9 research outputs found
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Scalpel versus diathermy skin incision in Caesarean section
No full textWe, the Editors and Publisher of the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, have retracted the following article: Nasser K. AbdElaal, Hamed E. Ellakwa, AllaaEldin F. Elhalaby, AbdElhameed E. Shaheen & Ahmed H. Aish (2019) Scalpel versus diathermy skin incision in Caesarean section, Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 39:3, 340-344, DOI: 10.1080/01443615.2018.1527298 Subsequent to publication, it has been determined that the article contains significant overlap with the following article by the same authors, which was not cited or referenced: AbdElaal Nasser K, Ellakwa Hamed E, Elhalaby AllaaEldin F, Shaheen AbdElhameed E, Aish Ahmed H (2019). Scalpel versus diathermy skin incisions in cesarean sections, Menoufia Medical Journal, 32:2, 453-457. The corresponding author listed in this publication has been informed. The authors have agreed to retract the article. We have been informed in our decision-making by our policy on publishing ethics and integrity and the COPE guidelines on retractions. The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as ‘Retracted’
Role of Gibberellic acid in mitigating the adverse effect of sodium chloride on some grow parameters of fenugreek plant Trigonellafoenum-graecum L. by using Hydroponic Technique
No full textAn experiment was conducted by using the nutrient solution unit in the green house of the Biology Department, College of Education Ibn Al- Haitham/ Baghdad University during the growing season of 2008-2009 by using fenugreek plant under effect of three concentrations 0,50,100 mM. Lˉ¹ of sodium chloride and four concentrations 0,25,50,100ppm of giberellic acid of studied some growth parameters of plant diameter of root, leaf chlorophyll content, number of flower and pud's,sodium and chloride concentrations in shoot The experiment was accomplished as a completely randomized design(CRD) by using three replicates including 36 plastic pots in nutrient solution unit, the results showed the increase in sodium chloride concentration from 0_100Mm.L ̄1 in nutrient solution negative effects in mentioned parameters growth above. Results also that giberellic acid showed role in decreasing the harmful effects of sodium chloride in studied parameters
An Efficient MCD-OSVM Model for Outlier Detection in IoT-Based Smart Energy Management Systems
No full textAs Information, Communication, and Sensor Technologies (ICST) continue to evolve, data-driven innovations like the Internet of Things (IoT) and Smart Technologies, including Smart Energy Management Systems (SEMS), have become increasingly prevalent worldwide. Ensuring data quality is crucial for the effective implementation of IoT-based SEMS, as poor data management in these critical systems can significantly impact the quality of life for millions and potentially lead to severe disruptions and damage at a national level. In this research, an efficient One-class Support Vector Machine (OSVM) model is developed by deploying the Minimum Covariance Determinant (MCD) model at the data pre-processing phase to clean the training data This allow a better trained OSVM model that can be used for the outlier detection. The comparison between the efficient MCD-OSVM model and the base OSVM model, both based on the same original model, highlights a key difference in the training phase: the proposed model was trained with cleaned data using the MCD method, while the base OSVM model used the original, uncleaned data. Cleaning the dataset with an efficient method such as MCD improves the accuracy of OSVM model, an increase of 13.21% in average accuracy, while only increase the operation time 9.5 seconds, although the overall operation time can be further reduced as it is also found a cleaner training dataset will indirectly improve the execution time of OSVM models by allowing it to run on a lower NU parameter value.© 2024 The author(s). This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed
Depth linear discrimination-oriented feature selection method based on adaptive sine cosine algorithm for software defect prediction
No full textSoftware Defect Prediction (SDP) plays a vital role in the software development life cycle as it helps identify and fix software defects. However, predicting software defects with irrelevant features and overlapping classes is challenging and can lead to lengthy training and low model accuracy. To address these challenges, this research introduces a novel Depth Linear Discrimination-Oriented Feature Selection Method based on Adaptive Sine Cosine Algorithm, named Depth Adaptive Sine Cosine Feature Selection (DASC-FS). DASC-FS integrates the Adaptive Sine Cosine Algorithm (ASCA) as a search algorithm to determine the relevant features and adopts Depth Linear Discriminant Analysis (D-LDA) to identify the discriminative features that maximize class separation. The paper proposes ASCA which is a metaheuristic algorithm meticulously designed to enhance the search capabilities of the standard Sine Cosine Algorithm (SCA). Combining the simplicity of the SCA with the efficiency of multiple mutation operators inspired by Genetic Algorithms (GA), ASCA enhances the diversity of the solutions and imparts remarkable adaptability to various situations. Furthermore, this study introduces a novel linear