Hasil untuk "Miscellaneous systems and treatments"

Mayuranath SureshKumar, Hanumanthrao Kannan

Classic problem-space theory models problem solving as a navigation through a structured space of states, operators, goals, and constraints. Systems Engineering (SE) employs analogous constructs (functional analysis, operational analysis, scenarios, trade studies), yet still lacks a rigorous systems-theoretic representation of the problem space itself. In current practice, reasoning often proceeds directly from stakeholder goals to prescriptive artifacts. This makes foundational assumptions about the operational environment, admissible interactions, and contextual conditions implicit or prematurely embedded in architectures or requirements. This paper addresses that gap by formalizing the problem space as an explicit semantic world model containing theoretical constructs that are defined prior to requirements and solution commitments. These constructs along with the developed axioms, theorems and corollary establish a rigorous criterion for unambiguous boundary semantics, context-dependent interaction traceability to successful stakeholder goal satisfaction, and sufficiency of problem-space specification over which disciplined reasoning can occur independent of solution design. It offers a clear distinction between what is true of the problem domain and what is chosen as a solution. The paper concludes by discussing the significance of the theory on practitioners and provides a dialogue-based hypothetical case study between a stakeholder and an engineer, demonstrating how the theory guides problem framing before designing any prescriptive artifacts.

Akash Dey, Akash G. Kendre, Madhu babu Dande et al.

Background: Arogyamrita Kwath (AMK) is a polyherbal decoction comprising ten medicinal plants, viz., Albizia lebbeck, Andrographis paniculata, Tinospora cordifolia, Adhatoda vasica, Solanum xanthocarpum, Curcuma longa, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Terminalia bellirica, Withania somnifera and Trachyspermum ammi. The plants of the AMK formulation are traditionally used for the treatment of inflammation and respiratory ailments, but no scientific evidence has been reported so far for this formulation. Objectives: To evaluate anti-inflammatory activity of AMK formulation in vitro and its fractions and to predict in silico anti-viral activity of identified potential phytoconstituents. Materials and methods: The MTT cell cytotoxicity assay, nitric oxide (NO) inhibition assay and cytokines assay were carried out at concentrations 100 and 200 μg/mL. The phytoconstituents were identified by UPLC-PDA and UPLC-HRMS analyses. For pharmacoinformatics study molecular docking and molecular dynamics methods were used. Results: The study revealed that AMK significantly inhibited NO in comparison to dexamethasone (100 μg/mL) and pro-inflammatory cytokines in RAW264.7 cells. The three fractions, n-hexane, EtOAc and n-BuOH prepared from the AMK formulation were non-cytotoxic against RAW264.7 murine macrophage cells during MTT cytotoxicity assay and showed satisfactory results during cytokines assay. Ethyl acetate fraction contains active phytoconstituents in appreciable quantities. 16 phytoconstituents have been identified by UPLC-HRMS analysis in the formulation and four phytocompounds were quantified by UPLC-PDA. Molecular dynamics study helped in identifying two macromolecular targets (viral replicase and the membrane protein), which are relatively more important. Conclusion: In the present study, anti-inflammatory activity of AMK was evaluated and the claimed anti-viral property was re-confirmed by molecular modelling in this work. The results clearly established that AMK showed remarkable anti-inflammatory and anti-viral activities.

Aytül Hadımlı, Emine Serap Çağan, Sevil Güner et al.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the validity and reliability of the ‘Cultural Beliefs about Weaning Scale’ among breastfeeding women in the Turkish population.Method: The data of the methodologically designed study were collected by snowball sampling using online method between November 2020 and August 2022. A total of 336 breastfeeding women with children aged 6 months-2 years participated in the study. Descriptive Characteristics Questionnaire and Cultural Beliefs about Weaning Scale were used to collect data. The scale consists of 49 items and 5 subscales. In the validity and reliability analyses of the scale, language, content and construct validity, explanatory and confirmatory factor analyses, internal consistency level and item-total score correlation were evaluated. Results: According to confirmatory factor analysis, 19 items in the original scale were removed from the scale due to low factor loadings and the remaining 30 items were found to be related to the 5-dimensional scale structure. In the factor analysis, the factor loadings of the scale items ranged between .36 and .86. The total Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient was found to be .89.Conclusion: It was determined that the Turkish form of the Mothers' Cultural Beliefs about Weaning Scale can be used as a measurement tool with acceptable validity and reliability results.

