Hasil untuk "Miscellaneous systems and treatments"

Andrés Holgado-Sánchez, Holger Billhardt, Alberto Fernández et al.

Agreement Technologies refer to open computer systems in which autonomous software agents interact with one another, typically on behalf of humans, in order to come to mutually acceptable agreements. With the advance of AI systems in recent years, it has become apparent that such agreements, in order to be acceptable to the involved parties, must remain aligned with ethical principles and moral values. However, this is notoriously difficult to ensure, especially as different human users (and their software agents) may hold different value systems, i.e. they may differently weigh the importance of individual moral values. Furthermore, it is often hard to specify the precise meaning of a value in a particular context in a computational manner. Methods to estimate value systems based on human-engineered specifications, e.g. based on value surveys, are limited in scale due to the need for intense human moderation. In this article, we propose a novel method to automatically \emph{learn} value systems from observations and human demonstrations. In particular, we propose a formal model of the \emph{value system learning} problem, its instantiation to sequential decision-making domains based on multi-objective Markov decision processes, as well as tailored preference-based and inverse reinforcement learning algorithms to infer value grounding functions and value systems. The approach is illustrated and evaluated by two simulated use cases.

Yuhang Liu, Mingzhu Sun, Yixuan Wang et al.

Background: To understand the effect and mechanism of different acupuncture durations on analgesic effects. Methods: An adjuvant-induced arthritis rat model evaluated the therapeutic effects of acupuncture at the Zusanli acupoint (ST36). A robotic arm provided stable lifting-thrusting stimulation for different durations (2, 5, 10, 20, and 30 min). Mechanical and thermal pain thresholds were measured before and after treatment to assess the analgesic effects. Additionally, tissue sections from ST36 were stained and analyzed to assess mast cell degranulation rates, and in vitro stretching experiments were performed at different stretching times (0–60 min) to measure the release of histamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, and leukotrienes. Results: Within the 30 min acupuncture duration range set in this study, the pain threshold recovery rate in rats exhibited a steady upward trend as the acupuncture duration gradually increased, reaching its optimal level between 20 and 30 min. The mast cell degranulation rate exhibited a similar time-related trend, reaching 80–90 % at 20–30 min. Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between the pain threshold recovery rate and mast cell degranulation rate. In the cell-stretching experiment, the release of biochemical mediators was time-dependent. Conclusions: In the adjuvant-induced arthritis rat model, the analgesic effect observed at 20–30 min was superior to that observed at shorter durations, which was associated with the mast cell degranulation rate and release of biochemical mediators in the tissue.

Athira Bindhu, Ajikumaran Nair S, Anil John Johnson et al.

Two of the earliest treatises in Ayurveda, the ‘Charaka Samhita’ and the ‘Sushruta Samhita’, describe numerous medicinal plants used in the treatment of Jwara (fever). Systematic studies carried out on these plants registered for ‘Jwara’ are of high significance in antiviral drug development.This article is a comprehensive review of the antiviral studies on medicinal plants listed for ‘Jwara’ in ‘Charaka-Sushruta Samhitas’, their antiviral entities and modes of action.The botanical names of the medicinal plants used for ‘Jwara’ were elucidated from their Sanskrit names in ‘Charaka-Sushruta Samhitas’ and their subsequent interpretations. Antiviral studies on these plant species and their constituents were compiled from the literature retrieved from Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar and other databases. Antiviral activities against various viruses were evaluated based on EC50/IC50/LC50 values, high percent inhibitions and molecular docking parameters displayed by their extracts, secondary metabolites, short peptides, polyphenols, anthocyanins and polysaccharides. Their modes of action were also evaluated.Strikingly, in antiviral studies very low EC50/IC50/LC50 and high percent inhibitions were demonstrated by medicinal plants widely used as traditional medicines, vegetables, foods and flavours. Secondary metabolites (including essential oils), anthocyanins, polyphenols, short peptides and polysaccharides in these plants illustrated antiviral activities by hampering membrane permeability, cellular functions and replication cycle of harmful viruses.Medicinal plants used for fever in Ayurveda could be used as natural sources of lead molecules for antiviral drug development. Antiviral activities displayed by these plants are justifying the ancient wisdom traditionally demonstrated over centuries.

