6501 research outputs found
Sort by
Hierarchical Quantized Autoencoders: Using Hierarchical Models for Data Compression Across Multiple Domains
Get PDFIn the era of vast data processing and transmission, sending data over a channel for downstream operations is a very common occurrence. The bandwidth of this data channel acts as a limiting factor in this operation, capping the amount of data that can be sent over a time period. Therefore, in addition to pursuing advancements in networking technology, there exists a need for more efficient means of data compression. Learned compression is the application of machine learning models to the data compression problem, and in this study, we leverage the ability of neural networks to learn the underlying structure of the training data to perform more informed compression, achieving a greater compression ratio than algorithmic data compression. Specifically, we analyze the efficacy of a model known as the Hierarchical Quantized Autoencoder (HQA) for lossy data compression across various datasets. This model adds a novel hierarchical architecture to the quantized auto encoder, the current standard for learned data compression, which not only allows for a higher compression ratio but adds flexibility to the model as the desired compression ratio can be set at inference time. We evaluate the performance of this model across different image datasets and propose a new model of the same structure as HQA but with a modified encoder, decoder and loss function suited to compress radio frequency (RF) data. We find that using these models, we can achieve a high compression ratio with minimal sacrifice to the performance of the downstream task
A Brief Overview of Food Insecurity in Southern New Jersey
Get PDFAtlantic County, located off the Jersey Shore, faces the highest level of food insecurity in New Jersey, with a rate of 11.2% as of 2021, surpassing the state\u27s overall rate of 8.8%. This situation contributes to health issues such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease.
The objective of this research is to understand and address the persistence of food insecurity in Atlantic County. Community stakeholders and local physicians were interviewed to identify barriers and disparities contributing to food insecurity.
Methods included a literature review using keywords like food insecurity and southern New Jersey . Proposed interventions suggest collaboration with health centers for screenings and the creation of informational handouts on SNAP benefits and local resources. Efforts should made to ensure sustainability by training volunteers from the undergraduate campus.
These efforts highlight the impact of food insecurity on health and the importance of collaboration with existing community efforts for lasting change
A Hiccup in the Road: OMM in the Medically Complex
Get PDFMany patients in the hospital require multiple medications to treat their medical concerns. While medications may be highly effective, they can cause a variety of side effects. Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) can be used as an adjuvant therapy, potentially decreasing the number of medications that patients are on and their side effects. We present a unique case of a patient with intractable hiccups who could not be solely managed with medications alone. OMM was used in this patient’s treatment plan, reducing the number of medications. The implications of this case demonstrate the need for OMM to be used more frequently in our medically complex patients
A Literature Review of Pain Control in Osteoarthritis Patients Using Blood Flow Restriction Training
Get PDFBackground: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease that mainly affects articular cartilage of joints. OA most commonly affects the knees and causes pain and reduces quality of life in older adults. Blood flow restriction (BFR) occludes arterial and venous flow during exercise using a blood pressure cuff placed on the proximal lower limb. This creates an intramuscular hypoxic environment which promotes muscle hypertrophy. High load training can cause pain and inflammation in knee OA patients due to increased stress. BFR can allow patients with knee OA to use lower loads to achieve beneficial effects of rehabilitation.
Methods: Data was ascertained from PubMed and Google Scholar databases including peer review studies pertaining to patients with knee OA undergoing BFR training for rehabilitation. Only studies written in English were included, studies without full text or were not peer reviewed were excluded.
Results: Studies reported low load and BFR therapy improve pain and physical function, as well as increased quadricep muscle strength, cross-sectional area, and volume.
Discussion: BFR training reduces pain in OA patients comparable to low intensity training. Additionally, BFR increases in physical function and muscle strength comparable to high intensity training.
Conclusions: These findings suggest BFR can be used as an alternate treatment modality to high intensity training to reduce pain and improve the quality of life in OA patients. Future research should aim to create an individualized approach to BFR training and evaluate the risk of BFR as few studies have investigated
Case Report: A Case of TTP in the ED
Get PDFWe report a case of a 54-year-old female who presented with mild shortness of breath, lower chest discomfort, fatigue, and weakness ongoing for several days and was diagnosed with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). TTP is characterized by microangiopathic hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia due to either an inherited or immune-mediated reduction in von Willebrand Factor (VWF) cleaving protease ADAMTS13.
Patients presenting with non-specific symptoms is becoming increasingly common and initial bias could be to attribute symptoms to viral syndrome or upper respiratory tract infection. However, the differential for non-specific complaints is extensive and thorough review of labs and re-evaluations of patients is important for discovering other potentially medically emergent causes of symptoms including TTP
Clinical Outcomes for VA-ECMO Patients Associated with Hyperlipidemia: An Analysis of the National Inpatient Sample
Get PDFIntroduction: Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) is considered the most advanced temporary life support which provides complete hemodynamic support in addition to gas exchange. There is limited data available on the impact of hyperlipidemia (HLD) on VA-ECMO patients. We sought to examine the national inpatient sample (NIS) database to describe in-hospital outcomes among these patients.
