Hasil untuk "Miscellaneous systems and treatments"

Murat Babek Salman, Emil Björnson, Özlem Tugfe Demir

The impact of hardware impairments on the spectral efficiency of communication systems is well studied, but their effect on sensing performance remains unexplored. In this paper, we analyze the influence of hardware impairments on integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) systems in cluttered environments. We derive the sensing signal-to-clutter-plus-noise ratio (SCNR) and show that hardware distortions significantly degrade sensing performance by enhancing clutter-induced noise, which masks target echoes. The isotropic nature of transmit distortion due to multiple stream transmission further complicates clutter suppression. To address this, we propose a distortion- and clutter-aware precoding strategy that minimizes the deviation from the communication-optimized precoder while improving sensing robustness. We also propose an alternative power allocation-based approach that reduces computational complexity. Numerical results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed approaches in overcoming hardware- and clutter-induced limitations, demonstrating significant performance gains over distortion-unaware designs.

Dániel István Németh, Kálmán Tornai

Electrical load classification is generally divided into intrusive and non-intrusive approaches, both having their limitations and advantages. With the non-intrusive approach, controlling appliances is not possible, but the installation cost of a single measurement device is cheap. In comparison, intrusive, smart plug-based solutions offer individual appliance control, but the installation cost is much higher. There have been very few approaches aiming to combine these methods. In this paper we show that extending a smart plug-based solution to multiple loads per plug can reduce control granularity in favor of lowering the system's installation costs. Connecting various loads to a Smart Plug through an extension cord is seldom considered in the literature, even though it is common in households. This scenario is also handled by the hybrid load classification solution presented in this paper.

Ankita Abhijeet Shirkande, Madhuri Pawar, Abhijeet Sarjerao Shirkande et al.

Women suffer from various conditions related to menstrual cycle due to changing lifestyle, bad food habits, physical and mental stress. Pre Menstrual Syndrome (PMS) is a combination of physical and emotional symptoms that many women get one or two weeks before the start of their menstrual period. In the present study, 14 years old female patient having symptoms-lower abdominal pain, backache, breast tenderness, constipation, pimples, tiredness and unexplained anger typically in luteal phase from last 4 months, was diagnosed with mild to moderate symptoms of PMS. After proper analysis, she was suggested to consume light to digest dietary articles advised in classical texts for minimizing specific symptoms during menstruation.Thus Green gram Soup and Barley porridge was prescribed to her as lunch and dinner respectively for first three days of menstruation cycle for continuous 6 cycles. It is observed that consumption of these dietary products during the menstruation time period assisted to minimize the symptoms of PMS. This illustrates that there is a wide scope to explore the ayurvedic dietary regimen recommended during menstruation which can be used more rationally to suit menstrual disorders.

Da Dam Kim, Seong Hyeon Jeon, Woo Young Kim

This case report discusses a patient diagnosed with L1 burst fracture, right lateral femoral condyle and proximal tibial and fibular head and neck comminuted fractures, and left medial femoral condyle and suspected tibial fractures after a traffic accident. She received integrated Korean medicine treatment, including motion- style acupuncture treatment (MSAT), electroacupuncture, acupuncture, herbal medicine, moxibustion, and cupping therapy for 112 days. The scores improved for the low back pain Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) (from 7 to 3), Oswestry Disability Index (from 94 to 38), bilateral leg pain NRS (from 6 to 2), Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale (from 0 to 66), left ankle manual muscle test (from Poor− to Normal), Korean version of the modified Barthel index (from 32 to 92), and EuroQol 5-dimension 5-level (from 25 to 9), as did mobility. Radiological scans also showed fracture healing. This study suggests the potential of MSAT in high-energy polytrauma care, particularly for fractures.

Ji-Yeun Park, Jae-Hwan Jang, Yang-Hwa Kang et al.

