bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Novel System for Measuring Optical Properties in Arterial Blood of Man
Authors: Castañeda-Miranda A. , Vizcaya L. D. L.
Published: March 2015

The necessity of man–machine communication has been increasing day by day because of the great number of approaches that help to make human life agile or comfortable. Health is one of the aspects that has generated more interest in recent years. The optical technologies are new technical tools that are being implemented for medical diagnosis and for describing various processes occurring within human blood. These techniques have the virtue of being nondestructive; in addition they have the advantage of remote direction by using anin situtechnique, with sensitivity capable of studying the properties of the blood through electromagnetic excitation. A device to obtain the electromagnetic spectrum in the blood has being designed and is presented in this work. This device uses a quartz lamp, emitting electromagnetic radiation between 200 nm and 2200 nm. A model for measuring the light attenuation through the blood is used. By applying a control in the frequency domain, a circuit device is designed. This device uses a database in time domain for its subsequent analysis by Fast Fourier Transformation in order to obtain absorption spectra. The acquisition time is of the order of microseconds, and the system is controlled automatically through accessible software from a personal computer.
A Collision-Free Path-Planning Method for an Articulated Mobile Robot
Authors: Quintero-Alvarez P. , Ramirez G. , Zeghloul S.
Published: March 2015

In previous works, we treated the collision-free path-planning problem for a nonholonomic mobile robot in a cluttered environment. We used a method based on a representation of the obstacles on the robot's velocity space. This representation is called Feasible Velocities Polygon (FVP). Every obstacle in the robot's influence zone is represented by a linear constraint on the robot's velocities such that a collision between the robot and the obstacle could be avoided. These constraints define a convex subset in the velocity space, the FVP. Every velocity vector in the FVP ensures a safe motion for the given obstacle configuration. The path-planning problem is solved by an optimization approach between the FVP and a reference velocity to reach the goal. In this paper, we have extended our work to an articulated mobile robot evolving in a cluttered environment. This robot is composed of a differential mobile robot and one or several modules that together form the trailer which are linked by off-center joints. This kind of robot is a strongly constrained system. Even in a free environment, under some circumstances, the robot may be blocked by its trailers in its progression towards the goal. The proposed approach, compared to other methods, has the main advantage of integrating anti-collision constraints between the articulated robot itself and the environment, in order to avoid and resolve dead-lock situations. For moving to the final position, the articulated mobile robot uses the FVP and a reference control law, to formulate the constraints method as a problem of minimal distance calculation. This formulation is then solved with the algorithm of minimal distance calculation proposed by Zeghloul (Zeghloul and Rambeaud, 1996). When a dead-locking situation arises and according to the robot–obstacle configuration, we have developed three different modules to solve these conditions. Each module uses a different approach to resolve the blocking situation. In order to show the capabilities of our method to lead the articulated robot to the final position in a stable way, a numerical result is presented.
A Low-Cost Anthropometric Walking Robot for Reproducing Gait Lab Data
Authors: da Silva Santana Rogério Eduardo , de Toledo Fleury Agenor , Menegaldo Luciano Luporini
Published: March 2015

Human gait analysis is one of the resources that may be used in the study and treatment of pathologies of the locomotive system. This paper deals with the modelling and control aspects of the design, construction and testing of a biped walking robot conceived to, in limited extents, reproduce the human gait. Robot dimensions have been chosen in order to guarantee anthropomorphic proportions and then to help health professionals in gait studies. The robot has been assembled with low-cost components and can reproduce, in an assisted way, real-gait patterns generated from data previously acquired in gait laboratories. Part of the simulated and experimental results are addressed to demonstrate the ability of the biped robot in reproducing normal and pathological human gait.
State Classification for Humanoid Robots
Authors: Yang Jialun , Gao Feng , Shi Lifeng , Jin Zhenlin
Published: March 2015

In this paper, we decouple the motion-planning problem of humanoid robots into two sub-problems, namely topological state planning and detailed motion planning. The state classification plays a key role for the first sub-problem. We propose several basic states, including lying, sitting, standing and handstanding, abstracted from the daily exercises of human beings. Each basic state is classified further from the topological point of view. Furthermore, generalised function (GF) set theory is applied with the aim of analysing the kinematic characteristics of the end effectors for each state, and meaningful names are assigned for each state. Finally a topological state-planning example is given to show the effectiveness of this methodology. The results show that the large amounts of states can be described using assigned names, which leads to systematic and universal description of the states for humanoid robots.
Suitability of Hydraulic Disk Brakes for Passive Actuation of Upper-Extremity Rehabilitation Exoskeleton
Authors: Stienen Arno H. A. , Hekman Edsko E. G. , Schouten Alfred C. , van der Helm Frans C. T. , van der Kooij Herman
Published: March 2015

