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The rapid development of the Internet of Vehicles using centralized systems faces significant challenges, including reliability and security vulnerabilities and high latency. This paper introduces a blockchain-enabled authentication and communication network for scalable IoV to enhance security, reduce latency, and relieve the dependency on centralized infrastructures. The network applies blockchain-enabled domain name services and mutual authentication for fault tolerance consensus, such as PBFT and RAFT, featuring a primary layer of road side units and edge servers for inter-vehicle communication and a sub-layer within each vehicle for intra-vehicle communication. The study evaluates various scenarios and assesses roadside unit availability based on random distribution along vehicle routes. This paper also discusses the legal issues involved in the proposed model, highlighting that the IoV system should be governed by a contract-based decentralized IoV system comprising both smart contracts and traditional contracts. This model offers a novel approach to developing a decentralized, secure, efficient, and ethical IoV ecosystem, advancing autonomous and reliable vehicular networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Arterial tortuosity syndrome is a rare Autosomal recessive disease that leads to a loss of function of the connective tissues of the body, this happens due to a mutation in the solute carrier family 2 member 10 (SLC2A10) gene. ATS is more likely to occur in Large and medium-sized arteries including the aorta and pulmonary arteries. This syndrome causes the arteries to be elongated and tortuous, This tortuosity disturbs the blood circulation resulting in stenosis and lack of blood flow to organs and this chronic turbulent flow increases the risk of aneurysm development, dissection and ischemic events. Case presentation A 2 years old Arabian female child was diagnosed with ATS affecting the pulmonary arteries as a newborn, underwent a pulmonary arterial surgical reconstruction at the age of 2 years old due to the development of pulmonary artery stenosis with left pulmonary artery having a peak gradient of 73 mmHg with a peak velocity of 4.3 m/s and the right pulmonary artery having a peak gradient of 46 mmHg with a peak velocity of 3.4 m/s causing right ventricular hypertension. After surgical repair the left pulmonary artery has a peak pressure gradient of 20 mmHg, with the right pulmonary artery having a peak pressure gradient of 20 mmHg. Conclusion ATS is a rare genetic condition that affects the great arteries especially the pulmonary arteries causing stenotic and tortuous vessels that may be central branches or distal peripheral branches that leads to severe right ventricular dysfunction and hypertension. We believe that surgical treatment provides the optimum outcomes when compared to transcather approaches especially when the peripheral arteries are involved. Some challenges and hiccups might occur, especially lung reperfusion injury that needs to be diagnosed and treated accordingly.

ATS dependence in Malaysia is growing tremendously across multiracial Malaysian groups, increasing concerns among public health experts and the community. This study highlighted the chronicity of ATS dependence and factors associated with ATS use. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were administered using ASSIST 3.0. A total of N = 327 multiracial people who use ATS were enrolled in this study. The study findings show that 190/327 (58.1%) respondents were ATS dependent. Malays reported the highest number of ATS-dependent (55.8%), followed by Bajau (21.6%) and Kadazan-Dusun (16.8%) ethnic. Across all races, three factors were significantly associated with the ATS dependence: respondents who had a lifetime history of needle sharing aOR = 0.023 (95% CI: 0.003, 0.183) and a lifetime history of heroin use aOR = 0.192 (95% CI: 0.093, 0.396) were at a reduced odd of ATS dependent. Meanwhile, being married reduced the likelihood of becoming dependent on ATS with aOR = 0.378 (95% CI: 0.206, 0.693) compared to being single or divorced. This study revealed that the use of ATS among multiracial Malaysians is alarmingly high, including those in detention centers. Comprehensive harm reduction strategies are urgently needed to prevent the spreading of infectious diseases and other negative health consequences associated with ATS use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The signal systems under the traditional architecture have a high degree of independence and cannot achieve information fusion among multiple systems. In order to realize information sharing with the urban rail production network and enable big data mining, the signal ATS subsystem can be included in the urban rail cloud platform. On the basis of ensuring the independence and safety of the core equipment of the signal systems, the ATS subsystem center-level servers and workstations are included in the cloud platform. This paper calculates the computing resource requirements of the ATS subsystem with a reuse ratio of 1.0 as an example. The connection between the cloud part and the non-cloud part of ATS is realized through the core switching network of the cloud platform. The application server and interface server are configured with blade servers, and the database server is configured with a rack server. To meet the requirements of ATS subsystem redundancy and undisturbed switching, the cloud platform provides two sets of server resources with the same configuration for the ATS subsystem. Considering that the urban rail signal systems need to meet the requirements of Level 3 of Information Security Level Protection, the cloud platform should also be built according to Level 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Use of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) contributes substantially to the global burden of disease. Large-scale follow-up studies of morbidity and mortality in ATS users are few. This study analysed morbidity, mortality, and potential predictors of all-cause mortality in a nationwide cohort of patients with ATS use disorder. Methods: Data was acquired from national Swedish registers. All Swedish residents 18 years or older, with a registered ATS use diagnosis in 2013–2014 were included (N = 5,018) and followed until December 31, 2017. Comorbid diagnoses and causes of death were assessed and potential predictors of all-cause mortality were examined through Cox regression. Results: Median age at inclusion was 36.6 years (interquartile range 27.4–––48.1) and 70.5 % were men. The crude mortality rate was 24.6 per 1,000 person-years. The adjusted all-cause standardized mortality ratio was 12.4 (95 % CI [11.34–13.55]). The most common cause of death was overdose (28.9 %). Multiple drug use (hazard ratio 1.39, 95 % CI [1.14–1.70], p = 0.004), anxiety (hazard ratio 1.39, 95 % CI [1.11–1.72], p = 0.014), viral hepatitis (hazard ratio 1.85, 95 % CI [1.50–2.29], p = 0.004), and liver disease (hazard ratio 2.41, 95 % CI [1.55–3.74], p = 0.004) were predictors of all-cause mortality. Conclusions: Multiple drug use, anxiety disorders, viral hepatitis and liver diseases were identified as risk factors for death. Our findings call for better screening, prevention, and treatment of somatic and psychiatric comorbidity among ATS users to reduce mortality.

