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The current study was designed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of GKB in the rat model of granulomatous inflammation. Thirty rats were distributed into five groups: The first group served as negative control group that received distilled water (DW) only without inducting inflammation, positive control group; treated with DW with the induction of inflammation and they were assigned to cotton pellet-induced granuloma, ginkgo biloba (GKB) treated group (200mg/kg/day), dexamethasone-treated group (1mg/kg), and Prednisolone treated group (5mg/kg). All the treatments were given orally for seven consecutive days. On day eight, the rats were anesthetized and the pellets together with granulation tissue were carefully removed and made free from extraneous tissue. The weight and the percent of the exudate and granuloma were determined and samples of the tissues were sent for histopathological examination. Blood samples were collected by cardiac puncture and used for the analysis of the inflammatory markers: TNF-alfa, IL10, VCAM-1, and hs-CRP. The study revealed a significant reduction in the weight and the percent of exudate (p-value = 0.019), (17%) and granuloma (p-value = 0.013), (20%) by GKB which was comparable to that produced by prednisolone. All the treatment groups showed a significant reduction in serum TNF-?, VCAM-1, and hs-CRP concentration compared with the positive control. The histopathological finding revealed pronounced improvement. In the current study, GKB was effective in attenuating the level of inflammation by decreasing the exudate, granuloma, and inflammatory markers. The underlying mechanisms could be the inhibitory effect on the expression of the inflammatory cytokines and endothelial adhesion molecule. These findings suggest GKB as a good contender to be tested in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Blood cancer occurs due to changes in white blood cells (WBCs). These changes are known as leukemia. Leukemia occurs mostly in children and affects their tissues or plasma. However, it could occur in adults. This disease becomes fatal and causes death if it is discovered and diagnosed late. In addition, leukemia can occur from genetic mutations. Therefore, there is a need to detect it early to save a patient’s life. Recently, researchers have developed various methods to detect leukemia using different technologies. Deep learning approaches (DLAs) have been widely utilized because of their high accuracy. However, some of these methods are time-consuming and costly. Thus, a need for a practical solution with low cost and higher accuracy is required. This article proposes a novel segmentation and classification framework model to discover and categorize leukemia using a deep learning structure. The proposed system encompasses two main parts, which are a deep learning technology to perform segmentation and characteristic extraction and classification on the segmented section. A new UNET architecture is developed to provide the segmentation and feature extraction processes. Various experiments were performed on four datasets to evaluate the model using numerous performance factors, including precision, recall, F-score, and Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC). It achieved an average 97.82% accuracy for segmentation and categorization. In addition, 98.64% was achieved for F-score. The obtained results indicate that the presented method is a powerful technique for discovering leukemia and categorizing it into suitable groups. Furthermore, the model outperforms some of the implemented methods. The proposed system can assist healthcare providers in their services.

Compressive Sensing (CS) is a new sampling theory used in many signal processing applications due to its simplicity and efficiency. However, signal reconstruction is considered as one of the biggest challenge faced by the CS method. A lot of researches have been proposed to address this challenge, however most of the existing techniques start with the same forward step which does not provide the best reconstruction performance. In this paper, we aim to address this challenge by proposing an Adaptive Iterative Forward-Backward Greedy Algorithm (AFB). AFB algorithm is different from all other reconstruction algorithms as it depends on solving the least squares problem in the forward phase, which increases the probability of selecting the correct columns better than other reconstruction algorithms. In addition, AFB improves the selection process by removing the incorrect columns selected in the previous step. We evaluated the AFB’s reconstruction performance using two types of data: computer-generated data and real data set (Intel Berkeley data set). The simulation results show that AFB outperforms Forward-Backward Pursuit, Subspace Pursuit, Orthogonal Matching Pursuit, and Regularized OMP in terms of reducing reconstruction error.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic and systemic autoimmune disease that is characterized by severe synovial inflammation, cartilage erosion, bone loss, and generalized vasculopathy. Although the immunologic mechanism of RA is still unclear, it is now thought to be a primarily Th17-driven disease. Along with other factors, IL-23 stimulates the expansion of Th17 cells from naive CD4+ T cells. Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the circulating levels of interleukin (IL)-23 in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and determine the correlation between plasma/serum IL-23 levels and disease activity. So, we performed a systematic review with meta-analysis comparing plasma/serum IL-23 levels between patients with RA and controls and examined correlation coefficients between circulating IL-23 levels and disease activity Subjects and Methods: Using the following keywords: lenterleukin-23, IL-23, and rheumatoid arthritis, a comprehensive literature search was carried out in the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses standards were followed, and the review was registered in the PROSPERO International prospective register of systematic reviews with registration number CRD42022345901. Results were reported as standardized mean differences (SMDs) with a 95% confidence interval. All statistical analysis was performed using StatsDirect statistical software version 3.0.0 (StatsDirect Ltd., Cheshire, UK). A sensitivity analysis was conducted using the leave-one-out approach to test the robustness of the results. Results: The total sample size for the RA group included in our review was 408 cases, while the control group sample size was 244 cases. The serum IL-23 level in the RA group was significantly higher than the control group (pooled SMD = 3.5, 95% CI; 2.1: 4.8, P < 0.0001) as compared to the control group. There were 8 studies with a total sample size of 402 that reported the correlation between IL-23 and DAS28-based RA activity. According to our findings, a significantly positive correlation between IL-23 and DAS28-based RA activity was found, with a weighted mean correlation of 0.57 (95% CI; 0.4: 0.75, P < 0.0001). Conclusion: Our meta-analysis has shown that IL-23 circulatory levels are higher in RA patients and that there is a significant positive correlation between IL-23 and disease activity. Our findings emphasize the role that IL-23 may have in RA. More studies may be required to fully comprehend the involvement of IL-23 in RA.

