Independent component analysis for fetal heart rate detection using photosplethysmography

Photoplethysmography (PPG) is an optoelectronic technique for measuring and recording changes in the volume of body parts. These changes are associated with each heart beat and acquired by pulse oximetry. Fetal heart rate (FHR) monitoring using PPG is a challenging task since the acquired signals present the pattern of both fetal and maternal hearts. The effect of maternal component, noise and artifacts on fetal component makes the separation of FHR very difficult. In this paper, we study the applicability of independent component analysis (lCA) to FHR detection using PPG. The study was conducted using emulated signals to mimic the pulsation nature of both maternal and fetal hearts. The outcome of this experiment shows encouraging results in terms of the extraction ability oflCA, which can perform well even when fetal-to-maternal signal-to-noise ratio (SIY~) drops to -276 dB

Food assimilated by two sympatric populations of the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens (Delphacidae) feeding on different host plants contaminates insect DNA detected by RAPD-PCR analysis.

Contamination of insect DNA for RAPD-PCR analysis can be a problem because many primers are non-specific and DNA from parasites or gut contents may be simultaneously extracted along with that of the insect. We measured the quantity of food ingested and assimilated by two sympatric populations of brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens, one from rice and the other from Leersia hexandra (Poaceae), a wetland forage grass, and we also investigated whether host plant DNA contaminates that of herbivore insects in extractions of whole insects. Ingestion and assimilation of food were reduced significantly when individuals derived from one host plant were caged on the other species. The bands, OPA3 (1.25), OPD3 (1.10), OPD3 (0.80), OPD3 (0.60), pUC/M13F (0.35), pUC/M13F (0.20), BOXAIR (0.50), peh#3 (0.50), and peh#3 (0.17) were found in both rice-infesting populations of brown planthopper and its host plant (rice). Similarly, the bands, OPA4 (1.00), OPB10 (0.70), OPD3 (0.90), OPD3 (0.80), OPD3 (0.60), pUC/ M13F (0.35), pUC/M13F (0.20), and BOXAIR (0.50) were found in both Leersia-infesting populations of brown planthopper and the host plant. So, it is clear that the DNA bands amplified in the host plants were also found in the extracts from the insects feeding on them

Performance Analysis of A Spark Ignition Engine Using Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as Fuel

AbstractCompress natural gas (CNG) is also considered as alternative fuel to produce better emission in a vehicle, but the main disadvantage of CNG in comparison to liquid fuel (gasoline) is the lack of power produced for the same capacity of engine. In this study, the single cylinder spark ignition (SI) engine was selected in order to study the effect CNG into the spark ignition engine. The hydraulic dynamometer was used to study the performance of CNG and liquid fuel. The usage of sensor also applies to the test to extract the data during the ignition stage for liquid fuel and CNG. The heat generated by both types of fuel also had been extracted from the tested engine in order to define which usage of fuel would cause a higher heat transfer to the engine. From this study, the result showed that pressure inside cylinder for CNG is 20% less than gasoline. CNG fuel also produced 23% less heat transfer rate compared to gasoline. The results explained why CNG produced 18.5% lower power compared to liquid fuel (gasoline).So, some improvement needs to be done in order to use CNG as fuel

Performance Analysis Of A Spark Ignition Engine Using Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) As Fuel

Compress natural gas (CNG) is also considered as alternative fuel to produce better emission in a vehicle, but the main disadvantage of CNG in comparison to liquid fuel (gasoline) is the lack of power produced for the same capacity of engine. In this study, the single cylinder spark ignition (SI) engine was selected in order to study the effect CNG into the spark ignition engine. The hydraulic dynamometer was used to study the performance of CNG and liquid fuel. The usage of sensor also applies to the test to extract the data during the ignition stage for liquid fuel and CNG. The heat generated by both types of fuel also had been extracted from the tested engine in order to define which usage of fuel would cause a higher heat transfer to the engine. From this study, the result showed that pressure inside cylinder for CNG is 20% less than gasoline. CNG fuel also produced 23% less heat transfer rate compared to gasoline. The results explained why CNG produced 18.5% lower power compared to liquid fuel (gasoline).So, some improvement needs to be done in order to use CNG as fuel

