Search results for: diagnosis and treatment intervals
9368 The Friction and Wear Behavior of 0.35 VfTiC-Ti3SiC2 Composite
Authors: M. Hadji, A. Haddad, Y. Hadji
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The effects of boronizing treatment on the friction coefficient and wear behavior of 0.35 Vf TiC- Ti3 SiC2 composite were investigated. In order to modify the surface properties of Ti3SiC2, boronizing treatment was carried out through powder pack cementation in the 1150-1350 °C temperature range. After boronizing treatment, one mixture layer, composed of TiB2 and SiC, forms on the surface of Ti3SiC2. The growth of the coating is processed by inward diffusion of Boron and obeys a linear rule. The Boronizing treatment increases the hardness of Ti3SiC2 from 6 GPa to 13 GPa. In the pin-on-disc test, i twas found that the material undergoes a steady-state coefficient of friction of around 0.8 and 0.45 in case of Ti3SiC2/Al2O3 tribocouple under 7 N load for the non treated and the boronized samples, respectively. The wear resistance of Ti3SiC2 under Al2O3 ball sliding has been significantly improved, which indicated that the boronizing treatment is a promising surface modification way of Ti3SiC2.Keywords: MAX phase, boronizing, hardness, wear
Procedia PDF Downloads 3379367 Effects of Using Clinical Practice Guidelines for Caring for Patients with Severe Sepsis or Septic Shock on Clinical Outcomes Based on the Sepsis Bundle Protocol at the ICU of Songkhla Hospital Thailand
Authors: Pornthip Seangsanga
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Sepsis or septic shock needs urgent care because it is a cause of the high mortality rate if patients do not receive timely treatment. Songkhla Hospital does not have a clear system or clinical practice guidelines for treatment of patients with severe sepsis or septic shock, which contributes to the said problem.To compare clinical outcomes based on the protocol after using the clinical guidelines between the Emergency Room, Intensive Care Unit, and the Ward. This quasi-experimental study was conducted on the population and 50 subjects who were diagnosed with severe sepsis or septic shock from December 2013 to May 2014. The data were collected using a nursing care and referring record form for patients with severe sepsis or septic shock at Songkhla Hospital. The record form had been tested for its validity by three experts, and the IOC was 1.The mortality rate in patients with severe sepsis or septic shock who were moved from the ER to the ICU was significantly lower than that of those patients moved from the Ward to the ICU within 48 hours. This was because patients with severe sepsis or septic shock who were moved from the ER to the ICU received more fluid within the first six hours according to the protocol which helped patients to have adequate tissue perfusion within the first six hours, and that helped improve blood flow to the kidneys, and the patients’ urine was found to be with a higher quantity of 0.5 cc/kg/hr, than those patients who were moved from the Ward to the ICU. This study shows that patients with severe sepsis or septic shock need to be treated immediately. Using the clinical practice guidelines along with timely diagnosis and treatment based on the sepsis bundle in giving sufficient and suitable amount of fluid to help improve blood circulation and blood pressure can clearly prevent or reduce severity of complications.Keywords: clinical practice guidelines, caring, septic shock, sepsis bundle protocol
Procedia PDF Downloads 2919366 Asynchronous Sequential Machines with Fault Detectors
Authors: Seong Woo Kwak, Jung-Min Yang
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A strategy of fault diagnosis and tolerance for asynchronous sequential machines is discussed in this paper. With no synchronizing clock, it is difficult to diagnose an occurrence of permanent or stuck-in faults in the operation of asynchronous machines. In this paper, we present a fault detector comprised of a timer and a set of static functions to determine the occurrence of faults. In order to realize immediate fault tolerance, corrective control theory is applied to designing a dynamic feedback controller. Existence conditions for an appropriate controller and its construction algorithm are presented in terms of reachability of the machine and the feature of fault occurrences.Keywords: asynchronous sequential machines, corrective control, fault diagnosis and tolerance, fault detector
Procedia PDF Downloads 3409365 Portable Palpation Probe for Diabetic Foot Ulceration Monitoring
Authors: Bummo Ahn
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Palpation is widely used to measure soft tissue firmness or stiffness in the living condition in order to apply detection, diagnosis, and treatment of tumors, scar tissue, abnormal muscle tone, or muscle spasticity. Since these methods are subjective and depend on the proficiency level, it is concluded that there are other diagnoses depending on the condition of the experts and the results are not objective. The mechanical property obtained by using the elasticity of the tissue is important to calculate a predictive variable for monitoring abnormal tissues. If the mechanical load such as reaction force on the foot increases in the same region under the same conditions, the mechanical property of the tissue is changed. Therefore, objective diagnosis is possible not only for experts but also for patients using this quantitative information. Furthermore, the portable system also allows non-experts to easily diagnose at home, not in hospitals or institutions. In this paper, we introduce a portable palpation system that can be used to measure the mechanical properties of human tissue, which can be applied to monitor diabetic foot ulceration patients with measuring the mechanical property change of foot tissue. The system was designed to be smaller and portable in comparison with the conventional palpation systems. It is consists of the probe, the force sensor, linear actuator, micro control unit, the display module, battery, and housing. Using this system, we performed validation experiments by applying different palpations (3 and 5 mm) to soft tissue (silicone rubber) and measured reaction forces. In addition, we estimated the elastic moduli of the soft tissue against different palpations and compare the estimated elastic moduli that show similar value even if the palpation depths are different.Keywords: palpation probe, portable, diabetic foot ulceration, monitoring, mechanical property
Procedia PDF Downloads 1169364 INNPT Nano Particles Material Technology as Enhancement Technology for Biological WWTP Performance and Capacity
Authors: Medhat Gad
