Use of Extended Characteristics of Locomotion and Feeding Behavior for Automated Identification of Lame Dairy Cows.

This study was carried out to detect differences in locomotion and feeding behavior in lame (group L; n = 41; gait score ≥ 2.5) and non-lame (group C; n = 12; gait score ≤ 2) multiparous Holstein cows in a cross-sectional study design. A model for automatic lameness detection was created, using data from accelerometers attached to the hind limbs and noseband sensors attached to the head. Each cow's gait was videotaped and scored on a 5-point scale before and after a period of 3 consecutive days of behavioral data recording. The mean value of 3 independent experienced observers was taken as a definite gait score and considered to be the gold standard. For statistical analysis, data from the noseband sensor and one of two accelerometers per cow (randomly selected) of 2 out of 3 randomly selected days was used. For comparison between group L and group C, the T-test, the Aspin-Welch Test and the Wilcoxon Test were used. The sensitivity and specificity for lameness detection was determined with logistic regression and ROC-analysis. Group L compared to group C had significantly lower eating and ruminating time, fewer eating chews, ruminating chews and ruminating boluses, longer lying time and lying bout duration, lower standing time, fewer standing and walking bouts, fewer, slower and shorter strides and a lower walking speed. The model considering the number of standing bouts and walking speed was the best predictor of cows being lame with a sensitivity of 90.2% and specificity of 91.7%. Sensitivity and specificity of the lameness detection model were considered to be very high, even without the use of halter data. It was concluded that under the conditions of the study farm, accelerometer data were suitable for accurately distinguishing between lame and non-lame dairy cows, even in cases of slight lameness with a gait score of 2.5

A systematic review of randomised controlled trials assessing effectiveness of prosthetic and orthotic interventions.

BACKGROUND: Assistive products are items which allow older people and people with disabilities to be able to live a healthy, productive and dignified life. It has been estimated that approximately 1.5% of the world's population need a prosthesis or orthosis. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to systematically identify and review the evidence from randomized controlled trials assessing effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of prosthetic and orthotic interventions. METHODS: Literature searches, completed in September 2015, were carried out in fourteen databases between years 1995 and 2015. The search results were independently screened by two reviewers. For the purpose of this manuscript, only randomized controlled trials which examined interventions using orthotic or prosthetic devices were selected for data extraction and synthesis. RESULTS: A total of 342 randomised controlled trials were identified (319 English language and 23 non-English language). Only 4 of these randomised controlled trials examined prosthetic interventions and the rest examined orthotic interventions. These orthotic interventions were categorised based on the medical conditions/injuries of the participants. From these studies, this review focused on the medical condition/injuries with the highest number of randomised controlled trials (osteoarthritis, fracture, stroke, carpal tunnel syndrome, plantar fasciitis, anterior cruciate ligament, diabetic foot, rheumatoid and juvenile idiopathic arthritis, ankle sprain, cerebral palsy, lateral epicondylitis and low back pain). The included articles were assessed for risk of bias using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Details of the clinical population examined, the type of orthotic/prosthetic intervention, the comparator/s and the outcome measures were extracted. Effect sizes and odds ratios were calculated for all outcome measures, where possible. CONCLUSIONS: At present, for prosthetic and orthotic interventions, the scientific literature does not provide sufficient high quality research to allow strong conclusions on their effectiveness and cost-effectiveness

The actions of chloride channel blockers, barbiturates and a benzodiazepine on Caenorhabditis elegans glutamate- and ivermectin-gated chloride channel subunits expressed in Xenopus oocytes

The pharmacology of Caenorhabditis elegans glutamate-gated chloride (GluCl) channels was determined by making intracellular voltage-clamp recordings from Xenopus oocytes expressing GluCl subunits. As previously reported (Cully et al. 1994), GluClalpha1beta responded to glutamate (in a picrotoxin sensitive manner) and ivermectin, while GluClbeta responded only to glutamate and GluClalpha1 only to ivermectin. This assay was used to further investigate the action of chloride channel compounds. The arylaminobenzoate, NPPB, reduced the action of glutamate on the heteromeric GluClalpha1beta channel (IC(50) 6.03 ± 0.81 µM). The disulphonate stilbene, DNDS, blocked the effect of both glutamate and ivermectin on GluClalpha1beta channels, the action of glutamate on GluClbeta subunits, and the effect of ivermectin on GluClalpha1 subunits (IC(50)s 1.58-3.83 µM). Surprisingly, amobarbital and pentobarbital, otherwise known as positive allosteric modulators of ligand-gated chloride channels, acted as antagonists. Both compounds reduced the action of glutamate on the GluClalpha1beta heteromer (IC(50)s of 2.04 ± 0.5 and 17.56 ± 2.16 µM, respectively). Pentobarbital reduced the action of glutamate on the GluClbeta homomeric subunit with an IC(50) of 0.59 ± 0.09 µM, while reducing the responses to ivermectin on both GluClalpha1beta and GluClalpha1 with IC(50)s of 8.7 ± 0.5 and 12.9 ± 2.5 µM, respectively. For all the antagonists, the mechanism is apparently non-competitive. The benzodiazepine, flurazepam had no apparent effect on these glutamate- and ivermectin-gated chloride channel subunits. Thus, arylaminobenzoates, disulphonate stilbenes, and barbiturates are non-competitive antagonists of C. elegans GluCl channels

Application of Infrared Images to Diagnosis and Modeling of Breast

International audienceThis chapter presents some developments and researches on using breast infrared images in Brazil (Visual Lab group of the Federal Fluminense University). These researches focus on comparing protocols for data acquisition using a FLIR SC 620 infrared (IR) camera; preprocessing the acquired data (using operations such as region of interest or ROI extraction, image registration and some other operations to prepare the images or thermal matrices to be used in computations); 3D reconstruction and, diagnostic recommendations from the IR data. These are steps for development of computer tools for screening breast diseases, mainly, to be used on public health system (named in Brazil: “Sistema Único de Saúde”—SUS). After experimentations and comparisons among the diversity of recommendations and ways of data acquisition reported in the literature, we propose a new protocol to IR data capture and storage. With these, we developed a web site that can be used by all researchers interested in development of works in such subject. The site has public access and presents several ground truths of intermediated developments of the research as segmentation of the ROI, sets of features to be used for comparing artificial intelligence methods for decision making, and some techniques for ROI registration. Our intension is to provide materials to those interested in infrared researches for breast disease. For the development of IR applications are very important compare outcomes in disease detection (and diagnosis) and to use different strategies for features extraction, decision-making, and dimensionality reduction. However, in order to promote fair conditions for comparisons, we have to begin in a more standardized way to go further and for this we invite all interest in the same theme to use a unified procedure for data acquisition