Purpose This study assessed the combined accuracy of optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD), strain ratio (SR), and shear wave elastography (SWE) of the optic nerve (ON) in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). Methods This prospective study was carried out on both ONs of 34 consecutive patients diagnosed with IIH and 16 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers. All of the study participants were women. The ONSD, SR, and SWE of the ON were measured. The severity of papilledema of IIH patients was sub-classified into mild papilledema and moderate/severe papilledema. Results The mean ONSD (5.6±1.1 mm), SR (0.7±0.1), and SWE (30.1±16.7 kPa) of the IIH patients were significantly different (P=0.001) from the ONSD (4.1±0.5 mm), SR (0.9±0.1), and SWE (8.2±3.4 kPa) of controls. The cutoff values of ONSD, SR, and SWE of the ON for differentiating IIH patients from controls were 5.45 mm, 0.8, and 10.3 kPa with areas under the curve (AUCs) of 0.91, 0.86, and 0.96 and accuracy values of 91%, 81%, and 93%, respectively. Combined SWE and ONSD and combined SWE, ONSD, and SR for differentiating IIH patients from controls revealed AUCs of 0.98 and 0.99 and accuracy values of 96% and 96%, respectively. ONSD, SR, and SWE showed significant differences between mild and moderate/severe papilledema (P=0.001). Papilledema was correlated with SWE (r=0.8, P=0.001), ONSD (r=0.4, P=0.001), and SR (r=-0.4, P=0.001). Conclusion The combination of ONSD, SR, and SWE may be helpful for diagnosing IIH, and a good indicator of the degree of papilledema.

Introduction: Foreign body ingestion is commonly seen in paediatrics. Magnets, button batteries and sharp objects can cause life threatening complications. Intestinal obstruction, peritonitis and fistula formation between bowel loops are reported complications to multiple magnets ingestion. Case presentation: We report a case of a 5-year-old who swallowed 52 toy magnets. He presented with peritonitic abdomen which required abdominal exploration, resection of necrotic bowel segments and 6 bowel anastomosis. The postoperative course was uneventful. Discussion: The earliest report of multiple magnets ingestion was reported from Japan in 1995, which was complicated by bowel perforation. If the magnetic foreign bodies remain in a fixed position on repeated abdominal x-rays, surgical treatment should be considered even if the patient is asymptomatic, because, in such patients, entero-enteric intestinal fistulas are likely to have formed. Conclusion: The ingestion of multiple magnets can lead to life-threatening complications in children. One must have a low threshold for performing diagnostic imaging in children presenting with vague abdominal symptoms if there is a history of potentially ingesting a foreign body, even if unwitnessed.

In this case report, we describe the novel use of a permanent indwelling catheter (PiC) in the management of refractory malignant pericardial effusion (PE). The patient had disseminated lung cancer and was hospitalised repeatedly with circulatory collapse due to malignant PE despite treatments with pericardiocentesis (PCC) and a pericardial window (PW). The PiC was inserted as a last resort with no complications and was a mediator of pericardiodesis (PCD), resulting in the cease of PE. The PiC could subsequently be removed, and there was no relapse of PE.

This paper presents an experimental study on the thermal performance of a composite heat sink consisting of a bio-based phase change material and copper foam. The experiments are carried out at three different heat loads (10, 15, and 20 W) using five copper metal foam samples with the same dimensions (10 × 9 × 0.3 cm), porosity (98%), and pore densities of 20, 35, 60, 80, and 95 pores per inch (PPI). The thermal performances are evaluated using the temperature profiles, the time required to reach specific temperatures, and the enhancement ratios of the heat sinks. The results favor the PCM-Copper composite sample with 95 PPI because it took the longest time to achieve a constant temperature when compared to its other pore density counterparts. Also, for the same sample under 20 W power input, the enhancement ratios are 1.29, 1.45, and 1.23 at critical temperatures of 50, 55, and 60 °C, respectively.

In this paper, thermal characteristics of various phase change materials induced with additives and surfactants are studied to enhance cooling properties and chemical stability. In this regard, graphene nanoplatelets at various mass fractions are integrated with surfactant-induced-PureTemp PCM and used as a heat sink for an electric heating source. The surfactants considered in this study are sodium dodecyl sulfate, sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, and sodium stearoyl lactylate. The thermal characteristics are measured in terms of indices such as thermal conductivity, thermal capacity, and time of reaching the reference temperature. The results indicate that composite samples are superior in cooling when compared to the plain PureTemp PCM. Also, the highest thermal conductivity and phase change enthalpy are recorded in NanoPCM-SDS at 5% GnPs mass fraction and NanoPCM-SSL at 1% GnPs mass fraction amounting to 1.03 W/m.K and 236.5 J/g, respectively. NanoPCM-SSL displayed the longest delay of 1015 s to reach the reference temperature of 43 °C.

An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-based cellular network over a millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency band addresses the necessities of flexible coverage and high data rate in the next-generation network. But, the use of a wide range of antennas and higher propagation loss in mmWave networks results in high power utilization and UAVs are limited by low-capacity onboard batteries. To cut down the energy cost of UAV-aided mmWave networks, Energy Harvesting (EH) is a promising solution. But, it is a challenge to sustain strong connectivity in UAV-based terrestrial cellular networks due to the random nature of renewable energy. With this motivation, this article introduces an intelligent resource allocation using an artificial ecosystem optimizer with a deep learning (IRA-AEODL) technique on UAV networks. The presented IRA-AEODL technique aims to effectually allot the resources in wireless UAV networks. In this case, the IRA-AEODL technique focuses on the maximization of system utility over all users, combined user association, energy scheduling, and trajectory design. To optimally allocate the UAV policies, the stacked sparse autoencoder (SSAE) model is used in the UAV networks. For the hyperparameter tuning process, the AEO algorithm is used for enhancing the performance of the SSAE model. The experimental results of the IRA-AEODL technique are examined under different aspects and the outcomes stated the improved performance of the IRA-AEODL approach over recent state of art approaches.

Bacterial resistance to different antimicrobial agents is growing with alarming speed, especially when bacterial cells are living in biofilm. Hybrid nanoparticles, synthesized through the green method, hold promise as a potential solution to this challenge. In this study, 66 actinomycete strains were isolated from three distinct marine sources: marine sediment, the algae Codium bursa, and the marine sponge Chondrosia reniformis. From the entirety of the isolated strains, one strain, S26, identified as Saccharopolyspora erythrea, was selected based on its taxonomic position and significant antimicrobial activity. Using the biomass of the selected marine Actinobacteria, the green synthesis of eco-friendly silver carbonate nanoparticles (BioAg2CO3NPs) is reported for the first time in this pioneering study. The BioAg2CO3NPs were characterized using different spectroscopic and microscopic analyses; the synthesized BioAg2CO3NPs primarily exhibit a triangular shape, with an approximate size of 100 nm. Biological activity evaluation indicated that the BioAg2CO3NPs exhibited good antimicrobial activity against all tested microorganisms and were able to remove 58% of the biofilm formed by the Klebsiella pneumoniae kp6 strain.

