Counting Device Research Articles

Physical activity and/or dietary intervention in overweight or obese breast cancer survivors: results of the InForma randomized trial.

This study aimed to test the efficacy of a 6-month intervention on weight loss in a group of overweight or obese breast cancer (BC) survivors. We promoted adherence to a healthy diet or/and to increase physical activity, making use of a step counter device. Here we present results regarding the change in anthropometric measures and blood parameters. 266 women treated for BC with a BMI ≥ 25kg/m2 were randomized to a 6-month intervention into four arms: Dietary Intervention (DI); Physical Activity Intervention (PAI); Physical Activity and Dietary Intervention (PADI); Minimal Intervention (MI). Women were offered individualized counseling by a dietitian, a physiotherapist and a psychologist. Participants were followed up for an additional 18months. 231 women completed the 6-month intervention and 167 completed the additional 18-month follow-up. Respectively, 37.5% and 36.7% of women included in the DI and PADI arm reached the objective of the trial (weight reduction > 5%). Significant weight and circumferences decrease was observed at 6-month in the four arms. Weight decrease was more pronounced in the DI (-4.7% ± 5.0%) and PADI (-3.9% ± 4.5%) arms, persisted over time (at 12 and 24months), where counseling was mainly focused on the dietic component. The intervention had an effect on the glucose level with a significant reduction in whole population (-0.9 ± 11.7 p-value 0.02) and most pronounced in the PADI arm (-2.4 ± 7.8 p-value 0.03). Lifestyle intervention mainly focused on the dietetic component and making use of a step counter improved body weight, circumferences and glucose levels. A personalized approach yields a potential clinical benefit for BC survivors.

Effect of Donor Site Selection for Fat Grafting on the Yield and Viability of the Stromal Vascular Fraction.

The efficacy of stromal vascular fraction (SVF) treatment, or stem cell treatment, directly depends on the SVF cell count and the cells' viability. The SVF cell count and viability are in direct correlation with the adipose tissue harvesting site that yields SVF cells, making this research a contribution to developing tissue guidance. The aim of this study was to investigate the importance of harvesting subcutaneous adipose tissue-derived SVF cells on the concentration and viability of SVF. Adipose tissue was collected by vibration-assisted liposuction from the regions of the upper and lower abdomen, lumbar region, and inner thigh region. With the semiautomatic UNISTATION 2nd Version system, the obtained fat was chemically processed (with collagenase enzyme) and a concentrate of SVF cells was obtained by centrifugation. These samples were then analyzed with the Luna-Stem Counter device to measure the number and viability of SVF cells. When comparing the regions of the upper abdomen, lower abdomen, lumbar region, and inner thigh, the highest concentration of SVF was found in the lumbar region, specifically at an average of 97,498.00 per 1.0 mL of concentrate. The lowest concentration was found in the upper abdominal region. When ranking the viability values, the highest cell viability of SVF was observed in the lumbar region, measuring 36.6200%. The lowest viability was found in the upper abdominal region, measuring 24.4967%. By comparing the upper and lower abdominal, lumbar, and inner thigh regions, the authors have come to the conclusion that, on average, the largest number of cells with the highest viability was obtained from the lumbar region.

Research on Electromagnetic Protection Characteristics of Vehicle-mounted Electromagnetic Railgun Launcher Lifetime Counting Device

When the vehicle-mounted electromagnetic gun is launched, the vehicle body is subjected to strong arc reaction, magnetic field interference and shock wave phenomenon. By establishing the external magnetic field model of the multi-tube launch chamber, the electromagnetic protection characteristics of the vehicle-mounted electromagnetic gun launcher’s full-life counting device are studied, and the magnetic field characteristics during launch are analyzed by COMSOL software, and the distribution position of the counting device is selected. Then, based on the electromagnetic shielding technology, conduct anti-interference technology research on the counting device, adopt the method of combined shielding, compare and analyze the shielding effectiveness of each shielding body, and propose the best shielding scheme. The life counting device works safely and normally. Therefore, the research method in this paper can provide an electromagnetic shielding scheme for the anti-jamming technology of the remaining electronic equipment of the vehicle-mounted electromagnetic gun, and can provide guidance for the design of the vehicle-mounted multi-barrel electromagnetic gun launching system.

