User-friendly and low-cost computer system for immediate review, analysis, and reconstruction of intracoronary ultrasound images

This essay takes its cue from second-wave ecocriticism and from recent scholarly interest in the “appropriate technology” movement that evolved during the 1960s and 1970s in California and elsewhere. “Appropriate technology” (or AT) refers to a loosely-knit group of writers, engineers and designers active in the years around 1970, and more generally to the counterculture’s promotion, development and application of technologies that were small-scale, low-cost, user-friendly, human-empowering and environmentally sound. Focusing on two roughly contemporary but now largely forgotten American texts Sidney Goldfarb’s lyric poem “Solar-Heated-Rhombic-Dodecahedron” (1969) and Gurney Norman’s novel Divine Right’s Trip (1971)—I consider how “hip” literary writers contributed to eco-technological discourse and argue for the 1960s counterculture’s relevance to present-day ecological concerns. Goldfarb’s and Norman’s texts interest me because they conceptualize iconic 1960s technologies—especially the Buckminster Fuller-inspired geodesic dome and the Volkswagen van—not as inherently alienating machines but as tools of profound individual, social and environmental transformation. Synthesizing antimodernist back-to-nature desires with modernist enthusiasm for (certain kinds of) machinery, these texts adumbrate a humanity- and modernity-centered post-wilderness model of environmentalism that resonates with the dilemmas that we face in our increasingly resource-impoverished, rapidly warming and densely populated world.

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Pocket MUSE: an affordable, versatile and high-performance fluorescence microscope using a smartphone

Communications Biology ◽

10.1038/s42003-021-01860-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Yehe Liu ◽

Andrew M. Rollins ◽

Richard M. Levenson ◽

Farzad Fereidouni ◽

Michael W. Jenkins

Keyword(s):

High Performance ◽

Point Of Care ◽

Low Cost ◽

Consumer Electronics ◽

Practical Implementation ◽

The Novel ◽

Point Of Care Diagnostics ◽

Optical Module ◽

Optical Configuration ◽

User Friendly

AbstractSmartphone microscopes can be useful tools for a broad range of imaging applications. This manuscript demonstrates the first practical implementation of Microscopy with Ultraviolet Surface Excitation (MUSE) in a compact smartphone microscope called Pocket MUSE, resulting in a remarkably effective design. Fabricated with parts from consumer electronics that are readily available at low cost, the small optical module attaches directly over the rear lens in a smartphone. It enables high-quality multichannel fluorescence microscopy with submicron resolution over a 10× equivalent field of view. In addition to the novel optical configuration, Pocket MUSE is compatible with a series of simple, portable, and user-friendly sample preparation strategies that can be directly implemented for various microscopy applications for point-of-care diagnostics, at-home health monitoring, plant biology, STEM education, environmental studies, etc.

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Methods of Respiratory Virus Detection: Advances towards Point-of-Care for Early Intervention

Micromachines ◽

10.3390/mi12060697 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (6) ◽

pp. 697

Author(s):

Siming Lu ◽

Sha Lin ◽

Hongrui Zhang ◽

Liguo Liang ◽

Shien Shen

Keyword(s):

Viral Load ◽

Respiratory Virus ◽

Viral Infections ◽

Point Of Care ◽

Human Life ◽

Low Cost ◽

Virus Detection ◽

Frequent Monitoring ◽

User Friendly ◽

New Strategies

Respiratory viral infections threaten human life and inflict an enormous healthcare burden worldwide. Frequent monitoring of viral antibodies and viral load can effectively help to control the spread of the virus and make timely interventions. However, current methods for detecting viral load require dedicated personnel and are time-consuming. Additionally, COVID-19 detection is generally relied on an automated PCR analyzer, which is highly instrument-dependent and expensive. As such, emerging technologies in the development of respiratory viral load assays for point-of-care (POC) testing are urgently needed for viral screening. Recent advances in loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), biosensors, nanotechnology-based paper strips and microfluidics offer new strategies to develop a rapid, low-cost, and user-friendly respiratory viral monitoring platform. In this review, we summarized the traditional methods in respiratory virus detection and present the state-of-art technologies in the monitoring of respiratory virus at POC.

