bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Surface Alloying During Pb Underpotential Deposition on Au(111)
Authors: Szczepanska Alicja , Vasiljevic Natasa
Published: November 2022

The surface alloying during Pb underpotential deposition (UPD) on Au(111) films was studied using electrochemical techniques. This UPD system has been known for its unusual stress behavior associated with surface alloying during epitaxial monolayer (ML) formation. The characteristic cyclic voltammetry of Pb UPD on Au(111) exhibits an anodic peak at the most positive potentials that does not have a symmetric cathodic counterpart. The peak can be associated with the surface structural changes due to the Pb dealloying from the top substrate layer. Two electrochemical approaches were used to study the surface transformations: i) extended polarization (up to 60 min) at high Pb coverage of 0.85 ML, and ii) repeated cycling 1150 times between the potentials corresponding to 0.25 ML and 1 ML Pb coverages. In both approaches, it was observed that with the increased time of polarization or number of potential cycles, the prominent UPD peaks gradually reduced in magnitude, became broader and lost their original double-peaks structure. At the same time, the dealloying (the most anodic) peak shifted positive about 0.1 V and increased in magnitude. Quantitative analysis of the changes estimated the coverage of Pb alloying with a surface of 0.28–0.30 ML.
Fast, Cheap and Reliable Monitoring of Microalgae-Based Paracetamol Removal from Aquatic Environment Using Electrochemical Sensor Technology
Authors: Congur Gulsah , Gül Ülkuye Dudu , Taştan Burcu Ertit
Published: November 2022

Paracetamol (PRL) is an analgesic and antipyretic drug, and its consumption has increased all across the world during the COVID-19 pandemic era. However, its excessive consumption makes it an endocrine-disrupting factor, and it is toxic for the liver. It easily contaminates water resources due to its high solubility, and has substantial potential to access both aquatic life and humans. Therefore, its removal by sustainable methods is a highlighted issue for today’s world that has experienced increasing scarcity of water. Herein, microalgae-based PRL removal and its electrochemical monitoring were performed. The removal performed with Scenedesmus sp. was monitored by disposable pencil graphite electrodes and cyclic voltammetry. The removal was achieved without the requirement of complex procedures, and the monitoring of this removal finished in less than 1 min. Application of the system in real life was tested in the presence of tap water. The biosorption kinetics, isoterms, and changes in chlorophyll content of the microalgae were calculated, and the microscopic characterizations of the biosorption were performed. The selectivity of the system was studied against other water contaminants. This is the first study about the removal of PRL using Scenedesmus sp. and the monitoring of the removal using disposable electrochemical sensor technology.
Scanning Electron Microscopy to Study the Nucleation and Growth Phenomena in Liquid Electrolytes under Operando Conditions
Authors: Kolmakov Andrei , Raciti David
Published: November 2022

Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), while being amongst the most widespread analytical instrumentation, is not widely used to study nucleation and growth (NG) phenomena in liquids. This is, partially due to insufficient exposure of the electrochemical research community to its capabilities. Here, we report on a simple but versatile custom-made setup for liquid phase (LP) SEM to access chemically and electrochemically driven NG processes in liquids. In addition, we will reveal the experimental artifacts and limitations of the technique related to radiation damage of the liquids. Finally, we will discuss a few recent developments in beam damage-free LP SEM imaging in liquids.
p-GaN Contact Study by Means of Electrochemical Short Loop
Authors: Suman Sidharth , Martin Brigitte , Dupre Ludovic , Rol Fabien , Templier Roselyne , Martinez Eugenie , Sadki Said , Pernel Carole
Published: November 2022

Surface states and contamination affects the efficiency of Gallium Nitride (GaN) based devices such as HEMTs, LEDs, photodetectors etc. In this work, several wet chemical treatment has been performed for the surface treatment of p-GaN, in order to achieve low-resistance ohmic contacts. The effect of surface treatment is observed by studying the flatband potential across the p-GaN/electrolyte interface via, electrochemical characterization. The electrochemical method of “Mott-Schottky characterization” gives simple and quick way of analysing the effect of different treatments, without the need of device fabrication. The effect of surface treatment are further investigated via, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy. The potential surface treatments from experimental findings are integrated into device processing steps in order to realize effect of surface treatment on the p-GaN/metal contacts. The electrochemical characterization shows that HCl results in least flatband potential. Further, The electrical test shows that HCl treatment results in significant orders of magnitude improvement in contact resistance and electrical performance of the devices. This shows that short loop electrochemical characterization can be used for predicting surface treatment in order to improve electrical characteristics of the device.
A Case of Profound Bradycardia in Endurance Athlete with Severe Anorexia Nervosa
Authors: Pueringer John , Cinderella Joseph , Treuth M. Greg
Published: November 2022

