scholarly journals Classification of Critical Levels of CO Exposure of Firefigthers through Monitored Heart Rate

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 1561
Author(s):  
Raquel Sebastião ◽  
Sandra Sorte ◽  
José M. Fernandes ◽  
Ana I. Miranda
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Air Pollutants ◽  
Smoke Inhalation ◽  
Physiological Data ◽  
Critical Levels ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Cardiac Disorders ◽  
Exposure Levels ◽  
Different Levels

Smoke inhalation poses a serious health threat to firefighters (FFs), with potential effects including respiratory and cardiac disorders. In this work, environmental and physiological data were collected from FFs, during experimental fires performed in 2015 and 2019. Extending a previous work, which allowed us to conclude that changes in heart rate (HR) were associated with alterations in the inhalation of carbon monoxide (CO), we performed a HR analysis according to different levels of CO exposure during firefighting based on data collected from three FFs. Based on HR collected and on CO occupational exposure standards (OES), we propose a classifier to identify CO exposure levels through the HR measured values. An ensemble of 100 bagged classification trees was used and the classification of CO levels obtained an overall accuracy of 91.9%. The classification can be performed in real-time and can be embedded in a decision fire-fighting support system. This classification of FF’ exposure to critical CO levels, through minimally-invasive monitored HR, opens the possibility to identify hazardous situations, preventing and avoiding possible severe problems in FF’ health due to inhaled pollutants. The obtained results also show the importance of future studies on the relevance and influence of the exposure and inhalation of pollutants on the FF’ health, especially in what refers to hazardous levels of toxic air pollutants.

scholarly journals A Systematic Review of Physiological Measurements, Factors, Methods, and Applications in Virtual Reality

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Halbig ◽  
Marc Erich Latoschik
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
User Behavior ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Physiological Parameters ◽  
Physiological Data ◽  
Automatic Evaluation ◽  
Therapy Training ◽  
Application Fields ◽  
Different Levels

Measurements of physiological parameters provide an objective, often non-intrusive, and (at least semi-)automatic evaluation and utilization of user behavior. In addition, specific hardware devices of Virtual Reality (VR) often ship with built-in sensors, i.e. eye-tracking and movements sensors. Hence, the combination of physiological measurements and VR applications seems promising. Several approaches have investigated the applicability and benefits of this combination for various fields of applications. However, the range of possible application fields, coupled with potentially useful and beneficial physiological parameters, types of sensor, target variables and factors, and analysis approaches and techniques is manifold. This article provides a systematic overview and an extensive state-of-the-art review of the usage of physiological measurements in VR. We identified 1,119 works that make use of physiological measurements in VR. Within these, we identified 32 approaches that focus on the classification of characteristics of experience, common in VR applications. The first part of this review categorizes the 1,119 works by field of application, i.e. therapy, training, entertainment, and communication and interaction, as well as by the specific target factors and variables measured by the physiological parameters. An additional category summarizes general VR approaches applicable to all specific fields of application since they target typical VR qualities. In the second part of this review, we analyze the target factors and variables regarding the respective methods used for an automatic analysis and, potentially, classification. For example, we highlight which measurement setups have been proven to be sensitive enough to distinguish different levels of arousal, valence, anxiety, stress, or cognitive workload in the virtual realm. This work may prove useful for all researchers wanting to use physiological data in VR and who want to have a good overview of prior approaches taken, their benefits and potential drawbacks.