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Improvement of the classification quality in detection of Hashimoto’s disease with a combined classifier approach

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part H Journal of Engineering in Medicine ◽

10.1177/0954411917702682 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 231 (8) ◽

pp. 774-782 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Zbigniew Omiotek

Keyword(s):

Computer System ◽

Majority Vote ◽

Classification Error ◽

Automatic Identification ◽

Detection Accuracy ◽

Ultrasound Images ◽

Linear Discriminant ◽

Nearest Neighbours ◽

Combined Classifier ◽

Classification Quality

The purpose of the study was to construct an efficient classifier that, along with a given reduced set of discriminant features, could be used as a part of the computer system in automatic identification and classification of ultrasound images of the thyroid gland, which is aimed to detect cases affected by Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. A total of 10 supervised learning techniques and a majority vote for the combined classifier were used. Two models were proposed as a result of the classifier’s construction. The first one is based on the K-nearest neighbours method (for K = 7). It uses three discriminant features and affords sensitivity equal to 88.1%, specificity of 66.7% and classification error at a level of 21.8%. The second model is a combined classifier, which was constructed using three-component classifiers. They are based on the K-nearest neighbours method (for K = 7), linear discriminant analysis and a boosting algorithm. The combined classifier is based on 48 discriminant features. It allows to achieve the classification sensitivity equal to 88.1%, specificity of 69.4% and classification error at a level of 20.5%. The combined classifier allows to improve the classification quality compared to the single model. The models, built as a part of the automatic computer system, may support the physician, especially in first-contact hospitals, in diagnosis of cases that are difficult to recognise based on ultrasound images. The high sensitivity of constructed classification models indicates high detection accuracy of the sick cases, and this is beneficial to the patients from a medical point of view.

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Experimental Study on New Wave Measurement Using Passive Underwater Acoustics

Volume 4: Ocean Engineering; Offshore Renewable Energy ◽

10.1115/omae2008-57478 ◽

2008 ◽

Author(s):

Jing Li ◽

Dingyong Yu ◽

Huaxing Liu

Keyword(s):

Virtual Instrument ◽

Low Cost ◽

Measuring System ◽

Time Data ◽

Significant Wave ◽

Wave Measurement ◽

Wave Heights ◽

Mean Wave Period ◽

Passive Acoustic ◽

User Friendly

The passive acoustic-based wave measurement via hydrophones is presented in this paper. It has the potential to measure non-intrusively, implement with low cost and with higher resolution. Details of experiments, real-time data recording and processing are described respectively. Particularly, the portable data acquisition system based on virtual instrument technique is designed to make the in situ measurement convenient and user-friendly. Special emphasis is put on FFT filtering technique to band pass the signal fast and efficiently. The key wave parameters, i.e. the mean wave period and the significant wave height, can be obtained from the comparatively safe and stable underwater by means of submerged hydrophones. Considering the pressure sensor has been widely used in the ocean wave measurement, it is deployed simultaneously to test the feasibility of the new system. The result shows that the present measuring system can give satisfactory measurement of significant wave heights and average wave periods in shallow water despite of the little deviation.

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BUDGET UAV SYSTEMS FOR THE PROSPECTION OF SMALL- AND MEDIUM-SCALE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES

ISPRS - International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences ◽

10.5194/isprsarchives-xli-b1-971-2016 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol XLI-B1 ◽

pp. 971-977 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

W. Ostrowski ◽

K. Hanus

Keyword(s):