Passive, energy-dissipating actuators are promising for force-coordination training in stroke rehabilitation, as they are inherently safe and have a high torque-to-weight ratio. The goal of this study is to determine if hydraulic disk brakes are suitable to actuate an upper-extremity exoskeleton, for application in rehabilitation settings. Passive actuation with friction brakes has direct implications for joint control. Braking is always opposite to the movement direction. During standstill, the measured torque is equal to the torque applied by the human. During rotations, it is equal to the brake torque. Actively assisting movement is not possible, nor are energy-requiring virtual environments. The evaluated disk brake has a 20 Nm bandwidth (flat-spectrum, multi-sine) of 10 Hz; sufficient for torques required for conventional therapy and simple, passive virtual environments. The maximum static output torque is 120 Nm, sufficient for isometric training of the upper extremity. The minimal impedance is close zero, with only the inertia of the device felt. In conclusion, hydraulic disk brakes are suitable for rehabilitation devices.
Passive Control of Attachment in Legged Space Robots
Authors: Gasparetto Alessandro , Vidoni Renato , Seidl Tobias
Published: March 2015

In the space environment the absence of gravity calls for constant safe attachment of any loose object, but the low-pressure conditions prohibit the use of glue-type adhesives. The attachment system of freely hunting spiders, e.g. Evarcha arcuata, employs van der Waals forces and mechanical interlocking. Furthermore, detachment is achieved passively and requires little force. Hence, the spider serves as a model for a versatile legged robot for space applications, e.g. on the outer surface of a space station. In this paper, we analyse the dry attachment systems ofE. arcuataand geckos as well as the kinematics of freely hunting spiders. We generalise the results of biological studies on spider locomotion and mobility, including the major movement and the position constraints set by the dry adhesion system. From these results, we define a simplified spider model and study the overall kinematics of the legs both in flight and in contact with the surface. The kinematic model, the data on spider gait characteristics and the adhesion constraints are implemented in a kinematic simulator. The simulator results confirm the principal functionality of our concept.
Physarum Boats: If Plasmodium Sailed It Would Never Leave a Port
Authors: Adamatzky Andrew
Published: March 2015

Plasmodium ofPhysarum polycephalumis a single huge (visible by naked eye) cell with a myriad of nuclei. The plasmodium is a promising substrate for non-classical, nature-inspired computing devices. It is capable of approximation of the shortest path in a maze, computation of planar proximity graphs and plane tessellations, primitive memory and decision making. The unique properties of the plasmodium make it an ideal candidate for a role of amorphous biological robots with massive parallel information processing and distributed inputs and outputs. We show that when adhered to a lightweight object resting on a water surface the plasmodium can propel the object by oscillating its protoplasmic pseudopodia. In experimental laboratory conditions and computational experiments we study phenomenology of the plasmodium-floater system, and possible mechanisms of controlling motion of objects propelled by on-board plasmodium.
Modelling, Simulation and Testing of a Reconfigurable Cable-Based Parallel Manipulator as Motion Aiding System
Authors: Castelli Gianni , Ottaviano Erika
Published: March 2015

This paper presents results on the modelling, simulation and experimental tests of a cable-based parallel manipulator to be used as an aiding or guiding system for people with motion disabilities. There is a high level of motivation for people with a motion disability or the elderly to perform basic daily-living activities independently. Therefore, it is of great interest to design and implement safe and reliable motion assisting and guiding devices that are able to help end-users. In general, a robot for a medical application should be able to interact with a patient in safety conditions, i.e. it must not damage people or surroundings; it must be designed to guarantee high accuracy and low acceleration during the operation. Furthermore, it should not be too bulky and it should exert limited wrenches after close interaction with people. It can be advisable to have a portable system which can be easily brought into and assembled in a hospital or a domestic environment. Cable-based robotic structures can fulfil those requirements because of their main characteristics that make them light and intrinsically safe. In this paper, a reconfigurable four-cable-based parallel manipulator has been proposed as a motion assisting and guiding device to help people to accomplish a number of tasks, such as an aiding or guiding system to move the upper and lower limbs or the whole body. Modelling and simulation are presented in the ADAMS environment. Moreover, experimental tests are reported as based on an available laboratory prototype.
A Model of the Smooth Pursuit Eye Movement with Prediction and Learning
Authors: Zambrano Davide , Falotico Egidio , Manfredi Luigi , Laschi Cecilia
Published: March 2015

Smooth pursuit is one of the five main eye movements in humans, consisting of tracking a steadily moving visual target. Smooth pursuit is a good example of a sensory-motor task that is deeply based on prediction: tracking a visual target is not possible by correcting the error between the eye and the target position or velocity with a feedback loop, but it is only possible by predicting the trajectory of the target. This paper presents a model of smooth pursuit based on prediction and learning. It starts from amodel of the neuro-physiological system proposed by Shibata and Schaal (Shibata et al.,Neural Networks, vol. 18, pp. 213-224, 2005). The learning component added here decreases the prediction time in the case of target dynamics already experienced by the system. In the implementation described here, the convergence time is, after the learning phase, 0.8 s.
Influence of Force and Torque Feedback on Operator Performance in a VR-Based Suturing Task
Authors: Santos-Carreras L. , Beira R. , Sengül A. , Gassert R. , Bleuler H.
Published: March 2015

