Log-Spectral Matching GAN: PPG-based Atrial Fibrillation Detection can be Enhanced by GAN-based Data Augmentation with Integration of Spectral Loss.

Photoplethysmography (PPG) is a ubiquitous physiological measurement that detects beat-to-beat pulsatile blood volume changes and hence has a potential for monitoring cardiovascular conditions, particularly in ambulatory settings. A PPG dataset that is created for a particular use case is often imbalanced, due to a low prevalence of the pathological condition it targets to predict and the paroxysmal nature of the condition as well. To tackle this problem, we propose log-spectral matching GAN (LSM-GAN), a generative model that can be used as a data augmentation technique to alleviate the class imbalance in a PPG dataset to train a classifier. LSM-GAN utilizes a novel generator that generates a synthetic signal without a up-sampling process of input white noises, as well as adds the mismatch between real and synthetic signals in frequency domain to the conventional adversarial loss. In this study, experiments are designed focusing on examining how the influence of LSM-GAN as a data augmentation technique on one specific classification task - atrial fibrillation (AF) detection using PPG. We show that by taking spectral information into consideration, LSM-GAN as a data augmentation solution can generate more realistic PPG signals

Contribution of Major Lifestyle Risk Factors for Incident Heart Failure in Older Adults: The Cardiovascular Health Study.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to determine the relative contribution of major lifestyle factors on the development of heart failure (HF) in older adults. BACKGROUND: HF incurs high morbidity, mortality, and health care costs among adults ≥65 years of age, which is the most rapidly growing segment of the U.S. METHODS: We prospectively investigated separate and combined associations of lifestyle risk factors with incident HF (1,380 cases) over 21.5 years among 4,490 men and women in the Cardiovascular Health Study, which is a community-based cohort of older adults. Lifestyle factors included 4 dietary patterns (Alternative Healthy Eating Index, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, an American Heart Association 2020 dietary goals score, and a Biologic pattern, which was constructed using previous knowledge of cardiovascular disease dietary risk factors), 4 physical activity metrics (exercise intensity, walking pace, energy expended in leisure activity, and walking distance), alcohol intake, smoking, and obesity. RESULTS: No dietary pattern was associated with developing HF (p > 0.05). Walking pace and leisure activity were associated with a 26% and 22% lower risk of HF, respectively (pace >3 mph vs. <2 mph; hazard ratio [HR]: 0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.63 to 0.86; leisure activity ≥845 kcal/week vs. <845 kcal/week; HR: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.69 to 0.87). Modest alcohol intake, maintaining a body mass index <30 kg/m(2), and not smoking were also independently associated with a lower risk of HF. Participants with ≥4 healthy lifestyle factors had a 45% (HR: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.42 to 0.74) lower risk of HF. Heterogeneity by age, sex, cardiovascular disease, hypertension medication use, and diabetes was not observed. CONCLUSIONS: Among older U.S. adults, physical activity, modest alcohol intake, avoiding obesity, and not smoking, but not dietary patterns, were associated with a lower risk of HF.Role of the funding source: This research was supported by contracts HHSN268201200036C, HHSN268200800007C, N01 HC55222, N01HC85079, N01HC85080, N01HC85081, N01HC85082, N01HC85083, N01HC85086, and grant HL080295 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), with additional contribution from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Additional support was provided by AG023629 from the National Institute on Aging (NIA). A full list of principal CHS investigators and institutions can be found at CHS-NHLBI.org. Fumiaki Imamura was supported by Medical Research Council Unit Programme number MC_UU_125015/5.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Elsevier via http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jchf.2015.02.00

Electrochemical Estimations of the Gold Nanoparticle Size Effect on Cysteine-Gold Oxidation,

Gold nanoparticles are interesting for nanobiomedical applications, such as for drug delivery and as diagnostic imaging contrast agents. However, their stability and reactivity in-vivo are influenced by their surface properties and size. Here, we investigate the electrochemical oxidation of differently sized citrate-coated gold nanoparticles in the presence and absence of L-cysteine, a thiol-containing amino acid with high binding affinity to gold. We found that smaller sized (5, 10 nm) gold nanoparticles were significantly more susceptible to electrochemical L-cysteine interactions and/or L-cysteine-facilitated gold oxidation than larger (20, 50 nm) sized gold nanoparticles, both for the same mass and nominal surface area, under the conditions investigated (pH 7.4, room temperature, stagnant solutions, and scan rates of 0.5 to 450 mV s−1). The electrochemical measurements of drop-casted gold nanoparticle suspensions on paraffin-impregnated graphite electrodes were susceptible to the quality of the electrode. Increased cycling resulted in irreversible oxidation and detachment/oxidation of gold into solution. Our results suggest that L-cysteine-gold interactions are stronger for smaller nanoparticles

Preparation of 5-fluorouracil nanoparticles by supercritical antisolvents for pulmonary delivery

