scholarly journals Non-Contact Video-Based Assessment of the Respiratory Function Using a RGB-D Camera

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (16) ◽  
pp. 5605
Author(s):  
Andrea Valenzuela ◽  
Nicolás Sibuet ◽  
Gemma Hornero ◽  
Oscar Casas
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Respiratory Function ◽  
Fixed Time ◽  
Contact Method ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
Significant Bias ◽  
Simultaneous Acquisition ◽  
Single Region ◽  
Fully Automatic ◽  
The Mean

A fully automatic, non-contact method for the assessment of the respiratory function is proposed using an RGB-D camera-based technology. The proposed algorithm relies on the depth channel of the camera to estimate the movements of the body’s trunk during breathing. It solves in fixed-time complexity, O(1), as the acquisition relies on the mean depth value of the target regions only using the color channels to automatically locate them. This simplicity allows the extraction of real-time values of the respiration, as well as the synchronous assessment on multiple body parts. Two different experiments have been performed: a first one conducted on 10 users in a single region and with a fixed breathing frequency, and a second one conducted on 20 users considering a simultaneous acquisition in two regions. The breath rate has then been computed and compared with a reference measurement. The results show a non-statistically significant bias of 0.11 breaths/min and 96% limits of agreement of −2.21/2.34 breaths/min regarding the breath-by-breath assessment. The overall real-time assessment shows a RMSE of 0.21 breaths/min. We have shown that this method is suitable for applications where respiration needs to be monitored in non-ambulatory and static environments.

Multi-Center Calibration of the Second Reference Material for Thromboplastin, Rabbit, Plain, Coded CRM 149R

1991 ◽  
Vol 65 (03) ◽  
pp. 263-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
A M H P van den Besselaar ◽  
R M Bertina
Keyword(s):  
Reference Material ◽  
Standard Error ◽  
Standard Errors ◽  
Sensitivity Index ◽  
Long Term Stability ◽  
Significant Bias ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
International Sensitivity Index

SummaryIn a collaborative trial of eleven laboratories which was performed mainly within the framework of the European Community Bureau of Reference (BCR), a second reference material for thromboplastin, rabbit, plain, was calibrated against its predecessor RBT/79. This second reference material (coded CRM 149R) has a mean International Sensitivity Index (ISI) of 1.343 with a standard error of the mean of 0.035. The standard error of the ISI was determined by combination of the standard errors of the ISI of RBT/79 and the slope of the calibration line in this trial.The BCR reference material for thromboplastin, human, plain (coded BCT/099) was also included in this trial for assessment of the long-term stability of the relationship with RBT/79. The results indicated that this relationship has not changed over a period of 8 years. The interlaboratory variation of the slope of the relationship between CRM 149R and RBT/79 was significantly lower than the variation of the slope of the relationship between BCT/099 and RBT/79. In addition to the manual technique, a semi-automatic coagulometer according to Schnitger & Gross was used to determine prothrombin times with CRM 149R. The mean ISI of CRM 149R was not affected by replacement of the manual technique by this particular coagulometer.Two lyophilized plasmas were included in this trial. The mean slope of relationship between RBT/79 and CRM 149R based on the two lyophilized plasmas was the same as the corresponding slope based on fresh plasmas. Tlowever, the mean slope of relationship between RBT/79 and BCT/099 based on the two lyophilized plasmas was 4.9% higher than the mean slope based on fresh plasmas. Thus, the use of these lyophilized plasmas induced a small but significant bias in the slope of relationship between these thromboplastins of different species.

scholarly journals Electrical stimulator with mechanomyography-based real-time monitoring, muscle fatigue detection, and safety shut-off: a pilot study

2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 461-468
Author(s):  
Jannatul Naeem ◽  
Nur Azah Hamzaid ◽  
Amelia Wong Azman ◽  
Manfred Bijak
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Fatigue ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Isometric Force ◽  
Mean Square ◽  
Clear Indication ◽  
Initial Value ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Electrical Stimulator ◽  
Fatigue Detection