discriminant method, called Depth Linear Discriminant Analysis (D-LDA) to enhance the robustness of the original LDA. D-LDA systematically integrates the matrix depth concept into LDA, offering a systematic approach to address the challenges associated with scatter matrix estimation. As matrix depth measures how central or deep a particular matrix is within a distribution with respect to different directions, it is an efficient tool for computing a robust scatter matrix estimator that can handle outliers and complex data structures. The experimental results showed that DASC-FS consistently obtains the highest accuracy compared to most existing methods by integrating ASCA and D-LDA, thereby considering both accuracy optimization and class separation. The results also show that the use of multiple mutation operators in ASCA improves the search process capabilities. The results also show that the capacity of D-LDA to reduce data dimensionality and increase class separation yields highly competitive results compared to other LDAs. Finally, features related to code size and complexity have emerged as key factors for SDP because they consistently rank as important features across different classifiers and datasets. DASC-FS offers a valuable solution in domain knowledge for enhancing predictive accuracy and understanding factors contributing to software defects through enhanced search capabilities, robust scatter matrix estimation, and the ability to reduce data dimensionality.© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed
Metodología para el análisis del comportamiento y el desempeño de los estudiantes en un curso en línea
No full textAlthough many researchers have studied student performance prediction in online courses, they have primarily focused on courses with a linear structure, where students complete lessons and assessments sequentially. However, non-linear courses allow students to take lessons and assessments in any order, making performance prediction more challenging due to varying cumulative assessment percentages among students at any given time. This master's thesis aims to develop a data-driven method for early student performance prediction in non-linear courses.
We created a feature extractor and evaluated three types of features: engagement, behavior, and performance. The data comes from Moodle courses designed to prepare high school students for a public university entrance exam. Our method achieved early predictions at 20% of cumulative weight assessment with an F1-score of 0.73 for binary classification and an R² of 0.40 for regression. We also conducted a feature importance analysis, showing that performance and behavior features are the most significant predictors, with engagement features, such as time spent on educational resources, also contributing significantly.
In addition to predicting student performance, we performed a clustering analysis and identified four patterns that consistently appear across various cumulative weight assessments. These patterns significantly impact performance and can help educators provide better feedback and more personalized attention to students' needs.Aunque muchos investigadores han estudiado la predicción del rendimiento de los estudiantes en cursos en línea, se han centrado principalmente en cursos con una estructura lineal, en los que los estudiantes completan las lecciones y las evaluaciones de forma secuencial. Sin embargo, los cursos no lineales permiten a los estudiantes realizar las lecciones y evaluaciones en cualquier orden, lo que hace que la predicción del rendimiento sea más difícil debido a la variación de los porcentajes de evaluación acumulada entre los estudiantes en un momento dado. Esta tesis de máster tiene como objetivo desarrollar un método basado en datos para la predicción temprana del rendimiento de los estudiantes en cursos no lineales.
Creamos un extractor de características y evaluamos tres tipos de características: compromiso, comportamiento y rendimiento. Los datos proceden de cursos de Moodle diseñados para preparar a estudiantes de secundaria para un examen de acceso a una universidad pública. Nuestro método logró predicciones tempranas al 20% de la evaluación del peso acumulado con una puntuación F1 de 0.73 para la clasificación binaria y un R² de 0.40 para la regresión. También llevamos a cabo un análisis de la importancia de las características, mostrando que las características de rendimiento y comportamiento son los predictores más significativos, con características de compromiso, como el tiempo dedicado a los recursos educativos, que también contribuyen significativamente.
Además de predecir el rendimiento de los alumnos, realizamos un análisis de agrupación e identificamos cuatro patrones que aparecen de forma consistente en varias evaluaciones de peso acumulativo. Estos patrones influyen significativamente en el rendimiento y pueden ayudar a los educadores a proporcionar mejores comentarios y una atención más personalizada a los estudiantes.ModelamientoCOL0044448MaestríaMagíster en Ingeniería de Telecomunicacione
The global Information technology report 2015: ICTs for inclusive growth
No full textInformation and communication technologies (ICTs) are transforming our economies and societies. Since 2001, The Global Information and Technology Report series and the Networked Readiness Index (NRI) have been taking the pulse of the ICT revolution worldwide.