Climate change and other disturbances significantly impact hydrogeochemical exports from mountainous headwater catchments such as the Upper Colorado River Basin. Developing a mechanistic understanding of how the physical and chemical processes interact in time and space in an integrated manner is key to quantifying the future impacts of such disturbances. The hydrogeochemical response of a mountainous catchment in the 2010–2019 period is evaluated quantitatively using a high-resolution model that simulates integrated hydrology, and transport and reactions for selected solutes and minerals. The model assumes that pyrite is present only at depth while calcite is distributed uniformly, and captures the observed C-Q reasonably well. Distinct C-Q dynamics are observed in an average (WY16), a wet (WY17), and a dry (WY18) water year. The model also quantifies the water fraction from surface, shallow and deep groundwater compartments using tracers, and suggests greater groundwater contributions to peak stream discharge in the dry WY18. Results demonstrate that calcium concentrations do not change significantly from year to year, while sulfate shows significant temporal variability. Pyrite dissolution is affected by the changing hydrological drivers where it is enhanced in the dry WY18; calcite dissolution supplements calcium dilution under high flow conditions. The model simulates the reaction hotspots controlled by hydrological conditions, and the spatially-resolved results show that higher soil saturation and less snowpack occur earlier on the south-facing side than on the north-facing side. This is a first-of-its-kind demonstration of a model that integrates hydrologic processes, including evapotranspiration, and reactive transport to enable a predictive understanding of hydrogeochemical exports.

In response to the challenges encountered in evaluating the operational effectiveness of aeronautical telecommunication system (ATS), including discrepancies between evaluation results and mission completion, incomplete index selection, and hierarchical index decomposition, this study aimed to address these issues comprehensively. Based on the characteristics of mission demands for ATS, primary indices such as spatial coverage, timeliness, reliability, security, and the capabilities of voice and data were determined. The signal flow of ATS and principles of radio reception guided the application of quality function deployment (QFD) and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to establish a comprehensive evaluation index system linking effectiveness to technical performance, application environment, and operational mode. Considering varying mission demands across different flight phases in aeronautical telecommunication, including the significance of phase missions within the overall mission, requirements for voice or data, and needs for transmission or reception, an enhanced stage probability method (SPD) based on weighted sum was proposed to formulate an aggregation model for system effectiveness. The paper discusses the application of the proposed method with an illustrative example. As indicated by the results, this model comprehensively describes the impact of aeronautical telecommunication demand, equipment reliability, functional disparities, operation modes, and technical characteristics on mission completion rates. In summary, this paper presents valuable insights and guidance for enhancing performance measures, refining parameter adjustments, and optimizing utilization strategies for ATS.

The medium of transportation facilitates the movement of people, products, and services. It has consistently played a significant role in the expansion of urbanization, industry, and modernization. It has been shown that effective transportation systems are crucial for fostering social cohesion and economic prosperity in a region. India has some rural and urban regions with strong transportation connectivity, but many villages lack wellorganized and efficient transportation systems. The present work covers the district's regional development in connection to road connectivity, its development, and the level of transportation. For showing road network connectivity, the Graph Theory has been used and the level of transport development has been examined by using aggregate transport score (ATS). The level of regional development has been demonstrated using the composite index, which normalizes various socioeconomic factors. Using georeferencing and digitizing, software like ArcGIS facilitates network analysis, processing of spatial data, and the creation of maps. Road transportation was discovered to have a positive relationship with regional development in the district. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is one of the most limiting factors for agricultural productivity worldwide (Hamdi et al., 2020). Drought stress can be simply defined as a shortage of water that causes significant changes in plant morphology, physiology, and biochemistry (Liang et al., 2020), and the most environmental stress that affect both crop production and quality (Biareh et al., 2022). Approximately, 95-98% of the water absorbed by the plant is lost via transpiration (Singh et al., 2021), so that reducing the transpiration rate could be considered as an important strategy for combating with drought conditions. This could be achieved by using compounds called anti-transpirants (ATs) which are chemicals that reduces the loss of water from plant leaves by decreasing both the size and number of stomata (Sow and Ranjan, 2021). The research was carried out at the 2ed faculty of agriculture and at the laboratory of plant physiology during years 2021 and 2022. Chili pepper was used as plant material under two levels of deficit irrigation (50 and 70 of field capacity) in addition to control (100% of field capacity). Under each irrigation level, three types of ATs compounds were applied ten days after drought stress treatments. Plants were sprayed with salicylic acid at two different concentrations 1 and 0.5 mMol (as a stomata closing AT type), flaxseed oil emulsion at 20% concentration (that combines two types of ATs: a film forming and a reflective AT type) and glycerol at 6% concentration (as a film forming AT type). 120 days after planting, following parameters were determined: plant height, root length, number of roots per plant, leaf area (dm2), plant dry weight (g), fruit diameter and weight (g) and total soluble solids (TSS %). Relative water content RWC (%), leaf content of total chlorophyll (mg/ g fresh weight) and water use efficiency WUE (g/l) were determined as well. The experiment was performed as completely randomized design (CRD) in a factorial system. The results showed a reduction in all growth parameters by increasing drought stress level as compared to the control (100% of field capacity). Foliar application of ATs showed a significant effect in improving growth parameters under drought stress conditions. Application of flaxseed oil increased plant growth and fruit quality with significant difference as compared to drought stress treatment. While SA exceeded significantly drought stress treatments concerning root length, number of leaves per plant, leaf area and TTS. Additionally, SA and flaxseed oil application increased RWC and WUE with significant deference compared to drought stress treatments. A reduction in chlorophyll content and plant dry weight was recorded in all ATs application, but no significant differences were recorded in comparison to irrigation levels applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Asynchronous Traffic Shaping (ATS) has been designed by the Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) group as a reshaping mechanism for real-time data flows, based on the initial proposition of the Urgency Based Shaper (UBS). Several studies have exhibited properties and limitations of this solution, but most of them are based on the model presented in the UBS definition [Specht and Samii, 2016], whereas the implementation described in the standard uses a different architecture and algorithm. This paper presents an equivalence proof between the model and the standard specification.

