Using Sensor Graphs for Monitoring the Effect on the Performance of the OTAGO Exercise Program in Older Adults

The OTAGO exercise program is effective in decreasing the risk for falls of older adults. This research investigated if there is an indication that the OTAGO exercise program has a positive effect on the capacity and as well as on the performance in mobility. We used the data of the 10-months observational OTAGO pilot study with 15 (m = 1, f = 14) (pre-)frail participants aged 84.60 y (SD: 5.57 y). Motion sensors were installed in the flats of the participants and used to monitor their activity as a surrogate variable for performance. We derived a weighted directed multigraph from the physical sensor network, subtracted the weights of one day from a baseline, and used the difference in percent to quantify the change in performance. Least squares was used to compute the overall progress of the intervention (n = 9) and the control group (n = 6). In accordance with previous studies, we found indication for a positive effect of the OTAGO program on the capacity in both groups. Moreover, we found indication that the OTAGO program reduces the decline in performance of older adults in daily living. However, it is too early to conclude causalities from our findings because the data was collected during a pilot study.

Analyzing the Importance of Sensors for Mode of Transportation Classification

The broad availability of smartphones and Inertial Measurement Units in particular brings them into the focus of recent research. Inertial Measurement Unit data is used for a variety of tasks. One important task is the classification of the mode of transportation. In the first step, we present a deep-learning-based algorithm that combines long-short-term-memory (LSTM) layer and convolutional layer to classify eight different modes of transportation on the Sussex–Huawei Locomotion-Transportation (SHL) dataset. The inputs of our model are the accelerometer, gyroscope, linear acceleration, magnetometer, gravity and pressure values as well as the orientation information. In the second step, we analyze the contribution of each sensor modality to the classification score and to the different modes of transportation. For this analysis, we subtract the baseline confusion matrix from a confusion matrix of a network trained with a left-out sensor modality (difference confusion matrix) and we visualize the low-level features from the LSTM layers. This approach provides useful insights into the properties of the deep-learning algorithm and indicates the presence of redundant sensor modalities.

A simple and rapid chemical method for the determination of cephalosporins

A simple and rapid chemical assay for cephalosporins is described. It is a simple modification of the colorimetric determination of penicillins in which the narrow spectrum beta-lactamase (penicillinase) is replaced by a broad spectrum beta-lactamase (cephalosporinase) produced by Enterobacter cloacae. The method can be used for assay of fermentation broths as well as for pure cephalosporins.

Effect of side-chain substitution of a CH2 group by sulfur on the antimicrobial activity of natural penicillins and cephalosporins

The S-carboxymethyl-D-cysteine side-chain analogs of cephalosporin C and deacetoxycephalosporin C were found to have markedly increased in vitro activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria compared to the natural antibiotics. The S-carboxymethyl-L-cysteine analogs were less active than the S-carboxymethyl-D-cysteine analogs but against most organisms tested, still more active than the natural compounds. The effect of replacement of CH2 with S was less dramatic in the case of penicillin N and isopenicillin N. The S-carboxymethyl-D-cysteine analog of deacetoxycephalosporin C was found to be orally available in rats.

Repression and inhibition of cephalosporin synthetases in Streptomyces clavuligerus by inorganic phosphate

Cephalosporin production by growing cells of Streptomyces clavuligerus was reduced by 100 mM inorganic phosphate. Resting cell production was repressed by prior growth in high phosphate and inhibited by phosphate. The cell-free activity of desacetoxycephalosporin C synthetase (ring expansion activity) was repressed by prior growth in high phosphate and inhibited by phosphate. Isopenicillin N synthetase (cyclase) was inhibited but not repressed. Penicillin epimerase was neither inhibited nor repressed by phosphate.

The metabolism of tryptophan and 7-chlorotryptophan in Pseudomonas pyrrocinia and Pseudomonas aureofaciens

Pseudomonas pyrrocinia ATCC 15958 and a mutant strain (ACN) of Pseudomonas aureofaciens ATCC 15926 possess a mechanism for the degradation of the tryptophan side chain. Indole, indole-3-carboxylic acid, indole-3-acetic acid and the corresponding compounds chlorinated or brominated at position 7, as well as indole-3-pyruvate and 7-chloroindole-3-pyruvate, were isolated from bacterial cultures. The chlorinated indole derivatives were isolated after the addition of 7-chloro-DL-tryptophan to cultures of P. pyrrocinia whereas their bromo analogues were found in the culture medium of the mutant strain ACN of P. aureofaciens, grown in the presence of sodium bromide. Enzymatic studies show that tryptophan is transaminated to indole-3-pyruvate, which is transformed to indole-3-acetaldehyde. Dehydrogenation of indole-3-acetaldehyde leads to indole-3-acetic acid, which is further metabolized to indole-3-carboxaldehyde, and converted by dehydrogenation to indole-3-carboxylic acid. Indole is formed by the spontaneous decarboxylation of indole-3-carboxylic acid.