We present a case of a 54-year-old woman with asymptomatic bradycardia who was referred for consideration of a pacemaker for profound chronic sinus bradycardia (heart rate is 33 beats per minute). Further, history and physical revealed a self-described endurance athlete with severe anorexia nervosa (AN). Background. Anorexia nervosa and endurance training are known contributors to bradycardia; however, profound asymptomatic sinus bradycardia in the 20-30 beats per minute is underdocumented in the literature and not a common presentation in any setting. The decision to implant a permanent pacemaker could potentially lead to further physical and psychological repercussions in such a frail patient.
Survival Outcomes and Care Equity among Patients with Advanced Breast Cancer in Auckland, New Zealand
Authors: Ang Edmond , Han Dug Yeo , Wilson Sheridan
Published: November 2022

Aim. The Auckland Advanced Breast Cancer Review (AABC) was a review of patients diagnosed with advanced inoperable/metastatic breast cancer (ABC) within the Auckland region of New Zealand, commissioned in response to a Breast Cancer Registry report (BCFNZR) that showed poor and inequitable survival outcomes. The review was aimed at assessing equity of care and identifying healthcare delivery gaps for patients with ABC in the Auckland region. Method. In this retrospective study, patients living within the Auckland region, diagnosed with ABC between the 1st January 2013 to the 31st December 2015 were identified from the Breast Cancer Registry. Data censorship date was 30th January 2019 to allow a minimum of 3 years of follow-up. Demographic, diagnostic, treatment, and survival data were extracted from electronic records for statistical analysis. Results. Of the 388 patients that met inclusion criteria for this study, median overall survival (medOS) was 18.9 months in the total population, with no difference between patients with de novo metastatic disease (dnMBC -18.9 m) and recurrent metastatic disease (rMBC -18.7 m). No statistically significant differences in medOS was found amongst Maori (16.2 m), Pacific People (17.3 m), and NZ European (18.9 m) or when patients were stratified according domicile district health board. Median number of lines of systemic treatment was two, with similar treatment exposure between ethnic groups. Conclusion. While treatment uptake and survival outcomes were generally comparable across ethnicity and district health boards, dnMBC survival outcomes were considerably poorer than expected, earmarking this subset of patients with ABC for more in-depth research.
Clinical Pharmacology and Determinants of Response to UCART19, an Allogeneic Anti-CD19 CAR-T Cell Product, in Adult B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Authors: Dupouy Sandra , Marchiq Ibtissam , Derippe Thibaud , Almena-Carrasco Maria , Jozwik Agnieszka , Fouliard Sylvain , Adimy Yasmina , Geronimi Julia , Graham Charlotte , Jain Nitin , Maus Marcela V. , Mohty Mohamad , Boissel Nicolas , Teshima Takanori , Kato Koji , Benjamin Reuben , Balandraud Svetlana
Published: November 2022

Background:

UCART191 is an “off-the-shelf” genome-edited anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell product, manufactured from unrelated healthy donor cells.

Methods:

UCART19 was administered to 25 adult patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) in the CALM trial. All patients underwent lymphodepletion with fludarabine and cyclophosphamide ± alemtuzumab and received one of three ascending doses of UCART19. Given the allogeneic nature of UCART19, we analyzed the impact of lymphodepletion, HLA disparities, and host immune system reconstitution on its kinetics, along with other factors known to affect autologous CAR-T cell clinical pharmacology.

Results:

Responder patients (12/25) had higher UCART19 expansion (Cmax) and exposure (AUCTlast) than nonresponders (13/25), as measured by transgene levels in peripheral blood. The persistence of CAR+ T cells did not exceed 28 days in 10/25 patients and lasted beyond 42 days in 4/25. No significant correlation was found between UCART19 kinetics and administered cell dose, patient and product characteristics or HLA disparities. However, the number of prior lines of therapy and absence of alemtuzumab negatively impacted UCART19 expansion and persistence. Alemtuzumab exposure positively affected IL7 and UCART19 kinetics, while negatively correlating with host T lymphocyte AUC0-28.

Conclusions:

UCART19 expansion is a driver of response in adult patients with R/R B-ALL. These results shed light on the factors associated with UCART19 kinetics, which remain highly affected by the impact of alemtuzumab on IL7 and host-versus-graft rejection.

Significance:

First description of the clinical pharmacology of a genome-edited allogeneic anti-CD19 CAR-T cell product showing the crucial role of an alemtuzumab-based regimen in sustaining UCART19 expansion and persistence through increased IL7 availability and decreased host T lymphocyte population.
Mechanistic Modeling of the Interplay Between Host Immune System, IL-7 and UCART19 Allogeneic CAR-T Cells in Adult B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Authors: Derippe Thibaud , Fouliard Sylvain , Marchiq Ibtissam , Dupouy Sandra , Almena-Carrasco Maria , Geronimi Julia , Declèves Xavier , Chenel Marylore , Mager Donald E.
Published: November 2022

