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Scoliosis is an abnormality of the spinal curvature that severely affects the musculoskeletal, respiratory, and nervous systems. Conventionally, it is treated using rigid spinal braces. These braces are static, rigid, and passive in nature, and they (largely) limit the mobility of the spine, resulting in other spinal complexities. Moreover, these braces do not have precise control over how much force is being applied by them. Over-exertion of force may deteriorate the spinal condition. This article presents a novel active soft brace that allows mobility to the spine while applying controlled corrective forces that are regulated by varying the tensions in elastic bands using low-power light weight twisted string actuators (TSAs). This article focuses on the actuator and contact force modeling of the active soft brace (ASB). The actuator modeling is required to translate the twisting of string in terms of contraction of the string’s length, whereas the contact force modeling helps in estimating the net resultant force exerted by the band on the body using single point pressure/force sensors. The actuators (TSAs) are modeled as helix geometry and validated using a laser position sensor. The results showed that the model effectively tracked the position (contraction in length) with root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.7386 mm. The contact force is modeled using the belt and pulley contact model and validated by building a custom testbed. The actuator module is able to regulate the pressure in the range 0–6 Kpa, which is comparable to 0–8 Kpa pressure regulated in rigid braces. This makes it possible to verify and demonstrate the working principle of the proposed active soft brace.

BackgroundSurgical Site Infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality among operated patients. In spite of the accessibility of universal and national guidelines for surgical prophylaxis, recent studies surveying the present routine of prophylaxis have demonstrated overutilization of a wide range antibacterial medication for a single patient. Few studies have shown qualitatively factors influencing this and perceptions of surgeons on surgical antibiotic prophylaxis use. Unfortunately, none of these studies have been done in Tanzania.ObjectiveTo describe the perceptions of surgeons on surgical antibiotic prophylaxis use at an urban tertiary hospital.MethodsA qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with surgeons was conducted in English by the primary investigator. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Systematic text condensation by Malterud was used for data analysis.FindingsFourteen surgeons and obstetrics and gynaecologists participated. Their perceptions were summarized into three main categories: Inadequate data to support practice; one who sees the patient decides the antibiotic prophylaxis; prolonged antibiotic use for fear of unknown. The participants perceived that choice of antibiotic should be based on local hospital data for bacterial resistance pattern, however the hospital guidelines and data for surgical site infection rates are unknown. Fear of getting infection and anticipating complications led to prolonged antibiotics use.ConclusionThe study provides an understanding of surgical antibiotic prophylaxis use and its implementation challenges. This was partly expressed by unavailability of local data and guidelines to enhance practice. To improve this, there is a need of guidelines that incorporates local resistance surveillance data and enhanced antibiotic stewardship programmes. A strong consideration should be placed into ways to combat the fears of surgeons for complications, as these significantly affect the current practise with use of surgical antibiotic prophylaxis.

Echinococcosis is a serious public health issue that affects people and livestock all over the world. Many synthetic and natural products have been examined in vitro and in vivo on Echinococcus species but only a few are used clinically, however, they may cause some complications and side effects. To overcome these limitations, new horizons of herbal drugs to cure echinococcosis are opening with every passing day. To summarize the developments during the last 21 years, we conducted this review of the literature to identify medicinal herbs utilized throughout the world that have anti-Echinococcus activity. From 2000 to 2021, data were carefully obtained from four English databases: Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus, and OpenGrey. Botanical name, extraction technique, extract quantities, efficacy, duration of treatment, year of publication, and half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values were all well noted. Ninety-one published papers, with 78 in vitro and 15 in vivo, fulfilled our selection criteria. Fifty-eight different plant species were thoroughly tested against Echinococcus granulosus. Zataria multiflora, Nigella sativa, Berberis vulgaris, Zingiber officinale (ginger), and Allium sativum were the most often utilized anti-Echinococcus herbs and the leaves of the herbs were extensively used. The pooled value of IC50 was 61 (95% CI 60–61.9) according to the random effect model and a large degree of diversity among studies was observed. The current systematic study described the medicinal plants with anti-Echinococcus activity, which could be investigated in future experimental and clinical studies to identify their in vivo efficacy, lethal effects, and mechanisms of action.

