Premature Ventricular Contraction (PVC) Detection System Based on Tunable Q-Factor Wavelet Transform.

BACKGROUND: The Electrocardiogram (ECG) is an important measure for diagnosing the presence or absence of heart arrhythmias. Premature ventricular contractions (PVC) is a relatively large arrhythmia occurring outside the normal tract and being triggered outside the Sino atrial (SA) node of heart. OBJECTIVE: This study has focused on tunable Q-factor wavelet transform (TQWT) algorithm and statistical methods to detect PVC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this analytical and statistical study, 22 ECGs records were selected from the MIT/BIH arrhythmia database. In the first stage the noise of signal remove and then five sub-bands create by TQWT. In the second stage nine features (minimum, maximum, root mean square, mean, interquartile range, standard deviation (SD), skewness, and variance) extracted of ECG and then the best features selected by using analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. Finally, the system is evaluated by using the learning machines of support vector machine (SVM), the K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN), and artificial neural network (ANN). RESULTS: The best results were verified with KNN learning machine the sensitivity Se= 98.23% and accuracy Ac= 97.81%. CONCLUSION: A comparative analysis with the related existing methods shows the method proposed in this study is higher than the other method for classification PVC and can help physicians to classify normal and PVC heart signals in the screening of the patients with coronary artery diseases (CADs).

Design and evaluation of biological gate circuits and their therapeutic applications in a model of multidrug resistant cancers.

OBJECTIVES: Synthetic biology is primarily an emerging research field that consists of designing new synthetic gene circuits dedicated to targeted functions and therapies such as cancer therapy. In this study, a genetic logic NOT-IF gate is used to reduce the multidrug resistance and facilitate the malignant cancer therapy. MCF7 cancer cells were cultured in RPMI-1640 medium and transfected with lentiviral vectors including MDR1 gene and the corresponding shRNA against MDR1 with controllable promoters. Transcript levels and protein levels of MDR1 gene were quantified. RESULTS: Our results showed that when doxycycline (DOX) and sodium butyrate were present and IPTG was absent, these led to a 74,354-fold increase in MDR1 gene expression. Upon IPTG treatment, the MDR1 gene expression was not detected due to the lack of the inducer. In addition, following IPTG induction in the presence of DOX and sodium butyrate and expressing shRNA, there was a 75% reduction in MDR1 gene expression compared to those cells treated only with sodium butyrate and DOX. CONCLUSIONS: We successfully designed and implemented the genetic logic NOT-IF gate at the transcriptional level using the inducible expression of both MDR1 drug resistance pump and its specific shRNA in MCF7 cancer cells, using the third generation lentiviral vectors.

Synthetic Biology Based on Genetic Logic Circuit, Using the Expression of Drug Resistance, BCRP Pump in MCF-7 Cancer Cell Line.

Biological circuits are developed as biological parts within a cell to carry out logical functions resembling those studied in electronics circuits. These circuits can be performed as a method to vary cellular functions, to develop cellular responses to environmental conditions, or to regulate cellular developments. This research explored the possibility of synthetic biology based on the genetic logic circuit A and (not B) using the inducible expression of the both BCRP drug resistance pump and its specific shRNA in MCF-7 cancer cell line utilizing the third generation of lentiviral vectors. The accuracy of the output of the proposed circuit for living cells, was confirmed by the results of the Real-Time PCR and flow cytometry at the RNA and protein levels. At the RNA level, the effect of the inducers on the BCRP gene expression and silencing were investigated by real-time PCR. Furthermore, at the protein level, induction of the expression of the BCRP pump resulted in driving out of the substrate from inside the cells leading to the decrease of the fluorescent emission from the transfected cells. We successfully designed and implemented the genetic logic circuit A and (not B) using the inducible expression of the both BCRP drug resistance pump and its specific shRNA in MCF-7 cancer cells.

Mental training can improve physical activity behavior in adolescent girls.

BACKGROUND: Lately, physical activity (PA) in young girls has been frequently discussed, thus we were interested to examine whether a mental training intervention can increase the level of PA in young girls. METHODS: A sample of 56 girls aged 15.4 ± 0.3 years (mean ± SD) was assigned to either the intervention or control group. We then conducted a 6-week mental imagery training program on young female participants. PA was evaluated with objective accelerometer monitors. Physical self-concept was also assessed in all participants. RESULTS: Young females' PA increased after a course of mental training compared to female participants in control group. Furthermore, physical self-concept improved related to mental training program. CONCLUSION: Exercise imagery may be an effective method of PA increase besides psychological enhancement in young girls.

Corrigendum to "Validity and Reliability of Farsi Version of Youth Sport Environment Questionnaire".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2015/985283.].

