Communication Loop Research Articles

Implementation of a secure wireless communication system using true random number generator for internet of things

This paper describes the design and implementation of an internet of thing (IoT)-based application that uses a true random number generator (TRNG) with an all digital phase locked loop (ADPLL) for secure wireless communication. Field programmable gate array (FPGA) boards were used on the transmitter and receiver sides and were interfaced with Esp8266 chips to wirelessly send and receive encrypted sensor data. The MQ-2 gas sensor and tracking sensor were connected to the FPGA board on the transmitter side, where data from the sensors was encrypted using the exclusive-OR (XOR) function and the TRNG architecture. The system can be controlled by users through a web browser served by the ThingSpeak cloud. The Artix-7 FPGA device is used to implement the proposed wireless communication system, for which design and synthesis were done using the Xilinx Vivado 2015.2 tool. The proposed system uses a low amount of power and is suitable for a standalone, highly secure TRNG-based IoT application. The National Institute of Standard and Testing (NIST SP 800-22) test showed that ADPLL with finite impulse response (FIR) filter-based TRNGs are better for encrypting IoT devices for secure wireless communication.

AI and Incidental Findings

AI and Incidental Findings

Communication Resilience for Smart Grids Based on Dependence Graphs and Eigenspectral Analysis

Dependence analysis has been applied as a method to design resilient wide area measurement systems (WAMSs). Based on the graph theory, it is possible to distribute the importance, and therefore, the dependencies, among WAMS elements almost evenly, and thus, plan resilient-by-design infrastructures; since no element will be significantly more important than the others, the WAMS will not suffer from single points of failure. Our main goal in this article is the resilience of the communication layer of the WAMS. Although the cyber dependencies of WAMS infrastructures have been studied in the literature, there is a research gap regarding the analysis of the relevant physical dependencies. We propose a method for assessing both the cyber and physical dependencies in the WAMS through eigenspectral analysis. By concurrently analyzing the physical (electrical) and the cyber (informational) dependencies between the electrical buses and the communication routers and by reducing the deviation of their dependence values, it is possible to increase the structural resilience of the communication infrastructure. This will enable the network operators to properly distribute the level of the cyber and the physical dependencies among these components, by selectively applying communication redundancy and communication loops. Through simulations for two IEEE test cases, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Gut-Liver Axis and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Vicious Circle of Dysfunctions Orchestrated by the Gut Microbiome.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a prevalent, multifactorial, and poorly understood liver disease with an increasing incidence worldwide. NAFLD is typically asymptomatic and coupled with other symptoms of metabolic syndrome. The prevalence of NAFLD is rising in tandem with the prevalence of obesity. In the Western hemisphere, NAFLD is one of the most prevalent causes of liver disease and liver transplantation. Recent research suggests that gut microbiome dysbiosis may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of NAFLD by dysregulating the gut-liver axis. The so-called "gut-liver axis" refers to the communication and feedback loop between the digestive system and the liver. Several pathological mechanisms characterized the alteration of the gut-liver axis, such as the impairment of the gut barrier and the increase of the intestinal permeability which result in endotoxemia and inflammation, and changes in bile acid profiles and metabolite levels produced by the gut microbiome. This review will explore the role of gut-liver axis disruption, mediated by gut microbiome dysbiosis, on NAFLD development.

239 PATIENT PERCEPTIONS OF THE EDITH (EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT IN THE HOME) SERVICE

Abstract Background The EDITH service provides an alternative to Emergency Department (ED) attendance for the older adult by providing emergency care in the person home. It is imperative to explore how this service is received by the key stakeholders in order to ensure it is meeting the needs of older adults and to improve and diversify same. Methods A patient feedback survey was circulated to patients and family members who received the EDITH service. A postal option and a QR code leading to an online option were utilised. 50 surveys were randomly selected for inclusion. Quantitative data was analysed via paper count method and thematic analysis was completed for the qualitative data. Results 74% rated the service as “excellent”, 22% “very good” and 4% “good”. Alternative options to the service were identified as “going to ED” 22% , “going to GP” 22%, “waited until they would get better” 4%, “waited until they got worse” 2%, “would do nothing” 6%. 80% rated the combined expertise of a doctor and OT as “extremely important”, 94% rated the home visit aspect as “extremely important” and 90% rated ED avoidance as “extremely important”. Key themes that emerged regarding what the service does well included “personalised care”, “ED avoidance”, “compassion” and “timeliness of service”. Areas for improvement included “improving communication loop to both patients and/or community services! and “ability to directly access the service”. 95% of respondents advised they would or have already recommended the service to others. Of note, a key theme in the comments section was the need for a similar service in other hospitals. Conclusion The EDITH service appears to be meeting stake-holders expectations, areas for improvement have been identified and are currently being addressed. It is imperative to obtain the perception of the service user and to tailor interventions accordingly, this feedback is invaluable in order to meet future service needs.