Fractional-Order Variational Image Fusion and Denoising Based on Data-Driven Tight Frame

Multi-modal image fusion can provide more image information, which improves the image quality for subsequent image processing tasks. Because the images acquired using photon counting devices always suffer from Poisson noise, this paper proposes a new three-step method based on the fractional-order variational method and data-driven tight frame to solve the problem of multi-modal image fusion for images corrupted by Poisson noise. Thus, this article obtains fused high-quality images while removing Poisson noise. The proposed image fusion model can be solved by the split Bregman algorithm which has significant stability and fast convergence. The numerical results on various modal images show the excellent performance of the proposed three-step method in terms of numerical evaluation metrics and visual quality. Extensive experiments demonstrate that our method outperforms state-of-the-art methods on image fusion with Poisson noise.

Increasing the accuracy of the process of automated counting of thin long products

Vibrating hopper feeders with an electromagnetic drive for automating the process of counting parts have become widely used. This process is necessary when transferring them to another workshop for the next technological operation. Also, it is necessary to count artificial products on the lot when packing them for packaging. Vibrating feeders are used to feed miniature, small, or medium-sized parts to the counting position of counting or packing machines. In this case, the parts supplied to these positions should be arranged in one layer. In addition, they should have a certain gap between them for reliable operation of the counting device. Basically, counters for such machines are made on the basis of photoelectric or inductive sensors. The disadvantage of inductive sensors is that they can only be used for metal objects. Photoelectric sensors are more versatile, so they have gained the most distribution for counting or filling machines. The principle of operation of the automatic counting position is that when the object to be counted is applied to it, it crosses the working area of the counting position and the sensor sends an impulse to the counting device. When using photoelectric sensors, parts or products cross the beam of the sensor and it supplies a counting pulse to the electronic counter at each crossing of the working beam. Basically, when using vibrating hopper feeders, the counting position is located either directly at the exit part of the transporting tray, or at the exit from it of the transported objects. The speed of transporting parts or products increases when moving up, because the amplitude of the horizontal component of oscillations increases when the diameter of the transporting tray increases. This is because the hopper of the vibratory feeder has a conical shape. This allows the parts to be refined in one layer. In addition, before the counting position, the parts must be separated from each other to create the necessary gap between them. This is necessary for the reliable operation of the photoelectric sensor. This system works reliably when the dimensions of the parts to be counted are larger than the diameter of the working beam of the sensor. But, when automating the counting of thin, long parts or products whose thickness is close to the size of the working beam of the sensor, the latter may cross it several times when passing through the zone of the counting position. This sharply reduces the accuracy of the counting process. This happens because the parts on the conveyor tray move with a small bounce due to the vertical component of the hopper's vibrations. Therefore, it became necessary to develop a new counting position system in order to increase the accuracy of the counting device for counting long thin parts or products (pins for electrical connectors, needles, matches, etc). The work considers a set of elements that affect the productivity and efficiency of counting devices based on vibrating hopper feeders with electromagnetic drives, for counting long thin parts or products of this shape.

Superconducting single-photon detectors fabricated via a focused electron beam-induced deposition process

Superconducting detectors have become essential devices for high-performance single-photon counting over a wide wavelength range with excellent time resolution. Detector fabrication typically relies on resist-based lithography processes, which can limit possibilities for device integration, e.g., on unconventional substrates. Here, we demonstrate a resist-free fabrication route for realizing superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors based on focused electron beam-induced deposition. Utilizing direct writing of a Pt–C mask, we achieved nanowire meanders with linewidths below 100 nm, operated them as superconducting devices for the detection of visible and near-infrared photons, and showed detector integration on side-polished optical fibers. Being compatible with device fabrication on curved irregular surfaces, our approach could enable superconducting detector integration in complex configurations.