MULTI-RESPONSE OPTIMIZATION OF PLASTIC INJECTION MOULDING PROCESS USING GREY RELATIONAL ANALYSIS BASED IN TAGUCHI METHOD

This project investigates the multi-response optimization using grey relational analysis based in Taguchi method of plastic injection mould. Four input process parameters selected are mould temperature, melting temperature, injection time and cooling time. The responses investigated were part weight, shrinkage, warpage, ultimate tensile strength, tensile modulus and percentage of elongation. It is found that the optimum setting parameter generated from multi-response optimization is at run number 4 that are mould temperature at 56oC, melting temperature at 250oC, injection time at 0.7s and cooling time at 15.4s. Result of run number 4 for multi-response optimization for part weight, warpage, shrinkage, tensile ultimate strength, tensile modulus and percentage of elongation are 6.9807g, 0.087mm, 1.73%, 24.732MPa, 981.76MPa and 31.37%, respectively. Multi-response optimization results show that all response results are not higher or lower than experimental results. This is because multi-response optimization normalized all response value. Thus, by implemented multi-response optimization process, the materials characteristics value of plastic part can be predicted

A promoter effect on hydrodeoxygenation reactions of oleic acid by zeolite beta catalysts

In this study, various metal-modified zeolite beta-based catalysts such as La(10)zeo(90), Co(10)zeo(90), Fe(10)zeo(90), Mg(10)zeo(90), Mn(10)zeo(90) and Zn(10)zeo(90) were investigated in the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of oleic acid (OA) to produce renewable diesel. The La(10)zeo(90) catalyst showed a conversion of OA up to 99 % with 83 % C15 and C17 selectivity after the reaction at 350 ◦C for 2 h under 4 MPa H2 pressure. The superior activity of La(10)zeo(90) was attributed to the synergistic interaction between La-Si-Al, a sufficient amount of weak+ medium acid sites and excellent textural properties (large pore diameter). Larger pore diameter of La(10)zeo(90) is highly desirable as it will generate greater diffusion of bulky molecules, thereby improving the accessibility of the reactant and hence excellent catalytic activity. The vacuum distillation was used to purify the crude liquid product (CLP), producing high-quality diesel fractions mainly comprising C14, C15, and C17 fractions

Organotin(IV) complexes of 2-hydroxyacetophenone-N(4)-cyclohexylthiosemicarbazone (H(2)dact): synthesis, spectral characterization, crystal structure and biological studies

Four new organotin(IV) complexes of the type [MeSnCl(dact)] (2), [BuSnCl(dact)] (3), [PhSnCl(dact)] (4) and [Ph2Sn(dact)] (5) were synthesized by the direct reaction of 2-hydroxyacetophenone-N(4)-cyclohexylthiosemicarbazone [H(2)dact, (1)] and organotin(IV) chloride(s) in absolute methanol. The ligand [H(2)dact, (1)] and its organotin(IV) complexes (2-5) have been characterized by CHN analyses, molar conductivity, UV-Vis, FT-IR, H-1, C-13 and Sn-119 NMR spectral studies. The molecular structure of complex (5) has also been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The crystal structure of complex (5) showed that the ligand is doubly deprotonated at the oxygen and sulfur atoms and is coordinated to the tin(IV) atom through thiolate-S, azomethine-N and phenoxide-O atoms. X-ray diffraction studies indicated that complex (5) is a monomer and the central tin(IV) atom is five coordinated in a distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometry. The cytotoxicity of the ligand (1) as well as its organotin(IV) complexes (2-5) was studied against Artemia salina. The in vitro antibacterial activities of these compounds were also evaluated. The screening results have shown that the organotin(IV) complexes (2-5) have better antibacterial activity than the free ligand. Furthermore, it has been shown that diphenyltin(IV) derivative (5) exhibits significantly better activity than the monoorganotin(IV) derivatives (2-4). (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved