Propagation of Plane Waves in Generalized Piezo-thermoelastic Medium: Comparison Of Different Theories

ABSTRACT: In this paper, a general solution for the propagation of plane waves in generalized piezo-thermoelastic medium for two-dimensional problem under the different thermoelastic theories is investigated. We have included Coupled theory (CT), Lord-Schulman (L-S) and Green-Lindsay (G-L) theories. The normal mode analysis is used to obtain the exact expressions for the considered variables. The results of the physical quantities have been illustrated graphically by comparison between (CT), (L-S) and (G-L) theories. KEYWORDS: Piezo-thermoelastic, Relaxation time, Normal mode analysis, Generalized thermoelasticity. I INTRODUCTION Piezoelectric is considered one of the basic properties of crystals, ceramics, polymers, liquid crystals and some biological tissues (e.g. bone and tendon). Recent interest in the piezoelectric materials stems from their potential applications in intelligent structural systems, and piezoelectric is currently enjoying a greatest resurgence in both fundamental research and technical applications. The theory of thermo-piezoelectric was first proposed by Mindlin Thermoelasticity theories that predict a finite speed for the propagation of thermal signals have aroused much interest in the last three decades. These theories are known as generalized thermoelasticity theories. The first generalization of the thermoelasticity theory is due to Lord and Shulman [8] who introduced the theory of generalized thermoelasticity with one relaxation time through postulating a new law of heat conduction to replace the classical Fourier' law. This law contains the heat flux vector as well as its time derivative. It contains also a new constant that acts as a relaxation time. The heat equation of this theory is of the wave-type which ensuring finite speeds of propagation of heat and elastic waves. The remaining, governing equations for this theory, namely, the equations of motion and the constitutive relations remain the same as those for the coupled and the uncoupled theories. This theory was extended by Dhaliwal and Sherief [9] to general anisotropic media in the presence of heat sources. Othman [10] studied the Lord

Validation of the Arabic Version of General Medication Adherence Scale (GMAS) in Sudanese Patients with Diabetes Mellitus

Objective: The aim of this study was to validate the Arabic version of General Medication Adherence Scale (GMAS) in Sudanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: A 3-month cross-sectional study was conducted among patients with T2DM at Al- Daraja Health Center, located in Wad Medani, Sudan. A convenient sample of patients was selected, and the study sample size was calculated using the item response ratio. Factorial, known group, and construct validities were determined. Internal consistency and reliability were also determined. Results: Responses were provided by 500 patients. The average medication adherence score was 30 (median 31). The normed fit index (NFI) was 0.950, the comparative fit index (CFI) was 0.963, the incremental fit index (IFI) was 0.963, and the root-mean-square error of approximation (RMSEA) was 0.071. The results from these fit indices indicated a good model. Factorial, known group and construct validities were all established. A significant association was found between adherence score and age (P = 0.03) since a larger proportion of older patients were found to have high adherence compared to patients in other age groups. The reliability (α) of the questionnaire was 0.834. Conclusion: The Arabic version of GMAS was validated in Sudanese patients with T2DM making it a suitable scale to be used in this population

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a prospective, international, multicentre cohort study

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common infections associated with health care, but its importance as a global health priority is not fully understood. We quantified the burden of SSI after gastrointestinal surgery in countries in all parts of the world. Methods: This international, prospective, multicentre cohort study included consecutive patients undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection within 2-week time periods at any health-care facility in any country. Countries with participating centres were stratified into high-income, middle-income, and low-income groups according to the UN's Human Development Index (HDI). Data variables from the GlobalSurg 1 study and other studies that have been found to affect the likelihood of SSI were entered into risk adjustment models. The primary outcome measure was the 30-day SSI incidence (defined by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for superficial and deep incisional SSI). Relationships with explanatory variables were examined using Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02662231. Findings: Between Jan 4, 2016, and July 31, 2016, 13 265 records were submitted for analysis. 12 539 patients from 343 hospitals in 66 countries were included. 7339 (58·5%) patient were from high-HDI countries (193 hospitals in 30 countries), 3918 (31·2%) patients were from middle-HDI countries (82 hospitals in 18 countries), and 1282 (10·2%) patients were from low-HDI countries (68 hospitals in 18 countries). In total, 1538 (12·3%) patients had SSI within 30 days of surgery. The incidence of SSI varied between countries with high (691 [9·4%] of 7339 patients), middle (549 [14·0%] of 3918 patients), and low (298 [23·2%] of 1282) HDI (p < 0·001). The highest SSI incidence in each HDI group was after dirty surgery (102 [17·8%] of 574 patients in high-HDI countries; 74 [31·4%] of 236 patients in middle-HDI countries; 72 [39·8%] of 181 patients in low-HDI countries). Following risk factor adjustment, patients in low-HDI countries were at greatest risk of SSI (adjusted odds ratio 1·60, 95% credible interval 1·05–2·37; p=0·030). 132 (21·6%) of 610 patients with an SSI and a microbiology culture result had an infection that was resistant to the prophylactic antibiotic used. Resistant infections were detected in 49 (16·6%) of 295 patients in high-HDI countries, in 37 (19·8%) of 187 patients in middle-HDI countries, and in 46 (35·9%) of 128 patients in low-HDI countries (p < 0·001). Interpretation: Countries with a low HDI carry a disproportionately greater burden of SSI than countries with a middle or high HDI and might have higher rates of antibiotic resistance. In view of WHO recommendations on SSI prevention that highlight the absence of high-quality interventional research, urgent, pragmatic, randomised trials based in LMICs are needed to assess measures aiming to reduce this preventable complication

