Discovery Software Research Articles

Prevalence of Self-Medication Among Patients With Common Dermatological Diseases in Saudi Arabia.

Introduction Self-medication is defined as the use of a medication or product to treat, alleviate, or prevent a condition or symptom of an illness or to promote health. Self-management is increasingly used for dermatological diseases, especially chronic inflammatory skin diseases. Hence, it is crucialto be aware of its prevalence and the leading factors of its usage. Therefore, this study aims to estimate the prevalence of self-treatment for dermatological diseases and to determine possible factors associated with its practice. Methodology This is a cross-sectional online-based questionnaire study that was conducted in King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.In this study, we included all first-visit and follow-up patients diagnosed with vitiligo, eczema, alopecia areata, and psoriasis. Data analysis was conducted using JMP Statistical Discovery Software, version 15 (JMP Statistical Discovery LLC, Cary, NC). Results Of the 203 patients who participated in this study, 91 (44.8%) had vitiligo. Moreover, topical corticosteroids were the most commonly used medications in self-treatment and included mometasone and hydrocortisone, which were used by 143 (41.3%) and 50 (14.5%) patients, respectively.Thirty patients (16.2%) improved with self-treatment, whereas52 (28.1%) had no improvement. In addition, the most common reason for self-treatment was having mild symptoms of the disease in97 patients (30.1%). Conclusion This study revealed that theprevalence of self-treatment among various dermatological diseases was 53.2%. Topical corticosteroids were the most commonly used conventional medicines, whereas the most common alternative medications used were honey and henna. We found that the most common reason for self-treatment was mildness of the dermatological disease. Family and friends were the most common sources of information.

The Microglial Transcriptome of Age-Associated Deep Subcortical White Matter Lesions Suggests a Neuroprotective Response to Blood-Brain Barrier Dysfunction.

Age-associated deep-subcortical white matter lesions (DSCLs) are an independent risk factor for dementia, displaying high levels of CD68+ microglia. This study aimed to characterize the transcriptomic profile of microglia in DSCLs and surrounding radiologically normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) compared to non-lesional control white matter. CD68+ microglia were isolated from white matter groups (n = 4 cases per group) from the Cognitive Function and Ageing Study neuropathology cohort using immuno-laser capture microdissection. Microarray gene expression profiling, but not RNA-sequencing, was found to be compatible with immuno-LCM-ed post-mortem material in the CFAS cohort and identified significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Functional grouping and pathway analysis were assessed using the Database for Annotation Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) software, and immunohistochemistry was performed to validate gene expression changes at the protein level. Transcriptomic profiling of microglia in DSCLs compared to non-lesional control white matter identified 181 significant DEGs (93 upregulated and 88 downregulated). Functional clustering analysis in DAVID revealed dysregulation of haptoglobin-haemoglobin binding (Enrichment score 2.5, p = 0.017), confirmed using CD163 immunostaining, suggesting a neuroprotective microglial response to blood-brain barrier dysfunction in DSCLs. In NAWM versus control white matter, microglia exhibited 347 DEGs (209 upregulated, 138 downregulated), with significant dysregulation of protein de-ubiquitination (Enrichment score 5.14, p < 0.001), implying an inability to maintain protein homeostasis in NAWM that may contribute to lesion spread. These findings enhance understanding of microglial transcriptomic changes in ageing white matter pathology, highlighting a neuroprotective adaptation in DSCLs microglia and a potentially lesion-promoting phenotype in NAWM microglia.

Hsa‑miR‑455‑3P as a predictive biomarker of anemia in patients with non‑small cell lung cancer treated with carboplatin plus paclitaxel.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality worldwide. The initial treatment of lung cancer depends on the definition of the tumor type and its staging. The most common treatment is chemotherapy, and the first-line treatment is a combination of carboplatin and paclitaxel. Although this treatment has good efficacy, there is a high prevalence of adverse events, particularly hematological reactions. Studies on new biomarkers related to these adverse events, such as circulating microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs), are important for optimizing the quality of life of patients. miRNAs have high stability in several biological fluids and they have specific expressions in different tissues or pathologies. Thus, the present study aimed to assess the relationship between circulating miRNAs and adverse hematologic reactions caused by treatment with carboplatin + paclitaxel in patients with lung cancer. Blood was collected from patients before and 15 days after chemotherapy for hematological adverse reaction analysis, microarray and quantitative (q)PCR validation. Adverse reactions were classified according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v4.0. Microarray analysis was performed using plasma from six patients without anemia and six patients with anemia, and nine miRNAs were differentially expressed. miR-1273g-3p, miR-3613-5p and miR-455-3p, identified using microarray, were assessed using qPCR in 20 patients without anemia and 26 patients with anemia. Bioinformatic analyses of miR-455-3p were performed using miRWalk, the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery and GeneMania software. Microarray analysis of patients with and without anemia revealed nine significant differentially-expressed plasma miRNAs among these patients. Of these, miR-1273g-3p, miR-3613-5p and miR-455-3p were chosen for further assessment. Only miR-455-3p demonstrated a significant reduction in expression (P=0.04) between the groups before chemotherapy with carboplatin + paclitaxel. Bioinformatics analysis of miR-455-3p revealed a relationship between this miRNA and the hematopoietic pathway, particularly with respect to the RUNX family transcription factor 1 (RUNX1) and TAL bHLH transcription factor 1, erythroid differentiation factor (TAL1) genes. The most prevalent adverse reactions in patients with lung cancer treated with carboplatin + paclitaxel were hematological, particularly anemia. This adverse reaction, caused by dysfunction of the hematopoietic system, may be explained by a possible association between the important genes in this system, RUNX1 and TAL1, and hsa-miR-455-3p.

MicroRNA copy number alterations in the malignant transformation of pleomorphic adenoma to carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma.

This study used array comparative genomic hybridization to assess copy number alterations (CNAs) involving miRNA genes in pleomorphic adenoma (PA), recurrent pleomorphic adenoma (RPA), residual PA, and carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma (CXPA). We analyzed 13 PA, 4 RPA, 29 CXPA, and 14 residual PA using Nexus Copy Number Discovery software. The miRNAs genes affected by CNAs were evaluated based on their expression patterns and subjected to pathway enrichment analysis. Across the groups, we found 216 CNAs affecting 2261 miRNA genes, with 117 in PA, 59 in RPA, 846 in residual PA, and 2555 in CXPA. The chromosome 8 showed higher involvement in altered miRNAs in PAs and CXPA patients. Six miRNA genes were shared among all groups. Additionally, miR-21, miR-455-3p, miR-140, miR-320a, miR-383, miR-598, and miR-486 were prominent CNAs found and is implicated in carcinogenesis of several malignant tumors. These miRNAs regulate critical signaling pathways such as aerobic glycolysis, fatty acid biosynthesis, and cancer-related pathways. This study was the first to explore CNAs in miRNA-encoding genes in the PA-CXPA sequence. The findings suggest the involvement of numerous miRNA genes in CXPA development and progression by regulating oncogenic signaling pathways.

Optimizing throughput value through re-examining of 4G LTE infrastructure link budgets: A Case Study in Lubuk Kilangan

Broadband wireless access technology has taken the lead in communication technology development, enabling users to communicate with fast data speeds and extensive coverage.. Problems that frequently arise in mobile communication systems are the wide range of services and the level of network service quality. Thus, optimization is carried out to improve network quality in the Lubuk Kilangan area by using the drive test method to determine the quality of the network and bad spot areas and analyzed using terms discovery software. The reason behind the findings of this study is that the optimal link budget value for 4G LTE infrastructure in Lubuk Kilangan is higher than the current industry standard due to the unique characteristics of the area. According to the analysis and calculation of the link budget, power additions, and antenna tilting alterations were carried out for optimization. The power quality of the RSRP parameter increased from the fair (orange) area of 2.58 to 0.29. For the SINR parameter, For the SINR parameter, there was also an increase in quality at poor category locations in the KPI parameters (Range RSRP) locations from 0.08% to 0.05%, resulting in SINR bad spots decreasing. The proportion for Throughput after optimization remains the same, at 100%. Indicating that there had been a good increase in the coverage area, making the coverage in the Lubuk Kilangan area good. It is necessary to conduct a deeper study by comparing several types of antenna orientation, including tilt, depending on various factors such as the deployment scenario, coverage requirements, interference considerations, and the specific characteristics of picocells, femtocells, and repeaters. Future research could explore the impact of other factors, such as network topology and user behavior, on link budget optimization of 4G LTE infrastructure in different contexts