The NRI identifies the capacity of countries to leveraging ICT, by assessing the overall political and business environment, the level of ICT readiness and usage of ICT among the population, businesses and government, as well as the overall impacts of ICTs on the economy and society at large.
The 2015 results, which covers 143 economies, confirms the dominance of advanced economies and the persistence of the multiple-faceted digital divides not only across but also within economies. They reveal the pervasive digital poverty that deprives the neediest from the opportunities offered by ICTs.
Beyond this diagnosis, under the theme “ICTs for Inclusive Growth”, the 2015 edition of the report provides solutions from leading experts and practitioners to alleviate digital poverty and make the ICT revolution a global reality. 
Controversy and Consensus on the Management of Elevated Sperm DNA Fragmentation in Male Infertility: A Global Survey, Current Guidelines, and Expert Recommendations
No full textPurpose: Sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) has been associated with male infertility and poor outcomes of assisted reproductive technology (ART). The purpose of this study was to investigate global practices related to the management of elevated SDF in infertile men, summarize the relevant professional society recommendations, and provide expert recommendations for managing this condition. Materials and Methods: An online global survey on clinical practices related to SDF was disseminated to reproductive clinicians, according to the CHERRIES checklist criteria. Management protocols for various conditions associated with SDF were captured and compared to the relevant recommendations in professional society guidelines and the appropriate available evidence. Expert recommendations and consensus on the management of infertile men with elevated SDF were then formulated and adapted using the Delphi method Results: A total of 436 experts from 55 different countries submitted responses. As an initial approach, 79.1% of reproductive experts recommend lifestyle modifications for infertile men with elevated SDF, and 76.9% prescribe empiric antioxidants. Regarding antioxidant duration, 39.3% recommend 4-6 months and 38.1% recommend 3 months. For men with unexplained or idiopathic infertility, and couples experiencing recurrent miscarriages associated with elevated SDF, most respondents refer to ART 6 months after failure of conservative and empiric medical management. Infertile men with clinical varicocele, normal conventional semen parameters, and elevated SDF are offered varicocele repair immediately after diagnosis by 31.4%, and after failure of antioxidants and conservative measures by 40.9%. Sperm selection techniques and testicular sperm extraction are also management options for couples undergoing ART. For most questions, heterogenous practices were demonstrated. Conclusions: This paper presents the results of a large global survey on the management of infertile men with elevated SDF and reveals a lack of consensus among clinicians. Furthermore, it demonstrates the scarcity of professional society guidelines in this regard and attempts to highlight the relevant evidence. Expert recommendations are proposed to help guide clinicians. © The Author(s), 2023
Burden of disease scenarios for 204 countries and territories, 2022–2050: a forecasting analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021
No full textBackground: Future trends in disease burden and drivers of health are of great interest to policy makers and the public at large. This information can be used for policy and long-term health investment, planning, and prioritisation. We have expanded and improved upon previous forecasts produced as part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) and provide a reference forecast (the most likely future), and alternative scenarios assessing disease burden trajectories if selected sets of risk factors were eliminated from current levels by 2050. Methods: Using forecasts of major drivers of health such as the Socio-demographic Index (SDI; a composite measure of lag-distributed income per capita, mean years of education, and total fertility under 25 years of age) and the full set of risk factor exposures captured by GBD, we provide cause-specific forecasts of mortality, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) by age and sex from 2022 to 2050 for 204 countries and territories, 21 GBD regions, seven super-regions, and the world. All analyses were done at the cause-specific level so that only risk factors deemed causal by the GBD comparative risk assessment influenced future trajectories of mortality for each disease. Cause-specific mortality was modelled using mixed-effects models with SDI and time as the main covariates, and the combined impact of causal risk factors as an offset in the model. At the all-cause mortality level, we captured unexplained variation by modelling residuals with an autoregressive integrated moving average model with drift attenuation. These all-cause forecasts constrained the cause-specific forecasts at successively deeper levels of the GBD cause hierarchy using cascading mortality models, thus ensuring a robust estimate of cause-specific mortality. For non-fatal measures (eg, low back pain), incidence and prevalence were forecasted from mixed-effects models with SDI as the main covariate, and YLDs were computed from the resulting prevalence forecasts and average disability weights from GBD. Alternative future scenarios were constructed by replacing appropriate reference trajectories for risk factors with hypothetical trajectories of gradual