Objective: To discover Pakistani adult population’s perception about their general health, immune status and knowledge regarding immunity, and to highlight their efforts to improve it. Method: The knowledge-attitude-practice study was conducted from January to May 2021, after approval ethics review committee of the Islamic International Medical College, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, and comprised individuals of either gender from the community aged 18 years or more and not suffering from any physical disability or mental illness. Data was collected using a pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire that was disseminated through online platforms. The collected data was analysed using SPSS 25. Results: All the 455(100%) individuals approached responded to the questionnaire. The mean age of the subjects was the mean age was 22.6±7.579 years. There were 256(56.3%) female respondents, 283(62.2%) were aged 20-21 years, and 359(78.9%) hailed for the Sindh province. Most participants perceived their general health as ‘good’ 197(43.3%). The immune system function was reported ‘good’ by 200(44%), and the perception of general knowledge of immunity was reported ‘good’ by 189(41.5%) subjects. Inverse relationships were identified between stress levels and self-perceived health, and between receiving effective homeopathic treatment and ‘very good’ self-perceived immune status (p

Inborn errors of immunity (IEI) are characterized by diverse clinical manifestations that are dominated by atypical, recurrent, chronic, or severe infectious or non-infectious features, including autoimmunity, lymphoproliferative disease, granulomas, and/or malignancy, which contribute substantially to morbidity and mortality. Some data suggest a correlation between clinical manifestations of IEI and altered gut microbiota. Many IEI display microbial dysbiosis resulting from the proliferation of pro-inflammatory bacteria or a decrease in anti-inflammatory bacteria with variations in the composition and function of numerous microbiota. Dysbiosis is considered more established, mainly within common variable immunodeficiency, selective immunoglobulin A deficiency, severe combined immunodeficiency diseases, Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome, Hyper-IgE syndrome, autoimmune polyendocrinopathy–candidiasis–ectodermal-dystrophy (APECED), immune dysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy X-linked (IPEX) syndrome, IL-10 receptor deficiency, chronic granulomatous disease, and Kostmann disease. For certain IEIs, the specific predominance of gastrointestinal, respiratory, and cutaneous involvement, which is frequently associated with dysbiosis, justifies the interest for microbiome identification. With the better understanding of the relationship between gut microbiota, host immunity, and infectious diseases, the integration of microbiota modulation as a therapeutic approach or a preventive measure of infection becomes increasingly relevant. Thus, a promising strategy is to develop optimized prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics, and fecal microbial transplantation to rebalance the intestinal microbiota and thereby attenuate the disease activity of many IEIs.

High-precision navigation solutions are a main requirement for autonomous vehicle (AV) applications. Global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs) are the prime source of navigation information for such applications. However, some places such as tunnels, underpasses, inside parking garages, and urban high-rise buildings suffer from GNSS signal degradation or unavailability. Therefore, another system is required to provide a continuous navigation solution, such as the inertial navigation system (INS). The vehicle’s onboard inertial measuring unit (IMU) is the main INS input measurement source. However, the INS solution drifts over time due to IMU-associated errors and the mechanization process itself. Therefore, INS/GNSS integration is the proper solution for both systems’ drawbacks. Traditionally, a linearized Kalman filter (LKF) such as the extended Kalman filter (EKF) is utilized as a navigation filter. The EKF deals only with the linearized errors and suppresses the higher orders using the Taylor expansion up to the first order. This paper introduces a loosely coupled INS/GNSS integration scheme using the invariant extended Kalman filter (IEKF). The IEKF state estimate is independent of the Jacobians that are derived in the EKF; instead, it uses the matrix Lie group. The proposed INS/GNSS integration using IEKF is applied to a real road trajectory for performance validation. The results show a significant enhancement when using the proposed system compared to the traditional INS/GNSS integrated system that uses EKF in both GNSS signal presence and blockage cases. The overall trajectory 2D-position RMS error reduced from 19.4 m to 3.3 m with 82.98% improvement and the 2D-position max error reduced from 73.9 m to 14.2 m with 80.78% improvement.

Augmented reality has emerged as a transformative technology, with the potential to revolutionize the tourism industry. Nonetheless, there is a scarcity of studies tracing the progression of AR and its application in tourism, from early exploration to recent advancements. This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the evolution, contexts, and design elements of AR in tourism over the period (2002–2022), offering insights for further progress in this domain. Employing a dual-method approach, a bibliometric analysis was conducted on 861 articles collected from the Scopus and Web of Science databases, to investigate the evolution of AR research over time and across countries, and to identify the main contexts of the utilization of AR in tourism. In the second part of our study, a systematic content analysis was conducted, focusing on a subset of 57 selected studies that specifically employed AR systems in various tourism situations. Through this analysis, the most commonly utilized AR design components, such as tracking systems, AR devices, tourism settings, and virtual content were summarized. Furthermore, we explored how these components were integrated to enhance the overall tourism experience. The findings reveal a growing trend in research production, led by Europe and Asia. Key contexts of AR applications in tourism encompass cultural heritage, mobile AR, and smart tourism, with emerging topics such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and COVID-19. Frequently used AR design components comprise mobile devices, marker-less tracking systems, outdoor environments, and visual overlays. Future research could involve optimizing AR experiences for users with disabilities, supporting multicultural experiences, integrating AI with big data, fostering sustainability, and remote virtual tourism. This study contributes to the ongoing discourse on the role of AR in shaping the future of tourism in the post COVID-19 era, by providing valuable insights for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in the tourism industry.

Unusual viral skin infections might be the first clinical manifestation in children with an inborn error of immunity (IEI). We performed a prospective study from 1 October 2017 to 30 September 2021, at the Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Clinical Immunity of Ibn Rochd University Hospital-Casablanca. During this period, on 591 patients newly diagnosed with a probable IEI, eight of them (1.3%), from six independent families, had isolated or syndromic unusual viral skin infections, which were either profuse, chronic or recurrent infections, and resistant to any treatment. The median age of disease onset was nine years old and all patients were born from a first-degree consanguineous marriage. By combining clinical, immunological and genetic investigations, we identified GATA2 deficiency in one patient with recalcitrant profuse verrucous lesions and monocytopenia (1/8) and STK4 deficiency in two families with HPV lesions, either flat or common warts, and lymphopenia (2/8), as previously reported. We also identified COPA deficiency in twin sisters with chronic profuse Molluscum contagiosum lesions, pulmonary diseases and microcytic hypochromic anemia (2/8). Finally, we also found one patient with chronic profuse MC lesions and hyper IgE syndrome, (1/8) and two patients with either recalcitrant profuse verrucous lesions or recurrent post-herpetic erythema multiforme and a combined immunodeficiency (2/8) with no genetic defect identified yet. Raising clinicians awareness that infectious skin diseases might be the consequence of an inborn error of immunity would allow for optimized diagnosis, prevention and treatment of patients and their families.