Infrastructural insecurity: Geopolitics in the standardization of telecommunications networks

This article argues that the production and maintenance of “infrastructural insecurity” is an inherent part of the process of the standardization of telecommunication networks. Infrastructural insecurity is the outcome of intentional practices during the production, standardization, and maintenance of communication infrastructures that leave end-users vulnerable to attacks that benefit particular actors. We ground this analysis in the qualitative and quantitative exploration of the responses to the disclosure of three fundamental security vulnerabilities in telecommunications networks. To research the shaping of communication and infrastructure architectures in the face of insecurities, we develop a novel approach to the study of Internet governance and standard-setting processes that leverages web scraping and computer-assisted document set discovery software tools combined with document analysis. This is an important contribution because it problematizes the process of standardization and asks fundamental questions about the adequacy and legitimacy of the process and procedures of standardization, its participants, and its institutions.

Interrogating the standardisation of surveillance in 5G amid US–China competition

ABSTRACT In this article we show that the 5G competition between the United States and Western Europe versus China is not reflected in the standardisation of lawful interception (LI) technologies in the world’s leading telecommunications standardisation body, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Guided by the concept of infrastructure as a site and tool of political contestation, we develop a new approach to the study of Internet governance and standard-setting processes that leverages web scraping and computer-assisted document set discovery software tools. We bring these methods into conversation with theoretical approaches from material media studies, science and technology studies, and international relations. The 3GPP is the main telecommunications standardisation body and the only consortium developing standards to fulfil the ITU’s criteria for the 5th generation of telecommunications technology (5G). The 3GPP therefore is a strategic venue to observe and interpret the politics of standardisation processes. As such, the LI-related work conducted in 3GPP exemplifies public and private actors’ capacity to influence global surveillance standards and export their surveillance technologies. While European and United States governments engage in the standardisation of surveillance technologies, the Chinese government does not do this in the 3GPP. This fuels distrust in 5G technologies. We argue that further integration of China in standardisation could function as a trust-building measure.

INFRASTRUCTURAL INSECURITY: GEOPOLITICS IN THE STANDARDIZATION OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS

This paper argues that the production of ‘infrastructural insecurity’ is an inherent part of the standardization of information networks. Infrastructural insecurity is the outcome of an intentional process within infrastructural production, standardization, and maintenance that leaves end-users of the infrastructure vulnerable to attacks that benefit a particular actor. We ground this analysis in an interrogation of the responses to the disclosure of three security vulnerabilities in telecommunications networks, namely (1) a security flaw in Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) that allows for the data interception and surveillance, SMS interception and location tracking by third parties, (2) the lack of encryption of permanent identifiers that allowed for the deployment of rogue base stations, which allowed for man-in-the-middle attacks, resulting in interception of all voice and data traffic in a physical signal vicinity, and (3) the lack of forward secrecy between user-equipment and the home network, which allows for the decryption of current encrypted data stream if credentials were obtained in the past. To research the shaping of communication and infrastructure architectures in the face of insecurities, we develop a novel approach to the study of Internet governance and standard-setting processes that leverages web scraping and computer-assisted document set discovery software tools combined with document analysis. We bring these methods into conversation with theoretical approaches from material media studies, science and technology studies, and critical security studies. This is an important contribution because it asks fundamental questions about the adequacy and legitimacy of standardization processes.