elimination of risk factor exposure from current levels to 2050. The scenarios were constructed from various sets of risk factors: environmental risks (Safer Environment scenario), risks associated with communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases (CMNNs; Improved Childhood Nutrition and Vaccination scenario), risks associated with major non-communicable diseases (NCDs; Improved Behavioural and Metabolic Risks scenario), and the combined effects of these three scenarios. Using the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways climate scenarios SSP2-4.5 as reference and SSP1-1.9 as an optimistic alternative in the Safer Environment scenario, we accounted for climate change impact on health by using the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change temperature forecasts and published trajectories of ambient air pollution for the same two scenarios. Life expectancy and healthy life expectancy were computed using standard methods. The forecasting framework includes computing the age-sex-specific future population for each location and separately for each scenario. 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) for each individual future estimate were derived from the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles of distributions generated from propagating 500 draws through the multistage computational pipeline. Findings: In the reference scenario forecast, global and super-regional life expectancy increased from 2022 to 2050, but improvement was at a slower pace than in the three decades preceding the COVID-19 pandemic (beginning in 2020). Gains in future life expectancy were forecasted to be greatest in super-regions with comparatively low life expectancies (such as sub-Saharan Africa) compared with super-regions with higher life expectancies (such as the high-income super-region), leading to a trend towards convergence in life expectancy across locations between now and 2050. At the super-region level, forecasted healthy life expectancy patterns were similar to those of life expectancies. Forecasts for the reference scenario found that health will improve in the coming decades, with all-cause age-standardised DALY rates decreasing in every GBD super-region. The total DALY burden measured in counts, however, will increase in every super-region, largely a function of population ageing and growth. We also forecasted that both DALY counts and age-standardised DALY rates will continue to shift from CMNNs to NCDs, with the most pronounced shifts occurring in sub-Saharan Africa (60·1% [95% UI 56·8–63·1] of DALYs were from CMNNs in 2022 compared with 35·8% [31·0–45·0] in 2050) and south Asia (31·7% [29·2–34·1] to 15·5% [13·7–17·5]). This shift is reflected in the leading global causes of DALYs, with the top four causes in 2050 being ischaemic heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, compared with 2022, with ischaemic heart disease, neonatal disorders, stroke, and lower respiratory infections at the top. The global proportion of DALYs due to YLDs likewise increased from 33·8% (27·4–40·3) to 41·1% (33·9–48·1) from 2022 to 2050, demonstrating an important shift in overall disease burden towards morbidity and away from premature death. The largest shift of this kind was forecasted for sub-Saharan Africa, from 20·1% (15·6–25·3) of DALYs due to YLDs in 2022 to 35·6% (26·5–43·0) in 2050. In the assessment of alternative future scenarios, the combined effects of the scenarios (Safer Environment, Improved Childhood Nutrition and Vaccination, and Improved Behavioural and Metabolic Risks scenarios) demonstrated an important decrease in the global burden of DALYs in 2050 of 15·4% (13·5–17·5) compared with the reference scenario, with decreases across super-regions ranging from 10·4% (9·7–11·3) in the high-income super-region to 23·9% (20·7–27·3) in north Africa and the Middle East. The Safer Environment scenario had its largest decrease in sub-Saharan Africa (5·2% [3·5–6·8]), the Improved Behavioural and Metabolic Risks scenario in north Africa and the Middle East (23·2% [20·2–26·5]), and the Improved Nutrition and Vaccination scenario in sub-Saharan Africa (2·0% [–0·6 to 3·6]). Interpretation: Globally, life expectancy and age-standardised disease burden were forecasted to improve between 2022 and 2050, with the majority of the burden continuing to shift from CMNNs to NCDs. That said, continued progress on reducing the CMNN disease burden will be dependent on maintaining investment in and policy emphasis on CMNN disease prevention and treatment. Mostly due to growth and ageing of populations, the number of deaths and DALYs due to all causes combined will generally increase. By constructing alternative future scenarios wherein certain risk exposures are eliminated by 2050, we have shown that opportunities exist to substantially improve health outcomes in the future through concerted efforts to prevent exposure to well established risk factors and to expand access to key health interventions. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 licens
Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study
No full textBackground: Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods: We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung's disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings: We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung's disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middle-income countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in low-income countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation: Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030. Funding: Wellcome Trust
