•New approaches to deposition analysis were developed to study a large data set of prehistoric settlement discard.•The archaeological context was studied as a compressed, synoptic record of the ...lifecycle of things.•Phases of the cultural biography of Bronze Age houses were identified including their use, intentional cremation, the burial of remains (burnt settlement refuse) and closing deposits.•Houses are explained as the central (albeit non-human) actors of hybrid actor-networks.•The actor’s role of the houses was strengthened by their ontological status as living beings.
This paper deals with the application of deposition analysis to an unusual type of features in the Late Bronze Age settlements in Central Europe. These are long narrow trenches (referred to as ‘long pits’ in this text) with characteristic standard form and alignment, as well as find contents, including high amounts of secondary-burned pottery fragments. In the context of prehistoric research, these features represent a relatively new phenomenon that has attracted attention in the last two decades due to new excavations in Bohemia and Bavaria. Based on the finds from Březnice (Czechia), the authors conclude that the long pits were connected with the closing rituals following the abandonment and burial of dwellings. Although no houses were directly documented on this site, their presence must be assumed, and their cultural biography can be reconstructed from the depositional characteristics of the accompanying finds. In order to fully understand the processes of deposition, the authors find it useful to focus not only on human agency but also on the relationships between the things themselves. This way, houses are understood as the central element of a hybrid actor-network. Their role may have been strengthened by their ontological status of living beings.
Driver fatigue and stress significantly contribute to higher number of car accidents worldwide. Although, different detection approaches have been already commercialized and used by car producers ...(and third party companies), research activities in this field are still needed in order to increase the reliability of these alert systems. Also, in the context of automated driving, the driver mental state assessment will be an important part of cars in future. This paper presents state-of-the-art review of different approaches for driver fatigue and stress detection and evaluation. We describe in details various signals (biological, car and video) and derived features used for these tasks and we discuss their relevance and advantages. In order to make this review complete, we also describe different datasets, acquisition systems and experiment scenarios.
Endothelial progenitors are a population of cells with the inherent capacity to differentiate into mature endothelial cells and proangiogenic paracrine action. These characteristics have led to ...extensive studies being performed and tested in the treatment of tissue ischemia. The natural course of diabetes mellitus (DM) results in multiple areas of vascular damage. Thus endothelial progenitor cells‘(EPCs) beneficial potential is particularly desirable in diabetic patients. In this review, we summarize contemporary knowledge of EPC biology in DM. It has been shown that EPC functions are considerably impaired by DM. The presence of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) seems to further exacerbate the deficiencies of EPCs. However, studies examining EPC counts in PAD and DM observed disparate results, which can be due to a lack of consensus on precise EPC immunotype used in the different studies. Nevertheless, the results of EPC-based autologous cell therapy (ACT) are promising. In addition, EPCs have been shown to bean independent predictor of cardiovascular risk and diabetic foot ulcer healing.
Background
Autologous cell therapy (ACT) is a new treatment method for patients with diabetes and no-option chronic limb-threatening ischemia (NO-CLTI). We aimed to assess the impact of ACT on ...NO-CLTI in comparison with standard treatment (ST) in a randomized controlled trial.
Methods
Diabetic patients with NO-CLTI were randomized to receive either ACT (n=21) or ST (n=19). After 12 weeks, those in the ST group, who did not improve were treated with ACT. The effect of ACT on ischemia and wound healing was assessed by changes in transcutaneous oxygen pressure (TcPO
2
) and the number of healed patients at 12 weeks. Pain was evaluated by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Amputation rates and amputation-free survival (AFS) were assessed in both groups.
