Real-Time Noise Cancelling Approach on Innovations-Based Whitening Application to Adaptive FIR RLS in Beamforming Structure

The techniques for noise cancellation have been developed with applications in signal processing, such as homomorphic signal processing, sensor array signal processing and statistical signal processing. Some exemplar applications may be found from kepstrum (also known as complex ceptstrum) method, beamforming and ANC (adaptive noise cancelling)

Sustainable Supply Chain and its Risk Management: A Systematic Literature Review of Issues and Trends using a Bibliometric and Network Approach

The risks associated with sustainable supply chains (SSCs) have been receiving increasing attention. However, despite increasing research on SSCs, SSC-related risks have not been reviewed satisfactorily or comprehensively. Therefore, we conducted a systematic literature review that incorporated bibliometric, citation network, and keyword network analysis. For this purpose, we selected the top journals in the field of supply chain management and identified 823 related papers in the Scopus database. The analysis revealed the critical issues, topics, and changes over time in research regarding SSC-related risks. Furthermore, we identified specific issues and explored SSC risks via keyword network analysis

An Innovations-Based Noise Cancelling Technique on Inverse Kepstrum Whitening Filter and Adaptive FIR Filter in Beamforming Structure

This paper presents an acoustic noise cancelling technique using an inverse kepstrum system as an innovations-based whitening application for an adaptive finite impulse response (FIR) filter in beamforming structure. The inverse kepstrum method uses an innovations-whitened form from one acoustic path transfer function between a reference microphone sensor and a noise source so that the rear-end reference signal will then be a whitened sequence to a cascaded adaptive FIR filter in the beamforming structure. By using an inverse kepstrum filter as a whitening filter with the use of a delay filter, the cascaded adaptive FIR filter estimates only the numerator of the polynomial part from the ratio of overall combined transfer functions. The test results have shown that the adaptive FIR filter is more effective in beamforming structure than an adaptive noise cancelling (ANC) structure in terms of signal distortion in the desired signal and noise reduction in noise with nonminimum phase components. In addition, the inverse kepstrum method shows almost the same convergence level in estimate of noise statistics with the use of a smaller amount of adaptive FIR filter weights than the kepstrum method, hence it could provide better computational simplicity in processing. Furthermore, the rear-end inverse kepstrum method in beamforming structure has shown less signal distortion in the desired signal than the front-end kepstrum method and the front-end inverse kepstrum method in beamforming structure

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles oral exposure to pregnant rats and its distribution

Background: Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles are among the most manufactured nanomaterials in the industry, and are used in food products, toothpastes, cosmetics and paints. Pregnant women as well as their conceptuses may be exposed to TiO2 nanoparticles; however, the potential effects of these nanoparticles during pregnancy are controversial, and their internal distribution has not been investigated. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the potential effects of oral exposure to TiO2 nanoparticles and their distribution during pregnancy. TiO2 nanoparticles were orally administered to pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats (12 females per group) from gestation days (GDs) 6 to 19 at dosage levels of 0, 100, 300 and 1000 mg/kg/day, and then cesarean sections were conducted on GD 20. Results: In the maternal and embryo-fetal examinations, there were no marked toxicities in terms of general clinical signs, body weight, food consumption, organ weights, macroscopic findings, cesarean section parameters and fetal morphological examinations. In the distribution analysis, titanium contents were increased in the maternal liver, maternal brain and placenta after exposure to high doses of TiO2 nanoparticles. Conclusion: Oral exposure to TiO2 during pregnancy increased the titanium concentrations in the maternal liver, maternal brain and placenta, but these levels did not induce marked toxicities in maternal animals or affect embryo-fetal development. These results could be used to evaluate the human risk assessment of TiO2 nanoparticle oral exposure during pregnancy, and additional comprehensive toxicity studies are deemed necessary considering the possibility of complex exposure scenarios and the various sizes of TiO2 nanoparticles

The Perspectives of Early Diagnosis of Schizophrenia Through the Detection of Epigenomics-Based Biomarkers in iPSC-Derived Neurons

