bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ultrasound Biomicroscopy Detects Peters’ Anomaly and Rieger’s Anomaly in Infants
Authors: Chen Wen-Si , Xiang Dao-Man , Hu Lan-Xiang
Published: March 2020

Aim. Congenital corneal opacities (CCOs) are the major causes of early visual deprivation in infants. Balloon ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) examination is an effective method to diagnose CCO. However, whether it is suitable for children examination is still unknown.Methods. 26 Peters’ anomaly (PA) or Rieger’s anomaly (RA) infants with congenital corneal opacities (CCO) (40 eyes) underwent UBM examinations to study their imaging features.Results. Based on the results, they were divided into UBM Dx-Type I: Descemet’s membrane (DM) and endothelium have heterogenous or discontinuous echo accompanied with corneal stroma echo-enhanced or shallow anterior chamber. Type II: Type I alteration plus abnormal strand of iris extended to the border of the posterior corneal defect or iridocorneal adhesion. Type III: Type I or II combined with the abnormal hyperechoic lens, lens luxation, or keratolenticular adhesion. Type IV: echoes of the DM and the endothelium are continuous, corneal stroma echo is enhanced, and an abnormal strand of peripheral iris extends to the prominent Schwalbe line, accompanied by iris stroma or pupil heteromorphism and a shallow or flat anterior chamber.Conclusion. UBM not only could accurately evaluate the anterior segment abnormalities in CCO infants but also would be a step forward for the management of PA- and RA-associated CCO.
Ectrodactyly-Ectodermal Dysplasia Clefting Syndrome: A Case Report of Its Dental Management with 2 Years Follow-Up
Authors: Bharati Anamika , Navit Saumya , Khan Suleman Abbas , Jabeen Seema , Grover Nishi , Upadhyay Meenakshi
Published: March 2020

Ectrodactyly-ectodermal dysplasia clefting syndrome is a rare genetic disorder characterized by the triad of ectrodactyly-ectodermal dysplasia and facial clefting of lip or palate or both along with some systemic manifestations. Although each defect that comprises the syndrome has been known to occur as a separate entity, the congregation of all three anomalies in a single individual appears to be an extremely rare occurrence, with incidence being approximately 1.5/100 million population. Early diagnosis and management of clinical manifestations associated with ectrodactyly-ectodermal dysplasia clefting syndrome present a unique challenge. We report a case of this rare disorder in an 11-year-old male patient along with its dental management using a multidisciplinary approach.
Peripheral B Cell Subsets in Autoimmune Diseases: Clinical Implications and Effects of B Cell-Targeted Therapies
Authors: Jin Wanlin , Luo Zhaohui , Yang Huan
Published: March 2020

Antibody-secreting cells (ASCs) play a fundamental role in humoral immunity. The aberrant function of ASCs is related to a number of disease states, including autoimmune diseases and cancer. Recent insights into activated B cell subsets, including naïve B cell to ASC stages and their resultant cellular disturbances, suggest that aberrant ASC differentiation occurs during autoimmune diseases and is closely related to disease severity. However, the mechanisms underlying highly active ASC differentiation and the B cell subsets in autoimmune patients remain undefined. Here, we first review the processes of ASC generation. From the perspective of novel therapeutic target discovery, prediction of disease progression, and current clinical challenges, we further summarize the aberrant activity of B cell subsets including specialized memory CD11chiT-bet+ B cells that participate in the maintenance of autoreactive ASC populations. An improved understanding of subgroups may also enhance the knowledge of antigen-specific B cell differentiation. We further discuss the influence of current B cell therapies on B cell subsets, specifically focusing on systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and myasthenia gravis.
Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Depression-Like Behaviors Is Ameliorated by Sodium Butyrate via Inhibiting Neuroinflammation and Oxido-Nitrosative Stress
Authors: Qiu Jian , Liu Renjie , Ma Yaoying , Li Yan , Chen Zhuo , He Haiyan , Chen Jinliang , Tong Lijuan , Huang Chao , You Qingsheng
Published: March 2020

Depression is a common disease that afflicts one in 6 people. Numerous hypotheses have been raised in the past decades, but the exact mechanism for depression onset remains obscure. Recently, the neuroinflammatory response and oxidative stress are being attracted more and more attention due to their roles in depression pathogenesis. The inhibition of neuroinflammatory response and oxidative stress is now considered a potential strategy for depression prevention and/or therapy. Sodium butyrate (SB) is a sodium form of the endogenous butyrate. It can inhibit proinflammatory responses and oxidative stress in different models of disease. In the present study, we investigated the effect of SB on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced depression-like behaviors, neuroinflammatory response, and oxido-nitrosative stress in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex in C57BL6/J mice. Our results showed that 10 days of SB pretreatment at the dose of 300 but not 100 mg/kg markedly ameliorated LPS (0.83 mg/kg)-induced depression-like behaviors in the tail suspension test, forced swimming test, and sucrose preference test. Further analysis showed that 10 days of SB pretreatment not only prevented LPS-induced increases in proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α, in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex but also prevented LPS-induced enhancement of oxido-nitrosative stress. Taken together, these results demonstrate that SB is such an agent that could be used to prevent depression onset and/or progression, and inhibition of neuroinflammatory response and oxido-nitrosative stress may be a potential mechanism for its antidepressant actions.
Evolution of the Hypothalamus and Inferior Lobe in Ray-Finned Fishes
Authors: Schmidt Matthias
Published: March 2020