Juliana Ayra Yoshimura, Selma Lancman

O trabalho docente é essencial para a formação profissional e a pesquisa, promovendo a reflexão crítica e a construção subjetiva do docente. Contudo, estudos mostram desafios presentes nesse trabalho, que afetam sua saúde e os processos de trabalho. Objetivo: Identificar desafios da docência nos cursos de Terapia Ocupacional em universidades públicas no Estado de São Paulo, enfatizando seu impacto na saúde dos docentes e nos processos de trabalho. Metodologia: Estudo descritivo e exploratório com abordagem qualitativa, através de entrevistas semiestruturadas com docentes de Terapia Ocupacional em universidades públicas paulistas e análise temática dos dados. Resultados e Discussão: A sobrecarga de trabalho por falta de recursos humanos afeta a saúde, o tempo pessoal, o desempenho de trabalho e as relações interpessoais das docentes. Entretanto, as entrevistadas valorizam o prazer e o impacto social do trabalho. A precarização e o modelo de gestão vigente nas universidades se mostram relevantes nos desafios mencionados nas entrevistas, afetando a saúde e o trabalho das docentes, bem como as relações dentro da universidade. Conclusão: Os desafios apontados indicam a necessidade de adequação dos recursos financeiros e humanos nas universidades públicas

Elaheh Mesdaghinia, Elham khosravi, Hossein Akbari et al.

Objectives: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) stands as one of the most prevalent causes of vaginal discharge and infection among women of reproductive age. Various medications, including metronidazole, are commonly recommended. Factors such as diminishing effectiveness and the emergence of new, resistant strains underscore the urgent need for research into alternative treatment options, including herbal remedies. This study aims to compare the efficacy of an herbal vaginal tablet (HVT) containing extracts of oregano and lemon balm to that of a metronidazole vaginal tablet. Methods: A non-inferiority randomized triple-blind controlled trial was conducted to compare the effects of HVT with metronidazole on BV. HVT was formulated using alcoholic extracts from the aerial parts of oregano and lemon balm leaves. The primary and secondary outcomes of the study were BV clinical manifestations and Amsel’s criteria, respectively. Clinical and laboratory outcome measures for both groups were assessed at three time points: the beginning of the study, and again on days 5 and 10. Results: Among the 130 participants, 54 patients from the metronidazole group and 51 from the HVT group completed the 5-day treatment period. Subsequently, 28 patients in the metronidazole group and 31 in the HVT group completed the 10-day treatment period. Regarding the clinical signs and symptoms, as well as laboratory measurements observed at the onset and on days 5 and 10 of treatment, no significant differences were found between the two groups. Conclusion: This trial demonstrated that HVT can alleviate the clinical manifestations of BV and normalize Amsel’s criteria, equal to metronidazole. Therefore, HVT can be used as a complementary herbal medicament in the management of BV.

Shin-Hyeok Park, Sohae Cho, HyunSeung Lee et al.

Stroke is a considerable cause of death; patients with stroke require continuous treatment. The recovery rates dramatically decline in the chronic phase (6 months post-onset), making it difficult to achieve meaningful therapeutic effects. Posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) is used to correct deformities in spinal disorders, but it can induce chronic radiculopathy, necessitating prolonged treatment. We report the effectiveness of complex Korean medicine treatment in a patient with chronic stroke and post-PLIF complications. The patient presented with right hemiparesis, low back pain, and bilateral radiculopathy. She underwent > 100 days of treatments, including acupuncture, cupping, herbal medicine, and physiotherapy. Her right handgrip strength and hip flexion improved from grade 1+ to 2+ and from grade 2+/3- to 4/5, respectively. The score on the Korean version of the Modified Barthel Index increased from 32 to 42. Given the treatment challenges in chronic stroke with overlapping symptoms, complex Korean medicine may improve the outcomes.