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapies have shown tremendous results against various hematologic cancers. Prior to cell infusion, a host preconditioning regimen is required to achieve lymphodepletion and improve CAR-T cell pharmacokinetic exposure, leading to greater chances of therapeutic success. To better understand and quantify the impact of the preconditioning regimen, we built a population-based mechanistic pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model describing the complex interplay between lymphodepletion, host immune system, homeostatic cytokines, and pharmacokinetics of UCART19, an allogeneic product developed against CD19+ B cells. Data were collected from a phase I clinical trial in adult relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and revealed three different UCART19 temporal patterns: (i) expansion and persistence, (ii) transient expansion with subsequent rapid decline, and (iii) absence of observed expansion. On the basis of translational assumptions, the final model was able to capture this variability through the incorporation of IL-7 kinetics, which are thought to be increased owing to lymphodepletion, and through an elimination of UCART19 by host T cells, which is specific to the allogeneic context. Simulations from the final model recapitulated UCART19 expansion rates in the clinical trial, confirmed the need for alemtuzumab to observe UCART19 expansion (along with fludarabine cyclophosphamide), quantified the importance of allogeneic elimination, and suggested a high impact of multipotent memory T-cell subpopulations on UCART19 expansion and persistence. In addition to supporting the role of host cytokines and lymphocytes in CAR-T cell therapy, such a model could help optimizing the preconditioning regimens in future clinical trials.

Significance:

A mathematical mechanistic pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic model supports and captures quantitatively the beneficial impact of lymphodepleting patients before the infusion of an allogeneic CAR-T cell product. Mediation through IL-7 increase and host T lymphocytes decrease is underlined, and the model can be further used to optimize CAR-T cell therapies lymphodepletion regimen.
Network Analysis of Gut Microbiota Including Fusobacterium and Oral Origin Bacteria and Their Distribution on Tumor Surface, Normal Mucosa, and in Feces in Patients with Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Ohashi Ayako , Yamamura Takeshi , Nakamura Masanao , Maeda Keiko , Sawada Tsunaki , Ishikawa Eri , Yamamoto Kenta , Ishikawa Takuya , Kakushima Naomi , Furukawa Kazuhiro , Ohno Eizaburo , Honda Takashi , Kawashima Hiroki , Ishigami Masatoshi , Fujishiro Mitsuhiro
Published: November 2022

Introduction: Fusobacterium and several bacteria are reported to be associated with colorectal cancer (CRC). However, their relationship and whether they cause CRC or are just adapted to the cancerous environment is not known. We approached this subject by investigating the correlation and distribution of the bacteria throughout the colon in patients with CRC and elucidated the relationship between microbiota and CRC. Methods: Twenty-five patients with CRC who underwent colonoscopy for endoscopic submucosal dissection or surgery were prospectively enrolled. Fecal samples were taken before bowel preparation, and mucosal samples were collected from three sites (tumor surface, tumor-adjacent mucosa, and cecum) during colonoscopy using a cytology brush. The microbiota was identified and analyzed by sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene of the V3–V4 region. We evaluated the correlation between the bacteria based on network analysis and the distribution of Fusobacterium in the colon. Results: A network consisting of many bacteria was found in all sites; especially, oral origin bacteria including Fusobacterium formed a positively correlated network on tumor surface. Streptococcus showed a significantly higher relative abundance on tumor surface than in feces. The relative abundance of Fusobacterium had significant positive correlations between tumor surface and feces, tumor-adjacent mucosa, and cecum. Conclusion: In patients with CRC, many bacteria were correlated with each other, and Fusobacterium and oral origin bacteria formed a positively correlated network on tumor surface. Fusobacterium was equally distributed on tumor surface and throughout the lumen and mucus in the colon. In the colon where Fusobacterium is widely distributed, Fusobacterium would adhere to the tumor surface and be correlated with oral origin bacteria to make a microenvironment that is favorable for CRC.
Erste Erfahrungen mit Brolucizumab bei therapieresistenter neovaskulärer AMD
Authors: Al-Nawaiseh Sami
Published: November 2022

Background: Brolucizumab has recently been approved in Europe as a novel treatment for patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). We report on early experiences with real-world outcomes of switch to brolucizumab therapy in previously anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF)-treated patients. Methods: Patients with recalcitrant nAMD were switched to brolucizumab therapy. Functional and structural parameters 4 weeks after first brolucizumab injection were evaluated including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA (logMAR)), foveal centre point (FCP (μm)), central subfield retinal thickness (CSRT (μm)) and macular volume (mm3). Results: Sixty-three eyes of 57 patients with nAMD (52.6% females) with a mean (±SD) age of 79.5±6.7 years were included. Mean change of BCVA was 0.03±0.14 logMAR (p=0.115). Significant reductions were recorded for FCP with a mean (±SD) change of −66.81±72.63 μm, −66.76±60.71 μm for CSRT and −0.27±0.24 mm3 for macular volume (all p<0.001). Intraocular inflammation was observed in seven eyes of seven patients, including one case of retinal vasculitis. Conclusions: The results of the SHIFT study indicate that switch to brolucizumab may represent a treatment option in patients with nAMD poorly responsive to other anti-VEGF agents. Further long-term analyses appear prudent to assess efficacy and safety of brolucizumab in a routine clinical setting.
A Case of Acute Myeloid Leukemia-Associated Necrotizing Sweet Syndrome
Authors: Strong Jennifer , Zhou Albert E. , Alkaabba Fahad , Soldin Danielle , Moon Joanne , Alharthy Hanan , Syed Owais , Liu Yuchen , Turney Kathryn , Markidan Janina , Malone Laura , Lee Seung Tae , DeRosa Peter
Published: November 2022

