In this work, multivariate detection limits (MDL) estimator was obtained based on the microelectro- mechanical systems–near infrared (MEMS–NIR) technology coupled with two sampling accessories to assess the detection capability of four quality parameters (glycyrrhizic acid, liquiritin, liquiritigenin and isoliquiritin) in licorice from different geographical regions. 112 licorice samples were divided into two parts (calibration set and prediction set) using Kennard– Stone (KS) method. Four quality parameters were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method according to Chinese pharmacopoeia and previous studies. The MEMS–NIR spectra were acquired from fiber optic probe (FOP) and integrating sphere, then the partial least squares (PLS) model was obtained using the optimum processing method. Chemometrics indicators have been utilized to assess the PLS model performance. Model assessment using chemometrics indicators is based on relative mean prediction error of all concentration levels, which indicated relatively low sensitivity for low-content analytes (below 1000 parts per million (ppm)). Therefore, MDL estimator was introduced with alpha error and beta error based on good prediction characteristic of low concentration levels. The result suggested that MEMS– NIR technology coupled with fiber optic probe (FOP) and integrating sphere was able to detect minor analytes. The result further demonstrated that integrating sphere mode (i.e., MDL0.05;0.05, 0.22%) was more robust than FOP mode (i.e., MDL0.05;0.05, 0.48%). In conclusion, this research proposed that MDL method was helpful to determine the detection capabilities of low-content analytes using MEMS–NIR technology and successful to compare two sampling accessories.

EEG characteristics that correlate with the cognitive functions are important in detecting mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in T2DM. To investigate the complexity between aMCI group and age-matched non-aMCI control group in T2DM, six entropies combining empirical mode decomposition (EMD), including Approximate entropy (ApEn), Sample entropy (SaEn), Fuzzy entropy (FEn), Permutation entropy (PEn), Power spectrum entropy (PsEn) and Wavelet entropy (WEn) were used in the study. A feature extraction technique based on maximization of the area under the curve (AUC) and a support vector machine (SVM) were subsequently used to for features selection and classification. Finally, Pearson's linear correlation was employed to study associations between these entropies and cognitive functions. Compared to other entropies, FEn had a higher classification accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of 68%, 67.1% and 71.9%, respectively. Top 43 salient features achieved classification accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of 73.8%, 72.3% and 77.9%, respectively. P4, T4 and C4 were the highest ranking salient electrodes. Correlation analysis showed that FEn based on EMD was positively correlated to memory at electrodes F7, F8 and P4, and PsEn based on EMD was positively correlated to Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) and memory at electrode T4. In sum, FEn based on EMD in righttemporal and occipital regions may be more suitable for early diagnosis of the MCI with T2DM.

The stereo vision results from the interaction between geometrical optics and visual psychology. Large depth will bring discomforts for the results of ghosting and flicker. The relevance of the ratio of jumping out depth (RJD) and electroencephalogram (EEG) gravity frequency (GF) was explored to reflect human health under different three-dimensional (3D) depth information (mainly the negative disparity) displayed on a three-dimensional television (3D-TV) with shutter glasses. EEG was obtained from 10 volunteers when they were watching 3D film segments with different negative disparities. The brain GF map shows that the depth information has a stronger influence on the frontal lobe than on the occipital lobe. For regression analysis, nonlinear curve fittings of GF to RJD in Fp1, F3, O2 and T5 channels were mainly performed when RJD ranged from 0 to 3.4, while linear fittings were performed in some special RJD ranges. It also confirms that RJD above 2.2 may lead to discomfort to human body. Finally, it suggests a suitable RJD range for people to watch from the objective method. The outcomes can be used as a guidance to decrease human discomforts induced by 3D production.

