Sparsity in Bayesian Signal Estimation

In this chapter, we describe different methods to estimate an unknown signal from its linear measurements. We focus on the underdetermined case where the number of measurements is less than the dimension of the unknown signal. We introduce the concept of signal sparsity and describe how it could be used as prior information for either regularized least squares or Bayesian signal estimation. We discuss compressed sensing and sparse signal representation as examples where these sparse signal estimation methods could be applied

Offshore wind power integration to support weak grid voltage for industrial loads using VSC-HVDC transmission system

This paper investigates the integration of the offshore wind power plant into the grid using voltage source converter high-voltage direct current (VSC-HVDC). The paper proposes both offshore and onshore converter stations control to support voltage variation in grid. Heavy industrial loads result in a weak grid. In this paper, the effect on industrial loads by the grid strength is shown. Then the paper proposes a solution for the grid voltage support for industrial loads connected to weak grids. The results showed that the increase of grid voltage from 0.7 pu to 1 pu at full load condition that provides a continuous operation without any interruption. The system was modelled using MATLAB/Simulink package

Maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity associated with tuberculosis during pregnancy and the postpartum period: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Ammalife and Elly Appeal (Barts Charity), Charities with a focus on maternal health research in developing countries funded SS. The Charities had no influence on the development, conduct or reporting of this work

Molecular detection of Treponema species organisms in foremilk and udder cleft skin of dairy cows with digital dermatitis

Identification of reservoirs and transmission routes of digital dermatitis (DD)-associated Treponema spp. is considered an effective means for controlling DD infection in dairy cows. The objective of this study is to identify and characterize the potential reservoir niches for DD-associated Treponema spp. from healthy udder cleft skin and foremilk in lactating dairy cows. A large dairy farm was visited weekly from March to July 2015. Clinical investigation revealed that a total of 25 lame cows had DD lesions located at the plantar aspect of the interdigital cleft. A total of 75 samples, three per cow, were collected including deep swabs from DD lesions (n = 25), non-aseptically collected foremilk samples (n = 25) and skin swabs from udder cleft (n = 25). Treponema spp. were identified using nested PCR assays and confirmed by DNA sequencing. Results revealed that Treponema phagedenis (T. phagedenis)-like was the most identified species in the foremilk 40% (10/25), in comparison with DD lesions and udder cleft skin samples with 32% (8/25) and 20% (5/25), respectively. On the other hand, Treponema pedis (T. pedis) was the most identified species in the udder cleft skin 80% (20/25), in comparison with DD lesions and foremilk samples with 68% (17/25) and 60% (15/25), respectively. None of the examined samples were identified by PCR as containing DNA from Treponema medium (T. medium) or Treponema vincentii (T. vincentii)-like. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report for detection of T. phagedenis-like and T. pedis from healthy skin of udder cleft and foremilk samples. Detection of DD Treponema spp. from udder cleft skin and foremilk samples indicates that these sites could be potential reservoirs for spirochetes involved in DD. Udder cleft skin and foremilk may have a role in transmission routes of DD Treponema in dairy farms.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Parent-offspring transmission of adipocytokine levels and their associations with metabolic traits

Adipose tissue secreted cytokines (adipocytokines) have significant effects on the physiology and pathology of human metabolism relevant to diabetes and cardiovascular disease. We determined the relationship of the pattern of these circulating hormones with obesity-related phenotypes and whether such pattern is transmitted from parent to offspring. A combined total of 403 individuals from 156 consenting Saudi families divided into initial (119 families with 123 adults and 131 children) and replication (37 families with 58 adults and 91 children) cohorts were randomly selected from the RIYADH Cohort study. Anthropometrics were evaluated and metabolic measures such as fasting serum glucose, lipid profiles, insulin, leptin, adiponectin, resistin, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFa), activated plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (aPAI1), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and angiotensin II were also assessed. Parent-offspring regressions revealed that with the exception of hsCRP, all hormones measured showed evidence for significant inheritance. Principal component (PC) analysis of standardized hormone levels demonstrated surprising heritability of the three most common axes of variation. PC1, which explained 21% of the variation, was most strongly loaded on levels of leptin, TNFa, insulin, and aPAI1, and inversely with adiponectin. It was significantly associated with body mass index (BMI) and phenotypically stronger in children, and showed a heritability of ,50%, after adjustment for age, gender and generational effects. We conclude that adipocytokines are highly heritable and their pattern of co-variation significantly influences BMI as early as the pre-teen years. Investigation at the genomic scale is required to determine the variants affecting the regulation of the hormones studied