Sweet syndrome (SS), or acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis, is a rare painful skin condition that is characterized by hyperpyrexia, peripheral blood and skin neutrophilia, and edematous skin lesions. Necrotizing SS (NSS) is a severe and locally aggressive condition that histopathologically resembles a necrotizing soft tissue infection. As opposed to necrotizing soft tissue infections, NSS responds to systemic steroids. SS is divided into three subtypes: classical SS, malignancy-associated SS, and drug-induced SS. Within the malignancy-associated SS subtype, both solid tumor and hematologic malignancies have been precursors to developing SS. Here, we present a case of acute myeloid leukemia-associated NSS.
Performance analysis of inductive power transfer using JMAG-designer
Authors: Mahadi Ismail Ahmat , Yahaya Jabbar Al-Fattah
Published: November 2022

Due to its advantage of sending electrical power from the transmitter source to the receiver load with no physical contact, wireless power transfer (WPT) has rapidly gained popularity in recent years. They can be used in a variety of applications, including induction cooking, mobile phone charging, radio frequency identification (RFID), and electric vehicles (EVs). Using JMAG-designer, a simulation of series-parallel inductive power transmission has been investigated in this research. This study aims to determine how the output power and efficiency change depending on how many coils turn in the transmitter and receiver. The number of coils turn in the transmitter is fixed which is 20 turns, the number of coils turn in the receiver is variable and ranges between 15 and 30, and the air gap or distance between the coupling coils is set at 10 cm. The selected frequency to be used in this simulation is between 10 and 50 kHz. According to the absorption result, the output power and efficiency rise when the receiver has more coil turns than the transmitter, and the output power and current rise along with an increase in resonance frequency.
Modeling recurrence of COVID-19 and its variants using recurrent neural network
Authors: Bolarinwa Jesufunbi Damilola , Vincent Olufunke Rebecca , Aborisade Dada Olaniyi , Adenusi Cecilia Ajowho , Ugwunna Charles Okechukwu
Published: November 2022

Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), a disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), began as the flu and gradually developed into a highly infectious global pandemic leading to the death of over 6 million people in about 200 countries of the world. Its pathogenic nature has qualified it as a deadly disease, causing moderate and severe respiratory difficulty in infected individuals with the ability to mutate into different variants of the first version. As a result, different government agencies and health institutions have sought solutions within and outside the clinical space. This paper models COVID-19 possible recurrence as variants and predicts that the subsequent waves will be more severe than the first wave. Long short-term memory network (LSTM) was used to predict the future occurrence of COVID-19 and forecast the virus's pattern. Machine evaluation was performed using precision, recall, F1-score, an area under the curve (AUC), and accuracy evaluation metrics. Datasets obtained were used to test the data. The collected characteristics were passed on to the system classification network, demonstrating the function's value based on the system's accuracy. The results showed that the COVID-19 variants have a higher disastrous effect within three months after the first wave.
A comparative study on channel coding scheme for underwater acoustic communication
Authors: Ahmed Mustafa Sami , Shah Nor Shahida Mohd , Al-Aboosi Yasin Yousif , Ghaleb Ali Nadhim
Published: November 2022

There are various challenges in underwater acoustic communication (UWA) however bit error rate (BER) is considered as the main challenge as it significantly affects the UWA communication. In this paper, different coding schemes such as convolution, turbo, low density parity check (LDPC), and polar coding based on the t-distribution noise channel are investigated, and binary phase-shift keying (BPSK) modulation with a code rate of 1/2 has considered in the evaluation and analyses. The evaluation of these channel coding schemes is performed based on BER, computational complexity as well as latency. The results have shown the outperform of polar coding in UWA over other channel coding schemes as it has lower BER and lower computational complexity.
Energy efficiency scheme for relay node placement in heterogeneous networks
Authors: As’ari Aziemah Athirah , Apandi Nur Ilyana Anwar , Muhammad Nor Aishah , Rashid Rozeha A. , Sarijari Mohd Adib , Salleh Jamaliah
Published: November 2022

Relay node (RN) placement expands the network coverage and capacity and significantly reduces the energy consumption of heterogeneous networks (HetNets). Energy efficiency is the system design parameter in HetNets as it determines network operators' energy consumption and economic value. Relay is one of the energy-saving methods, where it can reduce the transmit power by breaking a long transmission distance into several short transmissions. However, placing an RN without a proper transmission distance may lead to a waste of energy. Thus, investigating an optimum RN placement in HetNets is crucial to ensure energy efficiency and maintain network performance. This paper presents an energy efficiency scheme for the RN based on four commonly used network topologies of indoor HetNets. The minimum energy consumption algorithm is proposed based on a comparison of distance and links of the RN. The results show that the circular network topology is an optimal network model with an efficiency factor increase of 6% that can be used to design the energy efficiency indoor HetNet.
Internet of things based agricultural drought detection system: case study Southern Somalia
Authors: Dahir Abdukadir , Omar Mohamed , Abukar Yahye
Published: November 2022

