Sit-to-Stand Phases Detection by Inertial Sensors

The Sit-to-Stand(STS) is defined as the transition from the sitting to standing position. It is commonly adopted in clinical practice because musculoskeletal or neurological degenerative disorders, as well as the natural process of ageing, deter-mine an increased difficulty in rising up from a seated position. This study aimed to detect the Sit To Stand phases using data from inertial sensors. Due to the high variability of this movement, and, consequently the difficulty to define events by thresholds, we used the machine learning. We collected data from 27 participants (13 females,24.37\ub13.32 years old). They wore 10 Inertial Sensors placed on: trunk,back(L4-L5),left and right thigh, tibia, and ankles. The par-ticipants were asked to stand from an height adjustable chair for 10 times. The STS exercises were recorded separately. The starting and ending points of each phase were identified by key events. The pre-processing included phases splitting in epochs. The features extracted were: mean, standard deviation, RMS, Max and min, COV and first derivative. The features were on the epochs for each sensor. To identify the most fitting classifier, two classifier algorithms,K-nearest Neighbours( KNN) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) were trained. From the data recorded, four dataset were created varying the epochs duration, the number of sensors. The validation model used to train the classifier. As validation model, we compared the results of classifiers trained using Kfold and Leave One Subject out (LOSO) models. The classifier performances were evaluated by confusion matrices and the F1 scores. The classifiers trained using LOSO technique as validation model showed higher values of predictive accuracy than the ones trained using Kfold. The predictive accuracy of KNN and SVM were reported below: \u2022 KFold \u2013 mean of overall predictive accuracy KNN: 0.75; F1 score: REST 0.86, TRUNK LEANING 0.35,STANDING 0.60,BALANCE 0.54, SITTING 0.55 \u2013 mean of overall predictive accuracy SVM: 0.75; F1 score: REST 0.89, TRUNK LEANING 0.48,STANDING 0.48,BALANCE 0.59, SITTING 0.62 \u2022 LOSO \u2013 mean of overall predictive accuracy KNN: 0.93; F1 score: REST 0.96, TRUNK LEANING 0.79,STANDING 0.89,BALANCE 0.95, SITTING 0.88 \u2013 mean of overall predictive accuracy SVM: 0.95; F1 score phases: REST 0.98, TRUNK LEANING 0.86,STANDING 0.91,BALANCE 0.98, SIT-TING 0.9

N-Methyl-d-aspartate Receptor Stimulation Activates Tyrosinase and Promotes Melanin Synthesis in the Ink Gland of the Cuttlefish Sepia officinalis through the Nitric Oxide/cGMP Signal Transduction Pathway: A NOVEL POSSIBLE ROLE FOR GLUTAMATE AS PHYSIOLOGIC ACTIVATOR OF MELANOGENESIS *

Abstract The tyrosinase-catalyzed conversion of l-tyrosine to melanin represents the most distinctive biochemical pathway in the ink gland of the cuttlefishSepia officinalis; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying its activation have remained so far largely uncharted. In this paper we demonstrate for the first time thatl-glutamate can stimulate tyrosinase activity and promote melanin synthesis in Sepia ink gland via theN-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor/NO/cGMP signal transduction pathway. Incubation of intact ink glands with either l-glutamate or NMDA resulted in an up to 18-fold increase of tyrosinase activity and a more than 6-fold elevation of cGMP levels. Comparable stimulation of tyrosinase was induced by an NO donor and by 8-bromo-cGMP. An NMDA receptor antagonist, NO synthase (NOS) inhibitors, and a guanylate cyclase blocker suppressed NMDA-induced effects. Immunohistochemical evidence indicated that enhanced cGMP production was localized largely in the mature part of the ink gland. Increased de novo synthesis of melanin was demonstrated in NMDA- and NO-stimulated ink glands by a combined microanalytical approach based on spectrophotometric determination of pigment levels and high performance liquid chromatography quantitation of pyrrole-2,3,5-tricarboxylic acid, a specific melanin marker, in melanosome-containing fractions. These results fill a longstanding gap in the understanding of the complex biochemical mechanisms underlying activation of melanogenesis in the mature ink gland cells of S. officinalis and disclose a novel physiologic role of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate mediated by the NMDA receptor/NO/cGMP signaling pathway

