689 research outputs found
Association rule mining based study for identification of clinical parameters akin to occurrence of brain tumor
Healthcare sector is generating a large amount of information corresponding to diagnosis, disease identification and treatment of an individual. Mining knowledge and providing scientific decision-making for the diagnosis & treatment of disease from the clinical dataset is therefore increasingly becoming necessary. Aim of this study was to assess the applicability of knowledge discovery in brain tumor data warehouse, applying data mining techniques for investigation of clinical parameters that can be associated with occurrence of brain tumor. In this study, a brain tumor warehouse was developed comprising of clinical data for 550 patients. Apriori association rule algorithm was applied to discover associative rules among the clinical parameters. The rules discovered in the study suggests - high values of Creatinine, Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN), SGOT & SGPT to be directly associated with tumor occurrence for patients in the primary stage with atleast 85% confidence and more than 50% support. A normalized regression model is proposed based on these parameters along with Haemoglobin content, Alkaline Phosphatase and Serum Bilirubin for prediction of occurrence of STATE (brain tumor) as 0 (absent) or 1 (present). The results indicate that the methodology followed will be of good value for the diagnostic procedure of brain tumor, especially when large data volumes are involved and screening based on discovered parameters would allow clinicians to detect tumors at an early stage of development
Probing the subshell closure: factor of the Mg(2) state
The first-excited state ~factor of Mg has been measured relative to
the factor of the Mg() state using the high-velocity
transient-field technique, giving . This new measurement is in
strong disagreement with the currently adopted value, but in agreement with the
-shell model using the USDB interaction. The newly measured factor,
along with and systematics, signal the closure of the subshell at . The possibility that precise -factor
measurements may indicate the onset of neutron admixtures in first-excited
state even-even magnesium isotopes below Mg is discussed and the
importance of precise excited-state -factor measurements on ~shell
nuclei with to test shell-model wavefunctions is noted.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure
Development and evaluation of multi millet thresher
In tribal areas of India, traditional methods of threshing of minor millets like little millet (Panicum sumatrense), M1, kodo millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum), M2, foxtail millet (Setaria italica), M3, proso millet (P. miliaceum), M4, barnyard millet (Echinochloa frumantacea), M5, finger millet (Eleusine coracana), M6 is done of beating by sticks or treading out the crop panicle under the feet of oxen. This operation is most time consuming, labour intensive, drudgery prone, uneconomical, lower output and obtain low quality products. A thresher for these millet crops was developed and optimization of the operating parameters with little millet was done by using Response surface methodology (RSM). The optimized parameters were 7.79% (d.b) moisture content, 105 kgh-1 feed rate, 625 rpm cylinder speed, 5 mm threshing sieve size which gave maximum threshing efficiency of 95.13% and cleaning efficiency of 94.12%. After optimization of parameters the thresher was tested for threshing of all the six minor millets with proper adjustments of sieve. Threshing capacity of M1, M2, M3, M4, M5 and M6 were obtained as 89, 137, 140, 91, 88 and 99 kg/h, respectively with more than 96% threshing efficiency and less than 2% broken grain
Neuropathological findings from COVID-19 patients with neurological symptoms argue against a direct brain invasion of SARS-CoV-2: A critical systematic review
Background and purpose: Neuropathological studies can elucidate the mechanisms of nervous system damage associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Despite literature on this topic is rapidly expanding, correlations between neurological symptoms and brain pathology findings in COVID-19 patients remain largely unknown. Methods: We performed a systematic literature review on neuropathological studies in COVID-19, including 438 patients from 45 articles published by April 22, 2021. We retrieved quantitative data regarding demographic, clinical, and neuropathological findings. We carried out a Wilcoxon rank sum test or χ2 test to compare patients' subgroups based on different clinical and brain pathology features. Results: Neuropathological findings in COVID-19 patients were microgliosis (52.5%), astrogliosis (45.6%), inflammatory infiltrates (44.0%), hypoxic-ischemic lesions (40.8%), edema (25.3%), and hemorrhagic lesions (20.5%). SARS-CoV-2 RNA and proteins were identified in brain specimens of 41.9% and 28.3% of subjects, respectively. Detailed clinical information was available from 245 patients (55.9%), and among them, 96 subjects (39.2%) had presented with neurological symptoms in association with typical COVID-19 manifestations. We found that: (i) the detection rate of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and proteins in brain specimens did not differ between patients with versus those without neurological symptoms; (ii) brain edema, hypoxic-ischemic lesions, and inflammatory infiltrates were more frequent in subjects with neurological impairment; (iii) neurological symptoms were more common among older individuals. Conclusions: Our systematic revision of clinical correlates in COVID-19 highlights the pathogenic relevance of brain inflammatory reaction and hypoxic-ischemic damage rather than neuronal viral load. This analysis indicates that a more focused study design is needed, especially in the perspective of potential therapeutic trials
Randomized double-blind study comparing the efficacy and safety of lamotrigine and amitriptyline in painful diabetic neuropathy
WSTĘP. Celem niniejszej pracy było porównanie skuteczności
oraz bezpieczeństwa stosowania lamotryginy
i amitryptyliny w opanowywaniu przewlekłego bólu
spowodowanego obwodową neuropatią u chorych na
cukrzycę.
MATERIAŁ I METODY. Badanie kliniczne z randomizacją
przeprowadzono w układzie naprzemiennym
metodą podwójnie ślepej próby, z grupą kontrolną
otrzymującą terapię standardową. W badaniu wzięły
udział 53 osoby. Zastosowano różne dawki leków.