Drought is defined as a protracted lack of precipitation that lasts at least a season, resulting in a water deficit that affects plants, animals, and humans. It is a widespread and repeating feature of climate change in practically all temperate zones, ranging from excessively wet to burned. In Somalia, the government and farmers lack the technological skills to identify and monitor recurrent environmental issues. Our research created a technique for detecting droughts early on to reduce their impact. Using internet of things (IoT) devices, we created a system that measures temperature, humidity, and soil moisture. We then examined the data and used a line chart to show it in a web application (PHP and MySQL). The device reads these environmental parameters using an Arduino Uno, a DHT11 sensor, and a soil moisture sensor. The system deployed provides a real-time, cost-effective method for monitoring and controlling drought in modern agriculture.
Performance parameters optimization of CMOS analog signal processing circuits based on smart algorithms
Authors: Rasheed Israa Mohammed , Motlak Hassan Jasim
Published: November 2022

Designing ideal analogue circuits has become difficult due to extremely large-scale integration. The complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) analog integrated circuits (IC) could use an evolutionary method to figure out the size of each device. The CMOS operational transconductance amplifier (CMOS OTA) and the CMOS current conveyor second generation (CMOS CCII) are designed using advanced nanometer transistor technology (180 nm). Both CMOS OTA and CMOS CCII have high performance, such as a wide frequency, voltage gain, slew rate, and phase margin, to include very wide applications in signal processing, such as active filters and oscillators. The optimization approach is an iterative procedure that uses an optimization algorithm to change design variables until the optimal solution is identified. In this study, different sorts of algorithms the genetic algorithm (GA), particle swarm optimization (PSO), and cuckoo search (CS) are employed to boost and enhance the performance parameters. While decreasing the time required to develop a conventional operation amplifier's settling time. Some studies decrease the value of the power utilized at various frequencies. Others operate at extremely high frequencies, but their power consumption is greater than that of those operating at lower frequencies.
Hybrid sliding neural network controller of a direct driven vertical axis wind turbine
Authors: Bakou Youcef , Abid Mohamed , Saihi Lakhdar , Aissaoui Abdel Ghani , Hammaoui Youcef
Published: November 2022

This study aims to propose a robust hybrid sliding mode artificial neural network control (SM-ANN) scheme for controlling the stator power (active/reactive) of a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG)-based direct drive vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) power system under a real-world scenario wind speed that will be installed in the Adrar region (Saharan zone) of Algeria. The SM-ANN scheme will control the stator power of the direct drive VAWT power. The chattering phenomenon is the most significant disadvantage associated with sliding mode control (SMC). In order to find a solution to this issue, the artificial neural network (ANN) method was applied to pick the appealing part of the SMC. MATLAB/Simulink is used to do an evaluation, after which the SM-ANN controller being suggested is compared to both traditional sliding mode (SM) and proportional-integral (PI) controllers. The results of the simulation demonstrated that the recommended SM-ANN controller has good performance in terms of enhancing the quality of energy that is delivered to the power network. This is in comparison to the traditional SM and PI controllers, which both have a long history of use. Notwithstanding the fact that there is DFIG parameter fluctuation present.
Classifying thai news headlines using an artificial neural network
Authors: Chanakot Benjamin , Sanrach Charun
Published: November 2022

This research aimed to measure the effectiveness of Thai news headlines classification using an artificial neural network (ANN). The headlines consisted of i) political news, ii) sports news, iii) economic news, and iv) crime news, 1,200 headlines in total. The distribution of headlines was measured by using chi-square, information gain, and term frequency inverse class frequency (TFICF). Threshold default value was set in relation to terms of headlines before cross-validation was employed to categorize the data to examine the efficiency of the model using a neural network algorithm in classifying the headlines. The investigation of the news headline classification efficiency revealed that the 15-fold data division using TFICF was the most accurate in classifying headlines, with the accuracy rate of 99.60% and F-measure rate of 99.05%. Moreover, it was found that when more news headlines were provided as the learning data, the news headline classification became more accurate. Likewise, appropriate threshold value determination facilitated the selection of appropriate features in the headlines and resulted in more effective and accurate classification. Hence, it can be concluded that headline classification will be more accurate if the appropriate amount of learning data exists, and appropriate threshold value was set.
Speed-planning algorithm and super twisting control for autonomous vehicle steering system
Authors: Bacha Sofiane , Saadi Ramzi , Ayad Mohamed-Yacine , Aboubou Abdennacer
Published: November 2022

