Jaringan WBN Multisensor untuk Aplikasi Monitoring Kesehatan Pasien

-Aktifitas riset terkait penggunaan sistem jaringan sensor nirkabel untuk monitoring kesehatan manusia terus mengalami perkembangan yang pesat beberapa tahun terakhir ini. Penelitian terdahulu di Jurusan Teknik Elektro UNHAS, Makassar dalam bidang ini telah menghasilkan prototipe jaringan sensor nirkabel untuk monitoring denyut nadi. Aplikasi ini menggunakan sensor tunggal denyut nadi manusia dengan memanfaatkan jaringan Xbee-Pro sebagai media transfer data antara sistem WBN (wireless body network) manusia dan komputer sebagai penerima serta penampil grafik sinyal medik. Untuk kegiatan riset yang dikembangkan saat ini sistem WBN menggunakan lebih dari satu sensor (multisensor), yakni sensor detak nadi dan sensor suhu LM-35 dengan memanfaatkan jaringan nirkabel yang berbeda (bluetooth) agar dapat ditampilkan pada smartphone berbasis android. Cara kerja sistem ini adalah dengan mengambil data pendeteksi pulse sensor dan sensor suhu kemudian data dikirim oleh piranti modul arduino melalui perangkat bluetooth untuk ditampilkan pada aplikasi Bluetooth SPP Pro smartphone android

Sistem Jaringan Nirkabel Dual-Sensor untuk Monitoring Data Medik Pasien

Riset tentang penggunaan sistem jaringan nirkabel untuk monitoring tanda-tanda vital kesehatan manusia terus mengalami perkembangan. Salah satu penelitian sebelumnya menghasilkan aplikasi jaringan sensor nirkabel untuk monitoring denyut nadi. Aplikasi yang dihasilkan berupa penggunaan jaringan nirkabel untuk memantau denyut nadi manusia, aplikasi ini menggunakan sensor tunggal (single sensor) dengan menggunakan jaringan Xbee sebagai media pengirim data. Dari uraian tersebut, dibutuhkan penelitian lanjutan dengan orientasi riset pada pemakaian lebih dari satu sensor (dual-sensor) serta penggunaan jaringan nirkabel yang berbeda yaitu jaringan bluetooth untuk mengirim data dari perangkat sensor ke smartphone android sebagai perangkat penerima. Hasil pengujian throughput dan data loss menunjukkan\ud bahwa bluetooth mempunyai stabilitas yang baik dalam melakukan pengiriman data tanpa data loss dalam jangkauan maksimal 9,5 meter dalam ruang terbuka dengan\ud throughput 0,97 kbps dan maksimal 17 meter dalam ruang tertutup dengan throughput yang sama yaitu 0,97 kbps

Postmortem Brain Imaging in Alzheimer\u27s Disease and Related Dementias: The South Texas Alzheimer\u27s Disease Research Center Repository

Background: Neuroimaging bears the promise of providing new biomarkers that could refine the diagnosis of dementia. Still, obtaining the pathology data required to validate the relationship between neuroimaging markers and neurological changes is challenging. Existing data repositories are focused on a single pathology, are too small, or do not precisely match neuroimaging and pathology findings. Objective: The new data repository introduced in this work, the South Texas Alzheimer’s Disease research center repository, was designed to address these limitations. Our repository covers a broad diversity of dementias, spans a wide age range, and was specifically designed to draw exact correspondences between neuroimaging and pathology data. Methods: Using four different MRI sequences, we are reaching a sample size that allows for validating multimodal neuroimaging biomarkers and studying comorbid conditions. Our imaging protocol was designed to capture markers of cerebrovascular disease and related lesions. Quantification of these lesions is currently underway with MRI-guided histopathological examination. Results: A total of 139 postmortem brains (70 females) with mean age of 77.9 years were collected, with 71 brains fully analyzed. Of these, only 3% showed evidence of AD-only pathology and 76% had high prevalence of multiple pathologies contributing to clinical diagnosis. Conclusion: This repository has a significant (and increasing) sample size consisting of a wide range of neurodegenerative disorders and employs advanced imaging protocols and MRI-guided histopathological analysis to help disentangle the effects of comorbid disorders to refine diagnosis, prognosis and better understand neurodegenerative disorders