The lack of early diagnostic biomarkers for schizophrenia greatly limits treatment options that deliver therapeutic agents to affected cells at a timely manner. While previous schizophrenia biomarker research has identified various biological signals that are correlated with certain diseases, their reliability and practicality as an early diagnostic tool remains unclear. In this article, we discuss the use of atypical epigenetic and/or consequent transcriptional alterations (ETAs) as biomarkers of early-stage schizophrenia. Furthermore, we review the viability of discovering and applying these biomarkers through the use of cutting-edge technologies such as human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons, brain models, and single-cell level analyses. Copyright © 2021 Lee, Seo, Jeong, Lee and Lee.1

Lomerizine inhibits LPS-mediated neuroinflammation and tau hyperphosphorylation by modulating NLRP3, DYRK1A, and GSK3α/β

IntroductionLomerizine is a calcium channel blocker that crosses the blood–brain barrier and is used clinically in the treatment of migraines. However, whether lomerizine is beneficial in modulating neuroinflammatory responses has not been tested yet.MethodsTo assess the potential of lomerizine for repurposing as a treatment for neuroinflammation, we investigated the effects of lomerizine on LPS-induced proinflammatory responses in BV2 microglial cells, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) excitatory neurons differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and in LPS-treated wild type mice.ResultsIn BV2 microglial cells, lomerizine pretreatment significantly reduced LPS-evoked proinflammatory cytokine and NLRP3 mRNA levels. Similarly, lomerizine pretreatment significantly suppressed the increases in Iba-1, GFAP, proinflammatory cytokine and NLRP3 expression induced by LPS in wild-type mice. In addition, lomerizine posttreatment significantly decreased LPS-stimulated proinflammatory cytokine and SOD2 mRNA levels in BV2 microglial cells and/or wild-type mice. In LPS-treated wild-type mice and AD excitatory neurons differentiated from iPSCs, lomerizine pretreatment ameliorated tau hyperphosphorylation. Finally, lomerizine abolished the LPS-mediated activation of GSK3α/β and upregulation of DYRK1A, which is responsible for tau hyperphosphorylation, in wild-type mice.DiscussionThese data suggest that lomerizine attenuates LPS-mediated neuroinflammatory responses and tau hyperphosphorylation and is a potential drug for neuroinflammation- or tauopathy-associated diseases

The cascade of care for latent tuberculosis infection in congregate settings:a national cohort 1 analysis, Korea, 2017-18

BACKGROUND: In 2017, Korea implemented a nationwide project to screen and treat latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in high-risk for transmission public congregate settings. We aimed to assess programme success using a cascade of care framework. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We undertook a cohort study of people from three congregate settings screened between March 2017 and December 2018: (1) first-grade high school students, (2) employees of educational institutions, (3) employees of social welfare facilities. We report percentages of participants with LTBI completing each step in the cascade of care model. Poisson regression models were used to determine factors associated with not visiting clinics, not initiating treatment, and not completing treatment. RESULTS: Among the 96,439 participants who had a positive interferon-gamma release assay result, the percentage visiting clinics for further assessment, to initiate treatment, and who then completed treatment were 50.7, 34.7, and 28.9%, respectively. Compared to those aged 20-34 years, individuals aged < 20 years and aged ≥ 65 years were less likely to visit clinics, though more likely to complete treatment once initiated. Using public health centres rather than private hospitals was associated with people "not initiating treatment" (adjusted risk ratio [aRR], 3.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.95-3.86). Nine-month isoniazid monotherapy therapy was associated with "not completing treatment," compared to 3-month isoniazid and rifampin therapy (aRR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.16-1.41). CONCLUSION: Among participants with LTBI from three congregate settings, less than one third completed treatment. Age, treatment centre, and initial regimen were important determinants of losses to care through the cascade

Development of a 2-Channel Embedded Infrared Fiber-Optic Temperature Sensor Using Silver Halide Optical Fibers

A 2-channel embedded infrared fiber-optic temperature sensor was fabricated using two identical silver halide optical fibers for accurate thermometry without complicated calibration processes. In this study, we measured the output voltages of signal and reference probes according to temperature variation over a temperature range from 25 to 225 °C. To decide the temperature of the water, the difference between the amounts of infrared radiation emitted from the two temperature sensing probes was measured. The response time and the reproducibility of the fiber-optic temperature sensor were also obtained. Thermometry with the proposed sensor is immune to changes if parameters such as offset voltage, ambient temperature, and emissivity of any warm object. In particular, the temperature sensing probe with silver halide optical fibers can withstand a high temperature/pressure and water-chemistry environment. It is expected that the proposed sensor can be further developed to accurately monitor temperature in harsh environments