Accuracy and Precision of Actigraphy and SMARTwheels for Measuring Push Counts Across a Series of Wheelchair Propulsion Trials in Non-disabled Young Adults

Background: There has been a growing interest in “Lifestyle Physical Activity” (LPA) among wheelchair users. LPA can be quantified via “pushes” as an outcome metric. This study examined the accuracy and precision of research-grade devices for counting pushes across a series of wheelchair propulsion trials. Methods: Eleven non-disabled, young adults completed 19, 1-minute wheelchair propulsion trials at self-selected speeds with a wheelchair equipped with a SMARTwheel (SW) device while being video recorded. Participants also wore 2 ActiGraph accelerometers, one on the wrist and one on the upper arm. Video footage enabled manual counting of the number of pushes (gold standard). Total pushes were averaged across 16 workloads (3 trials of repeated workloads were excluded) for each device and compared to manually counted pushes. Results: Compared to manually counted pushes, SW demonstrated the greatest accuracy (mean difference [MD] compared to video of 2.3 pushes [4.5% error]) and precision (standard deviation of the mean difference [SDMD]) compared to video of 4 pushes, (Coefficient of Variation [CV] =.04), followed by the upper arm-worn accelerometer (MD of 4.4 pushes [10.4% error] and SDMD of 10, [CV= .06]) and the wrist-worn accelerometer (MD of 12.6 pushes [27.8% error] and SDMD of 13 [CV=.15]). Conclusions: SW demonstrated greater accuracy and precision than ActiGraph accelerometers placed on the upper arm and wrist. The accelerometer placed on the upper arm was more accurate and precise than the accelerometer placed on the wrist. Future investigations should be conducted to identify the source(s) of inaccuracy among wearable push counters.

A lightweight network for portable fry counting devices

Estimating the number of fries plays a critical role in the maintenance of fish breeding, transportation, and the preservation of marine resources in aquaculture. Generally speaking, statistics are recorded manually by fishers and government units. Manual recording is time-consuming and increases the workload of fishers. Compared with traditional physical shunt devices, visual-based algorithms have benefits such as non-restriction of labors, minimal equipment installation, and maintenance costs. However, these methods generally come with massive calculations and model parameters, or poor abilities of aggregation handles and counting precision. This paper proposes a fry counting method named MSENet for portable fry counting devices. Firstly, the lightweight network is designed with simpler parameters (Params: 139.46 kB) for portable embedding. The visualized single-channel fry density maps are predicted by feeding the original images and the number of fries is calculated through integration. Then, the Squeeze-and-Excitation block is utilized to strengthen the features of weighty channels. The model training is refined by hyperparameter studies, the shortened preparation stage enhances the portability. What is more, a fry counting dataset NCAUF and an extra set NCAUF-EX are built for verifications of network generalization. The results demonstrate that the lightweight MSENet outperforms in fry counting with higher precision and competently solves the issue of fry aggregation (MAE: 3.33). The source code and pre-trained models are available at: https://github.com/vranlee/MSENet.

Digital Transformation Processes in Education Space in Sustainable Development

Digital transformation processes are already affecting many areas of human activity. They are felt in all areas where there is mechanization and automation of work with information. There is a lot of talk in the business community today about how digital transformation affects business. For manufacturing enterprises, transport, services, it is associated with serious technological, organizational and cultural changes. Digital technologies are the source of the current mass development of new tools for working with information. It is natural to call them new cultural (established in culture) information tools. This process has been unfolding before our eyes for more than a decade, and everyone observes its separate fragments. Like “old” (traditional) information tools (writing, musical literacy, etc.), new tools do not appear immediately. It takes time for them to manifest themselves in all their complexity, on the basis of new technical means that support their functioning. For the “old” cultural information tools, such tools were writing instruments, counting devices, etc.

Pentraxin-3, endothelin-1, some biochemical parameters and hematology in bovine respiratory disease complex.

