A DNA Framework to Predict the Role of Communication in System Reliability

The global business environment involves an extreme level of risk and complexity which is an essential requirement for future growth. Each year, organizations around the world face astronomical project failure rates. A study revealed that on every $1 billion spent on the project,$135 million is at risk. From this $135 million more than half is on the risk due to poor communication. Most of the communication audit tools assessed in the literature, evaluate communication from the organization perspective and does not address how to evaluate communication between the departments and assess the reliability of communication. In this research, Clayton Homes was used as a case study to evaluate the communication between two departments. Sales/Engineering Department was considered as encoders and Production Department was considered as decoders. The attributes of communication were identified to develop the survey questions. One survey was developed for encoders and one for decoders. Analytical Hierarchical Process was used to find the weights of the attributes. T- test was used to compare the mean of two groups. Pearson Correlation was used to identify the correlation between the attributes. Probability Density Function was used to calculate the reliability of communication between two departments. This study will contribute to the current academic research by providing a method to analyze the reliability of communication between two departments

Evaluation of the probiotic and postbiotic potential of lactic acid bacteria from artisanal dairy products against pathogens

Introduction: Probiotic and postbiotic potential of thirty-two strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), obtained earlier from artisanal dairy sources in Pakistan, have been investigated against major multi-drug resistant (MDR) and food borne pathogenic bacteria. Methodology: LAB strains were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and their antibacterial activity was assessed by the microdilution method. Four LAB isolates, Weissella confusa PL6, Enterococcus faecium PL7, and Lactobacillus delbrueckii PL11 and PL13 were shortlisted. Their ability to degrade lactose and safety for human consumption in terms of hemolysis and antibiotic susceptibility were assessed in vitro. The antibacterial components in the cell-free supernatants (CFSs) of isolate cultures were characterized biochemically by HPLC. Results: Acid neutralization but not protease treatment abolished the antibacterial activity of CFSs. Lactic, acetic and propionic acids were the main acids in the CFSs, and acid production peaked in the stationary phase of growth. The antibacterial activity of the LAB cultures resulted from secretion of organic acids that lowered the pH. The strains exhibited variable ability to degrade lactose and were non-hemolytic and susceptible to the most common antibiotics. Conclusions: These LAB strains are probiotic candidates for further investigation of their postbiotic role in naturally preserving processed foods and for attenuation of lactose intolerance.Peer reviewe

Query Based Iterative Learning Approach for Lightpath Deployment in Optical Networks

Predicting the Quality of Transmission (QoT) of a Lightpath (LP) before its actual deployment is important for efficient resource utilization. Conventionally, analytical models using closed-loop formulation estimate QoT, which imposes substantial margins to avoid network outages. Recently, data-driven techniques have been shown as a potential alternative with excellent precision and real-time applicability. However, data-driven techniques require sufficient training data, which might be challenging to acquire during real network operations. In this context, we proposed a novel unsupervised Iterative learning (IL) framework developed on top of the Random forest (RF) classifier for QoT estimation of LP before deployment. We considered the Generalized signal-to-noise ratio (GSNR) as a characterizing parameter for QoT estimation of LP. Our simulation results illustrate that, by employing the proposed iterative learning approach, we can obtain 99% classification accuracy with a reduced number of training samples compared to the traditional supervised learning approach

Performance Analysis of Transfer-learning Approaches for QoT Estimation of Network Operating with 400ZR

In the last decade, internet traffic has increased exponentially due to the expansion of bandwidth-intensive applications and the evolution of the concept of the internet of things. To sustain this growth in internet traffic, network operators insist on maximizing the utilization of already deployed network infrastructure to its maximum capacity to maximize the CAPEX. In this context, an accurate and earlier calculation of the Quality of transmission (QoT) of the lightpaths (LPs) is essential for minimizing the required margins that result from the uncertainty of the working point of network elements. This article presents a novel QoT-Estimation (QoT-E) framework assisted by Transfer-learning (TL). The main focus of this study is to present a detailed analysis of two major TL approaches, i.e., the Transfer-learning feature extraction (TLFE) approach and the Transfer-learning fine-tuning (TLFT) method, and demonstrate their effectiveness in minimizing the uncertainties in QoT-E in comparison with standard baseline models like Artificial neural network (ANN) and Convolutional-neural network (CNN). The Generalized signal-to-noise ratio (GSNR) is considered a char-acterizing parameter for the QoT of LP. The dataset utilized in this analysis is generated synthetically using the GNPy platform. Promising results are achieved by reducing the overall required margin and extracting the residual network capacity