Abstract As urban rail transit construction advances with information technology, modernization, information, and intelligence have become the direction of development. A growing number of cloud platforms are being developed for transit in urban areas. However, the increasing scale of urban rail cloud platforms, coupled with the deployment of urban rail safety applications on the cloud platform, present a huge challenge to cloud reliability.One of the key components of urban rail transit cloud platforms is Automatic Train Supervision (ATS). The failure of the ATS cloud service would result in less punctual trains and decreased traffic efficiency, making it essential to research fault tolerance methods based on cloud computing to improve the reliability of ATS cloud services. This paper proposes a proactive, reliability-aware failure recovery method for ATS cloud services based on reinforcement learning. We formulate the problem of penalty error decision and resource-efficient optimization using the advanced actor-critic (A2C) algorithm. To maintain the freshness of the information, we use Age of Information (AoI) to train the agent, and construct the agent using Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) to improve its sensitivity to fault events. Simulation results demonstrate that our proposed approach, LSTM-A2C, can effectively identify and correct faults in ATS cloud services, improving service reliability.

This paper presents the main objective of Air Traffic Management Systems – ATMS that is to achieve optimized performance in terms of aviation safety and the enhancement of the current air transport system, through the in-depth study of the complex integration of all advanced technologies regarding air traffic monitoring, aeronautical communications on-board computers, display and control systems within the extended framework of Air Traffic Services - ATS. The Flight Management System - FMS is indispensable for flight planning, air navigation, flight performance management, aircraft guidance on the flight path and continuous monitoring of the progress during flight. The FMS is the device used by the flight crew to select various modes of flight control via the flight control computer - FCM and to display flight plans and other flight data via the Multi-Functional Control Display Unit - MCDU. The flight path is monitored by the MCDU and the Electronic Instrument System – EIS. The in-depth study of Air Transport Efficiency when applying air traffic service operational analysis and trajectory determination methods to identify key areas of Air Traffic Management inefficiencies and to prioritize and implement appropriate optimization methods are presented and analyzed in detail in this paper.

This research enhances Smart Home Systems by integrating an Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) for seamless power source switching between the grid and a backup battery, ensuring uninterrupted operation during power disruptions. An Automatic Battery Charging (ABC) system optimizes battery charging based on its condition, improving energy storage and efficiency. The system provides on-site electrical equipment control and sensor data access via a Human Machine Interface (HMI). Remote monitoring and control through the Blynk app offer convenience. Additionally, an energy consumption estimation feature allows users to estimate billing costs, with the Battery State of Charge (SoC) indicating the remaining battery capacity. Hardware testing showed the system's reliability with a 2-4 second ATS response and ±2-second ABC response. This research offers homeowners reliable power continuity and energy optimization. It contributes to IoT-based smart home systems, demonstrating ATS and ABC effectiveness, advancing both theory and practice for modern smart living.

Introdução: Access to drugs for rare diseases constitutes a challenge to healthcare systems, especially those with public funding. The difficulty of conducting robust clinical trials limits the quality of evidence and elevates the cost of development, later translated into the drug’s prices. Thus, it is necessary for the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) agencies to have differentiated criteria for the evaluation of reimbursement recommendations when dealing with such drugs. Objetivos: The objective of this research is to identify and summarize the specific criteria used when evaluating reimbursement recommendations for orphan drugs that are adopted by HTA agencies in countries with different models of public healthcare systems. Material e Método: A comprehensive literature search was performed on the databases PubMed, LILACS, Scopus and Embase up to March 2022. We included any publication type (opinion articles, commentaries, editorials, original articles and reviews) that addressed the criteria used by HTA agencies in countries with public healthcare systems when evaluating reimbursement recommendations for orphan drugs. Resultados: This scoping review summarizes the identified criteria for 18 countries and ranks them within three models of healthcare systems (NHS, NHI and SHI). We identified that NHS countries, such as the UK, Sweden, and Italy, lean towards innovation, the collection of real-world data, and the impact on organizational aspects of the system. Meanwhile, SHI countries, such as Germany, France and the Netherlands, often employ budget ceilings and expedited evaluation processes. All models shared concern over unmet need and disease nature. The 16 included studies range from 2015 to 2022 and the majority consists of reviews of HTA reports and original articles. Discussão e Conclusões: This review provides a good basis for the understanding of each model’s classification and general tendencies when creating differentiated criteria to accommodate and compensate for the lack of evidence and investment around rare diseases.