Design of an automatic gain control loop for high speed communication

AbstractThis paper presents the design of an automatic gain control (AGC) loop for high‐speed communication systems, which can be used in wired, wireless, or optical receiver. The design is performed in 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS technology. A Gilbert cell‐based variable gain amplifier is designed, which shows approximately linear gain control with respect to the gain control voltage. The variable gain amplifier is followed by two fixed gain cascode amplifiers. Then, a full wave rectifier‐based peak detector is designed and analyzed. To reduce the peak detector error, a compensation technique is applied. Finally, an operational amplifier is designed, which is used as voltage adder and comparator. The designed AGC loop is simulated with sinusoidal and pseudorandom binary sequence (prbs) input signal with high frequency signal of 1 to 30 GHz. The simulation results of the AGC loop show that a gain tuning range of 47 dB (−7 to 40 dB) is obtained in this design. It is also seen that the reference signal can be varied from 50 to 200 mV. This AGC works in the input voltage signal range between 3 mV peak and 230 mV peak, and the power dissipation of is 79 mW.

Informatics Solutions to Mitigate Legal Risk Associated With Communication Failures.

Communication failures are a documented cause of malpractice litigation against radiologists. As imaging volumes have increased, and with them the number of findings requiring further workup, radiologists are increasingly expected to communicate with ordering clinicians. However, communication may be unsuccessful for a variety of reasons that expose radiologists to potential malpractice risk. Informatics solutions have the potential to improve communication and decrease this risk. We discuss human-powered, purely automated, and hybrid approaches to closing the communications loop. In addition, we describe the Patient Test Results Information Act (Pennsylvania Act 112) and its implications for closing the loop on noncritical actionable findings.

InternetofThings for beyond-the-laboratory prosthetics research.

Research on upper-limb prostheses is typically laboratory-based. Evidence indicates that research has not yet led to prostheses that meet user needs. Inefficient communication loops between users, clinicians and manufacturers limit the amount of quantitative and qualitative data that researchers can use in refining their innovations. This paper offers a first demonstration of an alternative paradigm by which remote, beyond-the-laboratory prosthesis research according to user needs is feasible. Specifically, the proposed Internet of Things setting allows remote data collection, real-time visualization and prosthesis reprogramming through Wi-Fi and a commercial cloud portal. Via a dashboard, the user can adjust the configuration of the device and append contextual information to the prosthetic data. We evaluated this demonstrator in real-time experiments with three able-bodied participants. Results promise the potential of contextual data collection and system update through the internet, which may provide real-life data for algorithm training and reduce the complexity of send-home trials.This article is part of the theme issue ‘Advanced neurotechnologies: translating innovation for health and well-being’.

Complex Ice Hockey Team Performance Model based on Expert Interviews

Abstract Scientific research focusing on ice hockey is growing, although a complex model describing team performance is yet to be added to the knowledge base. The purpose of the study is to finalize the authors’ proposed model of ice hockey team performance and gain insights on how the included factors contribute to the operation of the team and the coach. Based on the processed literature, it was assumed that the psychological aspect is among the key factors contributing to team performance. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with highly qualified experts on Hungarian ice hockey (five national team coaches and five senior national team players). The results indicate that the psychological factors of the coach and the team are essential for high team performance, along with the influence ability of both sides, creating two-way communication and feedback loops. The practical knowledge of the coach was emphasized over theoretical knowledge, and the team’s tactical knowledge was emphasized over technical knowledge. It also emerged that the coach must know the team well in order to make appropriate decisions. The role of the coach is no longer to act as a stressor, but rather to set a good example as a role model while remaining open to feedback from the team’s side. It was concluded that although many psychological methods are available to improve performance, the use of these methods has not yet been sufficiently exploited. While the use of these methods could improve performance, the team could experience more success and make sporting activity a fundamental part of players’ health through bonding and belonging.