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Wastewater treatment became a big issue in this decade due to shortage of water resources, growth of population and modern live requirements. Reuse of treated wastewater in industrial and agriculture sectors has a big demand to substitute the shortage of clean water supply as well as to save the eco system from dangerous pollutants in insufficient treated wastewater In last decades, most of wastewater treatment plants are built using primary or secondary biological treatment technology which almost does not provide enough treatment and removal of phosphorus and nitrogen. those plants which built ten to 15 years ago also now suffering from overflow which decrease the treatment efficiency of the plant. Discharging treated wastewater which contains phosphorus and nitrogen to water reservoirs and irrigation canals destroy ecosystem and aquatic life. Using chemical material to enhance treatment efficiency for domestic wastewater but it leads to huge amount of sludge which cost a lot of money. To enhance wastewater treatment, we used INNPT nano material which consists of calcium, aluminum and iron oxides and compounds plus silica, sodium and magnesium. INNPT nano material used with a dose of 100 mg/l to upgrade SBR treatment plant in Cairo Egypt -which has three treatment tanks each with a capacity of 2500 cubic meters per day - to tertiary treatment level by removing Phosphorus, Nitrogen and increase dissolved oxygen in final effluent. The results showed that the treatment retention time decreased from 9 hours in SBR system to one hour using INNPT nano material with improvement in effluent quality while increasing plant capacity to 20 k cubic meters per day. Nitrogen removal efficiency achieved 77%, while phosphorus removal efficiency achieved 90% and COD removal efficiency was 93% which all comply with tertiary treatment limits according to Egyptian law.Keywords: INNPT technology, nanomaterial, tertiary wastewater treatment, capacity extending
Procedia PDF Downloads 1599363 Ethical Discussions on Prenatal Diagnosis: Iranian Case of Thalassemia Prevention Program
Authors: Sachiko Hosoya
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Objectives: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the social policy of preventive genetic medicine in Iran, by following the legalization process of abortion law and the factors affecting the process in wider Iranian contexts. In this paper, ethical discussions of prenatal diagnosis and selective abortion in Iran will be presented, by exploring Iranian social policy to control genetic diseases, especially a genetic hemoglobin disorder called Thalassemia. The ethical dilemmas in application of genetic medicine into social policy will be focused. Method: In order to examine the role of the policy for prevention of genetic diseases and selective abortion in Iran, various resources have been sutudied, not only academic articles, but also discussion in the Parliament and documents related to a court case, as well as ethnographic data on living situation of Thalassemia patients. Results: Firstly, the discussion on prenatal diagnosis and selective abortion is overviewed from the viewpoints of ethics, disability rights activists, and public policy for lower-resources countries. As a result, it should be noted that the point more important in the discussion on prenatal diagnosis and selective abortion in Iran is the allocation of medical resources. Secondly, the process of implementation of national thalassemia screening program and legalization of ‘Therapeutic Abortion Law’ is analyzed, through scrutinizing documents such as the Majlis record, government documents and related laws and regulations. Although some western academics accuse that Iranian policy of selective abortion seems to be akin to eugenic public policy, Iranian government carefully avoid to distortions of the policy as ‘eugenic’. Thirdly, as a comparative example, discussions on an Iranian court case of patient’s ‘right not to be born’ will be introduced. Along with that, restrictive living environments of people with Thalassemia patients and the carriers are depicted, to understand some disabling social factors for people with genetic diseases in the local contexts of Iran.Keywords: abortion, Iran, prenatal diagnosis, public health ethics, Thalassemia prevention program
Procedia PDF Downloads 3409362 A Novel Breast Cancer Detection Algorithm Using Point Region Growing Segmentation and Pseudo-Zernike Moments
Authors: Aileen F. Wang
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Mammography has been one of the most reliable methods for early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. However, mammography misses about 17% and up to 30% of breast cancers due to the subtle and unstable appearances of breast cancer in their early stages. Recent computer-aided diagnosis (CADx) technology using Zernike moments has improved detection accuracy. However, it has several drawbacks: it uses manual segmentation, Zernike moments are not robust, and it still has a relatively high false negative rate (FNR)–17.6%. This project will focus on the development of a novel breast cancer detection algorithm to automatically segment the breast mass and further reduce FNR. The algorithm consists of automatic segmentation of a single breast mass using Point Region Growing Segmentation, reconstruction of the segmented breast mass using Pseudo-Zernike moments, and classification of the breast mass using the root mean square (RMS). A comparative study among the various algorithms on the segmentation and reconstruction of breast masses was performed on randomly selected mammographic images. The results demonstrated that the newly developed algorithm is the best in terms of accuracy and cost effectiveness. More importantly, the new classifier RMS has the lowest FNR–6%.Keywords: computer aided diagnosis, mammography, point region growing segmentation, pseudo-zernike moments, root mean square
Procedia PDF Downloads 4449361 A Systematic Review of the Transportability of Cognitive Therapy for the Treatment of PTSD among South African Survivors of Rape
Authors: Anita Padmanabhanunni
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Trauma-focused cognitive-treatment (CT) models are among the most efficacious in treating PTSD arising from exposure to rape. However, these treatment approaches are severely under-utilised by South African mental health care practitioners owing to concerns around whether treatments developed in Western clinical contexts are transportable and applicable in routine clinical settings. One way of promoting the use of these efficacious treatments in local contexts is by identifying and appraising the evidence from local outcome studies. This paper presents the findings of a systematic review of research evidence from local outcome studies on the effectiveness of CT in the treatment of rape-related PTSD in South Africa. The study found that whilst limited research has been published in South Africa on the outcome of CT in the treatment of rape survivors, the studies that are available afford insights into the effectiveness of CT.Keywords: cognitive treatment, PTSD, South Africa, transportability
Procedia PDF Downloads 3289360 Cancer and Disability: A Psychosocial Approach in Puerto Rican Women as Cancer Survivors
Authors: Hector Jose Velazquez-Gonzalez, Norma Maldonado-Santiago, Laura Pietri-Gomez