Abstract The emerging Internet of Things (IoT)‐based systems that integrate diverse types of sensors, mobiles and other technologies to physical world is becoming increasingly popular for use in wide varieties of applications. Compressive sensing (CS)‐based information acquisition and in‐network compression provide an effective method for accurate data recovery at the base station (BS) with reduced cost of communication. In this study, how CS can be combined with routing protocols for gathering data in IoT‐based Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) in an energy‐efficient manner are examined. A novel chain‐routing scheme with CS based data acquisition is introduced that includes the following new algorithms: (1) Seed Estimation Algorithm (SEA) to find the best measurement matrix by selecting the best‐estimated seed, (2) Chain Construction Algorithm (CCA) to organise the network nodes during transmitting and receiving process, (3) Compression approach with reduced consumption of energy that improves the lifetime of the network by minimising the local data traffic, and (4) Reconstruction Algorithm (RA) that reconstructs the original data with minimum reconstruction error. Here, extensive simulation and analysis results prove the performance of our proposed method in improving the network lifetime 35% better than the ECST algorithm and 93% better than the PEGASIS algorithm. In addition, the proposed reconstruction algorithm exceeds the other reconstruction algorithms performance.

The inclusion of complex obstacles within solar channels is the aim of this article. Two obstacles of the form ꞌ+ꞌ interlaced within a two-dimensional and rectangular channel are the subject of our study. The fluid is Newtonian, turbulent, incompressible and has constant properties. The Reynolds number varies from 12,000 to 32,000 with a constant temperature along the upper surface of the channel. The thermal and dynamic analysis of the channel's internal structure has been carefully processed. Different fields of speed and heat, with various profiles of frictions and heat exchange coefficients, have been included in this research. Future work will involve more complex geometries and using nanofluids to assess the optimum conditions for heat transfer enhancements.

Introduction. This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-diabetic activity of aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) leaves in vitro, as well as to determine the content of polyphenols, flavonoids, and flavonols. Study objects and methods. The antioxidant activity was determined by the DPPH test using the free radical 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyle and the FRAP method, as well as by measuring total antioxidant capacity and the hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity. Results and discussion. The content of total polyphenols varied between 4.43 ± 0.3 and 12.66 ± 1.6 mg EAG/g. The highest content of flavonoids was observed in the hydroalcoholic extract of P. granatum leaves (P < 0.05). The flavonol contents in the hydroalcoholic and aqueous extracts were 7.68 ± 0.6 and 9.20 ± 2.8 mg EQ/g, respectively. The IC50 of the antioxidant potential of the hydroalcoholic and aqueous extracts was 32.4 ± 1.109 and 35.12 ± 4.107 mg/mL, respectively. According to the DPPH test, the aqueous extract was the least active (IC50 = 14.15 ± 1.513 mg/mL). The highest percentage of hydrogen peroxide trapping was found in the aqueous extract (45.97 ± 6.608 %). The inhibition of α-amylase showed an IC50 of between 9.804 ± 0.67 and 19.011 ± 9.82 mg/mL in the aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts, respectively. The inhibition of glucose uptake by yeast recorded a high inhibitory capacity at 50 mg/mL of glucose. Conclusion. We found that the antioxidant and anti-diabetic activity of P. granatum leaves extracts was due to the presence of bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, which is why they are effective in preventing diabetes and its complications.

The biomedical materials that have been used in the structure of heart pumps are classified as biocompatible, and these can be metals, polymers, ceramics, and composites. Their positions in the pump vary according to the part’s function. Whereas various materials have different properties, all biomaterials chosen for cardiovascular applications should have excellent blood biocompatibility to reduce the likelihood of hemolysis and thrombosis. There are two major categories of the heart pumps; pulsatile and rotary blood pumps (axial and centrifugal) and the features of some of these materials allow them to be used in both. Rotary and pulsatile blood pump devices have to be fabricated from materials that do not result in adverse biological responses. The purpose of this review is to study the available biocompatible materials for the pulsatile and rotary blood pumps as clinically-approved materials and prototype heart pump materials. The current state of bio-compatible materials of rotary and pulsatile blood pump construction is presented. Some recent applications of surface amendment technology on the materials for heart assist devices were also reviewed for better understanding. The limitations of heart assist devices, and the future direction of artificial heart elements have been considered. This review will be considered as a comprehensive reference to rapidly understanding the necessary research in the field of biocompatible materials of pulsatile and blood rotary pumps.

Multitasking is an important part of today’s manufacturing plants. Multitask machine tools are capable of processing multiple operations at the same time by applying a different set of part and tool holding devices. Mill-turns are multitask machines with the ability to perform a variety of operations with considerable accuracy and agility. One critical factor in simultaneous machining is to create a schedule for different operations to be completed in minimum make-span. A Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) model is developed to address the machine scheduling problem. The adopted assumptions are more realistic when compared with the previous models. The model allows for processing multiple operations simultaneously on a single part; parts are being processed on the same setup and multiple turrets can process a single operation of a single job simultaneously performing multiple depths of cut. A Simulated Annealing algorithm with a novel initial solution and assignment approach is developed to solve large instances of the problem.

In this paper, we prove that ∆X = 2H where ∆ is the Laplacian operator, r = (x, y, z) the position vector field and H is the mean curvature vector field of a surface S in H2 × R and we study surfaces as graphs in H2 × R which has finite type immersion.

Introduction: Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis (CMC) is characterized by the occurrence of chronic or recurrent infections caused by yeasts of the genus Candida. Infections can affect the skin and mucous membranes, mainly the oral mucosa. We report the case of a patient with CMC with recurrent oral damage associated with a heterozygous gain-of-function mutation in the STAT1 gene. Observation: A young Morrocan 30-year-old was referred to oral surgery department following the occurrence of recurrent oral ulcers leading to difficulty in tooth brushing and dysphagia. The patient had been followed since the age of 2 for mycobacterial and viral infections. Exome sequencing identified a heterozygous gain-of-function mutation in the STAT1 gene confirming the diagnosis of CMC with oral involvement. Comments: CMC usually starts in early childhood and can lead to fungal, bacterial and viral infections, as well as carcinomas. Mucosal-cutaneous fungal infections mainly affect the oral mucosa. Mutations in the gene encoding the signal transducer and activator of transcription protein-1 (STAT1) are the most commonly reported cause of CMC. The treatment is multidisciplinary. The goal is to treat Candida infection and its repercussions especially on the oral cavity.