The chemical ecology of nectar-mosquito interactions: recent advances and future directions

Mosquitoes, males and females, rely on sugar-rich resources, including floral nectar as a primary source of sugar to meet their energy and nutritional needs. Despite advancements in understanding mosquito host-seeking and blood-feeding preferences, significant gaps in our knowledge of the chemical ecology mediating mosquito–nectar associations remain. The influence of such association with nectar on mosquito behavior and the resulting effects on their fitness are also not totally understood. It is significant that floral nectar frequently acts as a natural habitat for various microbes (e.g. bacteria and yeast), which substantially alter nectar characteristics, influencing the nutritional ecology of flower-visiting insects, such as mosquitoes. The role of nectar-inhabiting microbes in shaping the nectar–mosquito interactions remains, however, under-researched. This review explores recent advances in understanding the role of such multitrophic interactions on the fitness and life history traits of mosquitoes and outlines future directions for research toward their control as disease vectors

Revisiting the basis for haemoglobin screening in pregnancy

"This is a non-final version of an article published in final form in Current Opinion in Obstetrics and Gynecology: December 2019 - Volume 31 - Issue 6 - p 388–392 doi: 10.1097/GCO.0000000000000580

Evaluation of a low-cost inkjet printed slot antenna for energy harvesting applications

A circularly polarized patch antenna fabricated using commercially available, low-cost, printers is described. Two additive processes are combined for the fabrication: stereolithography (SLA) and inkjet printing of silver inks. A widely available SLA 3D printer is employed to fabricate the substrate of the antenna. Inkjet printing is used to deposit the metallic layers of the radiating element on the substrate. The two machines employed are very low-cost in comparison to those used in previously reported work. Good adhesion of the metallic patterns to the substrates is observed. Furthermore, the resistance of the added metallic patch is relatively low. The aim is to demonstrate the use of alternative, inexpensive machines, for the prototyping and manufacturing of antennas on 3D printed substrates. In this work, the antenna operates at the 1.575GHz GPS frequency band. Finite-difference-time-domain simulations compare well with the practical experiments

Accuracy of on-site tests to detect anemia during prenatal care

Ammalife. Grant Number: 1120236, ELLY Appeal, WHO

Accuracy of on-site tests to detect anemia during prenatal care

BACKGROUND: Anemia is a substantial contributor to poor pregnancy outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. Access to laboratory facilities is limited; therefore, on-site testing warrants attention. OBJECTIVES: To determine the accuracy of on-site tests to detect anemia in pregnancy. SEARCH STRATEGY: MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, and Web of Science were searched from inception until March 2016, with no language restrictions, using the terms "pregnancy," "an(a)emia," and "h(a)emoglobin." SELECTION CRITERIA: Studies that evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of on-site hemoglobin tests versus laboratory-based reference tests during pregnancy were included. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Study characteristics and true positive, true negative, false positive, and false negative rates were extracted. Sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios, and post-test probabilities were calculated. Anemia was defined as a hemoglobin level of less than 110 g/L. MAIN RESULTS: Ten studies (4239 participants) were assessed. Copper sulfate provided 97% sensitivity (95% confidence interval [CI] 88%-100%) and 71% specificity (95% CI 55%-85%); the Sahli method provided 86% sensitivity (95% CI 75%-94%) and 83% specificity (95% CI 68%-93%); and HemoCue provided 85% sensitivity (95% CI 79%-90%) and 80% specificity (95% CI 76%-83%). CONCLUSIONS: Some on-site tests are accurate and should be made widely available to improve detection of anemia in pregnancy