The inferior lobes are prominent bilateral brain areas in the hypothalamus of neopterygians among the ray-finned fishes. They are known as multisensory integration centers. As such, they should play a major role in fish evolution. In this study, a comparative morphometric analysis was performed. The morphology of the hypothalamus, where the inferior lobe is considered as fully developed first in Lepisosteus, was then re-examined. One hundred brains from different species of 60 families of ray-finned fishes were stained with cresyl violet and embedded in methacrylate. They were then cut on a microtome while conducting block-face imaging. The volumes were determined for the whole brain, brain areas, and nuclei. Since visual input represents a major sensory input for the inferior lobe, the nucleus glomerulosus, a visual-related nucleus in paracanthopterygian and acanthopterygian teleosts, and the tectum opticum were included in the investigations. The morphometric analysis revealed that the relative volume of the inferior lobes increases significantly from species of the Lepisosteiformes to the Tetraodontiformes. In addition, a positive correlation was detected between the relative volume of the inferior lobes and either the relative volume of the nucleus glomerulosus or the relative volume of the tectum opticum. These correlations, in combination with findings from previous hodological and behavioral studies, give rise to the speculation that the inferior lobes may be involved in higher cognitive processes and complex social interactions.
Vitamin D3 Supplementation in Diarrhea-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome Patients: The Effects on Symptoms Improvement, Serum Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone, and Interleukin-6 – A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Khalighi Sikaroudi Masoumeh , Mokhtare Marjan , Janani Leila , Faghihi Kashani Amir Hossein , Masoodi Mohsen , Agah Shahram , Abbaspour Narjes , Dehnad Afsaneh , Shidfar Farzad
Published: March 2020

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate whether vitamin D deficiency is associated with the severity of symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients. Stress and gut inflammation can increase the serum level of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), leading to a change in bowel movements. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and psychological effects of vitamin D3 supplementation on the symptom improvement of patients with a diarrhea-predominant form of IBS (IBS-D). Methods: Eighty-eight IBS-D patients (age: 18–65 years) based on Rome IV criteria who suffered from vitamin D deficiency and/or insufficiency were enrolled in this randomized, placebo-controlled trial from February 2017 to May 2018 at Rasoul-e-Akram Hospital, Tehran, Iran. Participants were randomly divided into two groups. The intervention group received 50,000 IU vitamin D3 weekly and the control group received a placebo for 9 weeks. All patients received Mebeverine 135 mg twice a day besides supplementation. The IBS Severity Score System (IBS-SSS), serum 25(OH) vitamin D3, CRH, and IL-6 were measured before and after interventions. Results: Seventy-four patients completed the study. The severity of IBS symptoms (p < 0.01) and IL-6 (p = 0.02) decreased significantly in the intervention group as compared to the control group, but there was no significant difference in the serum level of CRH. Also, in the treatment group, IBS-SSS and IL-6 were significantly reduced at the end of the study from baseline (p < 0.01 and p < 0.03, respectively). Conclusion: Our findings indicate that vitamin D3 supplementation can modulate the serum level of CRH and IL-6 and can improve symptoms in IBS-D patients. Vitamin D3 supplementation should be considered in IBS-D patients who suffer from vitamin D deficiency and/or insufficiency.
Concurrent Occurrence of Congenital Ossicular Anomaly and Localized Cholesteatoma: Series of 10 Cases
Authors: Zhao Meng , Chen Bin-Jun , Zhao Wei-Dong , Li Yike , Du Qiang , Yu Jing , Wang Xin-Wei , Qian Xiao-Qing , Yuan Ya-Sheng , Yang Juan-Mei , Chi Fang-Lu , Ren Dong-Dong
Published: March 2020

