Cardiac Transmembrane Potential Imaging with GCN Based Iterative Soft Threshold Network

Abstract The organisational status and the main tasks of a university language centre are given different interpretations in different universities. Some language centres find themselves in a challenging situation where the centre’s existence seems to be at stake, whereas others prosper and find positively encouraging opportunities for the future. All this is reflected in the work of language centre directors across Europe. To discuss these challenges and to further develop the cooperation of directors, a Focus Group on Management and Leadership has been established by CercleS. The aim of the focus group is to create a low threshold-network for directors for sharing challenges and questions and by doing this to provide collegial support in management and leadership issues. The focus group conducted a survey in 2015 to learn more about the management and leadership challenges and the support needs of directors. In this paper, we will discuss the results of the focus group survey. The target is to discern common themes and develop recommendations for directors’ future professional cooperation. There will be a particular focus on sharing experiences and ideas for strategy work, staff development and funding, by creating a supportive professional network. Such a network includes a coaching and mentoring system for directors within the CercleS member language centres. The common theme is empowerment: supporting directors in a collegial framework to share experiences, develop their centres further, and increase their own personal well-being at work.

Download Full-text

Impact of Liposomal Drug Formulations on the RBCs Shape, Transmembrane Potential, and Mechanical Properties

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22041710 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (4) ◽

pp. 1710

Author(s):

Sylwia Cyboran-Mikołajczyk ◽

Przemysław Sareło ◽

Robert Pasławski ◽

Urszula Pasławska ◽

Magdalena Przybyło ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Side Effects ◽

Blood Cells ◽

Transmembrane Potential ◽

Drug Formulations ◽

Liposomal Drug ◽

Irregular Shapes ◽

Liposomal Formulations ◽

Current Therapies ◽

Negative Side Effects

Liposomal technologies are used in order to improve the effectiveness of current therapies or to reduce their negative side effects. However, the liposome–erythrocyte interaction during the intravenous administration of liposomal drug formulations may result in changes within the red blood cells (RBCs). In this study, it was shown that phosphatidylcholine-composed liposomal formulations of Photolon, used as a drug model, significantly influences the transmembrane potential, stiffness, as well as the shape of RBCs. These changes caused decreasing the number of stomatocytes and irregular shapes proportion within the cells exposed to liposomes. Thus, the reduction of anisocytosis was observed. Therefore, some nanodrugs in phosphatidylcholine liposomal formulation may have a beneficial effect on the survival time of erythrocytes.

Download Full-text

An Advanced Strategy for Detecting Impulses in Mechanical Signals

Journal of Vibration and Acoustics ◽

10.1115/1.1888590 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 127 (3) ◽

pp. 280-284 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Wen-xian Yang ◽

Peter W. Tse

Keyword(s):

Wavelet Transform ◽

Continuous Wavelet Transform ◽

Spectral Features ◽

Continuous Wavelet ◽

Exponential Functions ◽

Soft Thresholding ◽

Thresholding Method ◽

Mechanical Signals ◽

Soft Threshold

The appearance of overlapping in the results derived by continuous wavelet transform (CWT) smears the spectral features and makes the results difficult to interpret. This will significantly affect the accuracy of analysis of anomalous signals. Aiming at minimizing the undesired effect of overlapping, a new soft-thresholding method in terms of exponential functions is proposed. Using the proposed soft-threshold and combining with Donoho’s approach for reducing the structures induced by noise, a strategy for purifying the results derived by the CWT is designed. A series of simulated and practical experiments show that, after adopting the proposed strategy, the results of CWT are further purified and thereby the spectral features of the inspected signal become more explicit and much more easily identified.

Download Full-text