Low Cost ◽

Planning System ◽

Archaeological Sites ◽

Quality Of Data ◽

Computing Power ◽

Medium Scale ◽

The Cost ◽

User Friendly ◽

Operational Range

One of the popular uses of UAVs in photogrammetry is providing an archaeological documentation. A wide offer of low-cost (consumer) grade UAVs, as well as the popularity of user-friendly photogrammetric software allowing obtaining satisfying results, contribute to facilitating the process of preparing documentation for small archaeological sites. However, using solutions of this kind is much more problematic for larger areas. The limited possibilities of autonomous flight makes it significantly harder to obtain data for areas too large to be covered during a single mission. Moreover, sometimes the platforms used are not equipped with telemetry systems, which makes navigating and guaranteeing a similar quality of data during separate flights difficult. The simplest solution is using a better UAV, however the cost of devices of such type often exceeds the financial capabilities of archaeological expeditions. <br><br> The aim of this article is to present methodology allowing obtaining data for medium scale areas using only a basic UAV. The proposed methodology assumes using a simple multirotor, not equipped with any flight planning system or telemetry. Navigating of the platform is based solely on live-view images sent from the camera attached to the UAV. The presented survey was carried out using a simple GoPro camera which, from the perspective of photogrammetric use, was not the optimal configuration due to the fish eye geometry of the camera. Another limitation is the actual operational range of UAVs which in the case of cheaper systems, rarely exceeds 1 kilometre and is in fact often much smaller. Therefore the surveyed area must be divided into sub-blocks which correspond to the range of the drone. It is inconvenient since the blocks must overlap, so that they will later be merged during their processing. This increases the length of required flights as well as the computing power necessary to process a greater number of images. <br><br> These issues make prospection highly inconvenient, but not impossible. Our paper presents our experiences through two case studies: surveys conducted in Nepal under the aegis of UNESCO, and works carried out as a part of a Polish archaeological expedition in Cyprus, which both prove that the proposed methodology allows obtaining satisfying results. The article is an important voice in the ongoing debate between commercial and academic archaeologists who discuss the balance between the required standards of conducting archaeological works and economic capabilities of archaeological missions.

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An analysis of Approaches for Desktop Virtualization and Challenges

International Journal of Scientific Research in Science and Technology ◽

10.32628/cseit2174133 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 600-612

Author(s):

Rupesh Kumar ◽

Arun Kumar Yadav ◽

H N Verma

Keyword(s):

Computer System ◽

Service Providers ◽

Low Cost ◽

New Technology ◽

End Users ◽

Cloud Services ◽

Personal Computers ◽

Small Organizations ◽

Desktop Virtualization ◽

Virtual Desktop

In the Information Technology world, cloud computing technology offering unlimited amount of IT resources and services to end users over the internet on pay-per-use basis. End users are accessing the cloud services on their mobile or personal computers. Service providers are upgrading their services very frequently to enhance the services, and to use their upgraded services, end users are also required to update the specification of their devices. But it will be very costly for the end users to upgrade their devices for high specification to use the enhanced services. Desktop Virtualization is an extensive technology of cloud services. It is the new concept, in which users can access the virtual desktop of required specifications, software and operating system on their old devices anytime and anywhere. With the help of desktop virtualization, users will be benefited by avoiding the cost of frequent upgradation of mobile or personal computer system. Desktop virtualization technology is proving to be a boon for large and small organizations who have to upgrade their computer system with new technology, which is a very costly and challenging process. Desktop virtualization avoids upgrading the hardware of the client machine repeatedly. It allows us to access all applications and data at a low cost on our old machine. This paper presents the comparative analysis of various approaches for desktop virtualization and various challenges which required the solution. Analysis presented in paper has been done based on various performance parameters which will provide the end users low-cost cloud services and best performance on their mobile or personal computers.

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MFNR: Multi-Frame Method for Complete Speckle Noise Removal in Ultrasound images Using KDE

10.20944/preprints202006.0117.v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Awais Nazir ◽

Muhammad Shahzad Younis ◽

Muhammad Khurram Shahzad

Keyword(s):

Signal To Noise Ratio ◽

Low Cost ◽

Speckle Noise ◽

Noise Removal ◽

General Purpose ◽

Imaging Systems ◽

Ultrasound Images ◽

Frame Method ◽

Probability Density Function Pdf ◽

Removal System

Speckle noise is one of the most difficult noises to remove especially in medical applications. It is a nuisance in ultrasound imaging systems which is used in about half of all medical screening systems. Thus, noise removal is an important step in these systems, thereby creating reliable, automated, and potentially low cost systems. Herein, a generalized approach MFNR (Multi-Frame Noise Removal) is used, which is a complete Noise Removal system using KDE (Kernal Density Estimation). Any given type of noise can be removed if its probability density function (PDF) is known. Herein, we extracted the PDF parameters using KDE. Noise removal and detail preservation are not contrary to each other as the case in single-frame noise removal methods. Our results showed practically complete noise removal using MFNR algorithm compared to standard noise removal tools. The Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) performance was used as a comparison metric. This paper is an extension to our previous paper where MFNR Algorithm was showed as a general purpose complete noise removal tool for all types of noises