Introdução: Em 05/08/2022 com a portaria 23 de 4 de agosto de 2020 foi incorporado no SUS após a recomendação da CONITEC dois medicamentos para melanoma metastático. A comissão sugeriu a mudança no valor da APAC para que os CACONS e UNACONS tivessem condições de financiar esse novo tratamento com um maior auxílio do reembolso por procedimento realizado pelo governo federal. Porém apenas em março de 2022 a Secretaria de Atenção Especializada no Ministério da Saúde, modifica o valor do procedimento do SIGTAP intitulado quimioterapia do melanoma maligno avançado, mudando o valor de R$1800 para R$7500. Objetivos: Verificar o número de autorizações de procedimento ambulatorial (APAC) para melanoma maligno avançado durante o período de março de 2019 a fevereiro de 2023. Material e Método: Os dados do Sistema de Informações Ambulatoriais na base de Quimioterapia foram analisados no período mencionado baseado na data de solicitação de autorização do procedimento ambulatorial. A partir daí foi verificado através das duas colunas referentes ao esquema terapêutico que é de preenchimento livre qual foi o tratamento prescrito para aquele ciclo de quimioterapia daquele paciente. Foi analisado o volume de APACs para cada tratamento estudado, que nesse caso é o Pembrolizumabe e o Nivolumabe. Foi calculado o número de APACS por período de março de um ano até fevereiro do ano seguinte durante esses 4 anos. Foi extraída a tendência de uso dos medicamentos por APAC. Foi analisado o impacto orçamentário real dessa incorporação diante dos gastos com as APCAS até a mudança do valor. Foi analisado também o quanto das APACs ainda poderiam ter sido realizadas com os novos medicamentos incorporados e consequentemente, a proporção delas em que se reembolsa um valor atualizado, porém se prescreve um tratamento antigo, mais ineficaz e mais barato configurando um desperdício do recurso federal repassado aos CACONS e UNACONS. Resultados: O resultado mostrou que o aumento do valor do reembolso pelo Ministério da Saúde foi capaz de produzir um aumento de 4,19 vezes o número de prescrições no primeiro ano da APAC com valor novo. A conclusão é que o aumento ainda é insuficiente para o número de APACs realizadas com o diagnóstico de melanoma maligno metastático. O impacto orçamentário no primeiro ano foi menor do que o estimado pela CONITEC e a proporção de APACs que utilizou medicamentos diferentes do incorporado produziu um desperdício considerável ao SUS. Discussão e Conclusões: É preciso repensar as estratégias de acesso a oncológicos no Brasil já que diferente de outros medicamentos incorporados, os tratamentos oncológicos são recomendados via DDT e não em PCDT o que significa que cada CACON e UNACON do SUS tem independência para padronizar os medicamentos na instituição. Isso pode gerar diversas inequidades no SUS e uma heterogeneidade no acesso ao tratamento pelos pacientes de diferentes regiões do Brasil.

