Technologie bezwykopowe na sześciu kontynentach, cz. 16

W cyklu Technologie bezwykopowe na sześciu kontynentach, przygotowywanym we współpracy z Polską Fundacją Technik Bezwykopowych, zrzeszoną w Międzynarodowym Stowarzyszeniu Technik Bezwykopowych, prezentujemy zakres tematyki, jaka została przedstawiona w 33. numerze czasopisma „Trenchless International”

Analysis of Properties of an Active Linear Gesture Sensor

Basic gesture sensors can play a significant role as input units in mobile smart devices. However, they have to handle a wide variety of gestures while preserving the advantages of basic sensors. In this paper a user-determined approach to the design of a sparse optical gesture sensor is proposed. The statistical research on a study group of individuals includes the measurement of user-related parameters like the speed of a performed swipe (dynamic gesture) and the morphology of fingers. The obtained results, as well as other a priori requirements for an optical gesture sensor were further used in the design process. Several properties were examined using simulations or experimental verification. It was shown that the designed optical gesture sensor provides accurate localization of fingers, and recognizes a set of static and dynamic hand gestures using a relatively low level of power consumption

Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk in Assisted Living

Disorders of the heart and blood vessels are the leading cause of health problems and death. Early detection of them is extremely valuable as it can prevent serious incidents (e.g. heart attack, stroke) and associated complications. This requires extending the typical mobile monitoring methods (e.g. Holter ECG, tele-ECG) by introduction of integrated, multiparametric solutions for continuous monitoring of the cardiovascular system. In this paper we propose the wearable system that integrates measurements of cardiac data with actual estimation of the cardiovascular risk level. It consists of two wirelessly connected devices, one designed in the form of a necklace, the another one in the form of a bracelet (wrist watch). These devices enable continuous measurement of electrocardiographic, plethysmographic (impedance-based and optical-based) and accelerometric signals. Collected signals and calculated parameters indicate the electrical and mechanical state of the heart and are processed to estimate a risk level. Depending on the risk level an appropriate alert is triggered and transmitted to predefined users (e.g. emergency departments, the family doctor, etc.)

Endomorphin-2 analogs containing modified tyrosines: Biological and theoretical investigation of the influence on conformation and pharmacological profile

New analogs of the endogenous opioid agonist endomorphin-2 (EM-2, H-Tyr-Pro-Phe-Phe-NH2) have been obtained by introducing modified tyrosines at the position 1 of the sequence. For all analogs, the cis/trans conformation ratio about the tyramine-Pro amide bond, lipophilicity, receptor affinities, and functional activities, have been determined. Among the novel derivatives, [Dmt(3\u2032-Cl)]1EM-2 (4) stood out for its subnanomolar \u3bc-opioid receptor affinity and potent agonist activity, superior to that of the parent peptide EM-2. Hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics docking computations supported the cis tyramine-Pro bioactive conformation, and allowed us to analyze the contribution of the substituents of the \u201cmessage\u201d tyramine to binding, highlighting the role of halogen-bonding in the higher receptor affinity of peptide 4