Utilization of a combined EEG/NIRS system to predict driver drowsiness

The large number of automobile accidents due to driver drowsiness is a critical concern of many countries. To solve this problem, numerous methods of countermeasure have been proposed. However, the results were unsatisfactory due to inadequate accuracy of drowsiness detection. In this study, we introduce a new approach, a combination of EEG and NIRS, to detect driver drowsiness. EEG, EOG, ECG and NIRS signals have been measured during a simulated driving task, in which subjects underwent both awake and drowsy states. The blinking rate, eye closure, heart rate, alpha and beta band power were used to identify subject’s condition. Statistical tests were performed on EEG and NIRS signals to find the most informative parameters. Fisher’s linear discriminant analysis method was employed to classify awake and drowsy states. Time series analysis was used to predict drowsiness. The oxy-hemoglobin concentration change and the beta band power in the frontal lobe were found to differ the most between the two states. In addition, these two parameters correspond well to an awake to drowsy state transition. A sharp increase of the oxy-hemoglobin concentration change, together with a dramatic decrease of the beta band power, happened several seconds before the first eye closure

Proto-type installation of a double-station system for the optical-video-detection and orbital characterisation of a meteor/fireball in South Korea

We give a detailed description of the installation and operation of a double-station meteor detection system which formed part of a research & education project between Korea Astronomy Space Science Institute and Daejeon Science Highschool. A total of six light-sensitive CCD cameras were installed with three cameras at SOAO and three cameras at BOAO observatory. A double-station observation of a meteor event enables the determination of the three-dimensional orbit in space. This project was initiated in response to the Jinju fireball event in March 2014. The cameras were installed in October/November 2014. The two stations are identical in hardware as well as software. Each station employes sensitive Watec-902H2 cameras in combination with relatively fast f/1.2 lenses. Various fields of views were used for measuring differences in detection rates of meteor events. We employed the SonotaCo UFO software suite for meteor detection and their subsequent analysis. The system setup as well as installation/operation experience is described and first results are presented. We also give a brief overview of historic as well as recent meteor (fall) detections in South Korea. For more information please consult http://meteor.kasi.re.kr .Comment: Technical/instrumentation description of a professional meteor detection system, 23 pages, 20 figures (color/monochrome), 5 tables, submitted to the Journal of Korean Astronomical Society (JKAS, http://jkas.kas.org/, http://jkas.kas.org/history.html

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the sphenoid sinus presenting as isolated oculomotor nerve palsy

BACKGROUND: Solitary involvement of the sphenoid sinus has rarely been reported in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Isolated oculomotor nerve palsy is uncommon as an initial presentation of malignant tumors of the sphenoid sinus. CASE PRESENTATION: A 53-year-old woman presented with a three-month history of headache and diplopia. Neurological examination revealed complete left oculomotor nerve palsy. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) demonstrated a homogenous soft-tissue lesion occupying the left sphenoid sinus and invading the left cavernous sinus. The patient underwent transsphenoidal biopsy and the lesion was histologically diagnosed as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell type. Tumor cells were positive for CD20 and negative for CD3. Following six cycles of chemotherapy, the left oculomotor nerve palsy that had been previously observed was completely resolved. There was no enhancing lesion noted on follow-up MRI. CONCLUSION: It is important to recognize that non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the sphenoid sinus can present with isolated oculomotor nerve palsy, although it is extremely rare. The cranial nerve deficits can resolve dramatically after chemotherapy.ope

New microbial ecosystem created by artificak floating island

To scrutinize the microbial ecosystem and processing of water quality improvement under the artificial floating island, water quality parameteres, bacterial numbers and extracellular enzyme activities were measured biweekly flom 3, November 2001 to 20,April 2002 in Lake Paldang, Korea. Most of the mean encironmental parameters were not different from artificially floating island (AFI) site and control site. But,zooplankton numbers were about 100 times higher at AFI site than those of control site, even though the chlorophyll α concentrations were not so different. During winter, the rations of respiratory active bacteria to total bacterial number were two fold higher and enzyme activities of β-glucosidase and phosphatase were extremely higher at AFI site than those of contrl site. With these high densities of zooplankton, active bacteria and high rates of degradation under the AFI, the organic materials are eliminated at inside of lake with newly created ecosystem.Article信州大学山地水環境教育研究センター研究報告 2: 5-9(2004)departmental bulletin pape

Clinical Implications of Residual Urine in Korean Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) Patients: A Prognostic Factor for BPH-Related Clinical Events