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Cancer is one of the first cause of death in the world, most of them are women. In Puerto Rico, there is a permanent controversy on the conceptuation of what really involves a disability, also in when a chronic illness, like cancer, should be considered a disability. The aim of the research was to identify functional limitation in 50 women survivors of cancer. In turn, to know the meanings that 6 women attributed to cancer with a focus on functionality. We conducted a mix method research based on surveys and narratives. We administered the World Health Organization Disability Assessment, version 2.0, which obtained a Cronbach’s alpha of .949 on the general scale, and from .773 to .956 on the six domains. The domain that obtained the highest average was social participation (M= 33.89, SD= 20.434), but it was not significant in the disability percentage. Also, there was no significance in the disability percentage in the other five domains. In a matter of meanings, we conduct a semistructured interview to 6 participants. All of them do not refer to cancer as a disability, either they do not know that in Puerto Rico cancer is considered as a disability by the law. However, participants agree that cancer at the time of treatment and subsequent to it, has significant effects on functional limitations (fatigue, pain, cognitive limitations, and weakness, among others. Psychooncologic practice should encourage the constant assessment of the functionality to identify the needs that emerge from oncological diagnosis. So that psychosocial intervention could be considered as critical in cancer treatment to promote a better quality of life and well-being in a person with cancer.Keywords: cancer, Puerto Rico, disability, psychosocial approach
Procedia PDF Downloads 2749359 Research Trends on Magnetic Graphene for Water Treatment: A Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: J. C. M. Santos, J. C. A. Sousa, A. J. Rubio, L. S. Soletti, F. Gasparotto, N. U. Yamaguchi
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Magnetic graphene has received widespread attention for their capability of water and wastewater treatment, which has been attracted many researchers in this field. A bibliometric analysis based on the Web of Science database was employed to analyze the global scientific outputs of magnetic graphene for water treatment until the present time (2012 to 2017), to improve the understanding of the research trends. The publication year, place of publication, institutes, funding agencies, journals, most cited articles, distribution outputs in thematic categories and applications were analyzed. Three major aspects analyzed including type of pollutant, treatment process and composite composition have further contributed to revealing the research trends. The most relevant research aspects of the main technologies using magnetic graphene for water treatment were summarized in this paper. The results showed that research on magnetic graphene for water treatment goes through a period of decline that might be related to a saturated field and a lack of bibliometric studies. Thus, the result of the present work will lead researchers to establish future directions in further studies using magnetic graphene for water treatment.Keywords: composite, graphene oxide, nanomaterials, scientometrics
Procedia PDF Downloads 2389358 Study of Physico-Chimical Properties of a Silty Soil
Authors: Moulay Smaïne Ghembaza, Mokhtar Dadouch, Nour-Said Ikhlef
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Soil treatment is to make use soil that does not have the characteristics required in a given context. We limit ourselves in this work to the field of road earthworks where we have chosen to develop a local material in the region of Sidi Bel Abbes (Algeria). This material has poor characteristics not meeting the standards used in road geo technics. To remedy this, firstly, we were trying to improve the Proctor Standard characteristics of this material by mechanical treatment increasing the compaction energy. Then, by a chemical treatment, adding some cement dosages, our results show that this material classified A1h a increase maximum dry density and a reduction in the water content of compaction. A comparative study is made on the optimal properties of the material between the two modes of treatment. On the other hand, after treatment, one finds a decrease in the plasticity index and the methylene blue value. This material exhibits a change of class. Therefore, soil class CL turned into a soil class composed CL-ML (Silt of low plasticity). This observation allows this material to be used as backfill or sub grade.Keywords: treatment of soil, cement, subgrade, Atteberg limits, classification, optimum proctor properties
Procedia PDF Downloads 4669357 A Review of Deep Learning Methods in Computer-Aided Detection and Diagnosis Systems based on Whole Mammogram and Ultrasound Scan Classification
Authors: Ian Omung'a
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Breast cancer remains to be one of the deadliest cancers for women worldwide, with the risk of developing tumors being as high as 50 percent in Sub-Saharan African countries like Kenya. With as many as 42 percent of these cases set to be diagnosed late when cancer has metastasized and or the prognosis has become terminal, Full Field Digital [FFD] Mammography remains an effective screening technique that leads to early detection where in most cases, successful interventions can be made to control or eliminate the tumors altogether. FFD Mammograms have been proven to multiply more effective when used together with Computer-Aided Detection and Diagnosis [CADe] systems, relying on algorithmic implementations of Deep Learning techniques in Computer Vision to carry out deep pattern recognition that is comparable to the level of a human radiologist and decipher whether specific areas of interest in the mammogram scan image portray abnormalities if any and whether these abnormalities are indicative of a benign or malignant tumor. Within this paper, we review emergent Deep Learning techniques that will prove relevant to the development of State-of-The-Art FFD Mammogram CADe systems. These techniques will span self-supervised learning for context-encoded occlusion, self-supervised learning for pre-processing and labeling automation, as well as the creation of a standardized large-scale mammography dataset as a benchmark for CADe systems' evaluation. Finally, comparisons are drawn between existing practices that pre-date these techniques and how the development of CADe systems that incorporate them will be different.Keywords: breast cancer diagnosis, computer aided detection and diagnosis, deep learning, whole mammogram classfication, ultrasound classification, computer vision
Procedia PDF Downloads 859356 Evaluation of Condyle Alterations after Orthognathic Surgery with a Digital Image Processing Technique
Authors: Livia Eisler, Cristiane C. B. Alves, Cristina L. F. Ortolani, Kurt Faltin Jr.
