the MRM conditions for specific compounds by performing automated flow injection analyses with TQMS. Based on a total of 61,920 spectra for 860 authentic compounds, the MRM conditions of 497 compounds were successfully optimized. These were applied to high-throughput automated analysis of biological samples using TQMS coupled with ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC). By this analysis, approximately 100 metabolites were quantified in each of 14 plant accessions from Brassicaceae, Gramineae and Fabaceae. A hierarchical cluster analysis based on the metabolite accumulation patterns clearly showed differences among the plant families, and family-specific metabolites could be predicted using a batch-learning self-organizing map analysis. Thus, the automated widely targeted metabolomics approach established here should pave the way for large-scale metabolite profiling and comparative metabolomics

IRIS plus panitumumab for metastatic CRC

Background Irinotecan plus S-1 (IRIS) is the only oral fluoropyrimidine-based regimen reported to be non-inferior to FOLFIRI and widely used in clinical practice for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients. However, the combination of IRIS plus an anti-EGFR agent has not been evaluated previously. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility and efficacy of IRIS with panitumumab as second-line therapy for wild-type KRAS mCRC. Methods Main inclusion criteria were patients with wild-type KRAS mCRC refractory to one prior chemotherapy regimen for mCRC, ECOG PS 0-2, and age ≥ 20 years. Patients received panitumumab (6mg/kg) and irinotecan (100mg/m2) on days 1 and 15 and S-1 (40-60 mg according to body surface area) twice daily for 2 weeks, repeated every 4 weeks. The primary endpoint was the feasibility of the therapy. The secondary endpoints were response rate (RR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Results A total of 36 patients received protocol treatment in eight centers. Of these, 23 patients (63.9%) completed protocol treatment, demonstrating achievement of the primary endpoint. The most frequent grade 3/4 toxicities were diarrhea (16.7%), acne-like rash (13.9%), and neutropenia (11.1%). The overall RR was 33.3% (12/36). Of these 4 five underwent conversion surgery. Median PFS and OS were 9.5 months (95% CI 3.5-15.4 months) and 20.1 months (95% CI 16.7-23.2 months), respectively. Conclusion IRIS plus panitumumab has an acceptable toxicity profile and a promising efficacy in patients with previously treated wild-type KRAS mCRC. Accordingly, this regimen can be an additional treatment option for second-line chemotherapy in wild-type KRAS mCRC

Interpretation of Protein Adsorption through Its Intrinsic Electric Charges: A Comparative Study Using a Field-Effect Transistor, Surface Plasmon Resonance, and Quartz Crystal Microbalance

We describe the highly sensitive detection of the nonspecific adsorption of proteins onto a 1-undecanethiol self-assembled monolayer (SAM)-formed gold electrode by parallel analysis using field effect transistor (FET), surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensors. The FET sensor detects the innate electric charges of the adsorbed protein at the electrode/solution interface, transforming the change in charge density into a potentiometric signal in real time, without the requirement for labels. In particular, using the Debye–Huckel model, the degree of potential shift was proportional to the dry mass of adsorbed albumin and β-casein. A comparison of the FET signal with SPR and QCM data provided information on the conformation and orientation of the surface-bound protein by observing characteristic break points in the correlation slopes between the signals. These slope transitions reflect a multistage process that occurs upon protein adsorption as a function of protein concentration, including interim coverage, film dehydration, and monolayer condensation. The FET biosensor, in combination with SPR and QCM, represents a new technology for interrogating protein–material interactions both quantitatively and qualitatively

Oleyl group-functionalized insulating gate transistors for measuring extracellular pH of floating cells

The extracellular ionic microenvironment has a close relationship to biological activities such as by cellular respiration, cancer development, and immune response. A system composed of ion-sensitive field-effect transistors (ISFET), cells, and program-controlled fluidics has enabled the acquisition of real-time information about the integrity of the cell membrane via pH measurement. Here we aimed to extend this system toward floating cells such as T lymphocytes for investigating complement activation and pharmacokinetics through alternations in the plasma membrane integrity. We functionalized the surface of tantalum oxide gate insulator of ISFET with oleyl-tethered phosphonic acid for interacting with the plasma membranes of floating cells without affecting the cell signaling. The surface modification was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and water contact angle measurements. The Nernst response of −37.8 mV/pH was obtained for the surface-modified ISFET at 37 °C. The oleyl group-functionalized gate insulator successfully captured Jurkat T cells in a fluidic condition without acute cytotoxicity. The system was able to record the time course of pH changes at the cells/ISFET interface during the process of instant addition and withdrawal of ammonium chloride. Further, the plasma membrane injury of floating cells after exposure by detergent Triton™ X-100 was successfully determined using the modified ISFET with enhanced sensitivity as compared with conventional hemolysis assays