Computational study on natural molecules targeting β-ketoacyl reductase domain of fatty acid synthase for the identification of selective inhibitors

Fatty acid synthase (FASN) enzyme is a lipid metabolism protein that provides the essential nutrients to cancer cells through de novo lipogenesis. Also, it plays a key role in other disease conditions, including obesity and inflammation. Hence, targeting the β-ketoacyl reductase (KR) domain of FASN protein, an in-silico study was performed on some selective bioactive natural molecules following a repurposing strategy to identify FASN inhibitors. A molecular docking study followed by Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Excretion (ADME) predictions, binding free energy calculations, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed against FASN protein (PDB ID:6NNA) using Schrodinger Drug Discovery Software. Compounds rutin, trans-chlorogenic acid, norbergenin, myricetin, quercetin, physalolactone, quercetin-3-O-galactoside, kaempferol, asperulosidic acid, luteolin, curcumin, 12-deoxywithastramonolide, pedunculoside, hernandifoline, and withafastuosin E were identified as hits, presenting better docking scores (–16.2, −14.1, −12.3, −12.1, −12.0, −11.3, −10.3, −9.8, −9.3, −9.2, −9.1, −8.5, −8.4, −8.3, –7.9, respectively) and hydrogen bond interactions with Ser 2021 and Tyr 2034 amino acids of the KR domain of FASN. The MD simulations study of top five hits in complex with protein 6NNA uncovered the significant interactions leading to the stabilization of ligand with Root Mean Square Deviation (RMSD) below 5.00 Å and the stability was further validated by evaluating the root mean square fluctuation, solvent accessible surface area, and radius of gyration graphs. Also, the FASN inhibition effect of top four hits (50 µM) was >50% when corroborated using High Performance Liquid Chromatography HPLC-based estimation of palmitic acid in MCF-7 cells. Thus rutin, trans-chlorogenic acid, norbergenin, and myricetin are proposed as prospective FASN inhibitory leads. Overall, the results provided useful modifications in pharmacophoric features that could improve the inhibitory effect. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Analisis Kualitas Jaringan 4G LTE: Studi Kasus antara Telkomsel dan Tri Melalui Metode Drive Test

Nanggalo Subdistrict is one of the sub-districts located in the city of Padang, West Sumatra Province. The advantages of data transfer speeds owned by 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) make telecommunications operators compete with each other to provide the best service quality, but there is still a decrease in network quality in the Nanggalo District area at Telkomsel and Tri operators. So it is necessary to do a drive test to measure and find out the network quality of the two operators. Measuring the quality of a 4G network with RSRP, SINR, and Throughput parameters and how to retrieve data is a benchmark. The software used is TEMS Pocket to take measurement data during the drive test, TEMS Discovery Software to process the data of the test drive results. The comparison results were obtained in Nanggalo District for Tri operator to have better network quality, which can be seen in the SINR parameter has a percentage value of 43.17% and Throughput with a percentage value of 83.56% while Telkomsel operator have a SINR value with a percentage of 17.58% and throughput with a percentage value of 36.59%.

Abstract 4626: Spatial profiling of the tumor microenvironment in head and neck cancer identifies immune checkpoints and proteins involved in cell death signaling biomarkers of immunotherapy response