Objective: The objective of this study is to describe the clinical features, managements and outcomes of a rare coexistence of congenital ossicular anomaly and localized cholesteatoma. A literature review on these cases and each congenital disorder is also presented. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on patients diagnosed with congenital ossicular anomaly with concurrent localized cholesteatoma from 2008 to 2017. Clinical data of these patients were collected. Results: A total of 10 patients were identified. All patients presented with unilateral hearing loss. Pure-tone audiometry showed conductive hearing loss in all affected ears with an average air conduction (AC) threshold of 59 dB. High-resolution computed tomography scans of the temporal bone diagnosed ossicular anomaly for 90% (9/10); however, only 50% (5/10) had a diagnosis of localized cholesteatoma. A transcanal exploratory tympanotomy under the microscope was performed to discover whether the localized tiny-sized cholesteatoma around the ossicular chain did not have direct contact with the ossicular chain, which could be diagnosed as congenital cholesteatoma. We removed the localized cholesteatoma and reconstructed the ossicular chain in each patient. All localized cholesteatomas were found in the posterior-superior quadrant of the middle ear. Ossicular chain anomalies were associated with the incus and/or the stapes in all cases. Hearing improvement was achieved in each of the 6 patients who were followed up postoperatively, with an average AC threshold of 35 dB. The clinical features of congenital ossicular anomaly with concurrent congenital cholesteatoma were compared with those of each congenital disorder. The pathogenesis of each condition was also discussed. Conclusions: Congenital ossicular anomaly with concurrent congenital cholesteatoma is rare. It shares similar clinical features with congenital ossicular anomaly occurring alone, therefore awareness should be raised for a possible concurrent congenital cholesteatoma which was easy to miss in the diagnosis (50%) by the radiologist. A patient’s hearing level can be improved by removal of the cholesteatoma and reconstruction of the ossicular chain. Localized cholesteatoma does not usually show residuals or recurrence.
Modified Postauricular Incision for Preservation of the Lesser Occipital Nerve and the Great Auricular Nerve in Ear Surgery
Authors: Zeng Haicang , Zhan Ting , He Rilei , Xiong Hao , Zheng Yiqing , Yang Haidi
Published: March 2020

Objective: To describe the feasibility of preserving the lesser occipital nerve (LON) and the great auricular nerve (GAN) in postauricular incision in ear surgery. Methods: The distribution of the LON and the GAN was first identified in human cadavers. Then a clinical study was performed in 34 patients who underwent middle ear surgery between September 2016 and January 2017. Patients were divided into the conventional incision group and the modified incision group, according to incision types, and underwent sensory testing and subjective evaluation of auricular numbness after surgery at different times. Results: Most frequently, the auricular branches of the LON went into the postauricular groove at the same height of inferior crus of antihelix. The vertical dimension from the intersection of the highest auricular branch of the GAN and postauricular groove to intertragic notch ranged from 5.7 to –4.2 mm. Preservation of the LON and the GAN reduced sensory loss in the modified incision group compared to the conventional incision group. Conclusion: Preservation of the LON and the GAN with modified postauricular incision can reduce postoperative auricular numbness.
Phaeohyphomycosis: Cytomorphologic Evaluation in Eleven Cases
Authors: Kundu Reetu , Handa Uma , Punia Rajpal Singh , Singla Nidhi , Chander Jagdish , Attri Ashok Kumar
Published: March 2020

Objective: Phaeohyphomycosis caused by phaeoid fungi is a type of mycosis emerging worldwide which causes a wide variety of clinical manifestations. Study Design: A retrospective analysis of 11 cases diagnosed with fungal inflammation on cytology over a period of 6 years (2013–2018) was done along with culture/histopathologic confirmation. Results: Of the total of 11 cases, 9 cases presented with subcutaneous swellings and 1 case each with brain and lung lesions. The age range was 30–83 years (mean: 53.6); 8 patients were male and 3 were female. Cytologic smears showed fungal profiles with septate tortuous hyphae, as well as swollen and narrow, yeast-like swellings with an irregular breadth of the hyphae in all cases. The fungal profiles were visualized on a Masson-Fontana stain. The background showed inflammatory cells, giant cells, and necrosis in variable proportions. Five cases were diagnosed as phaeohyphomycosis on cytology, whereas 3 cases were misdiagnosed as aspergillus and 2 as candida. In 1 case, typing of the fungus was not done. Histopathology was available in 5 cases, and in all these a diagnosis of phaeohyphomycosis was reached. Ten of the 11 cases had confirmation on fungal culture. Conclusions: Phaeoid fungi are rarely seen in routine cytologic practice. Careful evaluation of cytologic smears and an awareness of the characteristic morphologic features of phaeohyphomycosis are helpful in arriving at a correct diagnosis. Fine needle aspiration cytology provides a rapid diagnosis, enabling prompt therapy.
Alterations of the HPA Axis Observed in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder and Their Relation to Early Life Stress: A Systematic Review
Authors: Ceruso Angela , Martínez-Cengotitabengoa Mayte , Peters-Corbett Araminta , Diaz-Gutierrez Maria Jose , Martínez-Cengotitabengoa Monica
Published: March 2020

Background: Alterations of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis are common in patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD). Nevertheless, these alterations are not found in every patient. There is evidence to indicate a possible mediating role of early life stress (ELS) in the relation between dysfunction of the HPA axis and MDD. We conducted a systematic review to understand if the alterations of the HPA axis commonly found in patients with MDD are due to early life stress or are caused by the disorder itself. Methods: The review was conducted by following the PRISMA guidelines. Original articles were found in PubMed and via a manual search. Only studies whose design allowed comparison of the HPA functioning in the 4 groups no-MDD/no-ELS, MDD/no-ELS, no-MDD/ELS, and MDD/ELS were included. Results: Hyperactivity or hypoactivity of the HPA axis was found in 8 articles. A greater number of abnormalities and a higher rate of posttraumatic stress disorder comorbidity were found in the MDD/ELS group. Dysfunction of the HPA axis was also found in the no-MDD/ELS groups. Conclusion: HPA dysfunction found in MDD seems to be more related to the presence of ELS rather than to the MDD itself. Future studies are needed to clarify the exact mechanisms involved.
Humoral First-Line Mucosal Innate Defence in vivo
Authors: Persson Carl
Published: March 2020