AbstractFunctional electrical stimulation (FES) has been used to produce force-related activities on the paralyzed muscle among spinal cord injury (SCI) individuals. Early muscle fatigue is an issue in all FES applications. If not properly monitored, overstimulation can occur, which can lead to muscle damage. A real-time mechanomyography (MMG)-based FES system was implemented on the quadriceps muscles of three individuals with SCI to generate an isometric force on both legs. Three threshold drop levels of MMG-root mean square (MMG-RMS) feature (thr50, thr60, and thr70; representing 50%, 60%, and 70% drop from initial MMG-RMS values, respectively) were used to terminate the stimulation session. The mean stimulation time increased when the MMG-RMS drop threshold increased (thr50: 22.7 s, thr60: 25.7 s, and thr70: 27.3 s), indicating longer sessions when lower performance drop was allowed. Moreover, at thr70, the torque dropped below 50% from the initial value in 14 trials, more than at thr50 and thr60. This is a clear indication of muscle fatigue detection using the MMG-RMS value. The stimulation time at thr70 was significantly longer (p = 0.013) than that at thr50. The results demonstrated that a real-time MMG-based FES monitoring system has the potential to prevent the onset of critical muscle fatigue in individuals with SCI in prolonged FES sessions.

scholarly journals Estimation of Motion and Respiratory Characteristics during the Meditation Practice Based on Video Analysis

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (11) ◽  
pp. 3771
Author(s):  
Alexey Kashevnik ◽  
Walaa Othman ◽  
Igor Ryabchikov ◽  
Nikolay Shilov
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Rate ◽  
Evaluation System ◽  
Body Movement ◽  
Absolute Error ◽  
The Body ◽  
Meditation Practice ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
Mental Health Training ◽  
Negative Thoughts ◽  
The Mean

Meditation practice is mental health training. It helps people to reduce stress and suppress negative thoughts. In this paper, we propose a camera-based meditation evaluation system, that helps meditators to improve their performance. We rely on two main criteria to measure the focus: the breathing characteristics (respiratory rate, breathing rhythmicity and stability), and the body movement. We introduce a contactless sensor to measure the respiratory rate based on a smartphone camera by detecting the chest keypoint at each frame, using an optical flow based algorithm to calculate the displacement between frames, filtering and de-noising the chest movement signal, and calculating the number of real peaks in this signal. We also present an approach to detecting the movement of different body parts (head, thorax, shoulders, elbows, wrists, stomach and knees). We have collected a non-annotated dataset for meditation practice videos consists of ninety videos and the annotated dataset consists of eight videos. The non-annotated dataset was categorized into beginner and professional meditators and was used for the development of the algorithm and for tuning the parameters. The annotated dataset was used for evaluation and showed that human activity during meditation practice could be correctly estimated by the presented approach and that the mean absolute error for the respiratory rate is around 1.75 BPM, which can be considered tolerable for the meditation application.

scholarly journals Feasibility study of real-time online text-based CBT to support self-management for people with type 1 diabetes: the Diabetes On-line Therapy (DOT) Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. e001934
Author(s):  
Anne M Doherty ◽  
Anne Herrmann-Werner ◽  
Arann Rowe ◽  
Jennie Brown ◽  
Scott Weich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Type 1 Diabetes ◽  
Glycemic Control ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Instant Messaging ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Diabetes Distress ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Distress Scale

IntroductionThis study examines the feasibility of conducting diabetes-focused cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) via a secure online real-time instant messaging system intervention to support self-management and improve glycemic control in people with type 1 diabetes.Research design and methodsWe used a pre–post uncontrolled intervention design over 12 months. We recruited adults with type 1 diabetes and suboptimal glycemic control (HbA1c ≥69 mmol/mol (DCCT 8.5%) for 12 months) across four hospitals in London. The intervention comprised 10 sessions of diabetes-focused CBT delivered by diabetes specialist nurses. The primary outcomes were number of eligible patients, rates of recruitment and follow-up, number of sessions completed and SD of the main outcome measure, change in HbA1c over 12 months. We measured the feasibility of collecting secondary outcomes, that is, depression measured using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), anxiety measured Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and the Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS).ResultsWe screened 3177 patients, of whom 638 were potentially eligible, from whom 71 (11.1%) were recruited. The mean age was 28.1 (13.1) years, and the mean HbA1c was 84.6 mmol/mol (17.8), DCCT 9.9%. Forty-six (65%) patients had at least 1 session and 29 (41%) completed all sessions. There was a significant reduction in HbA1c over 12 months (mean difference −6.2 (2.3) mmol/mol, DCCT 0.6%, p=0.038). The change scores in PHQ-9, GAD and DDS also improved.ConclusionsIt would be feasible to conduct a full-scale text-based synchronized real-time diabetes-focused CBT as an efficacy randomized controlled trial.

