Energy-efficient device-to-device communication in internet of things using hybrid optimization technique

Device-to-device (D2D) communication has grown into notoriety as a critical component of the internet of things (IoT). One of the primary limitations of IoT devices is restricted battery source. D2D communication is the direct contact between the participating devices that improves the data rate and delivers the data quickly by consuming less battery. An energy-efficient communication method is required to enhance the communication lifetime of the network by reducing the node energy dissipation. The clustering-based D2D communication method is maximally acceptable to boom the durability of a network. The oscillating spider monkey optimization (OSMO) and oscillating particle swarm optimization (OPSO) algorithms are used in this study to improve the selection of cluster heads (CHs) and routing paths for D2D communication. The CHs and D2D communication paths are selected depending on the parameters such as energy consumption, distance, end-to-end delay, link quality and hop count. A simulation environment is designed to evaluate and test the performance of the OSMO-OPSO algorithm with existing D2D communication algorithms (such as the GAPSO-H algorithm, adaptive resource-aware split-learning (ARES), bio-inspired cluster-based routing scheme (Bi-CRS), and European society for medical oncology (ESMO) algorithm). The results proved that the proposed technique outperformed with respect to traditional routing strategies regarding latency, packet delivery, energy efficiency, and network lifetime

Obstetric near miss events and maternal deaths in a tertiary care hospital

Background: Maternal mortality is one of the important indicators of maternal health. Objectives of present study were to determine the frequency of maternal near miss, maternal near miss incidence ratio, maternal near miss to mortality ratio and mortality index and to study the risk factors associated with near miss events.Methods: A retrospective analysis of severe maternal morbidity from January 2015 to December 2015 was studied. Data was collected from women with pregnancy related life-threatening complications, near miss cases and maternal deaths.Results: The total number of deliveries were 5247. The numbers of maternal deaths were 12. Maternal mortality ratio was 228 per one lakh deliveries. There were 5.3 near miss events for every 1 maternal death. The nature and course of near miss cases were analysed. Severe maternal odds ratio was 14.48. Mortality index was 15.78%. Maternal near miss incidence ratio was 12.19.Conclusions: Near Miss Mortality indicator is helpful in identifying the life-threatening conditions and thus aiming to prevent maternal mortality. Hypertensive disorders and its complications are the leading causes of near miss events. Sepsis is the main cause of maternal death

Standardization of leaf age for radical scavenging activity in Terminalia arjuna

Terminalia arjuna is one of the many such plant that used in indigenous system of medicine for curing different diseases. For effective formulation of herbal drug selection of proper age of the plant is imperative. In the present study, the T. arjuna plant (leaves) was collected from the Botanical garden of Saurashtra University. The leaves were grouped in to various size and growth analysis was performed. Each extract homogenized in methanol and was used for chlorophyll estimation and antioxidant activities. Radical scavenging activity of the methanol extract of different stages leaves were determined using a stable free radical 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), using Micro plate assay. Further the phenolic compounds were separated by Reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatography analysis (RP-HPLC). At the leaf stage when maximum antioxidant activity was observed, phenol like Gallic acid showed distinct peak. The role of phenolic compounds in antioxidant activities is discussed

Random Regression for Modeling Semen Fertility in HF Purebred and Crossbred Bulls Using a Bayesian Framework

Data on insemination records of Holstein Friesian (HF) purebred (n=45,497) and crossbred (n=58,497) collected from the BAIF Research Foundation were utilized. The conception rate was modeled as a binary trait, using linear repeatability models. Random regression models (RRM) were used to obtain the trajectory of variance components across age of the bulls. Legendre Polynomials up to order of fit of 4 were used for the random effects of additive genetic and permanent environmental effects. 200,000 Gibbs samples were generated with a burn-in of 20,000 and thinning interval of 50 using the THRGIBBS1F90 program. Heritability estimates were very low (0.1) in both breeds but peaked at the extreme ages. Heritability and repeatability estimates ranged between 0.038 (8 years) to 0.627 (10 years) and 0.060 to 0.809 respectively in purebreds. Narrower ranges of 0.010 (4 years) to 0.087 (11 years) and 0.532 to 0.832 for heritability and repeatability respectively, were obtained in crossbreds. Effect of permanent environment was low in purebreds compared to the crossbreds. The study using RRM was able to provide genetic parameter estimates of fertility for all ages throughout the productive lifespan of bulls

DOES METHYLPHENIDATE ENHANCE COGNITION IN NORMAL RATS AND DOES IT AFFECT NEURONAL POPULATION?

