Displaying publications 901 - 920 of 4601 in total

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  1. Enhancing feature selection for multi-pose facial expression recognition using a hybrid of quantum inspired firefly algorithm and artificial bee colony algorithm
    Panliang M, Madaan S, Babikir Ali SA, J G, Khatibi A, Alsoud AR, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2025 Feb 07;15(1):4665.
    PMID: 39920157 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-85206-9
    Facial expression recognition (FER) has advanced applications in various disciplines, including computer vision, Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence, supporting diverse domains such as medical escort services, learning analysis, fatigue detection, and human-computer interaction. The accuracy of these systems is of utmost concern and depends on effective feature selection, which directly impacts their ability to accurately detect facial expressions across various poses. This research proposes a new hybrid approach called QIFABC (Hybrid Quantum-Inspired Firefly and Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm), which combines the Quantum-Inspired Firefly Algorithm (QIFA) with the Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) method to enhance feature selection for a multi-pose facial expression recognition system. The proposed algorithm uses the attributes of both the QIFA and ABC algorithms to enhance search space exploration, thereby improving the robustness of features in FER. The firefly agents initially move toward the brightest firefly until identified, then search transition to the ABC algorithm, targeting positions with the highest nectar quality. In order to evaluate the efficacy of the proposed QIFABC algorithm, feature selection is also conducted using QIFA, FA, and ABC algorithms. The evaluated features are utilized for classifying face expressions by utilizing the deep neural network model, ResNet-50. The presented FER system has been tested using multi-pose facial expression benchmark datasets, including RaF (Radboud Faces) and KDEF (Karolinska Directed Emotional Faces). Experimental results show that the proposed QIFABC with ResNet50 method achieves an accuracy of 98.93%, 94.11%, and 91.79% for front, diagonal, and profile poses on the RaF dataset, respectively, and 98.47%, 93.88%, and 91.58% on the KDEF dataset.
    Matched MeSH terms: Bees/physiology
  2. Jellyfish-Inspired Soft Robot Driven by Pneumatic Bistable Actuators
    Wang S, Qiao Z, Li Z, Zhang Y, Cheng A, Zhu B, et al.
    Soft Robot, 2025 Feb;12(1):1-12.
    PMID: 39078729 DOI: 10.1089/soro.2023.0212
    Soft actuators offer numerous potential applications; however, challenges persist in achieving a high driving force and fast response speed. In this work, we present the design, fabrication, and analysis of a soft pneumatic bistable actuator (PBA) mimicking jellyfish subumbrellar muscle motion for waterjet propulsion. Drawing inspiration from the jellyfish jet propulsion and the characteristics of bistable structure, we develop an elastic band stretch prebending PBA with a simple structure, low inflation cost, exceptional driving performance, and stable driving force output. Through a bionic analysis of jellyfish body structure and motion, we integrate the PBA into a jellyfish-like prototype, enabling it to achieve jet propulsion. To enhance the swimming performance, we introduce a skin-like structure for connecting the soft actuator to the jellyfish-like soft robot prototype. This skin-like structure optimizes the fluid dynamics during jet propulsion, resulting in improved efficiency and maneuverability. Our study further analyzes the swimming performance of the jellyfish-like prototype, demonstrating a swimming speed of 3.8 cm/s (0.32 body length/s, BL/s) for the tethered prototype and 4.7 cm/s (0.38 BL/s) for the untethered prototype. Moreover, we showcase the jellyfish-like prototype's notable load-bearing capacity and fast-forward swimming performance compared to other driving methods for underwater biomimetic robots. This work provides valuable insights for the development of highly agile and fast responsive soft robots that imitate the subumbrellar muscle of jellyfish for efficient water-jet propulsion, utilizing skin-like structures to enhance swimming performance.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biomechanical Phenomena/physiology
  3. The interplay of senescence and MMPs in myocardial infarction: implications for cardiac aging and therapeutics
    Balaraman AK, Altamimi ASA, Babu MA, Goyal K, PadmaPriya G, Bansal P, et al.