Development and Evaluation of Fuzzy Criteria for the Diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis

1996 ◽  
Vol 35 (04/05) ◽  
pp. 334-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.-P. Adlassnig ◽  
G. Kolarz ◽  
H. Leitich
Keyword(s):  
Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Reference Model ◽  
American Rheumatism Association ◽  
Uniform Definition ◽  
Sensitivity Rate ◽  
Fuzzy Techniques ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Specificity Rate

Abstract:In 1987, the American Rheumatism Association issued a set of criteria for the classification of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to provide a uniform definition of RA patients. Fuzzy set theory and fuzzy logic were used to transform this set of criteria into a diagnostic tool that offers diagnoses at different levels of confidence: a definite level, which was consistent with the original criteria definition, as well as several possible and superdefinite levels. Two fuzzy models and a reference model which provided results at a definite level only were applied to 292 clinical cases from a hospital for rheumatic diseases. At the definite level, all models yielded a sensitivity rate of 72.6% and a specificity rate of 87.0%. Sensitivity and specificity rates at the possible levels ranged from 73.3% to 85.6% and from 83.6% to 87.0%. At the superdefinite levels, sensitivity rates ranged from 39.0% to 63.7% and specificity rates from 90.4% to 95.2%. Fuzzy techniques were helpful to add flexibility to preexisting diagnostic criteria in order to obtain diagnoses at the desired level of confidence.

Values in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS): Translation and Validation in Urdu Language

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-189
Author(s):  
Afifa Anjum ◽  
Naumana Amjad
Keyword(s):  
Factor Structure ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Character Strengths ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Structure Factors ◽  
Adult Participants ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
Cross Language ◽  
Translation And Validation

Values in Action is a classification of 24 character strengths grouped under six virtue categories. This classification is claimed to be universal across cultures and religions (Peterson & Seligman, 2004) and its measure that is, Values in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) has been translated and validated in many languages. The present study aimed at its Urdu translation and validation on Pakistani adults taken from different educational institutes and workplaces. Study comprised two parts. Part I dealt with the translation and cross-language validation while in Part II, Construct validation on a sample of 542 adults and convergent validity on a sample of 210 adult participants were determined. Findings revealed satisfactory alpha coefficients for Urdu version. Significant positive correlations with positive affect and life satisfaction and negative correlations with negative affect were indicators of its convergent validity. Age was negatively associated with five strengths whereas significant gender differences were found on seven strengths. Social desirability effects were nonsignificant. Strength-to-virtue level factor structure exploration resulted in a theoretically meaningful four factor structure. Factors were named as Interpersonal, Cognitive, Vitality, and Transcendence and were comparable to factor structures proposed in studies on VIA-IS from a few other cultures. The study offers a valid Urdu translation for use in future studies with adult Urdu speaking population.

A novel embedded system design for the detection and classification of cardiac disorders

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Umair Riaz ◽  
Sumair Aziz ◽  
Muhammad Umar Khan ◽  
Syed Azhar Ali Zaidi ◽  
Muhammad Ukasha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Embedded System ◽  
System Design ◽  
Embedded System Design ◽  
Cardiac Disorders

scholarly journals Efficacy and safety of urate-lowering therapy in people with kidney impairment: a GCAN-initiated literature review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamish Farquhar ◽  
Ana B Vargas-Santos ◽  
Huai Leng Pisaniello ◽  
Mark Fisher ◽  
Catherine Hill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Renal Function ◽  
Renal Impairment ◽  
Case Reports ◽  
Serum Urate ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Kidney Impairment ◽  
The Cochrane Library ◽  
Study Designs ◽  
Different Levels

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the efficacy, defined as achieving target serum urate <6.0 mg/dl, and safety of urate-lowering therapies (ULT) for people with gout and CKD stages 3–5. Methods PubMed, The Cochrane Library, and EMBASE, were searched from 1 January 1959 to 31 January 2018 for studies that enrolled people with gout, who had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) or creatinine clearance (CrCl) of < 60 mL/min, and exposure to allopurinol, febuxostat, probenecid, benzbromarone, lesinurad or pegloticase. All study designs other than case reports were included, except for people on dialysis, for which we did include case reports. Results There were 36 reports with an analysis of efficacy and/or safety based upon renal function – allopurinol (n = 12), febuxostat (n = 10), probenecid (n = 3), benzbromarone (n = 5), lesinurad (n = 5), and pegloticase (n = 1). There were 108 reports that involved people with gout and renal impairment but did not contain any analysis on efficacy and/or safety based upon renal function – allopurinol (n = 84), febuxostat (n = 14), benzbromarone (n = 1), lesinurad (n = 3), and pegloticase (n = 6). Most studies excluded people with more severe degrees of renal impairment (eGFR or CrCl of < 30mL/min). For allopurinol in particular, there was significant variability in the dose of drug used, and efficacy in terms of urate lowering, across all levels of renal impairment. Conclusion There is a lack of evidence regarding efficacy and/or safety of currently used ULT according to different levels of renal function. Future studies should include patients with CKD and should report study outcomes stratified by renal function.