This work focuses on study of the structural, electronic, thermodynamic and thermoelectric properties of RbNbCd and RbNbZn Half Heusler (HH), utilizing a full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) approach and the Boltzmann transport equation using a constant relaxation time approximation within the context of density functional theory (DFT) as embedded in the WIEN2k code. The structural analysis employed the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and considered the Birch Murnaghan equation of state (EOS), which results in the stable phase for RbNbCd and RbNbZn. The positive phonon spectra indicate the dynamical stability of the studied RbNbCd and RbNbZn. The compounds under investigation that have no bandgap are metallic, as evidenced by their electronic properties. Their mechanical and thermal stability as well as their anisotropic and ductile character are confirmed by the various elastic and thermodynamic parameters. The lattice thermal conductivity has been calculated. This thorough analysis demonstrates the applicability of the studied RbNbCd and RbNbZn for thermoelectric applications.

Peptic ulcer is a relatively uncommon disease in children, compared to adults, with an incidence of 2–8%. Although well-established in adults' sector, the management of perforate peptic ulcer is still challenging in pediatric population. we reported two cases, two- and five-years old males, who presented with peritonitis following perforation of duodenal ulcer and managed with Graham's patch laparoscopically. The postoperative period of the two cases was uneventful and the cases were discharged on the 8th postoperative day. We found that laparoscopic omental repair was safe and effective among children with perforated peptic ulcer.

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a life-threatening condition caused by infection within the endocardium of the heart and commonly involves the valves. The subsequent cascading inflammation leads to the appearance of a highly friable thrombus that is large enough to become lodged within the heart chambers. As a result, fever, fatigue, heart murmurs, and embolization phenomena may be seen in patients with IE. Embolization results in the seeding of bacteria and obstruction of circulation, causing cell ischemia. Of concern, bacteria with the potential to gain pan-drug resistance, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), are increasingly being identified as the causative agent of IE in hospitals and among intravenous drug abusers. We retrospectively reviewed de-identified clinical data to summarize the clinical course of a patient with MRSA isolated using an automated blood culture system. At the time of presentation, the patient showed a poor consciousness level, and the calculated Glasgow scale was 10/15. A high-grade fever with circulatory shock indicated an occult infection, and a systolic murmur was observed with peripheral signs of embolization. This case demonstrated the emerging threat of antimicrobial resistance in the community and revealed clinical findings of IE that may be helpful to clinicians for the early recognition of the disease. The management of such cases requires a multi-specialty approach, which is not widely available in small-island developing states such as the Maldives.

Prediction of new materials is crucial for the advancement of technology. Here, in this research work, the first-principle computation has been conducted utilizing the WIEN2K package to probe the structural, electronic, mechanical, and optical properties of barium-based chloroperovskites BaMCl3 (M = Ag, Cu) compounds. The optimized lattice constants are calculated for both compounds which are 9.90 Bohr for BaAgCl3 and 9.38 Bohr for BaCuCl3. To obtain better and more precise results for the electronic band’s structure, TDOS and PDOS (total and partial density of states), and the TB-mBJ potential approximation are employed. The indirect band gap (R–Γ) is found for both compounds having values of 1.173 eV and 2.30 eV for BaCuCl3 and BaAgCl3, respectively, which depicts its semiconducting nature. The calculation of elastic properties is conducted with IRelast code. The Cauchy pressure, Bulk modulus, Young’s modulus, Shear modulus, anisotropic ratio, Kleinman parameters, and Poisson’s ratio are calculated from the obtained elastic constants. The computation of elastic parameters indicates that the interested chloroperovskites are anisotropic, mechanically stable, hard to scratch, and ductile. From 0 eV to 40 eV incident photon energy ranges, the various optical parameter such as refractive index, absorption coefficient, dielectric function, reflectivity, extinction coefficient, and optical conductivity are analyzed. These compounds absorb maximum light within 5 to 25 eV incident photon energy. Hence, these materials are good light absorbers, therefore, they can be used in optoelectronic devices for high-frequency applications.

Abstract Background Early identification of vulnerable plaques by remodeling index prior to rupture and development of acute event is of considerable importance especially by a reliable non-invasive method as CT coronary angiography (CTA), so we aim to evaluate coronary artery remodeling index in patients with low- to intermediate-risk stable angina by CTA. Results This single-center, cross-sectional, observational study included 150 patients with stable angina with normal resting ECG, negative markers, normal systolic function by 2D echocardiography (EF > 50%), and without regional wall motion abnormality at rest who were referred to MSCT evaluation of the coronary artery tree; the mean age was 56.8 ± 6.4 years, 83.3% had one-vessel disease, and 16.7% had two-vessel diseases. The mean remodeling index (RI) was 1.04 ± 0.28, 38% had significant positive remodeling, LAD was the most affected vessel (55.3), and proximal lesions were predominant in 48.5%; there was a statistically significant positive correlation between RI and cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, duration of DM, HBA1c, and plaque burden (P 1.1 were diabetic, hypertensive, smoker, with longer duration of diabetes mellitus, higher HBA1c, cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, plaque burden, wall lumen ratio, stenosis area, and lower HDL. Conclusion CTA was able to detect the presence and extent of early, non-obstructive but significant coronary artery-positive remodeling in patients with low- to intermediate-risk stable angina patients. Trial registration NCT03963609, 22 May 2019

The problem under investigation contains a computational simulation of a specific heat exchanger with complex geometry fins. The problem solved is potentially interesting for researchers and engineers working on solar collectors and aerospace industry. It is known that heat transfer enhancement can be achieved by creating longitudinal vortices in the flow. These vortices can be generated by arc-shaped fins, and a computational analysis of such solar air channels is not a simple task. Therefore, we used a present-day commercial CFD code to solve the problem. The mathematical problem including the main equations and their explanation, as well as the numerical procedure was presented. The impact of arc-fins’ spacings on streamlines and temperature distributions was completely investigated, as well as the heat transfer rate, pressure drop and thermal enhancement factor. The Nusselt number (Nu) and friction loss (f) values of the solar air channel at AR = 1.321 (aspect ratio of channel width-to-height) and S = Pi/2 are found to be around 11.963% and 26.006%; 21.645% and 40.789%; 26.196% and 50.314%; and 30.322% and 58.355% higher than that with S = 3Pi/4, Pi, 5Pi/4 and 3Pi/2, respectively. Importantly, the arc-fins with Re = 12,000 at S = Pi/2 showed higher thermal enhancement performance than the one at S = 3Pi/4, Pi, 5Pi/4 and 3Pi/2 around 2.530%, 6.576%, 6.615% and 6.762%, respectively. This study contains the information which seems to be important for practical engineers.

