Pattern recognition in data as a diagnosis tool

Medical data often appear in the form of numerical matrices or sequences. We develop mathematical tools for automatic screening of such data in two medical contexts: diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and identification of cardiac abnormalities. The idea is first to implement adequate data normalizations and then identify suitable hyperparameters and distances to classify relevant patterns. To this purpose, we discuss the applicability of Plackett-Luce models for rankings to hyperparameter and distance selection. Our tests suggest that, while Hamming distances seem to be well adapted to the study of patterns in matrices representing data from laboratory tests, dynamic time warping distances provide robust tools for the study of cardiac signals. The techniques developed here may set a basis for automatic screening of medical information based on pattern comparison.

Modeling and Simulation of an Assistive Exoskeleton Leg System with Knee Osteoarthritis and Quadriceps Weakness

The most common human locomotion problems such as quadriceps weakness, knee osteoarthritis can be healed up by using exoskeleton mechanisms with proper control systems. However, these kinds of abnormalities cannot be easily modeled in terms of engineering perspectives due to a lack of adequate data or unknown dynamics. Also, nature always seeks minimum energy as well as biology which means that the unknown dynamics can be built by using this phenomenon. In this study, a new system dynamic model had been involved in designing a simple single-legged exoskeleton robot mechanism and its control system to assist partially disabled individuals to improve their quality of locomotion. To determine the specific features of the human gait disorders to interpret their nature in the computer-aided simulation environment, knee osteoarthritis and quadriceps weakness, which are the common types of such problems, have been chosen as the main interests for this study. By using the lower limb model with anthropometric data, the simulations of disorders have been realized on MATLAB Simscape environment which enables us to model the entire exoskeleton system with the 3D parts of the human body. A model of a leg with the disorder was able to be obtained with the utilization of feedback linearization which is one of the examples of minimum principles in the control theory. A proper gait cycle is achieved with the exoskeleton application and separately for the leg, with approximately 10 deg deviation from the natural property in knee flexion. Finally, it can be seen that the system conversion into such problematic cases with or without an exoskeleton system is accomplished.

SAPHO Syndrome and Pustulotic Arthro-Osteitis (PAO)

ABSTRACTS Synovitis, Acne, Pustulosis, Hyperostosis and Osteitis (SAPHO) syndrome is a rare inflammatory osteo-articular disorder, which encompassed many diseases, including pustulotic arthro-osteitis (PAO). Bone and joint manifestations, including osteitis, synovitis and hyperostosis, are the hallmark of the SAPHO syndrome and affect a variety of regions of the body. Recent GRAPPA survey indicated that more than 80 percent of cases of SAPHO syndrome in Japan were thought to be PAO, originally proposed by Sonozaki et al. in 1981, whereas severe acne was the most commonly reported skin ailment amongst participants with SAPHO syndrome in Israel. SAPHO syndrome is a rare disease and adequate data regarding its prevalence remains unavailable, whereas prevalence of PPP was reported to be 0.12 % in Japan and 10-30% of patients with PPP had PAO. SAPHO syndrome and PAO are predominantly found in patients in the third through fifth decades of life, and a female predominance are seen in both groups. The diagnosis of SAPHO syndrome/PAO is typically made by a rheumatologist or dermatologist. Identification of a variety of the clinical, radiological, and laboratory features outlined, as well as diagnostic criteria, are used to make the diagnosis. Goals for treating patients with SAPHO syndrome/PAO seek to maximize health-related quality of life by improving skin and articular symptoms, preventing structural changes and destruction, and normalizing physical function and social participation. Finally, we review the non-pharmacological (ie: smoking cessation and controlling focal infections) and pharmacological managements including NSAIDs, bisphosphonates, cs DMARDs, bDMARDs, and other treatments for SAPHO syndrome/PAO.

PROVIDING A DEPENDABLE OPERATION OF THE DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM WITH INTERVAL CHANGES IN THE FLOW CHARACTERISTICS BASED ON ANALYTICAL SIMULATIONS

The article proposes a new approach for adjusting the parameters of computing nodes being a part of a data processing system based on analytical simulation of a queuing system with subsequent estimation of probabilities of hypotheses regarding the computing node state. Methods of analytical modeling of queuing systems and mathematical statistics are used. The result of the study is a mathematical model for assessing the information situation for a computing node, which differs from the previously published system model used. Estimation of conditional probabilities of hypotheses concerning adequate data processing by a computing node allows making a decision on the need of adjusting the parameters of a computing node. This adjustment makes it possible to improve the efficiency of working with tasks on the computing node of the data processing system. The implementation of the proposed model for adjusting the parameters of the computer node of the data processing system increases both the efficiency of process applications on the node and, in general, the efficiency of its operation. The application of the approach to all computing nodes of the data processing system increases the dependability of the system as a whole.

