64 research outputs found
Secure mobile edge server placement using multi-agent reinforcement learning
Funding Information: Funding: This work is supported by King Khaled University under Grant Agreement No. 6204.Peer reviewedPublisher PD
Enhancing diagnosis: : ensemble deep-learning model for fracture detection using X-ray images
Peer reviewe
Acute Ischemic Stroke and Acute on Chronic Kidney Disease
Ischemic stroke is due to either local thrombus formation or emboli that occlude a cerebral artery,
together with chronic kidney disease represent major mortality and morbidity. Here wer present
a case of 53 years old Malay man, admitted to a hospital in Malaysia complaining of sudden onset
of weakness on right sided upper and lower limb associated with slurred speech. Patient was also
suffering from uncontrolled hypertension, hyperlipidemia, chronic kidney disease stage 4, and
diabetes mellitus(un controlled). He was diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke with cranial nerve
7 palsy (with right hemiparesis), acute on chronic kidney disease precipitated by dehydration and
ACE inhibitor, and hyperkalemia. Patients with ischemic disease and chronic kidney disaese require
constant monitering and carefull selected pharmacotherapy. Patient was placed under observation
and was prescribed multiple pharamacotherpay to stabalise detoriating conditio
The PAK-U.S. alliance in the fight against terrorism: a cost-benefit analysis
The cost-benefit equation of the Pak-U.S. alliance, in the fight against terrorism, reflects a direct correlation between the fluctuating patterns of U.S. assistance and their direct and indirect implications for Pakistan. While the U.S. strives to achieve a better return on its investment through military-oriented support, Pakistan seeks to adopt an approach that suits both the U.S. and its own domestic and regional interests. This research traces the trend of Pak-U.S. relations, highlights the impact of the fluctuating U.S. aid in shaping perceptions, and provides a game theoretical analysis on the issue. Besides highlighting measures to achieve cost effectiveness through micro alliances, decentralization, accountability, and transparency in fund management, the study supports development of entrepreneurial culture and micro-alliances in Pakistan. More importantly, it provides an in-depth analysis of the military and population-centric approaches and their associated costs and benefits for the two countries. The research concludes by suggesting a more population-centric U.S. approach towards Pakistan to achieve a better return on investment besides laying foundation for a long-term strategic alliance. It suggests future research on the prospects and methodology of achieving a long-term partnership between the two nations.http://archive.org/details/thepakuslliancei1094510631Pakistan Air Force autho
Automating Test Case Generation for Android Applications using Model-based Testing
Testing of mobile applications (apps) has its quirks as numerous events are required to be tested. Mobile apps testing, being an evolving domain, carries certain challenges that should be accounted for in the overall testing process. Since smartphone apps are moderate in size so we consider that model-based testing (MBT) using state machines and statecharts could be a promising option for ensuring maximum coverage and completeness of test cases. Using model-based testing approach, we can automate the tedious phase of test case generation, which not only saves time of the overall testing process but also minimizes defects and ensures maximum test case coverage and completeness. In this paper, we explore and model the most critical modules of the mobile app for generating test cases to ascertain the efficiency and impact of using model-based testing. Test cases for the targeted model of the application under test were generated on a real device. The experimental results indicate that our framework reduced the time required to execute all the generated test cases by 50%. Experimental setup and results are reported herein
Acute Ischemic Stroke and Acute on Chronic Kidney Disease
Ischemic stroke is due to either local thrombus formation or emboli that occlude a cerebral artery,
together with chronic kidney disease represent major mortality and morbidity. Here wer present
a case of 53 years old Malay man, admitted to a hospital in Malaysia complaining of sudden onset
of weakness on right sided upper and lower limb associated with slurred speech. Patient was also
suffering from uncontrolled hypertension, hyperlipidemia, chronic kidney disease stage 4, and
diabetes mellitus(un controlled). He was diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke with cranial nerve
7 palsy (with right hemiparesis), acute on chronic kidney disease precipitated by dehydration and
ACE inhibitor, and hyperkalemia. Patients with ischemic disease and chronic kidney disaese require
constant monitering and carefull selected pharmacotherapy. Patient was placed under observation
and was prescribed multiple pharamacotherpay to stabalise detoriating conditio
Strategic Design, Synthesis, and Computational Characterization of Hole Transport Materials for Lead-Free Perovskite Solar Cells
