Body Counting Research Articles

Developing a Body Count IOT Sensor and Future Evolution of IOT

The term digital is now becoming the prefix for everything done traditionally. With technology continuing to advance, it is likely that it will become an increasingly important part of many industries. However, it is important to consider the potential consequences of technology and automation and take steps to mitigate them. This paper portrays the demerits in metro system which is designed to provide efficient and convenient service to its passengers. However, a limitation has been observed in the ticketing machines, where multiple people can pass through with just one ticket. In this paper, we propose a solution to this problem by implementing a body count sensor to ensure only one person can pass through with each ticket. This solution has the potential to significantly improve the experience of commuters and could serve as a model for similar transportation systems in other cities. We also done some survey on students with IT background to see how much of the generation is aware of technology and to get insights about future of IOT.

Association of age with computed tomography airway tree morphology in male and female never smokers without lung disease history

BackgroundSex and aging may affect the airway tree structure in patients with airway diseases and even healthy subjects. Using chest computed tomography (CT), this study sought to determine whether age is associated with airway morphological features differently in healthy males and females. MethodsThis retrospective cross-sectional study consecutively incorporated lung cancer screening CT data of asymptomatic never smokers (n = 431) without lung disease history. Luminal areas were measured at the trachea, main bronchi, bronchus intermedius, segmental and subsegmental bronchus, and the ratio of their geometric mean to total lung volume (airway-to-lung size ratio, ALR) was determined. Airway fractal dimension (AFD) and total airway count (TAC) were calculated for the segmented airway tree resolved on CT. ResultsThe lumen areas of the trachea, main bronchi, segmental and subsegmental airways, AFD and TAC visible on CT were smaller in females (n = 220) than in males (n = 211) after adjusting for age, height, and body mass index, while ALR or count of the 1st to 5th generation airways did not differ. Furthermore, in males but not in females, older age was associated with larger lumen sizes of the main bronchi, segmental and subsegmental airways, and ALR. In contrast, neither male nor female had any associations between age and AFD or TAC on CT. ConclusionOlder age was associated with larger lumen size of the relatively central airways and ALR exclusively in males. Aging may have a more profound effect on airway lumen tree caliber in males than in females.

Establishment of a Medical System for Emergency Radiation Exposure (One local city in Japan)

Introduction:Japan is the only country to have experienced the atomic bombings and still has many nuclear power plants. In 2011, a nuclear power plant accident occurred during a major magnitude 9.0 earthquake, and there was a great deal of concern about radiation exposure medicine for the public. It is necessary to provide appropriate radiation exposure medicine.Method:The facility is located within the IAEA's UPZ, and in the event of an emergency, it is necessary to provide medical care for a large number of people exposed to radiation, so an advanced radiation exposure medical facility was built in 2015 (the surrounding population is approximately 300,000).Results:The basics of radiation exposure medicine are: 1) medical priority, 2) prevention of the spread of radioactive materials, and 3) protection of our responders from radiation exposure. Everything from whole body assessments, contamination examinations due to exposure, medical procedures (including advanced medical procedures), and decontamination were able to be performed. The facility is also equipped with WBC (whole body counter) that can assess internal exposure. A support system for other medical facilities was being developed in the region by forming a team that can respond to radiation exposure.Conclusion:With the current system, not only radiation exposure medicine will be handled, but also CBRNE and other such services in the future. For this reason, repeated training and human resource development are very important.

Calibration of Whole Body Counter in Diagnostic and Screening Modes.

Calibration of Whole Body Counter in Diagnostic and Screening Modes.

Assessment of the Body Radioactivity of I-131 Using Two Techniques

Iodine-131 has become an essential radionuclide used in nuclear medicine for clinical and research purposes. The increase use of this radionuclide in medicine for diagnostic and treatment of thyroid diseases creates a demand to obtain a feasible methodology for occupational or accidental monitoring of internal contamination. In this study, two techniques were employed to find an appropriate one of in vivo bioassay for evaluating Iodine-131 body content. A scanning Whole Body Counter (WBC) equipped with 6NaI (Tl) scintillation detector, an anthropomorphic phantom and point source were used. The results showed that the counter sensitivity, as a first approach (conventional method), had a logarithmic and significant correlation with neck weight. On the other hand, the counting rate in the Compton band was considered, which is a measure of gamma ray attenuation, and found to have a direct relationship with body weight. The new technique, which is considered the variation of the counter sensitivity with the Compton to photopeak counting rate ratio, had the same regression but less uncertainty than the conventional approach. Finally, the theoretical MDA with neck weight was calculated for all the phantom configurations.