Background: Acupuncture has been proven effective for various types of pain, and peripheral molecular signals around acupuncture-treated areas have been suggested to contribute to the analgesic effects of acupuncture. However, the underlying mechanism from these peripheral molecular signals to central ones remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether peripheral Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) activation induced by acupuncture treatment mediates acupuncture analgesia, and also to investigate the relationship between ROCK activation and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), which has previously been proven to mediate acupuncture analgesia and other related molecular changes during acupuncture. Methods: Acupuncture was treated at the bilateral GB34 acupoints of C57BL/6 mice, after which changes in ROCK activation and the location of its expression in the skin were analyzed. To verify the role of ROCK in acupuncture analgesia, we administrated ROCK inhibitor Y-27632 (0.3 μg/ul) into the skin before acupuncture treatment with formalin and complete Freund adjuvant (CFA) induced pain models, then the nociceptive responses were analyzed. Results: Acupuncture treatment produced ROCK2 activation in the skin after 30 and 60 min, and the histological analyses revealed that ROCK2 was activated in the fibroblast of the dermis. The acupuncture-induced ROCK2 expression was significantly attenuated by the ERK inhibitor, whereas phospho-ERK expression was not inhibited by ROCK inhibitor. In both the formalin- and CFA-induced mouse pain models, acupuncture analgesia was blocked by ROCK inhibitor administration. Conclusion: Acupuncture treatment-induced ROCK2 expression is a downstream effector of phospho-ERK in the skin and plays a crucial role in acupuncture analgesia.

M. M. Hammad

In the architecture of deep learning models, inspired by biological neurons, activation functions (AFs) play a pivotal role. They significantly influence the performance of artificial neural networks. By modulating the non-linear properties essential for learning complex patterns, AFs are fundamental in both classification and regression tasks. This paper presents a comprehensive review of various types of AFs, including fixed-shape, parametric, adaptive, stochastic/probabilistic, non-standard, and ensemble/combining types. We begin with a systematic taxonomy and detailed classification frameworks that delineates the principal characteristics of AFs and organizes them based on their structural and functional distinctions. Our in-depth analysis covers primary groups such as sigmoid-based, ReLU-based, and ELU-based AFs, discussing their theoretical foundations, mathematical formulations, and specific benefits and limitations in different contexts. We also highlight key attributes of AFs such as output range, monotonicity, and smoothness. Furthermore, we explore miscellaneous AFs that do not conform to these categories but have shown unique advantages in specialized applications. Non-standard AFs are also explored, showcasing cutting-edge variations that challenge traditional paradigms and offer enhanced adaptability and model performance. We examine strategies for combining multiple AFs to leverage complementary properties. The paper concludes with a comparative evaluation of 12 state-of-the-art AFs, using rigorous statistical and experimental methodologies to assess their efficacy. This analysis not only aids practitioners in selecting and designing the most appropriate AFs for their specific deep learning tasks but also encourages continued innovation in AF development within the machine learning community.

Onil Boussim

This paper generalizes the changes-in-changes (CIC) model to handle discrete treatments with more than two categories, extending the binary case of Athey and Imbens (2006). While the original CIC model is well-suited for binary treatments, it cannot accommodate multi-category discrete treatments often found in economic and policy settings. Although recent work has extended CIC to continuous treatments, there remains a gap for multi-category discrete treatments. I introduce a generalized CIC model that adapts the rank invariance assumption to multiple treatment levels, allowing for robust modeling while capturing the distinct effects of varying treatment intensities.

Prema Nedungadi, Sushma Naranappa Salethoor, Rammanohar Puthiyedath et al.

Ayurveda is India's prominent traditional medical system. The World Health Organization has stated the need for more evidence and data from conventional medicine methods to inform policymakers, regulatory bodies, healthcare stakeholders, and the public about its safe, effective, and equitable use. This study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the emerging trends in Ayurveda research, mapping research to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and examining the impact of COVID-19. Using bibliometric methods, the researchers analyzed a total of 11,773 publications between 1993 and 2022 to understand the temporal evolution of publications, open-access publications, patterns of author collaboration, top-performing countries, and co-citation networks. The keyword co-occurrence analysis identifies networks of concentrated studies on Ayurveda research themes relating to the four clusters, Alternative and Traditional Medicine, Bioactive Compounds and Biological Activities, Analytical Techniques and Herbal Standardization, and Herbal Medicines and Immunomodulation, reflecting the diverse research areas within Ayurveda. The last cluster included research related to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, suggesting research on herbal approaches to immune modulation in the context of COVID-19. The most prominent SDG among these research themes was Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3), emphasizing the potential of natural products and traditional medicine in promoting holistic health and combating antibiotic resistance.