The present work focuses on the development of a novel computer-based approach for tear ferning (TF) featuring. The original TF images of the recently developed five-point grading scale have been used to assign a grade for any TF image automatically. A vector characteristic (VC) representing each grade was built using the reference images. A weighted combination between features selected from textures analysis using gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM), power spectrum (PS) analysis and linear specificity of the image were used to build the VC of each grade. A total of 14 features from texture analysis were used. PS at different frequency points and number of line segments in each image were also used. Five features from GLCM have shown significant differences between the recently developed grading scale images which are: angular second moment at 0° and 45°, contrast, and correlation at 0° and 45°; these five features were all included in the characteristic vector. Three specific power frequencies were used in the VC because of the discrimination power. Number of line segments was also chosen because of dissimilarities between images. A VC for each grade of TF reference images was constructed and was found to be significantly different from each other's. This is a basic and fundamental step toward an automatic grading for computer-based diagnosis for dry eye.

Purpose: This work focused on the investigation the hyperthermia performance of the carboncoated magnetic particles (CCMPs) in laser-induced hyperthermia. Materials and methods: We prepared CCMPs using the organic carbonization method, and then characterized them with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometry, vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). In order to evaluate their performance in hyperthermia, the CCMPs were tested in laser-induced thermal therapy (LITT) experiments, in which we employed a fully distributed fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor to profile the tissue's dynamic temperature change under laser irradiation in real time. Results: The sizes of prepared CCMPs were about several micrometers, and the LITT results show that the tissue injected with the CCMPs absorbed more laser energy, and its temperature increased faster than the contrast tissue without CCMPs. Conclusions: The CCMPs may be of great help in hyperthermia applications.

Imatinib is the standard first line treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Owing to doserelated toxicities of Imatinib such as neutropenia, there is scope for treatment optimization through therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM). Trough concentration of 1 μg/mL is considered the therapeutic threshhold. Existing methods for the detection of Imatinib in plasma are limited by long read out time and expensive instrumentation. Hence, Raman spectroscopy was explored as a rapid and objective tool for monitoring Imatinib concentration. Three approaches: conventional Raman spectroscopy (CRS), Drop coating deposition Raman (DCDR) spectroscopy and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) were employed to detect the required trough concentration of 1 μg/ mL and above. Detection of therapeutically relevant concentrations (1 μg/mL) using SERS and suitable nanoparticle substrates has been demonstrated. Prospectively, rigorous validation using clinical samples is necessary to confirm the utility of this approach in routine clinical usage.

An improved "three steps" mountain-climb searching (MCS) algorithm is proposed which is applied to auto-focusing for microscopic imaging accurately and efficiently. By analyzing the performance of several evaluation functions, the variance function and the Brenner function are synthesized as a new evaluation function. In the first step, a self-adaptive step length which is much dependent on the reciprocal of the evaluation function value at the beginning position of climbing is used for approaching the halfway up the mountain roughly. Secondly, a fixed moderate step length is applied for approaching the mountaintop of the variance function as closer as possible. Finally, a fine step is employed for reaching the exact mountaintop of the Brenner function. The microscope auto-focusing experiments based on the proposed algorithm for blood smear detection have been carried out comprehensively. The results show that the improved algorithm can not only guarantee the precision to get clear focal images, but also improve the auto-focusing efficiency.