Yoga AI Assistant with ReactJS

Yoga is beneficial for maintaining physical and mental fitness. And these days, technology is helping yoga find a new companion as online yoga becomes more and more common, making it easy to access classes and instructions. TensorFlow’s pose net, a tool for pose detection, is used by the AI yoga web app. Pre-trained models for identifying human poses are immediately accessible in the browser using posenet.js, a toolkit for estimating yoga poses based on body count rate determined by the pose. A person can receive feedback on the accuracy of their pose and keep track of their fitness goal in the application using real-time camera data.

Extreme wellness at work: Whose body counts in the rise of exceptionalist organisational fitness cultures

Management has long concerned itself with controlling workers’ bodies, with organisational wellness discourses being its latest fixation. This article’s purpose is to introduce and understand ‘whose body counts’ – a discourse of bodily exceptionalism in performative organisational cultures. Using ethnographic methods, this article presents an analysis of a CrossFit workplace health promotion at an underperforming US corporation, to identify a complex process of empowerment, self-exploitation and disciplinary regulation to produce performative outcomes. This research illustrates how the workplace health promotion generates a pervasive discourse of exceptionalism underpinned by workers’ reflexive exploitation, overarched by peer-surveillance and reflexively embraced through extreme individualised performativities. Critically, it is revealed how individuals competitively engage in communicative labour to demonstrate devotion to self-care that is translated into organisational commitment. Specifically, unquestioned discursive ambiguities are shown to cunningly empower limitlessness meritocratic striving that pits workers against each other, creating constant negotiation of ‘whose body counts’ by subjugating others.

Americanizing the Scandinavian Super Underdog in Eighteen Film Remakes

Americanizing the Scandinavian Super Underdog in Eighteen Film Remakes

Technical note: Simulation of lung counting applications using Geant4

A Geant4 simulation package has been developed to investigate and test detector configurations for lung counting applications. The objective of this study was to measure radiation emitted from the human body and to make a qualitative comparison of the results of the simulation with an experiment. Experimental data were measured from a plastic phantom with a set of lungs containing 241Am activity. For comparison, simulations in which 241Am activity was uniformly distributed inside the lungs of the ICRP adult reference computational phantom were made. The attenuation of photons by the chest wall was simulated and from this photopeak efficiency and photon transmission were calculated as a function of photon energy. The transmission of 59.5 keV gamma rays, characteristic of the decay of 241Am, was determined from the computational phantom as a function of the angular position of the detector. It was found that the simulated detector response corresponds well with that from an experiment. The simulated count rate below 100 keV was 10.0(7) % greater compared to the experimental measurement. It was observed that 58.3(4) % of photons are attenuated for energies below 100 keV by the chest wall. In the simulation, the transmission of 59.5 keV gamma rays varied from 13.8(2) % to 38.0(4) % as a function of the angular position of the detector. The results obtained from the simulations show a satisfactory agreement with experimental data and the package can be used in the development of future body counting applications and enables optimization of the detection geometry.

Chronological trends in the causation of malignant mesothelioma: Fiber burden analysis of 619 cases over four decades

Malignant mesothelioma is a relatively rare malignancy with a strong association with prior asbestos exposure. A percentage of cases is not related to asbestos, and fiber analysis of lung tissue is a useful methodology for identifying idiopathic or spontaneous cases. We have performed fiber analyses in more than 600 cases of mesothelioma over the past four decades and were interested in looking for trends in terms of fiber types and concentrations as well as percentages of cases not related to asbestos. Demographic information was also considered including patient age, gender, and tumor location (pleural vs. peritoneal). The histologic pattern of the tumor and the presence or absence of pleural plaques or asbestosis were noted. Fiber analysis was performed in 619 cases, using the sodium hypochlorite technique for digestion of lung tissue samples. Asbestos bodies were counted by light microscopy (LM) and coated and uncoated fibers by scanning electron microscopy (EM). The results were stratified over four decades. Trends that were observed included increasing patient age, increasing percentage of women, increasing percentage of peritoneal cases, and increasing percentage of epithelial histological type. There was a decreasing trend in the percentage of patients with concomitant asbestosis (p < 0.001). The percentage of cases with an elevated lung asbestos content decreased from 90.5% in the 1980s to 54.1% in the 2010s (p < 0.001). This trend also held when the analysis was limited to 490 cases of pleural mesothelioma in men (91.8% in the 1980s vs. 65.1% in the 2010s). There was a decrease in the median asbestos body count by LM from 1390 asbestos bodies per gram of wet lung in the 1980s to 38 AB/gm in the 2010s. Similar trends were observed for each of the asbestos fiber types as detected by EM. We conclude that there has been a progressive decrease in lung fiber content of mesothelioma patients during the past four decades, with an increasing percentage of cases not related to asbestos and an increase in median patient age.