scholarly journals A Retrospective Analysis of Softball-Related Head and Facial Injuries Treated in United States Emergency Departments, 2013-2017

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 232596711982566 ◽  
Author(s):  
John S. Strickland ◽  
Marie Crandall ◽  
Grant R. Bevill
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Head Injuries ◽  
The United States ◽  
Weighted Estimate ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
Facial Injuries ◽  
Closed Head Injuries ◽  
Closed Head ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Race Ethnicity

Background: Softball is a popular sport played through both competitive and recreational leagues. While head and facial injuries are a known problem occurring from games, little is known about the frequency or mechanisms by which they occur. Purpose: To analyze head/face injury diagnoses and to identify the mechanisms associated with such injuries. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiological study. Methods: A public database was used to query data related to head/facial injuries sustained in softball. Data including age, sex, race/ethnicity, injury diagnosis, affected body parts, disposition, incident location, and narrative descriptions were collected and analyzed. Results: A total of 3324 head and face injuries were documented in the database over the time span of 2013 to 2017, resulting in a nationwide weighted estimate of 121,802 head/face injuries occurring annually. The mean age of the players was 21.5 ± 14.4 years; 72.1% of injured players were female, while 27.9% were male. The most common injury diagnoses were closed head injuries (22.0%), contusions (18.7%), concussions (17.7%), lacerations (17.1%), and fractures (15.1%). The overwhelming majority of injuries involved being struck by a ball (74.3%), followed by colliding with another player (8.3%), colliding with the ground or a fixed object (5.0%), or being struck by a bat (2.8%). For those injuries caused by a struck-by-ball incident, most occurred from defensive play (83.7% were fielders struck by a hit or thrown ball) as opposed to offensive play (12.3% were players hit by a pitch or runners struck by a ball). Although helmet usage was poorly tracked in the database, female players (1.3%) were significantly more likely to have been wearing a helmet at the time of injury than were male players (0.2%) ( P = .002). Conclusion: The present study demonstrates that a large number of head and face injuries occur annually within the United States as a result of softball play. A variety of injuries were observed, with the majority involving defensive players being struck by the ball, which highlights the need for more focus on player safety by stronger adherence to protective headgear usage and player health monitoring.

scholarly journals Utilization of laser interstitial thermotherapy guided by real-time thermal MRI as an alternative to separation surgery in the management of spinal metastasis

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 400-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudio E. Tatsui ◽  
R. Jason Stafford ◽  
Jing Li ◽  
Jonathan N. Sellin ◽  
Behrang Amini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Spinal Cord Compression ◽  
Spinal Metastasis ◽  
Cord Compression ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Interstitial Thermotherapy

OBJECT High-grade malignant spinal cord compression is commonly managed with a combination of surgery aimed at removing the epidural tumor, followed by spinal stereotactic radiosurgery (SSRS) aimed at local tumor control. The authors here introduce the use of spinal laser interstitial thermotherapy (SLITT) as an alternative to surgery prior to SSRS. METHODS Patients with a high degree of epidural malignant compression due to radioresistant tumors were selected for study. Visual analog scale (VAS) scores for pain and quality of life were obtained before and within 30 and 60 days after treatment. A laser probe was percutaneously placed in the epidural space. Real-time thermal MRI was used to monitor tissue damage in the region of interest. All patients received postoperative SSRS. The maximum thickness of the epidural tumor was measured, and the degree of epidural spinal cord compression (ESCC) was scored in pre- and postprocedure MRI. RESULTS In the 11 patients eligible for study, the mean VAS score for pain decreased from 6.18 in the preoperative period to 4.27 within 30 days and 2.8 within 60 days after the procedure. A similar VAS interrogating the percentage of quality of life demonstrated improvement from 60% preoperatively to 70% within both 30 and 60 days after treatment. Imaging follow-up 2 months after the procedure demonstrated a significant reduction in the mean thickness of the epidural tumor from 8.82 mm (95% CI 7.38–10.25) before treatment to 6.36 mm (95% CI 4.65–8.07) after SLITT and SSRS (p = 0.0001). The median preoperative ESCC Grade 2 was scored as 4, which was significantly higher than the score of 2 for Grade 1b (p = 0.04) on imaging follow-up 2 months after the procedure. CONCLUTIONS The authors present the first report on an innovative minimally invasive alternative to surgery in the management of spinal metastasis. In their early experience, SLITT has provided local control with low morbidity and improvement in both pain and the quality of life of patients.