Infectious bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC) is one of the world's major livestock problems. The study aimed to determine the diagnostic importance of pentraxin-3, endothelin-1, clinical biochemistry, and hematological parameters in infectious BRDC. Animals in this study were Simmental breed, 1-7 years old, untreated, and healthy and BRDC cattle (40 cattle with BRDC in the disease group, and 10 healthy cattle in the control group). Clinical findings such as general posture, respiratory rate per minute, rectal temperature, heart rate per minute, and mental posture of the diseased cattle were recorded. Blood samples were taken from the jugular vein only once from all cattle. Complete blood count from blood samples was measured in an automatic complete blood count device, biochemical parameters in an autoanalyzer, and pentraxin-3 and endothelin-1 were measured by ELISA method. Rectal temperature, respiratory and pulse rates per minute, total leukocyte count, gamma-glutamyl transferase, urea, total bilirubin, lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase, pentraxin-3 and endothelin-1 concentrations were found to be statistically higher in BRDC group than those in the control group (P<0.001). Pentraxin-3 and endothelin-1 levels were statistically significantly higher in the BRDC group compared to the control group. As a result, pentraxin-3 and endothelin-1 were found to be diagnostically important in cattle diagnosed with BRDC.

Economical Traffic Analysis Methods

At present, there are various traffic analysis approaches and tools accessible in all areas; nevertheless, there are not enough, or by all-means, resources, and supplies for the application of these tools, as these tools differ in their competencies, input supplies, and productivity. This paper aims to provide a new way for a cost-effective traffic analysis implementation, which does not require a lot of resources, combining two machine learning algorithms to count the vehicles, estimate their speed, and segment lanes from a video recording. The video recording can be done using a conventional mobile phone camera and can be processed using a simple hardware toolkit. To bear out the cost-effectiveness of the proposed procedure, we provide a cost comparison analysis with a radar-based mobile traffic counting device.

Automated complete blood counter, urine analyzer and urine dipstick test results are correlated with thoma cell counting chamber counts in the diagnosis of dialysis related peritonitis in children

IntroductionPeritoneal dialysis is the treatment of choice for end-stage renal disease. Peritoneal dialysis related peritonitis is of great importance for patient and technical survival. The aim of our study was to evaluate the accuracy and the correlation between the three methods (complete blood count, urinalysis device, urine dipstick test) and with the reference manual method (Thoma Cell Counter Chamber). Materials and methodsWe retrospectively analyzed 167 peritoneal fluid samples taken from 25 patients receiving peritoneal dialysis treatment. Leukocyte counts were evaluated with Thoma Cell Counter Chamber, complete blood count, urinalysis device and urine dipstick test. ResultsThere was a significant positive correlation between Thoma Cell Counter Chamber and complete blood count results (Spearman's rho=0.70), between Thoma Cell Counter Chamber and urinalysis device (Spearman's rho=0.73), and between Thoma Cell Counter Chamber and urine dipstick test (Spearman's rho=0.71). Area under curve for complete blood count, urinalysis device and urine dipstick test were 0.93, 0.94 and 0.89 respectively, indicating good accuracy. Sensitivity and specificity were 89.7% and 86.7% in the complete blood count analysis (associated criterion: 130 cells/mm3). Sensitivity and specificity were 89.7% and 86.7% in the urinalysis device (associated criterion: 10 cells/HPF). Sensitivity and specificity were 79.6% and 91.4% when in the urine dipstick test analysis (associated criterion: +1 positivity). The Bland-Altman plot showed good agreement. ConclusionAutomatic complete blood count and urinalysis devices have good correlation and agreement with manual method in the diagnosis of peritonitis in the pediatric age group. Urine dipstick test in the home setting can be useful for screening patients with suspected peritonitis.

Thresholded quantum LIDAR in turbolent media

Light detection and ranging is a key technology for a number of applications, from relatively simple distance ranging to environmental monitoring. When dealing with low photon numbers, an important issue is the improvement of the signal-to-noise-ratio, which is severely affected by external sources whose emission is captured by the detection apparatus. In this paper, we present an extension of the technique developed in Cohen et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 203601 (2019)] to the effects caused by the propagation of light through a turbulent media as well as the detection through photon counting devices bearing imperfections in terms of efficiency and number resolution. Our results indicate that even less performing technology can result in a useful detection scheme.