Autonomous vehicle field has seen much development in recent years, especially with the appearance of new efficient control techniques focusing on longitudinal and lateral direction in order to follow a specified trajectory or path. This paper proposes a new systematic control technique to simultaneously generate a suitable speed profile and control the vehicle lateral motion through a predetermined path that considers different driving scenarios representing real-world driving. First, an extended-kinematic model for an autonomous vehicle is designed based on side-slip angle estimation. Then, the proposed technique uses a relationship between lateral error, heading error, and vehicle velocity to generate a suitable steering angle based on super twisting mode control. Second, a speed-planning algorithm is developed to control vehicle velocity. The algorithm uses a strategy for sharp curve identification; then it generates an adequate speed profile depending on the dynamic characteristics of these curves to ensure smooth motion of the vehicle through the whole trajectory. The obtained results from using a speed-planning algorithm with a super twisting controller prove the high performance of this control technique in terms of decreasing errors and respecting passenger comfort.
Complex predictive analysis for health care: a comprehensive review
Authors: Srivastava Dolley , Pandey Himanshu , Agarwal Ambuj Kumar
Published: November 2022

Healthcare organizations accept information technology in a management system. A huge volume of data is gathered by healthcare system. Analytics offers tools and approaches for mining information from this complicated and huge data. The extracted information is converted into data which assist decision-making in healthcare. The use of big data analytics helps achievement of improved service quality and reduces cost. Both data mining and big data analytics are applied to pharma co-vigilance and methodological perspectives. Using effective load balancing and as little resources as possible, obtained data is accessible to improve analysis. Data prediction analysis is performed throughout the patient data extraction procedure to achieve prospective outcomes. Data aggregation from huge datasets is used for patient information prediction. Most current studies attempt to improve the accuracy of patient risk prediction by using a commercial model facilitated by big data analytics. Privacy concerns, security risks, limited resources, and the difficulty of dealing with massive amounts of data have all slowed the adoption of big data analytics in the healthcare industry. This paper reviews the various effective predictive analytics methods for diverse diseases like heart disease, blood pressure, and diabetes.
Man-in-the-middle and denial of service attacks detection using machine learning algorithms
Authors: Al-Juboori Sura Abdulmunem Mohammed , Hazzaa Firas , Jabbar Zinah Sattar , Salih Sinan , Gheni Hassan Muwafaq
Published: November 2022

Network attacks (i.e., man-in-the-middle (MTM) and denial of service (DoS) attacks) allow several attackers to obtain and steal important data from physical connected devices in any network. This research used several machine learning algorithms to prevent these attacks and protect the devices by obtaining related datasets from the Kaggle website for MTM and DoS attacks. After obtaining the dataset, this research applied preprocessing techniques like fill the missing values, because this dataset contains a lot of null values. Then we used four machine learning algorithms to detect these attacks: random forest (RF), eXtreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), gradient boosting (GB), and decision tree (DT). To assess the performance of the algorithms, there are many classification metrics are used: precision, accuracy, recall, and f1-score. The research achieved the following results in both datasets: i) all algorithms can detect the MTM attack with the same performance, which is greater than 99% in all metrics; and ii) all algorithms can detect the DoS attack with the same performance, which is greater than 97% in all metrics. Results showed that these algorithms can detect MTM and DoS attacks very well, which is prompting us to use their effectiveness in protecting devices from these attacks.
Hayden White e os limites da escrita do Holocausto: do narrativismo ao passado prático
Authors: Garcia Fernando
Published: November 2022

Hayden White foi um autor prolífico e controverso, colhendo polêmicas em sua longa carreira. Uma delas diz respeito às possibilidades de narrativizar o Holocausto historiograficamente, uma vez que sua teoria, conhecidamente, revelou o relativismo de toda a interpretação histórica. Segundo White, a documentação e os eventos narrados seriam pré-figurados em tropos, sendo estes múltiplos. Portanto, coube e cabe a questão – como narrar o Holocausto, um evento de extremo peso moral, entre múltiplas possibilidades narrativas? Em consideração a este problema, este artigo procura analisar o trabalho posterior de Hayden White, em que ele lida diretamente com as possibilidades de representação do Holocausto, considerado um tipo de evento diferente e que seria irrepresentável segundo os modos tradicionais de narrativização, que deveria ser narrado segundo os moldes da literatura modernista. Como isso é possível e como esta resposta se encaixa nos objetivos da última obra de White, sobre o passado prático, será o motivo da discussão final deste artigo.
My Path to and with Orwell
Authors: Claeys Gregory
Published: November 2022

Orwell felt that socialism (and anarchism) meant an identity of belonging based on equality. It touched him deeply, and the memory remained with him the rest of his life.
Incidence of Cerebral Venous Thrombosis: A Population-Based Study, Systematic Review, and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Zhou Lily W. , Yu Amy Y.X. , Ngo Long , Hill Michael D. , Field Thalia S.
Published: November 2022

Background:

Studying the baseline incidence of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) prior to COVID-19 and the limitations of how this has been previously reported in the literature will help improve understanding of this disease and how risks may have changed in the post-COVID era.