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Purpose: This paper proposes a technically simple diagnosis method among orthodontists and maxillofacial surgeons in order to evaluate discrete bone alterations. The methodology consists of a protocol to optimize the diagnosis and minimize the possibility for orthodontic and ortho-surgical retreatment. Materials and Methods: A protocol of image processing and analysis, through ImageJ software and its plugins, was applied to 20 pairs of lateral cephalometric images obtained from cone beam computerized tomographies, before and 1 year after undergoing orthognathic surgery. The optical density of the images was analyzed in the condylar region to determine possible bone alteration after surgical correction. Results: Image density was shown to be altered in all image pairs, especially regarding the condyle contours. According to measures, condyle had a gender-related density reduction for p=0.05 and condylar contours had their alterations registered in mm. Conclusion: A simple, viable and cost-effective technique can be applied to achieve the more detailed image-based diagnosis, not depending on the human eye and therefore, offering more reliable, quantitative results.Keywords: bone resorption, computer-assisted image processing, orthodontics, orthognathic surgery
Procedia PDF Downloads 1479355 Nano Fat Injection for Scar Treatment and Skin Rejuvenation
Authors: Sokol Isaraj, Lorela Bendo
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Scars resulting from surgery, injury, or burns have a physical and psychological impact on the affected patient. Although a number of treatments are available, nano fat grafting is an effective treatment for scars. Nano fat is a liquid suspension rich in stem cells obtained by mechanical emulsification. Nano fat grafting was performed in 10 cases to correct rhytides, surgical scars, and post-burn scars between January 2022 and April 2022. Fat was aspirated from the lower abdomen or trochanteric region. After emulsification and filtration protocol, the resulting nano fat liquid was injected intradermally and subdermally. All patients filled out a questionnaire at three months post-treatment, which consisted of questions regarding the grade of improvement of skin and recommendation of the procedure. The clinical results were apparent between 2 and 3 weeks after the treatment. All patients confirmed an improvement in skin texture and quality. The most significant improvement was seen in pigmentation and pliability. No complications were reported. Nano fat seems to be a safe and effective treatment in scar treatment and skin rejuvenation.Keywords: fat grafting, fat transfer, micro fat, nano fat
Procedia PDF Downloads 769354 The Value of Routine Terminal Ileal Biopsies for the Investigation of Diarrhea
Authors: Swati Bhasin, Ali Ahmed, Valence Xavier, Ben Liu
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Aims: Diarrhea is a problem that is a frequent clinic referral to the gastroenterology and surgical team from the General practitioner. To establish a diagnosis, these patients undergo colonoscopy. The current practice at our district general hospital is to perform random left and right colonic biopsies. National guidelines issued by the British Society of Gastroenterology advise all patients presenting with chronic diarrhea should have an Ileoscopy as an indicator for colonoscopy completion. Our primary aim was to check if Terminal ileum (TI) biopsy is required to establish a diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods: Data was collected retrospectively from November 2018 to November 2019. The target population were patients who underwent colonoscopies for diarrhea. Demographic data, endoscopic and histology findings of TI were assessed and analyzed. Results: 140 patients with a mean age of 57 years (19-84) underwent a colonoscopy (M: F; 1:2.3). 92 patients had random colonic biopsies taken and based on the histological results of these, 15 patients (16%) were diagnosed with IBD. The TI was successfully intubated in 40 patients, of which 32 patients had colonic biopsies taken as well. 8 patients did not have a colonic biopsy taken. Macroscopic abnormality in the TI was detected in 5 patients, all of whom were biopsied. Based on histological results of the biopsy, 3 patients (12%) were diagnosed with IBD. These 3 patients (100%) also had colonic biopsies taken simultaneously and showed inflammation. None of the patients had a diagnosis of IBD confirmed on TI intubation alone (where colonic biopsies were not done). None of the patients has a diagnosis of IBD confirmed on TI intubation alone (where colonic biopsies were negative). Conclusion: TI intubation is a highly-skilled, time-consuming procedure with a higher risk of perforation, which as per our study, has little additional diagnostic value in finding IBD for symptoms of diarrhea if colonic biopsies are taken. We propose that diarrhea is a colonic symptom; therefore, colonic biopsies are positive for inflammation if the diarrhea is secondary to IBD. We conclude that all of the IBDs can be diagnosed simply with colonic biopsies.Keywords: biopsy, colon, IBD, terminal ileum
Procedia PDF Downloads 1169353 2D and 3D Unsteady Simulation of the Heat Transfer in the Sample during Heat Treatment by Moving Heat Source
Authors: Zdeněk Veselý, Milan Honner, Jiří Mach
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The aim of the performed work is to establish the 2D and 3D model of direct unsteady task of sample heat treatment by moving source employing computer model on the basis of finite element method. The complex boundary condition on heat loaded sample surface is the essential feature of the task. Computer model describes heat treatment of the sample during heat source movement over the sample surface. It is started from the 2D task of sample cross section as a basic model. Possibilities of extension from 2D to 3D task are discussed. The effect of the addition of third model dimension on the temperature distribution in the sample is showed. Comparison of various model parameters on the sample temperatures is observed. Influence of heat source motion on the depth of material heat treatment is shown for several velocities of the movement. Presented computer model is prepared for the utilization in laser treatment of machine parts.Keywords: computer simulation, unsteady model, heat treatment, complex boundary condition, moving heat source
Procedia PDF Downloads 3849352 A Model for Diagnosis and Prediction of Coronavirus Using Neural Network
Authors: Sajjad Baghernezhad