Methods: The NIS was searched for hospitalizations of adult VA-ECMO patients with and without a concomitant diagnosis of HLD for the years 2019 and 2020. The primary outcome was inpatient mortality.
Results:This study included 3,885 VA-ECMO patients, of which 1,082 (27.8%) patients had HLD. VA-ECMO patients with HLD had higher prevalence of hypertension (57.3% vs. 71.4%, p
Conclusion: In this nationally representative population‐based retrospective cohort study, HLD was associated with higher mortality and worse outcomes among VA-ECMO patients
Fregoli Case Report
Get PDFFregoli Syndrome is a rare delusional disorder in the psychotic spectrum named after Italian actor Leopoldo Fregoli. Existing reports focus on clinical aspects and standard treatments, leaving gaps in understanding complexity and tailored interventions. This case report contributes comprehensive analysis of a young adult male with Fregoli syndrome and emphasizes interplay of psychopathology, neurocognition, and psychosocial factors. This report highlights a holistic approach, including differential diagnosis and psychosocial dynamics and aims to improve diagnostic considerations and personalized treatment strategies for better patient outcomes
Gut Microbiome and Nutrition Interplay in Regulating and Improving Autism Spectrum Disorder Related Social Symptoms
Get PDFThe composition of the gut microbiome has been shown to play a role in the onset of neurological disorders, including Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD). A small variety of recent research articles identify a possible link between onset and severity of ASD related behaviors and the composition of the gut microbiome. The purpose of this review is to identify gaps in the current understanding of the role that nutrition plays in changing the gut microbiome and subsequently altering the onset and severity of behavioral phenotypes in children with ASD. Inclusion criteria comprises peer-reviewed publications relating to children with autism. Exclusion criteria consists of publications that do not have full text available, are irrelevant, or in a foreign language or out of the scope of the current review. Search began on PubMed with the string of “gut microbiome children autism” and ended with “diet changes gut microbiome children with autism” on Embase yielding 26 results. We identified the impact of nutrition in the gut microbiota as early as in utero and how these correlated to the severity of symptoms in ASD patients. Dietary modifications, probiotics supplementation, and microbial-based therapies demonstrated improvements in behavioral outcomes and metabolic profiles in individuals with ASD. Recommendations include investigation of which patient population each treatment is most effective for, increasing sample size, and standardizing diagnostic criteria for behavior across studies
Gut Microbiota Changes After Cholecystectomy: Unraveling the Microbial Mysteries - A Systematic Review
Get PDFAims: This review aims to expand upon previous research examining change in gastrointestinal microbiota before and after cholecystectomy.
Methods: A systematic review, combined with a pooled analysis, was conducted to assess gut microbiota dysbiosis post-cholecystectomy, utilizing 71 articles retrieved from 3 databases, with 13 undergoing full-text appraisal. The publication dates ranged from 2018 to 2023.
Results: Results suggested a greater degree of microbiota alteration in symptomatic post-cholecystectomy patients, characterized by a decrease in the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, Bifidobacterium and Lactococcus, alongside increased levels of harmful microbiota such as Prevotella, Sutterella, Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Blautia obeum, and Veillonella species. Interestingly, an increase in Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes was observed in two different studies.
Conclusion: the research consistently shows dysbiosis in gut microbiota following cholecystectomy with potential implications for gastrointestinal and overall health. These findings emphasize the need for future research in maintaining a balanced gut microbiota when managing post-cholecystectomy patients with dysbiosis
Health Disparities among Adults with Disabilities
Get PDFBackground: According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 27% of adults in the United States (US) live with a disability. These disabilities are often accompanied by poorer health outcomes with adults with disabilities reporting higher rates of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. This review aims to characterize rates of disability among young adults in Camden County, New Jersey.
Methods: Data was collected from the CDC and United States Census and analyzed using Microsoft Excel 365.
Results: In 2022, 9.7% of residents of Camden County aged 18-34 were reported as disabled while the rate was 8.3% of US residents nationwide. The rate of disability among young adults in Camden Country was similar to that of the United States, z = 16.8, p = 2.0. The CDC reports that adults with disabilities experience greater disparities in health outcomes than the general population.
Discussion: Adults with disabilities face challenges to health and wellness at rates disproportionate to the general population. The risk of these poor health outcomes can be ameliorated with small amounts of exercise. However, adults with disabilities can face barriers to physical activity not experienced by the general population. Partnership among state and local resources is the first step in addressing these barriers