Impacts of citrus pulp addition and wilting on elephant grass silage quality.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the use of citrus pulp addition and wilting on fermentative characteristics, chemical composition as well as gas and effluent losses of elephant grass silage. The elephant grass (70 growth days) was collected manually; one portion was immediately chopped and another one was allowed to wilt in the sun for a period of 6 h and subsequently chopped for the production of silage. Experimental PVC silos (10 cm diameter x 30 cm height) were used and sand bags were placed at the bottom of the silos. Citrus pulp (80 g kg-1 of MN) was added at the beginning of ensilage. The ensiled material was manually compressed to provide a specific mass of approximately 600 kg m-3 of silage. After 60 days, the silos were opened; gas and effluent losses were calculated and we determined pH, dry matter (DM), crude protein(CP), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), lignin, ammonia nitrogen, ash and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD). We added 0 or 80 g kg-1 of citrus pulp to wilted and un-wilted elephant grass. We used a completely randomised design with a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement (wilted or un-wilted) x (with or without citrus pulp), totalling treatments with five repetitions. Average values were compared using the F test with a probability of 5%. The addition of citrus pulp resulted in reduced levels of NDF, lignin, ash, N-NH3 and pH and in increased values of DM and IVDMD of silages. Wilting increased the DM, NDF and lignin values and reduced the concentrations of CP, IVDMD and N-NH3. Based on our results, citrus pulp addition improves the chemical composition of elephant grass silage and increases its in vitro dry matter digestibility

Desempenho produtivo e composição do leite de vacas da raça holandesa no final da lactação, manejadas em pastagem e suplementadas com diferentes níveis de concentrado.

RESUMO - Foram utilizadas 36 vacas da raça Holandesa na fase final de lactação em um delineamento com parcelas sub-subdivididas, em pastejo de Coastcross, com o objetivo de se avaliar diferentes quantidades de suplementação: três e seis quilos de concentrado, sobre o desempenho animal (produção e composição do leite, peso e condição corporal). O Coastcross manejado em pastejo intermitente no período de verão, com lotação de cinco unidades animal por hectare apresentou em média 11,7% de PB; 70,2% de FDN; 35,2% de FDA e 63,7% de digestibilidade in vitro da matéria seca. A maior ingestão de concentrado pelas vacas que receberam seis quilos de concentrado não afetou (P>0,05) a produção de leite, os teores de proteína, gordura, lactose e sólidos totais do leite produzido. No entanto, o escore da condição corporal (ECC) e a contagem de células somáticas (CCS) aumentaram com a maior suplementação de concentrado. Concluiu-se então que a suplementação de vacas holandesas no terço final de lactação mantidas em pastejo de Coastcross sp, com três e seis quilos de concentrado, não influenciou o peso corporal, a produção e a composição do leite (gordura, proteína, lactose e sólidos totais). No entanto, a maior suplementação influenciou o ECC e a CCS. ABSTRACT - Thirty-six late lactating Holstein cows in a split-split-plot design model in a Coast-cross pasture were used in order to assess different amounts of supplement: three and six kilos of concentrate mixture under the animal performance (milk production and composition, body weight and body condition). The coast-cross managed in intermittent grazing in the summer, with a stocking rate of 5 animal/ hectare presented an average of 11.7% of CP; 70.2% of NDF; 35.2% of ADF, and 63.7% of in vitro dry matter digestibility. Higher ingestion of concentrate mixture by the cows which received six kilos of concentrate mixture did not affect milk production (P<0.05), the protein content, lactose, and of the total solids in the milk produced. However, the body conditions score (BCS) and the somatic cell count (SCC) increase as a result of the higher supplement of concentrate mixture. It was thus concluded that supplementing late lactating Holstein cows grazing on coast-cross pasture with three or six kilos of concentrate mixture did not influence their body weight, production, and milk composition (fat, protein, lactose, and total solids). However, higher supplementation influenced both BCS and SCC

Dinâmica da fase sólida e líquida no trato gastrintestinal de vacas leiteiras em pastagem tropical.