Lead-free perovskites based on nontoxic titanium(IV) are promising candidates for photovoltaic applications due to their improved intrinsic/environmental stability compared to the lead analogues in metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, their yet lower power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) predominantly owing to a lack of compatible charge transport layers limit their commercial viability. Here, we synthesized and characterized two series of hole-transporting materials (HTMs) based on fluorene and benzothiadiazole cores functionalized with halogen-substituted indoloquinoxaline arms. Employing experimental and first-principles density functional theory calculations, the structure–property relationships and electrochemical, optical, and charge transport characteristics of these HTMs were examined. The synthesized HTMs showed low-lying highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy levels at −5.73 to −6.04 eV having ideal band alignment with the cesium titanium(IV) bromide (Cs2TiBr6) perovskite material. The HTMs exhibited minimal absorption in the visible region (λmaxabs ≤ 422 nm) with negligible overlap with the photoactive perovskite absorber Cs2TiBr6. Computational analysis further revealed the HTMs’ ability to possess high charge separation and transfer potential, characterized by high charge hopping rates, robust mobility, and lower exciton binding energy compared to benchmark Spiro-OMeTAD. Photovoltaic device simulations using SCAPS-1D software projected promising performance for PSCs incorporating these HTMs, with open-circuit voltage (VOC) ranging between 1.29 and 1.32 V and predicted PCE surpassing 18%. The study introduces a new class of HTM candidates with low-lying HOMOs and tailored electronic properties, presenting a compelling alternative to Spiro-OMeTAD for lead-free PSCs
Dysregulated miRNAome and Proteome of PPRV Infected Goat PBMCs Reveal a Coordinated Immune Response
In this study, the miRNAome and proteome of virulent Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) infected goat peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were analyzed. The identified differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) were found to govern genes that modulate immune response based on the proteome data. The top 10 significantly enriched immune response processes were found to be governed by 98 genes. The top 10 DEmiRNAs governing these 98 genes were identified based on the number of genes governed by them. Out of these 10 DEmiRNAs, 7 were upregulated, and 3 were downregulated. These include miR-664, miR-2311, miR-2897, miR-484, miR-2440, miR-3533, miR-574, miR-210, miR-21-5p, and miR-30. miR-664 and miR-484 with proviral and antiviral activities, respectively, were upregulated in PPRV infected PBMCs. miR-210 that inhibits apoptosis was downregulated. miR-21-5p that decreases the sensitivity of cells to the antiviral activity of IFNs and miR-30b that inhibits antigen processing and presentation by primary macrophages were downregulated, indicative of a strong host response to PPRV infection. miR-21-5p was found to be inhibited on IPA upstream regulatory analysis of RNA-sequencing data. This miRNA that was also highly downregulated and was found to govern 16 immune response genes in the proteome data was selected for functional validation vis-a-vis TGFBR2 (TGF-beta receptor type-2). TGFBR2 that regulates cell differentiation and is involved in several immune response pathways was found to be governed by most of the identified immune modulating DEmiRNAs. The decreased luciferase activity in Dual Luciferase Reporter Assay indicated specific binding of miR-21-5p and miR-484 to their target thus establishing specific binding of the miRNAs to their targets.This is the first report on the miRNAome and proteome of virulent PPRV infected goat PBMCs
Global, regional, and national burden of hepatitis B, 1990-2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
The global burden of adolescent and young adult cancer in 2019 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Background In estimating the global burden of cancer, adolescents and young adults with cancer are often overlooked, despite being a distinct subgroup with unique epidemiology, clinical care needs, and societal impact. Comprehensive estimates of the global cancer burden in adolescents and young adults (aged 15-39 years) are lacking. To address this gap, we analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, with a focus on the outcome of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), to inform global cancer control measures in adolescents and young adults. Methods Using the GBD 2019 methodology, international mortality data were collected from vital registration systems, verbal autopsies, and population-based cancer registry inputs modelled with mortality-to-incidence ratios (MIRs). Incidence was computed with mortality estimates and corresponding MIRs. Prevalence estimates were calculated using modelled survival and multiplied by disability weights to obtain years lived with disability (YLDs). Years of life lost (YLLs) were calculated as age-specific cancer deaths multiplied by the standard life expectancy at the age of death. The main outcome was DALYs (the sum of YLLs and YLDs). Estimates were presented globally and by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintiles (countries ranked and divided into five equal SDI groups), and all estimates were presented with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). For this analysis, we used the age range of 15-39 years to define adolescents and young adults. Findings There were 1.19 million (95% UI 1.11-1.28) incident cancer cases and 396 000 (370 000-425 000) deaths due to cancer among people aged 15-39 years worldwide in 2019. The highest age-standardised incidence rates occurred in high SDI (59.6 [54.5-65.7] per 100 000 person-years) and high-middle SDI countries (53.2 [48.8-57.9] per 100 000 person-years), while the highest age-standardised mortality rates were in low-middle SDI (14.2 [12.9-15.6] per 100 000 person-years) and middle SDI (13.6 [12.6-14.8] per 100 000 person-years) countries. In 2019, adolescent and young adult cancers contributed 23.5 million (21.9-25.2) DALYs to the global burden of disease, of which 2.7% (1.9-3.6) came from YLDs and 97.3% (96.4-98.1) from YLLs. Cancer was the fourth leading cause of death and tenth leading cause of DALYs in adolescents and young adults globally. Interpretation Adolescent and young adult cancers contributed substantially to the overall adolescent and young adult disease burden globally in 2019. These results provide new insights into the distribution and magnitude of the adolescent and young adult cancer burden around the world. With notable differences observed across SDI settings, these estimates can inform global and country-level cancer control efforts. Copyright (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.Peer reviewe
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