Scoliosis is a spinal disorder that is conventionally treated using rigid or soft braces. Computational methods such as finite element-based models are used to investigate the mechanics of the spine and the effect of braces. Most spinal braces are either passive, static, or rigid and do not allow mobility to the spine, resulting in muscle atrophy, skin deterioration and other spine complexities. Lack of control over the amount of force being exerted by braces on the human spine could have adverse effects. Therefore, developing an active soft brace which allows mobility to the spine while applying controlled corrective forces could be a promising solution. This study presents finite element analysis (FEA) of an active soft brace that applies corrective forces using elastic bands. The pressure exerted by the brace on the spine can be controlled by varying the tensions in the elastic bands. The elastic band tensions are controlled using low-power, lightweight, and twisted string actuators (TSAs). This study aims to demonstrate the immediate corrections induced by the soft active brace using a scoliotic spine finite element (FE) model. A FE model of the patient’s trunk was created and validated with in vitro study. The brace model was installed on the simulated trunk to evaluate in-brace correction in both sagittal and coronal planes. The brace was evaluated under various load cases by simulating the actuator action.

Modeling and analysis of survival rate has proved a fruitful aspect of statistical work in many fields of science. This paper aims at using a Bayesian approach to tting generalized DUS Exponential distribution (GDUSED). Kumar et al. (2015) proposed a renovation and called it DUS transformation. A Bayesian approach has been assumed to fit this model as a survival model. A real survival data set is used for illustration. Implementation is done using LaplaceApproximation and JAGS. Some graphical representations related to the probability density function and hazard function of the (GDUSED) are provided. LaplaceApproximation and JAGS codes have been provided to implement a censoring mechanism using both optimization and simulation tools.

Amebiasis is a common protozoan disease with a worldwide distribution. It is endemic in tropical developing countries, and cases are being detected in subtropical countries as well. It usually presents with intestinal manifestations. An extraintestinal manifestation of this disease, amebic vaginitis and amebic cervicitis, is rare and often misinterpreted clinically as vaginal and cervical carcinoma because of its overall ulcerated and necrotic appearance. Awareness of this rare manifestation is important for preventing unnecessary interventions and for effectively managing the patients with antiamebic treatment. Herewith, we report three cases of amebic vulvovaginitis and cervicitis in elderly women clinically masquerading as carcinomas.

Medicinal plants have been used since ancient times for their various therapeutic activities and are safer compared to modern medicines, especially when properly identifying and preparing them and choosing an adequate dose administration. The phytochemical compounds present in plants are progressively yielding evidence in modern drug delivery systems by treating various diseases like cancers, coronary heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, inflammation, microbial, viral and parasitic infections, psychotic diseases, spasmodic conditions, ulcers, etc. The phytochemical requires a rational approach to deliver the compounds to enhance the efficacy and to improve patients’ compatibility. Nanotechnology is emerging as one of the most promising strategies in disease control. Nano-formulations could target certain parts of the body and control drug release. Different studies report that phytochemical-loaded nano-formulations have been tested successfully both in vitro and in vivo for healing of skin wounds. The use of nano systems as drug carriers may reduce the toxicity and enhance the bioavailability of the incorporated drug. In this review, we focus on various nano-phytomedicines that have been used in treating skin burn wounds, and how both nanotechnology and phytochemicals are effective for treating skin burns.