Objective: Methylphenidate [MPH] is one of the drugs of choice for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder [ADHD] since many decades with good effect. Consumption of this drug by normal children and adolescents to boost their cognition skills is of concern. MPH induced cognitive enhancement involves brain dopamine and norepinephrine levels in areas concerned with cognition especially hippocampus. Altered expression of these neurotransmitters can affect neuronal population of hippocampus which may have the significant effect in later part of the life. Hence we evaluate the effect of MPH on cognition and histopathological changes in the hippocampus and dentate gyrus.Methods: Two month old male wistar rats were given either 2 or 5 mg/kg dose of MPH for 10 successive days and another set of rats served as control. The rats were tested for learning and memory activities followed by histopathological studies in hippocampus and dentate gyrus using Nissl staining.Results: MPH at both the doses has enhanced learning abilities as well as retention of memory. The histopathological studies did not show any significant effect on dentate gyrus as well as hippocampus.Conclusion: Though MPH is known to provide sound results in ADHD, from the present study it is clear that MPH treatment in normal rats also temporarily enhance the cognitive skills especially declarative memory. However, its effect on long term memory is to be investigated. MPH treatment has not affected the neuronal population hence possible cytotoxic effects on neurons can be ruled out from the present study.Â

Factors associated with parental resolution of a child's autism diagnosis: A systematic review

BackgroundReceiving a child's autism diagnosis can be stressful; as such, parent resolution contributes to the wellbeing and development of healthy parent-child relationships. In other significant childhood diagnoses (e.g., cerebral palsy, diabetes), the degree to which parents adjust to (a) their child's diagnosis and (b) their changes in expectations concerning their child's development and capacity (referred to as resolution to diagnosis), has been associated with improved outcomes including facilitating parent-child relationships and improved parental wellbeing. Given potential benefits to parent and child, and the heterogenous nature of autism, examining the unique factors associated with resolution to diagnosis is important. In this systematic review we identified factors that support or inhibit parental resolution to their child receiving a diagnosis of autism.MethodsWe completed a systematic review following PRISMA guidelines of peer-reviewed studies from 2017 to 2022, that investigated parental resolution or acceptance of an autism diagnosis. Papers including “acceptance” needed to encompass both accepting the diagnosis and the implications regarding the child's abilities. We searched six databases (Scopus, Web of Science, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, ProQuest), with additional papers located following review of reference lists.ResultsFourteen papers with 592 participants that investigated parental resolution or acceptance of an autism diagnosis, were included. We identified six common factors that facilitate or inhibit parental resolution and acceptance of an autism diagnosis including: symptom severity; religion, belief, and culture; knowledge and uncertainty; negative emotions (i.e., denial, shame, guilt); positive emotions; and support. Greater resolution was associated with improved “attunement and insightfulness” in the parent-child relationship.LimitationThe review was limited by the small number of studies meeting inclusion criteria. Second, the quality of included studies was mixed, with over half of the studies being qualitative and only one randomized control trial (RCT) identified.ConclusionParental resolution can have an impact on parent's perception of their child's capabilities and impact the parent-child relationship. We identified six categories that aid in inhibiting or promoting resolution to diagnosis. Despite taking a broad approach on the definition of resolution, the low number of studies identified in the review indicates a need for more research in this area.Systematic review registrationhttp://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, PROSPERO [ID: CRD42022336283]

Perfusion index as a predictor of hypotension following induction of general anaesthesia with propofol-An observational study