This study concerns the supercritical antisolvent process which allows single-step production of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) nanoparticles. This process enhances the physical characteristics of 5-FU in order to deliver it directly to the respiratory tract. Several mixtures of methanol with dichloromethane, acetone, or ethanol were used for particle preparation, and their effects on the physical characteristics of the final products were studied. The conditions of the experiment included pressures of 100 and 150 bar, temperature of 40°C, and a flow rate of 1 mL/min. The particles were characterized physicochemically before and after the process for their morphology and crystallinity. In spite of differences in size, the particles were not very different regarding their morphology. The resulting particles were of a regular shape, partly spherical, and appeared to have a smooth surface, whereas the mechanically milled particles showed less uniformity, had surface irregularities and a high particle size distribution, and seemed aggregated. Particles of 5-FU precipitated from methanol-dichloromethane 50:50 had a mean particle size of 248 nm. In order to evaluate the aerodynamic behavior of the nanoparticles, six 5-FU dry powder formulations containing mixtures of coarse and fine lactose of different percentages were prepared. Deposition of 5-FU was measured using a twin-stage liquid impinger and analyzed using a validated high pressure liquid chromatography method. Addition of fine lactose improved the aerodynamic performance of the drug, as determined by the fine particle fraction

Direct Observation of Localized Radial Oxygen Migration in Functioning Tantalum Oxide Memristors

Oxygen migration in tantalum oxide, a promising next-generation storage material, is studied using in-operando x-ray absorption spectromicroscopy and is used to microphysically describe accelerated evolution of conduction channel and device failure. The resulting ring-like patterns of oxygen concentration are modeled using thermophoretic forces and Fick diffusion, establishing the critical role of temperature-activated oxygen migration that has been under question lately.Comment: 7 pages, Advanced Materials (2016); updated abstrac

Effects of egg size on length, weight, growth and survival of prelarval and early feeding stage of Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus)

A study was conducted on the effects of egg size on length, weight, growth and survival of prelarval and early feeding stages of 19 female breeders of Persian sturgeon. The results showed that egg size can affect the total length and weight of prelarvae and there were positive and significant correlation between egg size and total length of prelarvae at the hatching stage and at 2,4,6,8 and 10 days post hatching (P<0.05). There were also positive and significant correlation between egg size and volume of yolk sac at hatching (P<0.05). However, during the first feeding stage the correlation between egg size and survival was very weak

Genetic variation and temperature affects hybrid barriers during interspecific hybridization.

Genomic imprinting regulates parent-specific transcript dosage during seed development and is mainly confined to the endosperm. Elucidation of the function of many imprinted genes has been hampered by the lack of corresponding mutant phenotypes, and the role of imprinting is mainly associated with genome dosage regulation or allocation of resources. Disruption of imprinted genes has also been suggested to mediate endosperm-based post-zygotic hybrid barriers depending on genetic variation and gene dosage. Here, we have analyzed the conservation of a clade from the MADS-box type I class transcription factors in the closely related species Arabidopsis arenosa, A. lyrata, and A. thaliana, and show that AGL36-like genes are imprinted and maternally expressed in seeds of Arabidopsis species and in hybrid seeds between outbreeding species. In hybridizations between outbreeding and inbreeding species the paternally silenced allele of the AGL36-like gene is reactivated in the hybrid, demonstrating that also maternally expressed imprinted genes are perturbed during hybridization and that such effects on imprinted genes are specific to the species combination. Furthermore, we also demonstrate a quantitative effect of genetic diversity and temperature on the strength of the post-zygotic hybridization barrier. Markedly, a small decrease in temperature during seed development increases the survival of hybrid F1 seeds, suggesting that abiotic and genetic parameters play important roles in post-zygotic species barriers, pointing at evolutionary scenarios favoring such effects. OPEN RESEARCH BADGES: This article has earned an Open Data Badge for making publicly available the digitally-shareable data necessary to reproduce the reported results. The data is available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/?term=PRJNA562212. All sequences generated in this study have been deposited in the National Center for Biotechnology Information Sequence Read Archive (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sra/) with project number PRJNA562212

Electrochemical estimations of the gold nanoparticle size effect on cysteine-gold oxidation

Gold nanoparticles are interesting for nanobiomedical applications, such as for drug delivery and as diagnostic imaging contrast agents. However, their stability and reactivity in-vivo are influenced by their surface properties and size. Here, we investigate the electrochemical oxidation of differently sized citrate-coated gold nanoparticles in the presence and absence of L-cysteine, a thiol-containing amino acid with high binding affinity to gold. We found that smaller sized (5, 10 nm) gold nanoparticles were significantly more susceptible to electrochemical L-cysteine interactions and/or L-cysteine-facilitated gold oxidation than larger (20, 50 nm) sized gold nanoparticles, both for the same mass and nominal surface area, under the conditions investigated (pH 7.4, room temperature, stagnant solutions, and scan rates of 0.5 to 450 mV s−1). The electrochemical measurements of drop-casted gold nanoparticle suspensions on paraffin-impregnated graphite electrodes were susceptible to the quality of the electrode. Increased cycling resulted in irreversible oxidation and detachment/oxidation of gold into solution. Our results suggest that L-cysteine-gold interactions are stronger for smaller nanoparticles