Based on observations in vivo in guinea-pig and human airways, this review presents plasma exudation as non-sieved transmission of bulk plasma across an unperturbed mucosa that maintains its normal barrier functions. Several steps have led to the present understanding of plasma exudation as a non-injurious response to mucosal challenges. The implication of a swift appearance of all circulating multipotent protein systems (also including antimicrobial peptides that now are viewed as being exclusively produced by local cells) on challenged, but intact, mucosal surfaces cannot be trivial. Yet, involvement of early plasma exudation responses in innate mucosal immunology has dwelled below the radar. Admittedly, exploration of physiological plasma exudation mechanisms requires in vivo approaches beyond mouse studies. Plasma exudation also lacks the specificity that is a hallmark of biological revelations. These aspects separate plasma exudation from mainstream progress in immunology. The whole idea, presented here, thus competes with strong paradigms currently entertained in the accepted research front. The present focus on humoral innate immunity in vivo further deviates from most discussions, which concern cell-mediated innate defence. Indeed, plasma exudation has emerged as sole in vivo source of major mucosal defence proteins that now are viewed as local cell produce. In conclusion, this review highlights opportunities for complex actions and interactions provided by non-sieved plasma proteins/peptides on the surface of intact mucosal barriers in vivo.
Disorders of Sex Development Are an Emerging Problem in French Bulldogs: A Description of Six New Cases and a Review of the Literature
Authors: Szczerbal Izabela , Nowacka-Woszuk Joanna , Nizanski Wojciech , Dzimira Stanislaw , Ligocka Zuzanna , Jastrzebska Anna , Kabala Bartlomiej , Biernacik Monika , Przadka Przemysław , Switonski Marek
Published: March 2020

Disorders of sex development (DSD) are a well-known cause of sterility and reduced fertility in dogs. Here, we report on 6 new cases of DSD in French bulldogs diagnosed by us within the last year. The animals were phenotypical females who underwent detailed diagnosis due to the presence of an enlarged clitoris or a penis-like structure with atypically located urethral orifice (hypospadias). A female karyotype (78,XX) and lack of Y-linked genes (SRY and ZFY) were observed in 5 cases, which were classified as XX (SRY-negative) DSD. Gonads histology could be performed in 4 XX DSD cases: testicular tissue was observed in 3 cases and ovotesticular tissue in 1 case. In the last case, leukocyte chimerism (XX/XY) was detected alongside an ovotestis with epididymis and fallopian tubes. This case was classified as freemartinism. Our study and a literature review showed that heritable XX (SRY-negative) DSD is quite common in French bulldogs, but spontaneously developed freemartinism can be also diagnosed. In conclusion, we postulate that the description of the sexual phenotype of DSD females (enlarged clitoris and presence of testicular tissue) does not distinguish between hereditary XX DSD and nonhereditary freemartinism. Cytogenetic and molecular analyses are thus necessary to correctly diagnose such cases. This is especially important for the French bulldog breed, as a rapid increase in its population could spread hereditary DSD.
Fabrication of (Polymer Blend-magnesium Oxide) Nanoparticle and Studying their Optical Properties for Optoelectronic Applications
Authors: J. Kadham Alaa , Hassan Dalal , Mohammad Najlaa , Ah-yasari Ahmed Hashim
Published: March 2020

Nanocomposites used in many optical devices applications. This aims to preparation of new type of polymer and study their optical properties. The polyvinyl pyrrolidone-carboxymethyl cellulose blend and magnesium oxide nanocomposites have been fabricated. The nanocomposites are prepared for different concentrations of polymer blend and magnesium oxide nanoparticles. The optical properties of nanocomposites were studied. The experimental results showed that the absorbance, absorption coefficient, refractive index, extinction coefficient, real and imaginary parts of dielectric constant and optical conductivity of (PVP-CMC) blend are increased with increase of the MgO nanoparticles concentration. The transmittance and energy band gap are decreased with increase of the MgO nanoparticles concentration. The nanocomposites have high absorbance in UV region which may be used for radiation shielding application.
Business Process Improvement of Production Systems Using Coloured Petri Nets
Authors: Mukhlash Imam , Rumana Widya Nilam , Adzkiya Dieky , Sarno Riyanarto
Published: March 2020