Generation of lactose and protease positive probiotic Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG by conjugation with Lactococcus lactis NCDO 712

Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) is the most studied probiotic bacterium in the world. It is used as a probiotic supplement in many foods, including various dairy products. However, LGG grows poorly in milk, as it neither metabolizes the main milk carbohydrate lactose nor degrades the major milk protein casein effectively. In this study, we made L rhamnosus GG lactose and protease positive by conjugation with the dairy Lactococcus lactis strain NCDO 712 carrying the lactose-protease plasmid pLP712. A lactose-hydrolyzing transconjugant colony was obtained on agar containing lactose as the sole source of carbohydrates. By microscopic analysis and PCR with LGG- and pLP712-specific primers, the transconjugant was confirmed to have originated from LGG and to carry the plasmid pLP712. The transconjugant was named L. rhamnosus LAB49. The isolation of plasmids revealed that not only pLP712 but also other plasmids had been transferred from L lactis into LGG during conjugation. With plasmid-specific PCR primers, four additional lactococcal plasmids were detected in LAB49. Proteolytic activity assay and SDS-PAGE analysis verified that L rhamnosus LAB49 effectively degraded beta-casein. In contrast to its parental strain, LGG, the ability of LAB49 to metabolize lactose and degrade casein enabled strong and fast growth in milk. As strains with new properties made by conjugation are not regarded as genetically modified organisms (GM05), L. rhamnosus LAB49 could be beneficial in dairy fermentations as a probiotic starter culture. IMPORTANCE Probiotic strain Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) is widely sold on the market as a probiotic or added as a supplement in dairy foods because of its benefits in human health. However, due to the deficiency of lactose and casein utilization, LGG does not grow well in milk. On the other hand, lactose intolerance and cow's milk protein allergy are the two major problems related to milk consumption. One option to help with these two conditions is the use of probiotic or lactose- and casein-hydrolyzing bacteria in dairy products. The purpose of this study was to equip LGG with lactose/casein-hydrolyzing ability by bacterial conjugation. As a result, we generated a non-GMO LGG derivative with improved properties and better growth in milk.Peer reviewe

Kaposiform Hemangioendothelioma: Clinicopathological characteristics of 8 cases of a rare vascular tumor and review of literature

Background: Kaposiform Hemangioendothelioma (KHE) is a rare vascular tumor of intermediate malignant potential which shows locally aggressive growth but only rarely metastasizes. It is mostly considered to be a tumor of pediatric population but its occurrence in the adults is not uncommon as once considered. Histologically, KHE can mimic other soft tissue neoplasms of different behaviors (e.g. Kaposi Sarcoma, hemangioma) and establishing the correct diagnosis is important for appropriate treatment. Herein, we describe the clinicopathological features of 8 cases of KHE which will be helpful in making their diagnosis.Methods: We reviewed pathology reports, microscopy glass slides and obtained follow up information about 8 cases of KHE which were diagnosed at our institution from January 2008 till June 2020. Immunohistochemical stain for HHV8 was also performed.Results: Age ranged from 7 months to 25 years. Seven patients were less than 20 years of age and one patient was 25 years old. Equal gender distribution was observed. Extremities were the most common sites of involvement, followed by head and neck, pancreas and ischiorectal region. 2 cases were resection specimen and all others were incisional biopsies. The largest tumor size was 5.5 cm in one of the resections. The incisional/fragmented tissues were all less than 5 cm in aggregate. Most cases showed predominance of nodular growth and a minor component of spindle cell population along with lymphangiomatosis like vascular channels, with evidence of microthrombi in 2 cases. Few multinucleated giant cells were observed in 2 cases. None of the cases exhibited significant nuclear atypia or mitotic activity. One of the cases arising in dermis showed underlying bone involvement. HHV8 was negative in 7/7 cases.Conclusions: KHE can also involve adult population and it should always be considered in the differential diagnoses of a vascular lesion. Presence of multinucleated giant cells is a rare finding. Knowledge about histological features and potential mimics is helpful in avoiding misdiagnosis

Iterative Transfer Learning Approach for QoT Prediction of Lightpath in Optical Networks

Machine learning (ML) has been widely used in optical networks for accurate Quality-of-transmission (QoT) estimation of Lightpaths (LPs). However, this domain has two main issues: ML-based models require a sufficiently large amount of data for training, and once the model is trained on one type of configuration, it cannot be used for another configuration. This paper focuses on these two issues and proposes an Active Transfer Learning (ATL) based solution. In ATL, Active learning (AL) helps in reducing the dataset’s size while not compromising the model’s performance, while the Transfer learning (TL) concept enables the transfer of knowledge from a source domain to the target domain with improved accuracy. This combined approach of ATL delivers promising results with minimum data samples and enhanced performance

