Load-Adaptive Practical Multi-Channel Communications in Wireless Sensor Networks

In recent years, a significant number of sensor node prototypes have been designed that provide communications in multiple channels. This multi-channel feature can be effectively exploited to increase the overall capacity and performance of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). In this paper, we present a multi-channel communications system for WSNs that is referred to as load-adaptive practical multi-channel communications (LPMC). LPMC estimates the active load of a channel at the sink since it has a more comprehensive view of the network behavior, and dynamically adds or removes channels based on the estimated load. LPMC updates the routing path to balance the loads of the channels. The nodes in a path use the same channel; therefore, they do not need to switch channels to receive or forward packets. LPMC has been evaluated through extensive simulations, and the results demonstrate that it can effectively increase the delivery ratio, network throughput, and channel utilization, and that it can decrease the end-to-end delay and energy consumption

Bengali Fake Review Detection using Semi-supervised Generative Adversarial Networks

This paper investigates the potential of semi-supervised Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) to fine-tune pretrained language models in order to classify Bengali fake reviews from real reviews with a few annotated data. With the rise of social media and e-commerce, the ability to detect fake or deceptive reviews is becoming increasingly important in order to protect consumers from being misled by false information. Any machine learning model will have trouble identifying a fake review, especially for a low resource language like Bengali. We have demonstrated that the proposed semi-supervised GAN-LM architecture (generative adversarial network on top of a pretrained language model) is a viable solution in classifying Bengali fake reviews as the experimental results suggest that even with only 1024 annotated samples, BanglaBERT with semi-supervised GAN (SSGAN) achieved an accuracy of 83.59% and a f1-score of 84.89% outperforming other pretrained language models - BanglaBERT generator, Bangla BERT Base and Bangla-Electra by almost 3%, 4% and 10% respectively in terms of accuracy. The experiments were conducted on a manually labeled food review dataset consisting of total 6014 real and fake reviews collected from various social media groups. Researchers that are experiencing difficulty recognizing not just fake reviews but other classification issues owing to a lack of labeled data may find a solution in our proposed methodology

Corrosion resistance and thermal stability of sputtered Fe44Al34Ti7N15 and Al61Ti11N28 thin films for prospective application in oil and gas industry

Fe-and Al-based thin-film metallic glass coatings (Fe44Al34Ti7N15 and Al61Ti11N28) were fabricated using magnetron co-sputtering technique, and their corrosion performances compared against wrought 316L stainless steel. The results of GI-XRD and XPS analyses demonstrated amorphous structure and oxide layer formation on the surface of the fabricated thin films, respectively. The potentiodynamic (PD) polarization test in chloride-thiosulfate (NH4Cl ​+ ​Na2S2O3) solution revealed lower corrosion current (Icorr) (0.42 ​± ​0.02 ​μA/cm2 and 0.086 ​± ​0.001 ​μA/cm2 Vs. 0.76 ​± ​0.05 ​μA/cm2), lower passivation current (Ipass) (1.45 ​± ​0.03 ​μA/cm2 and 1.83 ​± ​0.07 ​μA/cm2 Vs. 1.98 ​± ​0.04 ​μA/cm2), and approximately six-fold higher breakdown potential (Ebd) for Fe- and Al-based coatings than those of wrought 316L stainless steel. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) of both films showed 4- and 2-fold higher charge transfer resistance (Rct), 7- and 2.5-times higher film resistance (Rf), lower film capacitance values (Qf) (10 ​± ​2.4 ​μS-sacm-2, and 5.41 ​± ​0.8 ​μS-sacm-2 Vs. 18 ​± ​2.21 ​μS-sacm-2), and lower double-layer capacitance values (Qdl) (31.33 ​± ​4.74 ​μS-sacm-2, and 15.3 ​± ​0.48 ​μS-sacm-2 Vs. 43 ​± ​4.23 ​μS-sacm-2), indicating higher corrosion resistance of the thin films. Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) scan exhibited that the passive films formed on the Fe- and Al-based coatings were more stable and less prone to pitting corrosion than the wrought 316L stainless steel. The surface morphology of both films via SEM endorsed the CV scan results, showing better resistance to pitting corrosion. Furthermore, the thermal analysis via TGA and DSC revealed the excellent thermal stability of the thin films over a wide temperature range typically observed in oil-gas industries

