Article numbers as a leading indicator of publication time / Números de artigos como um indicador importante do tempo de publicação

Aims: in health professions education (HPE), the use of statistics is commonly associated with somewhat larger samples, whereas smaller samples or single subjects (i.e., N = 1) are usually labelled as needing some kind of 'qualitative' approach. However, statistical methods can be very useful in small samples and for individual subjects as well, especially where we have time series of repeated measurements of the same outcome variable(s) of interest. The aim of this article is twofold: to demonstrate an example of a cross-correlation function for single subjects in a HPE context and to suggest a few settings in HPE where this cross-correlation function can be of use. Method: the example uses data from a recent Open Access publication on among others article numbers and publication time in a number of major HPE journals to examine the relation between the number of articles published and median publication time over time in the zero-cost Open-Source statistical program R version 4.0.5. Results: as to be expected, the number of articles published appears somewhat of a leading indicator of publication time: both number of articles in year 'y' and number of articles in year 'y minus 1' correlate > 0.6 with median publication time in year 'y', while correlations of other time differences (e.g., number of articles in year 'y minus 2' and median publication time in year 'y', or median publication time in year 'y' and number of articles in year 'y plus 1') are substantially smaller. Conclusion: in line with recent literature, this article demonstrates that the cross-correlation function can be used in the context of small samples and single subjects. While the example focusses on article numbers and publication times, it can equally be applied in for example studying relations between knowledge, skills and attitude in individuals, or relations between behaviors of individuals working in pairs or small groups.

Introdução: na educação de profissionais de saúde, o uso de estatísticas é associado comumente a amostras um pouco maiores, enquanto as amostras menores ou assuntos únicos (ou seja, N = 1) são geralmente rotulados como precisando de algum tipo de abordagem "qualitativa". No entanto, os métodos estatísticos podem ser muito úteis em pequenas amostras e para sujeitos individuais, especialmente quando temos séries temporais de medições repetidas da(s) mesma(s) variável(is) de desfecho de interesse. O objetivo deste artigo é demonstrar um exemplo de uma função de correlação cruzada para sujeitos individuais em um contexto de educação de profissionais de saúde e sugerir algumas configurações em que essa função pode ser útil. Método: o exemplo usa dados de uma publicação recente de acesso aberto sobre, entre outros, números de artigos e tempo de publicação em vários dos principais periódicos da educação de profissionais de saúde para examinar a relação entre o número de artigos publicados e o tempo médio de publicação ao longo do tempo, no programa R versão 4.0.5, programa estatístico de código aberto de custo zero. Resultados: o número de artigos publicados parece ser um indicador importante do tempo de publicação: tanto o número de artigos no ano "y" quanto o número de artigos no ano "y menos 1" se correlacionam > 0,6 com o tempo médio de publicação no ano "y", enquanto as correlações de outras diferenças de tempo são substancialmente menores, como, por exemplo, número de artigos no ano " y menos 2" e tempo médio de publicação no ano " y", ou tempo médio de publicação no ano "y" e número de artigos no ano "y mais 1"). Conclusão: de acordo com a literatura recente, este artigo demonstra que a função de correlação cruzada pode ser usada no contexto de pequenas amostras e indivíduos únicos. Embora o exemplo se concentre em números de artigos e tempos de publicação, pode igualmente ser aplicado, por exemplo, no estudo de relações entre conhecimento, habilidades e atitudes em indivíduos, ou relações entre comportamentos de indivíduos que trabalham em pares ou pequenos grupos.

Study of laser speckle blood flow imaging based on de-correlation algorithm / 医疗卫生装备

Objective To explore the application of de-correlation algorithm to laser speckle blood flow imaging technique and study the blood flow velocity.Methods The principle and algorithm were analyzed for de-correlation laser speckle blood flow imaging.A laser speckle imaging platform was established,and de-correlation laser speckle blood flow imaging algorithm was used to execute microfluidic target experiment and animal experiment.De-correlation algorithm was applied to obtaining blood flow image and velocity curve of microfluidic target.Cross-correlation curve on the original speckle images were got with cross-correlation algorithm,and the original images corresponding to the peak points were selected to undergo computation with de-correlation algorithm,so that the minute information could be augmented on the blood vessel.Results The de-correlation laser speckle blood flow imaging algorithm could be used to obtain the blood flow information and velocity information during microfluidic target experiment and the animal experiment.Conclusion The de-correlation laser speckle blood flow imaging algorithm is feasible in laser speckle imaging,and has good application prospects.

Results of toxicity for medical nanomaterialsin vitro / Монголын Анагаах Ухаан

BACKGROUND:Nano is a key technology to bring accelerated development in science, economy and business in 21stcentury. Besides lots of advantages contained in nanoproducts, cytotoxic effects on human and environmentmay occur due to their extreme small size and large surface area and it promotes chemical reaction andactivates reactive oxygen species in the cell. In the last few decades, human and environment exposureof nanomaterials have been increasing, but research papers related to nanomaterial toxicity have beenpoor.GOAL: Determination of nanomaterial toxicity in medical applicationMATERIALS AND METHODS:Totally 21 nanomaterials collected in this study including imported nano-medicines, disinfectantspray, cleaning solution and experimental nanomaterial produced in Mongolia. The particle sizesof nanomaterialswere determined by Cross correlation analysis and X-Ray diffraction analysis, andmutagenicity was determined by Ames test.RESULTS:The particle sizes of nanomaterials in 5 of 21 were measured at the range of 1 – 100nm and 5 of 21nanomaterials were determined as mutagenic by Ames test.CONCLUSION:Ingredients and production methods can be one of causes of nanomaterial toxicity. Therefore, morespecific methods are needed to reveal cytotoxicity of nanomaterials in the future.

