Computed Research Articles

Cloud monitoring system for assembled beam bridge based on index of dynamic strain correlation coefficient

The hinge joint is the key to the overall cooperative working performance of the assembled beam bridge, and it is also the weakest part during the service period. This paper proposes a method for monitoring and evaluating the lateral cooperative working performance of fabricated beam bridges based on dynamic strain correlation coefficient indicator. This method is suitable for monitoring and evaluation of hinge joints status between prefabricated girders and overall cooperative working performance of bridge, without interruption of traffic and easy implementation. The remote cloud monitoring and diagnosis system was designed and implemented on a real assembled beam bridge. The algorithms of data preprocessing, online indicator extraction and status diagnosis were given, and the corresponding software platform and scientific computing environment for cloud operation were developed. Through the analysis of real bridge monitoring data, the effectiveness and accuracy of the method are proved and it can be used in the health monitoring system of such bridges.

Polynomially Computable Structures with Finitely Many Generators

Polynomially Computable Structures with Finitely Many Generators

Carotid body tumor surgery: challenges and management

Purpose To assess the challenges and management of carotid body tumors (CBTs). Adequate planning by the surgeon can greatly reduce adverse events of such rare and difficult tumors. Background CBTs are rare. Despite over a century of describing surgery, controversy remains surrounding details of their treatment. Most complications are considered technically preventable. Patients and methods This prospective study included 13 cases diagnosed as CBT. Patients were subjected to clinical evaluation, carotid duplex ultrasound, computed tomography angiography scan, and sometimes MR angiography. All patients underwent CBT resection and when needed vascular reconstruction. Patients were classified into three groups depending on Shamblin classification. Results Mean operative time was longer in patients of Shamblin class 3 (5.4±0.77 h; range, 4.5–6 h; P Conclusion Early surgical excision by a vascular surgeon is the only proven cure for CBTs, because they are small and easy to remove. However, if neglected, there will be many challenges, as most tumors can become locally invasive. Meticulous periadventitial (and sometimes subadventitial) dissection can greatly reduce the rates of complications.

Growth And Dissemination Of Cardiac Computed Tomography In The Literature At The 15th Anniversary Of SCCT In 2020

Growth And Dissemination Of Cardiac Computed Tomography In The Literature At The 15th Anniversary Of SCCT In 2020

Prognostic factors associated with overall survival in patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma.

Low socioeconomic status, increasing age, and poor lifestyle behaviors are associated with poor survival in patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC). To determine the overall survival (OS) and the risk of OCSCC death by tumor subsite. A retrospective cohort study of OCSCC patients diagnosed from 2007 to 2009 and treated at a single cancer center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Patient information was obtained from the Hospital Cancer Registry (HCR) database and complemented by individual search of physical and electronic medical records. Descriptive statistics of population characteristics were computed. OS was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to estimate the risk of death by tumor subsite. Seven hundred and three patients with OCSCC were identified. Most patients were men (77.4%) with low levels of education (67.5%), who drank (73.9%) and smoked (79.7%). The most prevalent tumor site was the tongue (45.4%), 73.4% of patients had advanced (clinical stage III or IV) OCSCC at diagnosis and 74.1% died during follow-up. For the entire cohort, the OS was 39.1% at two years and 27.9% at five years. The median survival time was 1.4 years (95%CI: 1.2‒1.5). Non-operative treatment (HR: 3.11; 95%CI: 2.26‒4.29; p<0.001), advanced stage (HR 2.14; 95%CI 1.68-2.74; p<0.001), and age >60 years at diagnosis (HR: 1.37; 95%CI: 1.15‒1.64; p<0.001) were independently associated with the risk of death. However, these factors varied by tumour subsite. Analysis of specific subsites of the oral cavity revealed substantial differences in prognostic factors associated with poor survival in OCSCC.

Vibration behavior of trapezoidal sandwich plate with functionally graded-porous core and graphene platelet-reinforced layers

In this study, free vibration behavior of trapezoidal sandwich plates with porous core and two graphene platelets (GPLs) reinforced nanocomposite outer layers are presented. The distribution of pores and GPLs are supposed to be functionally graded (FG) along the thickness of core and nanocomposite layers, respectively. The effective Young modulus of the GPL-reinforced (GPLR) nanocomposite layers is determined using the modified Halpin-Tsai micromechanics model, while the Poisson ratio and density are computed by the rule of mixtures. The FSDT plate theory is utilized to establish governing partial differential equations and boundary conditions (B.C.s) for trapezoidal plate. The governing equations together with related B.C.s are discretized using a mapping- generalized differential quadrature (GDQ) method in the spatial domain. Then natural frequencies of the trapezoidal sandwich plates are obtained by GDQ method. Validity of current study is evaluated by comparing its numerical results with those available in the literature. A special attention is drawn to the role of GPLs weight fraction, GPLs patterns of two faces through the thickness, porosity coefficient and distribution of porosity on natural frequencies characteristics. New results show the importance of this permeates on vibrational characteristics of porous/GPLR nanocomposite plates. Finally, the influences of B.C.s and dimension as well as the plate geometry such as face to core thickness ratio on the vibration behaviors of the trapezoidal plates are discussed.