RESUMO - Avaliaram-se os efeitos do fornecimento de três e seis quilos de concentrado na dinâmica da fase sólida e líquida, em vacas em lactação em pastagem de Coast cross fertilizada. Estimaramse os parâmetros da cinética de fluxo de partículas no trato gastrintestinal (TGI) por intermédio dos modelos de Grovum & Willians (1973) e Dhanoa et al. (1985), testando aquele que proporcione melhores valores preditos da excreção do cromo nas fezes e para os parâmetros da cinética da fase sólida, biologicamente aceitáveis, perante as dietas. O Coast cross manejado em pastejo intermitente, com cinco unidades animal (UA)/ha, em média, possuía 11,7% de PB; 70,2% de FDN; 35,2% de FDA e 63,8% de DIVMS. A quantidade de concentrado proporcionou uma ingestão de MS de 13,4 e 14,6 kg, proporcionando percentagens de nutrientes na MS da dieta de, respectivamente, 13,6 e 15,2% de PB, 2,6 e 3,2% de EE e FDN de 64,0 e 59,0%, aos tratamentos com três e seis quilos de concentrado, respectivamente. Os parâmetros da cinética de fluxo de partículas no TGI, não foram alterados pelos diferentes tratamentos. O modelo de Dhanoa et al. (1985) foi mais eficiente na estimação dos parâmetros relativos à taxa de passagem de vacas em lactação em pastagem e suplementadas. Os parâmetros avaliados na cinética da fase líquida, não foram influenciados pela maior ingestão de concentrado. ABSTRACT - The objectives of this study was to evaluate the effects of different amounts of concentrate, three (SU1) and six (SU2) kg of concentrate, on the dynamics of the solid and liquid phases in lactating Holland cows handled in fertilized Coastcross forage. For the determination of the parameters of the particle kinetics in the gastrointestinal tract, the models of Grovum e Willians (1973) and Dhanoa et al. (1985) were used, checking which provided the best predicted values of chromium excretion in the faeces and for the parameters of the solid-phase kinetics, biologically acceptable, in face of the experimental diets. The Coastcross handled in intermittent foraging, with lots of five animal units (UA)/ha had on average 11.7% PB, 70.2% FDN, 35.2% FDA and 63.8% of DIVMS. The different amounts of concentrate provided a mean dietary ingestion of 13.6% and 14.6% of MS, having nutrient percentages in the MS of the diet of 13.6% and 15.2% PB, 2.6% and 3.2% EE and FDN of 64.0% and 59.0%, respectively. The parameters of the flux kinetics of particles in the gastrointestinal tract were not altered by the different amounts of concentrate. The model of Dhanoa et al. (1985) was more effective in the determination of the parameters related to the rate of flux. The evaluated parameters for the liquid-phase kinetics were not influenced by the greater ingestion of concentrate

Dermatological patients with itch report more stress, stigmatization experience, anxiety and depression compared to patients without itch: Results from a European multi‐centre study

Background: Itch as the most common symptom in dermatology has been shown to be related to psychological factors such as stress, anxiety and depression. Moreover, associations were found between perceived stigmatization and itch. However, studies investigating the differences between patients with dermatoses with and without itch regarding perceived stress, stigmatization, anxiety and depression are missing. Therefore, one of the aims of the second study of the European Society for Dermatology and Psychiatry (ESDaP study II) was to investigate these relationships in a large cohort of patients with different itchy dermatoses. Results: 3399 patients with 14 different itchy dermatoses were recruited at 22 centres in 17 European countries. They filled in questionnaires to assess perceived stigmatization, stress, signs of clinically relevant anxiety or depression, itch‐related quality of life, the overall health status, itch duration, frequency and intensity. The most significant association between the severity of itching and the perception of stress was observed among individuals with rosacea (correlation coefficient r = 0.314). Similarly, the strongest links between itch intensity and experiences of stigmatization, anxiety, and depression were found in patients with seborrheic dermatitis (correlation coefficients r = 0.317, r = 0.356, and r = 0.400, respectively). Utilizing a stepwise linear regression analysis, it was determined that within the entire patient cohort, 9.3% of the variation in itch intensity could be accounted for by factors including gender, levels of anxiety, depression, and perceived stigmatization. Females and individuals with elevated anxiety, depression, and perceived stigmatization scores reported more pronounced itch intensities compared to those with contrary attributes. Conclusion: This study underscores the connection between experiencing itch and its intensity and the psychological strain it places on individuals. Consequently, psychological interventions should encompass both addressing the itch itself and the interconnected psychological factors. In specific cases, it becomes imperative for dermatologists to direct individuals towards suitable healthcare resources to undergo further psychological assessment