The quality of information systems affects the company's business performance. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze business processes to determine any discrepancies between the planned business processes and the actual ones. Based on the results of this analysis, the business process can be improved. The fundamental factor of manufacturing companies is production process. In reality, there are many discrepancies between the actual business processes with the pre-planned, so that there should be analyzed. The analysis can be performed by modeling the business process using Coloured Petri Nets (CPN). In this study, the objectives are to determine the level of conformance checking of business processes, reachability graph and the bottleneck analysis. The results of the analysis are used to construct a recommended model. Based on the analysis of the case study, e.g. a steel industry in Indonesia, the recommended model has a better value than initial model.
A Review of Low Power Wide Area Technology in Licensed and Unlicensed Spectrum for IoT Use Cases
Authors: Laili Ismail Noor , Kassim Murizah , Ismail Mahamod , Mohamad Roslina
Published: March 2020

There are many platforms in licensed and license free spectrum that support LPWA (low power wide area) technology in the current markets. However, lack of standardization of the different platforms can be a challenge for an interoperable IoT environment. Therefore understanding the features of each technology platform is essential to be able to differentiate how the technology can be matched to a specific IoT application profile. This paper provides an analysis of LPWA underlying technology in licensed and unlicensed spectrum by means of literature review and comparative assessment of Sigfox, LoRa, NB-IoT and LTE-M. We review their technical aspect and discussed the pros and cons in terms of their technical and other deployment features. General IoT application requirements is also presented and linked to the deployment factors to give an insight of how different applications profiles is associated to the right technology platform, thus provide a simple guideline on how to match a specific application profile with the best fit connectivity features.
Harmonic Contribution Analysis of Electric Arc Furnace by Using Spectrogram
Authors: H. Jopri M. , R. Abdullah A. , Manap M. , Sutikno T. , Ab Ghani M. R.
Published: March 2020

In this paper, spectrogram, a fast and accurate technique is introduced for the analysis of the contribution. Based on a rule-based classifier and the threshold settings that referred to the IEEE Standard 1159 2009, the analysis of the harmonic and interharmonic contribution of EAF are carried out successfully. Moreover, the impact of contribution is measured using total harmonic distortion (THD) and total non-harmonic distortion (TnHD). In addition, spectrogram also gives 100 percent correct detection and able to analyze the contribution impact. It is proven that the proposed method is accurate, fast and cost efficient for analyzing the impact of harmonic and interharmonic of EAF.
A Nonlinear TSNN Based Model of a Lead Acid Battery
Authors: Laadissi El Mehdi , El Filali Anas , Zazi Malika
Published: March 2020

The paper studies a nonlinear model based on time series neural network system (TSNN) to improve the highly nonlinear dynamic model of an automotive lead acid cell battery. Artificial neural network (ANN) take into consideration the dynamic behavior of both input-output variables of the battery charge-discharge processes. The ANN works as a benchmark, its inputs include delays and charging/discharging current values. To train our neural network, we performed a pulse discharge on a lead acid battery to collect experimental data. Results are presented and compared with a nonlinear Hammerstein-Wiener model. The ANN and nonlinear autoregressive exogenous model (NARX) models achieved satisfying results.
WiFi-Friendly Building to Enable WiFi Signal Indoor
Authors: Suherman Suherman
Published: March 2020

The 802.11 networks (wireless fidelity (WiFi) networks) have been the main wireless internet access infrastructure within houses and buildings. Besides access point placement, building architectures contribute to the WiFi signal spreading. Even dough WiFi installation in buildings becomes prevalent; the building architectures still do not take WiFi-friendliness into considerations. Current research on building and WiFi are on access point location, location based service and home automation. In fact, the more friendly the building to WiFi signal, the more efficient the 802.11 based wireless infrastructure. This paper introduces the term of WiFi-friendly building by considering signal propagations, the obstacle impact, as well as proposing an ornament-attaced reflector and a hole-in-the-wall structure to improve WiFi signal distribution. Experiment results show that obstacle materials made of concrete reducing WiFi signal the most, followed by metal and wood. Reflecting materials are able to improve the received signal level, for instance, the implemented ornament-attached reflector is able improving the received signal up to 6.56 dBm. Further, the hole-in-the-wall structure is successfully increasing WiFi signal up to 2.3 dBm.
Assessing Information System Integration Using Combination of the Readiness and Success Models
Authors: Subiyakto A'ang
Published: March 2020

Information system integration (ISI) is one of the development concerns for organizations to enhance business competitiveness. However, the implementations still present its failures. Despite the ISI may successful technically; but it still seems to be unsuccessful because of the human and management issues. The issues may relate to the readiness constructs of ISI. This study was aimed to know the status of the readiness and success of ISI and to assess the influential factors of the integration in the sampled institution. About 160 samples were purposely involved by considering their key informant characteristics. The data were analyzed using the partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method. The findings revealed only the user satisfaction variable that mediated the positive effects of the readiness variables towards variable of the system integration success. Besides, the findings may practically helpful for stakeholders in the sampled institution, but it may also theoretically useful for researchers in regard to the readiness and success issues of ISI.
A Finite State Machine Fall Detection Using Quadrilateral Shape Features
Authors: Abu Hassan Mohd Fadzil , Md Saad Mohamad Hanif , Ibrahim Mohd Faisal , Hussain Aini
Published: March 2020