Abstract Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) Pembrolizumab and Nivolumab have shown promising results in patients with recurrent or metastatic (R/M) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Nonetheless, only up to 20% of patients may benefit from them. Next generation predictive biomarkers of response to ICI therapies are currently needed. This retrospective study profiled pre-treatment tissue samples collected from R/M HNSCC patients (n=30) treated with Pembrolizumab or Nivolumab. Targeted spatial proteomics profiling was performed using NanoString’s GeoMx® Digital Spatial Profiler (GeoMx). To develop an informed region-of-interest (ROI) selection strategy for the GeoMx, we analyzed H&amp;E images from serial sections and performed Oncotopix® Discovery software, which considered pathology inputs and machine learning to analyze H&amp;E imagery and 4-channel GeoMx visualization inputs. We profiled 80 proteins simultaneously using the GeoMx across modules in cell death, immune activation, immune cell typing, immuno-oncology drug target, immune profiling, PI3K/AKT signaling, and pan-tumor markers.. Next, we performed differential expression (DE) analysis of the proteins localized in the tumor and stromal compartments against response to therapy parameters of complete, partial, stable and progressive disease (according to RECIST criteria). Four-channel GeoMx immunofluorescence images provided per-ROI cell counts (total and phenotyped based on 3 markers), and these data were used to aid in area and cell count normalization within the tumor and stromal compartments. We found that patients responsive to immunotherapy had higher expression levels of PD-L1, Bcl-2, BCLX, and BIM in the tumor, whereas VISTA, FOXP3, and CD66b were downregulated. In the stromal compartment, it was found that responders had higher expression levels of B7-H3, CD40, and SMA, but lower expression of PARP, S100B, and NY-ESO-1 in comparison to non-responders. In terms of best response analysis, patients with PR (n=5) had higher levels of PD-L1, ER-alpha, and CD68 expression, but lower levels of VISTA, CD27, and CD95/Fas in tumor regions than patients with PD (n=8). In the stroma, PD-L1, CD68, and HLA-DR were upregulated, while VISTA, BIM, and BAD were downregulated in patients with PR versus those with PD. We found that informed ROI selection strategy aided in defining key features in the tumor microenvironment for comparative analysis across samples, and for data normalization methods. Moreover, we found that immune checkpoints and proteins involved in cell death signaling play important roles in the immune responsive tumor microenvironment of HNSCC based on response to immunotherapy. Citation Format: Habib Sadeghirad, Ning Liu, James Monkman, Chin Wee Tan, Caroline Cooper, Jeni Caldera, Sarah Church, Fabian Schneider, James Robert Mansfield, Ken O'Byrne, Melissa Davis, Brett Hughes, Arutha Kulasinghe. Spatial profiling of the tumor microenvironment in head and neck cancer identifies immune checkpoints and proteins involved in cell death signaling biomarkers of immunotherapy response. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 4626.

Potentials of plantain peel and Tithonia diversifolia leaves as soil amendments in enhancing performance and nutritional contents of tomato (Solanumlycopersicum)

Screen house experiment was conducted in 2020 at the Landmark University Teaching and Research Farm Omu-aran, Kwara State. The experiment was carried out to evaluate the potential of dried unripe plantain peel and Tithonia diversifolia as soil amendments and its effect on growth, yield and fruit quality of tomato. Four rates each of dried plantain peel (0, 5, 10 and 15 t/ha) and Tithonia diversifolia (0, 10, 20 and 30 t/ha) were applied sole and combined. The experimental layout was a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replicates. Parameters were collected on the plant height, number of leaves, number of branches, stem girth, yield and fruit quality. Data collected were subjected to Analysis of variance (ANOVA) using the GENSTAT Discovery Software, Edition 4. Comparison of the treatment means were carried out using Duncan Multiple range test (DMRT) at 0.05 level of probability. Results showed that dried plantain peel and Tithonia diversifolia improved, number and weight of fruits as well as the fruit quality of tomato and were comparable to the application of NPK fertilizer. Treatment P5T30 (T8) increased number of leaves and number of branches while P15T20 (T15) and P10T30 (T12) increased plant height and stem girth respectively. Treatment P5T30 (T8) and P10T20 (T11) also significantly improved the fruit quality (minerals, lycopene and Vit. A) of tomato fruits. It can therefore be concluded that application of dried plantain peel and Tithonia diversifolia at P5T30 (T8) and P10T20 (T11) increased the vegetative, yield and quality parameters of tomato in the screen house of the study area.

Water Supply Chain Resource Management in Cities Using Data Mining Techniques

This paper presents a comparative research study between a number of data mining techniques, knowledge discovery tools, data analysis and software packages to be used in a Decision Support System (DSS) for Smart water supply chain resources management. The case study deals with the evaluation and comparative research of water quality of city water supply within New Delhi city area. In the case of New-Delhi water supply alternative actions for improving of water supply and quality are defined for efficient supply in distributed area. The real time water quality monitor uses given standards by Water Quality Index (WQI) and Statistical analysis done on it suggests the shortest path between supply station and local area distribution Centre by used WEKA mining tool (decision tree) and OLAP. The results show that the city water isn't supplied efficiently in the city and not within the standard quality criteria of (WHO) standards and Indian standards. Leanings and research challenges observed during this comparative study have also been enumerated.