Performance of innovative composite buckling-restrained fuse for concentrically braced frames under cyclic loading

Concentrically Braced Frames (CBFs) are commonly used in the construction of steel structures because of their ease of implementation, rigidity, low lateral displacement, and cost-effectiveness. However, the principal disadvantage of this kind of braced frame is the inability to provide deformation capacity (ductility) and buckling of bracing elements before yielding. This paper aims to present a novel Composite Buckling Restrained Fuse (CBRF) to be utilized as a bracing segment in concentrically braced frames that allows higher ductility and removes premature buckling. The proposed CBRF with relatively small dimensions is an enhancement on the Reduced Length Buckling Restrained Braces (RL-BRBs), consists of steel core and additional tensile elements embedded in a concrete encasement. Employing tensile elements in this composite fuse with a new configuration enhances the energy dissipation efficiency and removes the tensile strength limitations that exist in bracing elements that contain RL-BRBs. Here, the optimal length of the CBRF is computed by considering the anticipated strain demand and the low-cyclic fatigue life of the core under standard loading protocol. An experimental program is conducted to explore the seismic behavior of the suggested CBRF compare with an RL-BRB specimen under gradually increased cyclic loading. Moreover, Hysteretic responses of the specimens are evaluated to calculate the design parameters such as energy dissipation potential, strength adjustment factors, and equivalent viscous damping. The findings show that the suggested fuse possess a ductile behavior with high energy absorption and sufficient resistance and a reasonably stable hysteresis response under compression and tension.

Tailored Computing Power

Tailored Computing Power

Utility of Computerized Tomography Scan of Head in Treatment Decisions for Suspected Cerebral Edema in Children with Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Background Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a life-threatening complication in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). The development of cerebral edema (CE) remains one of the most feared outcomes of DKA. Although CE is rare, it has a mortality rate reaching 25%. The onset of CE may present with symptoms such as severe headache, a sudden change in mental status, or decorticate posturing. Current guidelines regarding the management of CE focus on emergent stabilization through mannitol or hypertonic saline administration combined with fluid restriction, with consideration of imaging, primarily head computed tomography (HCT), after prompt treatment initiation. …

Load Balancing in Cloud Computing – Review

Load Balancing in Cloud Computing – Review

Radiotherapy-induced Acute Carotid Blowout Syndrome in Base of Tongue Cancer

Carotid blowout syndrome is an uncommon and fatal medical emergency in patients with head and neck cancer. Tumor progression, previous surgery, and radiotherapy on the head and the neck regions are some of the predisposing factors that affect its presentation. An early suspicion of a carotid blowout syndrome allows early safety measurements to prevent catastrophic events. A 71-year-old man with advanced base of tongue cancer was presented with a self- limiting oral bleeding 18 months after receiving chemoradiotherapy. Fiberoptic laryngoscopy and contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed the presence of edema of the hypopharynx and thyroid cartilage fracture and necrosis. The patient developed acute oral hemorrhage. Surgical intervention was insufficient to achieve hemostasis. The carotid angiography revealed a common carotid artery rupture, and a covered stent was placed endovascularly. The covered stent placement was enough to stop the bleeding. However, the patient died from perioperative complications. Experience is necessary for the early detection and prevention of a carotid blowout syndrome.

Security Issues and Challenges in Cloud Computing

Security Issues and Challenges in Cloud Computing

Design and Development of an IoT & Raspberry Pi Based Smart Mirror

There is never an end to the devices that can be made smarter and smarter with the help of the adequate technology. There are a lot of smart display devices but mirrors provide an interactive environment while displaying these information’s. This paper presents the design and the development of a Smart mirror using raspberry pi with some additional features which provides face recognition for security and smart unlocking process. The contents are displayed on an LED monitor who is enclosed in a wooden frame and covered with a sheet of reflective one way mirror. The mirror provides basic detail like time, news details, weather of a city and display current message. All the computing is done with the help of a raspberry pi.

Assessment of Radiation-Induced Secondary Cancer Risks In Breast Cancer Patients Treated with 3D Conformal Radiotherapy

Introduction: In the current study, radiation-induced secondary cancers risks (SCRs) have been evaluated in irradiated organs following three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) of breast cancer using the BEIR (Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation) VII models. Material and Methods: Sixty patients with left-sided breast cancer were chosen for this study and who were treated with a total breast dose of 50 Gy in 2 Gy fractions. Differential dose volume histograms (dDVHs) were retrieved and values of mean organs dose were computed. SCRs to the heart, ipsilateral lung, liver, thyroid, and contralateral were estimated using both excess relative risk (ERR) and excess absolute risks (EAR) models as proposed by BEIR VII committee of the U.S National Academy of Sciences.Average values of organ dose to these 60 patients were 6.8, 15.9, 3.7, 4.5 and 1.5 Gy in the thyroid, ipsilateral lung, contralateral breast, heart, and liver, respectively. Results: From the BEIR VII models, ERR incidence was estimated to be 21.2, 5.0, 1.6 and 1.4 Gy-1 for the ipsilateral lung, thyroid, heart, and liver, respectively. EAR for cancer incidence was calculated as 105, 45.8, 15.8 and 4.35 Gy-1 for these same organs. Conclusion: The study showed SCRs quantitatively to various organs for patients with breast cancer who received 3D-CRT. We found that 3D-CRT treatment is associated with a relatively high SCR in the lung.