Chidiebele Petronilla Ojukwu, Emelie Moris Anekwu, Zimuzor Ude-Bassey et al.

Abstract Background Musculoskeletal ultrasound imaging (MSUI) is an efficient monitoring and re-evaluation tool used for the management of musculoskeletal conditions in several clinical domains. Its utilization among physiotherapists, particularly in African countries, is yet to be explored. Objective This study investigated the knowledge, attitude, and perception of physiotherapists on the utilization of MSUI in the clinical management of musculoskeletal conditions. Methods One hundred and ninety-two consenting Nigerian-based physiotherapists practicing in public and private health institutions participated in this cross-sectional survey. They responded to a three-sectioned structured questionnaire, investigating socio-demographic and occupational characteristics, knowledge, attitude, and utilization of MSUI for the management of musculoskeletal conditions. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and Pearson’s chi-square test at a significant level of 0.05. Results The majority (79.2%) of the respondents had positive knowledge of MSUI and its benefits as a clinical modality for managing MSCs. However, only 4.2% had utilized MSUI in clinical practice. Non-utilization of MSUI was commonly attributed to a lack of access to MSUI (60.3%) and its unavailability in most diagnostic centers (42.9%). Almost all (99.0%) of them agreed to the necessity for increased availability of MSUI to physiotherapists for enhancement of physiotherapy interventions in the management of MSCs. Conclusion Knowledge of MSUI among Nigerian-based physiotherapists is adequate, but its utilization as a clinical tool is poor. Improved availability of MSUI to physiotherapists is necessary as well as specialty training on the utilization and interpretation of MSUI.

Yuezhu Xu, S. Sivaranjani

Consider an unknown nonlinear dynamical system that is known to be dissipative. The objective of this paper is to learn a neural dynamical model that approximates this system, while preserving the dissipativity property in the model. In general, imposing dissipativity constraints during neural network training is a hard problem for which no known techniques exist. In this work, we address the problem of learning a dissipative neural dynamical system model in two stages. First, we learn an unconstrained neural dynamical model that closely approximates the system dynamics. Next, we derive sufficient conditions to perturb the weights of the neural dynamical model to ensure dissipativity, followed by perturbation of the biases to retain the fit of the model to the trajectories of the nonlinear system. We show that these two perturbation problems can be solved independently to obtain a neural dynamical model that is guaranteed to be dissipative while closely approximating the nonlinear system.

Weiqiao Han, Ashkan Jasour, Brian Williams

We consider the motion planning problem for stochastic nonlinear systems in uncertain environments. More precisely, in this problem the robot has stochastic nonlinear dynamics and uncertain initial locations, and the environment contains multiple dynamic uncertain obstacles. Obstacles can be of arbitrary shape, can deform, and can move. All uncertainties do not necessarily have Gaussian distribution. This general setting has been considered and solved in [1]. In addition to the assumptions above, in this paper, we consider long-term tasks, where the planning method in [1] would fail, as the uncertainty of the system states grows too large over a long time horizon. Unlike [1], we present a real-time online motion planning algorithm. We build discrete-time motion primitives and their corresponding continuous-time tubes offline, so that almost all system states of each motion primitive are guaranteed to stay inside the corresponding tube. We convert probabilistic safety constraints into a set of deterministic constraints called risk contours. During online execution, we verify the safety of the tubes against deterministic risk contours using sum-of-squares (SOS) programming. The provided SOS-based method verifies the safety of the tube in the presence of uncertain obstacles without the need for uncertainty samples and time discretization in real-time. By bounding the probability the system states staying inside the tube and bounding the probability of the tube colliding with obstacles, our approach guarantees bounded probability of system states colliding with obstacles. We demonstrate our approach on several long-term robotics tasks.