Penetration Depth Analysis of UMTS Networks Using Received Signal Code Power

This paper examines the coverage of three UMTS networks in Calabar, using the received signal code power (RSCP). A drive test conducted with the aid of a TEMS investigation software, collected log files of RSCP which were analyzed as coverage plots by a TEMS discovery software and further put through statistical measures using excel. The low values of calculated standard error depicts that the data used in this study is accurate and not manipulated. The data distribution in MTN and 9mobile network were slightly leptokurtic but slightly mesokurtic for Airtel network. Again, the data distribution for the three networks were approximately symmetric. Finally, 81.5%, 96.36% and 92.1% of the drive test routes for 9 mobile, Airtel and MTN network met with the NCC performance threshold. The result of this study will assist RF engineers in the optimization of UMTS networks and also in designing propagation models for accurate transmission of UMTS network signals in the study area.

PROCESS-MINING USING RULE AUGMENTED WITH CONDITIONAL RANDOM FIELDS ON SEQUENCES FOR EVALUATING THE RESULTS IN HEALTH CARE EVENT ABSTRACTION

Process-mining approaches are geared towards gaining insights into processes by analyzing records of events. Most of the time, the events written down within the event log aren't enough detailed. This causes the software to uncover incomprehensible processes diagrams or processes that do not exactly match the details that are in the log. We demonstrate that when process discovery software can detect an insufficient process model from an event log that is lower level. The general pattern of the event can in certain instances be identified by abstracting the log higher levels of detail. This presents the challenges of creating a bridge between a log that is low-level events and a more detailed view of the log in order to create a more structured and more easily comprehended model of the process is recognized. We have shown that the supervised learning technique can assist in the task of event abstraction for the case that annotations that contain High-level interpretations of low-level events are only available to specific sequences (i.e. trace). We propose a method to create trace features vectors for events dependent on extensions to an event. There is an increasing amount of research about Process-mining in the field of health care, such as oncology, which is the research of cancer. The MIMIC-III dataset contains 16 event tables that can be beneficial in Process-mining. This paper highlights the potential to utilize MIMIC-III to conduct Process-mining in the field of oncology. The findings and the data's quality limitations are reviewed as well as opportunities for further study as well as reflections on the potential of MIMIC-III to facilitate reproducible research on Process-mining.

Genome and Transcriptome Sequence Resources and Effector Repertoire of Pythium myriotylum Drechsler.

Genome and Transcriptome Sequence Resources and Effector Repertoire of Pythium myriotylum Drechsler.

The DIARieS ecosystem – A software ecosystem to simplify discovery, implementation, analysis, reproducibility, and sharing of scientific results and environments in Heliophysics

The infrastructure of the Heliophysics discipline has promising components but with several missing gaps, drastically reducing research and development efficiency. Developing an online discovery and analysis software ecosystem will close several of these gaps. The five main focuses on this ecosystem should be Discovery, Implementation, Analysis, Reproducibility, and Sharing of results (DIARieS). In this paper, we give a detailed description of how the proposed software ecosystem should operate, and point out the large range of possible applications to benefit many disparate groups, such as researchers, operational staff, decision-makers, and educators. The infrastructure components and technological capabilities necessary for its completion are either currently available or in development, making such an ecosystem possible for the first time. One main focus of current infrastructure investments must be to adapt and connect these pieces together into a cohesive whole to increase our research and development efficiency.

Benchmarking of Anesthesia and Surgical Control Times by Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) Codes.