Iara Alves Feitoza de Andrade, Thais Bennemann, Thaiani Farias Vinadé

Introdução: A implementação de programas de residências em saúde é essencial para a formação de profissionais alinhados aos desafios do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). Objetivo: Apresentar e analisar, comparativamente, a gestão e a organização de serviços de saúde no contexto de dois Programas de Residência em Área Profissional da Saúde (PRAPS) – um na região Norte (Manaus, Amazonas) e outro na região Sul (Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul), destacando desafios e potencialidades. A comparação de experiências visa contribuir para o debate sobre a melhoria da formação e a otimização dos serviços de saúde em âmbito nacional. Relato da experiência: Este relato detalha experiências das autoras na análise dos desafios e elementos críticos da implantação e gestão dos programas de residência, a partir da atuação como preceptoras em um programa uniprofissional de Enfermagem em Terapia Intensiva, na região Norte, e em um multiprofissional de Saúde Mental Coletiva, na região Sul. A análise considera os modelos pedagógicos, os processos seletivos e o financiamento de ambos, revelando a influência dos fatores regionais, a centralidade do papel do preceptor e os obstáculos enfrentados, além de ressaltar a relevância da gestão eficaz e do suporte institucional para o desenvolvimento desses programas. Conclusão: A relevância dos PRAPS para a formação alinhada aos princípios do SUS é reforçada. A análise comparativa Norte-Sul demonstra a necessidade de abordagens regionalizadas na gestão e implementação, considerando especificidades culturais e contextuais. Gestão efetiva, suporte ao preceptor e adaptação local são cruciais para qualificar a força de trabalho no SUS e melhorar a atenção à saúde, oferecendo subsídios para estratégias de educação permanente e qualificação profissional em saúde no país.

Swarda R. Uppin, T.U. Aravinth

Oligo-teratozoospermia is a condition affecting the normal sperm count and morphology leading to male factor infertility, majorly resulting due to improper lifestyle adaptations. In Ayurveda literature, the condition is well elaborated as Ksheenashukra having specified treatment modalities. This paper presents a case of infertile couple where in the male was diagnosed with Oligo-teratozoospermia, and was advised for ART due to teratogenecity. The patient approached Ayurveda fertility centre and was subjected to Ayurveda treatment with initial counseling, followed by Shodhana chikitsa and 2 courses of Vajikarana aushadhi prayoga. Within 3 months, the outcome resulted from Oligo-teratozoospermia to normozoospermia and the partner conceived within 2 cycles. The female experienced a safe and healthy antenatal phase and the couple was blessed with a baby boy.

Maarten van der Hulst, Rodrigo A. González, Koen Classens et al.

Physically interpretable models are essential for next-generation industrial systems, as these representations enable effective control, support design validation, and provide a foundation for monitoring strategies. The aim of this paper is to develop a system identification framework for estimating modal models of complex multivariable mechanical systems from frequency response data. To achieve this, a two-step structured identification algorithm is presented, where an additive model is first estimated using a refined instrumental variable method and subsequently projected onto a modal form. The developed identification method provides accurate, physically-relevant, minimal-order models, for both generally-damped and proportionally damped modal systems. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through experimental validation on a prototype wafer-stage system, which features a large number of spatially distributed actuators and sensors and exhibits complex flexible dynamics.