Henos Kiflom Zewde

Despite the critical role quality comprehensive emergency obstetric care (CEmOC) plays in ensuring safe motherhood, only a few studies have attempted to measure the impact of substandard and delayed care on maternal outcome thus far. This study evaluates the association between various process and timeliness indicators of CEmOC and adverse maternal outcome in Keren Hospital. This study compared women with potentially life-threatening condition (PLTC) and women with severe maternal outcome (SMO) with respect to various process and timeliness indicators. Logistic regression analysis was employed to assess the association of timeliness and process indicators with SMO using SPSS version-22 computer software. In this study, we included 491 cases of PLTC and 210 cases of SMO (171 maternal near misses and 39 maternal deaths). The following process indicators showed significant association with SMO: failure to give uterotonics for the treatment of postpartum hemorrhage, failure to administer prophylactic antibiotics, and delayed laporatomy for uterine rupture. Moreover, delays in referral, triaging, seeing an obstetrician, and receiving definitive treatement were strongly associated with SMO. The following causes of delay were also found to be independently associated with SMO: erroneous diagnosis, inappropriate management, multiple referrals between health facilities, unavailability of a senior obstetrician, and poor communication during referral. Among the miscellaneous factors, nighttime admission and referral during the rainy season showed significant association with SMO. Findings of this study indicate that huge gap exists in providing quality and timely care in Keren Hospital. In general, most incidents of substandard and delayed care were due to poor referral system, insufficiency of medical staff, inadequacy of drugs and equipment, and unavailability of standard management protocol. Improving the referral system, upgrading the technical skills of health professionals, making sure life-saving drugs and equipment are available all the time, and posting standard treatment and management protocols in the maternity and emergency rooms will play a vital role in reducing the occurrence of SMO in Keren Hospital.

S. Rana, Syeda Maria Ali, M. Ashraf et al.

This study applied a nuclear technique in conjunction with a classical monitoring tool to characterize the origin, fate, and behavior of metal pollutants in groundwater of Islamabad-Rawalpindi Metropolitans, which are also known as the “twin cities.” In total, 122 groundwater samples were collected and analyzed in accordance with standard methods. GIS and multivariate statistical analysis were employed for the groundwater vulnerability assessment and source apportionment. The results of the aesthetic parameters indicated that the majority of groundwater sources were tested and were colorless, odorless and tasteless in the “twin cities.” In addition, the findings of this study indicated that the concentration of pH, phosphates, copper, manganese, and zinc were within the drinking water standards in the “twin cities” as stipulated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) at all sampling points in the study area. The groundwater quality was found unsuitable for consumption due to elevated levels of electrical conductivity and total dissolved solids at 9.83% and 4.09% of samples, respectively. The contents of arsenic and fluoride were well within the allowable range at almost all points except at one location. However, iron and lead contents were above permissible limits. A statistical analysis revealed that trace metals originated from both geogenic and anthropogenic sources such as enhanced rock-water interaction, over abstraction, evaporation enrichment, improper waste disposal, discarded batteries, cross contamination of water supply and sewerage lines, active recharge from Lie drain, and domestic, industrial, and agricultural effluents. The computed water quality index (WQI) based on heavy metals elucidated that groundwater quality was poor in most of the study area due to elevated electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, lead, iron, arsenic, and fluoride values. A highly depleted isotopic composition of 13C provides clues about the aquifer’s vulnerability from miscellaneous sources such as domestic, urban, construction, and agricultural sites and the dissolution of carbonate minerals. This study clearly indicates that a rapidly growing population, unplanned urbanization, industrialization, improper waste disposal, over abstraction, and a lack of water abstraction policies are significantly contributing toward the impairment of groundwater quality in the study area. The study strongly emphasized the need to regulate groundwater abstraction by improving water treatment and the supply system for the provision of safe water to the urban populace. These results will help in designing remedial strategies for improving water quality in the “twin cities.”

Jesús Daniel Cardoso-Vera, L. Gómez-Oliván, H. Islas-Flores et al.