Influencia del ciclo lunar en la captura de langosta espinosa Panulirus argus (Decapoda: Palinuridae) en el Golfo de Batabanó, Cuba

Influence of lunar cycle on catches of spiny lobster Panulirus argus (Decapoda: Palinuridae) in the Gulf of Batabanó, Cuba. Many biological processes such as reproductive and migratory behaviours have been associated with moon cycles. In this study, the nocturnal light levels associated with lunar cycle (INT) were correlated with daily catch rate of lobster P. argus, during seven lunar months of 2002 fishing period, to determine a possible relationship between these variables. The lobster catches were obtained from three fishing companies that develop their activities in the Gulf of Batabanó: EPICOL that fishes in Coloma area; PESCAHABANA in Batabanó area and PESCAISLA in Isla area. Daily catch per boat (CDB) was used as a measurement of daily catch variations (catch rate). The correlation was analyzed showing it in chronological graphs based on average of CDB per lunar phases, comparing lobster catch rate per lunar phases -with the Kruskal-Wallis test-. Spearman rank correlation coefficient and cross correlation techniques were also applied. Similarities between lobster catch rate and the lunar cycle were not found. Spearman rank correlation coefficient was modularly smaller than 0.1 in all cases and demonstrated quantitatively that correlation between CDB and INT does not exist. Kruskal-Wallis test detected differences only in Batabanó area but not when making the analyses for the whole Gulf of Batabanó. Finally, the cross correlations do not detected significance in any zone, as well. It is concluded that, in opposition to what other authors have reported, the catch rates of P. argus and the lunar cycle did not show significant correlation in the Gulf of Batabanó. This trend was independent of the fishing art, which varied according to the time of the year that was analyzed. Rev. Biol. Trop. 59 (1): 207-216. Epub 2011 March 01.

Muchos procesos biológicos tales como los comportamientos reproductivos y migratorios se han asociado con los ciclos de la luna. Con el objetivo de determinar la relación entre las capturas de langosta espinosa Panulirus argus (Decapoda: Palinuridae) y el ciclo lunar, en la zona del Golfo de Batabanó, se correlacionaron los niveles de iluminación nocturna del ciclo lunar (INT) con la captura diaria por barco (CDB) durante siete meses lunares correspondientes al período de pesca del 2002. Los datos de captura provinieron de las tres empresas pesqueras que realizan su actividad en la zona del Golfo de Batabanó. La relación entre el ciclo lunar y las capturas de langostas fue examinada mediante varios procedimientos estadísticos. Los primeros gráficos realizados, cualitativos, mostraron que no existe relación entre las tasas de captura y el ciclo lunar. Los coeficientes de Spearman calculados, modularmente menores que 0.1 en todos los casos, demostraron cuantitativamente que no existe correlación entre las mencionadas variables. La prueba de Kruskal-Wallis detectó diferencias sólo en una de las tres áreas estudiadas. Las correlaciones cruzadas no detectaron significación en ninguna de las zonas, con coeficientes de correlación cruzada modularmente inferiores a 0.1. A diferencia de lo reportado por otros autores, las capturas de P. argus y el ciclo lunar no presentan correlación significativa en el Golfo de Batabanó.

Development of medical image registration / 国际生物医学工程杂志

Medical image registration plays an important role in the research of medical image processing field. It is widely used in the areas of clinical diagnoses, treatment, quality assurance and evaluation of curative effect. This paper gives an overview on three medical image registration methods Correlation method, mutual information method, and wavelet transform method. Features of these method and their applications are reviewed.

Conductivity of High and Low Frequency Components of Monopolarily Recorded Surface Nyoelectric Signals from m. Biceps Brachii / 体力科学

We applied Fast Fourier Transform to monopolarily recorded surface myoelectric signals from m. biceps brachii to obtain the turning frequency (TF) at which the signals divide into high and low frequency components. Then using the TF as a cut-off point, the raw myoelectric signals were divided into high frequency component (HFC) and low frequency component (LFC) .<BR>1) TF values were constant at every recording position along muscle fibers. And there was no considerable relationship between developed tensions and TF values.<BR>2) Cross-correlation analysis was done to obtain the phase relationship between LFCs, and between HFCs at four different recording positions along muscle fibers. LFCs appeared in phase in all combinations below the tension of 10%MVC and also in HFCs. Above 20%MVC, LFCs represented the time delay depending upon the electrode distance in six subjects. The conduction velocity calculated from the relationship between time delay and distance in LFC was too high (16.1 m·s<SUP>-1</SUP>-33.3 m·s<SUP>-1</SUP>) compared with the muscle fiber and/or motor unit conduction velocity. But LFCs in other subjects remained in phase. HFCs showed no considerable relationship above 20%MVC in six subjects, while other subjects remained in phase between HFCs.<BR>The present results differ from the recent investigation in m. vastus medialis (Kamo & Morimoto, 2000) . Our proposal on the construction mechanism of surface myoelectric signals could not be adapted to the electrical signals from m.biceps brachii. The present results suggest the different in architecture of muscle fibers and the innervation of the motor nerve in a motor unit between two muscles.

SARS virus nucleotide sequence analysis based on signal processing / 医疗卫生装备

This paper puts forward the numerical signal sequence correlated with the nucleotide sequence and the discrete Fourier analysis approach of its self-correlation and cross-correlation sequences. The approach is applied to the analysis of SARS virus nucleotide sequence. It proves that SARS virus nucleotide sequence has the periodicity laws one-third frequency and two-thirds frequency, which means that SARS virus has a strong coding ability and a high variability. Compared to SARS virus, AIDS virus has no the periodic law of two-thirds frequency, but the difference is unobservable by the approach mentioned in reference 1.