Isosorbide Mononitrate and Cilostazol Treatment in Patients With Symptomatic Cerebral Small Vessel Disease: The Lacunar Intervention Trial-2 (LACI-2) Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance Cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) is a common cause of stroke (lacunar stroke), is the most common cause of vascular cognitive impairment, and impairs mobility and mood but has no specific treatment.Objective To test the feasibility, drug tolerability, safety, and effects of 1-year isosorbide mononitrate (ISMN) and cilostazol treatment on vascular, functional, and cognitive outcomes in patients with lacunar stroke.Design, Setting, and Participants The Lacunar Intervention Trial-2 (LACI-2) was an investigator-initiated, open-label, blinded end-point, randomized clinical trial with a 2 × 2 factorial design. The trial aimed to recruit 400 participants from 26 UK hospital stroke centers between February 5, 2018, and May 31, 2021, with 12-month follow-up. Included participants had clinical lacunar ischemic stroke, were independent, were aged older than 30 years, had compatible brain imaging findings, had capacity to consent, and had no contraindications to (or indications for) the study drugs. Data analysis was performed on August 12, 2022.Interventions All patients received guideline stroke prevention treatment and were randomized to ISMN (40-60 mg/d), cilostazol (200 mg/d), ISMN-cilostazol (40-60 and 200 mg/d, respectively), or no study drug.Main Outcomes The primary outcome was recruitment feasibility, including retention at 12 months. Secondary outcomes were safety (death), efficacy (composite of vascular events, dependence, cognition, and death), drug adherence, tolerability, recurrent stroke, dependence, cognitive impairment, quality of life (QOL), and hemorrhage.Results Of the 400 participants planned for this trial, 363 (90.8%) were recruited. Their median age was 64 (IQR, 56.0-72.0) years; 251 (69.1%) were men. The median time between stroke and randomization was 79 (IQR, 27.0-244.0) days. A total of 358 patients (98.6%) were retained in the study at 12 months, with 257 of 272 (94.5%) taking 50% or more of the allocated drug. Compared with those participants not receiving that particular drug, neither ISMN (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.80 [95% CI, 0.59 to 1.09]; P = .16) nor cilostazol (aHR, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.57 to 1.05]; P = .10) alone reduced the composite outcome in 297 patients. Isosorbide mononitrate reduced recurrent stroke in 353 patients (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.23 [95% CI, 0.07 to 0.74]; P = .01) and cognitive impairment in 308 patients (aOR, 0.55 [95% CI, 0.36 to 0.86]; P = .008). Cilostazol reduced dependence in 320 patients (aHR, 0.31 [95% CI, 0.14 to 0.72]; P = .006). Combination ISMN-cilostazol reduced the composite (aHR, 0.58 [95% CI, 0.36 to 0.92]; P = .02), dependence (aOR, 0.14 [95% CI, 0.03 to 0.59]; P = .008), and any cognitive impairment (aOR, 0.44 [95% CI, 0.23 to 0.85]; P = .02) and improved QOL (adjusted mean difference, 0.10 [95% CI, 0.03 to 0.17]; P = .005) in 153 patients. There were no safety concerns.Conclusions and Relevance These results show that the LACI-2 trial was feasible and ISMN and cilostazol were well tolerated and safe. These agents may reduce recurrent stroke, dependence, and cognitive impairment after lacunar stroke, and they could prevent other adverse outcomes in cSVD. Therefore, both agents should be tested in large phase 3 trials.Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0345159

Saudi Arabian educational history: impacts on English language teaching

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the history of education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its impact on modern teaching practices. It explores the relationship between traditional practices, teacher identity and English language teaching within an increasingly complex context. Design/methodology/approach – The authors undertake a critical review of education in Saudi Arabia utilising critical reflexivity and their local social knowledge as a means of interrogating practice, research of the field, and related texts. Findings – The paper indicates a direct link between historical teaching practices in early Saudi Arabia and the current teaching of English. It suggests the concept of “hybridity” as one way for local English teachers to construct identities that meet the contextual challenges. Practical implications – This paper has implications both locally and internationally. It provides insight into teaching practices preferred by teachers and students in an Arabian context. This in turn has the potential to inform policy and curriculum development by local educators and foreign contractors in Saudi Arabia that take teacher and student identity into consideration. It also facilitates a more nuanced understanding of their Saudi Arabian students by Western educators and administrators. Originality/value – Although work has been done on teacher identity in Saudi Arabia and limited studies have examined the impact of English as a global language, this is the first study to examine the interplay between historical praxis, teacher identity and the conflicting pressures of teaching English in this contex