Marios Impraimakis, Andrew W. Smyth

The input-parameter-state estimation capabilities of a novel unscented Kalman filter is examined herein on both linear and nonlinear systems. The unknown input is estimated in two stages within each time step. Firstly, the predicted dynamic states and the system parameters provide an estimation of the input. Secondly, the corrected with measurements states and parameters provide a final estimation. Importantly, it is demonstrated using the perturbation analysis that, a system with at least a zero or a non-zero known input can potentially be uniquely identified. This output-only methodology allows for a better understanding of the system compared to classical output-only parameter identification strategies, given that all the dynamic states, the parameters, and the input are estimated jointly and in real-time.

Hayato Ishida, Amal Elsokary, Maria Aslam et al.

Realisation of significant advances in capabilities of sensors, computing, timing, and communication enabled by quantum technologies is dependent on engineering highly complex systems that integrate quantum devices into existing classical infrastructure. A systems engineering approach is considered to address the growing need for quantum-secure telecommunications that overcome the threat to encryption caused by maturing quantum computation. This work explores a range of existing and future quantum communication networks, specifically quantum key distribution network proposals, to model and demonstrate the evolution of quantum key distribution network architectures. Leveraging Orthogonal Variability Modelling and Systems Modelling Language as candidate modelling languages, the study creates traceable artefacts to promote modular architectures that are reusable for future studies. We propose a variability-driven framework for managing fast-evolving network architectures with respect to increasing stakeholder expectations. The result contributes to the systematic development of viable quantum key distribution networks and supports the investigation of similar integration challenges relevant to the broader context of quantum systems engineering.

Cássio Bruno Silva Moura, Raissa Valeria Hipólito Valeriano, Jacihelem de Fátima Ferreira Viana

Objetivo: Apresentar e discutir os achados da literatura a respeito da importância dos pais e cuidadores na formação dos  padrões alimentares de crianças e adolescentes com Transtorno do Espectro Autista (TEA). Metodologia: Revisão integrativa de literatura que analisou artigos publicados de 2018-2023. Foi realizado um levantamento nas bases de dados National Library of Medicine (NLM), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS) e Science Direct. A busca utilizou os descritores controlados Transtorno do Espectro Autista, alimentação saudável e seletividade alimentar, em língua portuguesa, espanhola e inglesa, com os operadores booleanos AND e OR Foram incluídos artigos originais e revisões de literatura disponibilizados na íntegra de forma gratuita. Foram excluídos artigos em duplicidade, trabalhos acadêmicos, resumos publicados em anais, relatos de experiência, além de artigos que não relacionaram o tema autismo e alimentação. O material foi analisado pela análise temática de conteúdo. Resultados: 11 artigos foram analisados. Os artigos corroboram que crianças com TEA apresentam uma alimentação diversificada com padrões alimentares próprios, podendo ser influenciados por fatores sociais, biológicos e ambientais. Tais fatores aliados à presença de pais e cuidadores na rotina diária de crianças com TEA são determinantes para a definição do consumo e padrões alimentares adquiridos ao longo da vida. A sensibilidade sensorial afeta o interesse da criança com autismo a certos alimentos, comprometendo a ingestão alimentar e resultando na falta de apetite, muitas vezes atribuído a aparência das preparações, cor e textura dos alimentos. Conclusão: O incentivo dos familiares a mudanças dos hábitos alimentares pode melhorar a adesão das crianças e adolescentes com TEA a determinados alimentos. A forma de apresentação desses alimentos é peça-chave para uma boa aceitação total ou parcial da preparação.

Cássio Bruno Silva Moura, Amanda Costa Santos, Glenda Carvalho Silva et al.

