Minimum information required for written word recognition

International audienceReading is an automated process. One of the remarkable human abilities is that we can read even partially erased or hidden words. We carried out a study on written word recognition in order to decipher how much information is required at least to identify a word. Experimental software was designed in C++ language to measure the amount of information in pixels and reaction time. The results showed we could identify words at a very low display rate and suggest that prior knowledge on the category of words play a mediating role in written word recognition

Optimizing the Mixing Proportion with Neural Networks Based on Genetic Algorithms for Recycled Aggregate Concrete

This research aims to optimize the mixing proportion of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) using neural networks (NNs) based on genetic algorithms (GAs) for increasing the use of recycled aggregate (RA). NN and GA were used to predict the compressive strength of the concrete at 28 days. And sensitivity analysis of the NN based on GA was used to find the mixing ratio of RAC. The mixing criteria for RAC were determined and the replacement ratio of RAs was identified. This research reveal that the proposed method, which is NN based on GA, is proper for optimizing appropriate mixing proportion of RAC. Also, this method would help the construction engineers to utilize the recycled aggregate and reduce the concrete waste in construction process

Fluid-particle hybrid simulation on the transports of plasma, recycling neutrals, and carbon impurities in the Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research divertor region

A two-dimensional simulation modeling that has been performed in a self-consistent way for analysis on the fully coupled transports of plasma, recycling neutrals, and intrinsic carbon impurities in the divertor domain of tokamaks is presented. The numerical model coupling the three major species transports in the tokamak edge is based on a fluid-particle hybrid approach where the plasma is described as a single magnetohydrodynamic fluid while the neutrals and impurities are treated as kinetic particles using the Monte Carlo technique. This simulation code is applied to the KSTAR (Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Researchd) tokamak [G. S. Lee, J. Kim, S. M. Hwang et al., Nucl. Fusion 40, 575 (2000)] to calculate the peak heat flux on the divertor plate and to explore the divertor plasma behavior depending on the upstream conditions in its base line operation mode for various values of input heating power and separatrix plasma density. The numerical modeling for the KSTAR tokamak shows that its full-powered operation is subject to the peak heat loads on the divertor plate exceeding an engineering limit, and reveals that the recycling zone is formed in front of the divertor by increasing plasma density and by reducing power flow into the scrape-off layer. Compared with other researchers work, the present hybrid simulation more rigorously reproduces severe electron pressure losses along field lines by the presence of recycling zone accounting for the transitions between the sheath limited and the detached divertor regimes. The substantial profile changes in carbon impurity population and ionic composition also represent the key features of this divertor regime transition

Change of Platelet Reactivity to Antiplatelet Therapy after Stenting Procedure for Cerebral Artery Stenosis: VerifyNow Antiplatelet Assay before and after Stenting

PurposeVerifyNow antiplatelet assays were performed before and after stenting for various cerebral artery stenoses to determine the effect of the procedure itself to the function of dual antiplatelets given.Materials and MethodsA total of 30 consecutive patients underwent cerebral arterial stenting procedure were enrolled. The antiplatelet pretreatment regimen was aspirin (100 mg daily) and clopidogrel (300 mg of loading dose followed by 75mg daily). VerifyNow antiplatelet assay performed before and right after stenting. The two test results were compared in terms of aspirin-reaction unit (ARU), P2Y12 reaction units (PRU), baseline (BASE), and percentage inhibition. We evaluated occurrence of any intra-procedural in-stent thrombosis or immediate thromboembolic complication, and ischemic events in 1-month follow-up.ResultsThe median Pre-ARU was 418 (range, 350-586). For clopidogrel the medians of the pre-BASE, PRU, and percent inhibition were 338 (279-454), 256 (56-325), and 27% (0-57%). The medians of the post-ARU, BASE, PRU, and percent inhibition after stenting were 469 (range, 389-573), 378 (288-453), 274 (81-370), and 26% (0-79%). There was a significant increase of ARU (p=0.045), BASE (p=0.026), and PRU (p=0.018) before and after stenting. One immediate thromboembolic event was observed in poor-response group after stenting. There was no in-stent thrombosis and ischemic event in 1-month follow-up.ConclusionWe observed a significant increase of platelet reactivity to dual antiplatelet therapy right after stenting procedure for various cerebral arterial stenoses

Perception and comprehension of linguistic and affective prosody in children with Landau-Kleffner syndrome

International audienceThe present study investigated language outcomes in children with Landau-Kleffner syndrome compared with 7 to 8 year-old healthy children and healthy adults. We examined their capacity of understanding simple sentences using linguistic and affective prosodic cues and perceiving them. A battery of prosodic tests was elaborated and used for this study. Results revealed certain delayed language development or a different pattern of performance in participants with Landau-Kleffner syndrome. With more subjects tested in the future results from our battery of prosodic tests would allow us to better understand language development in child and it would be helpful for speech-language therapies

Privacy Protection for Personal Health Device Communication and Healthcare Building Applications

This paper proposes a new method for protecting patient privacy when communicating with a gateway which collects bioinformation through using personal health devices, a type of biosensor for telemedicine, at home and in other buildings. As the suggested method is designed to conform with ISO/IEEE 11073-20601, which is the international standard, interoperability with various health devices was considered. We believe it will be a highly valuable resource for dealing with basic data because it suggests an additional standard for security with the Continua Health Alliance or related international groups in the future

Prolonged paradoxical air embolism during intraoperative intestinal endoscopy confirmed by transesophageal echocardiography -A case report-

Venous air embolism (VAE) during intestinal endoscopy is a rare complication. We report a case of cardiovascular collapse due to VAE confirmed by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) during intraoperative intestinal endoscopy. TEE detected air bubbles in the left ventricle up to 1 hour after the event. When a patient deteriorates during endoscopic procedures, VAE and possible paradoxical air embolism (PAE) should be suspected. This case demonstrates that TEE can play an important role in diagnosing and managing an air embolism in anesthetized patients. In addition, this case demonstrates that PAEs may occur longer than expected after recovery from VAE-induced cardiovascular collapse

Reduced systemic vascular resistance is the underlying hemodynamic mechanism in nitrate-stimulated vasovagal syncope during head-up tilt-table test

AbstractBackgroundNitroglycerin (NTG) challenge during head-up tilt-table testing (HUTT) is often utilized to determine the etiology of unexplained vascular syncope. However, conflicting results concerning nitrate-induced hemodynamic changes during HUTT have been reported. The purpose of this study was to assess the determinants of presyncopal symptoms during NTG-stimulated HUTT.MethodsWe evaluated 40 patients with suspected vasovagal syncope. Beat-to-beat changes in blood pressure, heart rate (HR), cardiac index (CI), and systemic vascular resistance (SVR) during HUTT were measured with thoracic impedance cardiography and a plethysmographic finger arterial pressure monitoring device.ResultsNone of the 40 patients complained of presyncopal symptoms during passive HUTT. However, after the administration of NTG 28 patients showed presyncopal symptoms (NTG+ group) and the remaining 12 patients did not (NTG– group). HR, CI, and the stroke index did not significantly differ between the two groups, whereas mean arterial pressure and SVR were significantly lower in the NTG+ group.ConclusionsPresyncopal symptoms during NTG-stimulated HUTT are SVR mediated, not cardiac output mediated. This study challenges the conventional idea of a decrease in cardiac output mediated by NTG as the overriding cause of presyncopal symptoms during HUTT