The introduction of Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) has revolutionised surgical care, considerably improving the quality of many surgical procedures. Technological advances, particularly in robotic surgery systems, have reduced the complexity of such an approach, paving the way for even less invasive surgical trends. However, the fact that haptic feedback has been progressively lost through this transition is an issue that to date has not been solved. Whereas traditional open surgery provides full haptic feedback, the introduction of MIS has eliminated the possibility of direct palpation and tactile exploration. Nevertheless, these procedures still provide a certain amount of force feedback through the rigid laparoscopic tool. Many of the current telemanipulated robotic surgical systems in return do not provide full haptic feedback, which to a certain extent can be explained by the requirement of force sensors integrated into the tools of the slave robot and actuators in the surgeon’s master console. In view of the increased complexity and cost, the benefit of haptic feedback is open to dispute. Nevertheless, studies have shown the importance of haptic feedback, especially when visual feedback is unreliable or absent. In order to explore the importance of haptic feedback for the surgeon’s master console of a novel teleoperated robotic surgical system, we have identified a typical surgical task where performance could potentially be improved by haptic feedback, and investigate performance with and without this feedback. Two rounds of experiments are performed with 10 subjects, six of them with a medical background. Results show that feedback conditions, including force feedback, significantly improve task performance independently of the operator’s suturing experience. There is, however, no further significant improvement when torque feedback is added. Consequently, it is deduced that force feedback in translations improves subject’s dexterity, while torque feedback might not further benefit such a task.
Myoelectric Control Techniques for a Rehabilitation Robot
Authors: Smith Alan , Brown Edward E.
Published: March 2015

This work examines two different types of myoelectric control schemes for the purpose of rehabilitation robot applications. The first is a commonly used technique based on a Gaussian classifier. It is implemented in real time for healthy subjects in addition to a subject with Central Cord Syndrome (CCS). The myoelectric control scheme is used to control three degrees of freedom (DOF) on a robot manipulator which corresponded to the robot's elbow joint, wrist joint, and gripper. The classes of motion controlled include elbow flexion and extension, wrist pronation and supination, hand grasping and releasing, and rest. Healthy subjects were able to achieve 90% accuracy. Single DOF controllers were first tested on the subject with CCS and he achieved 100%, 96%, and 85% accuracy for the elbow, gripper, and wrist controllers respectively. Secondly, he was able to control the three DOF controller at 68% accuracy. The potential applications for this scheme are rehabilitation and teleoperation. To overcome limitations in the pattern recognition based scheme, a second myoelectric control scheme is also presented which is trained using electromyographic (EMG) data derived from natural reaching motions in the sagittal plane. This second scheme is based on a time delayed neural network (TDNN) which has the ability to control multiple DOF at once. The controller tracked a subject's elbow and shoulder joints in the sagittal plane. Results showed an average error of 19° for the two joints. This myoelectric control scheme has the potential of being used in the development of exoskeleton and orthotic rehabilitation applications.
A Mathematical Model for Peristaltic Transport of Micro-Polar Fluids
Authors: Pandey S. K. , Tripathi Dharmendra
Published: March 2015

A mathematical model has been constructed for peristaltic transport of micro-polar fluid in a circular cylindrical tube of finite length by letting sinusoidal waves propagate along the wall that induce contraction and relaxation but not expansion beyond the natural boundary. Axial and radial velocities and micro-rotation components are formulated for micro-polar fluid transportations by applying the method of long wavelength and low Reynolds number approximations in the analysis. Pressure distribution along the tube length is studied to investigate temporal effects. An in-depth study has been done to learn the effects of coupling number and micro-polar parameter. The effects of coupling number and micro-polar parameter are investigated also on mechanical efficiency, reflux and trapping. A significant difference observed is that unlike integral wave-trains propagating along the tube walls that have identical peaks of pressure, non-integral wave-trains have peaks of different sizes.
Design of a Simple and Modular 2-DOF Ankle Physiotherapy Device Relying on a Hybrid Serial-Parallel Robotic Architecture
Authors: Syrseloudis Christos E. , Emiris Ioannis Z. , Lilas Theodore , Maglara Artemis
Published: March 2015

The aim of this work is to propose a new 2-DOF robotic platform with hybrid parallel-serial structure and to undertake its parametric design so that it can follow the whole range of ankle related foot movements. This robot can serve as a human ankle rehabilitation device. The existing ankle rehabilitation devices present typically one or more of the following shortcomings: redundancy, large size, or high cost, hence the need for a device that could offer simplicity, modularity, and low cost of construction and maintenance. In addition, our targeted device must be safe during operation, disallow undesirable movements of the foot, while adaptable to any human foot. Our detailed study of foot kinematics has led us to a new hybrid architecture, which strikes a balance among all aforementioned goals. It consists of a passive serial kinematics chain with two adjustable screws so that the axes of the chain match the two main ankle-axes of typical feet. An active parallel chain, which consists of two prismatic actuators, provides the movement of the platform. Thus, the platform can follow the foot movements, thanks to the passive chain, and also possesses the advantages of parallel robots, including rigidity, high stiffness and force capabilities. The lack of redundancy yields a simpler device with lower size and cost. The paper describes the kinematics modelling of the platform and analyses the force and velocity transmission. The parametric design of the platform is carried out; our simulations confirm the platform's suitability for ankle rehabilitation.
“I Want That”: Human-in-the-Loop Control of a Wheelchair-Mounted Robotic Arm
Authors: Tsui Katherine M. , Kim Dae-Jin , Behal Aman , Kontak David , Yanco Holly A.
Published: March 2015