As urban rail transit construction advances with information technology, modernization, information, and intelligence have become the direction of development. A growing number of cloud platforms are being developed for transit in urban areas. However, the increasing scale of urban rail cloud platforms, coupled with the deployment of urban rail safety applications on the cloud platform, present a huge challenge to cloud reliability.One of the key components of urban rail transit cloud platforms is Automatic Train Supervision (ATS). The failure of the ATS cloud service would result in less punctual trains and decreased traffic efficiency, making it essential to research fault tolerance methods based on cloud computing to improve the reliability of ATS cloud services. This paper proposes a proactive, reliability-aware failure recovery method for ATS cloud services based on reinforcement learning. We formulate the problem of penalty error decision and resource-efficient optimization using the advanced actor-critic (A2C) algorithm. To maintain the freshness of the information, we use Age of Information (AoI) to train the agent, and construct the agent using Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) to improve its sensitivity to fault events. Simulation results demonstrate that our proposed approach, LSTM-A2C, can effectively identify and correct faults in ATS cloud services, improving service reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Certification in toxicology remains a subject of interest to those in the field, as evidenced by the number of presentations at major meetings and publications in the past decade. In 2009, Brock and colleagues summarized the certifications available in the field of toxicology and provided an international perspective of the pros and cons of gaining certification. Though that article has been viewed thousands of times, the certification processes have evolved over the past decade. Therefore, the purpose of the article is to build upon the prior work and present current information for toxicologists seeking certification with the American Board of Toxicology (DABT), Academy of Toxicological Sciences (ATS), as a European Registered Toxicologist (ERT), as a Diplomate, Japanese Society of Toxicology (DJSOT), and as a Diplomate of the Chinese Society of Toxicology (DCST). In addition, other certifications are presented, but available details are limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Methods Results Conclusion The emergence of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), including synthetic psilocybin, has raised concern among health experts due to the numerous health and socioeconomic consequences. The current trend is shifting to the hazardous use of synthetic psilocybin in vaping, and little is known about the prevalence of use, specifically among amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) users.Interviewer-administered questionnaires were conducted in drug detention centers between March and October 2022. The study was conducted using ASSIST 3.0 and obtained information on the respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics and clinical profiles. N = 355 ATS users were enrolled in this study.The results show a high prevalence of psilocybin vaping among ATS users (182/355, 53.1%). Most of the respondents were males (85.1%) and unmarried (69.3%), with a mean age of 29.2 (SD = 7.3). Across all respondents, five factors were associated with psilocybin vaping: tobacco smoking, aOR =5.790 (95% CI: 1.723, 8.183); cannabis uses, aOR= 9.152 (95% CI: 2.693, 10.396); and alcohol use, aOR= 3.137 (95% CI: 1.461, 5.817). Respondents of the Malay race had higher odds of being involved in psilocybin vaping compared to other races, with aOR= 1.638 (0.043, 2.459). Meanwhile, a reduction in age by 1.9 will increase the likelihood of involvement in psilocybin vaping with aOR = 1.897 (95% CI: 0.857, 1.938).Psilocybin in vaping is growing among ATS users and across all populations. Unfortunately, knowledge regarding the long-term effects on health is limited. Further studies should highlight the harmful effects of psilocybin and the potential risk of psilocybin vaping among the younger population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the main objective of Air Traffic Management Systems - ATMS that is to achieve optimized performance in terms of aviation safety and the enhancement of the current air transport system, through the in-depth study of the complex integration of all advanced technologies regarding air traffic monitoring, aeronautical communications on-board computers, display and control systems within the extended framework of Air Traffic Services - ATS. The Flight Management System - FMS is indispensable for flight planning, air navigation, flight performance management, aircraft guidance on the flight path and continuous monitoring of the progress during flight. The FMS is the device used by the flight crew to select various modes of flight control via the flight control computer - FCM and to display flight plans and other flight data via the Multi-Functional Control Display Unit - MCDU. The flight path is monitored by the MCDU and the Electronic Instrument System - EIS. The in-depth study of Air Transport Efficiency when applying air traffic service operational analysis and trajectory determination methods to identify key areas of Air Traffic Management inefficiencies and to prioritize and implement appropriate optimization methods are presented and analyzed in detail in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction : The practice of pranayama modulates the cardiac autonomic status and improves cardio-respiratory functions suggesting an enhanced parasympathetic and blunted sympathetic activity, leading to early return of vitals to baseline. Yoga benefits for cardiopulmonary endurance in healthy people which manifest clinically as improved lung capacity, increased oxygen delivery, decreased VO2 and respiratory rate, and decreased resting heart rate, resulting in overall improved exercise capacity. Hence, we decided to study the effect of Pranayama on heart rate and six minute walk distance on six minute walk test in healthy subjects. Materials and Methods: It was a longitudinal study. 30 healthy subjects of age group 18-30 years were recruited for this study. The study was conducted in the Department of Physiology, Santosh Medical College and Hospitals, Ghaziabad. Heart rate was counted by palpating the radial pulse for one full minute. Six minute walk test was conducted as per American Thoracic Society (ATS) guideline and six minute walk distance recorded. Pranayam training was given by yoga instructor two times per week for 40 days that consisted of warm up for 5 min, Pranayama for 25 min and Meditation for 10 min. Heart rate was recorded again before and after six minute walk test. Six minute walk distance noted. Statistical Analysis: Data was entered in to MS Excel and expressed as Mean and SD. Differences between groups before and after intervention was assessed by t-test using SPSS 23.0 software. Results: It was observed that there was a statistically significant decrease heart rate after 4 weeks of Pranayama training which decreased from 105.07 ± 5.842 beats per minute to 98.07 ± 6.422 beats per minute after six minute walk test, p < 0.001. There was a statistically significant increase in walk distance on six minute walk test after 4 weeks of Pranayama training from 526.67 + 25.795 m to 682.60 + 25.425 m, p < 0.001. Discussion: The present study revealed that after 4 weeks of Pranayam training there was a significant decline in heart rate after six minute walk test. There was a significant increase in six-min walk distance after Pranayama. Decline in heart rate may be due to the reduced sympathetic activity and increased parasympathetic activity, leading to improvement in vagal tone. Improvement in the walked distance may be due to improved lung capacity, increased oxygen delivery, decreased VO2 and respiratory rate, and decreased resting heart rate, resulting in overall improved exercise capacity. So, Yoga can be considered as a non - pharmacological intervention to improve cardiovascular functions and exercise capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several methods to perform an ANOVA with a binary dependent variable in 2-way layouts are compared with the parametric F-test. Equal and unequal cell counts as well as several different effect models are taken into account. Special attention has been paid to heterogeneous conditions, which are caused by nonnull effects through the relation of the binomial probability and its variance. For between subject designs Puri & Sen's L statistic, Brunner & Munzel's ATS, the χ2-test of log-linear models, the logistic and the probit regresssions are considered. The L statistic is recommended, because the F-test cannot keep always the type I error under control, if there are nonnull effects. For mixed designs the Huynh-Feldt adjustment, Hotelling Lawley's multivariate test, Puri & Sen's L statistic, Brunner & Munzel's ATS, Koch's ANOVA, GLMM and GEE models are considered. None of these methods is able to cover all situations. Depending on the design and on the model to be checked, in most cases the parametric F-test with adjustment, the multivariate test or Koch's method are advised. Additional results: heterogeneous correlations and the size of the design have an impact, particularly on the F-test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strategic importance of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean is becoming an issue for major power competition, particularly as a rising China expands its presence across the continent. Preserving the spirit and letter of the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) through greater use of advanced air, maritime and space capabilities provides an opportunity for greater transparency of activities by all Antarctica Treaty System states, and in turn acts as a deterrent against any one state circumventing the treaty by exploiting grey zone activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The movement of solutes in a watershed is a complex process with multiple interactions and feedbacks across spatial and temporal scales. Modeling the dynamics of solute transport along diverse hydrologic pathways within watersheds – from hillslopes to stream channels and in and out of the hyporheic zones – is challenging but critically important, as these processes integrate and contribute to the biogeochemical functioning of the river corridor up to the river network scale. Here we use results from a long-term network-scale tracer test at the H.J. Andrews experimental forest in western Cascade Mountains, Oregon, USA to inform a multiscale framework for transport in stream corridors. The framework uses a Lagrangian-based subgrid model to represent the effects of hyporheic exchange flow and advective transport at stream network scales. The spatially and temporally resolved stream discharge needed for the transport model is imputed across the river system by an entity-aware long short-term memory network. Modeled concentrations show good agreements with the observations and exhibit power scaling laws indicative of a very wide range of timescales over which hyporheic exchange flow occurs. Our results demonstrate a data-informed modeling framework that links dynamical processes occurring at small scales to a network context to help understand how changes at reach scale cascade into network-scale effects, providing a useful tool for sustainable river basin management. • A long-term tracer test in a mountain watershed was used to evaluate a multiscale model for transport in stream networks. • Spatially and temporally resolved stream discharge needed for the model was imputed by a long short-term memory network. • Complex dynamics of solute transport along diverse hydrologic pathways across scales was well captured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(Series Information) European Papers - A Journal on Law and Integration, 2021 6(3), 1293-1306 | European Forum Insight of 20 January 2022 | (Table of Contents) I. Introduction. - II. Some remarks on the features of cocoa supply chain. - III. The interpretation of the ATS and the Nestlé case: a tug-of-war between courts. - IV. The relevant role and content of UNGPs. - V. Lessons from European case-law. - VI. A re-assessment of Nestlé v. Doe in the light of the UNGPs. - VII. Concluding remarks. | (Abstract) In the last years, the Alien Tort Statute (ATS) has been used as main reference for human rights litigation against corporations in the US. However, subsequent interpretation of the ATS by the US Supreme Court has progressively narrowed its scope of application, so that now it hardly can be considered as a viable legal basis for claims against human rights abuses occurred overseas in supply chains. In the recent Nestlé case, the US Supreme Court affirmed that general corporate activity in the US territory cannot be a sufficient basis to overcome the presumption against extraterritoriality set in the Kiobel case. The risk of leaving a wide range of human rights violations without an effective remedy in the US is tangible. A solution may be to look at the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) as the international guidance to corporate responsibility to respect human rights as a tool to interpret domestic law accordingly and recognize the duty of lead companies to use leverage over their business partners to prevent violations. The lessons learned from recent European domestic case-law is paradigmatic in this sense and may be a source of inspirations for future UNGPs-oriented reading of the ATS.