Over half of hospital revenue results from perioperative patient care, thus emphasizing the importance of efficient resource utilization within a hospital's suite of operating rooms (ORs).Predicting surgical case duration, including Anesthesia-controlled time (ACT) and Surgical-controlled time (SCT) has been significantly detailed throughout the literature as a means to help manage and predict OR scheduling. However, this information has previously been divided by surgical specialty, and only limited benchmarking data regarding ACT and SCT exists. We hypothesized that advancing the granularity of the ACT and SCT from surgical specialty to specific Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) codes will produce data that is more accurate, less variable, and therefore more useful for OR schedule modeling and management.This single center study was conducted using times from surgeries performed at the University of Colorado Hospital (UCH) between September 2018 - September 2019. Individual cases were categorized by surgical specialty based on the specialty of the primary attending surgeon and CPT codes were compiled from billing data. Times were calculated as defined by the American Association of Clinical Directors. I2 values were calculated to assess heterogeneity of mean ACT and SCT times while Levene's test was utilized to assess heterogeneity of ACT and SCT variances. Statistical analyses for both ACT and SCT were calculated using JMP Statistical Discovery Software from SAS (Cary, NC) and R v3.6.3 (Vienna, Austria).All surgical cases (n = 87,537) performed at UCH from September 2018 to September 2019 were evaluated and 30,091 cases were included in the final analysis. All surgical subspecialties, with the exception of Podiatry, showed significant variability in ACT and SCT values between CPT codes within each surgical specialty. Furthermore, the variances of ACT and SCT values were also highly variable between CPT codes within each surgical specialty. Finally, benchmarking values of mean ACT and SCT with corresponding standard deviations are provided.Because each mean ACT and SCT value varies significantly between different CPT codes within a surgical specialty, using this granularity of data will likely enable improved accuracy in surgical schedule modeling compared to using mean ACT and SCT values for each surgical specialty as a whole. Furthermore, because there was significant variability of ACT and SCT variances between CPT codes, incorporating variance into surgical schedule modeling may also improve accuracy. Future investigations should include real-time simulations, logistical modeling, and labor utilization analyses as well asvalidation of benchmarking times in private practice settings.

Designing Web-scale geographic search interface for libraries

PurposeThere are various online library databases available to access, but none of them include a geographic search option. The purpose of this study is to discover a suitable solution to solve this problem. To access information, it is critical to search using the geographic locations available in bibliographic databases. Geographic search functionality is available in Web-scale discovery system and services.Design/methodology/approachThe approach and methods for incorporating geographic search capabilities into VuFind open source discovery software for suitable and appropriate information resource discovery among users are straightforward. Library mash-up tools and techniques were integrated by using geographic locations into a Web-scale library discovery system.FindingsAs a result, bibliographic metadata descriptions help all library users to identify and access documents more quickly and easily. It can assist users and librarians in making better use of library resources by integrating various databases with VuFind and by providing them in a single window-based interface. This system has developed a standardised geographic search architecture, and it is entirely based on the Ubuntu operating system. Furthermore, the 034 MARC 21 tag will be adjusted using the latitude and longitude website.Originality/valueWeb-scale library services are provided by OCLC WorldCat Discovery Services, Summon Web-scale Discovery, EBSCO Discovery Services, Primo Central and others. This Web-scale discovery services platform relies heavily on geographic search interface functionalities.

A comparative assessment of GSM and UMTS Networks

It is common knowledge that the transition of mobile networks from one generation to another is basically for the improvement in the network’s Quality of Service (QoS). Bearing this in mind, we will assumme that the Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) will outperform the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), hence, the motivation to conduct this study in Calabar, Nigeria, for four mobile networks; MTN, Airtel, Globacom and 9mobile. With the aid of a TEMS investigation software installed in a laptop, a measurement campaign was carried out and log files collected, with focus on Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR), Dropped Call Rate (DCR), Handover Success Rate (HOSR), Call Setup Time (CST), network coverage and network quality. The collected data was analyzed with the aid of a TEMS discovery software. The analyzed data for each Key Performance Indicator (KPI) was compared with the minimum benchmark of the telecommunications regulatory body, the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC). Result reveal that there was no outright improvement in the QoS and there was fluctuation in the QoS provided by the network operators. We therefore conclude that the network operators, either did not make accurate planning before installing their base stations or do not optimize their networks frequently and this led to poor QoS in most cases.