Methods:

We examined CVT incidence using linked administrative data in British Columbia, Canada (population 5.2 million). To contextualize our findings, we also examined CVT incidence in the published literature and searched MEDLINE and EMBASE for article titles and abstracts up to Nov 2, 2021 on CVT incidence in adults. We performed abstract screening and full-text review prior to data extraction and explored associations between CVT incidence and year of study, geographic location, and study quality with meta-analyses and meta-regression. A random-effects restricted maximum likelihood model was used. Publication bias was assessed using the Egger tests and using visual inspection of the funnel plot for symmetry.

Results:

There were 554 unique CVT cases (mean age 50.9 years, 55.4% women) in British Columbia from 2000 to 2017; overall annual incidence was 8.7 (95%CI‚ 8.0–9.4) per million. Incidence increased over time in men across the entire study period, and from 2011 to 2017 in women. We identified 22 other studies on CVT incidence before 2020 (21/23 total studies included in meta-analysis). Annual incidence overall was 12.1 (95% CI‚ 9.9–14.3) per million with significant between-study heterogeneity (I
2
98.8%, Qp-value<0.001). There were no significant associations on meta-regression between incidence and study year, study quality score, or gross national income per capita of the study country. Visual inspection of the funnel plot and a significant Egger test (z=2.8,
P
<0.01) suggested possible publication bias.

Conclusions:

Incidence of CVT in Canadian data increased over time but remained lower than in other population-based studies. Significant heterogeneity exists in the literature, which may be subject to publication bias.
How to Revisit the Question of Modernity? Some Propositions
Authors: Blitstein Pablo , Lemieux Cyril , Vartija Devin J. , Sullivan Arianna
Published: November 2022

Often dismissed as evolutionism and sometimes accused of maintaining neocolonial domination, the field of studies dedicated to modernity and processes of modernisation has been progressively discredited in the social sciences over the last forty years. However, for some time now, a number of historians and sociologists have sought to rehabilitate this field on new grounds. Rejecting both the miserabilist and populist approaches that have held the monopoly on studies of modernity for too long, their work outlines a research program whose coherence and main arguments are presented in this article. We show that this research program proposes a properly methodological definition of modernity – as the present of humanity – and imposes four major conditions on the study of modernity and processes of modernisation: the refusal of state-centrism; an attention to the practical foundations of different conceptions of “modernity”; an adherence to the principle of contemporaneity; and finally, a commitment to anchoring the generalising ambition of the social sciences within a rigorous search for processual analogies.
Performance Evaluation of Force Transducer for the Observation of Sediment Entrainment in Rapidly Varied Flows
Authors: Riaz Muhammad Zain Bin , Yang Shu-Qing , Sivakumar Muttucumaru , Enever Keith , Khalil Usman , Miguntanna Nadeeka Sajeewani
Published: November 2022

Direct measurement of forces within the rough bed layer have been limited by previous spatial-averaging shear force studies. A highly sensitive force transducer assembled with a target sphere was used to measure and record the instantaneous three-dimensional forces of sediment at incipient motion. In the current study, a laser Doppler anemometer, ultrasonic displacement meter, and a force transducer accompanied by video recordings were used to experimentally investigate the incipient motion of sediment. The developed experimental setup have the potential to resolve and improve fundamental classical hypotheses regarding the incipient sediment motion. Experiments conducted in a large recirculating flume verified that the force transducer detects instantaneous forces at incipient motion under varies hydrodynamic conditions. Depth time series, instantaneous horizontal, vertical, and lateral forces are presented for dam-break and tidal breaking bores. Evidence suggests that the uplift vertical force plays an important role in destabilizing and in the incipient motion of particles. A sudden decrease in horizontal force was observed in tidal breaking bore due to flow reversal; however, a rapid rise was observed due to initial impact of dam-break bore. Bore velocity seems to have a larger effect on dam-break force than bore height. Furthermore, lateral force has the least influence during tidal breaking bore, while sediment particles are subjected to additional lateral force during dam-break bore.
Ready to Rent: Administrative Decisions and Poverty Governance in the Housing Choice Voucher Program
Authors: McCabe Brian J.
Published: November 2022

Sociological studies of poverty governance investigate how state actors manage marginalized populations, regulate their participation in social institutions, and reform their behavior through systems of punishment and rewards. Research in this area considers a range of institutions involved in managing poverty, but it has largely ignored an institution omnipresent in the lives of the poor—public housing agencies (PHAs). Focusing on the Housing Choice Voucher program, the largest rental assistance program in the country, I examine discretionary choices made by PHAs that affect who gets access to rental assistance, how long clients have to wait, and what they must do to maintain their benefits. I ask how these administrative decisions create successive opportunities for state agencies to govern the poor. Drawing on interviews with agency officials, I describe a tripartite process of selecting market-ready households, engaging them in rituals of market formation, and utilizing market nudges to remind them of their responsibilities as market actors. This framework deepens sociological understandings of how local state agencies utilize discretionary choices in a resource-scarce, highly decentralized policy environment to evaluate, reform, and discipline the poor.
Managing the Destructive Foreign Body: Water Beads in the Ear (A Case Series) and Literature Review
Authors: Zalzal Habib G. , Ryan Matthew , Reilly Brian , Mudd Pamela
Published: November 2022

Objective:

To characterize our experience with super-absorbent polymer beads placed in the external auditory canal to better understand the damage caused and subsequent management required.