Phenytoin (PHE) is an antiepileptic drug that has been widely used in clinical practice for about 80 years. It is mainly used in the treatment of tonic-clonic and partial seizures. The widespread consumption of this drug around the world has led to PHE being introduced into water bodies through municipal, hospital, and industrial effluent discharges. Since the toxic effects of this drug on aquatic species has been scarcely explored, the aim of this work was to investigate the influence of low (25-400 ngL-1) and high (500-1500 ngL-1) environmentally relevant concentrations of PHE on the development and oxidative status of zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos. The toxicity of PHE was evaluated from 12 to 96 h after fertilization in D. rerio at concentrations between 25 and 1500 ngL-1. In both the control group and the 0.05% DMSO system, no malformations were observed, all embryos developed normally after 96 h. The severity and frequency of malformations increased with increasing PHE concentration compared to embryos in the control group. Malformations observed included developmental delay, hypopigmentation, miscellaneous (more than one malformation in the same embryo), modified chorda structure, tail malformation, and yolk deformation. Concerning the biomarkers of oxidative stress, an increase in the degree of lipid peroxidation, protein carbonylation, and hydroperoxide content was observed (p < 0.05) concerning the control. In addition, a significant increase (p < 0.05) in antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, and GPx) was observed at low exposure concentrations (25-400 ngL-1), with a decrease in enzyme activity at high concentrations (500-1500 ngL-1). Our IBR analysis demonstrated that oxidative damage biomarkers got more influence at 500ngL-1 of PHE. The results demonstrated that PHE may affect the embryonic development of zebrafish and that oxidative stress may be involved in the generation of this embryotoxic process.

Ramona Fernanda Ceriotti Toassi, Mariangela Kraemer Lenz Ziede

O viver um período pandêmico segue nos desafiando e gerando novas experiências e perguntas/questões de pesquisa. As produções da primeira edição de 2022 da ‘Saberes Plurais: educação na saúde’ expressam este viver. Os relatos de experiência abordam as temáticas da educação em saúde – produção de materiais educativos audiovisuais para pacientes com asmas e de materiais educativos digitais para usuários do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS)  e intervenções com adolescentes escolares –, e da educação permanente de profissionais da saúde. Os artigos originais mobilizam, a partir de diferentes metodologias, a educação interprofissional nas Residências Multiprofissionais, as tecnologias educacionais para a consulta do profissional enfermeiro, a formação para a preceptoria e a saúde mental de estudantes do curso de Medicina. Por fim, um ensaio crítico discute os custos psicossociais da pandemia nas sociedades que integram a União Europeia. São textos que nos permitem a análise-reflexão de problemáticas que articulam questões da Educação e da Saúde, tanto na formação quanto no processo de cuidado em saúde, trazendo-nos a possibilidade de aprender ‘com’ e ‘sobre’ o outro. A intenção é essa: inspiração, ação e transformação!

Luiza Sheyla Evenni Porfírio Will Castro, Gabriela Falconi Vieira Gonçalves, Felipa Rafaela Amadigi

A equipe da rede Arbo Control Santa Catarina confeccionou um material didático em parceria com a Secretaria Municipal de Saúde, Centro de Controle de Zoonoses de Florianópolis. O processo de concepção envolveu a importância da comunicação efetiva em saúde para combater as arboviroses de maior circulação (dengue, chikungunya, zika, que são transmitidas pela fêmea adulta do mosquito Aedes aegypti). O processo de criação, produção e desenvolvimento foi orientado por metodologia ativa, que resultou na produção de história em quadrinhos (HQ), com o intuito de servir de material didático para uso pré-escolar. O método lúdico foi utilizado na representação socioeducativa, para conciliar as práticas utilitárias de leitura com a finalidade de aproximar a educação da temática abordada com a realidade do aluno. Nesse contexto, a ludicidade permite com o objetivo de facilitar o entendimento sobre as arboviroses mais comuns a manutenção de uma comunicação mais efetiva e contextualizada, o que contribui com a educação em saúde desse público-alvo e o entendimento sobre as arboviroses mais comuns. O suporte do Centro de Controle de Zoonoses (CCZ), que está diretamente ligado ao controle epidemiológico dessas arboviroses, ajudou na produção de um material didático pedagógico qualificado e resolutivo, consoante com as necessidades das escolas, que necessitam de um material traduzido para uma linguagem de fácil entendimento, que possa ser usada para o público-alvo infantil, sem perder a essência do processo educacional eficaz, resolutivo, crítico-reflexivo. Palavras-chave: Arboviroses. Educação em Saúde. HQ. Método Lúdico.