DEVELOPMENT OF A NOVEL ROBUST ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE DEVELOPED SPERM DNA FRAGMENTATION TEST – PRELIMINARY FINDINGS

Sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) is examined by multiple techniques (SCSA, TUNEL, SCD and COMET) while the sperm chromatin dispersion (SCD) test using Halosperm is a popular commercial test used by many IVF clinics. The SCD technique has the advantage of being inexpensive as it does not require advanced equipment or reagents. The main shortcoming of this method is its poor sensitivity due to the limited counting of 300 spermatozoa and the subjective nature of manual counting under the microscope. To overcome these problems, we evaluated a new modified SCD test (R10) kit and an artificial intelligence (AI)-aided SCD counting device (X12) capable of counting more than 5000 sperm. The objective of this study was to compare the DNA fragmentation results by the standard Halosperm G2 test with the new R10 test kit by manual method and assessment of R10 by X12 automated device.

Pull-up Counter Device Using Arduino Uno for Fitness Purposes

A pull-up is a type of upper-body exercise that involves the use of both hands. It works by raising the body's head and shoulders and bending the elbows, and extending the shoulders. It can be performed anywhere and is a great way to tone and expand various muscle groups. This study aims to design a device that can count and track the number of pull-up exercises. Pull-Up Counter Device was developed using the Rapid Prototyping model. The product was evaluated by 30 respondents. The result shows that 83.33% of the users strongly agree that the device can display the correct pull-up record on the LCD, and 50% strongly agree that the device can detect pull-up position correctly.

Performance of photosensors in a high-rate environment for gas Cherenkov detectors

The solenoidal large intensity device (SoLID) at Jefferson Lab will push the boundaries of luminosity for a large-acceptance detector, which necessitates the use of a light-gas threshold Cherenkov counter for online event selection. Due to the high luminosity, the single-photon background rate in this counter can exceed 160 kHz/cm2 at the photosensors. Therefore, it is essential to validate the high-rate limits of the planned photosensors and readout electronics in order to mitigate the risk of failure. We report on the design and an early set of studies carried out using a small Cherenkov counter in a high-rate environment up to 60 kHz/cm2, in Hall C at Jefferson Lab. Commercially available multi-anode photomultipliers (MaPMT) and low-cost large-area picosecond photodetectors (LAPPD) were tested using the JLab FADC250 modules for readout. The test beam results show that the MaPMT array and the internal stripline LAPPD can detect and identify single-electron and pair-production events in high-rate environments. Due to its higher quantum efficiency, the MaPMT array provided a better separation between the single-electron and the pair-production events compared to the internal stripline LAPPD. A GEANT4 simulation confirms the beam test performance of our counter device.

Comparison of two point-of-care measurements of hemoglobin against standard laboratory values during pediatric liver transplantation: A retrospective review.

Point-of-care hemoglobin testing devices play an important role in intraoperative anesthetic management where significant hemorrhage is anticipated; however, the reliability of these devices has not been examined in the context of pediatric liver transplantation. In this retrospective observational study, we aimed to determine whether 95% of results from two point-of-care hemoglobinometers, the HemoCue and iSTAT, would fall within a difference of ±1g/dl, our a priori-defined clinically acceptable level of agreement, of the hemoglobin measures on a core laboratory complete blood count. We retrospectively collected data from 70 patients presenting for a liver transplant at a single center, tertiary care pediatric hospital over a 3.5-year period. We analyzed 92 contemporaneous pairs of hemoglobin values from the HemoCue and complete blood count, and 252 pairs of hemoglobin values from the iSTAT and complete blood count. Agreement between the point-of-care devices and complete blood count was assessed using Bland-Altman analysis, which was the primary outcome. Secondary analyses included an error grid analysis and Cohen's kappa statistic. Both point-of-care devices underestimated complete blood count hemoglobin values and neither device satisfied our a priori-defined clinically acceptable level of agreement that 95% of values would fall within ±1g/dl of the complete blood count measurement. The mean difference [limits of agreement] of the HemoCue was 0.4g/dl (p < .001) [-0.9 to 1.6g/dl] and of the iSTAT was 0.6g/dl (p < .001) [-1.4to 2.6g/dl]. Secondary error grid analysis revealed that neither device performed well enough to replace a complete blood count at critical thresholds of hemoglobin values. While the HemoCue and iSTAT contribute information in a timely manner during dynamic intraoperative situations, there is significant imprecision compared to the gold standard complete blood count. If clinical stability allows, the results of these point-of-care hemoglobinometers should be confirmed with a complete blood count, rather than being used as the sole factor in determining transfusion needs during pediatric liver transplantation.