Wheelchair-mounted robotic arms have been commercially available for a decade. In order to operate these robotic arms, a user must have a high level of cognitive function. Our research focuses on replacing a manufacturer-provided, menu-based interface with a vision-based system while adding autonomy to reduce the cognitive load. Instead of manual task decomposition and execution, the user explicitly designates the end goal, and the system autonomously retrieves the object. In this paper, we present the complete system which can autonomously retrieve a desired object from a shelf. We also present the results of a 15-week study in which 12 participants from our target population used our system, totaling 198 trials.
Preventing Ischial Pressure Ulcers: I. Review of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation
Authors: Kaplan Hilton M. , Loeb Gerald E.
Published: March 2015

Objective:Pressure ulcers (PUs) are common and debilitating wounds that arise when immobilized patients cannot shift their weight. Treatment is expensive and recurrence rates are high. Pathophysiological mechanisms include reduced bulk and perfusion of chronically atrophic muscles as well as prolonged occlusion of blood flow to soft tissues from lack of voluntary postural shifting of body weight. This has suggested that PUs might be prevented by reanimating the paralyzed muscles using neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES). A review of the published literature over the past 2 decades is detailed.

Outcomes:Historically gluteus maximus (GM) has been an important target for NMES, but results have been difficult to interpret and suitable technology has been lacking.

Conclusions:NMES of the buttock muscles appears to be valuable in terms of its trophic effects, improving vascularity and soft tissue bulk. It remains unclear, however, whether GM can actually achieve sufficient unloading of normal forces to permit blood flow in the capillary beds of the skin and muscle. Analysis of the skeletal biomechanics is required to assess the relative value of GM vs. hamstring (HS) hip extensors in this regard.
Detection of Gait Perturbations Based on Proprioceptive Information. Application to Limit Cycle Walkers
Authors: Gallego J. A. , Forner-Cordero A. , Moreno J. C. , Turowska E. A. , Pons J. L.
Published: March 2015

Walking on irregular surfaces and in the presence of unexpected events is a challenging problem for bipedal machines. Up to date, their ability to cope with gait disturbances is far less successful than humans’: Neither trajectory controlled robots, nor dynamic walking machines (Limit Cycle Walkers) are able to handle them satisfactorily. On the contrary, humans reject gait perturbations naturally and efficiently relying on their sensory organs that, if needed, elicit a recovery action. A similar approach may be envisioned for bipedal robots and exoskeletons: An algorithm continuously observes the state of the walker and, if an unexpected event happens, triggers an adequate reaction. This paper presents a monitoring algorithm that provides immediate detection of any type of perturbation based solely on a phase representation of the normal walking of the robot. The proposed method was evaluated in a Limit Cycle Walker prototype that suffered push and trip perturbations at different moments of the gait cycle, providing 100% successful detections for the current experimental apparatus and adequately tuned parameters, with no false positives when the robot is walking unperturbed.
A Multivariate Auto-Regressive Method to Estimate Cortico-Muscular Coherence for the Detection of Movement Intent
Authors: Severini G. , Conforto S. , Schmid M. , D'Alessio T.
Published: March 2015

In this work a time-frequency approach to estimate the Cortico-Muscular Coherence for the detection of the movement intent is presented, assessed on simulated data, and evaluated experimentally during different motor tasks performed by healthy subjects and patients suffering from different types of tremor. Cortico-Muscular Coherence is an index of the coupling of EEG signal in the cortical area with sEMG activity in the frequency domain, and its contributions in the beta band (15–30 Hz) have been associated to the movement intent. Cortico-Muscular Coherence estimation is here achieved by considering a closed-loop representation of the signals under analysis obtained through Multivariate Auto Regressive modeling. Significance levels for Cortico-Muscular Coherence are assessed by means of a surrogate data analysis approach. The detection technique is able to reveal significant Cortico-Muscular Coherence changes in 79% of the experimental trials, with a mean anticipation of 1.35 s with respect to movement onset. Time-frequency estimation of Cortico-Muscular Coherence can provide an insight for the development of a multimodal BCI able to integrate information from the brain activity in the functioning of assistive devices.
A Portable Piezoelectric Tactile Terminal for Braille Readers
Authors: Velázquez Ramiro , Hernández Hermes , Preza Enrique
Published: March 2015