The development of automated essay scoring (AES) in the neural network (NN) approach has eliminated feature engineering. However, feature engineering is still needed, moreover, data with labels in the form of rubric scores, which are complementary to AES holistic scores, are still rarely found. In general, data without labels/scores is found more. However, unsupervised AES research has not progressed with the more common use of publicly labeled data. Based on the case studies adopted in the research, automatic text summarization (ATS) was used as a feature engineering model of AES and readability index as the definition of rubric values for data without labels. This research focuses on developing AES by implementing ATS results on SOM and HDBSCAN. The data used in this research are 403 documents of TEACH ON E-learning essays. Data is represented in the form of a combination of word vectors and a readability index. Based on the tests and measurements carried out, it was concluded that AES with ATS implementation had no good potential for the assessment of TEACH ON essays in increasing the silhouette score. The model produces the best silhouette score of 0.727286113 with original essay data.

Background and Aims: Drug induced liver injury(DILI) is a challenging problem faced by clinicians. Lack of objective diagnostic test makes the diagnosis and management of DILI difficult. This study aims to study the clinical profile and reintroduction regimen outcomes in ATT DILI. Methods: A Prospective Observational Studyonpatients with ATT induced hepatitis. A detailed historyof Antitubercular therapy, features of DILI and reintroduction regimenthat was initiated were noted. Clinical and biochemical parametersof all patients were analysed andfollowed till the end of ATT. RESULTs: In our study of50 patients, middle aged (30-39yrs) males(70%) were more prone for DILI. The median day of DILI occurrence was 15 days from ATT initiation, with the most common presenting symptom being anorexia (42%). Malnutrition (90%), HIVcoinfection (30%), concomitant ART medication, alcoholism(30%) were common associations. The most common pattern of DILIwas hepatocellular(32%) and cholestatic(32%)pattern. Out of the 50 patients, 14 patients were reintroduced with BTS regimen, 12 with ATS regimenand 12 were reintroduced with all drugs. It was observed that ATS regimen had a better outcome.(p = 0.0005). Conclusion: Study showed that middle aged males, malnourished, alcoholics, HIV co infected patients weremore prone for DILI. Hepatocellular and cholestatic patterns were most common ATT DILI patterns. ATS reintroduction regimen showed better outcome in our study however this needs to be further proved with a larger sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Railway Signalling & Communication Engineering is the property of Railway Signalling & Communication Engineering and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of JBES: Brazilian Journal of Health Economics / Jornal Brasileiro de Economia da Saúde is the property of JBES: Brazilian Journal of Health Economics and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Andersen-Tawil syndrome (ATS) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder characterized by a classic symptom triad, including periodic paralysis, ventricular arrhythmias with associated prolonged QT interval and U waves, and dysmorphic facial and skeletal features. Pathogenic variants of the KCNJ2 gene are linked to ATS., Methods: We present two siblings with the same pathogenic mutation and facial characteristic of hypotelorism, yet with intrafamilial and sex-specific variability., Results: The first patient is a 16-year-old male who presented from an outside hospital with subacute-onset weakness. The symptoms almost completely subsided the following day, with only mild proximal muscle weakness. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and cervical spine was unremarkable. He had one prior attack of self-resolving weakness without apparent triggering factors and a history of premature ventricular contractions and U waves seen on electrocardiogram without cardiac symptoms. On further evaluation his physical examination was significant for micrognathia, hypotelorism, and clinodactyly. Electrodiagnostic examination showed no clear evidence of polyneuropathy. Given his presentation of the typical triad of periodic weakness, dysmorphic features, and cardiac rhythm abnormalities, genetic testing was pursued revealing a pathogenic mutation of the KCNJ2 gene, indicative of ATS. Subsequent genetic testing of his older biological sister, with identical physical features but without a history of cardiac symptoms or episodic periodic paralysis, revealed the same pathogenic mutation., Conclusions: It is essential to note that ATS can manifest with a wide range of symptoms and some individuals may display only subtle or atypical signs, contributing to this challenging diagnosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

BackgroundAmphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) use has become popular in China. This study explored ATS use status and related risk factors of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among ATS users in Jinghong City, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted by questionnaires from January to July 2021 in border area in Yunnan. Respondent driving sampling and consecutive sampling was carried out among border drug users, and blood samples were tested for HCV antibodies. HCV infection and related risk factors among ATS users were measured. Descriptive, univariate and multivariate analysis were conducted separately by Software SPSS 26.0.ResultsThe ATS users accounted for 85.82% (345/402) among drug users, while anti-HCV antibody prevalence was 6.38% (22/345) among ATS users. The combined use of other types of drugs (OR = 7.29, 95%CI: 1.982–26.81, P = 0.003), injection drug use (OR = 6.823, 95%CI: 1.898–24.525, P = 0.003), average monthly income (OR = 4.825, 95%CI: 1.325–17.566, P = 0.017) might increase the risk of HCV infection among ATS users. ATS users with high school or above had higher HCV infection rates than those with primary school or below (OR = 5.718, 95%CI: 1.172–27.908, P = 0.031).ConclusionTaken together, among drug users using ATS in Jinghong City, Xishuangbanna Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, combined use of multiple drugs and intravenous drug use was the high risk factor for HCV infection. Therefore, corresponding education and intervention measures should be taken.

This paper aims to design a variable parameters synthetic X¯$\bar{X}$ control chart for first‐order AR(1) autocorrelated data following a Gaussian process. To improve the statistical performance in detecting small changes and maintaining a low false alarm rate, the variable parameters X¯$\bar{X}$ control chart was combined with the Conforming Run Length (CRL) sub‐chart to determine when to implement tight or relaxed control and intervene to identify an assignable cause. The statistical design of the proposed chart was performed under a discrete‐time Markov chain approach and a non‐linear programming mathematical model to obtain, using a genetic algorithm (GA), the values of the design parameters that minimise the average time to signal the out‐of‐control state (ATS1$\text{ATS}_{1}$). A sensitivity analysis was performed to examine the behaviour of the ATS1$\text{ATS}_{1}$ in the face on changes in the parameters. Also, a performance evaluation was conducted to compare the proposed chart with other adaptive synthetic charts, the synthetic X¯$\bar{X}$ control chart and the chart developed by Costa and Machado. Our results indicate that this proposal is faster to detect small changes in the process mean considering the autocorrelation of the data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the transition between renewable energy sources and PLN sources at PT LBN is done manually by conducting scheduled monitoring. However, this method is less efficient and depends on the readiness of the operator. Therefore, in this Final Project, the design and construction of an Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) on a renewable energy hybrid grid system at PT LBN is carried out where the source switching is based on the battery voltage value so as to shorten the source switching time while protecting the battery from undervoltage conditions. The main components used in the construction of this ATS system are contactors, relays, relay control circuits, ESP32, LCD 1604, and voltage divider circuits. The result of this final project is an ATS system that has a voltage sensor error of 0 - 1.187%. The monitoring of the ATS system was also successfully accessed from near and remotely in real time. The ATS that was built has a faster source switching time than the manual method, which is 21.6 ms - 40.1 ms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) have become the most used drugs in China, and increasing evidence indicates that ATS can induce a series of cognitive deficits, including impacts to functional connectivity (FC). This study investigates FC defects among ATS patients in China, and examines the mechanism and effects of a 10-day abbreviated mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) program with electroencephalography (EEG). Methods: First, resting-state EEG of 12 healthy non-ATS users and 40 male ATS patients were recorded by using a 64-channel EEG. Then, ATS users were randomly divided into two groups; the control group (n = 20) received treatment as usual, while the intervention group (n = 20) received the MBRP treatment. Resting-state EEG, mindful attention awareness, and self-reported craving, as well as anxiety and depression levels, were tested before and after the intervention. The weighted phase lag index was computed to reflect brain FC. Results: Compared with healthy controls, ATS patients showed lower mean FC at the gamma and high gamma bands during the eye-open state. Besides, the lower EEG pairwise FC in the theta, alpha, beta, low gamma, and high gamma bands were also identified. After MBRP, the intervention group revealed increased FC in the low gamma band during the eye-open state, and significantly higher levels of mindful attention awareness when compared with those of the control group (F = 12.926, p = 0.001). Conclusions: FC is disrupted in people with ATS use disorders, and MBRP can help treat this deficit, specifically regarding low gamma bands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first case of a patient with periodic paralysis of muscles accompanied by ventricular arrhythmias was described in 1963 by Klein and colleagues[1]. In 1971, the team led by E.D. Andersen published a paper on the familial coexistence of neurological disorders and arrhythmias accompanied by dysmorphic features, suggesting a new, unclassified disease syndrome [2]. Another report, this time by the Tawil team, analized 10 cases described up to the time and 4 new diagosed by him, giving the genetic basis for understanding the mechanisms of the disease inheritance [3]. In 2003, the syndrome described by Tawilla was named after Andersen and Tawill (Andersen Tawil Syndrome - ATS).ATS (syn. long QTc syndrome, type 7, LQTS 7,) is a rare genetic disorder inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. So far around 200 diagnoses of ATS have been made in the world. Mutations in the KCNJ2 gene located on the long arm of chromosome 17, encoding the Kir 2.1 protein, are responsible for the disease subtype 1, which accounts for 60% of the described cases. This protein is a component of the potassium ion channel, and its abnormal structure and function is the cause of repolarization disorders in the cells of the heart and skeletal muscles. However, in 6-20% of patients from families with confirmed presence of KCNJ2 mutations, no clinical symptoms of the syndrome were reported. It proves its differentiated penetration, and the genetic mechanism in the remaining patients remains unknown.Despite the fact that patients with ATS are a very heterogeneous group in terms of the observed symptoms, this syndrome has a classic triad:changes in the ECG trace of the T wave and the presence of the U wave (extended duration of the descending arm of the T wave, a characteristic wide U wave and a wide combination of T and U waves - these features distinguish ATS from other long QTc syndromes) and arrhythmias in the form of single multifocal premature ventricular beats, polymorphic, bidirectional ventricular tachycardia, which may be asymptomatic or, more often, cause palpitations. Less common manifestations of arrhythmias are fainting, cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death[4].2. periodic muscle strenght impairment (periodic paralysis) occurring most often after a prolonged period of rest or during rest after intense exercise, accompanied by a decrease in the concentration of potassium in the blood serum; in some cases, there is a constant, albeit slight, weakening of muscle strength3. typical malformations (dysmorphia), most often including short stature, hypertelorism, small mandible, low-set auricles and abnormalities of curvature within the spine.In patients with an unconfirmed genetic mutation, the diagnosis of ATS requires at least two of the above-mentioned symptoms. However, in some genetically confirmed cases their expression may be very low[5]Due to the described dysfunctions in the cognitive sphere, mainly in the field of reading skills and mathematical skills, patients should also be covered by psychological care, and due to behavioral changes, in some cases also psychiatric.