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Meta-heuristic and hybrid algorithms have high adeer in modeling medical problems. In this study, a neural network was used to predict covid-19 among high-risk and low-risk patients. This study was conducted to collect the applied method and its target population consisting of 550 high-risk and low-risk patients from the Kerman University of medical sciences medical center to predict the coronavirus. In this study, the memetic algorithm, which is a combination of a genetic algorithm and a local search algorithm, has been used to update the weights of the neural network and develop the accuracy of the neural network. The initial study showed that the accuracy of the neural network was 88%. After updating the weights, the memetic algorithm increased by 93%. For the proposed model, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictivity value, value/accuracy to 97.4, 92.3, 95.8, 96.2, and 0.918, respectively; for the genetic algorithm model, 87.05, 9.20 7, 89.45, 97.30 and 0.967 and for logistic regression model were 87.40, 95.20, 93.79, 0.87 and 0.916. Based on the findings of this study, neural network models have a lower error rate in the diagnosis of patients based on individual variables and vital signs compared to the regression model. The findings of this study can help planners and health care providers in signing programs and early diagnosis of COVID-19 or Corona.Keywords: COVID-19, decision support technique, neural network, genetic algorithm, memetic algorithm
Procedia PDF Downloads 639351 Nano Fat Injection for Scar Treatment and Skin Rejuvenation
Authors: Sokol Isaraj, Lorela Bendo
Abstract:
Scars resulting from surgery, injury, or burns have a physical and psychological impact on the affected patient. Although a number of treatments are available, nano fat grafting is an effective treatment for scars. Nano fat is a liquid suspension rich in stem cells obtained by mechanical emulsification. Nano fat grafting was performed in 10 cases to correct rhytides, surgical scars and post-burn scars between January 2022 and April 2022. Fat was aspirated from the lower abdomen or trochanteric region. After emulsification and filtration protocol, the resulting nano fat liquid was injected intradermally and subdermally. All patients filled out a questionnaire at 3 months post-treatment which consisted of questions regarding the grade of improvement of skin and recommendation of the procedure. The clinical results were apparent between 2 and 3 weeks after the treatment. All patients confirmed an improvement in skin texture and quality. The most significant improvement was seen in pigmentation and pliability. No complications were reported. Nano fat seems to be a safe and effective treatment for scar treatment and skin rejuvenation.Keywords: fat grafting, fat transfer, microfat, nanofat
Procedia PDF Downloads 769350 Understanding the Cause(S) of Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties of Adolescents with ADHD and Its Implications for the Successful Implementation of Intervention(S)
Authors: Elisavet Kechagia
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Due to the interplay of different genetic and environmental risk factors and its heterogeneous nature, the concept of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has shaped controversy and conflicts, which have been, in turn, reflected in the controversial arguments about its treatment. Taking into account recent well evidence-based researches suggesting that ADHD is a condition, in which biopsychosocial factors are all weaved together, the current paper explores the multiple risk-factors that are likely to influence ADHD, with a particular focus on adolescents with ADHD who might experience comorbid social, emotional and behavioural disorders (SEBD). In the first section of this paper, the primary objective was to investigate the conflicting ideas regarding the definition, diagnosis and treatment of ADHD at an international level as well as to critically examine and identify the limitations of the two most prevailing sets of diagnostic criteria that inform current diagnosis, the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) diagnostic scheme, DSM-V, and the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) classification of diseases, ICD-10. Taking into consideration the findings of current longitudinal studies on ADHD association with high rates of comorbid conditions and social dysfunction, in the second section the author moves towards an investigation of the transitional points −physical, psychological and social ones− that students with ADHD might experience during early adolescence, as informed by neuroscience and developmental contextualism theory. The third section is an exploration of the different perspectives of ADHD as reflected in individuals’ with ADHD self-reports and the KENT project’s findings on school staff’s attitudes and practices. In the last section, given the high rates of SEBDs in adolescents with ADHD, it is examined how cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), coupled with other interventions, could be effective in ameliorating anti-social behaviours and/or other emotional and behavioral difficulties of students with ADHD. The findings of a range of randomised control studies indicate that CBT might have positive outcomes in adolescents with multiple behavioural problems, hence it is suggested to be considered both in schools and other community settings. Finally, taking into account the heterogeneous nature of ADHD, the different biopsychosocial and environmental risk factors that take place during adolescence and the discourse and practices concerning ADHD and SEBD, it is suggested how it might be possible to make sense of and meaningful improvements to the education of adolescents with ADHD within a multi-modal and multi-disciplinary whole-school approach that addresses the multiple problems that not only students with ADHD but also their peers might experience. Further research that would be based on more large-scale controls and would investigate the effectiveness of various interventions, as well as the profiles of those students who have benefited from particular approaches and those who have not, will generate further evidence concerning the psychoeducation of adolescents with ADHD allowing for generalised conclusions to be drawn.Keywords: adolescence, attention deficit hyperctivity disorder, cognitive behavioural theory, comorbid social emotional behavioural disorders, treatment
Procedia PDF Downloads 3129349 Manifestations of Tuberculosis in Otorhinolaryngology Practice: A Retrospective Study Conducted in a Coastal City of South India
Authors: Rithika Sriram, Kiran M. Bhojwani