Results
During the first 12 weeks, TcPO
2
increased in the ACT group from 20.8 ± 9.6 to 41.9 ± 18.3 mm Hg (p=0.005) whereas there was no change in the ST group (from 21.2 ± 11.4 to 23.9 ± 13.5 mm Hg). Difference in TcPO
2
in the ACT group compared to ST group was 21.1 mm Hg (p=0.034) after 12 weeks. In the period from week 12 to week 24, when ST group received ACT, the TcPO
2
in this group increased from 20.1 ± 13.9 to 41.9 ± 14.8 (p=0.005) while it did not change significantly in the ACT in this period. At 24 weeks, there was no significant difference in mean TcPO
2
between the two groups. Wound healing was greater at 12 weeks in the ACT group compared to the ST group (5/16 vs. 0/13, p=0.048). Pain measured using VAS was reduced in the ACT group after 12 weeks compared to the baseline, and the difference in scores was again significant (p<0.001), but not in the ST group. There was no difference in rates of major amputation and AFS between ACT and ST groups at 12 weeks.
Conclusions
This study has showed that ACT treatment in patients with no-option CLTI and diabetic foot significantly improved limb ischemia and wound healing after 12 weeks compared to conservative standard therapy. Larger randomized controlled trials are needed to study the benefits of ACT in patients with NO-CLTI and diabetic foot disease.
Trial registration
The trial was registered in the National Board of Health (EudraCT 2016-001397-15).
•Using single smartphone for SpO2, HR and BP estimation.•Development of unique Android app; it provides real-time audio-visual feedback.•Complex study - 65 signals, 22 people, 13 smartphone ...models.•Improved calculation of SpO2 without the need of smartphone quantum efficiency.•Errors: 1.1%, 1.4 bpm, (5.1 and 7.5) mmHg for SpO2, HR, and BP estimation, resp.
Smartphones can be used as multifunctional devices for instant monitoring of the users’ health. In this study, we proposed methods for the estimation of heart rate (HR), blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), and blood pressure (BP). Two smartphone sensors were used for data recording: the rear camera and the microphone. Our approach for HR and SpO2 estimation was based on creating a photoplethysmogram (PPG) from the camera data. SpO2 estimation was improved and the smartphone quantum efficiency did not have to be known. BP was estimated using the pulse transit time value calculated from the PPG and phonocardiogram (PCG) recorded using the microphone. Fifty records (for HR and SpO2) and 15 records (for BP) were sensed and used for training and testing purposes. An Android™ application was developed to provide audio-visual feedback to the measured subject, to indicate whether the placement of the smartphone was appropriate to provide signals of sufficient quality for BP estimation. The mean absolute errors (MAE) were 1.1% for SpO2 and 1.4 beats per minute (bpm) for HR estimation using the testing dataset. MAE of systolic and diastolic BP were 5.1 mmHg and 7.5 mmHg, respectively. The possibility of using the smartphone as a fast alternative to conventional and specialized devices for SpO2, HR, and BP estimation was statistically proven.
The objective of this systematic review is to summarize the available animal models of ischemic limbs, and to provide an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of each animal model and ...individual method of limb ischemia creation.
A review of literature was conducted using the PubMed and Web of Science pages. Various types of experimental animals and surgical approaches used in creating ischemic limbs were evaluated. Other outcomes of interest were the specific characteristics of the individual experimental animals, and duration of tissue ischemia.
The most commonly used experimental animals were mice, followed by rabbits, rats, pigs, miniature pigs, and sheep. Single or double arterial ligation and excision of the entire femoral artery was the most often used method of ischemic limb creation. Other methods comprised single or double arterial electrocoagulation, use of ameroid constrictors, photochemically induced thrombosis, and different types of endovascular methods. The shortest duration of tissue ischemia was 7 days, the longest 90 days.
This review shows that mice are among the most commonly used animals in limb ischemia research. Simple ligation and excision of the femoral artery is the most common method of creating an ischemic limb; nevertheless, it can result in acute rather than chronic ischemia. A two-stage sequential approach and methods using ameroid constrictors or endovascular blinded stent grafts are more suitable for creating a gradual arterial occlusion typically seen in humans. Selecting the right mouse strain or animal with artificially produced diabetes or hyperlipidaemia is crucial in chronic ischemic limb research. Moreover, the observation period following the onset of ischemia should last at least 14 days, preferably 4 weeks.
