The Irrationality of Digital Medicine: VR, IoT and AI in Practice

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has potential to change the tasks that are currently being done by Human being. The Internet of Things (IoT) has potential to increase Medical Device connectivity, enabling more immediate information sharing and coordination between doctors and patients. Virtual reality (VR) has potential to enhance medical training. Digital Health technologies have the power to expand coverage of healthcare (access), enhance services (quality) and reduce/optimize resources (cost). Affordability, infrastructure, and human capability limits overall impacts of Digital Health technologies and must be addressed. Therefore, capacity building through strategic alliances and partnerships remains crucial in harnessing the promises of Digital Health Technologies. This paper summaries challenges in the implementation of Digital health Solutions among African health systems and enumerate the possible ways of addressing the identified challenges. Keywords— Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Virtual Reality (VR) Digital Health, Remote Patient Monitoring RPM), Robotic Process Automation (RPA

Nonmotor Symptoms in Patients with PARK2 Mutations

Decreased 123I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) uptake in MIBG myocardial scintigraphy, olfactory dysfunction, and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) are considered useful early indicators of Parkinson disease. We investigated whether patients with PARK2 mutations exhibited myocardial sympathetic abnormalities using MIBG scintigraphy, olfactory dysfunction using the Sniffin' Sticks olfactory test, and RBD using polysomnography. None of the examined patients had RBD, and all except 1 patient exhibited an increase in the olfactory threshold. Moreover, one of the oldest patients exhibited impairment in identification and discrimination. Of 12 patients with PARK2 mutations, 4 patients, who were older than patients without abnormal uptake, exhibited decreased MIBG uptake. The results obtained in this study suggest that some patients with PARK2 mutations have increased thresholds of olfactory function and myocardial sympathetic dysfunction as nonmotor symptoms

Cyanoacetamide Synthesis in Liquid Ammonia

Just analogical to liquid ammonia-malondiamide synthesis, liquid ammonia-cyanoacetamide synthesis has been established, obtaining the following results : 1. Conducting the benzylation of ethyl cyanoacetate, cyanoacetamide and malononitrile in liquid ammonia, C-dibenzyl cyanoacetamide and C-dibenzyl malononitrile have been obtained in high yields. As metalation reagents, metallic sodium, sodium alcoholate, sodium amide and potassium amide were smoothly used. Alkali metals gave, however, slightly lower yields. When an excess of cyanoacetamide was used, monobenzylation predominated, producing monobenzyl cyanoacetamide alone. When benzylation was conducted in benzene solution, dibenzylcyanoacetamide was obtained in very low yield although they were heated for a long time. 2. By alkylating cyanoacetamide with ethyl, propyl and butyl halides, corresponding C-alkyl cyanoacetamides and C-dialkyl cyanoacetamides were obtained respectively. Almost same yields were obtained when alkyl bromides and iodides were used as alkylating reagents. 3. Dialkylating reactions were promoted according to the kind of active methylene group as follows : malondiamideiso-C_4H_9=n-C_3H_7>C_2H_5>iso-C_3H_7≫tert-C_4H_9. The system was in coincidence with the order of the+I effect

Polyhydric Alcohol Esters of Fatty Acids from Sardine Oil

By stirring a mixture of purified sardine oil and the same amount of 0.5N 99 per cent ethanolic solution of sodium hydroxide at 25℃ for two hours, a mixture of ethylesters of the fatty acids was obtained by the interesterifical reaction. The ethylester of the saturated fatty acid boiling at lower temperature than the unsaturated one was separated from the mixed ethylester by fractional distillation under reduced pressure of 3～5mmHg. Polyhydric alcohol ester of unsaturated fatty acid obtained by heating the ethylester with mannitol or sorbitol in the presence of some catalyst, showed excellent drying properties like as the wood oil

Come as You Are: Actively Welcoming and Involving Individuals with Special Needs in the Church

Undergraduate Textual or Investigativ

Post-traumatic osteoarthritis development is not modified by postnatal chondrocyte deletion of Ccn2