    Biogerontology, 2025 Jan 20;26(1):46.
    PMID: 39832057 DOI: 10.1007/s10522-025-10190-6
    Aging is associated with a marked increase in cardiovascular diseases, such as myocardial infarction (MI). Cellular senescence is also a crucial factor in the development of age-related MI. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) interaction with cellular senescence is a critical determinant of MI development and outcomes, most notably in the aged heart. After experiencing a heart attack, senescent cells exhibit a Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype (SASP) and are involved in tissue regeneration and chronic inflammation. MMPs are necessary for extracellular matrix proteolysis and have a biphasic effect, promoting early heart healing and detrimental change if overexpressed shortly. This review analyses the complex connection between senescence and MMPs in MI and how it influences elderly cardiac performance. Critical findings suggest that increasing cellular senescence in aged hearts elevates MMP activity and aggravates extended ventricular remodeling and dysfunction. Additionally, we explore potential therapeutics that address MMPs and senescence to enhance old MI patient myocardial performance and regeneration.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ventricular Remodeling/physiology
  4. Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy of English-Speaking Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder During a Verbal Fluency Task
    Husain SF, Chiang SK, Vasu AA, Goh CP, McIntyre RS, Tang TB, et al.
    J Atten Disord, 2023 Nov;27(13):1448-1459.
    PMID: 37341192 DOI: 10.1177/10870547231180111
    OBJECTIVE: Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) provides direct and quantitative assessment of cortical hemodynamic response. It has been used to identify neurophysiological alterations in medication-naïve adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Hence, this study aimed to distinguish both medication-naïve and medicated adults with ADHD from healthy controls (HC).

    METHOD: 75 HCs, 75 medication-naïve, and 45 medicated patients took part in this study. fNIRS signals during a verbal fluency task (VFT) were acquired using a 52-channel system and relative oxy-hemoglobin changes in the prefrontal cortex were quantified.

    RESULTS: Prefrontal cortex hemodynamic response was lower in patients than HCs (p ≤ ≤.001). Medication-naïve and medicated patients did not differ in hemodynamic response or symptom severity (p > .05). fNIRS measurements were not associated with any clinical variables (p > .05). 75.8% patients and 76% HCs were correctly classified using hemodynamic response.

    CONCLUSION: fNIRS may be a potential diagnostic tool for adult ADHD. These findings need to be replicated in larger validation studies.

    Matched MeSH terms: Hemodynamics/physiology
  5. The new perspective of Alzheimer's Disease Research: Mechanism and therapeutic strategy of neuronal senescence
    Niu Q, Li D, Zhang J, Piao Z, Xu B, Xi Y, et al.
    Ageing Res Rev, 2024 Dec;102:102593.
    PMID: 39566741 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102593
    Alzheimer's disease (AD), commonly known as senile dementia, is a neurodegenerative disease with insidious onset and gradually worsening course. The brain is particularly sensitive to senescence, and neuronal senescence is an important risk factor for the occurrence of AD. However, the exact pathogenesis between neuronal senescence and AD has not been fully elucidated so far. Neuronal senescence is characterized by the permanent stagnation of the cell cycle, and the changes in its structure, function, and microenvironment are closely related to the pathogenesis and progression of AD. In recent years, studies such as the Aβ cascade hypothesis and Tau protein phosphorylation have provided new strategies for the therapy of AD, but due to the complexity of the etiology of AD, there are still no effective treatment measures. This article aims to deeply analyze the pathogenesis between AD and neuronal senescence, and sort out various existing therapeutic methods, to provide new ideas and references for the clinical treatment of AD.
