Footwear-integrated force sensing resistor sensors: A machine learning approach for categorizing lower limb disorders

Lower limb disorders are a substantial contributor to both disability and lower standards of life. The prevalent disorders affecting the lower limbs include osteoarthritis of the knee, hip, and ankle. The present study focuses on the use of footwear that incorporates force-sensing resistor sensors to classify lower limb disorders affecting the knee, hip, and ankle joints. The research collected data from a sample of 117 participants who wore footwear integrated with force-sensing resistor sensors while walking on a predetermined walkway of 9 meters. Extensive preprocessing and feature extraction techniques were applied to form a structured dataset. Several machine learning classifiers were trained and evaluated. According to the findings, the Random Forest model exhibited the highest level of performance on the balanced dataset with an accuracy rate of 96%, while the Decision Tree model achieved an accuracy rate of 91%. The accuracy scores of the Logistic Regression, Gaussian Naive Bayes, and Long Short-Term Memory models were comparatively lower. K-fold cross-validation was also performed to evaluate the models’ performance. The results indicate that the integration of force-sensing resistor sensors into footwear, along with the use of machine learning techniques, can accurately categorize lower limb disorders. This offers valuable information for developing customized interventions and treatment plans

Nanoplasmonics beyond Ohm's law

In tiny metallic nanostructures, quantum confinement and nonlocal response change the collective plasmonic behavior with important consequences for e.g. field-enhancement and extinction cross sections. We report on our most recent developments of a real-space formulation of an equation-of-motion that goes beyond the common local-response approximation and use of Ohm's law as the central constitutive equation. The electron gas is treated within a semi-classical hydrodynamic model with the emergence of a new intrinsic length scale. We briefly review the new governing wave equations and give examples of applying the nonlocal framework to calculation of extinction cross sections and field enhancement in isolated particles, dimers, and corrugated surfaces.Comment: Invited paper for TaCoNa-Photonics 2012 (www.tacona-photonics.org), to appear in AIP Conf. Pro

Performance evaluation of LoRaWAN for Green Internet of Things

LoRa is a long-range, low power and single-hop wireless technology that has been envisioned for Internet of Things (IoT) applications having battery driven nodes. Nevertheless, increase in number of end devices and varying throughput requirements impair the performance of pure Aloha in LoRaWAN. Considering these limitations, we evaluate the performance of slotted Aloha in LoRaWAN using extensive simulations. We employed packet error rate (PER), throughput, delay, and energy consumption of devices under different payload sizes and varying number of end devices as benchmarks. Moreover, an analytical analysis of backlogged and non-backlogged under slotted Aloha LoRaWAN environment is also performed. The simulation shows promising results in terms of PER and throughput compared to the pure Aloha. However, increase in delay has been observed during experimental evaluation.Finally, we endorse slotted aloha LoRaWAN for Green IoT Environment

PREVALENCE OF PARAMPHISTOMUM CERVI IN RUMINANTS SLAUGHTERED IN DISTRICT MUZAFFAR GARH

Rumen of 100 slaughtered animals viz. sheep (n=14), goats (n=42), cattle (n=34) and buffalo (n=10) were examined to determine the prevalence of adult Paramphistomum cervi during January 2007 in Tehsil Jatoi, District Muzaffar Garh, Pakistan. Overall prevalence was found to be 22% (22/100) and species wise prevalence was 28.57% (4/14) in sheep, 23.80% (10/42) in goats, 17.64% (6/34) in cattle and 20% (2/10) in buffaloes, the difference between the species being non significant

Incoherent Transport through Molecules on Silicon in the vicinity of a Dangling Bond

We theoretically study the effect of a localized unpaired dangling bond (DB) on occupied molecular orbital conduction through a styrene molecule bonded to a n++ H:Si(001)-(2x1) surface. For molecules relatively far from the DB, we find good agreement with the reported experiment using a model that accounts for the electrostatic contribution of the DB, provided we include some dephasing due to low lying phonon modes. However, for molecules within 10 angstrom to the DB, we have to include electronic contribution as well along with higher dephasing to explain the transport features.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure

Conversion from laparoscopic to open cholecystectomy: multivariate analysis of preoperative risk factors

Background: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has become the gold standard in the treatment of symptomatic cholelithiasis. Some patients require conversion to open surgery and several preoperative variables have been identified as risk factors that are helpful in predicting the probability of conversion. However, there is a need to devise a risk-scoring system based on the identified risk factors to (a) predict the risk of conversion preoperatively for selected patients, (b) prepare the patient psychologically, (c) arrange operating schedules accordingly, and (d) minimize the procedure-related cost and help overcome financial constraints, which is a significant problem in developing countries.AIM: This study was aimed to evaluate preoperative risk factors for conversion from laparoscopic to open cholecystectomy in our setting.SETTINGS AND DESIGNS: A case control study of patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery from January 1997 to December 2001 was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.MATERIALS AND Methods: All those patients who were converted to open surgery (n = 73) were enrolled as cases. Two controls who had successful laparoscopic surgery (n = 146) were matched with each case for operating surgeon and closest date of surgery.STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Descriptive statistics were computed and, univariate and multivariate analysis was done through multiple logistic regression.Results: The final multivariate model identified two risk factors for conversion: ultrasonographic signs of inflammation (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 8.5; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.3, 21.9) and age \u3e 60 years (aOR = 8.1; 95% CI: 2.9, 22.2) after adjusting for physical signs, alkaline phosphatase and BMI levels.CONCLUSION: Preoperative risk factors evaluated by the present study confirm the likelihood of conversion. Recognition of these factors is important for understanding the characteristics of patients at a higher risk of conversion

Theoretical and experimental investigation of thiourea derivatives: synthesis, crystal structure, in-silico and in-vitro biological evaluation

ABSTRACT. In this study, five different thiourea derivatives were synthesized from aryl amines according to the reported method. 1-Benzoyl-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)thiourea (2) was confirmed with single crystal XRD analysis while 1-benzoyl-3-phenylthiourea (1), 1-benzoyl-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)thiourea (3), 1-benzoyl-3-(2-nitrophenyl) thiourea (4) and 1-benzoyl-3-p-tolylthiourea (5) were elucidated with FTIR and NMR techniques. The geometry optimization of the targeted molecules was accomplished with density functional theory applying B3LYP function. The experimental (XRD) and calculated (DFT) bond angles and bond lengths were compared. The frontier molecular orbitals and molecular electrostatic potential were computed to determine the charge density distribution and possible sites for electrophilic and nucleophilic reactions of the crystalline compound. The synthesized compounds were evaluated as an anti-radical scavenger and enzyme (esterases and protease) inhibitor using in-vitro models. The results confirmed that the synthesized molecules have good anti-oxidant property while a moderate enzyme inhibiting activity. Docking study was conducted with acetylcholine and butyrylcholine esterase which suggested that molecules under study have a potential to inhibit these esterases and protease enzymes. On the basis of in-vitro studies, it is concluded that compound 2 is most active against all tested assays.                     KEY WORDS: Thiourea, 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, Enzyme inhibition, Density functional theory, Docking studies   Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2021, 35(3), 587-600. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v35i3.1

Determination of toxic metals in water of lahor canal by atomic absorption spectroscopy

Present study describes the atomic absorption spectro-photometric determination of metals (Ni, Cr, Zn, Fe, As and Cu) in the surface water of Lahore canal passing through the center of Lahore (city) Pakistan. Analysis showed that month wise average Ni, Zn and As concentrations lies within the National Environmental Quality Standards limits for these metals as designed by Environmental Protection Agency Pakistan, while Cr, Fe and Cu showed marked rise in their month wise average concentrations from their limiting values