Search results for "biome"

Using deep neural networks for kinematic analysis: Challenges and opportunities

2020

Kinematic analysis is often performed in a lab using optical cameras combined with reflective markers.\ud With the advent of artificial intelligence techniques such as deep neural networks, it is now possible\ud to perform such analyses without markers, making outdoor applications feasible. In this paper I summarise\ud 2D markerless approaches for estimating joint angles, highlighting their strengths and limitations.\ud In computer science, so-called ‘‘pose estimation” algorithms have existed for many years. These methods\ud involve training a neural network to detect features (e.g. anatomical landmarks) using a process called\ud supervised learning, which requires ‘‘training” images to be …

Genome-wide association studies identify 137 genetic loci for DNA methylation biomarkers of aging

2021

Abstract Background Biological aging estimators derived from DNA methylation data are heritable and correlate with morbidity and mortality. Consequently, identification of genetic and environmental contributors to the variation in these measures in populations has become a major goal in the field. Results Leveraging DNA methylation and SNP data from more than 40,000 individuals, we identify 137 genome-wide significant loci, of which 113 are novel, from genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analyses of four epigenetic clocks and epigenetic surrogate markers for granulocyte proportions and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 levels, respectively. We find evidence for shared genetic loci ass…

Association between tibial subchondral bone structure from plain radiographs and cartilage composition from quantitative MRI in postmenopausal women …

2016

Highly sensitive olfactory biosensors for the detection of volatile organic compounds by surface plasmon resonance imaging

2018

International audience; Nowadays, monitoring of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is very important in various domains. In this work, we aimed to develop sensitive olfactory biosensors using odorant binding proteins (OBPs) as sensing materials. Three rat OBP3 derivatives with customized binding properties were designed and immobilized on the same chip for the detection of VOCs in solution by surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRi). We demonstrated that the proteins kept their binding properties after the immobilization under optimized conditions. The obtained olfactory biosensors exhibited very low limits of detection in both concentration (200pM of beta-ionone) and in molecular weight of …

Foot and Lower Limb Clinical and Structural Changes in Overuse Injured Recreational Runners Using Floating Heel Shoes: Preliminary Results of a Rando…

2021

Foot-strike and the associated load rate are factors related to overuse injuries in runners. The purpose of this study was to analyse structural and functional changes in runners using floating heel running shoes, compared with runners using conventional footwear. A randomised control trial was conducted. Twenty runners with overuse injuries were followed over a 12-week gait retraining programme using floating heel running shoes or their conventional footwear. Pain was measured with pressure pain thresholds (PPTs), structural changes were measured with ultrasonography, and severity and impact of injury was scored on the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre Overuse Injury Questionnaire (OSTRC-…

Automatic estimation of Purkinje-Myocardial junction hot-spots from noisy endocardial samples: A simulation study

2017

The reconstruction of the ventricular cardiac conduction system (CCS) from patient-specific data is a challenging problem. High-resolution imaging techniques have allowed only the segmentation of proximal sections of the CCS from images acquired ex vivo. In this paper, we present an algorithm to estimate the location of a set of Purkinje-myocardial junctions (PMJs) from electro-anatomical maps, as those acquired during radio-frequency ablation procedures. The method requires a mesh representing the myocardium with local activation time measurements on a subset of nodes. We calculate the backwards propagation of the electrical signal from the measurement points to all the points in the mesh …

Functionalization of Graphene with Molecules and/or Nanoparticles for Advanced Applications

2019

Graphene is considered the material of the third millennium, due to its extraordinary electronic and mechanical properties, and due to the possibility to modulate its conductivity, flexibility, elasticity, transparency, and biocompatibility by bottom-up approach. The possibility to gather the proper- ties of graphene and graphene oxide with those of functional moieties or nanoparticles is herein reviewed. The synthetic approaches proposed, either covalent or noncovalent, are aimed to tune appropriately graphene’s properties for the realization of materials for advanced uses, such as bio- medical applications, sensors, catalysis, and energy devices. In particular, methods based on covalent l…

Objective assessment of blinking and facial expressions in Parkinson’s disease using a vertical electro-oculogram and facial surface electromyography

2019

Objective: Hypomimia is a common and early symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD), which reduces the ability of PD patients to manifest emotions. Currently, it is visually evaluated by the neurologist during neurological examinations for PD diagnosis, as described in task 3.2 of the Movement Disorder Society - Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS). Since such an evaluation is semi-quantitative and affected by inter-variability, this paper aims to measure the physiological parameters related to eye blink and facial expressions extracted from a vertical electro-oculogram (VEOG) and facial surface electromyography (fsEMG) to differentiate PD patients from healthy control subjects (…

Human nasoseptal chondrocytes maintain their differentiated phenotype on PLLA scaffolds produced by thermally induced phase separation and supplement…

2018

Damage of hyaline cartilage such as nasoseptal cartilage requires proper reconstruction, which remains challenging due to its low intrinsic repair capacity. Implantation of autologous chondrocytes in combination with a biomimetic biomaterial represents a promising strategy to support cartilage repair. Despite so far mostly tested for bone tissue engineering, bioactive glass (BG) could exert stimulatory effects on chondrogenesis. The aim of this work was to produce and characterize composite porous poly(L-lactide) (PLLA)/1393BG scaffolds via thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) technique and assess their effects on chondrogenesis of nasoseptal chondrocytes. The PLLA scaffolds without or…

Ex vivo measurement reliability using two different cbct scanners for orthodontic purposes

2012

Background There are many cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scanners available on the market: detector technology, algorithm precision, and scanner settings influence image quality. The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of linear measurements made on images of the same sample obtained using two different CBCT scanners. Methods Twenty-eight linear measurements between orthodontic anatomical landmarks that were marked with gutta-percha points on a fresh sacrificed lamb head were taken three times. The head was scanned with two CBCT scanners using different scanning parameters. Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) images were reconstructed and the same measurem…