This paper introduces a novel concept on reading assistive technologies for the blind: the TactoBook, a system that is able to translate entire electronic books (eBooks) to Braille code and to reproduce them in portable electronic Braille terminals. The TactoBook consists of a computer-based translator that converts fast and automatically any eBook into Braille. The Braille version of the eBook is then encrypted as a file and stored in a USB memory drive which is later inserted and reproduced in a compact, lightweight, and highly-portable tactile terminal. In particular, this paper presents a piezoelectric ultrasonic actuation approach to design and implement such portable Braille terminal. Actuating mechanism, design concept, first prototype, and performance results are presented and discussed.
Development and Control of a Robotic Exoskeleton for Shoulder, Elbow and Forearm Movement Assistance
Authors: Rahman Mohammad Habibur , Kittel-Ouimet Thierry , Saad Maarouf , Kenné Jean-Pierre , Archambault Philippe S.
Published: March 2015

World health organization reports, annually more than 15 million people worldwide suffer a stroke and cardiovascular disease, among which 85% of stroke patients incur acute arm impairment, and 40% of victims are chronically impaired or permanently disabled. This results a burden on the families, communities and to the country as well. Rehabilitation programs are the main way to promote functional recovery in these individuals. Since the number of such cases is constantly growing and that the duration of treatment is long, an intelligent robot could significantly contribute to the success of these programs. We therefore developed a new 5DoFs robotic exoskeleton namedMARSE-5 (motion assistive robotic-exoskeleton for superior extremity) that supposed to be worn on the lateral side of upper arm to rehabilitate and ease the shoulder, elbow and forearm movements. This paper focused on the design, modeling, development and control of the proposedMARSE-5. To control the exoskeleton, a nonlinear sliding mode control (SMC) technique was employed. In experiments, trajectory tracking that corresponds to typical passive rehabilitation exercises was carried out. Experimental results reveal that the controller is able to maneuver theMARSE-5 efficiently to track the desired trajectories.
Peristaltic Transport through Eccentric Cylinders: Mathematical Model
Authors: Mekheimer Kh. S. , Abd elmaboud Y. , Abdellateef A. I.
Published: March 2015

This paper discusses the effect of peristaltic transport on the fluid flow in the gap between two eccentric tubes (eccentric-annulus flows). The inner tube is uniform, rigid, while the outer tube has a sinusoidal wave traveling down its wall. The flow analysis has been developed for low Reynolds number and long wave length approximation. The velocity and the pressure gradient have been obtained in terms of the dimensionless flow rateQ¯, timet, azimuthal coordinate θ and eccentricity parameter ϵ (the parameter that controls of the eccentricity of the inner tube position). The results show that there is a significant deference between eccentric and concentric annulus flows.
Measurement and Quantification of Gross Human Shoulder Motion
Authors: Newkirk Jeremy T. , Tomšič Martin , Crowell Charles R. , Villano Michael A. , Stanišić Michael M.
Published: March 2015

The shoulder girdle plays an important role in the large pointing workspace that humans enjoy. The goal of this work was to characterize the human shoulder girdle motion in relation to the arm. The overall motion of the human shoulder girdle was characterized based on motion studies completed on test subjects during voluntary (natural/unforced) motion. The collected data from the experiments were used to develop surface fit equations that represent the position and orientation of the glenohumeral joint for a given humeral pointing direction. These equations completely quantify gross human shoulder girdle motion relative to the humerus. The equations are presented along with goodness-of-fit results that indicate the equations well approximate the motion of the human glenohumeral joint. This is the first time the motion has been quantified for the entire workspace, and the equations provide a reference against which to compare future work.
Recent Observations in Surface Electromyography Recording of Triceps Brachii Muscle in Patients and Athletes
Authors: Asraf Ali Md. , Sundaraj Kenneth , Badlishah Ahmad R. , Ahamed Nizam Uddin , Anamul Islam Md.
Published: March 2015

Objective: To observe and analyse the literature on the use of surface electromyography electrodes, including the shape, size, and metal composition of the electrodes used, the interelectrode distance, and the anatomical locations on the muscle at which the electrodes are placed, for the observation of the triceps brachii muscle activity in patients and athletes.

Methods: We searched the ScienceDirect and SpringerLink online databases for articles published in the English language during the last six years (between January 2008 and December 2013). We specifically searched for the keywords “EMG” and “triceps brachii” in the full text of each of the articles. The inclusion criteria were articles on the use of surface electromyography electrodes to observe the activity of the triceps brachii muscle in patients and athletes.

Results: In the 23 selected articles, the activities of the triceps brachii muscle in a total of 402 subjects were measured using surface electromyography electrodes: 262 subjects in the studies that focused on the rehabilitation of patients with various disorders, and 140 subjects in the studies that focused on the sports performance of various athletes. To record the surface electromyography activity of the triceps brachii muscle, the electrodes were placed over the muscle belly or the three heads (lateral, long, and medial) of the triceps brachii muscle with diverse interelectrode distances. Seventeen studies used bipolar or triode silver/silver chloride electrodes, one study utilised bipolar gold electrodes, one study applied bipolar polycarbonate electrodes, one study used a linear array of four silver bar electrodes, one study utilised DELSYS parallel bar nickel silver electrodes, and two studies did not clearly mention the composition of the electrodes used.