Methods:

Retrospective chart review of pediatric patients at 2 separate tertiary referral centers.

Results:

Seven patients were identified as having placed super-absorbent polymer beads in the external auditory canal, 6 of whom required removal under general anesthesia. Three patients did not suffer otologic trauma or hearing loss (average foreign body duration <72 hours). Four patients experienced severe otologic complications (average foreign body duration >1 week), all of whom were treated with otologic drops prior to bead identification. Of this severe complication group, 3 patients had restored hearing after surgical intervention, while 1 patient suffered profound hearing loss secondary to labyrinthitis ossificans.

Conclusion:

Early recognition of otologic foreign bodies is important, particularly if expansile water-bead is suspected. Depending on timeframe, water beads are highly destructive to the middle ear structures, and most patients will require surgical intervention.
Discontinuous structure of regional and subregional urban systems: Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France (1800–2015)
Authors: Lalanne Aurélie , Sundstrom Shana , Garmestani Ahjond
Published: November 2022

In the prevailing literature in urban economics, conducting research on urban systems at the national scale tends to provide an elegant but reductive approach to the functioning of these systems, assuming, in particular, that city size distributions are continuous. Based on an alternative framework drawing from research in ecology and complex adaptive systems, this article questions this approach by testing the discontinuity hypothesis within regional urban systems in France using two methods and long-term census data (1800–2015). We found that the distribution of city sizes over the 200+ years of population data from the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region was discontinuous for every year of data. The distributions consist of groups of similarly sized cities, separated by gaps (discontinuities) where there are no cities at all. The location and number of discontinuities were conservative over time, suggesting that the processes shaping size classes are conservative and largely independent of societal disturbances such as wars. The two methods used to identify discontinuities were highly congruent. Finally, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region is comprised of three former regions, Aquitaine, Limousin and Poitou-Charentes, each of which also had discontinuous city size distributions with conservative structures over time. The study results question the traditional expectations about the growth and development of urban systems.
Diagnosis and management of monkeypox in primary care
Authors: Rallapalli Smrithi , Razai Mohammad S , Majeed Azeem , Drysdale Simon B
Published: November 2022

The monkeypox virus outbreak continues to evolve worldwide. While most people recover without treatment, primary care clinicians may be the first point of contact for those affected. Prompt assessment, diagnosis, isolation, treatment and prophylaxis will reduce the risk of community transmission. The current public health advice is to test suspected cases and monitor close contacts. If individuals test positive for the monkeypox virus, self-isolation at home is recommended for most people with mild symptoms. If patients report severe symptoms, referral and admission to hospital will be needed, where further interventions such as antivirals may be administered. The infection can spread through close contact; therefore, healthcare professionals must take precautions, such as using appropriate personal protective equipment for possible or probable cases.
Multifocal Paraganglioma Including the Cervical Sympathetic Chain
Authors: Razmi Samuel , Mohyuddin Nadia
Published: November 2022

Multifocal head and neck paragangliomas are exceptionally rare. We present a patient with 4 synchronous tumors including a sympathetic chain lesion. This is a case report and literature review conducted from September 2021 to the present. Our 69-year-old male patient presented to the clinic with multifocal paraganglioma involving the right carotid body, right cervical sympathetic trunk, right glomus jugulare, and left glomus tympanicum. After preoperative embolization, successful surgical resection was performed for the right sympathetic trunk and right carotid body tumor. Postoperatively, the patient had a right Horner’s syndrome but a strong voice and intact recurrent laryngeal nerve function. He also had first-bite syndrome and right cranial nerve XII weakness which resolved. Of interest, patient also has a strong family history of paragangliomas: his sister has malignant paragangliomas with lymph node involvement and his mother and nephew have non-malignant paragangliomas. To our knowledge, multifocal tumors including synchronous carotid body, sympathetic chain, glomus jugulare, and glomus tympanicum lesions occurring in 1 person have not been reported until now. As a result of this study, there is new light shed on the treatment and evaluation of patients who present with multifocal paraganglioma involving the sympathetic chain.
The capitalist virus
Authors: Mezzadra Sandro , Neilson Brett
Published: November 2022

Borders and mobilities have played key roles in the transformations of capitalism that have accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic. We attempt to distinguish novel developments in the control of movements of bodies, labour, and capital from processes of renationalisation, financialisation, and platformisation that were in train before the outbreak. Focusing on logistical techniques and technologies that govern the global circulation of people and things, this article explores the spatial shifts and ruptures that have marked the capitalist crisis occasioned by the pandemic. We give empirical attention to movements and struggles of migration in China, India, the Americas, and the Mediterranean.