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Introduction : Tuberculosis of the head and neck has proved to be a diagnostic challenge for otorhinolarynologists around the world. These lesions are often misdiagnosed as cancer. So in order to contribute to a better understanding of these lesions, we have conducted our study among patients affected by TB in the head and neck region with the objective of assessing the various manifestations, presentations, diagnostic techniques, risk factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption, coexisting illnesses and treatment modalities. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study conducted over a three year period (2012-2014) in 2 hospitals affliated to Kasturba Medical College in Mangalore, South India. A semi structured proforma was used to capture information from the medical records pertaining to the various objectives of the study such as clinical features and history of smoking. Data was analysed using SPSS version 16.0 and results obtained were depicted as percentages. Chi square test was used to find association between the variables and p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: 104 patients were found to have TB of the head and neck and among them,the most common manifestation was found to be Tubercular Lymphadenitis (86.53%), followed by laryngeal TB (4.8%), submandibular gland TB (3.8%), deep neck space abscess(3.8%) and adenotonsillar TB. FNAC was found to be the gold standard for the diagnosis of TB disease of the lymph node.26% of the patients had coexisting HIV infection and 16.3% of the patients had associated pulmonary TB. More than 20% of the patients were smokers. Most patients were treated using ATT. Conclusion: Tuberculosis affecting regions of head and neck is no longer uncommon. Sufficient knowledge and appropriate diagnostic means is required while dealing with these lesions and must be included in the differential diagnosis of pathological lesions of head and neck.Keywords: FNAC, Mangalore, smoking, tuberculosis
Procedia PDF Downloads 2739348 A Rare Cause of Abdominal Pain Post Caesarean Section
Authors: Madeleine Cox
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Objective: discussion of diagnosis of vernix caseosa peritonitis, recovery and subsequent caesarean seciton Case: 30 year old G4P1 presented in labour at 40 weeks, planning a vaginal birth afterprevious caesarean section. She underwent an emergency caesarean section due to concerns for fetal wellbeing on CTG. She was found to have a thin lower segment with a very small area of dehiscence centrally. The operation was uncomplicated, and she recovered and went home 2 days later. She then represented to the emergency department day 6 post partum feeling very unwell, with significant abdominal pain, tachycardia as well as urinary retention. Raised white cell count of 13.7 with neutrophils of 11.64, CRP of 153. An abdominal ultrasound was poorly tolerated by the patient and did not aide in the diagnosis. Chest and abdominal xray were normal. She underwent a CT chest and abdomen, which found a small volume of free fluid with no apparent collection. Given no obvious cause of her symptoms were found and the patient did not improve, she had a repeat CT 2 days later, which showed progression of free fluid. A diagnostic laparoscopy was performed with general surgeons, which reveled turbid fluid, an inflamed appendix which was removed. The patient improved remarkably post operatively. The histology showed periappendicitis with acute appendicitis with marked serosal inflammatory reaction to vernix caseosa. Following this, the patient went on to recover well. 4 years later, the patient was booked for an elective caesarean section, on entry into the abdomen, there were very minimal adhesions, and the surgery and her subsequent recovery was uncomplicated. Discussion: this case represents the diagnostic dilemma of a patient who presents unwell without a clear cause. In this circumstance, multiple modes of imaging did not aide in her diagnosis, and so she underwent diagnostic surgery. It is important to evaluate if a patient is or is not responding to the typical causes of post operative pain and adjust management accordingly. A multiteam approach can help to provide a diagnosis for these patients. Conclusion: Vernix caseosa peritonitis is a rare cause of acute abdomen post partum. There are few reports in the literature of the initial presentation and no reports on the possible effects on future pregnancies. This patient did not have any complications in her following pregnancy or delivery secondary to her diagnosis of vernix caseosa peritonitis. This may assist in counselling other women who have had this uncommon diagnosis.Keywords: peritonitis, obstetrics, caesarean section, pain
Procedia PDF Downloads 959347 Distinguishing between Bacterial and Viral Infections Based on Peripheral Human Blood Tests Using Infrared Microscopy and Multivariate Analysis
Authors: H. Agbaria, A. Salman, M. Huleihel, G. Beck, D. H. Rich, S. Mordechai, J. Kapelushnik
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Viral and bacterial infections are responsible for variety of diseases. These infections have similar symptoms like fever, sneezing, inflammation, vomiting, diarrhea and fatigue. Thus, physicians may encounter difficulties in distinguishing between viral and bacterial infections based on these symptoms. Bacterial infections differ from viral infections in many other important respects regarding the response to various medications and the structure of the organisms. In many cases, it is difficult to know the origin of the infection. The physician orders a blood, urine test, or 'culture test' of tissue to diagnose the infection type when it is necessary. Using these methods, the time that elapses between the receipt of patient material and the presentation of the test results to the clinician is typically too long ( > 24 hours). This time is crucial in many cases for saving the life of the patient and for planning the right medical treatment. Thus, rapid identification of bacterial and viral infections in the lab is of great importance for effective treatment especially in cases of emergency. Blood was collected from 50 patients with confirmed viral infection and 50 with confirmed bacterial infection. White blood cells (WBCs) and plasma were isolated and deposited on a zinc selenide slide, dried and measured under a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microscope to obtain their infrared absorption spectra. The acquired spectra of WBCs and plasma were analyzed in order to differentiate between the two types of infections. In this study, the potential of FTIR microscopy in tandem with multivariate analysis was evaluated for the identification of the agent that causes the human infection. The method was used to identify the infectious agent type as either bacterial or viral, based on an analysis of the blood components [i.e., white blood cells (WBC) and plasma] using their infrared vibrational spectra. The time required for the analysis and evaluation after obtaining the blood sample was less than one hour. In the analysis, minute spectral differences in several bands of the FTIR spectra of WBCs were observed between groups of samples with viral and bacterial infections. By employing the techniques of feature extraction with linear discriminant analysis (LDA), a sensitivity of ~92 % and a specificity of ~86 % for an infection type diagnosis was achieved. The present preliminary study suggests that FTIR spectroscopy of WBCs is a potentially feasible and efficient tool for the diagnosis of the infection type.Keywords: viral infection, bacterial infection, linear discriminant analysis, plasma, white blood cells, infrared spectroscopy
Procedia PDF Downloads 2169346 Detection of Hepatitis B by the Use of Artifical Intelegence
Authors: Shizra Waris, Bilal Shoaib, Munib Ahmad