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Highlights • Cell therapy of critical limb ischemia (CLI) is new therapeutic technique for patients not eligible for standard revascularization. • Presence of CLI in patients with diabetic foot ...disease is associated with worse clinical outcomes such as lack of healing of foot ulcers, major amputations and premature mortality. • Main criteria for cell therapy may vary in diabetic patients and non-diabetic persons and results of this treatment method should always be assessed in the context of ensuring comprehensive therapy. • Analysis of the studies in terms of diabetes is difficult, because in most of them sub-analysis for diabetic patients is not performed separately. • Cell therapy in diabetic patients with no-option CLI significantly improves ischemia parameters in majority of the studies. • The discrepancy in amputation rates after cell therapy in several studies can be explained by different factors influencing the major amputation in diabetic patients.
Critical limb ischemia is a serious form of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). The consequences of lower limb ischemia are pain, claudication and chronic non‐healing wounds. Patients with diabetes ...are especially at a high risk for developing non‐healing ulcers. The most serious complication is major amputation. For this reason, there is a significant medical requirement to develop new therapies in order to prevent the progression of PAD. For research purposes, it is crucial to find an appropriate model of chronic ischemia to explore the processes of wound healing. According to recently acquired information, rodents are currently the most commonly used animals in these types of studies. The main advantage of using small animals is the low financial cost due to the relatively small demand for food, water and living space. The disadvantage is their anatomy, which is different from that of humans. Larger animals have a more human‐like anatomy and physiology, but they require more expense and space for housing. A bipedicle skin flap and its modifications are popular models for ischemic wounds. In order to secure healing through re‐epithelisation, as opposed to contraction in rodents, there is a need to remove the panniculus carnosus muscle. Wounds in other experimental animals heal primarily through re‐epithelisation. The application of a silicone mesh underneath the flap prevents vascular regrowth in ischemic tissue. There is an ongoing effort to create in vivo diabetic models for chronic ulcer research. This work presents an overview of existing animal models of ischemic wounds.
The article deals with the testing of features for fatigue detection in electrooculography (EOG) records. An optimal methodology for EOG signal acquisition is described; the Biopac data acquisition ...system was used. EOG signals were being recorded while 10 volunteers were watching prepared scenes. Three scenes were created for this purpose - a rotating ball, a video of driving a car, and a cross. Recorded EOG signals were processed and 20 features were extracted. The features involved blinks, slow eye movement (SEM), rapid eye movement (REM), eye instability, magnitude, and periodicity. These features were statistically tested and discussed in terms of fatigue detection ability. Some of the features were compared with published results. Finally, the best features - fatigue indicators - were selected.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Abstract
Objective.
The aim of this study is to create a database for the development, evaluation and objective comparison of algorithms for P wave detection in ECG signals.
B
rno
U
niversity of
T
...echnology ECG Signal
D
ata
b
ase with Annotations of
P-
Wave (BUT PDB) is an ECG signal database with marked peaks of P waves annotated by ECG experts. Currently, there are only a few databases of pathological ECG signals with P-wave annotations, and some are incorrect.
Approach.
The pathological ECG signals used in this work were selected from three existing databases of ECG signals: MIT-BIH Arrhythmia Database, MIT-BIH Supraventricular Arrhythmia Database and Long Term AF Database. The P-wave positions were manually annotated by two ECG experts in all selected signals.
Main results.
The final BUT PDB composed of selected signals consists of 50 two-minute, two-lead pathological ECG signal records with annotated P waves. Each record also contains a description of the diagnosis (pathology) present in the selected part of the record and information about positions and types of QRS complexes.
Significance.
The BUT PDB is created for developing new, more accurate and robust methods for P wave detection. These algorithms will be used in medical practice and will help cardiologists to evaluate ECG records, establish diagnoses and save time.
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