A video-based fall detection system was presented; which consists of data acquisition, image processing, feature extraction, feature selection, classification and finite state machine. A two-dimensional human posture image was represented by 12 features extracted from the generalisation of a silhouette shape to a quadrilateral. The corresponding feature vectors for three groups of human pose were statistically analysed by using a non-parametric Kruskal Wallis test to assess the different significance level between them. From the statistical test, non-significant features were discarded. Four selected kernel-based Support Vector Machine: linear, quadratics, cubic and Radial Basis Function classifiers were trained to classify three human posture groups. Among four classifiers, the last one performed the best in terms of performance matric on testing set. The classifier outperformed others with high achievement ofaverage sensitivity, precision and F-score of 99.19%, 99.25% and 99.22%, respectively. Such pose classification model output was further used in a simple finite state machine to trigger the falling event alarms. The fall detection system was tested on different fall video sets and able to detect the presence offalling events in a frame sequence of videos with accuracy of 97.32% and low computional time.
Improving Classification Accuracy Using Clustering Technique
Authors: Muhammad Noor Mathivanan Norsyela , Azura Md.Ghani Nor , Mohd Janor Roziah
Published: March 2020

Product classification is the key issue in e-commerce domains. Many products are released to the market rapidly and to select the correct category in taxonomy for each product has become a challenging task. The application of classification model is useful to precisely classify the products. The study proposed a method to apply clustering prior to classification. This study has used a large-scale real-world data set to identify the efficiency of clustering technique to improve the classification model. The conventional text classification procedures are used in the study such as preprocessing, feature extraction and feature selection before applying the clustering technique. Results show that clustering technique improves the accuracy of the classification model. The best classification model for all three approaches which are classification model only, classification with hierarchical clustering and classification with K-means clustering is K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) model. Even though the accuracy of the KNN models are the same across different approaches but the KNN model with K-means clustering had the shortest time of execution. Hence, applying K-means clustering prior to KNN model helps in reducing the computation time.
Estimation of Photovoltaic Module Parameters based on Total Error Minimization of I-V Characteristic
Authors: N. Abdullah M. , Z. Hussin M. , A. Jumaat S. , H. Radzi N. , J. Awalin Lilik
Published: March 2020

Mathematical Modelling of photovoltaic (PV) modules is important for simulation and performance analysis of PV system. Therefore, an accurate parameters estimation is necessary. Single-diode and two-diode model are widely used to model the PV system. However, it required to determine several parameters such as series and shunt resistances that not provided in datasheet.  The main goal of PV modelling technique is to obtain the accurate parameters to ensure the I-V characteristic is closed to the manufacturer datasheet. Previously, the maximum power error of calculated and datasheet value are considered as objective to be minimized for both models. This paper proposes the PV parameter estimation model based minimizing the total error of open circuit voltage (VOC), short circuit current (ISC) and maximum power (PMAX) where all these parameters are provided by the manufacturer. The performance of single-diode and two-diode models are tested on different type of PV modules using MATLAB. It found that the two-diode model obtained accurate parameters with smaller error compared to single-diode model. However, the simulation time is slightly higher than single-diode model due extra calculation required.
A Comparative Study for Different Sizing of Solar PV System under Net Energy Metering Scheme at University Buildings
Authors: M. N. T. Mansur T. , H. Baharudin N. , Ali R.
Published: March 2020

Malaysia has moved forward by promoting the use of renewable energy such as solar PV to the public to reduce dependency on fossil fuel-based energy resources. Due to the concern on high electricity bill, Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) is keen to install solar PV system as an initiative for energy saving program to its buildings. The objective of this paper is to technically and economically evaluate the different sizing of solar PV system for university buildings under the Net Energy Metering (NEM) scheme. The study involves gathering of solar energy resource information, daily load profile of the buildings, sizing PV array together with grid-connected inverters and the simulation of the designed system using PVsyst software. Based on the results obtained, the amount of solar energy generated and used by the load per year is between 5.10% and 20.20% from the total annual load demand. Almost all solar energy generated from the system will be self-consumed by the loads. In terms of profit gained, the university could reduce its electricity bill approximately between a quarter to one million ringgit per annum depending on the sizing capacity. Beneficially, the university could contribute to the environmental conservation by avoiding up to 2,000 tons of CO2 emission per year.
An Approach for Risk Estimation in Information Security Using Text Mining and Jaccard Method
Authors: Deshanta Ibnugraha Prajna , Edi Nugroho Lukito , Insap Santosa Paulus
Published: March 2020

Involvement of digital information in almost of enterprise sectors makes information having value that must be protected from information leakage. In order to obtain proper method for protecting sensitive information, enterprise must perform risk analysis of threat. However, enterprises often get limitation in measuring risk related information security threat. Therefore, this paper has goal to give approach for estimating risk by using information value. Techniques for measuring information value in this paper are text mining and Jaccard method. Text mining is used to recognize information pattern based on three classes namely high business impact, medium business impact and low business impact. Furthermore, information is given weight by Jaccard method. The weight represents risk levelof information leakage in enterprise quantitatively. Result of comparative analysis with existing method show that proposed method results more detailed output in estimating risk of information security threat.
Speaker Recognition in Content-based Image Retrieval for a High Degree of Accuracy
Authors: Suhartono Suhartono , Nugroho Fresy , Faisal Muhammad , Ainul Yaqin Muhammad , Suyanta Suyanta
Published: March 2020