    Matched MeSH terms: Aging/physiology
  6. Environmental enrichment improves cognitive function, learning, memory and anxiety-related behaviours in rodent models of dementia: Implications for future study
    Mohd Sahini SN, Mohd Nor Hazalin NA, Srikumar BN, Jayasingh Chellammal HS, Surindar Singh GK
    Neurobiol Learn Mem, 2024 Feb;208:107880.
    PMID: 38103676 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2023.107880
    Environmental enrichment (EE) is a process of brain stimulation by modifying the surroundings, for example, by changing the sensory, social, or physical conditions. Rodents have been used in such experimental strategies through exposure to diverse physical, social, and exploration conditions. The present study conducted an extensive analysis of the existing literature surrounding the impact of EE on dementia rodent models. The review emphasised the two principal aspects that are very closely related to dementia: cognitive function (learning and memory) as well as psychological factors (anxiety-related behaviours such as phobias and unrealistic worries). Also highlighted were the mechanisms involved in the rodent models of dementia showing EE effects. Two search engines, PubMed and Science Direct, were used for data collection using the following keywords: environmental enrichment, dementia, rodent model, cognitive performance, and anxiety-related behaviour. Fifty-five articles were chosen depending on the criteria for inclusion and exclusion. The rodent models with dementia demonstrated improved learning and memory in the form of hampered inflammatory responses, enhanced neuronal plasticity, and sustained neuronal activity. EE housing also prevented memory impairment through the prevention of amyloid beta (Aβ) seeding formation, an early stage of Aβ plaque formation. The rodents subjected to EE were observed to present increased exploratory activity and exert less anxiety-related behaviour, compared to those in standard housing. However, some studies have proposed that EE intervention through exercise would be too mild to counteract the anxiety-related behaviour and risk assessment behaviour deficits in the Alzheimer's disease rodent model. Future studies should be conducted on old-aged rodents and the duration of EE exposure that would elicit the greatest benefits since the existing studies have been conducted on a range of ages and EE durations. In summary, EE had a considerable effect on dementia rodent models, with the most evident being improved cognitive function.
    Matched MeSH terms: Maze Learning/physiology
  7. Fulltext Examining the Relation Between Sleep Problems and Behavioural Challenges in Youth With Down Syndrome
    Soltani A, Wiley S, Williams-Arya P, Hoffman EK, Esbensen AJ
    J Intellect Disabil Res, 2025 Apr;69(4):310-317.
    PMID: 39929193 DOI: 10.1111/jir.13213
    BACKGROUND: The connection between sleep problems and behavioural challenges in individuals with Down syndrome (DS) has been a central focus of research across different age groups. However, uncertainty remains regarding this association, particularly when relying solely on daily-based assessments. This study aimed to examine the relationship between sleep problems and behavioural challenges at both overall (macro) and daily (micro) levels among youth with DS.

    METHODS: Sleep disturbances were measured in a sample of 65 youth with DS aged 6-17 years using the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) and actigraph watches assessing sleep efficiency, sleep duration and wake after sleep onset. Behavioural challenges were evaluated through externalising and internalising subscales of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and of the Scales of Independent Behavior, Revised (SIB-R).

    RESULTS: The findings demonstrated that over a period of time, sleep problems are significantly associated with both externalising and internalising behaviours as measured by CSHQ and CBCL, even after accounting for the effects of IQ and SIB-R Broad Independence. No significant correlations were observed on a daily basis over seven consecutive days, as measured by actigraphy and both externalising and internalising indices of SIB-R.

    CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight the complexity of the sleep-behaviour relationship in DS, indicating that while chronic sleep issues impact long-term behaviours, nightly variations do not predict immediate behavioural changes.

    Matched MeSH terms: Adolescent Behavior/physiology
  8. Host-Parasite Interactions and Integrated Management Strategies for Ecytonucleospora Hepatopenaei Infection in Shrimp
    Haridevamuthu B, Sudhakaran G, Rajagopal R, Alfarhan A, Arshad A, Arockiaraj J
    Acta Parasitol, 2025 Mar 06;70(2):67.