scholarly journals A Machine Learning Approach to Study Glycosidase Activities from Bifidobacterium

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1034
Author(s):  
Carlos Sabater ◽  
Lorena Ruiz ◽  
Abelardo Margolles
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Supervised Classification ◽  
Machine Learning Algorithms ◽  
Learning Approach ◽  
Human Milk Oligosaccharides ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
High Fiber ◽  
Machine Learning Approach ◽  
Prebiotic Oligosaccharides

This study aimed to recover metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) from human fecal samples to characterize the glycosidase profiles of Bifidobacterium species exposed to different prebiotic oligosaccharides (galacto-oligosaccharides, fructo-oligosaccharides and human milk oligosaccharides, HMOs) as well as high-fiber diets. A total of 1806 MAGs were recovered from 487 infant and adult metagenomes. Unsupervised and supervised classification of glycosidases codified in MAGs using machine-learning algorithms allowed establishing characteristic hydrolytic profiles for B. adolescentis, B. bifidum, B. breve, B. longum and B. pseudocatenulatum, yielding classification rates above 90%. Glycosidase families GH5 44, GH32, and GH110 were characteristic of B. bifidum. The presence or absence of GH1, GH2, GH5 and GH20 was characteristic of B. adolescentis, B. breve and B. pseudocatenulatum, while families GH1 and GH30 were relevant in MAGs from B. longum. These characteristic profiles allowed discriminating bifidobacteria regardless of prebiotic exposure. Correlation analysis of glycosidase activities suggests strong associations between glycosidase families comprising HMOs-degrading enzymes, which are often found in MAGs from the same species. Mathematical models here proposed may contribute to a better understanding of the carbohydrate metabolism of some common bifidobacteria species and could be extrapolated to other microorganisms of interest in future studies.

scholarly journals Integration of various scales for measurement of insomnia

2021 ◽  
pp. 263208432110100
Author(s):  
Satyendra Nath Chakrabartty
Keyword(s):  
Test Scores ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Weighted Sum ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Normal Probability ◽  
Equivalent Test ◽  
Item Scores ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Different Levels

Background Scales for evaluating insomnia differ in number of items, response format, and result in different scores distributions and score ranges and may not facilitate meaningful comparisons. Objectives Transform ordinal item-scores of three scales of insomnia to continuous, equidistant, monotonic, normally distributed scores, avoiding limitations of summative scoring of Likert scales. Methods Equidistant item-scores by weighted sum using data-driven weights to different levels of different items, considering cell frequencies of Item-Levels matrix, followed by normalization and conversion to [1, 10]. Equivalent test-scores (as sum of transformed item- scores) for a pair of scales were found by Normal Probability curves. Empirical illustration given. Results Transformed test-scores are continuous, monotonic and followed Normal distribution with no outliers and tied scores. Such test-scores facilitate ranking, better classification and meaningful comparison of scales of different lengths and formats and finding equivalent score combinations of two scales. For a given value of transformed test-score of a scale, easy alternate method avoiding integration proposed to find equivalent scores of another scales. Equivalent scores of scales help to relate various cut-off scores of different scales and uniformity in interpretations. Integration of various scales of insomnia is achieved by finding one-to-one correspondence among the equivalent score of various scales with correlation over 0.99 Conclusion Resultant test-scores facilitated undertaking analysis in parametric set up. Considering the theoretical advantages including meaningfulness of operations, better comparison, use of such method of transforming scores of Likert items/test is recommended test and items, Future studies were suggested.