Not only a problem of fatigue and sleepiness: Changes in psychomotor performance in Italian nurses across 8-h rapidly rotating shifts

Although many studies have detailed the consequences of shift work in nurses concerning health, fatigue, sleepiness, or medical errors, no study has been carried out trying to disentangle the contribution of sleepiness and fatigue associated to shift work from the attentional performance. The aim of this pilot study is (A) to investigate the effects of an 8-h rapidly rotating shift on fatigue and sleepiness among staff nurses and (B) how these factors affect their psychomotor performance. Fourteen nurses were selected for a within-subject cross-sectional study according to this sequence of shifts: morning–afternoon–night, which were compared as function of tiredness, sleepiness, and performance at the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT). Subsequently, a within-subject Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) evaluated if the observed differences between shifts persist when the contribution of sleepiness is controlled. Our results clearly indicate that night shifts are associated with significant greater sleepiness and tiredness, and worsened performance at the PVT. As hypothesized, ANCOVA showed that these differences disappear when the contribution of sleepiness is controlled. Results point to a lower psychomotor performance in night compared to day shifts that depends on sleepiness. Hence, interventions to minimize the consequences of the night shift should consider a reduction of sleepiness

Dorsal Prefrontal Cortex Impairment in Methoxetamine-Induced Psychosis: an 18F-FDG PET/CT Case Study

Submitted15 June 2018. Accepted 13 December 2018. Epub ahead of print 13 February 2019Novel psychoactive substances (NPSs) have currently become a major public health concern because of relatively easy accessibility to these compounds and difficulty in identifying them with routine laboratory techniques. Here, we report the 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computerized tomography ( 18 F-FDG PET/CT) case study of a 23-year-old man who developed a substance-induced psychotic disorder after having intravenously injected himself with an unspecified amount of methoxetamine (MXE), a ketamine derivative hallucinogen. From a clinical perspective, a blunted affective responsiveness with diminished social drive and sense of purpose, along with a profound detachment from the environment, was observed. Psychometric and neuropsychological assessments highlighted severe dissociative symptoms and lack of motivation, along with a mild impairment of verbal fluency, working memory, and attention. Patient’s 18 F-FDG PET/CT scans displayed a significant bilateral deficit of tracer uptake within the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). DLPFC activity is critical to goal-oriented cognitive functions, including working memory and sustained attention. DLPFC is also involved in both the temporal integration across multiple sensory modes and in the volitional control of actions, leading to the possibility to construct logically coherent temporal configurations of thought, speech, and behavior. This report highlights that a single acute MXE intoxication may produce severe brain impairment.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Coverage and Deployment Analysis of Narrowband Internet of Things in the Wild

Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) is gaining momentum as a promising technology for massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC). Given that its deployment is rapidly progressing worldwide, measurement campaigns and performance analyses are needed to better understand the system and move toward its enhancement. With this aim, this paper presents a large scale measurement campaign and empirical analysis of NB-IoT on operational networks, and discloses valuable insights in terms of deployment strategies and radio coverage performance. The reported results also serve as examples showing the potential usage of the collected dataset, which we make open-source along with a lightweight data visualization platform.Comment: Accepted for publication in IEEE Communications Magazine (Internet of Things and Sensor Networks Series

Virus and host factors affecting the clinical outcome of bluetongue virus infection

Bluetongue is a major infectious disease of ruminants caused by bluetongue virus (BTV), an arbovirus transmitted by Culicoides. Here, we assessed virus and host factors influencing the clinical outcome of BTV infection using a single experimental framework. We investigated how mammalian host species, breed, age, BTV serotypes, and strains within a serotype, affect the clinical course of bluetongue. Results obtained indicate that in small ruminants there is a marked difference in the susceptibility to clinical disease induced by BTV at the host species level, but less so at the breed level. No major differences in virulence were found between divergent serotypes (BTV-8 and BTV-2). However, we observed striking differences in virulence between closely related strains of the same serotype collected towards the beginning and the end of the European BTV-8 outbreak. As observed previously, differences in disease severity were also observed when animals were infected with either blood from a BTV-infected animal or from the same virus isolated in cell culture. Interestingly, with the exception of two silent mutations, full viral genome sequencing showed identical consensus sequences of the virus before and after cell culture isolation. However, deep sequencing analysis revealed a marked decrease in the genetic diversity of the viral population after passaging in mammalian cells. In contrast, passaging in Culicoides cells increased the overall number of low frequency variants compared to virus never passaged in cell culture. Thus, Culicoides might be a source of new viral variants and viral population diversity can be another factor influencing BTV virulence