    PMID: 40050501 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-025-01007-0
    BACKGROUND: Ecytonucleospora hepatopenaei (EHP) is a major parasitic pathogen in shrimp causing hepatopancreatic microsporidiosis, which leads to significant growth retardation and global economic losses. This pathogen employs various immune evasion strategies that complicate treatment and management.

    PURPOSE: This review examines the complex host-parasite interactions, focusing on the immune evasion mechanisms used by EHP. The study explores how EHP manipulates host immune pathways, including NF-κB, JAK/STAT, Toll, and IMD, to suppress immune responses, inhibit antimicrobial peptide production, and avoid detection, thus ensuring its persistence in the host.

    METHODS: The authors reviewed recent research from databases like PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, including studies up to 2024. The keywords Ecytonucleospora hepatopenaei, immune evasion, EHP treatment, and associated words with topics were used in this search.

    RESULTS: EHP induces oxidative stress, which weakens the host immune system while simultaneously upregulating antioxidant responses to favor its survival. The parasite also alters the gut microbiota and disrupts key cellular processes, such as cell cycle regulation, further enhancing its ability to sustain infection.

    CONCLUSION: This review highlights the need for integrated management strategies, including disease-resistant breeding, microbiota modulation, and advanced diagnostics, to combat EHP. By providing an overview of EHP's immune evasion tactics, this study aims to advance knowledge in the field and support efforts to improve shrimp health and aquaculture sustainability.

    Matched MeSH terms: Enterocytozoon/physiology
  9. Field based analysis of vegetation and climate impacts on the hydrological properties of urban vegetated slope
    Kumar M, Paramaputra K, Mousa A, Kong SY, Garg A, Anggraini V
    Sci Rep, 2025 Mar 05;15(1):7702.
    PMID: 40044877 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-92031-7
    The presence of vegetation in urban soil is both visually appealing and environmentally beneficial. Vegetation contributes to changes in soil water content (SWC) and soil suction (SS) through transpiration. These changes ultimately affect slope stability, soil erosion, runoff generation, and water infiltration. This study closely examines the impact of tree canopy covers on SWC and SS dynamics in an urban slope site with a diverse mix of vegetation (trees and grass) in a tropical region. Field monitoring revealed that slope areas with higher tree canopy cover consistently exhibited lower SWC and higher SS at shallower depths, highlighting the stabilizing effects of vegetation. During wet periods, the difference in SWC between high and low canopy cover areas increased by 36% compared to dry periods, emphasizing the role of canopy cover in regulating soil moisture under varying climatic conditions. Furthermore, stations with lower canopy cover demonstrated a stronger correlation between SWC and relative humidity (R values of 0.64 in dry and 0.71 in wet periods) than those with higher canopy cover (R values of 0.57 in dry and 0.63 in wet periods), indicating distinct soil moisture retention patterns based on canopy density. These findings underscore the critical role of tree canopy cover in controlling SWC and SS dynamics, particularly for urban slope stability and sustainable landscape management.
    Matched MeSH terms: Poaceae/physiology
  10. Swarm-initialized adaptive controller with beetle antenna searching of wearable lower limb exoskeleton for sit-to-stand and walking motions
    Amiri MS, Ramli R, Van M
    ISA Trans, 2025 Mar;158:640-653.