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Background; The using of clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) may recover unceasing disease organization, which requires regular visits to multiple health professionals, treatment monitoring, disease control, and patient behavior modification. The objective of this survey is to determine if these CDSSs improve the processes of unceasing care including diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of diseases. Though artificial intelligence is not a new idea it has been widely documented as a new technology in computer science. Numerous areas such as education business, medical and developed have made use of artificial intelligence Methods: The survey covers articles extracted from relevant databases. It uses search terms related to information technology and viral hepatitis which are published between 2000 and 2016. Results: Overall, 80% of studies asserted the profit provided by information technology (IT); 75% of learning asserted the benefits concerned with medical domain;25% of studies do not clearly define the added benefits due IT. The CDSS current state requires many improvements to hold up the management of liver diseases such as HCV, liver fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Conclusion: We concluded that the planned model gives earlier and more correct calculation of hepatitis B and it works as promising tool for calculating of custom hepatitis B from the clinical laboratory data.Keywords: detection, hapataties, observation, disesese
Procedia PDF Downloads 1479345 Computer Aided Analysis of Breast Based Diagnostic Problems from Mammograms Using Image Processing and Deep Learning Methods
Authors: Ali Berkan Ural
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This paper presents the analysis, evaluation, and pre-diagnosis of early stage breast based diagnostic problems (breast cancer, nodulesorlumps) by Computer Aided Diagnosing (CAD) system from mammogram radiological images. According to the statistics, the time factor is crucial to discover the disease in the patient (especially in women) as possible as early and fast. In the study, a new algorithm is developed using advanced image processing and deep learning method to detect and classify the problem at earlystagewithmoreaccuracy. This system first works with image processing methods (Image acquisition, Noiseremoval, Region Growing Segmentation, Morphological Operations, Breast BorderExtraction, Advanced Segmentation, ObtainingRegion Of Interests (ROIs), etc.) and segments the area of interest of the breast and then analyzes these partly obtained area for cancer detection/lumps in order to diagnosis the disease. After segmentation, with using the Spectrogramimages, 5 different deep learning based methods (specified Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) basedAlexNet, ResNet50, VGG16, DenseNet, Xception) are applied to classify the breast based problems.Keywords: computer aided diagnosis, breast cancer, region growing, segmentation, deep learning
Procedia PDF Downloads 839344 The Effect of Ultrasound as Pre-Treatment for Drying of Red Delicious and Golden Delicious Apples
Authors: Gulcin Yildiz
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Drying (dehydration) is the process of removing water from food in order to preserve the food and an alternative to reduce post-harvest loss of fruits. Different pre-treatment methods have been developed for fruit drying, such as ultrasound. If no pre-treatment is done, the fruits will continue to darken after they are dried. However, the effects of ultrasound as pre-treatment on drying of apples has not been well documented. This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of ultrasound as pre-treatment before oven drying of red delicious and golden delicious apples. Red delicious and golden delicious apples were dried in different temperatures. Before performing drying experiments in an oven at 50, 75 and 100 °C, ultrasound as pretreatment was applied in 5, 10, and 15 minutes. Colors of the dried apples were measured with a Minolta Chroma Meter CR-300 (Minolta Camera Co. Ltd., Osaka, Japan) by directly holding the device vertically to the surface of the samples. Content of total phenols was determined spectrophotometrically with the FolinCiocalteau assay, and the antioxidant capacity was evaluated by using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The samples (both red delicious and golden delicious apples) with longer ultrasound treatment produced higher weight loss due to the changes in tissue structure. However less phenolic content and antioxidant capacity were observed for the samples with longer ultrasound pre-treatment. The highest total phenolic content (TPC) was determined in dried apples at 75 °C with 5 minutes pre-treatment ultrasound and the lowest TPC was determined in dried apples at 50 °C with 15 minutes pre-treatment ultrasound which was subjected to the longest ultrasound pre-treatment and drying. The combination of 5 min of ultrasound pre-treatment and 75 °C of oven-drying showed to be the best combination for an energy efficient process. This combination exhibited good antioxidant properties as well. The present study clearly demonstrated that applying ultrasound as pre-treatment for drying of apples is an effective process in terms of quality of dried products, time, and energy.Keywords: golden delicious apples, red delicious apples, total phenolic content, Ultrasound
Procedia PDF Downloads 2929343 Analysis of Vibratory Signals Based on Local Mean Decomposition (LMD) for Rolling Bearing Fault Diagnosis
Authors: Toufik Bensana, Medkour Mihoub, Slimane Mekhilef
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The use of vibration analysis has been established as the most common and reliable method of analysis in the field of condition monitoring and diagnostics of rotating machinery. Rolling bearings cover a broad range of rotary machines and plays a crucial role in the modern manufacturing industry. Unfortunately, the vibration signals collected from a faulty bearing are generally nonstationary, nonlinear and with strong noise interference, so it is essential to obtain the fault features correctly. In this paper, a novel numerical analysis method based on local mean decomposition (LMD) is proposed. LMD decompose the signal into a series of product functions (PFs), each of which is the product of an envelope signal and a purely frequency modulated FM signal. The envelope of a PF is the instantaneous amplitude (IA), and the derivative of the unwrapped phase of a purely flat frequency demodulated (FM) signal is the IF. After that, the fault characteristic frequency of the roller bearing can be extracted by performing spectrum analysis to the instantaneous amplitude of PF component containing dominant fault information. The results show the effectiveness of the proposed technique in fault detection and diagnosis of rolling element bearing.Keywords: fault diagnosis, rolling element bearing, local mean decomposition, condition monitoring