scholarly journals SoFAR: Software for Fully Automatic Evaluation of Real-Time PCR Data

BioTechniques ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 324-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jochen Wilhelm ◽  
Alfred Pingoud ◽  
Meinhard Hahn
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Real Time Pcr ◽  
Automatic Evaluation ◽  
Fully Automatic

scholarly journals SPRAY APPLICATIONS TO TOMATO PLANTS IN GREENHOUSES. PART 2: EFFECT OF SPRAY LANCE TYPE

2009 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emanuele Cerruto ◽  
Giuseppe Emma ◽  
Giuseppe Manetto
Keyword(s):  
Block Design ◽  
The Body ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Internal Layer ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
Tomato Plants ◽  
Application Rates ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
The Mean

The present paper reports the results of some spray application trials carried out in a greenhouse with full developed tomato plants to assess foliar deposition, ground losses, and dermal operator exposure when using handheld high pressure spray lances and when walking backwards during treatments. Two spray lance types (conventional with one nozzle and Yamaho C-6 with two steel nozzles, each with two orifices) and two working pressures (10 and 20 bar) were taken into consideration. An experimental design with two factors (spray lance and pressure) was adopted, arranged according to a randomised block design with three replicates. Volume application rates ranged from 775 up to 1252 L/ha, but all data were normalised to 1000 L/ha. The results showed no statistically significant differences in the mean foliar deposition between the two spray lances and the two working pressures. However, the higher pressure improved significantly the deposit into the internal layer of the canopy (+57%), whereas the Yamaho C-6 spray lance produced a higher deposit on the external layer at any pressure. The greatest differences between external and internal layer were mainly concentrated in the middle and high parts of the canopy, where there were 55 007_Cerruto(557)_49 18-11-2009 11:59 Pagina 55 the highest values of LAI and number of foliar layers. The fraction of the applied volume rate on the ground was on average 25 percent and it was affected only by the pressure value: it increased from 21.7 to 28.7 percent when the pressure increased from 10 to 20 bar, due mainly to the contribution of the conventional spray lance under the sprayed twin-rows. Finally, neither pressure nor spray lance type affected significantly the dermal operator exposure. Upper limbs accounted for 51 percent of the total exposure, while trunk and lower limbs accounted for 24 percent each. The body parts more exposed were the left arm and the hands, but also relatively high was the deposit on the respirator, so operators should ever wear appropriate personal protective equipment.

scholarly journals ORAL HIV-ASSOCIATED KAPOSI SARCOMA: A COMPARISON BETWEEN IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY AND qPCR TECHNIQUES FOR DETECTION OF HHV8

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Priscila Lie Tobouti ◽  
Juliana Seo ◽  
Michella Bezerra Lima ◽  
Bruno Tavares Sedassari ◽  
Norberto Nobuo Sugaya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Dna Extraction ◽  
Real Time Pcr ◽  
Kaposi Sarcoma ◽  
Positive Staining ◽  
Extraction Protocol ◽  
Simple Phenol ◽  
Two Samples ◽  
Hematoxylin And Eosin ◽  
The Mean

<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To compare the diagnostic accuracy of immunohistochemistry compared to real-time PCR (using a simple phenol-chloroform DNA extraction protocol) in the detection of HHV8 in small oral biopsies of Kaposi sarcoma. Also to validate the use of this DNA extraction protocol to extract HHV8 DNA.</p><p><strong>Material and methods:</strong> Seventeen cases of oral KS were examined. Data including gender, age, and anatomic location were obtained from patient´s records and histological sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&amp;E) were reviewed. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect HHV8 in lesions of interest, as well as real-time PCR.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>All the patients were HIV positive, the mean age was 35.5 years old, and the affected oral sites were palate (47%), gingiva (29.4%), tongue (11.8%), lip (5.9%), and oral floor (5.9%). Fifteen samples showed positive staining for HHV8 and only two samples were negative. The same results were observed using real-time PCR HHV8-DNA detection.</p><p><strong>Relevance: </strong>Our findings suggest that immunohistochemistry is faster and cheaper to perform than real-time PCR and was shown to have similar levels of sensitivity and accuracy for detection of HHV8 even in small biopsies. Additionally DNA extraction using a non-commercial kit, as done in this study can further reduce the costs to a pathology service.</p>

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