    PMID: 39827031 DOI: 10.1016/j.isatra.2025.01.003
    In recent years, exoskeleton robots have attracted great interest from researchers in the area of robotics due to their ability to assist human functionality improvement. A wearable lower limb exoskeleton is aimed at supporting the limb functionality rehabilitation process and to assist physical therapists. Development of a stable and robust control system for multi-joint rehabilitation robots is a challenging task due to their non-linear dynamic systems. This paper presents the development of a Swarm-Initialized Adaptive (SIA) based controller, which is a combination of a swarm-based intelligence, named Swarm Beetle Antenna Searching (SBAS), and an adaptive Lyapunov-based controller. The SBAS initializes the parameters of SIA to efficiently improve the performance of the control system and then these controller parameters are updated by an adaptive controller. The control system is validated in a lower limb exoskeleton prototype with four degrees of freedom, using a healthy human subject for sit-to-stand and walking motions. The experimental results show the applicability of the proposed method and demonstrate that our approach obtained efficient control performance in terms of steady-state error and robustness and can be used for a lower limb exoskeleton to improve human mobility.
    Matched MeSH terms: Beetles/physiology
  11. Fulltext Establishing International Blood Pressure References Among Nonoverweight Children and Adolescents Aged 6 to 17 Years
    Xi B, Zong X, Kelishadi R, Hong YM, Khadilkar A, Steffen LM, et al.
    Circulation, 2016 Jan 26;133(4):398-408.
    PMID: 26671979 DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.115.017936
    Several distributions of country-specific blood pressure (BP) percentiles by sex, age, and height for children and adolescents have been established worldwide. However, there are no globally unified BP references for defining elevated BP in children and adolescents, which limits international comparisons of the prevalence of pediatric elevated BP. We aimed to establish international BP references for children and adolescents by using 7 nationally representative data sets (China, India, Iran, Korea, Poland, Tunisia, and the United States).
    Matched MeSH terms: Blood Pressure/physiology*; Body Height/physiology; Body Weight/physiology
  12. The optimal number of heifer calves to be reared as dairy replacements
    Mohd Nor N, Steeneveld W, Mourits MC, Hogeveen H
    J Dairy Sci, 2015 Feb;98(2):861-71.
    PMID: 25497803 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2014-8329
    Dairy farmers often keep almost all their newborn heifer calves despite the high cost of rearing. By rearing all heifer calves, farmers have more security and retain flexibility to cope with the uncertainty in the availability of replacement heifers in time. This uncertainty is due to mortality or infertility during the rearing period and the variation in culling rate of lactating cows. The objective of this study is to provide insight in the economically optimal number of heifer calves to be reared as replacements. A herd-level stochastic simulation model was developed specific for this purpose with a herd of 100 dairy cows; the biological part of the model consisted of a dairy herd unit and rearing unit for replacement heifers. The dairy herd unit included variation in the number of culled dairy cows. The rearing unit incorporated variation in the number of heifers present in the herd by including uncertainty in mortality and variation in fertility. The dairy herd unit and rearing unit were linked by the number of replacement heifers and culled dairy cows. When not enough replacement heifers were available to replace culled dairy cows, the herd size was temporarily reduced, resulting in an additional cost for the empty slots. When the herd size reached 100 dairy cows, the available replacement heifers that were not needed were sold. It was assumed that no purchase of cows and calves occurred. The optimal percentage of 2-wk-old heifer calves to be retained was defined as the percentage of heifer calves that minimized the average net costs of rearing replacement heifers. In the default scenario, the optimal retention was 73% and the total net cost of rearing was estimated at €40,939 per herd per year. This total net cost was 6.5% lower than when all heifer calves were kept. An earlier first-calving age resulted in an optimal retention of 75%, and the net costs of rearing were €581 per herd per year lower than in the default scenario. For herds with a lower or higher culling rate of dairy cows (10 or 40% instead of 25% in the default scenario), it was optimal to retain 35 or 100% of the heifer calves per year. Herds that had a lower or higher cost of empty slots (€50 or €120 per month instead of €82 in the default scenario) had an optimal retention of 49 or 83% per year; the optimal retention percentage was dependent on farm and herd characteristics. For Dutch dairy farming conditions, it was not optimal to keep all heifer calves.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cattle/physiology*; Fertility/physiology; Lactation/physiology
  13. Fulltext Streptococcus mitis induces conversion of Helicobacter pylori to coccoid cells during co-culture in vitro
    Khosravi Y, Dieye Y, Loke MF, Goh KL, Vadivelu J
    PLoS One, 2014;9(11):e112214.