In the present study, Arundo donax L was used as a low-cost biosorbent for the uptake of basic dye crystal violet (CV) from aqueous media. Systematic batch mode studies of adsorption of crystal violet (CV) on Arundo donax were carried out as a function of process of parameters includes initial CV concentration, dose of adsorbent, pH, contact time and temperature. The equilibrium adsorption data were analyzed by Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin–Radushkevich (D-R) isotherm models. The adsorption of CV followed the Langmuir model with a maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) of 19.60 mg/g and pseudo second-order kinetics under a specified set of conditions. The thermodynamic parameters like free energy (ΔG°), enthalpy (ΔH°) and entropy (ΔS°) changes for the adsorption of CV ions have been evaluated and it has been found that the reaction was spontaneous and exothermic in nature. Owing to its rapid adsorption rate and uptake capacity, stem of Arundo donax L. seems to be a promising biosorbent for removal of toxic dyes from wastewater.

This computational fluid dynamic analysis attempts to simulate the incompressible steady fluid flow and heat transfer in a solar air channel with wall-mounted baffles. Two ꞌSꞌ-shaped baffles, having different orientations, i.e., ꞌSꞌ-upstream and ꞌSꞌ-downstream, were inserted into the channel and fixed to the top and bottom walls of the channel in a periodically staggered manner to develop vortices to improve the mixing and consequently the heat transfer. The analyses are conducted with the Commercial CFD software FLUENT using the finite volume method for Reynolds number varying from 12,000 to 32,000. The numerical results are presented in terms of streamlines, velocity-magnitude, x-velocity, y-velocity, dynamic pressure coefficient, turbulent kinetic energy, turbulent viscosity, turbulent intensity, temperature field, coefficient and factor of normalized skin friction, local and average numbers of normalized Nusselt, and thermal performance factor. The insertion of the S-shaped baffles in the channel not only causes a much high friction loss, f/f0 = 3.319 - 32.336, but also provides a considerable augmentation in the thermal transfer rate in the channel, Nu/Nu0 = 1.939 - 4.582, depending on the S-baffle orientations and the Reynolds number. The S-upstream baffle provides higher friction loss and heat transfer rate than the S-Downstream around 56.443 %, 55.700 %, 54.972 %, 54.289 % and 53.660 %; and 25.011 %, 23.455 %, 21.977 %, 20.626 %, and 19.414 % for Re = 12,000, 17,000, 22,000, 27,000, and 32,000, respectively. In addition, the result analysis shows that the optimum thermal performance factor is around 1.513 at the highest Reynolds number and S-downstream.

In this study, the hygroscopicity and thermodynamic properties of figs were studied to simulate their hygroscopic behavior during storage and drying. The experimental results were analyzed by the nine models of sorption isotherms. The Peleg model was considered the most appropriate to describe the relationship between the equilibrium moisture content and water activity. The thermodynamic functions such as net isosteric heat sorption, the entropy of sorption, spreading pressure, net integral enthalpy, and entropy were determined. Net isosteric heat of sorption and sorption entropy decreased with increasing moisture content. The heat of desorption is slightly greater than that of adsorption with low moisture content. The integral net enthalpy decreases with the moisture content while the entropy integral net increased. The theory of enthalpy-entropy compensation can be successfully applied to water sorption by fig.

Data acquisition problem in large-scale distributed Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) is one of the main issues that hinder the evolution of Internet of Things (IoT) technology. Recently, combination of Compressive Sensing (CS) and routing protocols has attracted much attention. An open question in this approach is how to integrate these techniques effectively for specific tasks. In this paper, we introduce an effective deterministic clustering based CS scheme (DCCS) for fog-supported heterogeneous WSNs to handle the data acquisition problem. DCCS employs the concept of fog computing, reduces total overhead and computational cost needed to self-organize sensor network by using a simple approach, and then uses CS at each sensor node to minimize the overall energy expenditure and prolong the IoT network lifetime. Additionally, the proposed scheme includes an effective algorithm for CS reconstruction called Random Selection Matching Pursuit (RSMP) to enhance the recovery process at the base station (BS) side with a complete scenario using CS. RSMP adds random selection process during the forward step to give opportunity for more columns to be selected as an estimated solution in each iteration. The results of simulation prove that the proposed technique succeeds to minimize the overall network power expenditure, prolong the network lifetime and provide better performance in CS data reconstruction.

Objectives Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) is considered to cause angina pectoris in a large proportion of women with no obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). However, data supporting a relation between angina pectoris and CMD are limited. We compared CMD in women with angina with asymptomatic women and evaluated the relation between presence of CMD, angina characteristics, cardiovascular risk factors and results of stress testing.Methods In a cross-sectional study, we included 1684 women with angina and

Patients with inborn errors of immunity (IEI) are prone to develop infections, either due to a broad spectrum of pathogens or to only one microbe. Since skin is a major barrier tissue, cutaneous infections are among the most prevalent in patients with IEI due to high exposures to many microbes. In the general population, human papillomaviruses (HPVs) cause asymptomatic or self-healing infections, but, in patients with IEI, unusual clinical expression of HPV infection is observed ranging from epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV) (a rare disease due to β-HPVs) to profuse, persistent, and recalcitrant warts (due to α-, γ-, and μ-HPVs) or even tree man syndrome (due to HPV2). Mutations in EVER1, EVER2, and CIB1 are associated with EV phenotype; GATA2, CXCR4, and DOCK8 mutations are typically associated with extensive HPV infections, but there are several other IEI that are less frequently associated with severe HPV lesions. In this review, we describe clinical, immunological, and genetic patterns of IEI related to severe HPV cutaneous infections and propose an algorithm for diagnosis of IEI with severe warts associated, or not, with lymphopenia.

Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) comprises a heterogeneous group of inherited immunologic disorders with profound defects in cellular and humoral immunity. SCID is the most severe PID and constitutes a pediatric emergency. Affected children are highly susceptible to bacterial, viral, fungal, and opportunistic infections with life-threatening in the absence of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. We report here two cases of SCID. The first case is a girl diagnosed with SCID at birth based on her family history and lymphocyte subpopulation typing. The second case is a 4-month-old boy with a history of recurrent opportunistic infections, BCGitis, and failure to thrive, and the immunology workup confirms a SCID phenotype. The genetic study in the two cases revealed a novel mutation in the RAG2 gene, c.826G > A (p.Gly276Ser), in a homozygous state. The novel mutation in the RAG2 gene identified in our study may help the early diagnosis of SCID.

Background and study aims Hands-on training for per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) in the United States is limited and without a structured curriculum or assessment tool. Training to competency in POEM is critical and POEM trainees must acquire multiple cognitive and technical skills to achieve proficiency. The aim of this study was to develop a POEM training and skills evaluation tool. Patients and methods The training protocol included initial explant porcine models followed by live human cases, proctored by a single endoscopist experienced in POEM who prospectively graded trainees for each step (“skill”) of the procedure on a 5-point scale. Procedural skills were divided into cognitive and technical skills. Acceptable passing level was considered a score ≥ 4 for each skill. Results Three trainees completed a total of 18 cases (8 cases on animal explant models and 10 human cases). Overall, cognitive skills were acquired early in training with scores of ≥ 4 achieved by ≤ 3 cases. Technical skills required more cases and direction with scores ≥ 4 in technical skills achieved by three porcine and eight human cases. Entry of the endoscope into the submucosal space and submucosal tunneling were the most challenging steps followed by myotomy. Conclusion This pilot study introduces a POEM training and skills evaluation tool for training to competency. Submucosal entry, tunneling, and myotomy were the most challenging to learn while cognitive skills were learned early in training. Evaluation of more trainees at multiple sites will be necessary to further validate the utility of this tool.

Congenital short bowel syndrome (CSBS) is an uncommon gastrointestinal disorder in which an unclear aetiology causes considerable intrauterine reduction in small bowel length. As a result of reduced absorptive intestinal length, chronic diarrhoea, vomiting, and consequently, failure to thrive are likely. We report a case of CSBS in a 26-day-old girl who had malrotation and a short bowel with a length of bowel from the pylorus to the ileocecal junction of approximately 40 cm. The patient underwent Ladd’s procedure, but she is still dependent on parenteral nutrition.

The inertial navigation system (INS) is a basic component to obtain a continuous navigation solution in various applications. The INS suffers from a growing error over time. In particular, its navigation solution depends mainly on the quality and grade of the inertial measurement unit (IMU), which provides the INS with both accelerations and angular rates. However, low-cost small micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMSs) suffer from huge error sources such as bias, the scale factor, scale factor instability, and highly non-linear noise. Therefore, MEMS-IMU measurements lead to drifts in the solutions when used as a control input to the INS. Accordingly, several approaches have been introduced to model and mitigate the errors associated with the IMU. In this paper, a machine-learning-based adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ML-based-ANFIS) is proposed to leverage the performance of low-grade IMUs in two phases. The first phase was training 50% of the low-grade IMU measurements with a high-end IMU to generate a suitable error model. The second phase involved testing the developed model on the remaining low-grade IMU measurements. A real road trajectory was used to evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm. The results showed the effectiveness of utilizing the proposed ML-ANFIS algorithm to remove the errors and improve the INS solution compared to the traditional one. An improvement of 70% in the 2D positioning and of 92% in the 2D velocity of the INS solution were attained when the proposed algorithm was applied compared to the traditional INS solution.

The term of intellectual property rights refers to the rights in copyright, designs, patents, circuit layouts, trademarks and plant breeder’s rights. It also includes the doctrines of passing off and breach of confidence. The role of intellectual property rights is significant in the global economy; they are the only assets that some corporations possess. In the most cases, labourers create such inventions in the course of their work. Therefore, modern laws around the world state specific provisions for regulating the ownership of such rights when the work is made by an employee. The present research aims at analysing legal provisions of Iraqi law in the field and comparing them to those of the United States of America (USA) and the United Kingdom (UK). It focuses on four main intellectual creations: copyright, patents, designs and plant varieties. Finally, the study points out some suggestions and updates to be made in the relevant Iraqi laws.

A current study and discussion in detail about many solar energy collectors of various types, components, classifications and configurations, through the analysis of their performance, is our aim through this review paper. The effects of the geometrical parameters of the solar air collectors as well as the functioning parameters on heat transfer and fluid flow processes were also discussed in detail. The numerical, analytical, and experimental analyses on different models of flat plate solar air collectors with various thermal transfer enhancement strategies were shown in various stages, i.e., modelling, control, measurement, and visualization of airfield, determination of heat transfer, control of friction loss and pressure drop, and evaluation of the thermal performance by the measurement of the augmentation in the temperature of the working fluid at a given solar irradiance and under given flow rate. We concluded this review by identifying the various applications possible for the solar air collectors such as heating and cooling of houses, drying agricultural food materials, and water desalination process.

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have captivated substantial attention from both industrial and academic research since last few years. The major factor behind the research efforts in the field of WSNs is their vast range of applications, such as surveillance systems, military operations, health care, environment event monitoring, and human safety. However, sensor nodes are low potential and energy constraint devices; therefore, energy efficient routing protocol is the foremost concern. In this paper, a new Cluster-Tree routing scheme for gathering data (CTRS-DG) is proposed that composed of two layers: routing and aggregation and reconstruction. In aggregation and reconstruction layer, a dynamic and a self-organizing entropy based clustering algorithm for cluster head (CH) selection and cluster formation is proposed. Data is aggregated and compressed at CHs based on compressive sensing technique. In routing layer, a new proposed algorithm to form the routing tree as backbone of the network is proposed. The routing tree is used to forward the compressed data by CHs to the base station (BS). Finally, as a phase of aggregation and reconstruction layer, an effective CS reconstruction algorithm called Bee based signal reconstruction (BEBR) is proposed to improve the recovery process at the BS. BEBR utilizes the advantages of the greedy algorithm and Bees algorithm to find the optimal solution of reconstruction process. Simulation results reveal that the proposed scheme outperforms existing baseline algorithms in terms of stability period, network lifetime, and average normalized mean squared error for compressive sensing data reconstruction.