The purpose of this research is to measure the speaker recognition accuracy in Content-Based Image Retrieval. To support research in speaker recognition accuracy, we use two approaches for recognition system: identification and verification, an identification using fuzzy Mamdani, a verification using Manhattan distance. The test results in this research. The best of distance mean is size 32x32. The best of the verification for distance rate is 965, and the speaker recognition system has a standard error of 5% and the system accuracy is 95%. From these results, we find that there is an increase in accuracy of almost 2.5%. This is due to a combination of two approaches so the system can add to the accuracy of speaker recognition.
Study of multiple antennas with defected ground slot for low-band LTE application
Authors: Cheor Wai Loon , Al-Hadi Azremi Abdullah , Soh Ping Jack , Jamlos Mohd Faizal
Published: March 2020

This study is focused on highly coupled multiple antennas with defected ground slot techniques. Two Printed Inverted-F Antenna (PIFA) are positioned at the top edge of chassis symmetrically. Both antennas are operating at low-band Long-Term Evolution (LTE) with center frequency, 829MHz. Rectangular defected ground slot is implemented to reduce the coupling effect between the antennas on the ground plane of the small chassis. Parameter study of the rectangular defected ground slot is studied with different width, W and length, L. Furthermore, the optimized dimensions of rectangular defected ground slot, W and L are simulated and presented. The optimized defected ground slot reduced the mutual coupling up to -4.5 dB. The envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) achieved less than 0.5. The ground plane of the multiple antenna structure has been further investigated by introducing another slot with a gap of 1mm between them. The achieved result is not significant in term of S-parameter and ECC compared to single defected ground slot.
A novel bio-inspired routing algorithm based on ACO for WSNs
Authors: Sharmin Afsah , Anwar F. , M. A. Motakabber S.
Published: March 2020

The methods to achieve efficient routing in energy constrained wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is a fundamental issue in networking research. A novel approach of ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm for discovering the optimum route for information transmission in the WSNs is proposed here for optimization and enhancement. The issue of path selection to reach the nodes and vital correspondence parameters, for example, the versatility of nodes, their constrained vitality, the node residual energy and route length are considered since the communications parameters and imperatives must be taken into account by the imperative systems that mediate in the correspondence procedure, and the focal points of the subterranean insect framework have been utilized furthermore. Utilizing the novel technique and considering both the node mobility and the existing energy of the nodes, an optimal route and best cost from the originating node to the target node can be detected. The proposed algorithm has been simulated and verified using MATLAB and the simulation results demonstrate that new ACO based algorithm achieved improved performance, about 30% improvement compared with the traditional ACO algorithm, and faster convergence to determine the best cost route, and recorded an improvement in the energy consumption of the nodes per transmission.
A miniaturized hairpin resonator for the high selectivity of WLAN bandwidth
Authors: Azam S. M. Kayser , Ibrahimy Muhammad I. , Motakabber S. M. A. , Zakir Hossain A. K. M. , Islam Md. Shazzadul
Published: March 2020

In this article, a miniaturized hairpin resonator has been presented to introduce the high selectivity of Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) bandwidth. In the construction of the hairpin resonator, short-circuited comb-lines are electrically coupled with the two longer edges of a rectangular-shaped loop. The hairpin resonator has been designed and fabricated with the Taconic TLX-8 substrate with a center-frequency at 2.45 GHz. The resonator exhibits a second order quasi-Chebyshev bandpass response. A low insertion loss has been found as -0.36 dB with a minimum return loss as -36.71 dB. The filtering dimension of this hairpin resonator occupies a small area of 166.82 mm2. This hairpin resonator is highly selective for the bandpass applications of the entire WLAN bandwidth.
Application of mobile cloud computing in emergency health care
Authors: Hameed Shihab A. , Nirabi Ali , Hadi Habaebi Mohamed , Haddad Alaa
Published: March 2020

Mobile applications in emergency health care help maintain patient confidentiality and manage patient records, data storage. Compiles and analyzes care of better quality care. new implementations come with new goals and technologies like using mobile application with cloud computing system and reducing the responding time to safe the patient life and give the patient best health care professional service transition to using of mobile application in emergency healthcare, this paper will present (MCCEH) mobile cloud computing in emergency health care model, mainly reducing the wasting time in emergency health care, The process starting once the accident occurred and the patient run the application, mobile application will detect the patient location and allow him to book nearest medical center or specialist in some emergency cases once the patient did the booking will send help request to medical center this process will include an online pre-register patient in the medical center to save time of patient registration, MCCEH model allows the patients to review the previous feedback and experiences of each specialist or medical center and allows doctors to be able to stay in contact with their patients more often and by communication through mobiles applications and share messages and photos of the accident or emergency case itself.
Design, simulation and practical experimentation of miniaturized turbine flow sensor for flow meter assessment
Authors: Ifedapo Abdullahi Salami , Hadi Habaebi Mohamed , Abd Malik Noreha
Published: March 2020

