Suspicious activity reporting using dynamic bayesian networks

AbstractSuspicious activity reporting has been a crucial part of anti-money laundering systems. Financial transactions are considered suspicious when they deviate from the regular behavior of their customers. Money launderers pay special attention to keep their transactions as normal as possible to disguise their illicit nature. This may deceive the classical deviation based statistical methods for finding anomalies. This study presents an approach, called SARDBN (Suspicious Activity Reporting using Dynamic Bayesian Network), that employs a combination of clustering and dynamic Bayesian network (DBN) to identify anomalies in sequence of transactions. SARDBN applies DBN to capture patterns in a customer’s monthly transactional sequences as well as to compute an anomaly index called AIRE (Anomaly Index using Rank and Entropy). AIRE measures the degree of anomaly in a transaction and is compared against a pre-defined threshold to mark the transaction as normal or suspicious. The presented approach is tested on a real dataset of more than 8 million banking transactions and has shown promising results

Deterministic scheduling for energy efficient and reliable communication in heterogeneous sensing environments in industrial wireless sensor networks

The present-day industries incorporate many applications, and complex processes, hence, a large number of sensors with dissimilar process deadlines and sensor update frequencies will be in place. This paper presents a scheduling algorithm, which takes into account the varying deadlines of the sensors connected to the cluster-head, and formulates a static schedule for Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) based communication. The scheme uses IEEE802.15.4e superframe as a baseline and proposes a new superframe structure. For evaluation purposes the update frequencies of different industrial processes are considered. The scheduling algorithm is evaluated under varying network loads by increasing the number of nodes affiliated to a cluster-head. The static schedule generated by the scheduling algorithm offers reduced energy consumption, improved reliability, efficient network load management and improved information to control bits ratio

Randomized controlled trial of interferon gamma versus amantadine in combination with interferon alpha and ribavirin for hepatitis C genotype 3 non-responders and relapsers

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of triple combination regimens comprising of interferon alpha-2b (IFN-alpha) and ribavirin plus either IFN-gamma or amantadine in genotype 3 patients, responders or relapsers to interferon plus ribavirin combination. METHODS: Patients were randomized to receive IFN-alpha 3MU thrice a week, ribavirin 800-1200 mg per day with either IFN-gamma 2 MU thrice a week or amantadine 100 mg twice daily. Treatment was continued for 48 weeks in patients showing complete or partial (2 log reduction) early virological response (EVR) at 12 weeks and negative PCR at 24 weeks. RESULTS: Total enrollments were 44; 25 were previously non-responders out of them 12 were in the IFN-gamma arm. Nineteen were relapsers, out of them 10 received IFN-Gamma. Overall EVR with triple regimens was 61.4% (27/44). The EVR for IFN-gamma arm was 72.7% (16/22) and for amantadine arm 50% (11/22) (p=0.089). Sustained virological response (SVR) was 50% (11/22) in the gamma arm and 27.3% (6/22) in the amantadine arm (p=0.122). This figure was 60% (6/10) and 44% (5/9) for relapsers (p=0.845), and 41.6% (5/12) and 7.7% (1/13) for non-responders (p = 0.046).Treatment was well tolerated by most of the patients in both arms. CONCLUSIONS: About one third of patients responded to the triple regimens. However IFN-gamma was a better option. Its combination with pegylated interferon and ribavirin needs further evaluation. (Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT00538811)

A CASE-CONTROL PERSPECTIVE STUDY ON EXPLORING DIASTOLIC DYSFUNCTION IN ASYMPTOMATIC TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS PATIENTS WITH PRESERVED SYSTOLIC FUNCTION, BIHAR, INDIA.

