Application of Independent Component Analysis and Nelder-Mead Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm in Non-Contact Blood Pressure Estimation.

In recent years, hypertension has become one of the leading causes of illness and death worldwide. Changes in lifestyle among the population have led to an increasing prevalence of hypertension. This study proposes a non-contact blood pressure estimation method that allows patients to conveniently monitor their blood pressure values. By utilizing a webcam to track facial features and the region of interest (ROI) for obtaining forehead images, independent component analysis (ICA) is employed to eliminate artifact signals. Subsequently, physiological parameters are calculated using the principle of optical wave reflection. The Nelder-Mead (NM) simplex method is combined with the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm to optimize the empirical parameters, thus enhancing computational efficiency and accurately determining the optimal solution for blood pressure estimation. The influences of light intensity and camera distance on the experimental results are also discussed. Furthermore, the measurement time is only 10 s. The superior accuracy and efficiency of the proposed methodology are demonstrated by comparing them with those in other published literature.

The influence of aggressive exercise on responses to self-perceived and others' pain.

Previous studies have reported relationships between exercise and pain. However, little is known about how aggressive exercise modulates individuals' responses to their own and others' pain. This present study addresses this question by conducting 2 studies employing event-related potential (ERP). Study 1 included 38 participants whose self-perceived pain was assessed after intervention with aggressive or nonaggressive exercises. Study 2 recruited 36 participants whose responses to others' pain were assessed after intervention with aggressive or nonaggressive exercise. Study 1's results showed that P2 amplitudes were smaller, reaction times were longer, and participants' judgments were less accurate in response to self-perceived pain stimuli, especially to high-pain stimuli, after intervention with aggressive exercise compared to nonaggressive exercise. Results of study 2 showed that both P3 and LPP amplitudes to others' pain were larger after intervention with aggressive exercise than with nonaggressive exercise. These results suggest that aggressive exercise decreases individuals' self-perceived pain and increases their empathic responses to others' pain.