Introdução: O Brasil passa por transições nutricionais significativas nas últimas décadas, como a redução do número de casos de desnutrição e o aumento acelerado de pessoas com obesidade. Como consequência, observa-se o aumento da incidência de casos de doenças crônicas não transmissíveis (DCNT) e o aumento da obesidade, que frequentemente acomete pessoas de idade mais elevada. Objetivo: Relatar a experiência de intervenção nutricional e de cuidados com o sobrepeso realizada em idosos vinculados à Atenção Primária à Saude (APS). Relato da experiência: Experiência educacional de intervenção nutricional, realizada no mês de janeiro de 2024, em uma Unidade Básica de Saúde (UBS) na cidade de Picos, Piauí. Foram incluídos na ação educativa todos os idosos moradores no território da UBS. A ação foi desenvolvida por discentes e docente do curso de Nutrição da Universidade Federal do Piauí. Ocorreu em três etapas. Na etapa inicial houve a apresentação do projeto para a equipe da UBS. Em um segundo momento aconteceu a aprovação dos materiais educativos a serem utilizados (jogo e folder informativo) e, por fim, foi realizada a intervenção nutricional. Participaram da ação 14 idosos. Por meio do diálogo expositivo em roda de conversa foram priorizadas informações e orientações sobre a melhoria de hábitos alimentares cotidianos, enfatizando a necessidade de cuidados individuais, nutricionais e de aspectos emocionais, sociais e econômicos. A linguagem acessível/sem termos técnicos favoreceu a receptividade, o interesse e a compreensão dos idosos durante a intervenção. Conclusão: A roda de conversa mediada por linguagem acessível, assim como os materiais educativos produzidos mostraram-se facilitadores da ação educativa neste grupo específico. Abordagens e ferramentas educacionais interativas devem ser avaliadas pelos educadores no planejamento das ações educativas, considerando o perfil dos participantes. Reitera-se a necessidade de formação dos profissionais mediadores de ações educativas na APS, por meio da educação permanente.

Xuan Wang, Bin Cui, Liuyan Xu et al.

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effects of Epimedium brevicornu Maxim. (EBM, Yin Yang Huo) on breast cancer using network pharmacology and in vitro validation. It also aimed to explore the novel targets and mechanisms of EBM in the treatment of breast cancer to facilitate the discovery of new drugs and their clinical application. Methods: Network pharmacology was used to identify and screen the components and targets of EBM for breast cancer treatment. Molecular docking was further screened the effective components and targets of EBM. Wound-healing assays and flow cytometry analysis were used to detect the ability of two compounds to intervene in the migration and apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 cells, and their mechanism of action was further explored using western blotting experiments. Results: EBM contained 19 active components. Among them were β-anhydroicaritin (Anhy) and isoliquiritigenin (Iso), which were selected for in vitro experiments. Treatment resulted in a dose-dependent suppression of MDA-MB-231 cell viability, with an IC50 of 23.73 μmol/L for Iso and 21.28 μmol/L for Anhy. In the wound healing assay, cells in Anhy and Iso groups exhibited considerable inhibition of migration at 48 h. In flow cytometry analysis, treatment with Iso (20 μmol/L) for 96 h resulted in significantly higher levels of both early and late apoptosis in the Iso group than that in the control group (P = .004 and P = .014, respectively). Additionally, both Iso (20 μmol/L) and Anhy (10 and 20 μmol/L) induced cell necrosis at 96 h. Western blotting revealed that Anhy and Iso increased the expression of Bax and TBK1/NAK. Conclusion: These findings suggested that Anhy and Iso, the two components of EBM, inhibit MDA-MB-231 cell proliferation and migration of and induce their apoptosis, providing substantial support for future studies on breast cancer.

Shweta Mishra, Sriloy Mohanty, Ragini Shrivastava et al.