La légitimité des parties prenantes dans l'aménagement des villes : éthique de la conduite des projets urbains

Les projets urbains – appelés aussi projets d’aménagement urbain ou opérations d’aménagement – sont largement tributaires de la participation accrue d’une multitude de parties prenantes, dont les atouts pour le projet et les revendications vis-à-vis de celui-ci peuvent être complémentaires et/ou contradictoires. Dans ce contexte quel degré de priorité accorder à telle ou telle partie prenante ? Pour y parvenir, les porteurs d’un projet sont appelés à évaluer la légitimité de ces parties prenantes. Afin d’examiner ce concept, l’étude fait appel au croisement de textes issus de corpus théoriques autres que les corpus classiques de l’urbanisme et des études urbaines : ceux de la théorie des stakeholders dans le domaine du management organisationnel et de l’éthique des affaires ; du modèle des cités, ancré dans la sociologie pragmatique ; et des théories de la justice. Puis elle confronte les enseignements de ces théories à l’analyse empirique d’un cas pratique virtuel, créé pour les besoins de cette recherche. L’aller-retour entre la théorie et des mises en situation concrètes, mettant souvent en avant des tensions entre légitimités concurrentes, permet d’affiner les principes éthiques à la base de ces légitimités, selon une méthode inspirée de celle de l’équilibre réflexif. L’analyse montre que la légitimité d’une partie prenante résulte d’un raisonnement s’appuyant sur une norme d’efficacité ou sur une norme éthique, idéalement compatibles dans le cadre d’une éthique de responsabilité. Dans la première approche (l’efficacité) le porteur du projet sera principalement attentif aux capacités d’action des parties prenantes sur le projet, incluant la capacité de représentativité, les capacités légales (titres, droits, liens contractuels), les savoirs et savoir-faire (expertise, compétences), la créativité, les ressources matérielles et financières, et la capacité à engager. Dans la deuxième approche (éthique) le porteur de projet sera principalement attentif aux revendications légitimes des parties prenantes vis-à-vis du projet : les revendications de bien-être global, de capabilités (autonomie, libertés, possibilités offertes aux individus, avantages socio-économiques), de liens communautaires (valeurs et traditions), de bien-être d’autrui et les revendications environnementales. La recherche permet alors de faire émerger six principes éthiques pour l’évaluation de la légitimité : l’utilité globale, le respect de la liberté, l’équité, la solidarité (et la tolérance), le care et la responsabilité environnementale. Alors que les théories de l’urbanisme – dont l’un des objets principaux est pourtant l’analyse critique des processus de fabrication des villes – se sont peu intéressées aux principes normatifs à la base de ces processus, cette recherche propose un cadre conceptuel utile aux chercheurs et aux professionnels pour porter un jugement, notamment en termes éthiques, sur les décisions relatives à la prise en compte des parties prenantes dans les projets urbains. En faisant cela, elle contribue à jeter les bases d’une éthique de la conduite des projets urbains.Urban projects - also referred to as urban development projects - are largely dependent on the increased involvement of a multitude of stakeholders, whose assets for, and demands on, the project may be complementary and / or contradictory. In this context, how much priority should be given to different stakeholders? To answer this question, project leaders are called upon to assess the legitimacy of these stakeholders. To examine this concept, the study calls upon the crossing of texts from theoretical corpuses other than the classic corpus of urban planning and urban studies: those of stakeholder theory in the field of organizational management and business ethics; the model of the « cités », anchored in pragmatic sociology; and theories of justice. Then it confronts the lessons of these theories with the empirical analysis of a virtual practical case created for the purpose of this research. The round-trip between theory and concrete situations, often emphasizing tensions between competing legitimacies, makes it possible to refine the ethical principles underlying these legitimacies, through a method inspired by that of reflexive equilibrium. The analysis shows that the legitimacy of a stakeholder results from reasoning based on an efficiency standard or on an ethical standard, ideally compatible in the context of an ethics of responsibility. In the first approach (effectiveness) the proponent will be mainly attentive to the stakeholders' capacities for action on the project, including representativeness, legal capacities (titles, rights, contractual links), knowledge and know-how (expertise, skills), creativity, material and financial resources, and the ability to engage other stakeholders into the project. In the second (ethical) approach, the project proponent will be mainly attentive to the legitimate demands of stakeholders on the project: demands for global well-being, capability building (autonomy, freedoms, opportunities for individuals, socio-economic benefits), community ties (values ​​and traditions of large and small communities), well-being of others and environmental claims. The research then enables the emergence of six ethical principles for the assessment of legitimacies: global utility, respect for freedom, equity, solidarity (and tolerance), care and environmental responsibility. While the theories of planning and urban studies - one of the main objects of which is the critical analysis of the manufacturing processes of cities - have paid little attention to the normative principles underlying these processes, this research proposes a conceptual framework that is useful for researchers and professionals to make a judgment, especially in terms of ethics, on decisions concerning the consideration of stakeholders in urban projects. In doing so, it helps to lay the foundations for an ethic of the conduct of urban projects