Prevalence of hamstrings tightness and its impact on lower extremity function in asymptomatic individuals with prolonged standing hours

Background: Hamstrings undergo adaptive shortening. It is common in healthy individuals to have a sedentary lifestyle affecting males (91.8%) more than females (78.7%). Hamstring tightness can interrupt ADL’s predisposing the person to further health problems i.e. plantar fasciitis, sacroiliac joint pain, decreased lumbar lordosis, knee pain, quadriceps malfunction, postural disturbances, overstretched lumbar ligaments, reduced muscle strength. Aims and Objectives: To analyze the prevalence of hamstring tightness and its effects on lower extremity function in individuals with prolonged standing. Materials and Methods: 65 participants were chosen for this cross-sectional study by convenient sampling; all were female nurses. The hamstring tightness was measured by the data collection tools i.e. lower limb task questionnaire, straight leg raise test, and active knee extension test after having the consent forms signed by the participants. The data was collected from three big hospitals in the city. Results: The results of the study conducted to see the prevalence of hamstrings tightness and its impact on lower extremity function in asymptomatic individuals with prolonged standing hours showed that only 15.38% of the sample (n=65) with a mean age of 31-35 years were found with bilateral hamstrings tightness while 84.62% were found with no hamstrings tightness. Conclusion: The prevalence of hamstring tightness in asymptomatic individuals with prolonged standing hours is low

Vitamin D Detection Using Electrochemical Biosensors: A Comprehensive Overview

Vitamin D plays a vital role in health; therefore, there is a need for a sensitive, selective, quick, and easy technique for its determination. Previous research has proposed electrochemical biosensors based on different carbon materials that are functionalized with various electrochemical biosensors. However, the existing problems and future opportunities for these sensors need further research. The practical use of electrochemical biosensors for vitamin D detection is attributed to their ability to detect vitamin D from diverse samples, including vitamin D production, in nature. This chapter provides recent investigations on the utilization of electrochemical biosensors for vitamin D detection such as Ab-25OHD/SPE/FMTAD, CYP27B1/GCE, SiO2/GO/Ni(OH)2/GCE, BSA/Ab-VD2/CD-CH/ITO, BSA/Anti VD/Fe3O4 PANnFs/ITO, BSA/Ab-VD/Asp-Gd2O3NRs/ITO, 25OHD, 25OHD Antibody, IoT-Enabled Enzyme Embossed Biosensor, Au-Pt NPs/APTES/FTO, and GCN-β-CD/Au nanocomposite. The chapter aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the recent developments in electrochemical biosensors for accurate and efficient vitamin D detection

Mechanical Performance of Polymeric ARGF-Based Fly Ash-Concrete Composites: A Study for Eco-Friendly Circular Economy Application

At present, low tensile mechanical properties and a high carbon footprint are considered the chief drawbacks of plain cement concrete (PCC). At the same time, the combination of supplementary cementitious material (SCM) and reinforcement of fiber filaments is an innovative and eco-friendly approach to overcome the tensile and environmental drawbacks of plain cement concrete (PCC). The combined and individual effect of fly ash (FA) and Alkali resistance glass fiber (ARGF) with several contents on the mechanical characteristics of M20 grade plain cement concrete was investigated in this study. A total of 20 concrete mix proportions were prepared with numerous contents of FA (i.e., 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40%) and ARGF (i.e., 0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5%). The curing of these concrete specimens was carried out for 7 and 28 days. For the analysis of concrete mechanical characteristics, the following flexural, split tensile, and compressive strength tests were applied to these casted specimens. The outcomes reveal that the mechanical properties increase with the addition of fibers and decrease at 30 and 40% replacement of cement with fly ash. Replacement of cement at higher percentages (i.e., 30 and 40) negatively affects the mechanical properties of concrete. On the other hand, the addition of fibers positively enhanced the flexural and tensile strength of concrete mixes with and without FA in contrast to compressive strength. In the end, it was concluded that the combined addition of these two materials enhances the strength and toughness of plain cement concrete, supportive of the application of an eco-friendly circular economy. The relationship among the mechanical properties of fiber-reinforced concrete was successfully generated at each percentage of fly ash. The R-square for general relationships varied from (0.48–0.90) to (0.68–0.96) for each percentage of FA fiber reinforced concrete. Additionally, the accumulation of fibers effectively boosts the mechanical properties of all concrete mixes.publishedVersio