Uranus: A Middleware Architecture for Dependable AAL and Vital Signs Monitoring Applications

The design and realization of health monitoring applications has attracted the interest of large communities both from industry and academia. Several research challenges have been faced and issues tackled in order to realize effective applications for the management and monitoring of people with chronic diseases, people with disabilities, elderly people. However, there is a lack of efficient tools that enable rapid and possibly cheap realization of reliable health monitoring applications. The paper presents Uranus, a service oriented middleware architecture, which provides basic functions for the integration of different kinds of biomedical sensors. Uranus has also distinguishing characteristics like services for the run-time verification of the correctness of running applications and mechanisms for the recovery from failures. The paper concludes with two case studies as proof of concept

Analyzing derived metallicities and ionization parameters from model-based determinations in ionized gaseous nebulae

We analyze the reliability of oxygen abundances and ionization parameters obtained from different diagnostic diagrams. For this, we compiled from the literature observational emission line intensities and oxygen abundance of 446 star-forming regions whose O/H abundance was determined by direct estimation of electron temperature. The abundances compiled were compared with the values calculated in this work using different diagnostic diagrams in combination with results from a grid of photoionization models. We found that the [\ion{O}{iii}]/[\ion{O}{ii}] vs. [\ion{N}{ii}]/[\ion{O}{ii}], [\ion{O}{iii}]/H$\beta$ vs. [\ion{N}{ii}]/[\ion{O}{ii}], and ([\ion{O}{iii}]/H$\beta$)/([\ion{N}{ii}]/H$\alpha$) vs. [\ion{S}{ii}]/[\ion{S}{iii}] diagnostic diagrams give O/H values close to the $T_{\rm e}$-method, with differences of about 0.04 dex and dispersion of about 0.3 dex. Similar results were obtained by detailed models but with a dispersion of 0.08 dex. The origin of the dispersion found in the use of diagnostic diagrams is probably due to differences between the real N/O-O/H relation of the sample and the one assumed in the models. This is confirmed by the use of detailed models that do not have a fixed N/O-O/H relation. We found no correlation between ionization parameter and the metallicity for the objects of our sample. We conclude that the combination of two line ratio predicted by photoionization models, one sensitive to the metallicity and another sensitive to the ionization parameter, which takes into account the physical conditions of star-forming regions, gives O/H estimates close to the values derived using direct detections of electron temperatures.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures, accepted by MNRA

Towards an understanding of induced-charge electrokinetics at large applied voltages in concentrated solutions

The venerable theory of electrokinetic phenomena rests on the hypothesis of a dilute solution of point-like ions in quasi-equilibrium with a weakly charged surface, whose potential relative to the bulk is of order the thermal voltage (kT/e ≈ 25 mV at room temperature). In nonlinear electrokinetic phenomena, such as AC or induced-charge electro-osmosis (ACEO, ICEO) and induced-charge electrophoresis (ICEP), several V ≈ 100 kT/e are applied to polarizable surfaces in microscopic geometries, and the resulting electric fields and induced surface charges are large enough to violate the assumptions of the classical theory. In this article, we review the experimental and theoretical literatures, highlight discrepancies between theory and experiment, introduce possible modifications of the theory, and analyze their consequences. We argue that, in response to a large applied voltage, the “compact layer” and “shear plane” effectively advance into the liquid, due to the crowding of counterions. Using simple continuum models, we predict two general trends at large voltages: (i) ionic crowding against a blocking surface expands the diffuse double layer and thus decreases its differential capacitance, and (ii) a charge-induced viscosity increase near the surface reduces the electro-osmotic mobility; each trend is enhanced by dielectric saturation. The first effect is able to predict high-frequency flow reversal in ACEO pumps, while the second may explain the decay of ICEO flow with increasing salt concentration. Through several colloidal examples, such as ICEP of an uncharged metal sphere in an asymmetric electrolyte, we show that nonlinear electrokinetic phenomena are generally ion-specific. Similar theoretical issues arise in nanofluidics (due to confinement) and ionic liquids (due to the lack of solvent), so the paper concludes with a general framework of modified electrokinetic equations for finite-sized ions.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (contract DMS-0707641

In vitro antioxidant and bioactive properties of corn (Zea mays L.)

This study investigated the antioxidant activity, inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase, angiotensinconverting enzyme (ACE) and aldose reductase (AR) of five types of corn cultivars (white, yellow, black, red and purple). The total phenolic content (TPC) and total anthocyanins (TA) ranged from 146.28 to 598.71 mg GAE/g and from 1.66 to 446.38 mg C3G/100 g respectively. All tested extracts were capable of scavenging peroxynitrite (ONOO-) at level of 1.6 mg/mL of TPC to extents ranging from 41.29 to 86.23%. All of the extracts also inhibited the activity of α-glucosidase with efficacies values from 17.75 to 69.83% whereas moderate inhibitory activity ACE (17.22-42.4%) and AR inhibitory activity from 22.7 to 87.2% was shown. Differences in inhibition of peroxynitrite formation and inhibition of enzymatic activities appeared to be dependent on the profile of total phenolic compounds, anthocyanins and another non phenolic compounds present in each type of corn.La actividad antioxidante, efectos inhibitorios sobre las enzimas α-glucosidasa, enzima convertidora de angiotensina (ECA) y aldosa reductasa (AR) de cinco tipos de maíz (blanco, amarillo, negro, rojo y morado) fueron analizadas. El contenido de compuestos fenólicos totales (CFT) y antocianinas totales (TA) se encontraron de 146,28 a 598,71 mg GAE/g y de 1,66 a 446,38 mg C3G/100 g respectivamente. Todos los extractos probados fueron capaces de inhibir la formación de peroxinitrito (ONOO-) de 41,29 a 86,23% a una concentración de CFT de 1.6 mg/mL. Todos los extractos también fueron capaces de inhibir la actividad de α-glucosidasa con eficacias de inhibición de 17,75 a 69.83% y una actividad inhibidora de AR de 22,7 a 87,2%, mientras la actividad de inhibición sobre ACE se mostró moderada (17,22 a 42,4%). Las diferencias de la inhibición de la formación de peroxinitrito y de las actividades enzimáticas parecen ser dependientes del perfil de compuestos fenólicos totales y antocianinas además de otros compuestos de naturaleza no fenólica presentes en cada tipo de maíz