Perceived Strategies for Financing Maintenance Cost of Physical Facilities in Secondary Schools, Imo State, Nigeria

This paper seeks to find out the strategies for financing maintenance cost of physical facilities in secondary schools in Imo state, Nigeria. Three research questions and two null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Survey research design was adopted. The population consisted of 475 principals in Imo state secondary schools in Nigeria. An instrument named Financing Maintenance Cost of Facilities Questionnaire (FMCFQ) was developed by the researcher. The FMCFQ was validated and its reliability coefficient was computed to be 0.85. Mean and standard deviations were used to analyze the research questions while t-test statistics was employed in testing the two hypotheses, Results show that principals accepted nine strategies out of fourteen for financing maintenance cost of facilities in secondary schools. While it is revealed that there is no significant difference between the perceptions of experienced and less experienced principals as well as those in urban and rural areas on the strategies for financing maintenance cost of facilities in secondary schools in Imo State. Some recommendations were made like the principals of schools should take it as a duty to maintain the school facilities with the help of ministry of education and the government for effective sustainability of nation development.

Low Yield of Ultrasound After Negative Abdominal CT

Although evidence is lacking, ultrasound has been purported to be more sensitive than computed tomography (CT) for certain abdominal pathologies. To

Better Safe than Sorry - Implementing Reliable Health Data Anonymization.

Modern biomedical research is increasingly data-driven. To create the required big datasets, health data needs to be shared or reused, which often leads to privacy challenges. Data anonymization is an important protection method where data is transformed such that privacy guarantees can be provided according to formal models. For applications in practice, anonymization methods need to be integrated into scalable and reliable tools. In this work, we tackle the problem of achieving reliability. Privacy models often involve mathematical definitions using real numbers which are typically approximated using floating-point numbers when implemented as software. We study the effect on the privacy guarantees provided and present a reliable computing framework based on fractional and interval arithmetic for improving the reliability of implementations. Extensive evaluations demonstrate that reliable data anonymization is practical and that it can be achieved with minor impacts on executions times and data utility.

SPHN - The BioMedIT Network: A Secure IT Platform for Research with Sensitive Human Data.

The BioMedIT project is funded by the Swiss government as an integral part of the Swiss Personalized Health Network (SPHN), aiming to provide researchers with access to a secure, powerful and versatile IT infrastructure for doing data-driven research on sensitive biomedical data while ensuring data privacy protection. The BioMedIT network gives researchers the ability to securely transfer, store, manage and process sensitive research data. The underlying BioMedIT nodes provide compute and storage capacity that can be used locally or through a federated environment. The network operates under a common Information Security Policy using state-of-the-art security techniques. It utilizes cloud computing, virtualization, compute accelerators (GPUs), big data storage as well as federation technologies to lower computational boundaries for researchers and to guarantee that sensitive data can be processed in a secure and lawful way. Building on existing expertise and research infrastructure at the partnering Swiss institutions, the BioMedIT network establishes a competitive Swiss private-cloud - a secure national infrastructure resource that can be used by researchers of Swiss universities, hospitals and other research institutions.

Data Fusion to Convert Drug Consumption Quantities into Defined Daily Doses.

Analysis of consumptions has proved a misuse of antibiotics, despite the existence of national requirements. To be able to compute drugs consumption quantities of highly heterogeneous drugs expressed in various doses units, the World Health Organization has defined a defined daily dose. A methodology has been also defined from previous work to compute manually the drugs consumptions in daily defined dose. We automated this methodology by using data fusion on data retrieved from different sources including a French public database and the World Health Organization website. Evaluation proved the efficiency of the approach, except for inconsistency cases. We identified these cases and proposed a solution to avoid them.

Classification of Normal and Cardiomegaly Conditions in Chest Radiographs Using Cardio-Mediastinal Features.

In this study, an attempt has been made to differentiate normal and cardiomegaly using cardio-mediastinal ratiometric features and machine learning approaches. A total of 60 chest radiographs including normal and cardiomegaly subjects are considered from a public dataset. The images are preprocessed using edge aware contrast enhancement technique to improve the edge contrast of lung boundaries. The mediastinal, cardiac and thoracic widths and their ratiometric indices are computed to characterize the morphological variations. The features are fed to three different classifiers for the differentiation of normal and cardiomegaly. Results show that the Linear discriminant analysis classifier is found to perform better with average values of recall 88.7%, precision 88.8%, and area under the curve 91.9%. Hence, the proposed computer aided diagnostic approach appears to be clinically significant to distinguish normal and cardiomegaly especially in remote and resource - poor settings.