The global burden of cancer attributable to risk factors, 2010-19 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Understanding the magnitude of cancer burden attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors is crucial for development of effective prevention and mitigation strategies. We analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 to inform cancer control planning efforts globally. Methods The GBD 2019 comparative risk assessment framework was used to estimate cancer burden attributable to behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risk factors. A total of 82 risk-outcome pairs were included on the basis of the World Cancer Research Fund criteria. Estimated cancer deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in 2019 and change in these measures between 2010 and 2019 are presented. Findings Globally, in 2019, the risk factors included in this analysis accounted for 4.45 million (95% uncertainty interval 4.01-4.94) deaths and 105 million (95.0-116) DALYs for both sexes combined, representing 44.4% (41.3-48.4) of all cancer deaths and 42.0% (39.1-45.6) of all DALYs. There were 2.88 million (2.60-3.18) risk-attributable cancer deaths in males (50.6% [47.8-54.1] of all male cancer deaths) and 1.58 million (1.36-1.84) risk-attributable cancer deaths in females (36.3% [32.5-41.3] of all female cancer deaths). The leading risk factors at the most detailed level globally for risk-attributable cancer deaths and DALYs in 2019 for both sexes combined were smoking, followed by alcohol use and high BMI. Risk-attributable cancer burden varied by world region and Socio-demographic Index (SDI), with smoking, unsafe sex, and alcohol use being the three leading risk factors for risk-attributable cancer DALYs in low SDI locations in 2019, whereas DALYs in high SDI locations mirrored the top three global risk factor rankings. From 2010 to 2019, global risk-attributable cancer deaths increased by 20.4% (12.6-28.4) and DALYs by 16.8% (8.8-25.0), with the greatest percentage increase in metabolic risks (34.7% [27.9-42.8] and 33.3% [25.8-42.0]). Interpretation The leading risk factors contributing to global cancer burden in 2019 were behavioural, whereas metabolic risk factors saw the largest increases between 2010 and 2019. Reducing exposure to these modifiable risk factors would decrease cancer mortality and DALY rates worldwide, and policies should be tailored appropriately to local cancer risk factor burden. Copyright (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.Peer reviewe

Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BACKGROUND Regular, detailed reporting on population health by underlying cause of death is fundamental for public health decision making. Cause-specific estimates of mortality and the subsequent effects on life expectancy worldwide are valuable metrics to gauge progress in reducing mortality rates. These estimates are particularly important following large-scale mortality spikes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. When systematically analysed, mortality rates and life expectancy allow comparisons of the consequences of causes of death globally and over time, providing a nuanced understanding of the effect of these causes on global populations. METHODS The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 cause-of-death analysis estimated mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) from 288 causes of death by age-sex-location-year in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations for each year from 1990 until 2021. The analysis used 56 604 data sources, including data from vital registration and verbal autopsy as well as surveys, censuses, surveillance systems, and cancer registries, among others. As with previous GBD rounds, cause-specific death rates for most causes were estimated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model-a modelling tool developed for GBD to assess the out-of-sample predictive validity of different statistical models and covariate permutations and combine those results to produce cause-specific mortality estimates-with alternative strategies adapted to model causes with insufficient data, substantial changes in reporting over the study period, or unusual epidemiology. YLLs were computed as the product of the number of deaths for each cause-age-sex-location-year and the standard life expectancy at each age. As part of the modelling process, uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated using the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles from a 1000-draw distribution for each metric. We decomposed life expectancy by cause of death, location, and year to show cause-specific effects on life expectancy from 1990 to 2021. We also used the coefficient of variation and the fraction of population affected by 90% of deaths to highlight concentrations of mortality. Findings are reported in counts and age-standardised rates. Methodological improvements for cause-of-death estimates in GBD 2021 include the expansion of under-5-years age group to include four new age groups, enhanced methods to account for stochastic variation of sparse data, and the inclusion of COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality-which includes excess mortality associated with the pandemic, excluding COVID-19, lower respiratory infections, measles, malaria, and pertussis. For this analysis, 199 new country-years of vital registration cause-of-death data, 5 country-years of surveillance data, 21 country-years of verbal autopsy data, and 94 country-years of other data types were added to those used in previous GBD rounds. FINDINGS The leading causes of age-standardised deaths globally were the same in 2019 as they were in 1990; in descending order, these were, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lower respiratory infections. In 2021, however, COVID-19 replaced stroke as the second-leading age-standardised cause of death, with 94·0 deaths (95% UI 89·2-100·0) per 100 000 population. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the rankings of the leading five causes, lowering stroke to the third-leading and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to the fourth-leading position. In 2021, the highest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 occurred in sub-Saharan Africa (271·0 deaths [250·1-290·7] per 100 000 population) and Latin America and the Caribbean (195·4 deaths [182·1-211·4] per 100 000 population). The lowest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 were in the high-income super-region (48·1 deaths [47·4-48·8] per 100 000 population) and southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania (23·2 deaths [16·3-37·2] per 100 000 population). Globally, life expectancy steadily improved between 1990 and 2019 for 18 of the 22 investigated causes. Decomposition of global and regional life expectancy showed the positive effect that reductions in deaths from enteric infections, lower respiratory infections, stroke, and neonatal deaths, among others have contributed to improved survival over the study period. However, a net reduction of 1·6 years occurred in global life expectancy between 2019 and 2021, primarily due to increased death rates from COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality. Life expectancy was highly variable between super-regions over the study period, with southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania gaining 8·3 years (6·7-9·9) overall, while having the smallest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 (0·4 years). The largest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean (3·6 years). Additionally, 53 of the 288 causes of death were highly concentrated in locations with less than 50% of the global population as of 2021, and these causes of death became progressively more concentrated since 1990, when only 44 causes showed this pattern. The concentration phenomenon is discussed heuristically with respect to enteric and lower respiratory infections, malaria, HIV/AIDS, neonatal disorders, tuberculosis, and measles. INTERPRETATION Long-standing gains in life expectancy and reductions in many of the leading causes of death have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the adverse effects of which were spread unevenly among populations. Despite the pandemic, there has been continued progress in combatting several notable causes of death, leading to improved global life expectancy over the study period. Each of the seven GBD super-regions showed an overall improvement from 1990 and 2021, obscuring the negative effect in the years of the pandemic. Additionally, our findings regarding regional variation in causes of death driving increases in life expectancy hold clear policy utility. Analyses of shifting mortality trends reveal that several causes, once widespread globally, are now increasingly concentrated geographically. These changes in mortality concentration, alongside further investigation of changing risks, interventions, and relevant policy, present an important opportunity to deepen our understanding of mortality-reduction strategies. Examining patterns in mortality concentration might reveal areas where successful public health interventions have been implemented. Translating these successes to locations where certain causes of death remain entrenched can inform policies that work to improve life expectancy for people everywhere. FUNDING Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

QoS-Aware Fair Scheduling in Wireless Ad Hoc Networks with Link Errors *

Abstract. To provide scheduling in wireless ad hoc networks, that is both highly efficient and fair in resource allocation, is not a trivial task because of the unique problems in wireless networks such as location dependent and bursty errors in wireless link. A packet flow in such a network may be unsuccessful if it experiences errors. This may lead to situations in which a flow receives significantly less service than it is supposed to, while other receives more, making it difficult to provide fairness. In this paper we propose a QoS-aware fair scheduling mechanism in ad hoc networks considering guaranteed and besteffort flows in the presence of link errors. The proposed mechanism provides short-term fairness for error free sessions and long-term fairness for the erroneous sessions and allows a lagging flow to receive extra service and a leading flow to give up its extra service in a graceful way. It also maximizes the resource utilization by allowing spatial reuse of resource. We also propose a CSMA/CA based implementation of our proposed method.

Development and Implementation of Solar Assisted Desiccant Cooling Technology in Developing Countries: A Case of Saudi Arabia

This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the potential and feasibility of using solar thermal cooling systems in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The performance of a desiccant cooling system has been determined based on climatic data of 32 cities spread all over the territory of the country. The investigation has been carried out keeping in view the high energy consumption for cooling applications in the country. The analysis has been done using the overall performance of the system, sensible energy ratio, and cooling and regeneration loads. The main objective of this study is to encourage the implementation of solar thermal cooling systems in the country for the development of sustainable buildings. The economic analysis shows that thermal cooling technology can reduce the cost of cooling units, remarkably. Furthermore, the utilization of the proposed system will decrease the dependence on primary energy resources. The saving factor of the proposed system with 1 ton capacity in comparison to the conventional vapor compression unit is found to be 34.6%. The present study also recommends that the government subsidies and incentives can further improve the development and utilization of solar air conditioning technology in developing countries