Modeling Light propagation within human head to deduce spatial sensitivity distribution (SSD) is important for Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)/imaging (NIRI) and diffuse correlation tomography. Lots of head models have been used on this issue, including layered head model, artificial simplified head model, MRI slices described head model, and visible human head model. Hereinto, visible Chinese human (VCH) head model is considered to be a most faithful presentation of anatomical structure, and has been highlighted to be employed in modeling light propagation. However, it is not practical for all researchers to use VCH head models and actually increasing number of people are using magnet resonance imaging (MRI) head models. Here, all the above head models were simulated and compared, and we focused on the effect of using different head models on predictions of SSD. Our results were in line with the previous reports on the effect of cerebral cortex folding geometry. Moreover, the influence on SSD increases with the fidelity of head models. And surprisingly, the SSD percentages in scalp and gray matter (region of interest) in MRI head model were found to be 80% and 125% higher than in VCH head model. MRI head models induced nonignorable discrepancy in SSD estimation when compared with VCH head model. This study, as we believe, is the first to focus on comparison among full serials of head model on estimating SSD, and provided quantitative evidence for MRI head model users to calibrate their SSD estimation.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a novel therapeutic approach for combating various cancers. PDT involves the administration of a photosensitizer which generates singlet oxygen after light activation. FosPegr is the liposomal formulation of mTHPC. In this in vitro study, the photodynamic efficacy of FosPegr on a human colon cancer cell line (HT29) was investigated via studying the cellular uptake of FosPegr , FosPegr PDT mediated photocytotoxicity and the cell death mechanism were triggered. FosPegr PDT demonstrated its antitumor effect in a drug and light dose-dependent manner in HT-29 cells. Lethal dose (LD50) was achieved with 0.4 μg/mL of drug and 3 J/cm-2 of light dose. FosPegr PDT triggered apoptotic cell death via activating caspase cascade and regulating cell cycle progression. In conclusion, FosPegr-PDT is an effective measure to combat human colon cancer cells.

Our purpose is to report alterations in contrast sensitivity function (CSF) and in the magno, parvo and koniocellular visual pathways by means of a multichannel perimeter in case of an essential tremor (ET). A complete evaluation of the visual function was performed in a 69-year old patient, including the analysis of the chromatic discrimination by the Fansworth–Munsell 100 hue test, the measurement of the CSF by the CSV-1000E test, and the detection of potential alteration patterns in the magno, parvo and koniocellular visual pathways by means of a multichannel perimeter. Visual acuity and intraocular pressure (IOP) were within the ranges of normality in both eyes. No abnormalities were detected in the fundoscopic examination and in the optical coherence tomography (OCT) exam. The results of the color vision examination were also within the ranges of normality. A significant decrease in the achromatic CSFs for right eye (RE) and left eye (LE) was detected for all spatial frequencies. The statistical global values provided by the multichannel perimeter confirms that there were significant absolute sensitivity losses compared to the normal pattern in RE. In the LE, only a statistically significant decrease in sensitivity was detected for the blue-yellow (BY) channel. The pattern standard deviation (PSD) values obtained in our patient indicated that there were significant localized losses compared to the normality pattern in the achromatic channel of the RE and in the red-green (RG) channel of the LE. Some color vision alterations may be present in ET that cannot be detected with conventional color vision tests, such as the FM 100 Hue.

Using the laser speckle contrast imaging and wavelet-based analyses, we investigate a latent (a “hidden") stage of the development of intracranial hemorrhages (ICHs) in newborn rats. We apply two measures based on the continuous wavelet-transform of blood flow velocity in the sagittal sinus, namely, the spectral energy in distinct frequency ranges and a multiscality degree characterizing complexity of experimental data. We show that the wavelet-based multifractal formalism reveals changes in the cerebrovascular blood flow at the development of ICH.

Volatile Fatty Acid number (VFA no.) is one of the parameters indicating the state of quality of Para rubber latex at that particular time. Most factories analyze this parameter using standard analytical method as in ISO 506:1992(E). Nevertheless, this procedure is complicated, chemical and time consuming, as well as skilled analyst required. Therefore, near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy which is rapid, accurate and nonchemicals method was applied to determine the VFA no. in field latex and concentrated latex based on quantification and discriminant model. The best calibration equation was obtained from standard normal variate (SNV) spectra in the region of 6109.7–5770.3, 4613.1–4242.9 cm-1 with R = 0.832, SECV = 0.036 and no bias. From the performance check, statistically it was found that SECV and bias were low enough for practical acceptance and the predicted VFA no. was not different significantly from actual VFA no. at 95% confidence intervals. In addition, discriminant model was developed to separate good quality latex from the deteriorated latex using VFA no. at 0.06 as standard as in ISO 2004:2010(E). The discriminant model can be used to screen the latex with overall accuracy of 91.86% in validation set.