In the current study, an isothermal compression molding process was used to develop enhanced green composites made from alkali‐treated pine nut shell particles (TPS) reinforced in fully bio‐driven benzoxazine (VB) and epoxy (EP) copolymer. Reinforcement with varying weight percent (wt%) of bio‐filler enhanced the properties of composites. Composites showed a rise of 75.9 MPa, 5.8 GPa, and 5.1 kJ/m2 in flexural strength, modulus, and impact strength, respectively. Thermal stability shows that composites can endure higher temperatures and hence be classified as flame‐retardant materials. The dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) confirms that composites exhibit higher storage modulus, which was elevated to 77.6% compared to the unfilled copolymer. FTIR spectroscopy analyzed the structure of copolymerized composites. Further, finite element analysis (FEA) was observed for the prepared composites. A transversely isotropic composite material model was created with the properties of composites, and stress analysis was observed. FEA outcomes are in good agreement with experimental findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a simple methodology to predict the total fertility rate of Afghanistan via a Bayesian statistical analysis method has been applied. R- statistical analysis tool is used for data analysis. To forecast, the ”bayesforecast” package is needed. It is a substitute package in R for the ”forecast” package in the traditional (frequentest) statistical method. The Bayesian data analysis using the specific case of the general auto-regressive integrated moving average model (ARIMA) is processed as follows; As the first step, the stationarity of the given data-set is assessed, the time series has been made stationary by taking differences. After fitting several models, as the most appropriate fitted model, the ARIMA (1, 2, 1) model has been fitted to the data. The accuracy of the fitted model is examined, and thereafter, the developed model is analyzed. The posterior computation is done, using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation method. The method ultimately focuses on drawing relevant inferences including the 16 years prediction, and the results are; in general, found to be satisfactory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Al-Salam Lagoon is one of the recreational sites along the Jeddah coast, showing the environmental impacts of urbanization along the coast. A sediment core (220 cm) was collected from the intertidal zone to evaluate the heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb) and geochemical indices (contamination factor, geo-accumulation index, and pollution load index). In the organ-ic-rich muddy sediments (0–100 cm), there is a high metals content and a pollution load index of ~3, indicting anthropogenic impacts with high Cu contamination (CF:12) and moderate Fe, Mn, Cr, Ni, Zn, and Pb contamination (CF: geo trends indicate a common pollutant source and pollution load variations over time. In the sediment section (70–40 cm), a high organic matter, metal concentration, CF, Igeo, and PLI value (≥5) suggest an uncontrolled pollution load. The decreased and stable trends of environmental indicators toward surface sediments suggest measures taken to control the pollution along the Jeddah coast. Below 110 cm, the carbonate-rich sediments have low organic matter and metals, showing an unpolluted depositional environment. The negative geo-accumulation index implies a geogenic source and indicates no anthropogenic impacts as inferred from low (~1.0) CF and PLI.

Spinal deformity is an abnormality in the spinal curves and can seriously affect the activities of daily life. The conventional way to treat spinal deformities, such as scoliosis, kyphosis, and spondylolisthesis, is to use spinal orthoses (braces). Braces have been used for centuries to apply corrective forces to the spine to treat spinal deformities or to stabilize the spine during postoperative rehabilitation. Braces have not modernized with advancements in technology, and very few braces are equipped with smart sensory design and active actuation. There is a need to enable the orthotists, ergonomics practitioners, and developers to incorporate new technologies into the passive field of bracing. This article presents a review of the conventional passive braces and highlights the advancements in spinal orthoses in terms of improved sensory designs, active actuation mechanisms, and new construction methods (CAD/CAM, three-dimensional (3D) printing). This review includes 26 spinal orthoses, comprised of passive rigid/soft braces, active dynamics braces, and torso training devices for the rehabilitation of the spine.