Conclusions: Bipolar silver/silver chloride circular-shaped electrodes are utilised more frequently than electrodes with a different metal composition and shape. The anatomical locations of the triceps brachii muscle that mainly considered for electrode placement are the lateral, long, and medial heads. A 10-mm electrode size is commonly used to measure the sEMG activity more efficiently. However, we found that an electrode size of up to 40 mm may be used to reliably measure the sEMG activity on the triceps brachii muscle. A 20-mm interelectrode distance is commonly used to measure the sEMG activity using the above mentioned muscle locations and silver/silver chloride electrodes. We also identified others factors that should be taken into account for the use of the sEMG recording technique on the triceps brachii under real-time conditions.
Parametric Analysis of Entropy Generation in Magneto-Hemodynamic Flow in a Semi-Porous Channel with OHAM and DTM
Authors: Rashidi M. M. , Parsa A. Basiri , Bég O. Anwar , Shamekhi L. , Sadri S. M. , Bég Tasveer A.
Published: March 2015

The magneto-hemodynamic laminar viscous flow of a conducting physiological fluid in a semi-porous channel under a transverse magnetic field has been analyzed by the optimal Homotopy Analysis Method (OHAM) and Differential Transform Method (DTM) under physically realistic boundary conditions first. Then as the main purpose of this study the important designing subject, entropy generation of this system, has been analyzed. The influence of Hartmann number (Ha) and transpiration Reynolds number (mass transfer parameter, Re) on the fluid velocity profiles in the channel are studied in detail first. After finding the fluid velocity profiles, graphical results are presented to investigate effects of the Reynolds number, Hartmann number,x-velocity of the moving plate, suspension height and dimensionless horizontal coordinate on the entropy generation.
On Two-Fluid Blood Flow through Stenosed Artery with Permeable Wall
Authors: Srivastav Rupesh K. , Srivastava V. P.
Published: March 2015

The present investigation concerns the fluid mechanical study on the effects of the permeability of the wall through an axisymmetric stenosis in an artery assuming that the flowing blood is represented by a two-fluid model. The expressions for the blood flow characteristics, the impedance, the wall shear stress distribution in the stenotic region and the shearing stress at the stenosis throat have been derived. Results for the effects of permeability as well as of the peripheral layer on these blood flow characteristics are quantified through numerical computations and presented graphically and discussed comparatively to validate the applicability of the present model.
A Computational Model for Biomechanical Effects of Arterial Compliance Mismatch
Authors: He Fan , Hua Lu , Gao Li-jian
Published: March 2015

Background. Compliance mismatch is a negative factor and it needs to be considered in arterial bypass grafting.Objective. A computational model was employed to investigate the effects of arterial compliance mismatch on blood flow, wall stress, and deformation.Methods. The unsteady blood flow was assumed to be laminar, Newtonian, viscous, and incompressible. The vessel wall was assumed to be linear elastic, isotropic, and incompressible. The fluid-wall interaction scheme was constructed using the finite element method.Results. The results show that there are identical wall shear stress waveforms, wall stress, and strain waveforms at different locations. The comparison of the results demonstrates that wall shear stresses and wall strains are higher while wall stresses are lower at the more compliant section. The differences promote the probability of intimal thickening at some locations.Conclusions. The model is effective and gives satisfactory results. It could be extended to all kinds of arteries with complicated geometrical and material factors.
Environmental Trigger(s) of Type 1 Diabetes: Why So Difficult to Identify?
Authors: Rønningen Kjersti S.
Published: March 2015

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is one of the most common chronic diseases with childhood onset, and the disease has increased two- to fivefold over the past half century by as yet unknown means. T1D occurs when the body’s immune system turns against itself so that, in a very specific and targeted way, it destroys the pancreaticβ-cells. T1D results from poorly defined interactions between susceptibility genes and environmental determinants. In contrast to the rapid progress in finding T1D genes, identification and confirmation of environmental determinants remain a formidable challenge. This review article will focus on factors which have to be evaluated and decision to take before starting a new prospective cohort study. Considering all the large ongoing prospective studies, new and more conclusive data than that obtained so far should instead come from international collaboration on the ongoing cohort studies.
Recent Trends in Rapid Environmental Monitoring of Pathogens and Toxicants: Potential of Nanoparticle‐Based Biosensor and Applications
Authors: Koedrith Preeyaporn , Thasiphu Thalisa , Weon Jong-Il , Boonprasert Rattana , Tuitemwong Kooranee , Tuitemwong Pravate
Published: March 2015