Harsh Abhinandan, Aditya Dhanraj, Aryan Katoch et al.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones have witnessed a spectacular surge in applications for military, commercial, and civilian purposes. However, their potential for flight is always limited by the finite power budget of their onboard power supplies. The limited flight time problem has led to intensive research into new sources of power and innovative charging strategies to enable protracted, autonomous flight. This paper gives a comparative summary of the current state-of-the-art in UAV power and refuelling technology. The paper begins with an analysis of the variety of energy sources, from classical batteries to fuel cells and hybrid systems, based on their relative advantages and disadvantages in energy density, weight, and safety. Subsequently, the review explores a spectrum of replenishment options, from simple manual battery swapping to sophisticated high-tech automatic docking stations and smart contact-based charging pads. Most of the review is dedicated to the newer technology of wireless power transfer, which involves near-field (inductive, capacitive) and far-field (laser, microwave) technology. The article also delves into the most important power electronic converter topologies, battery management systems, and control approaches that form the core of these charging systems. Finally, it recapitulates the most significant challenges in technical, economic, and social aspects for promising avenues of future research. The comprehensive review is a valuable guide for researchers, engineers, and policymakers striving to enhance UAV operational performance.

Yuzhou Xiao, Senchun Chai, Li Dai et al.

This paper addresses the challenge of amplitude-unbounded false data injection (FDI) attacks targeting the sensor-to-controller (S-C) channel in cyber-physical systems (CPSs). We introduce a resilient tube-based model predictive control (MPC) scheme. This scheme incorporates a threshold-based attack detector and a control sequence buffer to enhance system security. We mathematically model the common FDI attacks and derive the maximum duration of such attacks based on the hypothesis testing principle. Following this, the minimum feasible sequence length of the control sequence buffer is obtained. The system is proven to remain input-to-state stable (ISS) under bounded external disturbances and amplitude-unbounded FDI attacks. Moreover, the feasible region under this scenario is provided in this paper. Finally, the proposed algorithm is validated by numerical simulations and shows superior control performance compared to the existing methods.

Kaiyang Huang, Yang Liu, Kai Sun et al.

Dynamic simulation plays a crucial role in power system transient stability analysis, but traditional numerical integration-based methods are time-consuming due to the small time step sizes. Other semi-analytical solution methods, such as the Differential Transformation method, often struggle to select proper orders and steps, leading to slow performance and numerical instability. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a novel adaptive dynamic simulation approach for power system transient stability analysis. The approach adds feedback control and optimization to selecting the step and order, utilizing the Differential Transformation method and a proportional-integral control strategy to control truncation errors. Order selection is formulated as an optimization problem resulting in a variable-step-optimal-order method that achieves significantly larger time step sizes without violating numerical stability. It is applied to three systems: the IEEE 9-bus, 3-generator system, IEEE 39-bus, 10-generator system, and a Polish 2383-bus, 327-generator system, promising computational efficiency and numerical robustness for large-scale power system is demonstrated in comprehensive case studies.

Hanbit Jin, Sukjong Kang, Dasol Park et al.

Background: Conventional medicine (CM) for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) have limitations and side effects. Integrative approaches, including traditional herbal medicines like Liriope Tuber, are being explored for potential benefits, although evidence remains limited. Methods: In April 2023, a literature search was conducted across nine databases, focusing on randomized controlled trials assessing the effects of Liriope Tuber in traditional herbal medicine (LTHM) on PAF. The risk of bias was evaluated using Version 2 of the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials. A random-effects model was employed for the meta-analysis. Results: A total of 43 studies with 3,743 participants were included. The meta-analysis indicated that adding LTHM to CM reduced PAF frequency (SMD = -0.99, 95 % CI = -1.40 to -0.57, I² = 88 %, N = 16, n = 1266), left atrium diameter (LAD) (MD = -2.39 mm, 95 % CI = -3.09 to -1.68), P-wave dispersion (Pd) (MD = -6.41 ms, 95 % CI = -8.44 to -4.37), high sensitive C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP) (MD = -1.10 mg/l, 95 % CI = -1.73 to -0.47), and improved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (MD = 4.71 %, 95 % CI = 3.17 to 6.25). Thirty-four studies raised concerns about bias, with eight showing high risk. Certainty of evidence was rated as ''low'' for PAF frequency, LAD, Pd, hs-CRP, and LVEF. Conclusion: LTHM combined with CM may reduce PAF frequency. However, due to the complexity of interventions, with Liriope Tuber being only one component of the regimen, high risk of bias, substantial heterogeneity, and indirectness, interpretations should be cautious. Study registration: The study protocol is registered in PROSPERO (ID: CRD42023477926).