Flow sensors are very essential in many aspects of our daily lives. Many of the industrial processes need a very consistent flow sensor to monitor and check for irregularities in their system. Therefore, flow sensor is an important tool for advanced operation in industrial environment. In this paper, the design and development of a 3D fabricated flow sensor was carried out using SolidWork 3D CAD. SolidWork Flow Simulation was used to model the effect the turbine flow sensor would have on a constant flowing water while MATLAB Simulink flow graph was created to visualize the effect of turbine flow sensor response with voltage input. Afterwards, the design was 3D printed using UP Plus 2 3D printer. The experimentation involved selection of sensors, coding to control the turbine flow sensor and automatic data logging and storage. During the design phase, the sensors and actuators were assembled using locally sourced material. Subsequently, under controlled laboratory environment, the turbine flow sensor was tested using a DC motor which was programmed to control the revolution per minute(rpm) of the turbine flow sensor. The rpm and velocity of the turbine flow meter was measured and stored in a database via Microsoft Excel using Cool Term Software. A total number of 517 readings were analysed to evaluate the performance of the turbine flow sensor. The result shows that the turbine flow meter is responsive to the motor input voltage and yielded accurate measurement of rpm and velocity of turbine flow meter.
Dermatological diagnosis by mobile application
Authors: Hameed Shihab A. , Haddad Alaa , Hadi habaebi Mohamed , Nirabi Ali
Published: March 2020

Health care mobile application delivers the right information at the right time and place to benefit patient’s clinicians and managers to make correct and accurate decisions in health care fields, safer care and less waste, errors, delays and duplicated errors.Lots of people have knowledge a skin illness at some point of their life, For the reason that skin is the body's major organ and it is quite exposed, significantly increasing its hazard of starting to be diseased or ruined.This paper aims to detect skin disease by mobile app using android platform providing valid trustworthy and useful dermatological information on over 4 skin diseases such as acne, psoriasis content for each skin condition, skin rush and Melanoma. It will include name, image, description, symptoms, treatment and prevention with support multi languages English and Bahasa and Mandarin. the application  has the ability to take and send video as well as normal and magnified photos to your dermatologist as an email attachment with comments on safe secure network, this app also has a built in protected privacy features to access to your photo and video dermatologists. The mobile application help in diagnose and treat their patients without an office visit teledermatology is recognized by all major insurance companies doctor.
Pre-trained based CNN model to identify finger vein
Authors: Fairuz Subha , Hadi Habaebi Mohamed , Mohamed Ahmed Elsheikh Elsheikh
Published: March 2020

In current biometric security systems using images for security authentication, finger vein-based systems are getting special attention in particular attributable to the facts such as insurance of data confidentiality and higher accuracy. Previous studies were mostly based on finger-print, palm vein etc. however, due to being more secure than fingerprint system and due to the fact that each person's finger vein is different from others finger vein are impossible to use to do forgery as veins reside under the skin. The system that we worked on functions by recognizing vein patterns from images of fingers which are captured using near Infrared(NIR) technology. Due to the lack of an available database, we created and used our own dataset which was pre-trained using transfer learning of AlexNet model and verification is done by applying correct as well as incorrect test images. The result of deep convolutional neural network (CNN) based several experimental results are shown with training accuracy, training loss, Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curve and Area Under the Curve (AUC).
Smartphone aided real-time blood vein detection system
Authors: Istiaque Ahmed Kazi , Hadi Habaebi Mohamed , Islam Md. Rafiqul
Published: March 2020

This paper aims to develop a real-time integrated system for the detection of the blood vein utilizing an Android Mobile App. The system is intended to be a low cost solution for medical teams at clinics, emergency rooms and hosptials. The system reduces the enjuries incurred due to inaccuracies during the process of frequent needle injection when blood vein is not visible during patient’s skin inspection. Illuminated infrared light in the blood cells of the vein is absorbed due to the manifestation of the Haemoglobin in blood and the IR non-blocking camera can capture the vein patterns in the IR light spectrum. Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE) algorithm was used to enhance the pattern of the vein in the Android application developed using OpenCV3. Developed system can detect the veins up to 7mm underneath of human skin in real time with a frame rate of 25fps. This is a far better improvement than commercial systems that can detect veins only below 10mm underneath the skin. Moreover, this system not only focused on needle infusion but also it can be used to indicate the place of bleeding for the clots from the human body strokes, etc. in the upper layer of skin. It can also be used to detect measure liquids in encapsulated in confined dark bottles, for example, liquid chemical pouring into the bottles in the chemical companies, liquid medicine pouring to bottles, etc. The system can be further developed to detect skin infection and other dermatological diseases underneath the skin.