This paper investigates the potential regulatory frameworks applicable to marine bioprospecting in the Southern Ocean and considers the activity could potentially fall under the purview of both the Antarctic Treaty System and the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement. Through a comparative analysis, this paper discerns the overlap of application and divergence in rules between the two regulatory frameworks, particularly concerning the specific provisions for regulating marine bioprospecting. This includes dissecting differences in the rules regulating the procedures for access to marine genetic resources and the associated benefit-sharing mechanisms. By synthesizing the SWOT analysis and strategic analysis, this paper identifies the internal and external factors influencing the application of the BBNJ Agreement to bioprospecting regulation within the Southern Ocean. It concludes that, due to the priority application of ATS and the region's unique geopolitical context, the BBNJ Agreement may encounter challenges in the direct implementation and governance of marine bioprospecting. The principle of not undermining should be observed to harmonize application with ATS. Meanwhile, the BBNJ Agreement may contribute to a self-revolution of the ATS in regulating marine bioprospecting, particularly in the aspect of mechanisms for equitable benefit-sharing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study a non-Hermitian electronic dimers system based on an imaginary resistor (Z) in a (N + 2) level atomic multipod configuration. Non-Hermitian systems depend on a gain/loss parameter and are specifically marked by a degeneracy exhibited at an exceptional point separating different phases of complex modes dynamics. Interestingly, the structural characterization and the dispersive properties reveal a broad range of strong coupling where the interplay between the control and the probe field induce a simultaneous EIT, EIA and ATS. Here, by identifying the underlying physical mechanisms, we show that multiple windows of transparency can be strongly enhanced by the incorporation of several dimers in the multipod network. On the other hand, if the pumping field is resonant in the weak regime, multiple EIT and EIA windows result in the number of dimers. Remarkably, the proposed system embedded a multiple coupling mechanism whose modulation induces a couplingless point (CPLP) whereby the energy cross. At this point EIT and related phenomena vanish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In considering the problem of saving spaces during the transportation of items from one station to another, for example, in warehouses, factories, hospitals, etc., an automatic transportation system (ATS) that could take advantage of the above ceiling spaces for the transportation of products is considered. Such a system guarantees that the activities occurring in the floor area will be maintained as usual. To achieve this requirement, the ceiling spaces of a building are used to construct an automatic multi-station multi-container (MSMC) transportation system. This system can transport items from one place to another in the whole system. This system is designed to utilize the spaces above the ceiling, and it has the advantage of saving floor space for transportation operations. This will increase the operational capability of the industries and also improve the productivity of the industry in which this system is implemented. The entire transportation system includes (1) the essential conveying system (which is a functional conveyor module with a specified number of containers); (2) the control block that can monitor and operate the system; and (3) the sensor block for detecting and identifying the containers. The content of this article focuses on the introduction of the mechanical system (1); the control system (2); and the operating principle of the whole system (3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Railway Signalling & Communication Engineering is the property of Railway Signalling & Communication Engineering and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)