Despite advancements in acute medical management, poststroke rehabilitation (PsR) remains a critical aspect in maximizing recovery and quality of life (QOL) for stroke survivors. In the present case report, poststroke survivor was administered a 90-day tailored integrated yoga and naturopathy (IYN) intervention including daily neutral arm bath, partial massage, and yoga therapy. Following interventions, clinically significant improvement in the range of motion of joints, handgrip strength (Lt. 2.7 kg vs. 14.9 kg), improvement in mid-arm circumference, gait, and cognition (Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores 16 vs. 29) was achieved. In QOL, there was an improvement in each domain of the Short Form 36 questionnaire except for role limitations due to the physical health domain. Improvement in blood pressure (150/60 mmHg vs. 118/70 mmHg) led to a reduction in need of medication. Notably, there was improvement in depression (19 vs. 08), anxiety (18 vs. 08), and stress (21 vs. 07) scores. This case report underscores the potential of IYN intervention in PsR.

Anli du Preez, Peter A. Beling, Tyler Cody

The machine learning formulation of online learning is incomplete from a systems theoretic perspective. Typically, machine learning research emphasizes domains and tasks, and a problem solving worldview. It focuses on algorithm parameters, features, and samples, and neglects the perspective offered by considering system structure and system behavior or dynamics. Online learning is an active field of research and has been widely explored in terms of statistical theory and computational algorithms, however, in general, the literature still lacks formal system theoretical frameworks for modeling online learning systems and resolving systems-related concept drift issues. Furthermore, while the machine learning formulation serves to classify methods and literature, the systems theoretic formulation presented herein serves to provide a framework for the top-down design of online learning systems, including a novel definition of online learning and the identification of key design parameters. The framework is formulated in terms of input-output systems and is further divided into system structure and system behavior. Concept drift is a critical challenge faced in online learning, and this work formally approaches it as part of the system behavior characteristics. Healthcare provider fraud detection using machine learning is used as a case study throughout the paper to ground the discussion in a real-world online learning challenge.

Adilet Yerkin, Pakizar Shamoi, Elnara Kadyrgali

In today's world, making decisions as a group is common, whether choosing a restaurant or deciding on a holiday destination. Group decision-making (GDM) systems play a crucial role by facilitating consensus among participants with diverse preferences. Discussions are one of the main tools people use to make decisions. When people discuss alternatives, they use natural language to express their opinions. Traditional GDM systems generally require participants to provide explicit opinion values to the system. However, in real-life scenarios, participants often express their opinions through some text (e.g., in comments, social media, messengers, etc.). This paper introduces a sentiment and emotion-aware multi-criteria fuzzy GDM system designed to enhance consensus-reaching effectiveness in group settings. This system incorporates natural language processing to analyze sentiments and emotions expressed in textual data, enabling an understanding of participant opinions besides the explicit numerical preference inputs. Once all the experts have provided their preferences for the alternatives, the individual preferences are aggregated into a single collective preference matrix. This matrix represents the collective expert opinion regarding the other options. Then, sentiments, emotions, and preference scores are inputted into a fuzzy inference system to get the overall score. The proposed system was used for a small decision-making process - choosing the hotel for a vacation by a group of friends. Our findings demonstrate that integrating sentiment and emotion analysis into GDM systems allows everyone's feelings and opinions to be considered during discussions and significantly improves consensus among participants.

Le Zheng, Jiajie Zheng, Chongru Liu

This paper presents a Generalized Modal Analysis (GMA) concept for the small-signal stability analysis of power systems with high penetration of Converter-Interfaced Generation (CIG). GMA quantitatively assesses interactions between various elements in the power system, offering intuitive and transparent physical interpretations. The method's versatility in selecting physical quantities at different input and output ports makes it broadly applicable. Based on the concept of GMA, the study further defines interaction quantification indices by selecting voltage ports, examining the impact of grid disturbances on power sources and the support from the power sources to the grid at connection points. Numerical simulations on modified 14-bus and 68-bus systems validate GMA's effectiveness in capturing the coupling of the dynamic characteristics between grid elements. This research provides a theoretical foundation and analytical framework for future analyses of power system stability with diverse power sources.

Ayoola Ibifubara Aiyegbusi, Caleb Ademola Gbiri, Tolulope Olaoluwa Oyeniran et al.