ANSA PECTORALIS – ANATOMY AND APPLIED ASPECTS

Ansa pectoralis is the loop of communication between medial and lateral pectoral nerves, seen anterior to the second part of axillary artery. It carries C7 bres from the lateral cord to the medial pectoral nerve and supplies sternocostal part of pectoralis major muscle. Its damage can cause weakness of the sternocostal part of pectoralis major muscle. Section of the ansa pectoralis is done as a treatment modality to reduce spasm of pectoralis major after strokes. It is also used as nerve graft. There are only few articles which describe the anatomy of Ansa pectoralis. We conducted a dissection study in 36 pectoral regions of embalmed human cadavers to nd out the number, location, formation and branches of Ansa pectoralis. During dissection of the pectoral region, the formation of Ansa was seen to be of four different types. 72.2%(26 out of 36) was either between inferior or deep branch of lateral pectoral nerve and medial pectoral nerve or between the inferior lateral pectoral nerve and medial pectoral nerve (type A). In 6 cases (16.7%) it was between trunk of the lateral pectoral nerve and medial Pectoral nerve (type B). In 3 cases (8.3%), it was arising from lateral cord itself (Type C). In one case (2.7%) it was found to be arising from trunk and inferior branch of lateral pectoral nerve (Type D). The communicating loop was on the axillary artery in about 52.8% percentage of specimens, distal and plastered to the deep surface of pectoralis minor muscle in the 30.5% and multiple in 16.7%. The anatomy of Ansa pectoralis shows many variations. These are important while planning surgeries in pectoral region like breast augmentation, pectoral nerve blocks and harvesting pectoral nerve grafts.

Complaints against health care professionals providing police custodial and forensic medical/health care services in England, Wales and Northern Ireland - what do we know?

Awareness of the nature and frequency of complaints against health care professionals working in police custodial health care services could provide opportunities to improve patient safety. To explore this freedom of information requests were sent to police services in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, to professional regulatory bodies and to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Eighty-seven percent of police services responded but only a minority provided complete responses, with data not being held, or not being held in an easily retrievable format, being provided as reasons. The nature and frequency of complaints were similar to a previous 2017 study, suggesting a failure to learn lessons from the investigation of complaints and implement change in clinical practice. No evidence of an accessible complaints handling and recording procedure was provided across the police services surveyed. Regulatory bodies provided some information on the nature of complaints made against doctors and nurses working in police custodial settings, but that for paramedics was unable to do so. It is recommended that the communication loop between police services, those bodies providing health care and forensic medical services and regulatory bodies needs to be closed. A common reporting system or the application of established complaints handling procedures and reporting structures, which could be achieved by transferring these services to the National Health Service, may enhance patient safety in police custody.

A review: hybrid simulation in forestry supply chain

Changes in supply chain availability in the forestry sector can significantly change efficiency responsiveness. This forestry supply chain network involves various processes such as harvesting, energy generation, wood, paper and board production. Methods that can be used to perform supply chain optimization are hybrid modelling and simulation. Substructure techniques with experimental testing methods that target numerical component conductors with communication loop components as well as transfer systems to form an entire system commonly referred to as Hybrid Simulation. In this study, we aim to find solutions so that the supply chain network in the forestry sector is not cut off by using hybrid simulation method. Hybrid simulations used can take into account when the supply chain will run out and prevent excessive exploitation so as to repair damage and recycle the supply chain so that it is not disconnected until the time period is taken into account. Each scientific article is rigorously selected to obtain articles that align with the purpose of this research.

