The Effects of Skin Temperature Changes on the Integrity of Skin Tissue: A Systematic Review.

Objective: To determine whether changes in skin temperature can affect the integrity of skin.

Methodology: The authors conducted a systematic literature search as per the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) guidelines. They searched the CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), Cochrane, MEDLINE Complete, Academic Search Ultimate, and HyDi databases for articles examining the effects of skin temperature on skin integrity published through April 2020.

A Technical Review of Foot Temperature Measurement Systems.

People suffering from diabetes are at risk of developing foot ulcerations which, if left untreated, could also lead to amputation. Monitoring of the foot temperature can help in the prevention of these foot complications, and various studies have shown that elevated temperatures may be indicative of ulceration. Over the years, there have been various devices that were designed for foot temperature monitoring, for both clinical and home use.

Principal component analysis of hyperspectral data for early detection of mould in cheeselets.

The application of non-destructive process analytical technologies in the area of food science got a lot of attention the past years. In this work we used hyperspectral imaging to detect mould on milk agar and cheese. Principal component analysis is applied to hyperspectral data to localise and visualise mycelia on the samples' surface.

Bacterial and fungal contaminants in caprine and ovine cheese: A meta-analysis assessment.

The dairy industry is of great importance to the European economy contributing towards € 8.7 billion of the total trade surplus. Caprine and ovine milk amount to 3.

A review of foot pose and trajectory estimation methods using inertial and auxiliary sensors for kinematic gait analysis.

The use of foot mounted inertial and other auxiliary sensors for kinematic gait analysis has been extensively investigated during the last years. Although, these sensors still yield less accurate results than those obtained employing optical motion capture systems, the miniaturization and their low cost have allowed the estimation of kinematic spatiotemporal parameters in laboratory conditions and real life scenarios. The aim of this work was to present a comprehensive approach of this scientific area through a systematic literature research, breaking down the state-of-the-art methods into three main parts: (1) zero velocity interval detection techniques; (2) assumptions and sensors' utilization; (3) foot pose and trajectory estimation methods.

PCA-driven Detection and Enhancement of Microchanges in Video Data Associated with Heart Rate.

The heart rate is a fundamental measure which can be used to monitor an individual's level of health or fitness, as well as a range of medical conditions. Conventional heart rate devices used in hospitals require continuous contact with specific points on the patient's body, depending on the device being used. Such continuous contact could prove to be a risk for skin irritation or infections and may also be of inconvenience to the patients, potentially restricting movement.

Digital orbitoplethysmograph: A new device to study the regional cerebral circulation using extraorbital plethysmography.

Background: Noninvasive diagnostic methods utilizing pulse wave measurements on the surface of the head are an important tool in diagnosing various types of cerebrovascular disease. The measurement of extraorbital pressure fluctuations reflects intraocular and intracranial pressure changes and can be used to estimate pressure changes in intracranial arteries and the collateral circulation.

New Method: In this paper, we describe our patented (CZ 305757) digital device for noninvasive measuring and monitoring of orbital movements using pressure detection.

A multi-segment modelling approach for foot trajectory estimation using inertial sensors.

Background: Kinematic gait analysis employing multi-segment foot models has been mainly conducted in laboratories by means of optical motion capture systems. This type of process requires considerable setup time and is constrained by a limited capture space. A procedure involving the use of multiple inertial measurement units (IMUs) is proposed to overcome these limitations.

Automated Region Extraction from Thermal Images for Peripheral Vascular Disease Monitoring.

This work develops a method for automatically extracting temperature data from prespecified anatomical regions of interest from thermal images of human hands, feet, and shins for the monitoring of peripheral arterial disease in diabetic patients. Binarisation, morphological operations, and geometric transformations are applied in cascade to automatically extract the required data from 44 predefined regions of interest. The implemented algorithms for region extraction were tested on data from 395 participants.

Registration of Dynamic Thermography Data of the Abdomen of Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Women.

To date the use of thermography in the context of obstetrics has been primarily limited to the acquisition and analysis of static thermal images. In contrast, dynamic thermography involves the acquisition of a sequence of thermal images, taking into account temporal variations that would otherise be overlooked. However, dynamic recordings of regions of interest in human participants are likely to be affected by unavoidable participant movement due to breathing and other involuntary movements.

Principal Component Analysis of Dynamic Thermography Data from Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Women.

In this work we propose a novel approach for the analysis ofdynamic thermography data based on the application of principal component analysis to thermal video data. The proposed approach is applied to thermal video recordings of the abdominal region of pregnant and non-pregnant female participants, and reveals consistent temperature trends across participants that to date have not been reported. Both for the pregnant and non-pregnant participants, the first principal component was found to describe approximately 80% of the total variance, and when combined, the first three principal components explained more than 90% of the total variance.

A systematic review investigating the relationship of electroencephalography and magnetoencephalography measurements with sensorimotor upper limb impairments after stroke.

Background: Predicting sensorimotor upper limb outcome receives continued attention in stroke. Neurophysiological measures by electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) could increase the accuracy of predicting sensorimotor upper limb recovery.

New Method: The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the current evidence for EEG/MEG-based measures to index neural activity after stroke and the relationship between abnormal neural activity and sensorimotor upper limb impairment.