Tunhou Zhang, Dehua Cheng, Yuchen He et al.

The increasing popularity of deep learning models has created new opportunities for developing AI-based recommender systems. Designing recommender systems using deep neural networks requires careful architecture design, and further optimization demands extensive co-design efforts on jointly optimizing model architecture and hardware. Design automation, such as Automated Machine Learning (AutoML), is necessary to fully exploit the potential of recommender model design, including model choices and model-hardware co-design strategies. We introduce a novel paradigm that utilizes weight sharing to explore abundant solution spaces. Our paradigm creates a large supernet to search for optimal architectures and co-design strategies to address the challenges of data multi-modality and heterogeneity in the recommendation domain. From a model perspective, the supernet includes a variety of operators, dense connectivity, and dimension search options. From a co-design perspective, it encompasses versatile Processing-In-Memory (PIM) configurations to produce hardware-efficient models. Our solution space's scale, heterogeneity, and complexity pose several challenges, which we address by proposing various techniques for training and evaluating the supernet. Our crafted models show promising results on three Click-Through Rates (CTR) prediction benchmarks, outperforming both manually designed and AutoML-crafted models with state-of-the-art performance when focusing solely on architecture search. From a co-design perspective, we achieve 2x FLOPs efficiency, 1.8x energy efficiency, and 1.5x performance improvements in recommender models.

Guido Agapito, Cédric Plantet, Cédric Taïssir Heritier

The calibration of future wide field adaptive optics (WFAO) systems requires knowledge of the geometry of the system, in particular the alignment parameters between the sub-apertures of the wavefront sensors (WFS), pupil and deformable mirror (DM) actuator grid. Without this knowledge, closed-loop operation is not possible and the registration must be identified with an error significantly smaller than the sub-aperture size to achieve the nominal performance of the adaptive optics system. Furthermore, poor accuracy in this estimation will not only affect performance, but could also prevent the closed loop from being stable. Identification is not trivial because in a WFAO system several elements can move with respect to each other, more than in a SCAO system. For example, the pairing of the sub-aperture and the actuator grating on a DM conjugated to an altitude different from 0 can depend on the size of the pupil on the WFS, the exact conjugation of the DM, the position of the guide star and the field rotation. This is the same for each WFS/DM pair. SPRINT, System Parameters Recurrent INvasive Tracking, is a strategy for monitoring and compensating for DM/WFS mis-registrations and has been developed in the context of single conjugate adaptive optics (SCAO) systems for the ESO Extremely Large Telescope (ELT). In this work, we apply SPRINT in the context of WFAO systems with multiple WFSs and DMs, investigating the best approach for such systems, considering a simultaneous identification of all parameters or subsequent steps working on one DM at a time.