Of global concern, environmental pollution adversely affects human health and socioeconomic development. The presence of environmental contaminants, especially bacterial, viral, and parasitic pathogens and their toxins as well as chemical substances, poses serious public health concerns. Nanoparticle‐based biosensors are considered as potential tools for rapid, specific, and highly sensitive detection of the analyte of interest (both biotic and abiotic contaminants). In particular, there are several limitations of conventional detection methods for water‐borne pathogens due to low concentrations and interference with various enzymatic inhibitors in the environmental samples. The increase of cells to detection levels requires long incubation time. This review describes current state of biosensor nanotechnology, the advantage over conventional detection methods, and the challenges due to testing of environmental samples. The major approach is to use nanoparticles as signal reporter to increase output rather than spending time to increase cell concentrations. Trends in future development of novel detection devices and their advantages over other environmental monitoring methodologies are also discussed.
Delay-Sensitive Routing Schemes for Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks
Authors: Javaid N. , Jafri M. R. , Ahmed S. , Jamil M. , Khan Z. A. , Qasim U. , Al-Saleh S. S.
Published: March 2015

Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks (UASNs) offer their practicable applications in seismic monitoring, sea mine detection, and disaster prevention. In these networks, fundamental difference between operational methodologies of routing schemes arises due to the requirement of time-critical applications; therefore, there is a need for the design of delay-sensitive techniques. In this paper, Delay-Sensitive Depth-Based Routing (DSDBR), Delay-Sensitive Energy Efficient Depth-Based Routing (DSEEDBR), and Delay-Sensitive Adaptive Mobility of Courier nodes in Threshold-optimized Depth-based routing (DSAMCTD) protocols are proposed to empower the depth-based routing schemes. The performance of the proposed schemes is validated in UASNs. All of the three schemes formulate delay-efficient Priority Factors (PF) and Delay-Sensitive Holding time ([Formula: see text]) to minimize end-to-end delay with a small decrease in network throughput. These schemes also employ an optimal weight function ([Formula: see text]) for the computation of transmission loss and speed of received signal. Furthermore, solution for delay lies in efficient data forwarding, minimal relative transmissions in low-depth region, and better forwarder selection. Simulations are performed to assess the proposed protocols and the results indicate that the three schemes largely minimize end-to-end delay along with improving the transmission loss of network.
Immunodiagnostic Significance of Anti-RA33 Autoantibodies in Saudi Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Al-Mughales Jamil A.
Published: March 2015

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the immunodiagnostic significance and utility of anti-RA33 with anti-CCP, RF, and CRP in Saudi patients with rheumatoid arthritis.Methods. This was a prospective controlled clinical study conducted at King Abdul Aziz University Tertiary Medical Centre. The sera of 41 RA patients, 31 non-RA patients, and 29 healthy controls were collected. Anti-RA33 and anti-CCP were measured using commercially available ELISA principle kits. RF and CRP were measured using nephelometry.Results. Anti-RA33 antibodies had the lowest positive and negative predictive values and showed a sensitivity of 7.32% with 95.12% specificity. Of the other three markers (including anti-CCP antibodies, CRP, and RF), only anti-CCP showed specificity of 90.46% with sensitivity of 63.41% compared to non-RA patients + healthy control. There was a significant correlation with rheumatoid factor positivity with anti-CCP. With respect to CRP, a notable correlation was seen only with anti-RA33.Conclusion. Compared to rheumatoid factor, anti-CCP antibodies, and C-reactive proteins, the anti-RA33 autoantibodies seem to be not representing as an important additional immunodiagnostic marker in Saudi patients with established RA. RA33 may have more interest in early RA or less severe RA and other systemic connective tissue disorders.
A Novel High Efficiency Fractal Multiview Video Codec
Authors: Zhu Shiping , Zhao Dongyu , Zhang Ling
Published: March 2015

Multiview video which is one of the main types of three-dimensional (3D) video signals, captured by a set of video cameras from various viewpoints, has attracted much interest recently. Data compression for multiview video has become a major issue. In this paper, a novel high efficiency fractal multiview video codec is proposed. Firstly, intraframe algorithm based on the H.264/AVC intraprediction modes and combining fractal and motion compensation (CFMC) algorithm in which range blocks are predicted by domain blocks in the previously decoded frame using translational motion with gray value transformation is proposed for compressing the anchor viewpoint video. Then temporal-spatial prediction structure and fast disparity estimation algorithm exploiting parallax distribution constraints are designed to compress the multiview video data. The proposed fractal multiview video codec can exploit temporal and spatial correlations adequately. Experimental results show that it can obtain about 0.36 dB increase in the decoding quality and 36.21% decrease in encoding bitrate compared with JMVC8.5, and the encoding time is saved by 95.71%. The rate-distortion comparisons with other multiview video coding methods also demonstrate the superiority of the proposed scheme.
Therapeutic Effect ofAgaricus brasiliensison Phenylhydrazine-Induced Neonatal Jaundice in Rats
Authors: Zhang Lan , Yuan Bo , Wang HuiPing , Gao Ya
Published: March 2015