Asymmetric Total Synthesis of Illisimonin A

The discovery of illisimonin A in 2017 extended the structural repertoire of the Illicium sesquiterpenoids─a class of natural products known for their high oxidation levels and neurotrophic properties─with a new carbon backbone combining the strained trans-pentalene and norbornane substructures. We report an asymmetric total synthesis of (−)-illisimonin A that traces its tricyclic carbon framework back to a spirocyclic precursor, generated by a tandem-Nazarov/ene cyclization. As crucial link between the spirocyclic key intermediate and illisimonin A, a novel approach for the synthesis of tricyclo[5.2.1.01,5]decanes via radical cyclization was explored. This approach was applied in a two-stage strategy consisting of Ti(III)-mediated cyclization and semipinacol rearrangement to access the natural product’s carbon backbone. These key steps were combined with carefully orchestrated C–H oxidations to establish the dense oxidation pattern

Effects of Dried Blood Spot Storage on Lipidomic Analysis

During the lipidomic analysis of red blood cell membranes, the distribution and percentage ratios of the fatty acids are measured. Since fatty acids are the key constituents of cell membranes, by evaluating their quantities it possible to understand the general health of the cells and to obtain health indicators of the whole organism. However, because the analysis is precise, it is necessary to ensure that the blood does not undergo significant variations between the point of collection and analysis. The composition of the blood may vary dramatically weeks after collection, hence, here an attempt is made to stabilize these complex matrixes using antioxidants deposited on the paper cards on which the blood itself is deposited

Scavenging Effect of Various Extracts of the Gymnema sylvestre R. Br. and Antioxidant Activity of the Isolated Triterpenes

Gymnema sylvestre has been used in Asian traditional medicine for its anti-microbial, antihypercholesterolemic, hepatoprotective and sweet suppressing properties and activities. G. sylvestre has also been used extensively in chewing gum, as a health food for preventing obesity and diabetes, and as a tea. This study has evaluated the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the aqueous and organic G. sylvestre extracts and their sub-fractions for the initial characterization of the biological properties of the isolated compounds. An in vivo cell model was used to calculate the concentration inhibiting cell growth by 50% and the ability to exert antioxidant activity. All compounds inhibit cell growth in a dose-dependent manner, with an IC50 value ranging between 29 and 1462 μM. The effects on intracellular ROS levels are extremely variable, but it is of interest that some of the compounds appear to display an antioxidant effect

On the complexity of the boundary layer structure and aerosol vertical distribution in the coastal Mediterranean regions: A case study

The planetary boundary layer structure in the coastal areas, and particularly in complex orography regions such as the Mediterranean, is extremely intricate. In this study, we show the evolution of the planetary boundary layer based on in situ airborne measurements and ground-based remote sensing observations carried out during the MORE (Marine Ozone and Radiation Experiment) campaign in June 2010. The campaign was held in a rural coastal Mediterranean region in Southern Italy. The study focuses on the observations made on 17 June. Vertical profiles of meteorological parameters and aerosol size distribution were measured during two flights: in the morning and in the afternoon. Airborne observations were combined with ground-based LIDAR, SODAR, microwave and visible radiometer measurements, allowing a detailed description of the atmospheric vertical structure. The analysis was complemented with data from a regional atmospheric model run with horizontal resolutions of 12, 4 and 1 km, respectively; back-trajectories were calculated at these spatial resolutions. The observations show the simultaneous occurrence of dust transport, descent of mid-tropospheric air and sea breeze circulation on 17 June. Local pollution effects on the aerosol distribution, and a possible event of new particles formation were also observed. A large variability in the thermodynamical structure and aerosol distribution in the flight region, extending by approximately 30km along the coast, was found. Within this complex, environment-relevant differences in the back-trajectories calculated at different spatial resolutions are found, suggesting that the description of several dynamical processes, and in particular the sea breeze circulation, requires high-resolution meteorological analyses. The study also shows that the integration of different observational techniques is needed to describe these complex conditions; in particular, the availability of flights and their timing with respect to the occurring phenomena are crucial