    PMID: 25386948 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112214
    Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a major gastric pathogen that has been associated with humans for more than 60,000 years. H. pylori causes different gastric diseases including dyspepsia, ulcers and gastric cancers. Disease development depends on several factors including the infecting H. pylori strain, environmental and host factors. Another factor that might influence H. pylori colonization and diseases is the gastric microbiota that was overlooked for long because of the belief that human stomach was a hostile environment that cannot support microbial life. Once established, H. pylori mainly resides in the gastric mucosa and interacts with the resident bacteria. How these interactions impact on H. pylori-caused diseases has been poorly studied in human. In this study, we analyzed the interactions between H. pylori and two bacteria, Streptococcus mitis and Lactobacillus fermentum that are present in the stomach of both healthy and gastric disease human patients. We have found that S. mitis produced and released one or more diffusible factors that induce growth inhibition and coccoid conversion of H. pylori cells. In contrast, both H. pylori and L. fermentum secreted factors that promote survival of S. mitis during the stationary phase of growth. Using a metabolomics approach, we identified compounds that might be responsible for the conversion of H. pylori from spiral to coccoid cells. This study provide evidences that gastric bacteria influences H. pylori physiology and therefore possibly the diseases this bacterium causes.
    Matched MeSH terms: Helicobacter pylori/physiology*; Streptococcus mitis/physiology*; Lactobacillus fermentum/physiology*
  14. Postnatal growth rates covary weakly with embryonic development rates and do not explain adult mortality probability among songbirds on four continents
    Martin TE, Oteyza JC, Mitchell AE, Potticary AL, Lloyd P
    Am Nat, 2015 Mar;185(3):380-9.
    PMID: 25674692 DOI: 10.1086/679612
    Growth and development rates may result from genetic programming of intrinsic processes that yield correlated rates between life stages. These intrinsic rates are thought to affect adult mortality probability and longevity. However, if proximate extrinsic factors (e.g., temperature, food) influence development rates differently between stages and yield low covariance between stages, then development rates may not explain adult mortality probability. We examined these issues based on study of 90 songbird species on four continents to capture the diverse life-history strategies observed across geographic space. The length of the embryonic period explained little variation (ca. 13%) in nestling periods and growth rates among species. This low covariance suggests that the relative importance of intrinsic and extrinsic influences on growth and development rates differs between stages. Consequently, nestling period durations and nestling growth rates were not related to annual adult mortality probability among diverse songbird species within or among sites. The absence of a clear effect of faster growth on adult mortality when examined in an evolutionary framework across species may indicate that species that evolve faster growth also evolve physiological mechanisms for ameliorating costs on adult mortality. Instead, adult mortality rates of species in the wild may be determined more strongly by extrinsic environmental causes.
    Matched MeSH terms: Embryo, Nonmammalian/physiology; Nesting Behavior/physiology; Predatory Behavior/physiology
  15. Fulltext Micropropagation of bioencapsulation and ultrastructural features of sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) grown in vivo and in vitro
    Mohajer S, Mat Taha R, Mohajer M, Khorasani Esmaeili A
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:680356.