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Ultrasonographic Diagnosis of Ileal Intussusception in Calf

Acta Scientiae Veterinariae ◽

10.22456/1679-9216.116569 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 49 ◽

Author(s):

Ana Clara Sarzedas Ribeiro ◽

Rodolfo José Cavalcanti Souto ◽

Tayrlla Polessa Rodrigues Silva ◽

José Augusto Bastos Afonso ◽

Carla Lopes Mendonça ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intestinal Obstruction ◽

Low Cost ◽

Clinical Signs ◽

Chloride Content ◽

Diagnostic Tools ◽

Adjacent Segment ◽

Ultrasound Images ◽

Target Pattern ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Intestinal Obstructions

Background: Intussusception, characterized by invagination of an intestinal segment into the lumen of the adjacent segment, is one of the main causes of intestinal obstruction in cattle, and occurs more frequently in calves. The diagnosis of the disease is based on the history, clinical examination, and complementary exams, which are a challenge in this species, especially in calves, in which transrectal palpation is limited. As it is a non-invasive, effective, and low-cost test, ultrasonography could be an important tool in the diagnosis of intestinal obstructions, in which time is essential for the prognosis. Therefore, the objective was to report a case of intussusception in a calf diagnosed by ultrasound.Case: A 4-month-old calf, weaned at 3 months and raised intensively, was treated at the Clínica de Bovinos de Garanhuns, campus of the Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (CBG/UFRPE), with a history of apathy, anorexia, and dyschezia for 3 days. On physical examination, fever, moderate dehydration, tachycardia, tachypnea with polypnea, bilaterally bulging abdomen, sound of fluid on ballottement, ruminal and intestinal hypomotility, and melena were observed. The hematological findings revealed leukocytosis due to neutrophilia (degenerate neutrophils), hypoproteinemia, and hyperfibrinogenemia. The analysis of the ruminal fluid showed compromised microbiota and increased chloride content. The transabdominal ultrasonography demonstrated, in the right ventral region, hypermotile and full small bowel loops and an increase in the volume of the peritoneal fluid. In addition, there was a segment of the small intestine which, in cross-section, showed multiple concentric rings (“onion rings”, “target pattern”, or “bull’s eye”) and adherence to adjacent loops, compatible with intestinal obstruction due to intussusception. Due to the seriousness of the clinical condition and the ultrasound findings, the animal was euthanized and the necropsy revealed focal fibrinous peritonitis and intestinal obstruction due to intussusception in ileum intestinal segments.Discussion: Intussusception has previously been reported in calves, however this is the first report of ultrasound diagnosis of the disease in Brazil. Although the etiology is rarely confirmed, the age group and recent changes in diet (weaning) were predisposing factors. The history, clinical signs, and laboratory tests were similar to those described in cattle with intussusception, however they may be present in other gastrointestinal illnesses. Other authors have also reported that the nonspecificity of the signs and the impossibility of performing transrectal palpation made it difficult to diagnose intestinal obstruction in calves without the use of other diagnostic tools. As it is a non-invasive and accurate technique, ultrasound has been used in ruminants for diagnostic purposes, including intestinal obstructions. In the present case, the main findings are described as the presence of a lesion with the appearance of multiple concentric rings, hypermotile, dilated, and full intestinal loops. The pathological findings were compatible with the ultrasound images and similar to those described by other authors, confirming the diagnosis. The use of ultrasonography as a diagnostic tool in cattle should be expanded, aiming at the early determination of diagnosis and prognosis, to reduce producer costs and animal discomfort. In cases of intussusception, late diagnosis makes treatment unfeasible.

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