Amitryptylinę stosowano w 3 dawkach doustnie: 10,
25 lub 50 mg, jednorazowo na noc przez 2 tygodnie,
a lamotryginę - doustnie, 2 × na dobę, w 3 dawkach:
25, 50 lub 100 mg; każdą z dawek stosowano
przez 2 tygodnie. Między zamianą leków zastosowano
2-tygodniową przerwę, podczas której chorzy
otrzymywali placebo. Oceniano wpływ terapii na zmniejszenie bólu, ogólne polepszenie stanu zdrowia
oraz wystąpienie działań niepożądanych.
WYNIKI. W ogólnej ocenie pacjentów zniesienie bólu
w dużym, umiarkowanym i małym stopniu zanotowano
odpowiednio u 19 (41%), 6 (13%) i 7 (15%) osób
przyjmujących lamotryginę oraz u 13 (28%), 5 (11%)
i 15 (33%) osób stosujących amitryptylinę. Ogólna ocena
przeprowadzona przez pacjentów i lekarzy, kwestionariusz
McGilla i skala bólu Likerta nie wykazały
różnic istotnych statystycznie. Poprawę obserwowano
już po 2 tygodniach stosowania obu leków. Odnotowano
44 przypadki działań niepożądanych, 33 (75%)
dotyczyły amitryptyliny, z czego najczęściej stwierdzano
działanie nasenne (19 pacjentów, 43%); 11 przypadków
(25%) dotyczyło lamotryginy, najczęściej była
to wysypka (3 chorych, 7%) i podwyższenie stężenia
kreatyniny (4 osoby, 9%). Preferowana dawka lamotryginy
to 25 mg 2 × na dobę.
WNIOSKI. Mimo że wykazano niewiele różnic w skuteczności
obu leków, wybór lamotryginy w dawce
25 mg 2 × na dobę wydaje się lepszy, ze względu na
mniejszą liczbę działań niepożądanych wywołanych
w badanej populacji.AIMS. To compare the efficacy and safety of lamotrigine
and amitriptyline in controlling chronic painful
peripheral neuropathy in diabetic patients.
METHODS. A randomized, double-blind, crossover,
active-control, clinical trial with variable dose titration
was carried out (n = 53). Amitriptyline orally,
at doses of 10, 25 and 50 mg at night-time, each
dose for 2 weeks, and lamotrigine orally, at doses
of 25, 50 and 100 mg twice daily, each dose for
2 weeks, by optional titration were used. There was
a placebo washout period for 2 weeks between the
two drugs. Assessment for pain relief, overall improvement
and adverse events were carried out.
RESULTS. Good, moderate and mild pain relief were
noted in 19 (41%), six (13%) and seven (15%) patients
on lamotrigine and 13 (28%), five (11%) and
15 (33%) patients on amitriptyline, respectively, by
patient’s global assessment of efficacy and safety.
Patient and physicians global assessment, McGill
pain questionnaire and Likert pain scale showed no
significant difference between the treatments, although
improvement with both treatments was seen
from 2 weeks. Of the 44 adverse events reported,
33 (75%) were with amitriptyline, sedation being the
commonest [in 19 (43%) patients]. Lamotrigine caused
adverse events in 11 (25%), of which rash in three
(7%) and elevations of creatinine in four (9%) were
the most common. The preferred lamotrigine dose
was 25 mg twice daily.
CONCLUSIONS. As there are few differences between
the two treatments in efficacy, lamotrigine
25 mg twice daily might be the first choice as it is
associated with fewer adverse effects in our population
Smart Grid Hybrid Generation System
ABSTRACT: This report presents a survey work on Hybrid Generation System (two forms of renewable energy-wind and solar) and on the role of smart grids in addressing the problems associated with integration of renewable resources. One of the most challenging aspects of integrating renewable generation resources (renewable) from an operations standpoint, is dealing with their inherit intermittent generation profile. This includes both the non-dispatchable production, as well as the quick generation ramping rates. Wind parks can ramp from zero megawatts (0MW) to full capacity in a matter of hours. Solar photovoltaic (PV) plants can ramp from full capacity to 0MW and back to full capacity in a matter of minutes when a cloud passes overhea
Survival of molecular gas in Virgo's hot intracluster medium: CO near M86
We carried out CO(1-0) and CO(2-1) observations of 21 different regions in
the vicinity of M86, NGC4438, and along the 120 kpc-long, Ha-emitting
filamentary trail that connects them, aiming to test whether molecular gas can
survive to be transferred from a spiral to an elliptical galaxy in Virgo's
10^7K intracluster medium (ICM). We targeted Ha-emitting regions that could be
associated with the interface between cold molecular clouds and the hot ionized
ICM. The data, obtained with the 30m telescope of the Institut de
Radioastronomie Millimetrique, led to the detection of molecular gas close to
M86. CO gas with a recession velocity that is similar to that of the stars,
-265 km/s, and with a corresponding H2 mass of 2*10^7 M_sun, was detected ~10
kpc southeast of the nucleus of M86, near the peak of its HI emission. We argue
that it is possible for this molecular gas either to have formed in situ from
HI, or to have been stripped from NGC4438 directly in molecular form. In situ
formation is nonetheless negligible for the 7*10^6 M_sun of gas detected at
12:26:15.9+12:58:49, at ~10 kpc northeast of M86, where no (strong) HI emission
is present. This detection provides evidence for the survival of molecular gas
in filaments for timescales of ~100 Myr. An amount equivalent to 5*10^7 M_sun
of H2 gas that could be lost to the ICM or to neighboring galaxies was also
discovered in the tidal tail northwest of NGC4438. A scenario of gas being
alternatively brought to M86 from NGC4388 on its south was also examined but it
was considered unlikely due to the non detection of CO below or at the HI
stream velocities, 2000-2700 km/s.Comment: A&A, final versio
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