Procedia PDF Downloads 3829342 The Interventional, Prospective, Real-World Post-Marketing Clinical Follow-Up Trial of a Polycarbophil Vaginal Moisturising Gel in Women Affected by Vaginal Dryness in Late Menopausal Transition and Postmenopause: A Triple Investigation
Authors: A. Cagnacci, D. F. Barattini, E. Casolati, M. Mangrella, E. Piccolo, S. Rosu, L. C. Pătrașcu
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This Triple study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of polycarbophil vaginal gel (PCV) in treating symptoms of vaginal atrophy (VA) in peri- and post-menopausal women. Women in peri- (n=29) and postmenopause (n=54) diagnosed with VA were progressively enrolled and treated once a day for 30 days. Thereafter, those wishing to continue (n=73) received the PCV treatment for an additional 180 days. The vaginal health index (VHI) and vaginal dryness, irritation, and pain at intercourse, along with treatment safety, were evaluated at baseline, 30 days of treatment, and after additional 180 days. At baseline, the VHI (p<0.056) and VAS of vaginal dryness (p=0.0001,) irritation (p=0.002), and pain at intercourse (p=0.0001) were worse in postmenopausal women than in perimenopausal women. VHI and VA symptoms improved in all women, and after 30 days of PCV administration, they were similar between peri-and postmenopausal women. After an additional 180 days of treatment, VHI further increased (p=0.0001), VAS of all symptoms (P=0.0001) and the Global Symptom Score (P=0.0001) further decreased. The treatment was safe. Treatment with PCV improves VA symptoms in both peri- and post-menopausal women. Prolongation of treatment up to 6 months increases the efficacy of treatment with no side effects.Keywords: late menopausal transition, postmenopause, polycarbophil, sexuality, vaginal dryness
Procedia PDF Downloads 539341 Sensor Validation Using Bottleneck Neural Network and Variable Reconstruction
Authors: Somia Bouzid, Messaoud Ramdani
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The success of any diagnosis strategy critically depends on the sensors measuring process variables. This paper presents a detection and diagnosis sensor faults method based on a Bottleneck Neural Network (BNN). The BNN approach is used as a statistical process control tool for drinking water distribution (DWD) systems to detect and isolate the sensor faults. Variable reconstruction approach is very useful for sensor fault isolation, this method is validated in simulation on a nonlinear system: actual drinking water distribution system. Several results are presented.Keywords: fault detection, localization, PCA, NLPCA, auto-associative neural network
Procedia PDF Downloads 3799340 AI-Based Technologies for Improving Patient Safety and Quality of Care
Authors: Tewelde Gebreslassie Gebreanenia, Frie Ayalew Yimam, Seada Hussen Adem
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Patient safety and quality of care are essential goals of health care delivery, but they are often compromised by human errors, system failures, or resource constraints. In a variety of healthcare contexts, artificial intelligence (AI), a quickly developing field, can provide fresh approaches to enhancing patient safety and treatment quality. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to decrease errors and enhance patient outcomes by carrying out tasks that would typically require human intelligence. These tasks include the detection and prevention of adverse events, monitoring and warning patients and clinicians about changes in vital signs, symptoms, or risks, offering individualized and evidence-based recommendations for diagnosis, treatment, or prevention, and assessing and enhancing the effectiveness of health care systems and services. This study examines the state-of-the-art and potential future applications of AI-based technologies for enhancing patient safety and care quality, as well as the opportunities and problems they present for patients, policymakers, researchers, and healthcare providers. In order to ensure the safe, efficient, and responsible application of AI in healthcare, the paper also addresses the ethical, legal, social, and technical challenges that must be addressed and regulated.Keywords: artificial intelligence, health care, human intelligence, patient safty, quality of care
Procedia PDF Downloads 699339 Sublethal Effects of Entomopathogenic Nematodes and Fungus against the Red Palm Weevil, Rhynchophorus Ferrugineus (Olivier) (Curculionidae: Coleoptera)
Authors: M. Manzoor, J. N. Ahmad, R. M. Giblin Davis, N. Javed, M. S. Haider
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The invasive Red Palm Weevil (RPW) (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus [Olivier] (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is one of the most destructive palm pests in the world. Synthetic pesticides are environmentally hazardous pest control strategies being used in the past with emerging need of eco-friendly biological approaches including microbial entomopathogens for RPW management. The sublethal effects of a single entomopathogenic fungus (EPF) Beauveria bassiana (WG-11) (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) and two entomopathogenic nematode (EPN) species Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (Poinar) and Steinernema carpocapsae (Weiser) (Nematoda: Rhabditida) were evaluated in various combinations against laboratory-reared 3rd, 5th and 8th instar larvae of RPW in laboratory assays. Individual and combined effects of both entomopathogens (EP) were observed after the pre-application of B. bassiana fungus at 1-2-week intervals. A number of parameters were measured after the application of sub-lethal doses of EPF such as diet consumption, development, frass production, mortality, and weight gain. Combined treatments were tested for additive and synergistic effects. Synergism was more frequently observed in B. bassiana and S. carpocapsae combined treatments than in B. bassiana and H. bacteriophora combinations. Early instar larvae of RPW were more susceptible than older instars. Synergistic effects were observed in the 3rd and 5th instars exposed to B. bassiana and S. carpocapsae at 0, 7 and 14-day intervals. Whereas, in 8th instar larvae, the synergistic effect was observed only in B. bassiana and S. carpocapsae treatments after 0 and 7 days intervals. EPN treatments decreased pupation, egg hatching and emergence of adults. Lethal effects of nematodes were also observed in all growth stages of R. ferrugineus. Reduced larval weight, increased larval, pre-pupal and pupal duration, reduced adult weight and life span were observed. Sub-lethal concentrations of both entomopathogens induced variations in the different developmental stages and reduced food consumption, frass production, growth, and weight gain. So, on the basis of results, it is concluded that synthetic pesticides should be replaced with environmentally friendly sustainable biopesticides.Keywords: H. bacteriophora, S. carpocapsae, B. bassiana, mortality
Procedia PDF Downloads 161