Classification of vegetation communities in which geese rear broods on the Yukon – Kuskokwim delta, Alaska

1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (9) ◽  
pp. 1294-1301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher A. Babcock ◽  
Craig R. Ely
Keyword(s):  
Salt Marsh ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Indicator Species Analysis ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Brood Rearing ◽  
Species Analysis ◽  
Twinspan Classification ◽  
Vegetation Complexes ◽  
Air Photo

Plant communities are described from an area on the Yukon – Kuskokwim (Y-K) delta of Alaska that is used extensively for brood rearing by three species of geese. Earlier studies identified plant species important as food for young geese, but few studies describe or quantify plant communities. We classified species presence or absence information from over 700 quadrats using a two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN) and then tested for agreement of signatures on colour infrared air photos with the identified communities. Sedges were found to dominate all but the wettest and driest communities. Most of the brood-rearing area was covered by Carex ramenskii and Carex rariflora meadows, ponds, Carex mackenziei-dominated pond margins, and C. ramenskii and grass levee meadows. Our interpretation of airphotos accurately predicted vegetation community classes, which will facilitate future studies of habitat selection by geese during the time they are rearing young. The TWINSPAN classification was comparable to classifications of studies conducted elsewhere on the Y-K delta. The interpretation of air photos will enable the identification and evaluation of wetland vegetation complexes and potential goose brood-rearing areas away from our study site. Key words: air-photo interpretation, Alaska, plant communities, salt marsh, Yukon – Kuskokwim delta.

A GALLERY OF CHUA ATTRACTORS PART VI

2007 ◽  
Vol 17 (06) ◽  
pp. 1801-1910 ◽  
Author(s):  
ELEONORA BILOTTA ◽  
GIANPIERO DI BLASI ◽  
FAUSTO STRANGES ◽  
PIETRO PANTANO
Keyword(s):  
Phase Space ◽  
Spatial Organization ◽  
Fractal Dimensions ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Experimental Investigations ◽  
Technical Data ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Small Set ◽  
Methodological Approaches

In this article, we conclude our series of papers on the analysis and visualization of Chua attractors and their generalizations. We present a gallery of 144 n-scroll, 15 hyperchaotic and 37 synchronized systems. Along with time series and FFT we provide 3D visualizations; for some attractors we also supply Lyapunov coefficients and fractal dimensions. The goal in constructing our Gallery has been to make the general public aware of the enormous variety of chaotic phenomena and to change the widespread impression that they are isolated rarities. The Gallery provides a valuable collection of images and technical data which can be used to analyze these phenomena and to reproduce them in future studies. From a scientific point of view, we have tried to identify new methodological approaches to the study of chaos, opening nontraditional perspectives on the complexity of this domain. In our papers, we have discussed a broad range of topics, ranging from techniques for visualizing Chua attractors to computational methods allowing us to make a statistical classification of attractors' positions in phase space and to describe the evolutionary processes through which their shapes change over time. We see these processes as analogous to population dynamics in artificial environments. Within these environments, we use experimental methods to identify the models which guide morphogenetic change and which organize genetic landscapes in parameter space. This paper is organized as follows. First, we provide formal descriptions of the attractors generated by n-scroll, hyperchaotic and synchronized systems. The next section describes a Gallery of Chua attractors, generated by gradually varying the parameters and analyzing the resulting bifurcation maps. We then describe software tools allowing us to perform statistical analyses on selected sets of attractors, to visualize them, to explore their organization in phase space, and to conduct experimental investigations of the morphogenetic processes through which a small set of base attractors can generate a broad range of different forms. In the last section, we describe the creation of a Virtual 3D Gallery displaying some of the attractors we have presented in our six papers. The attractors are organized by theme, as they might be in a museum. The environment allows users to explore the attractors, interact with shapes, listen to music and sounds generated by the attractors, change their spatial organization, and create new shapes. To complete the paper — and the series — we propose a number of general conclusions.

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