Geographical Distribution and Long-Term Monitoring of Physokermes hellenicus (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) on Abies spp. (Pinales: Pinaceae) in Greece

The scale Physokermes hellenicus (Kozár & Gounari) (Hemiptera: Coccidae) has been recently included in the Greek entomofauna as a beneficial honeydew species. However, there are no adequate data about its geographical distribution and degree of infestation. Therefore, a study was conducted to examine these parameters in fifteen mountains of Greece. Furthermore, the monitoring of P. hellenicus infestation was carried out over a six-year period with regard to natural enemies and honeydew presence at three mountains (i.e., Menalon, Parnis and Tymfristos) that are traditional honeybee foraging areas. An extensive geographical distribution of the scale was negatively correlated with the latitude. Over the period of the study, P. hellenicus infestation exhibited a decreasing trend in the three mountains, which was more obvious at Menalon. The abundance of natural enemies of P. hellenicus, their effectiveness on honeydew excretion and the fecundity of P. hellenicus are discussed. The reduction in the honey produced at the Menalon mountain (a protected designation of origin product) could be attributed to the reduced presence of P. hellenicus in the fir forest. Among the other identified arthropods, Dreyfusia nordmannianae Eckstein (Hemiptera: Adelgidae) is reported for the first time infesting Abies cephalonica (Pinales: Pinaceae) in Greece. Furthermore, this species is reported for the first time as a co-parasite with P. hellenicus on A. cephalonica in Greece. Since D. nordmannianae is a serious pest, additional research is needed to determine its status in Greek fir forest ecosystems.

The South African Families Database

Very little is known about what family life looked like for settlers in colonial South Africa during the 18th or 19th century, nor how events over these centuries might have affected demographic change. The primary reason for this lacuna is a shortage of adequate data. Historians and genealogists have, over the last century, worked to combine the rich administrative records that are available in the Cape Archives in Cape Town and beyond, into a single genealogical volume of all settlers living in the 18th, 19th and early 20th century. Until recently, this valuable resource was not in a format that would enable its use for the type of event-history analyses that have come to dominate the field of contemporary historical demography. This is now changing with the introduction of the South African Families database (SAF). SAF is one of very few databases known to document a full population of immigrants and their families over several generations. This article introduces provides a brief background to, and technical overview of, the construction of the SAF. It discusses both the merits and limitations of its use in longitudinal demographic studies and offers a look into the types of studies it can enable.

ON THE ORIGIN AND DISABILITY PREVENTION

There is an asymmetry in the disability research. Much more research is devoted to the problems of living conditions of people with disabilities and the instruments of their support and activation. Prevention of accidents, injuries and chronic diseases leading to disability is less researched. The article indicates that research on disability prevention should be multidisciplinary and based on the life course and settings (place of living) approach, preferably with the use of longitudinal observation. Correspondingly to this proposal, examples of studies meeting the author's suggestions are noted, as well as the guidelines of WHO and other specialized organizations on the use of developed definitions, creating national databases and mobilizing stakeholders for participation in adequate data collection process at international level.

INTELLIGENT DATA MODEL FOR ARABIC MORPHOLOGY: MORPHOSCRIPT LANGUAGE

This paper aims to propose a specific formalism for Arabic morphology modeling that is too complex to model exhaustively with classical approaches. Therefore, it was necessary to find out an adequate representation of formalism. We designed, thus, a declarative, object-oriented language, referenced to us: MorphoScript, which allowed us to represent the complete morphological knowledge that we could identify optimally. The study that we are presenting here aims to propose an adequate data model of natural language morphological components and composition rules. We will thus present the basic elements and the theoretical and technical foundations of a language reproducing and assisting a morphological analysis process and the principles that guided the conception of this data model fully based on class concepts. Therefore, it is an object-oriented language using inheritance as basic support to define the morphological links between the different morphological classes. We have also used aggregation concepts and an annotation indexing system allowing the morphological designer a better representation of morphological knowledge.

Chromatographic Applications in the Multi-Way Calibration Field

In this review, recent advances and applications using multi-way calibration protocols based on the processing of multi-dimensional chromatographic data are discussed. We first describe the various modes in which multi-way chromatographic data sets can be generated, including some important characteristics that should be taken into account for the selection of an adequate data processing model. We then discuss the different manners in which the collected instrumental data can be arranged, and the most usually applied models and algorithms for the decomposition of the data arrays. The latter activity leads to the estimation of surrogate variables (scores), useful for analyte quantitation in the presence of uncalibrated interferences, achieving the second-order advantage. Recent experimental reports based on multi-way liquid and gas chromatographic data are then reviewed. Finally, analytical figures of merit that should always accompany quantitative calibration reports are described.

An Investigation into the Financial Performance of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nanded, Maharashtra

Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are an indispensable part of the Indian economy. In terms of Gross Value Added (GVA) and Gross Domestic Product (GDP), MSMEs accounted for about 33% and 31% of India's GVA and GDP, respectively, in the year 2019-20. Unlike large enterprises that are concentrated in the metros, MSMEs are spread across smaller and larger rural as well as urban centres of India. They are also the biggest source of employment, especially in rural India, and contribute to the rural development and industrialisation. MSMEs also act as a great social bridge as smaller enterprises are owned by socially backward classes and women than are larger enterprises. For these reasons and more, the India government has always promoted the growth and development of MSMEs through policy initiatives, technology up gradation, and via other means. Consequently, MSMEs have also grown in multi-folds in the past decades in terms of the number of enterprises in operation and the collective revenue of the sector. Several challenges affect the growth of MSMEs, however. One of these is the limited academic studies into the financial performance of MSMEs, probably due to the unavailability of adequate data. The present research attempts to fill this gap by conducting a financial performance evaluation of 51 sample MSMEs based in the district of Nanded, Maharashtra. The research utilizes Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to compare the financial performance of sample MSMEs selectively using the suitable variables identified by Arasu et al. (2021). Findings suggest sharp differences in the financial performance of sample units. Inefficient units are suggested to improve their return on asset, return on capital employed, and net profit margin.