Lina María Amaya-Mejía, Nicolás Duque-Suárez, Daniel Jaramillo-Ramírez et al.

Human safety has always been the main priority when working near an industrial robot. With the rise of Human-Robot Collaborative environments, physical barriers to avoiding collisions have been disappearing, increasing the risk of accidents and the need for solutions that ensure a safe Human-Robot Collaboration. This paper proposes a safety system that implements Speed and Separation Monitoring (SSM) type of operation. For this, safety zones are defined in the robot's workspace following current standards for industrial collaborative robots. A deep learning-based computer vision system detects, tracks, and estimates the 3D position of operators close to the robot. The robot control system receives the operator's 3D position and generates 3D representations of them in a simulation environment. Depending on the zone where the closest operator was detected, the robot stops or changes its operating speed. Three different operation modes in which the human and robot interact are presented. Results show that the vision-based system can correctly detect and classify in which safety zone an operator is located and that the different proposed operation modes ensure that the robot's reaction and stop time are within the required time limits to guarantee safety.

Kaixiang Zhang, Kyle Lammers, Pengyu Chu et al.

Due to labor shortage and rising labor cost for the apple industry, there is an urgent need for the development of robotic systems to efficiently and autonomously harvest apples. In this paper, we present a system overview and algorithm design of our recently developed robotic apple harvester prototype. Our robotic system is enabled by the close integration of several core modules, including visual perception, planning, and control. This paper covers the main methods and advancements in deep learning-based multi-view fruit detection and localization, unified picking and dropping planning, and dexterous manipulation control. Indoor and field experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of the developed system, which achieved an average picking rate of 3.6 seconds per apple. This is a significant improvement over other reported apple harvesting robots with a picking rate in the range of 7-10 seconds per apple. The current prototype shows promising performance towards further development of efficient and automated apple harvesting technology. Finally, limitations of the current system and future work are discussed.

Victor Neumann, Roman Kuiava, Rodrigo A. Ramos et al.

This article presents and describes a 229 bus test system that includes wind, hydro and fossil fuel power plants. It represents the Northeast subsystem of the Brazilian Interconnected Power System (BIPS). The test system supplies a load of 4.17 GW, being 13% powered by wind farms, which is the current wind power penetration level of the BIPS. The data comprehends different load levels based on the typical load behavior and typical capacity factors of wind, hydro and fossil fuel plants, as well as the capacity of transmission and sub-transmission lines, transformers, and the adopted structure for the test system. The data is compiled considering models and operating scenarios of the BIPS, and allow performing studies of static voltage stability, sensitivity of voltage stability margin considering the wind farms, and multi-objective optimization considering market constraints. The results of the simulations with the test system indicate the consistency of their data structure and its applicability to different studies of electric power systems.

A. Håkansson, G. Åkesson, C. Grudet et al.

The COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on society has been suspected to affect gambling behaviors. Potentially, the pandemic crisis may result in increased problem gambling, for example, due to COVID-19-related psychological distress, unemployment, and financial difficulties. In addition, the cancellation of sports in early parts of the crisis has been suspected to alter gambling behaviors. Policy makers have called for action and, in some cases, have changed regulations, and media have reported possible increases in treatment seeking. However, research data are hitherto lacking. The present study assessed the treatment uptake at a regional specialized gambling-disorder unit in the healthcare system of Region Skåne, Sweden. Number of patients, treatment contacts, and patterns of rescheduling or cancellations of appointments were quantified for each month, January–December 2020, and compared to corresponding months of 2018 and 2019. Possible trends were analyzed, using an interrupted time-series analysis. Results did not indicate an increase in treatment uptake for gambling disorder during the months of COVID-19 impact in Sweden. The proportion of digital treatment increased, but total treatment uptake was unaffected by the pandemic. In conclusion, during the first ten months of the pandemic in Sweden, no obvious increase in treatment uptake for gambling disorder could be seen. Moreover, longer follow-up may be necessary in order to see if effects of worsening socioeconomic conditions may be a possible long-term risk factor of increased gambling after COVID-19.