Are aerosol control devices effective in preventing the spread of dental aerosol?

BackgroundIn dental clinics, aerosols produced from dental instruments have become a matter of concern following breakout of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) evolving into a pandemic. This study compared aerosol reduction systems and in terms of their ability to reduce Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) contaminated aerosol in a simulated dental office set-up.MethodsClosed clinic model with manikin and mandibular molar typodont was simulated. For 10 min, the air and water dispersed by the rotating bur mounted on an aerator was contaminated by pouring the suspension containing 1–3 × 108 CFU/mL E. faecalis directly on the bur. During and after the procedures, the air within the cabin was also sampled. CFU count was recorded and scored. The mean CFU scores obtained from agar plate count and air sampling device was compared using Kruskal–Wallis H test among groups with 5% significance threshold.ResultsThe use of WS Aerosol Defender device led to greater CFU scores on the agars levelled to patient’s chest compared to other directions (p = 0.001). Combined use of VacStation and WS Aerosol Defender resulted in significantly decreased CFU score in the air samples compared to experimental and positive control groups (p = 0 < 0.05).ConclusionsAlthough the devices prevented the spread of aerosol around the patient to some extent, they could not completely eliminate the contaminated aerosol load in the cabin environment.

Single-Photon Counting with Semiconductor Resonant Tunneling Devices.

Optical quantum information science and technologies require the capability to generate, control, and detect single or multiple quanta of light. The need to detect individual photons has motivated the development of a variety of novel and refined single-photon detectors (SPDs) with enhanced detector performance. Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) and single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) are the top-performer in this field, but alternative promising and innovative devices are emerging. In this review article, we discuss the current state-of-the-art of one such alternative device capable of single-photon counting: the resonant tunneling diode (RTD) single-photon detector. Due to their peculiar photodetection mechanism and current-voltage characteristic with a region of negative differential conductance, RTD single-photon detectors provide, theoretically, several advantages over conventional SPDs, such as an inherently deadtime-free photon-number resolution at elevated temperatures, while offering low dark counts, a low timing jitter, and multiple photon detection modes. This review article brings together our previous studies and current experimental results. We focus on the current limitations of RTD-SPDs and provide detailed design and parameter variations to be potentially employed in next-generation RTD-SPD to improve the figure of merits of these alternative single-photon counting devices. The single-photon detection capability of RTDs without quantum dots is shown.

64-channel label-free fluorescence detection and single-particle counting device.

A 64-channel detection system for laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection at the cell level is established and applied to single event counting. Generally, fluorescence detection at the cellular level requires a dyeing label to enhance the scattered light intensity for the photodetector. However, the dyeing labels, such as fluorophores, probes, and dyes, complicate sample preparation and increase cytotoxicity in the process. Therefore, label-free detection becomes essential for in vivo research. The presented 64-channel detection system is designed for label-free detection with the ability to record feeble emissions. Two linear photodetector devices are included in the system, extending the wavelength detection range to 366-680 nm with an improved spectral resolution at an average of 4.9 nm. The performance of the system was validated by detecting unlabeled human hepatocytes (L-02) and other cell-level biologic samples. In addition, the 64-channel detection system was also used for particle counting with a quartz microfluidic chip. The counting method is based on fluorescence spectra differs from those of other devices (i.e., flow cytometry and cell-sorting equipment), which use isolated irradiance intensities.