    PMID: 25045740 DOI: 10.1155/2014/680356
    To explore the potential of in vitro rapid regeneration, three varieties (Golpaygan-181, Orumieh-1763, and Gorgan-1601) of sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop. syn. Onobrychis sativa L.) were evaluated. For the first time, an encapsulation protocol was established from somatic embryogenic callus in torpedo and cotyledonary stages to create artificial seeds. Callus derived from different concentrations of Kinetin (0-2.0 mg L(-1)) and Indole-3-acetic acid (0-2.0 mg L(-1)) was coated with sodium alginate and subsequently cultured either in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium or in soil substrate. Adventitious shoots from synthetic beads developed into rooting in full and half strength MS medium supplemented with various concentrations of auxin and cytokinin. Prolonged water conservation of black and red soils (1:1) had the highest rate of survival plantlets in the acclimatization process. Diverse resistance techniques in Onobrychis viciifolia were evaluated when the plants were subjected to water deficiency. Higher frequency of epicuticular waxes was observed in in vivo leaves compared to in vitro leaves. Jagged trichomes nonsecreting glands covered by spines were only observed in the lower leaf side. Ultimately, stomata indices were 0.127 (abaxial), 0.188 (adaxial) in in vivo and 0.121 (abaxial), 0.201 (adaxial) in in vitro leaves.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fabaceae/physiology*; Plant Leaves/physiology; Plant Roots/physiology
  16. Fulltext Parasitism performance and fitness of Cotesia vestalis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) infected with Nosema sp. (Microsporidia: Nosematidae): implications in integrated pest management strategy
    Kermani N, Abu Hassan ZA, Suhaimi A, Abuzid I, Ismail NF, Attia M, et al.
    PLoS One, 2014;9(6):e100671.
    PMID: 24968125 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0100671
    The diamondback moth (DBM) Plutella xylostella (L.) has traditionally been managed using synthetic insecticides. However, the increasing resistance of DBM to insecticides offers an impetus to practice integrated pest management (IPM) strategies by exploiting its natural enemies such as pathogens, parasitoids, and predators. Nevertheless, the interactions between pathogens and parasitoids and/or predators might affect the effectiveness of the parasitoids in regulating the host population. Thus, the parasitism rate of Nosema-infected DBM by Cotesia vestalis (Haliday) (Hym., Braconidae) can be negatively influenced by such interactions. In this study, we investigated the effects of Nosema infection in DBM on the parasitism performance of C. vestalis. The results of no-choice test showed that C. vestalis had a higher parasitism rate on non-infected host larvae than on Nosema-treated host larvae. The C. vestalis individuals that emerged from Nosema-infected DBM (F1) and their progeny (F2) had smaller pupae, a decreased rate of emergence, lowered fecundity, and a prolonged development period compared to those of the control group. DBM infection by Nosema sp. also negatively affected the morphometrics of C. vestalis. The eggs of female C. vestalis that developed in Nosema-infected DBM were larger than those of females that developed in non-infected DBM. These detrimental effects on the F1 and F2 generations of C. vestalis might severely impact the effectiveness of combining pathogens and parasitoids as parts of an IPM strategy for DBM control.
    Matched MeSH terms: Hymenoptera/physiology*; Larva/physiology; Nosema/physiology*
  17. Fulltext A bio-inspired herbal tea flavour assessment technique
    Zakaria NZ, Masnan MJ, Zakaria A, Shakaff AY
    Sensors (Basel), 2014;14(7):12233-55.
    PMID: 25010697 DOI: 10.3390/s140712233
    Herbal-based products are becoming a widespread production trend among manufacturers for the domestic and international markets. As the production increases to meet the market demand, it is very crucial for the manufacturer to ensure that their products have met specific criteria and fulfil the intended quality determined by the quality controller. One famous herbal-based product is herbal tea. This paper investigates bio-inspired flavour assessments in a data fusion framework involving an e-nose and e-tongue. The objectives are to attain good classification of different types and brands of herbal tea, classification of different flavour masking effects and finally classification of different concentrations of herbal tea. Two data fusion levels were employed in this research, low level data fusion and intermediate level data fusion. Four classification approaches; LDA, SVM, KNN and PNN were examined in search of the best classifier to achieve the research objectives. In order to evaluate the classifiers' performance, an error estimator based on k-fold cross validation and leave-one-out were applied. Classification based on GC-MS TIC data was also included as a comparison to the classification performance using fusion approaches. Generally, KNN outperformed the other classification techniques for the three flavour assessments in the low level data fusion and intermediate level data fusion. However, the classification results based on GC-MS TIC data are varied.