Purpose Although post-void residual urine (PVR) is frequently utilized clinically in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), mainly because of its procedural simplicity, its role as a clinical prognostic factor, predictive of treatment goals, is still under much dispute. We investigated the predictive value of PVR for BPH-related clinical events including surgery, acute urinary retention (AUR), and admission following urinary tract infection (UTI). Methods From January to June of 2006, patients over 50 years of age who were diagnosed with BPH for the first time at the outpatient clinic and were then treated for at least 3 years with medications were enrolled in this study. The variables of patients who underwent surgical intervention for BPH, had occurrences of AUR, or required admission due to UTI (Group 1, n=43) were compared with those of patients who were maintained with medications only (Group 2, n=266). Results Group 1 had a significantly higher PVR, more severe symptoms, and a larger prostate at the time of the initial diagnosis in both the univariate and the multivariate analysis. In the 39 patients who underwent BPH-related surgery, although there was a significant change in Qmax at the time of surgery (mean, 13.1 months), PVR and the symptom score remained unchanged compared with the initial evaluation. In the receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis, the area under the curve of Group 1 was in the order of prostate volume (0.834), PVR (0.712), and symptom score (0.621). When redivided by arbitrarily selected PVR cutoffs of 50 mL, 100 mL, and 150 mL, the relative risk of clinical BPH progression was measured as 3.93, 2.61, and 2.11. Conclusions These data indicate that, in the symptomatic Korean population, increased PVR at baseline is a significant indicator of BPH-related clinical events along with increased symptom score or prostate volume

Grape seed proanthocyanidin extract inhibits glutamate-induced cell death through inhibition of calcium signals and nitric oxide formation in cultured rat hippocampal neurons

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Proanthocyanidin is a polyphenolic bioflavonoid with known antioxidant activity. Some flavonoids have a modulatory effect on [Ca²⁺]_i. Although proanthocyanidin extract from blueberries reportedly affects Ca²⁺buffering capacity, there are no reports on the effects of proanthocyanidin on glutamate-induced [Ca²⁺]_ior cell death. In the present study, the effects of grape seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE) on glutamate-induced excitotoxicity was investigated through calcium signals and nitric oxide (NO) in cultured rat hippocampal neurons.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Pretreatment with GSPE (0.3-10 μg/ml) for 5 min inhibited the [Ca²⁺]_iincrease normally induced by treatment with glutamate (100 μM) for 1 min, in a concentration-dependent manner. Pretreatment with GSPE (6 μg/ml) for 5 min significantly decreased the [Ca²⁺]_iincrease normally induced by two ionotropic glutamate receptor agonists, N-methyl-D-aspartate and alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA). GSPE further decreased AMPA-induced response in the presence of 1 μM nimodipine. However, GSPE did not affect the 50 mM K⁺-induced increase in [Ca²⁺]_i. GSPE significantly decreased the metabotropic glutamate receptor agonist (<it>RS</it>)-3,5-Dihydroxyphenylglycine-induced increase in [Ca²⁺]_i, but it did not affect caffeine-induced response. GSPE (0.3-6 μg/ml) significantly inhibited synaptically induced [Ca²⁺]_ispikes by 0.1 mM [Mg²⁺]_o. In addition, pretreatment with GSPE (6 μg/ml) for 5 min inhibited 0.1 mM [Mg²⁺]_o- and glutamate-induced formation of NO. Treatment with GSPE (6 μg/ml) significantly inhibited 0.1 mM [Mg²⁺]_o- and oxygen glucose deprivation-induced neuronal cell death.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>All these data suggest that GSPE inhibits 0.1 mM [Mg²⁺]_o- and oxygen glucose deprivation-induced neurotoxicity through inhibition of calcium signals and NO formation in cultured rat hippocampal neurons.</p

Epitaxial Growth of a Single-Crystal Hybridized Boron Nitride and Graphene layer on a Wide-Band Gap Semiconductor

Vertical and lateral heterogeneous structures of two-dimensional (2D) materials have paved the way for pioneering studies on the physics and applications of 2D materials. A hybridized hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and graphene lateral structure, a heterogeneous 2D structure, has been fabricated on single-crystal metals or metal foils by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). However, once fabricated on metals, the h-BN/graphene lateral structures require an additional transfer process for device applications, as reported for CVD graphene grown on metal foils. Here, we demonstrate that a single-crystal h-BN/graphene lateral structure can be epitaxially grown on a wide-gap semiconductor, SiC(0001). First, a single-crystal h-BN layer with the same orientation as bulk SiC was grown on a Si-terminated SiC substrate at 850 oC using borazine molecules. Second, when heated above 1150 oC in vacuum, the h-BN layer was partially removed and, subsequently, replaced with graphene domains. Interestingly, these graphene domains possess the same orientation as the h-BN layer, resulting in a single-crystal h-BN/graphene lateral structure on a whole sample area. For temperatures above 1600 oC, the single-crystal h-BN layer was completely replaced by the single-crystal graphene layer. The crystalline structure, electronic band structure, and atomic structure of the h-BN/graphene lateral structure were studied by using low energy electron diffraction, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy, respectively. The h-BN/graphene lateral structure fabricated on a wide-gap semiconductor substrate can be directly applied to devices without a further transfer process, as reported for epitaxial graphene on a SiC substrate.Comment: 23 pages, 7 figure