Background: Perfusion index (PI) is a somewhat novel parameter evaluating the pulsatility of blood in the extremities, calculated using the infrared spectrum as a component of plethysmography waveform processing. Aims and Objectives: To obtain a cutoff value of pre-anesthesia PI, which may be helpful for the prediction of hypotension following anesthetic induction with propofol. Materials and Methods: This descriptive observational research was carried out at the Sree Gokulam medical college and research foundation, Venjaramoodu, Trivandrum, Kerala, from June 2020 to June 2021. A total of 174 patients of age group 17–60 years, with ASA 1 or 2 scheduled for surgery under general anesthesia, were included. The parameters (systolic blood pressure [SBP], diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, PI, and SPO2) were recorded until 5 min of induction. Intravenous (IV) fentanyl 2 μg/kg was administered, propofol injected was given slowly at a rate of 10 mg per every 5 s, titrated to loss of verbal communication responseuronium 0.1 mg/kg IV was administered. The calculation for hypertension was done 5 min after anesthesia. The predictive validity of PI was calculated, keeping SBP as the standard gold test. For statistical analysis coGuide software. Results: The cutoff value for PI at 5 min was low (≤2.45) for 27 (90%) participants and high (>2.45) for 3 (10%) participants. With a sensitivity of 90% in predicting hypotension and specificity of 87.50%, false-positive rate was 12.50%, false-negative rate was 10, positive predictive value was 60% (95 CI 44.43–74.30%), the negative predictive value (NPV) was 97.67%, and the total diagnostic accuracy was 87.93%. Conclusion: With the current study’s findings, we conclude that PI cutoff value 2.45 can be used to predict hypotension following anesthetic induction with propofol. It has a high NPV with fair diagnostic accuracy

Social Media Use by Residents and Faculty in Otolaryngology Training Programs.

OBJECTIVES: Despite the growth of social media in healthcare, the appropriateness of online friendships between otolaryngological residents and attendings is poorly defined in the current literature. This issue is of growing importance, particularly as residency programs increasingly utilize social media as a means of connecting with and evaluating applicants due to limited in-person experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our objective was to better understand the prevalence of and concerns surrounding social media use between residents and faculty. METHODS: This study sent out 2 surveys in 2017 to all United States Otolaryngology residency program directors to disperse to their residents and attendings, respectively. RESULTS: We received a response from 72 residents and 98 attendings. Our findings show that social media is commonly used by both residents and attendings, and most residents have at least 1 online friendship with an attending. Resident and attending opinions diverge on topics such as appropriateness of use, privacy settings, and professionalism. CONCLUSIONS: We call on residency programs to delineate a transparent social media policy so applicant expectations on social media are clear

Causes, patterns and severity of androgen excess in 487 consecutively recruited pre- and post-pubertal children

Objective Androgen excess in childhood is a common presentation and may signify sinister underlying pathology. Data describing its patterns and severity are scarce, limiting the information available for clinical decision processes. Here, we examined the differential diagnostic value of serum DHEAS, androstenedione (A4) and testosterone in childhood androgen excess. Design Retrospective review of all children undergoing serum androgen measurement at a single center over 5 years. Methods Serum A4 and testosterone were measured by tandem mass spectrometry and DHEAS by immunoassay. Patients with at least one increased androgen underwent phenotyping by clinical notes review. Results In 487 children with simultaneous DHEAS, A4 and testosterone measurements, we identified 199 with androgen excess (140 pre- and 59 post-pubertal). Premature adrenarche (PA) was the most common pre-pubertal diagnosis (61%), characterized by DHEAS excess in 85%, while A4 and testosterone were only increased in 26 and 9% respectively. PCOS was diagnosed in 40% of post-pubertal subjects, presenting equally frequent with isolated excess of DHEAS (29%) or testosterone (25%) or increases in both A4 and testosterone (25%). CAH patients (6%) predominantly had A4 excess (86%); testosterone and DHEAS were increased in 50 and 33% respectively. Concentrations increased above the two-fold upper limit of normal were mostly observed in PA for serum DHEAS (&gt;20-fold in the single case of adrenocortical carcinoma) and in CAH for serum androstenedione. Conclusions Patterns and severity of childhood androgen excess provide pointers to the underlying diagnosis and can be used to guide further investigations.</p