Prediction Equation for Physical Activity Energy Expenditure in 11-13-Year-Old Sri Lankan Children.

This study aimed to develop a regression equation to predict physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) using accelerometry. Children aged 11-13 years were recruited and randomly assigned to validation (n = 54) and cross-validation (n = 25) groups. The doubly labelled water (DLW) technique was used to assess energy expenditure and accelerometers were worn by participants across the same period. A preliminary equation was developed using stepwise multiple regression analysis with sex, height, weight, body mass index, fat-free mass, fat mass and counts per minute (CPM) as independent variables. Goodness-of-fit statistics were used to select the best prediction variables. The PRESS (predicted residual error sum of squares) statistical method was used to validate the final prediction equation. The preliminary equation was cross-validated on an independent group and no significant (p > 0.05) difference was observed in the PAEE estimated from the two methods. Independent variables of the final prediction equation (PAEE = [0.001CPM] - 0.112) accounted for 70.6% of the variance. The new equation developed to predict PAEE from accelerometry was found to be valid for use in Sri Lankan children.

Design and Development of Children's Calibration Phantoms for Whole and Mobile Body Counters

Abstract The experiences from several past radiological accidents (e.g., Fukushima Daiichi, Chernobyl, and Goiania) have shown that not only occupationally radiation-exposed adults but also children of all age groups can be affected by such an accident. Moreover, in asymmetric conflicts, children could possibly be affected by the explosion of a radiological dispersal device. Whole-body counting facilities all over the world are well prepared to measure children and adults but suffer in the case of newly born babies and toddlers owing to a lack of corresponding calibrations. A series of calibration phantoms representative of adult persons and larger children is commercially available or can be constructed from easily accessible materials, but for newly born and children up to 20 kg, only very few phantoms have been described which approximate the infantile body, and only very roughly. The aim of this work was to improve the current unsatisfactory situation. Two main steps toward achieving this aim included the compilation of anthropomorphic data for children and the construction of a modular set of calibration phantoms for the weight classes between 3 and 20 kg from simple, readily accessible, and cheap materials. The phantoms are made from commercially available freezer packs, which can be filled with a radionuclide solution. By using calibrations based on these purposely-built realistic weight class phantoms, internal radioactive contamination in children can be assessed more reliably than would be otherwise possible with the standard adult phantom calibrations.

Monte Carlo calculation of whole body counter efficiency factors for different computational phantoms

Individual monitoring can provide an estimate of the radioactivity present in the body of the exposed individuals. Periodic monitoring of occupationally exposed individuals is of great importance in case of accidental incorporation. Computational phantoms and Monte Carlo codes are often used to complement the calibration method of counting systems in internal dosimetry. Here, counting efficiency (CE) factors for a WBC system were calculated using MC simulations. The WBC system with a NaI(Tl) detector and the BOMAB phantom was modeled using three MC codes. After validation, the models were used to obtain CE values for a wide range of energies, and a CE curve was generated for the WBC system. To estimate the effects of anatomical differences on the measurement process, two anthropomorphic voxel phantoms were modeled using the VMC code. For the detector position with the highest CE value, the differences when comparing BOMAB results with the MaMP and Yale results were (-1 ± 6)% and (-1 ± 3)%, respectively. The results confirm that the use of the BOMAB phantom is a good approach for the calibration of the whole-body counter system. Measurements should be made at detector position with the highest CE values, and it is recommended to use the mean Monte Carlo CE values calculated in this work.