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is an autosomal, codominant disorder caused by mutations of the SERPINA1 gene. This genetic disorder is mainly associated with development of pulmonary emphysema and/or chronic liver disease and cirrhosis.Here we report a very rare alpha-1 antitrypsin Null Q0cairo homozygous mutation characterized by a complete absence of alpha-1 antitrypsin in the plasma, in a non-consanguineous Moroccan family. This mutation has been previously described in heterozygosis in only three cases worldwide: an Italian/Egyptian family and two Italian families (Zorzetto et al., 2005). The main clinical features in two members of this Moroccan family were the severity and precocity of bronchiectasis, quickly spreading and seriously limiting respiratory function and physical activity by the second decade of age. Moreover, the index case presented with many episodes of pulmonary infections concomitant with severe neutropenia. The third member of the family presented with ankylosing spondyloarthritis and developed panniculitis later but had no respiratory symptoms.The presence of this alpha-1-antitrypsin Q0cairo homozygous mutation could explain the severity of clinical manifestations. Moreover, our observations highlight a great variability of clinical expression for the same mutation: early severe bronchiectasis, panniculitis, rheumatologic manifestations. This study further underlines the importance of genotyping by whole SERPINA1 gene sequencing in addition to serum alpha-1 antitrypsin determination, to enable detection of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency due to rare genotypes. Keywords: Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, Bronchiectasis, Panniculitis, Null mutation, SERPINA1 genotyping

The purpose of the present computational fluid dynamic analysis is to investigate the turbulent flow and heat transfer characteristics of air inside a constant temperature-surfaced rectangular cross section channel, where two waisted triangular-shaped baffles (WTBs) were placed in opposite walls. The aim at using the left and right wall-mounted solid-type WTBs is to create recirculation cells having a significant influence on the flow field leading to higher thermal transfer rate in the whole domain investigated. The governing equations with the associated boundary conditions were discretized using the Finite Volume Method (FVM). The SIMPLEC-algorithm was used for the convective terms in the solution equations. As expected, the largest variations in the Nusselt number and friction loss occur in the regions near to the WTBs, due to the strong velocity gradients in those regions. Some numerical results were compared with those obtained by the experiment in the literature. This comparison shows that there is a qualitative agreement as well as a very good concordance between the two results. The current originality lies in the geometric shape of the baffles inside the channel. This study can be a real application in the field of shell-and-tube heat exchangers and air plan solar collectors.

Abstract: Soil erosion is a global environmental problem, and anthropogenic fallout radionuclides offer a promising tool for describing and quantifying soil redistribution on decadal time scales. The 137Cs technique for investigating rates and patterns of soil erosion has now been successfully applied in a wide range of environments. This radionuclide strongly adheres to soil particles and therefore can be used as a tracer in soil movement studies. In this work we present the 137Cs redistribution in an agricultural area, to assess the soil erosion and sedimentation zones. 36 samples were collected in small watershed called Sidi Mohamed Cherif at Oued Isser located in North West of Algeria. The preparation of soil samples required drying, crushing and sieving to finally lower than 2mm diameter. The sample analysis was analyzed by gamma spectrometry technique composed with a high resolution HPGe semi-conductor detector with 1.8 keV to 60Co 1332.5 keV line, after soil characterization with WDXRF. The spectrums treatment was carried out using the Genie 2000 software dedicated to the processing of gamma spectra. The specific activity of 137Cs is obtained variable from 0.25Bq kg-1 and 7.8 Bq kg-1. These results allow determining the erosion global erosion rate, is about 12.5 t ha?1 yr?1. Keywords: 137Cs, Soil Characterization, Soil erosion, Gamma spectrometry, North West of Algeria.

Carotid artery agenesis is a rare congenital anomaly, and there are controversies in the leading cause for it. We present a 6-year-old girl with resolved focal neurological ischemic stroke that showed bilateral internal carotid artery (ICA) agenesis. Through this paper, we highlight the carotid canal congenital obliteration hypothesis as it may be a risk for such finding.

The recent advances in compressive sensing (CS) based solutions make it a promising technique for signal acquisition, image processing and other types of data compression needs. In CS, the most challenging problem is to design an accurate and efficient algorithm for reconstructing the original data. Greedy-based reconstruction algorithms proved themselves as a good solution to this problem because of their fast implementation and low complex computations. In this paper, we propose a new optimization algorithm called grey wolf reconstruction algorithm (GWRA). GWRA is inspired from the benefits of integrating both the reversible greedy algorithm and the grey wolf optimizer algorithm. The effectiveness of GWRA technique is demonstrated and validated through rigorous simulations. The simulation results show that GWRA significantly exceeds the greedy-based reconstruction algorithms such as sum product, orthogonal matching pursuit, compressive sampling matching pursuit and filtered back projection and swarm based techniques such as BA and PSO in terms of reducing the reconstruction error, the mean absolute percentage error and the average normalized mean squared error.

Les malformations kystiques des voies biliaires sont des affections congénitales rares évaluées à environ 1/2 000 000 naissances. C'est une affection qui peut se révéler gravement par une complication notamment l'angiocholite, la pancréatite chronique, cirrhose biliaire progressive, l'hypertension portale ou les lithiases biliaires. Sa perforation spontanée est l'une des rares complications, décrite pour la première fois en 1934 par Weber. Nous rapportant le cas d'un garçon de 18 mois admis pour syndrome sub-occlusif avec une péritonite biliaire. Une échographie a été réalisée montrant un épanchement abdominal avec formation kystique communicante des voies biliaires associée à un épanchement sous capsulaire du foie confirmé par scanner. L'intervention a consisté en une toilette péritonéale avec mise en place d'un drain de redon au niveau de la perforation et un drain sous hépatique sans excision du kyste. Le patient a été réadmis 6 mois après cet incident pour sa cure définitive.

Smart service systems have been dealing with various wicked social and cultural problems by providing diverse solutions for society. Cargo transportation is one of the most challenging issues in logistics; in this paper, we explore multiple stakeholders’ information environments surrounding containerized cargo transportation by a design thinking approach. Throughout the analysis, the latent problems are summarized in the following two manners: (1) miscommunication with inefficient information flow among multiple stakeholders; and (2) a lack of resource management coordination among service providers. With these two identified problems, the objective of this work is to develop a prototype information and communication technology-based service application for both trucking companies and customers. This work makes two contributions. First, it methodologically proposes a customer-centered design approach for logistics management by adopting a design thinking approach. Second, it suggests a practical ICT-based solution for the mentioned problems.