The rapid development of image editing software has resulted in widespread unauthorized duplication of original images. This has given rise to the need to develop robust image hashing technique which can easily identify duplicate copies of the original images apart from differentiating it from different images. In this paper, we have proposed an image hashing technique based on discrete wavelet transform and Hough transform, which is robust to large number of image processing attacks including shifting and shearing. The input image is initially pre-processed to remove any kind of minor effects. Discrete wavelet transform is then applied to the pre-processed image to produce different wavelet coefficients from which different edges are detected by using a canny edge detector. Hough transform is finally applied to the edge-detected image to generate an image hash which is used for image identification. Different experiments were conducted to show that the proposed hashing technique has better robustness and discrimination performance as compared to the state-of-the-art techniques. Normalized average mean value difference is also calculated to show the performance of the proposed technique towards various image processing attacks. The proposed copy detection scheme can perform copy detection over large databases and can be considered to be a prototype for developing online real-time copy detection system.

The Topp-Leone distribution was introduced by Topp-Leone in 1955. In this paper, an attempt has been made to fit Topp-Leone Generalized Exponential distribution. Since, Topp-Leone distribution contains only one parameter and its support set is restricted to (0,1), because of this, in most practical situations it is not a better fit for the lifetime modelling. So an extension of this distribution is required. A Bayesian approach has been adopted to fit this model as survival model. A real survival data set is used to illustrate. Implementation is done using R and JAGS and appropriate illustrations are made. R and JAGS codes have been provided to implement censoring mechanism using both optimization and simulation tools.

Introduction: Herbals drugs became a boon for mankind since ancient times and still are used worldwide for the treatment of various human ailments. The safety of alternative medicinal preparations has been questioned due to reports of unwanted side effects. To maintain the quality and efficacy of these drugs, it is essential to standardize them in order to avoid the use of substandard or adulterated medicines in the market. Unani system of medicine mainly focuses on the treatment by natural drugs. Habb-e-Banafsha Qawi is useful in a cough, catarrah, and coryza. Materials and Methods: Physiochemical constants of Habb-e-Banafsha Qawi were determined through organoleptic characters, macro- and micro-scopic characters, ash value, solubility, pH values. Chromatographic fingerprints were developed using thin layer chromatography method. Aflatoxin (AF) contamination, heavy metal, and pesticide residues were also evaluated by standard methods.Objectives: In the present study, an attempt has been made to develop standard operating procedure and physiochemical parameters to monitor the quality of a Unani poly-herbal formulation, Habb-e-Banafsha Qawi. Results: The tablets tasted sweetish bitter with a pleasant odor, water soluble and acidic in nature. Rfvalues were almost same in all the extracts. No AF, heavy metal, and pesticide residues were observed. Conclusions: It may be concluded that the values and chromatographic fingerprints obtained can be used for quality evaluation and to set new pharmacopoeial standards for the preparation of Habb-e-Banafsha Qawi.

To study the behavior of Acuros XB algorithm for flattening filter free (FFF) photon beams in comparison with the anisotropic analytical algorithm (AAA) when applied to homogeneous and heterogeneous phantoms in conventional and RapidArc techniques. Acuros XB (Eclipse version 10.0, Varian Medical Systems, CA, USA) and AAA algorithms were used to calculate dose distributions for both 6X FFF and 10X FFF energies. RapidArc plans were created on Catphan phantom 504 and conventional plans on virtual homogeneous water phantom 30 × 30 × 30 cm3, virtual heterogeneous phantom with various inserts and on solid water phantom with air cavity. Dose at various inserts with different densities were measured in both AAA and Acuros algorithms. The maximum % variation in dose was observed in (−944 HU) air insert and minimum in (85 HU) acrylic insert in both 6X FFF and 10X FFF photons. Less than 1% variation observed between −149 HU and 282 HU for both energies. At −40 HU and 765 HU Acuros behaved quite contrarily with 10X FFF. Maximum % variation in dose was observed in less HU values and minimum variation in higher HU values for both FFF energies. Global maximum dose observed at higher depths for Acuros for both energies compared with AAA. Increase in dose was observed with Acuros algorithm in almost all densities and decrease at few densities ranging from 282 to 643 HU values. Field size, depth, beam energy, and material density influenced the dose difference between two algorithms.