Validity and Reliability of Farsi Version of Youth Sport Environment Questionnaire.

The Youth Sport Environment Questionnaire (YSEQ) had been developed from Group Environment Questionnaire, a well-known measure of team cohesion. The aim of this study was to adapt and examine the reliability and validity of the Farsi version of the YSEQ. This version was completed by 455 athletes aged 13-17 years. Results of confirmatory factor analysis indicated that two-factor solution showed a good fit to the data. The results also revealed that the Farsi YSEQ showed high internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and good concurrent validity. This study indicated that the Farsi version of the YSEQ is a valid and reliable measure to assess team cohesion in sport setting.

Depression and Exercise: A Clinical Review and Management Guideline.

CONTEXT: There is an increasing interest to detect how exercise affects depression symptoms. Although recent findings confirm the positive effect of exercise on depression, there is no clear guideline regarding advice on exercise for patients with depression. The following review aims at presenting the contemporary literature regarding the nature of depression, exercise, the underlying mechanisms and the management of an exercise program in individuals with depression. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: We searched electronic databases including Cochrane Library, PubMed, ISI web of knowledge and PsychInfo (from January 2000 to October 2014). We reviewed the systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and large-scale randomized control trials on effects of exercise on depression. RESULTS: Recent evidence has emerged on characteristics of effective exercise programs and those patients with depression that will most benefit from the exercise programs. However due to the methodological weaknesses and inconsistencies of studies, conclusions must be made with caution. CONCLUSIONS: We have provided a number of recommendations for clinicians and researchers who plan to use exercise protocols in depression.

Respiration-rate estimation of a moving target using impulse-based ultra wideband radars.

Recently, Ultra-wide band signals have become attractive for their particular advantage of having high spatial resolution and good penetration ability which makes them suitable in medical applications. One of these applications is wireless detection of heart rate and respiration rate. Two hypothesis of static environment and fixed patient are considered in the method presented in previous literatures which are not valid for long term monitoring of ambulant patients. In this article, a new method to detect the respiration rate of a moving target is presented. The first algorithm is applied to the simulated and experimental data for detecting respiration rate of a fixed target. Then, the second algorithm is developed to detect respiration rate of a moving target. The proposed algorithm uses correlation for body movement cancellation, and then detects the respiration rate based on energy in frequency domain. The results of algorithm prove an accuracy of 98.4 and 97% in simulated and experimental data, respectively.

Two novel low-power and high-speed dynamic carbon nanotube full-adder cells.

In this paper, two novel low-power and high-speed carbon nanotube full-adder cells in dynamic logic style are presented. Carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (CNFETs) are efficient in designing a high performance circuit. To design our full-adder cells, CNFETs with three different threshold voltages (low threshold, normal threshold, and high threshold) are used. First design generates SUM and COUT through separate transistors, and second design is a multi-output dynamic full adder. Proposed full adders are simulated using HSPICE based on CNFET model with 0.9 V supply voltages. Simulation result shows that the proposed designs consume less power and have low power-delay product compared to other CNFET-based full-adder cells.

A retrospective study of patients with colorectal polyps.

AIM: The aim of this study was to report the anatomical location and histologic type of colorectal polyps in a large series of Iranian patients that attended for colonoscopy. BACKGROUND: Polyps that develop through the adenoma-carcinoma pathway are considered neoplastic and may eventually progress to invasive carcinomas. In addition polyps can develop with no neoplastic potential. These neoplastic and non-neoplastic polyps can be identified and removed at colonoscopy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this retrospective study, the medical records of patients who had attended for colonoscopy were reviewed. Patient demographics and colonoscopy findings were reviewed. The anatomical location, macroscopic appearance and histological assessment of any polyps were recorded. RESULTS: 716 patients' records were reviewed. 437 patients (61 %) were male and 279(39%) were females. The mean patient age was 55.3 yr (18-89 yr). A total of 936 polyps were identified. 779 (83.3%) were neoplastic and 157(16.7%) polyps were non-neoplastic.727 of the polyps were adenomatous. Of the 727 adenomatous polyps: 198(27.2%) were in sigmoid, 156(21.24%) were in caecum and ascending colon, 153(21%) were in descending colon, 131(18%) were in transverse colon and 89(12.3%) were in rectum. 39.5% of adenomas were proximal to the splenic flexure. Carcinoma was observed in 52 cases. 18 carcinomas (34.5%) were left sided and 34 (65.5% of carcinomas) were right sided. Of the 716 patients, 179 patients (25%) had synchronous lesion(s). CONCLUSION: A significant number of adenomas and carcinomas lie proximal to the splenic flexure and occur in the absence of distal lesions. These lesions would be missed if the distal colon was examined and the entire colon examined only if a distal lesion was identified.