Background: Asymptomatic individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) often exhibit diastolic dysfunction, a precursor to symptomatic heart failure (HF), despite preserved systolic function. The study aims to investigate the incidence and severity of diastolic dysfunction (DD) in this population and its association with diabetes duration, glycemic control, and cardiovascular risk factors.   Methods: A case-control prospective study was carried out enrolling 82 participants: 55 with T2DM and 27 non-diabetic individuals. Echocardiographic evaluations were performed to assess diastolic function parameters. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 24.  Results: The study revealed a high incidence of diastolic dysfunction, with 54.9% of participants affected, ranging from mild to severe impairment. Individuals with T2DM exhibited a significantly higher incidence of diastolic dysfunction compared to non-diabetic participants (p < 0.05). Diabetes status independently contributed to impaired diastolic function, with a positive correlation observed between diabetes duration and severity of dysfunction (r = 0.42, p < 0.01). Subgroup analysis hinted at a trend towards significance between poorly controlled diabetes and increased diastolic dysfunction prevalence (p = 0.08). Uncontrolled hypertension was associated with heightened diastolic dysfunction severity.  Conclusion: Asymptomatic individuals with T2DM and preserved systolic function demonstrate a substantial burden of diastolic dysfunction, which is independently associated with diabetes status and duration. Early detection and management of diabetes, glycemic control, and blood pressure are crucial in mitigating the risk of diastolic dysfunction and improving cardiovascular outcomes in this population.  Recommendations: Clinicians should emphasize early screening for diastolic dysfunction in asymptomatic individuals with T2DM, particularly focusing on glycemic control and blood pressure management. Future research should explore targeted interventions aimed at preserving diastolic function and reducing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in this high-risk population. Diastolic dysfunction (DD

A critical analysis of research potential, challenges and future directives in industrial wireless sensor networks

In recent years, Industrial Wireless Sensor Networks (IWSNs) have emerged as an important research theme with applications spanning a wide range of industries including automation, monitoring, process control, feedback systems and automotive. Wide scope of IWSNs applications ranging from small production units, large oil and gas industries to nuclear fission control, enables a fast-paced research in this field. Though IWSNs offer advantages of low cost, flexibility, scalability, self-healing, easy deployment and reformation, yet they pose certain limitations on available potential and introduce challenges on multiple fronts due to their susceptibility to highly complex and uncertain industrial environments. In this paper a detailed discussion on design objectives, challenges and solutions, for IWSNs, are presented. A careful evaluation of industrial systems, deadlines and possible hazards in industrial atmosphere are discussed. The paper also presents a thorough review of the existing standards and industrial protocols and gives a critical evaluation of potential of these standards and protocols along with a detailed discussion on available hardware platforms, specific industrial energy harvesting techniques and their capabilities. The paper lists main service providers for IWSNs solutions and gives insight of future trends and research gaps in the field of IWSNs

Utility of limited protocol magnetic resonance imaging lumbar spine for nerve root compression in a developing country, is it accurate and cost effective?

STUDY Design: Cross sectional study.PURPOSE: To determine the accuracy of the screening magnetic resonance study of the lumbar spine in the diagnosis of nerve root compression in cases of low back pain as compared to the routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study of the lumbar spine.OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: No local study has been conducted for this purpose. In an international study, the reported sensitivity and specificity of screening MRI lumbar spine protocol in the detection of nerve root compression are 54% and 100% respectively.Methods: Patients of both genders older than 20 years of age with low back pain of any duration or any severity who were referred to the radiology department of Aga Khan University Hospital for MRI of their lumbar spine were evaluated. Two sets of MRI imaging were recruited for each patient: one labeled as \u27screening\u27 and the other labeled as \u27routine\u27. The findings of screening MRI were compared with the findings of the routine MRI study.Results: A total of 109 patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria were included in this study. The diagnostic accuracy, specificity and sensitivity of the screening protocol in our study was 100%, 100% and 100%, respectively in comparison with the routine MRI lumbar spine study for the detection of nerve root compression.CONCLUSIONS: Our data proved that the MRI screening study is a highly accurate tool, and its findings are comparable to the routine study for the detection of nerve root compression especially in cases of lumbar spondylosis

CARDIOVASCULAR IMPLICATIONS OF CUMULATIVE RADIOIODINE DOSES IN PATIENTS WITH DIFFERENTIATED THYROID CANCER AND TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS, BIHAR, INDIA: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY.