The present study was designed to investigate the effect ofAgaricus brasiliensisextract (ABE) on phenylhydrazine-induced neonatal jaundice in rats. Administration of ABE dose-dependently reduced the elevated bilirubin level induced by phenylhydrazine. It can be somewhat supported from the results ofin vitrobilirubin degradation experiment. ABE treatment also reduced the total antioxidant status (TAOS), cascadeO2-/SOD, level of NF-κB protein, and adrenomedullin (AM). Overall, the results of this study demonstrated thatAgaricus brasiliensisextract may be beneficial to reducing bilirubin level without causing hepatotoxicity in neonatal jaundice.
Inverse Transient Radiative Analysis in Two-Dimensional Turbid Media by Particle Swarm Optimizations
Authors: Ren Yatao , Qi Hong , Chen Qin , Ruan Liming
Published: March 2015

Three intelligent optimization algorithms, namely, the standard Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), the Stochastic Particle Swarm Optimization (SPSO), and the hybrid Differential Evolution-Particle Swarm Optimization (DE-PSO), were applied to solve the inverse transient radiation problem in two-dimensional (2D) turbid media irradiated by the short pulse laser. The time-resolved radiative intensity signals simulated by finite volume method (FVM) were served as input for the inverse analysis. The sensitivities of the time-resolved radiation signals to the geometric parameters of the circular inclusions were also investigated. To illustrate the performance of these PSO algorithms, the optical properties, the size, and location of the circular inclusion were retrieved, respectively. The results showed that all these radiative parameters could be estimated accurately, even with noisy data. Compared with the PSO algorithm with inertia weights, the SPSO and DE-PSO algorithm were demonstrated to be more effective and robust, which had the potential to be implemented in 2D transient radiative transfer inverse problems.
Recovering Drug-Induced Apoptosis Subnetwork from Connectivity Map Data
Authors: Yu Jiyang , Putcha Preeti , Silva Jose M.
Published: March 2015

The Connectivity Map (CMAP) project profiled human cancer cell lines exposed to a library of anticancer compounds with the goal of connecting cancer with underlying genes and potential treatments. Since the therapeutic goal of most anticancer drugs is to induce tumor-selective apoptosis, it is critical to understand the specific cell death pathways triggered by drugs. This can help to better understand the mechanism of how cancer cells respond to chemical stimulations and improve the treatment of human tumors. In this study, using CMAP microarray data from breast cancer cell line MCF7, we applied a Gaussian Bayesian network modeling approach and identified apoptosis as a major drug-induced cellular-pathway. We then focused on 13 apoptotic genes that showed significant differential expression across all drug-perturbed samples to reconstruct the apoptosis network. In our predicted subnetwork, 9 out of 15 high-confidence interactions were validated in the literature, and our inferred network captured two major cell death pathways by identifying BCL2L11 and PMAIP1 as key interacting players for the intrinsic apoptosis pathway and TAXBP1 and TNFAIP3 for the extrinsic apoptosis pathway. Our inferred apoptosis network also suggested the role of BCL2L11 and TNFAIP3 as “gateway” genes in the drug-induced intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis pathways.
On Fuzzy Multiobjective Multi-Item Solid Transportation Problem
Authors: Rani Deepika , Gulati T. R. , Kumar Amit
Published: March 2015

A transportation problem involving multiple objectives, multiple products, and three constraints, namely, source, destination, and conveyance, is called the multiobjective multi-item solid transportation problem (MOMISTP). Recently, Kundu et al. (2013) proposed a method to solve an unbalanced MOMISTP. In this paper, we suggest a method, which first converts an unbalanced problem to a balanced one. In one case of an example, while the method proposed by Kundu et al. concludes infeasibility, our method gives a feasible solution.
Apparent Skin Discoloration about the Knee Joint: A Rare Sequela of Metallosis after Total Knee Replacement
Authors: Jayasekera Narlaka , Gouk Conor , Patel Amit , Eyres Keith
Published: March 2015

Introduction. Metallosis is a phenomenon most commonly associated with hip replacement. However it can occur in any metallic implant subject to wear. Wear creates metal debris, which is deposited in the surrounding soft tissue. This leads to many local adverse reactions including, but not limited to, implant loosening/osteolysis, pain, and effusion. In the deeper joints, for example, the hip, metal deposits are mostly only seen intraoperatively.Case Study. A 74-year-old lady represented to orthopaedic outpatient clinic. Her principle complaint was skin discolouration, associated with pain and swelling over the left knee, on the background of a previous total knee replacement with a metal backed patella resurfacing six years. A plain radiograph revealed loosening of the patellar prosthesis. A diagnosis of metallosis was made; the patient underwent debridement of the stained soft tissue and primary revision of the prosthesis. She remained symptom-free five years after revision.Discussion. Metallosis results in metallic debris which causes tissue staining, often hidden within the soft tissue envelope of the hip, but more apparent in the knee. Metallosis may cause pain, effusion, and systemic symptoms because of raised levels of serum-metal ions. Surgical intervention with revision and debridement can have good functional results.