Fixed-time dual-channel event-triggered secure quasi-synchronization of coupled memristive neural networks

This paper is concerned with the fixed-time quasi-synchronization of coupled memristive neural networks (CMNNs). The communication channel is subject to the deception attack described by the Bernoulli stochastic variable. To reduce signal transmissions, a dual-channel event-triggered mechanism is proposed. In each channel of sensor to controller and controller to actuator, an event-triggered mechanism is designed. Compared with the single event-triggered mechanism in the communication loop, the main difficulties lie in how to deal with the problems of packet scheduling and network attacks. By using Lyapunov method combining with a new proposed lemma, some sufficient conditions are derived to guarantee the leader-following quasi-synchronization of CMNNs. The Zeno behavior is excluded for the designed dual-channel event-triggered mechanism. The influence of the event-triggered mechanism on the estimation of settling time is discussed. Three numerical examples are provided to show the effectiveness of the theoretical results.

What works may hurt: The negative side of feedback in second language writing

Informed by a learner-centered and socio-constructive approach to the impact of feedback and drawing upon critical incidents from 1,075 Chinese EFL university students and semi-structured interviews with 29 of them, the present study aims to reveal the negative side of feedback by examining its negative influences on L2 student writers and their responses to such influences. Findings reveal seven feedback attributes that could elicit negative impacts on writers: lack of specification, low quality, superficial feedback, unclear feedback criteria, inconsistent feedback, one-way communication, and unclosed loop. Feedback of these attributes could negatively impact students’ writing practices, learning emotions and motivation, and social relationships. This study has also found that in response to such negative influences, students would pay selective attention to feedback, accept/reject all the feedback, or seek external help. Based on the findings, a multi-dimensional model concerning the negative side of feedback is proposed, and how writing teachers could alleviate the negative impact of feedback is discussed.

Internal State: Dynamic, Interconnected Communication Loops Distributed Across Body, Brain, and Time.

SynopsisInternal state profoundly alters perception and behavior. For example, a starved fly may approach and consume foods that it would otherwise find undesirable. A socially engaged newt may remain engaged in the presence of a predator, whereas a solitary newt would otherwise attempt to escape. Yet, the definition of internal state is fluid and ill-defined. As an interdisciplinary group of scholars spanning five career stages (from undergraduate to full professor) and six academic institutions, we came together in an attempt to provide an operational definition of internal state that could be useful in understanding the behavior and the function of nervous systems, at timescales relevant to the individual. In this perspective, we propose to define internal state through an integrative framework centered on dynamic and interconnected communication loops within and between the body and the brain. This framework is informed by a synthesis of historical and contemporary paradigms used by neurobiologists, ethologists, physiologists, and endocrinologists. We view internal state as composed of both spatially distributed networks (body–brain communication loops), and temporally distributed mechanisms that weave together neural circuits, physiology, and behavior. Given the wide spatial and temporal scales at which internal state operates—and therefore the broad range of scales at which it could be defined—we choose to anchor our definition in the body. Here we focus on studies that highlight body-to-brain signaling; body represented in endocrine signaling, and brain represented in sensory signaling. This integrative framework of internal state potentially unites the disparate paradigms often used by scientists grappling with body–brain interactions. We invite others to join us as we examine approaches and question assumptions to study the underlying mechanisms and temporal dynamics of internal state.

A remote healthcare monitoring framework for diabetes prediction using machine learning.

Diabetes is a metabolic disease that affects millions of people each year. It is associated with an increased likelihood of vital organ failures and decreased quality of life. Early detection and regular monitoring are crucial for managing diabetes. Remote patient monitoring can facilitate effective intervention and treatment paradigms using current technology. This work proposes an end‐to‐end remote monitoring framework for automated diabetes risk prediction and management, using personal health devices, smart wearables and smartphones. A support vector machine was developed for diabetes risk prediction using the Pima Indian Diabetes Database, after feature scaling, imputation, selection and augmentation. This work achieved the performance metrics of accuracy, sensitivity and specificity scores at 83.20%, 87.20% and 79% respectively through the tenfold stratified cross validation method, which is competitive with existing methods. Patients can use multiple healthcare devices, smartphones and smartwatches to measure vital parameters, curb the progression of diabetes and close the communication loop with medical professionals. The proposed framework enables medical professionals to make informed decisions based on the latest diabetes risk predictions and lifestyle insights while attaining unobtrusiveness, reduced cost, and vendor interoperability.