    Matched MeSH terms: Nose/physiology*; Taste/physiology*; Tongue/physiology*
  18. The effect of feet position on standing balance in patients with diabetes
    Mehdikhani M, Khalaj N, Chung TY, Mazlan M
    Proc Inst Mech Eng H, 2014 Aug;228(8):819-23.
    PMID: 25205748 DOI: 10.1177/0954411914547714
    Feet displacement is recognized to be an important element in standing and is also linked to postural instability in elderly people with diabetes. This study investigates standing balance in diabetic patients in four asymmetric feet displacements. Quiet standing balance was investigated using the Biodex Balance System in 18 diabetic patients and compared with 18 control elderly subjects. The four standing conditions, namely, comfortable feet position, preferred feet position with a stance width of 17 cm and 15° angle between the medial borders, feet side by side, and heel side by side with a 30° angle between medial edges of feet were evaluated (i.e. eyes opened, eyes closed). The overall stability was calculated by measuring anterior-posterior and medial-lateral indices in standing conditions. Differences among feet positions were compared using an analysis of variance and the independent t-test. The diabetic patients were unstable in the medial-lateral direction when standing with feet side by side versus heel side by side with a 30° angle between medial edges of feet (p = 0.012 and 0.011, respectively), while in controls the anterior-posterior stability scores between standing in preferred foot position with stance width of 17 cm and 15° angle between the medial borders versus feet side by side, and heel side by side with a 30° angle between medial edges of feet versus preferred foot position with stance width of 17 cm and 15° angle between the medial borders had significant difference (p 
    Matched MeSH terms: Postural Balance/physiology*; Foot/physiology*; Posture/physiology*
  19. Analysis of crosstalk in the mechanomyographic signals generated by forearm muscles during different wrist postures
    Islam A, Sundaraj K, Ahmad RB, Sundaraj S, Ahamed NU, Ali MA
    Muscle Nerve, 2015 Jun;51(6):899-906.
    PMID: 25204740 DOI: 10.1002/mus.24454
    In this study, we analyzed the crosstalk in mechanomyographic (MMG) signals generated by the extensor digitorum (ED), extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU), and flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU) muscles of the forearm during wrist flexion (WF) and extension (WE) and radial (RD) and ulnar (UD) deviations.
    Matched MeSH terms: Muscle Contraction/physiology*; Posture/physiology*; Range of Motion, Articular/physiology*
  20. Fulltext Labrenzia sp. BM1: a quorum quenching bacterium that degrades N-acyl homoserine lactones via lactonase activity
    Ghani NA, Norizan SN, Chan XY, Yin WF, Chan KG
    Sensors (Basel), 2014;14(7):11760-9.
    PMID: 24995373 DOI: 10.3390/s140711760
    We report the degradation of quorum sensing N-acylhomoserine lactone molecules by a bacterium isolated from a Malaysian marine water sample. MALDI-TOF and phylogenetic analysis indicated this isolate BM1 clustered closely to Labrenzia sp. The quorum quenching activity of this isolate was confirmed by using a series of bioassays and rapid resolution liquid chromatography analysis. Labrenzia sp. degraded a wide range of N-acylhomoserine lactones namely N-(3-hexanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone (C6-HSL), N-(3-oxohexanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone (3-oxo-C6-HSL) and N-(3-hydroxyhexanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone (3-hydroxy-C6-HSL). Re-lactonisation bioassays confirmed Labrenzia sp. BM1 degraded these signalling molecules efficiently via lactonase activity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first documentation of a Labrenzia sp. capable of degrading N-acylhomoserine lactones and confirmation of its lactonase-based mechanism of action.
    Matched MeSH terms: Signal Transduction/physiology*; Alphaproteobacteria/physiology*; Quorum Sensing/physiology*
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