Background: The study aims to investigate the cardiovascular effects associated with cumulative doses of radioiodine therapy in people diagnosed with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) and comorbid Type 2 diabetes mellitus, with a focus on elucidating potential risks and outcomes for this patient population.  Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted, enrolling 75 female participants categorized into DTC/−T2DM (Category I) and DTC/+T2DM (Category II). Data on demographic characteristics, radioiodine therapy, cardiovascular outcomes, and clinical parameters were collected from medical records. Statistical analyses were accomplished using SPSS software ver. 18.  Results: Patients with DTC and without T2DM (DTC/−T2DM) exhibited higher average age (60 ± 6.3 years) and BMI (28.5 kg/m²) compared to patients with both DTC and T2DM (55 ± 5.2 years, 25.1 kg/m²). Patients with both DTC and T2DM received higher cumulative doses of radioiodine (200 mCi ± 25) over a longer duration (14 months) compared to patients with DTC and without T2DM (180 mCi ± 20, 12 months). The prevalence of hypertension, arrhythmias, and myocardial infarctions was higher in patients with DTC and without T2DM than in patients with both DTC and T2DM. Statistical analysis revealed significant variations in hypertension incidence (p < 0.001) and myocardial infarction occurrence (p = 0.03) between the groups. Multivariate regression analysis showed an independent association of T2DM with a higher risk of hypertension (p < 0.001) and myocardial infarction (p = 0.015) among DTC patients.  Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of considering cardiovascular risks associated with radioiodine therapy in DTC patients, particularly those with T2DM. Personalized treatment strategies balancing cancer management and cardiovascular risk mitigation are crucial for optimizing patient outcomes.  Recommendations: Clinicians should adopt a multidisciplinary approach integrating endocrinology, oncology, and cardiology to optimize the management of DTC patients with T2DM

A novel MAC proposal for critical and emergency communications in industrial wireless sensor networks

In this paper, three MAC protocols, EE-MAC, CF-MAC and OD-MAC, are proposed. EE-MAC incorporates emergency communication and allows immediate channel access for emergency traffic. CF-MAC compensates regulatory and open-loop control traffic and introduces a prioritized access for high priority nodes. It also allows nodes with critical data to reserve communication slots using control channel. Whereas OD-MAC presents a deadline based dynamic scheduler which ensures timely delivery of time-critical information. The paper presents mathematical modelling of the proposed protocols. For evaluation purposes, the performance of the proposed protocols is compared to IEEE 802.15.4e LLDN. The results show that the proposed protocols offer up to 92% reduction in delay in emergency communications at the cost of 5% to 15% increase in delay of time-insensitive data. A 60% and 85% reduction was observed in the channel access delay for regulatory and open-loop control traffic respectively along with notable improvements in communications reliability

Intelligent IoT Framework for Indoor Healthcare Monitoring of Parkinson's Disease Patient

Parkinson’s disease is associated with high treatment costs, primarily attributed to the needs of hospitalization and frequent care services. A study reveals annual per-person healthcare costs for Parkinson’s patients to be 21,482,withanadditional29,695 burden to society. Due to the high stakes and rapidly rising Parkinson’s patients’ count, it is imperative to introduce intelligent monitoring and analysis systems. In this paper, an Internet of Things (IoT) based framework is proposed to enable remote monitoring, administration, and analysis of patient’s conditions in a typical indoor environment. The proposed infrastructure offers both static and dynamic routing, along with delay analysis and priority enabled communications. The scheme also introduces machine learning techniques to detect the progression of Parkinson’s over six months using auditory inputs. The proposed IoT infrastructure and machine learning algorithm are thoroughly evaluated and a detailed analysis is performed. The results show that the proposed scheme offers efficient communication scheduling, facilitating a high number of users with low latency. The proposed machine learning scheme also outperforms state-of-the-art techniques in accurately predicting the Parkinson’s progression

Adjuvant Hormonal Therapy in Postmenopausal Women with Breast Cancer: Physician\u27s Choices

The choice of adjuvant hormonal therapy in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor positive breast cancer has remained a matter of controversy and debate. The variety of agents is available, with each claiming to be superior. This clinical survey was undertaken to get an impression of the physician\u27s first choice of therapy in an attempt to find out what questions still need to be answered in the making of standard of care. A web-based clinical survey was sent to the cancer physicians around the world, and 182 physicians responded to the survey. Most were medical oncologists in a tertiary care hospital. 36.3% preferred Anastrozole, 35.2% Tamoxifen, and 22.2% Letrozole as their first choice. Data support (67.8%) and safety concerns (30%) were given as the main reasons for the choice, 63.7% switched their therapy, and 24% had to switch because of side effects. 73.6% used 5 years of adjuvant hormonal therapy, 6.6% for 7 years, and 4.4% for 10 years. 61.5% follow their patients 3 times monthly, and 73.2% used laboratory and radiological assessment at each followup. Conclusion. Physicians show disagreement over the choice and duration of hormonal therapy in this patient population. Clinical trials leading to firm recommendations to set standards from which patients benefit the most are needed