The Application of Medical Thermography to Discriminate Neuroischemic Toe Ulceration in the Diabetic Foot.

This study aimed to determine whether thermal imaging can detect temperature differences between healthy feet, nonulcerated neuroischemic feet, and neuroischemic feet with toe ulcers in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Participants were prospectively divided into 3 groups: T2DM without foot problems; a healthy, nonulcerated neuroischemic group, and an ulcerated neuroischemic group. Thermal images of the feet were obtained with automated segmentation of regions of interest.

Establishing Differences in Thermographic Patterns between the Various Complications in Diabetic Foot Disease.

Aim: To evaluate the potential of thermography as an assessment tool for the detection of foot complications by understanding the variations in temperature that occur in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).

Methods: Participants were categorized according to a medical examination, ankle brachial index, doppler waveform analysis, and 10-gram monofilament testing into five groups: healthy adult, DM with no complications, DM with peripheral neuropathy, DM with neuroischaemia, and DM with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) groups. Thermographic imaging of the toes and forefeet was performed.

Working memory alpha-beta band oscillatory signatures in adolescents and young adults.

The timing of neural activity is an intriguing way of exposing behaviorally relevant neural activity, as neural populations exploit transient windows of synchronized activations to exchange dynamic communications in the service of various cognitive operations. The link between neural synchrony and working memory (WM) has been supported at the theoretical and empirical level. However, findings have also shown that WM encoding is also related to significant alpha-beta desynchronization.

The identification of higher forefoot temperatures associated with peripheral arterial disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus as detected by thermography.

Aims: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether heat emitted from the feet of patients with type 2 diabetes (DM) and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) differed from those with type 2 diabetes without complications (DM).

Methods: A non-experimental, comparative prospective study design was employed in a tertiary referral hospital. Out of 223 randomly selected participants (430 limbs) who were initially tested, 62 limbs were categorized as DM+PAD and 22 limbs as DM without PAD.

EEG-based biometry using steady state visual evoked potentials.

The use of brain signals for person recognition has in recent years attracted considerable interest because of the increased security and privacy these can offer when compared to conventional biometric measures. The main challenge lies in extracting features from the EEG signals that are sufficiently distinct across individuals while also being sufficiently consistent across multiple recording sessions. A range of EEG phenomena including eyes open and eyes closed activity, visual evoked potentials (VEPs) through image presentation, and other mental tasks have been studied for their use in biometry.

Automated segmentation of regions of interest from thermal images of hands.

Thermal imaging can provide an image of the surface temperature of an object in a non-contact and noninvasive manner, making it particularly appealing for use in medical applications. In applications where it is desirable to extract temperature data from anatomical regions of interest (ROIs) in a standardised and consistent manner, the use of automated segmentation and analysis techniques can provide a faster, more reliable and more consistent approach than manual segmentation of these ROIs. In this paper we present an algorithm which automatically extracts temperature data from eight ROIs in thermal images of the volar aspect of human hands.

Phase-based SSVEPs for real-time control of a motorised bed.

Brain-computer interface (BCI) systems have emerged as an augmentative technology that can provide a promising solution for individuals with motor dysfunctions and for the elderly who are experiencing muscle weakness. Steady-state visually evoked potentials (SSVEPs) are widely adopted in BCI systems due to their high speed and accuracy when compared to other BCI paradigms. In this paper, we apply combined magnitude and phase features for class discrimination in a real-time SSVEP-based BCI platform.

Brain Symmetry Index in Healthy and Stroke Patients for Assessment and Prognosis.

Quantitative neurophysiological signal parameters are of value in predicting motor recovery after stroke. The novel role of EEG-derived brain symmetry index for motor function prognostication in the subacute phase after stroke is explored. .

Thermographic patterns of the upper and lower limbs: baseline data.

Objectives. To collect normative baseline data and identify any significant differences between hand and foot thermographic distribution patterns in a healthy adult population. Design.

Hidden dangers revealed by misdiagnosed peripheral arterial disease using ABPI measurement.

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare ankle brachial indices (APBI) with pedal waveforms utilizing the continuous wave Doppler in a population with diabetes mellitus.

Methods: A prospective study design was employed to investigate the ABPI in a cohort of 49 people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. ABPI assessment was completed using a portable handheld Doppler and ankle pressures of <0.

Sagittal plane kinematics of passive dorsiflexion of the foot in adolescent athletes.

Background: Although assessment of passive maximum foot dorsiflexion angle is performed routinely, there is a paucity of information regarding adolescents' foot and foot segment motion during this procedure. There are currently no trials investigating the kinematics of the adolescent foot during passive foot dorsiflexion.

Methods: A six-camera optoelectronic motion capture system was used to collect kinematic data using the Oxford Foot Model.

The analytic common spatial patterns method for EEG-based BCI data.

One of the most important stages in a brain-computer interface (BCI) system is that of extracting features that can reliably discriminate data recorded during different user states. A popular technique used for feature extraction in BCIs is the common spatial patterns (CSP) method, which provides a set of spatial filters that optimally discriminate between two classes of data in the least-squares sense. The method also yields a set of spatial patterns that are associated with the most relevant activity for distinguishing between the two classes.