ON THE METHODOLOGY OF PASSPORT DOSES CALCULATION FOR UKRAINIAN SETTLEMENTS RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED DUE TO THE CHORNOBYL NPP ACCIDENT.

scientific substantiation of the new methodology for estimation of passport doses of the settlementswhich belong to Zone of Unconditional (obligatory) Resettlement, or 2nd zone and Zone of Granted VoluntaryResettlement, or 3rd zone in the framework of dosimetric passportization in accordance with the legislation ofUkraine. 37 years after the accident, radioactive contamination of the environment has significantly decreased. However, it is still necessary to carry out ecological and dosimetric monitoring and apply countermeasures in certain territories of Ukraine affected by the accident at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant: restriction of the consumption of locally produced milk, forest products, etc. The methodology, which was since 1996 used to estimate the passport doses of Ukrainian settlements, no longer corresponds to the current level of scientific knowledge about radioactive contamination of environment. The new methods of passport doses calculating presented in the work involves the use of a model whose parameters are determined by the types, quality and completeness of radio-ecological and dosimetric monitoring carried out on the radioactively contaminated territories in 1986-2013. The methodology takes into account the specific of radioactive contamination of each settlement. The passport dose of external exposure is reconstructed only from 137Cs radionuclide, because the contributions of other Chornobyl radionuclides influence the radiation dose only in the first years after the accident. The passport dose of internal exposure is formed as a result of the consumption of 137Cs contaminated food products. It is calculated depending on the availability in the settlement in the current year of the results of measurements of the 137Cs radionuclide activity incorporated in the human body using a whole body counter (WBC) and the activity of 137Cs in the private milk. At the same time, priority is given precisely to the results of WBC measurements of 137Cs. A new methodology (Methodology-2023) for passport doses calculation of Ukrainian settlements was substantiated. A comparison of passport doses based on the results of radioecological and dosimetric monitoring in 2011 calculated by Methodology-2023 and passport doses calculated by Methodology-96 was made.Passport doses calculated by Methodology-2023 increased by 40 % on average compared to doses calculated by Methodology-96. At the same time, passport doses of internal radiation calculated by the new methodologyincreased by 1.5 times, and passport doses of external radiation increased by 1.7 times. The passport dose of 2011, calculated by Methodology-2023, exceeds the legally established limit of 1 mSv in 71 settlements, most of which are located in Korostenkyi raion of Zhytomyr Oblast.

Lamellar Bodies Count (LBC) as a Predictor of Fetal Lung Maturity in Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes Compared to Neonatal Assessment

Lamellar Bodies Count (LBC) as a Predictor of Fetal Lung Maturity in Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes Compared to Neonatal Assessment

Putting names to numbers

This research aims to help create a systematic casualty recording database for the civilian casualties of the Russian aggression within Ukraine. It looks at the definitions surrounding casualty recording and human security to help create a baseline for the project. It examines the Register of the Holodomor Victims, the Bosnian Book of the Dead, the Kosovo Memorial Book, and the casualty recording of Iraq Body Count and the Bouderbala Commission, in terms of their recording systems and public databases. The live project is also informed by the work of Action on Armed Violence (AOAV), the United Nations, Children of War, and the Memorial Platform.

Fetal lung maturity assessment with lamellar body count in women with obesity and excessive gestational weight gain

The aim of this study was to evaluate fetal lung maturation in term pregnant women with obesity and excessive gestational weight gain using the lamellar body count (LBC) test in amniotic fluid samples obtained during cesarean section. This retrospective study included women experiencing term pregnancies and undergoing cesarean delivery, categorized as normal weight (n=37), overweight (n=59), or obese (n=48) due to body mass index values of 18.5 to 24.9; 25 to 29.9; and ≥30, respectively, as well as presence of excessive weight gain during pregnancy. During cesarean delivery, amniotic fluid samples were obtained without contamination of blood or meconium. Lamellar bodies in these samples were quantified using a standard hematologic counter. No significant difference was found among the LBC of the normal weight, overweight, and obese groups [42 (32-60), 40 (26-63), and 43 (24-52) x103/µL; p=0.307], although there was a subtle decrease in the LBC of the obese group with excessive weight gain. Although it is noteworthy that the LBC in the amniotic fluid of mothers with obesity and excessive weight gain during pregnancy showed a partial decrease, this decrease did not reach statistical significance, likely due to the relatively low number of cases in the study groups. Additional research is warranted to elucidate the relationship between LBC alterations and the severity of obesity and weight gain during pregnancy.

