Non-invasive algorithm for bowel motility estimation using a back-propagation neural network model of bowel sounds

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Radiological scoring methods such as colon transit time (CTT) have been widely used for the assessment of bowel motility. However, these radiograph-based methods need cumbersome radiological instruments and their frequent exposure to radiation. Therefore, a non-invasive estimation algorithm of bowel motility, based on a back-propagation neural network (BPNN) model of bowel sounds (BS) obtained by an auscultation, was devised.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Twelve healthy males (age: 24.8 ± 2.7 years) and 6 patients with spinal cord injury (6 males, age: 55.3 ± 7.1 years) were examined. BS signals generated during the digestive process were recorded from 3 colonic segments (ascending, descending and sigmoid colon), and then, the acoustical features (jitter and shimmer) of the individual BS segment were obtained. Only 6 features (<it>J_{1, 3}, J_{3, 3}, S_{1, 2}, S_{2, 1}, S_{2, 2}, S_{3, 2}</it>), which are highly correlated to the CTTs measured by the conventional method, were used as the features of the input vector for the BPNN.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>As a results, both the jitters and shimmers of the normal subjects were relatively higher than those of the patients, whereas the CTTs of the normal subjects were relatively lower than those of the patients (<it>p </it>< 0.01). Also, through <it>k</it>-fold cross validation, the correlation coefficient and mean average error between the CTTs measured by a conventional radiograph and the values estimated by our algorithm were 0.89 and 10.6 hours, respectively.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The jitter and shimmer of the BS signals generated during the peristalsis could be clinically useful for the discriminative parameters of bowel motility. Also, the devised algorithm showed good potential for the continuous monitoring and estimation of bowel motility, instead of conventional radiography, and thus, it could be used as a complementary tool for the non-invasive measurement of bowel motility.</p

A Novel Pinkish-White Flower Color Variant Is Caused by a New Allele of Flower Color Gene W1 in Wild Soybean (Glycine soja)

The enzyme flavonoid 3',5'-hydroxylase (F3'5'H) plays an important role in producing anthocyanin pigments in soybean. Loss of function of the W1 locus encoding F3'5'H always produces white flowers. However, few color variations have been reported in wild soybean. In the present study, we isolated a new color variant of wild soybean accession (IT261811) with pinkish-white flowers. We found that the flower's pinkish-white color is caused by w1-s3, a single recessive allele of W1. The SNP detected in the mutant caused amino acid substitution (A(304)S) in a highly conserved SRS4 domain of F3'5'H proteins. On the basis of the results of the protein variation effect analyzer (PROVEAN) tool, we suggest that this mutation may lead to hypofunctional F3'5'H activity rather than non-functional activity, which thereby results in its pinkish-white color

Bilateral Ageusia in a Patient with a Left Ventroposteromedial Thalamic Infarct: Cortical Localization of Taste Sensation by Statistical Parametric Mapping Analysis of PET Images

Unilateral taste loss is usually observed on the side contralateral to a thalamic infarction, despite gustatory function being represented bilaterally. We report a rare case of bilateral taste loss in a patient with an acute left unilateral thalamic infarction, with unilateral left insular hypometabolism demonstrated by statistical parametric map analysis of PET images. Our observations suggest that the left insular cortex and left ventroposteromedial thalamic nuclei are critical to bilateral gustatory sensation

Controllable synthesis of molybdenum tungsten disulfide alloy for vertically composition-controlled multilayer

The effective synthesis of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides alloy is essential for successful application in electronic and optical devices based on a tunable band gap. Here we show a synthesis process for Mo&lt;inf&gt;1-x&lt;/inf&gt;W&lt;inf&gt;x&lt;/inf&gt;S&lt;inf&gt;2&lt;/inf&gt; alloy using sulfurization of super-cycle atomic layer deposition Mo&lt;inf&gt;1-x&lt;/inf&gt;W&lt;inf&gt;x&lt;/inf&gt;O&lt;inf&gt;y&lt;/inf&gt;. Various spectroscopic and microscopic results indicate that the synthesized Mo&lt;inf&gt;1-x&lt;/inf&gt;W&lt;inf&gt;x&lt;/inf&gt;S&lt;inf&gt;2&lt;/inf&gt; alloys have complete mixing of Mo and Watoms and tunable band gap by systematically controlled composition and layer number. Based on this, we synthesize a vertically composition-controlled (VCC) Mo&lt;inf&gt;1-x&lt;/inf&gt;W&lt;inf&gt;x&lt;/inf&gt;S&lt;inf&gt;2&lt;/inf&gt; multilayer using five continuous super-cycles with different cycle ratios for each super-cycle. Angle-resolved X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, Raman and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer results reveal that a VCC Mo&lt;inf&gt;1-x&lt;/inf&gt;W&lt;inf&gt;x&lt;/inf&gt;S&lt;inf&gt;2&lt;/inf&gt; multilayer has different vertical composition and broadband light absorption with strong interlayer coupling within a VCC Mo&lt;inf&gt;1-x&lt;/inf&gt;W&lt;inf&gt;x&lt;/inf&gt;S&lt;inf&gt;2&lt;/inf&gt; multilayer. Further, we demonstrate that a VCC Mo&lt;inf&gt;1-x&lt;/inf&gt;W&lt;inf&gt;x&lt;/inf&gt;S&lt;inf&gt;2&lt;/inf&gt; multilayer photodetector generates three to four times greater photocurrent than MoS&lt;inf&gt;2&lt;/inf&gt;-and WS&lt;inf&gt;2&lt;/inf&gt;-based devices, owing to the broadband light absorption. &amp;#169; 2015 Macmillan Publishers Limitedopen1

Exciton dynamics in atomically thin MoS2: Interexcitonic interaction and broadening kinetics

We report ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy examining exciton dynamics in atomically thin MoS2. Spectrally and temporally resolved measurements are performed to investigate the interaction dynamics of two important direct-gap excitons (A and B) and their associated broadening kinetics. The two excitons show strongly correlated interexcitonic dynamic, in which the transient blue-shifted excitonic absorption originates from the internal A-B excitonic interaction. The observed complex spectral response is determined by the exciton collision-induced linewidth broadening; the broadening of the B-exciton linewidth in turn lowers the peak spectral amplitude of the A exciton. Resonant excitation at the B-exciton energy reveals that interexcitonic scattering plays a more important role in determining the broadening kinetics than free-carrier scattering.Keywords: Relaxation, Monolayer MoS[subscript 2], Blue shift, Semiconductor, Transient absorption spectra, Layer, Femtosecond, Photoexcited carriers, Regenerative amplifier, Quantum well structur

Transvaginal Endoscopic Appendectomy

Since Kalloo and colleagues first reported the feasibility and safety of a peroral transgastric approach in the porcine model in 2004, various groups have reported more complex natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) procedures, such as the cholecystectomy, splenectomy and liver biopsy, in the porcine model. Natural orifice access to the abdominal cavity, such as transgastric, transvesical, transcolonic, and transvaginal, has been described. Although a novel, minimally invasive approach to the abdominal cavity is a peroral endoscopic transgastric approach, there are still some challenging issues, such as the risk of infection and leakage, and the method of gastric closure. Hybrid-NOTES is an ideal first step in humans. Human hybrid transvaginal access has been used for years by many surgeons for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Here, we report a transvaginal flexible endoscopic appendectomy, with a 5-mm umbilical port using ultrasonic scissors in a 74-year-old woman with acute appendicitis