Haeni Seo, Ho-Sueb Song

Background: This study aimed to examine the effect of Scutellaria baicalensis extract (SBE) on ameliorating pain response and inflammation in an animal model. Methods: The effects of SBE on joint inflammation-induced rats and pain writhing response were measured. In rats with monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced knee osteoarthritis (OA), the weight-bearing distribution of the hind legs was measured, the actual joint condition was visually confirmed, and serum cytokines were extracted from whole blood and measured. In addition, the acetic acid-induced pain was measured by the number of abdominal wall contractions and writhing responses. Results: 1. The weight-bearing distribution of the hind limbs of the SBE group was remarkably improved compared with that of the control group 7 days after MIA treatment, and the SBE 300 group was improved similarly to that of the indomethacin group. 2. Cartilage erosion was significantly recovered in the SBE and indomethacin groups, and the degree of healing of cartilage erosion by SBE was similar to that by indomethacin. 3. The serum levels of cytokines interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-6 were significantly decreased in the SBE group compared with that in the control group, and the SBE 300 group had reduced levels of cytokines similar to the indomethacin group. 4. As regards acetic acid-induced writhing response, the number of writhes was significantly reduced in the SBE and ibuprofen groups, and the SBE 600 group had fewer writhes than the ibuprofen group. Conclusion: SBE significantly improves knee OA and pain and is expected to show similar therapeutic effects to indomethacin and ibuprofen.

Pankaj Wanjarkhedkar, Padmaj Kulkarni, Sachin Hingmire et al.

Xuan Yu, Shouyuan Wu, Juanjuan Zhang et al.

Clinical practice guidelines in Traditional Chinese Medicine (CPG-TCM) is the recommendation that aims to provide the best service to users by identifying and summarizing the rules of prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and regression of diseases based on systematic reviews of evidence and balancing the advantages and disadvantages of different interventions for clinical questions of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Over the past 30 years, the concept and methods of evidence-based medicine have had a significant impact on the development of clinical practice guidelines in Western Medicine (CPG-WM), and their standardized guideline development methods are being adapted and used in the development of CPG-TCM. However, the quality of CPG-TCM is far from CPG-WM, and the methodological system for developing CPG-TCM is not yet fully established. Therefore, this study aims to explore the methodological differences between CPG-TCM and CPG-WM and to inform the development of high-quality CPGTCM.

Pinku Halder, Upamanyu Pal, Pranab Paladhi et al.

Background: The recent outbreak of the novel SARS-CoV-2 across the globe and the absence of specific drug against this virus lead the scientific community to look into some alternative indigenous treatments. India as a hub of Ayurvedic and medicinal plants can shed light on its treatment using specific active bio-molecules from these plants. Objectives: Keeping our herbal resources in mind, we were interested to inquire whether some phytochemicals from Indian spices and medicinal plants can be used as alternative therapeutic agents in contrast to synthetic drugs. Materials and methods: We used in silico molecular docking approach to test whether bioactive molecules of herbal origin such as hyperoside, nimbaflavone, ursolic acid, 6-gingerol, 6-shogaol and 6-paradol, curcumin, catechins and epigallocatechin, α-Hederin, piperine could bind and potentially block the Mproenzyme of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Results: Ursolic acid showed the highest docking score (−8.7 kcal/mol) followed by hyperoside (−8.6 kcal/mol), α-Hederin (−8.5 kcal/mol) and nimbaflavone (−8.0 kcal/mol). epigallocatechin, catechins, and curcumin also exhibited high binding affinity (Docking score −7.3, −7.1 and −7.1 kcal/mol) with the Mpro. The remaining tested phytochemicals exhibited moderate binding and inhibitory effects. Conclusion: This finding provides a basis for biochemical assay of tested bioactive molecules on SARS-CoV-2 virus.

David Pozo

Mathematical models are just models. The desire to describe battery energy storage system (BESS) operation using computationally tractable model formulations has motivated a long-standing discussion in both the scientific and industrial communities. Linear BESS models are the most widely used so far. However, finding suitable linear BESS models has been controversial. This paper focuses on the description of linear BESS models. Four linear BESS formulations are presented, among the most popularly used. A new formulation is also proposed. The 5 BESS models are tested in 100 random BESS and 1.450 random samples of daily profiles of renewable generation. Two classical problems of power systems, namely, the set-point tracking problem and the transmission expansion planning problem, are selected for numerical analysis. Five thousand simulations are used to draw a better interpretation of each linear formulation presented and showcase specific challenges of BESS models. Practical recommendations are provided based on the findings.

Anders L. Carlson, Lauren M. Huyett, J. Jantz et al.