Abstract Background A mismatch between school furniture dimensions and anthropometric parameters has been well documented in adolescents, but there is a paucity of data on the impact of these mismatches on the students’ spinal health in Nigeria. This study therefore investigated the relationship of spinal deformities with selected anthropometric parameters and furniture dimensions of adolescents in secondary schools. Methods This study involved 540 apparently healthy students between the ages of 10 and 19 years from 9 public and private secondary schools in Lagos state, Nigeria. The furniture dimensions, anthropometric parameters, and spinal curvature disorders were evaluated using standard protocol. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 with a level of significance set at p < 0.05. Results Two hundred two (37%) of the participants had abnormal spinal curvatures in varying types and degrees. There was a significant association at p ≤ 0.05 between the presence of spinal deformities and popliteal height to seat height mismatch (X 2 = 175.67, p = 0.001), hip breadth to seat width mismatch (X 2 = 293.14, p = 0.00), and shoulder height to backrest height mismatch (X 2 = 788.16, p = 0.001). Conclusion Anthropometric parameters to furniture dimensions mismatch are significantly associated with the presence of spinal deformities among the students. The main cause of mismatch is using a homogeneous size of furniture for all students in addition to non-consideration of the students’ dimensions during furniture manufacturing.

Yujie Wang, Xiangru Xu

This paper presents a novel approach for the safe control design of systems with parametric uncertainties in both drift terms and control-input matrices. The method combines control barrier functions and adaptive laws to generate a safe controller through a nonlinear program with an explicitly given closed-form solution. The proposed approach verifies the non-emptiness of the admissible control set independently of online parameter estimations, which can ensure the safe controller is singularity-free. A data-driven algorithm is also developed to improve the performance of the proposed controller by tightening the bounds of the unknown parameters. The effectiveness of the control scheme is demonstrated through numerical simulations.

Lianghao Xia, Chao Huang, Yong Xu et al.

As the deep learning techniques have expanded to real-world recommendation tasks, many deep neural network based Collaborative Filtering (CF) models have been developed to project user-item interactions into latent feature space, based on various neural architectures, such as multi-layer perceptron, auto-encoder and graph neural networks. However, the majority of existing collaborative filtering systems are not well designed to handle missing data. Particularly, in order to inject the negative signals in the training phase, these solutions largely rely on negative sampling from unobserved user-item interactions and simply treating them as negative instances, which brings the recommendation performance degradation. To address the issues, we develop a Collaborative Reflection-Augmented Autoencoder Network (CRANet), that is capable of exploring transferable knowledge from observed and unobserved user-item interactions. The network architecture of CRANet is formed of an integrative structure with a reflective receptor network and an information fusion autoencoder module, which endows our recommendation framework with the ability of encoding implicit user's pairwise preference on both interacted and non-interacted items. Additionally, a parametric regularization-based tied-weight scheme is designed to perform robust joint training of the two-stage CRANet model. We finally experimentally validate CRANet on four diverse benchmark datasets corresponding to two recommendation tasks, to show that debiasing the negative signals of user-item interactions improves the performance as compared to various state-of-the-art recommendation techniques. Our source code is available at https://github.com/akaxlh/CRANet.

Hyung-Ryong Kim

Dimitrios Boursinos, Xenofon Koutsoukos

Autonomous systems use extensively learning-enabled components such as deep neural networks (DNNs) for prediction and decision making. In this paper, we utilize a feedback loop between learning-enabled components used for classification and the sensors of an autonomous system in order to improve the confidence of the predictions. We design a classifier using Inductive Conformal Prediction (ICP) based on a triplet network architecture in order to learn representations that can be used to quantify the similarity between test and training examples. The method allows computing confident set predictions with an error rate predefined using a selected significance level. A feedback loop that queries the sensors for a new input is used to further refine the predictions and increase the classification accuracy. The method is computationally efficient, scalable to high-dimensional inputs, and can be executed in a feedback loop with the system in real-time. The approach is evaluated using a traffic sign recognition dataset and the results show that the error rate is reduced.