CCN2 is a matricellular protein involved in several critical biological processes. In particular, CCN2 is involved in cartilage development and in osteoarthritis. CCN2 null mice exhibit a range of skeletal dysmorphisms, highlighting its importance in regulating matrix formation during development, however its role in adult cartilage remains unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the role of CCN2 in postnatal chondrocytes in models of post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). CCN2 deletion was induced in articular chondrocytes of male transgenic mice at 8 weeks of age. PTOA was induced in knees either surgically or non-invasively by repetitive mechanical loading at 10 weeks of age. Knee joints were harvested, scanned with micro-computed tomography and processed for histology. Sections were stained with toluidine blue and scored using the OARSI grading system. In the non-invasive model cartilage lesions were present in the lateral femur but no significant differences were observed between wildtype (WT) and CCN2 knockout (KO) mice 6 weeks post-loading. In the surgical model, severe cartilage degeneration was observed in the medial compartments but no significant differences were observed between WT and CCN2 KO mice at 2, 4, and 8 weeks post-surgery. We conclude that CCN2 deletion in chondrocytes did not modify the development of PTOA in mice, suggesting that chondrocyte expression of CCN2 in adults is not a critical player in protecting cartilage from the degeneration associated with PTOA

囚われる人

　六本木アートナイト2019 に出品した作品「囚われる人」について、準備から展示に至るまでのプロセスを報告する。「囚われる人」は、自動販売機に人が押し込められているように見える映像インスタレーションである。実際には、鉄製フレームにより構成されるケースにPCと2 台の43 インチ液晶TV、TV 前面にポリカーボネイトハモニカボードを組み込んだ装置にスタジオで撮影した映像を送出しているに過ぎない。しかし、撮影時の工夫と装置の構造を組み合わせることで、あたかもすりガラスの向こう側に人が存在するかに錯覚する効果を得ることができる。この装置を街中の自動販売機と並置することで、貨幣経済に生きる私たちを俯瞰できる機会を設けることができるのではないかと考えた。私たちは自分の時間、すなわち寿命を切り売りすることで生計を立てている。人はその中で様々な選択を繰り返し生きていて、ともすると振り回される。しかし、世界に目を向ければ選択の余地のない人々があり、劣悪な環境に生きる人がいる。信じがたいことだが、ネット上には、金銭で売買される子供たちや臓器売買の悲劇が多数報告されている。「囚われる人」は、目新しい実在感豊かな表現で目を引くが、自動販売機を貨幣経済を俯瞰するためのフレームとして捉え、少なくとも自覚を促すことを目的とした作品である。This is a report on the entire process of creation of “Entangled”, an artwork exhibited at Roppongi Art Night 2019. “Entangled” is a video installation in which people look as if they are trapped into a vending machine. It a projection of studio-filmed videos played on two 43 inch LCDs with polycarbonate boards attached, all cased in a steel frame case. Filming techniques and the unique construction of the projection device creates the illusion of real people being behind a frosted glass. The objective was to offer an opportunity to recognize the broad conception of people living in a monetized economy. We all make our living by selling our time, which in essence is selling small bits and pieces of our lives for money. Life is about continuous and repetitive decision-making which at times unfortunately end up throwing ourselves around. However, there are people in the world who don’t have the governance to make their own decisions, such as children in human trafficking or victims of tragic organ trades. “Entangled” is not just an eye-catcher with its new type of realistic presence, but an artwork that looks at vending machines as a frame through which we can view ourselves living in a monetized economy

Predicting the Kinetic Properties Associated with Redox Imbalance after Oxidative Crisis in G6PD-Deficient Erythrocytes: A Simulation Study

It is well known that G6PD-deficient individuals are highly susceptible to oxidative stress. However, the differences in the degree of metabolic alterations among patients during an oxidative crisis have not been extensively studied. In this study, we applied mathematical modeling to assess the metabolic changes in erythrocytes of various G6PD-deficient patients during hydrogen peroxide- (H2O2-) induced perturbation and predict the kinetic properties that elicit redox imbalance after exposure to an oxidative agent. Simulation results showed a discrepancy in the ability to restore regular metabolite levels and redox homeostasis among patients. Two trends were observed in the response of redox status (GSH/GSSG) to oxidative stress, a mild decrease associated with slow recovery and a drastic decline associated with rapid recovery. The former was concluded to apply to patients with severe clinical symptoms. Low Vmax and high KmG6P of G6PD were shown to be kinetic properties that enhance consequent redox imbalance