AIMS To compare glycemic outcomes in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) before and 90 days after initiating Omnipod® or Omnipod DASH® Insulin Management Systems. METHODS In this retrospective observational study (N=3,592) change in HbA1c level, total daily dose (TDD) of insulin (n=3,053), and frequency of self-reported hypoglycemic events (HE, <70mg/dL, n=2,922) were assessed overall and by prior treatment modality (multiple daily injections (MDI) or continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII)), age group, and baseline HbA1c category. RESULTS Change (mean ± SD) in HbA1c was -1.3 ± 1.7% [-14 ± 19mmol/mol] overall, -1.4 ± 1.7% [-15 ± 19mmol/mol] for prior MDI users, and -0.9 ± 1.5% [-10 ± 16mmol/mol] for prior CSII users (p<0.0001). The percentage of patients with HbA1c ≥9% [≥75mmol/mol] decreased (49% to 19%), and with HbA1c <7% [<53mmol/mol] increased (10% to 22%) (p<0.0001). Prior therapy, age, and baseline HbA1c category were factors affecting change in HbA1c (p<0.05). Reductions in TDD (overall, -33 ± 52U, p<0.0001) and HE per week (overall, -0.5 ± 2.0, p<0.0001), were seen regardless of prior treatment, age, or baseline HbA1c. CONCLUSIONS Omnipod System use was associated with statistically and clinically meaningful reductions in HbA1c, TDD, and HE compared to prior treatments in T2DM.

Sai Tejasvini Chebrolu, L. Kumar, R. Verma

Lacidipine (LAC) is a calcium antagonist used in the treatment of hypertension. It is a lipophilic drug containing dihydropyridine ring that is responsible for the activity. This review article gives an overview of various analytical techniques proposed for the determination of LAC in pharmaceutical dosage forms, in pure form, in biological fluids and to determine characteristics of LAC in modified release dosage forms. Ultra violet/visible spectrophotometric, spectroflourimetric, high performance liquid chromatography, high performance thin layer chromatography, electro-analytical, bioanalytical and miscellaneous methods such as microbiological assay, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, were discussed. Various parameters such as system suitability, selectivity, linearity, precision, accuracy, limit of detection, limit of quantification and robustness have been discussed for the employed methods.

Hiba Sharafeddine, Dima Hamideh, Rami Z Morsi et al.

Background: The goal of this retrospective study is to present the first epidemiological data on pediatric supratentorial central nervous system (CNS) tumors in Lebanon and to review the various surgical management strategies used. Methods: We conducted a retrospective case series of all pediatric patients who presented with a supratentorial CNS tumor and underwent surgery at our institution between 2006 and 2016. We collected and analyzed demographic characteristics, tumor location, clinical manifestations, histopathology, and surgical management strategies and outcome, and discussed them after dividing the tumors as per location and in view of published literature. Results: Ninety-nine children were studied with a male-to-female ratio of 2.3:1 and a mean age of 8.5 years. The most common location was convexity (44%) and included low-grade and high-grade glial tumors, along with other miscellaneous lesions. The next location was sellar/diencephalic (34%), including craniopharyngiomas, hypothalamic/optic pathway/thalamic gliomas, hamartomas, and pituitary/Rathke’s cyst, where there was notable use of endoscopic techniques (21%). Tumors in the pineal region (13%) were tectal gliomas, germ cell tumors, and pineoblastomas and were mostly treated endoscopically. The last group was lateral intraventricular tumors (8%) and was mostly choroid plexus lesions and ependymomas. Overall, the surgical objective was achieved in 95% with mild/moderate complications in 17%. Conclusion: A variety of pathologies may affect the pediatric population in the supratentorial region. Different surgical strategies, including microsurgical and endoscopic techniques, may be employed to remove, debulk, or biopsy these tumors depending on their location, suspected diagnosis, prognosis, and the need for treatment of possible associated hydrocephalus.