Model Solutions and Pragmatism in Developing ICT for Public Consultations

The focus of this article is on the process of developing the inDialogue software within the loop of communication between researchers and the clerks who organize public consultations in local governments. The software was created in response to problems diagnosed during studies on the quality of public consultations in Poland. The design supports transparent, thoughtful, and collaborative planning for public consultations in town or city halls, in order to create an environment conducive to informed and inclusive opinion formation among citizens. Within the project, a pragmatic approach means some degree of openness among researchers and designers in negotiating the features of the software with institutional users. Testing inDialogue in nine municipalities, we asked the following questions 1) How do the clerks respond to the model of public consultations that inDialogue implements? and 2) How do they build a relationship with a project that intervenes in their routines? Analysis of the data from the evaluation questionnaires shows that although, overall, the clerks gave the highest rating for the software’s ability to introduce order into the process of public consultations, they often complained that the features behind the structuration effect were time-consuming. Depending on the city or town hall, more weight was given to one or another aspect of the tradeoff. No less important for the institutionalization of deliberative public consultations is the controversy over registration and verification, and consequently, the recruitment of participants. In the article, this is discussed in the context of the ambiguities in the law, and the different values that the various local governments attribute to participation. Moreover, the study demonstrated that prior experience in public consultations combined with an openness to experimenting, a repertoire of skills in communication and data analysis, a motivation to join the project, the length and depth of collaboration with researchers, and the direct involvement of a decision maker all affected clerks’ comprehension and acceptance of the use of inDialogue.

Closing the communication loop between gynecological surgeons, diagnostic imaging experts and pathologists in endometriosis: building bridges between specialties.

Closing the communication loop between gynecological surgeons, diagnostic imaging experts and pathologists in endometriosis: building bridges between specialties.

Cooperation between oncogenic Ras and wild-type p53 stimulates STAT non-cell autonomously to promote tumor radioresistance

Oncogenic RAS mutations are associated with tumor resistance to radiation therapy. Cell-cell interactions in the tumor microenvironment (TME) profoundly influence therapy outcomes. However, the nature of these interactions and their role in Ras tumor radioresistance remain unclear. Here we use Drosophila oncogenic Ras tissues and human Ras cancer cell radiation models to address these questions. We discover that cellular response to genotoxic stress cooperates with oncogenic Ras to activate JAK/STAT non-cell autonomously in the TME. Specifically, p53 is heterogeneously activated in Ras tumor tissues in response to irradiation. This mosaicism allows high p53-expressing Ras clones to stimulate JAK/STAT cytokines, which activate JAK/STAT in the nearby low p53-expressing surviving Ras clones, leading to robust tumor re-establishment. Blocking any part of this cell-cell communication loop re-sensitizes Ras tumor cells to irradiation. These findings suggest that coupling STAT inhibitors to radiotherapy might improve clinical outcomes for Ras cancer patients.

Mechanobiological Principles Influence the Immune Response in Regeneration: Implications for Bone Healing.

A misdirected or imbalanced local immune composition is often one of the reasons for unsuccessful regeneration resulting in scarring or fibrosis. Successful healing requires a balanced initiation and a timely down-regulation of the inflammation for the re-establishment of a biologically and mechanically homeostasis. While biomaterial-based approaches to control local immune responses are emerging as potential new treatment options, the extent to which biophysical material properties themselves play a role in modulating a local immune niche response has so far been considered only occasionally. The communication loop between extracellular matrix, non-hematopoietic cells, and immune cells seems to be specifically sensitive to mechanical cues and appears to play a role in the initiation and promotion of a local inflammatory setting. In this review, we focus on the crosstalk between ECM and its mechanical triggers and how they impact immune cells and non-hematopoietic cells and their crosstalk during tissue regeneration. We realized that especially mechanosensitive receptors such as TRPV4 and PIEZO1 and the mechanosensitive transcription factor YAP/TAZ are essential to regeneration in various organ settings. This indicates novel opportunities for therapeutic approaches to improve tissue regeneration, based on the immune-mechanical principles found in bone but also lung, heart, and skin.