Monitoring the dielectric properties and propagation conditions of mortar for modern wireless mobile networks

Recently, modern wireless communication applications are extended to call high frequency bands including millimeter waves for 5G systems. Therefore, the propagation properties of such waves in different media have attracted many researchers. In this work, the results of the S-parameters measurements of mortar with four thicknesses are obtained using a nondestructive free space measurement technique for the frequency bands from 8 GHz up to 32 GHz. The obtained results of the dielectric properties and loss factors for the prepared mortar samples are realized. The variation in both the reflection and transmission coefficients and the dielectric properties with curing time conditions of mortar structure is examined. The dielectric properties of water are realized using the proposed method to subtract the effects of water contents from the prepared mortar samples. The effects of the sample thickness and relaxation frequency are considered. The obtained measurements are compared to the simulated results based on a full wave simulation software package of CSTMWS algorithms. Finally, excellent agreements are achieved between the simulated and measured results

Epilepsy detection from EEG signals using artificial neural network

In the field of medical science, one of the major recent researches is the diagnosis of the abnormalities in brain. Electroencephalogram (EEG) is a record of neuro signals that occur due the different electrical activities in the brain. These signals can be captured and processed to get the useful information that can be used in early detection of some mental and brain diseases. Suitable analysis is essential for EEG to differentiate between normal and abnormal signals in order to detect epilepsy which is one of the most common neurological disorders. Epilepsy is a recurrent seizure disorder caused by abnormal electrical discharges from the brain cells, often in the cerebral cortex. This research focuses on the usefulness of EGG signal in detecting seizure activities in brainwaves. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is used to train the data set. Then tests are conducted on the test data of EEG signals to identify normal (non-seizure) and abnormal (seizure) states of the brain. Finally, accuracy is computed to evaluate the performance of ANN. The experiments are carried out on CHB-MIT Scalp EEG Database. The experiments show plausible results from the proposed approach in terms of accuracy

The effect of music intervention in decreasing pain and anxiety during outpatient hysteroscopy procedure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized control trials

BACKGROUND: Hysteroscopy is a common outpatient procedure but procedural pain limits its use. Music could be used as a pain-relieving intervention. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the effect of music on pain and anxiety during outpatient hysteroscopy. METHODS: Four electronic databases were searched: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library, from inception to September 2022. We included only the Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) that investigated the effect of music on women who underwent outpatient hysteroscopy in reducing pain and anxiety levels compared to no music. We assessed the quality of included RCTs using the risk of bias tool 1 reported in the Cochrane Handbook of Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Data were pooled as the Mean Differences (MDs) with a 95% Confidence Interval (CI) in a random-effects model, using Review Manager 5.3 software. Also, we assessed the evidence of the results using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). RESULTS: Three RCTs (540 women) were included. Music significantly reduced visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores as well as State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) scores compared to controls (MD = -1.28; 95% CI [-2.19, -0.36]; P = 0.007) and (MD = -3.91; 95% CI [-6.98, -0.85]; P = 0.01) respectively. Also, the decrease in VAS score for pain was significantly greater in the music group (MD = 1.44; 95% CI [0.44, 2.45]; P = 0.005). However, the change in STAI showed no significant difference between the two groups. The GRADE ratings for all outcomes were very low. CONCLUSION: Music is a potentially promising method for controlling pain for patients undergoing outpatient hysteroscopy; however, its effect in controlling anxiety is controversial