Pharmacodynamics of frigid zone plant Taxus cuspidata S. et Z. against skin melanin deposition, oxidation, inflammation and allergy

Abstract Background Taxus cuspidata S. et Z. is a precious species of frigid zone plant belonging to the Taxaceae family, which possesses anticancer, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, and antibacterial pharmacological properties. While taxane extracted from Taxus chinensis has been reported to elicit antioxidant activities, whether Taxus cuspidata S. et Z. has skin-protective actions against injuries remained unknown. This study aims to explore the pharmacological effects of three Taxus extracts on skin melanin deposition, oxidation, inflammation, and allergy so as to provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of various diseases related to skin damage. Methods Skin melanin deposition was evaluated by measuring melanin content in the skin of guinea pigs by alkali lysis method. Antioxidant capacity was evaluated by measuring superoxide dismutase (SOD) concentration and glutathione (GSH) content in skin tissue homogenates of Kunming mice by SOD assay kit and micro reduced GSH assay kit. The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting were used to examine the levels of both SOD and recombinant glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4). Skin inflammation was evaluated by xylene-induced ear swelling test and egg-white-induced paw swelling test in mice. In a mouse model of skin allergy induced by 4-aminopyridine (4-AP), allergy was determined by licking body counts and histamine concentrations in tissue homogenates using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Two proinflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1β were measured by qRT-PCR. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was conducted to assess the degree of skin lesion. Results All three Taxus extracts including Taxus chinensis essential oil, Taxus chinensis extract and Taxus chinensis extract compound reduced the melanin deposits in the back skin relative to the non-treated control animals, of which Taxus chinensis essential oil produced the greatest effect. In contrast, the three Taxus extracts elevated SOD and GSH levels in the skin tissues, and the highest increase was seen with Taxus chinensis essential oil. Three Taxus extracts, especially Taxus chinensis essential oil, effectively reduce the rate of ear and paw swelling. All three Taxus extracts reduced the number of body licks, the levels of TNF-α and IL-1β, and the histamine content in tissue homogenates of mice and alleviated skin damage. Consistently, Taxus chinensis essential oil yielded the greatest magnitude of decreases. Conclusion While all three Taxus extracts possessed the anti-skin melanin deposition, oxidation, and allergy properties, Taxus chinensis essential oil produced the superior effects.

Evolution of Ultrasound-Assessed Lung Aeration and Gas Exchange in Respiratory Distress Syndrome and Transient Tachypnea of the Neonate

To use clinical, lung ultrasound, and gas exchange data to clarify the evolution of lung aeration and function in neonates with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and transient tachypnea of the neonate (TTN), the most common types of neonatal respiratory failure. In this prospective observational cohort study, lung aeration and function were measured with a semiquantitative lung ultrasound score (LUS) and transcutaneous blood gas measurement performed at 1hour (time point 0), 6hours (time point 1), 12hours (time point 2), 24hours (time point 3) and 72hours (time point 4) of life. Endogenous surfactant was estimated using lamellar body count (LBC). LUS, oxygenation index (OI), oxygen saturation index (OSI), and transcutaneous pressure of carbon dioxide (PtcCO2) were the primary outcomes. All results were adjusted for gestational age. Sixty-nine neonates were enrolled in the RDS cohort, and 58 neonates were enrolled in the TTN cohort. LUS improved over time (within-subjects, P<.001) but was worse for the RDS cohort than for the TTN cohort at all time points (between-subjects, P<.001). Oxygenation improved over time (within-subjects, P=.011 for OI, P<.001 for OSI) but was worse for the RDS cohort than for the TTN cohort at all time points (between-subjects, P<.001 for OI and OSI). PtcCO2 improved over time (within-subjects, P<.001) and was similar in the RDS and TTN cohorts at all time points. Results were unchanged after adjustment for gestational age. LBC was associated with RDS (β=-0.2 [95% CI, -0.004 to -0.0001]; P=.037) and LUS (β=-3 [95% CI, -5.5 to -0.5]; P=.019). For the first 72hours of life, the RDS cohort had worse lung aeration and oxygenation compared with the TTN cohort at all time points. CO2 clearance did not differ between the cohorts, whereas both lung aeration and function improved in the first 72hours of life.

:Towards A Social Bioarchaeology of the Mycenaean Period: A Biocultural Analysis of Human Remains from the Voudeni Cemetery, Achaea, Greece

:<i>Towards A Social Bioarchaeology of the Mycenaean Period: A Biocultural Analysis of Human Remains from the Voudeni Cemetery, Achaea, Greece</i>