Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Exploring The Impact Of Signal Quality Enhancement On Heart Sound Classification Models, Davoud Shariat Panah, Andrew Hines, Susan Mckeever

Articles

Limited cardiology resources increase the urgency for automated heart disease screening for the general public. Heart sound diagnostic models have been recently employed as a cost-effective solution for the initial screening of heart disease. Noise in heart sound recordings, however, can reduce the performance of such data-driven models. Various quality enhancement approaches have been adopted to alleviate the destructive impact of noise on model performance. One approach is universal noise reduction which applies denoising techniques to recordings, irrespective of their noise level. The second approach is targeted noise reduction, which applies denoising solely to recordings deemed to need it, based …

Renormalized Stress-Energy Tensor For Scalar Fields In Hartle-Hawking, Boulware, And Unruh States In The Reissner-Nordström Spacetime, Julio Arrechea, Cormac Breen, Adrian Ottewill, Peter Taylor

Articles

In this paper, we consider a quantum scalar field propagating on the Reissner-Nordström black hole spacetime. We compute the renormalized stress-energy tensor for the field in the Hartle-Hawking, Boulware and Unruh states. When the field is in the Hartle-Hawking state, we renormalize using the recently developed “extended coordinate” prescription. This method, which relies on Euclidean techniques, is very fast and accurate. Once, we have renormalized in the Hartle-Hawking state, we compute the stress-energy tensor in the Boulware and Unruh states by leveraging the fact that the difference between stress-energy tensors in different quantum states is already finite. We consider a …

Raman Spectroscopic Analysis Of Human Serum Samples Of Convalescing Covid-19 Positive Patients, Hugh Byrne, Naomi Jackson, Jaythoon Hassan

Articles

Rapid screening, detection and monitoring of viral infection is of critical importance, as exemplified by the rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2, leading to the worldwide pandemic of COVID-19. This is equally the case for the stages of patient convalescence as for the initial stages of infection, to understand the medium and long terms effects, as well as the efficacy of therapeutic interventions. Optical spectroscopic techniques potentially offer an alternative to currently employed techniques of screening for the presence, or the response to infection. In this study, the ability of Raman spectroscopy to distinguish between samples of the serum of convalescent COVID-19 …

A Primer On The Legendre Transformation, Steven J. Kilner, David L. Farnsworth

Articles

Guidance is offered for understanding and using the Legendre transformation and its associated duality among functions and curves. The genesis of this paper was encounters with colleagues and students asking about the transformation. A main feature is simplicity of exposition, while keeping in mind the purpose or application for using the transformation.

The Unreasonable Effectiveness Of Large Language Models In Zero-Shot Semantic Annotation Of Legal Texts, Jaromir Savelka, Kevin D. Ashley

Articles

The emergence of ChatGPT has sensitized the general public, including the legal profession, to large language models' (LLMs) potential uses (e.g., document drafting, question answering, and summarization). Although recent studies have shown how well the technology performs in diverse semantic annotation tasks focused on legal texts, an influx of newer, more capable (GPT-4) or cost-effective (GPT-3.5-turbo) models requires another analysis. This paper addresses recent developments in the ability of LLMs to semantically annotate legal texts in zero-shot learning settings. Given the transition to mature generative AI systems, we examine the performance of GPT-4 and GPT-3.5-turbo(-16k), comparing it to the previous …

Probability Distributions Arising In Connection With The Inspection Paradox For Bernoulli Trials., James E. Marengo, Anne Marino Himes, W. Cade Reinberger, David L. Farnsworth

Articles

In renewal theory, the Inspection Paradox refers to the fact that an interarrival period in a renewal process which contains a fixed inspection time tends to be longer than one for the corresponding uninspected process. We focus on the paradox for Bernoulli trials. Probability distributions and moments for the lengths of the interarrival periods are derived for the inspected process, and we compare them to those for the uninspected case.

Dynamic Influence Diagram-Based Deep Reinforcement Learning Framework And Application For Decision Support For Operators In Control Rooms, Joseph Mietkiewicz, Ammar N. Abbas, Chidera Winifred Amazu, Anders L. Madsen, Gabriele Baldissone

Articles

In today’s complex industrial environment, operators are often faced with challenging situations that require quick and accurate decision-making. The human-machine interface (HMI) can display too much information, leading to information overload and potentially compromising the operator’s ability to respond effectively. To address this challenge, decision support models are needed to assist operators in identifying and responding to potential safety incidents. In this paper, we present an experiment to evaluate the effectiveness of a recommendation system in addressing the challenge of information overload. The case study focuses on a formaldehyde production simulator and examines the performance of an improved Human-Machine Interface …

A Method For Generating A Non-Manual Feature Model For Sign Language Processing, Robert G. Smith Dr, Markus Hofmann Dr

Articles

While recent approaches to sign language processing have shifted to the domain of Machine Learning (ML), the treatment of Non-Manual Features (NMFs) remains an open question. The principal challenge facing this method is the comparatively small sign language corpora available for training machine learning models. This study produces a statistical model which may be used in future ML, rules-based, and hybrid-learning approaches for sign language processing tasks. In doing so, this research explores the emerging patterns of non-manual articulation concerning grammatical classes in Irish Sign Language (ISL). The experimental method applied here is a novel implementation of an association rules …

Optical Characterisation Of Holographic Diffusers And Bangerter Foils For Treatment Of Amblyopia, Matthew Hellis, Suzanne Martin, Matthew Sheehan, Kevin Murphy

Articles

Amblyopia is a significant issue for children worldwide, and current treatment methods have drawbacks that can hinder treatment effectiveness and/or patient experience. This study proposes a new treatment method using holographic diffusers while also comparing their optical characteristics to a current treatment method (Bangerter foils). Holographic diffusers were developed by optically patterning thin polymer layers on a micron scale. Two compositions of photopolymer (acrylamide and diacetone acrylamide based) are analysed herein. Characterisation shows that holographic diffusers of either composition can achieve a wide range of on-axis intensity reductions, allowing for precise and customisable treatment levels by altering recording exposure time …

The State Of Accessibility In Blackboard: Survey And User Reviews Case Study, Mohamed Wiem Mkaouer, Wajdi Aljedaani, Stephanie Ludi, Mohammed Alkahtani, Marcelo M. Eler, Marouane Kessentini, Ali Ouni

Articles

Context: Nowadays, mobile applications (or apps) have become vital in our daily life, particularly within education. Many institutions increasingly rely on mobile apps to provide access to all their students. However, many education mobile apps remain inaccessible to users with disabilities who need to utilize accessibility features like talkback or screen reader features. Accessibility features have to be considered in mobile apps to foster equity and inclusion in the educational environment allowing to use of such apps without limitations. Gaps in the accessibility to educational systems persist.

Objective: In this paper, we focus on the accessibility of the Blackboard mobile …

Complete Genome Sequences Of Chop, Delrio, And Grandslam, Three Gordonia Phages Isolated From Soil In Central Arkansas, Heidi N. Mathes, Elijah I. Christenson, John H. Crum, Emme M. Edmondson, Kassidy E. Gray, Luke W. Lawson, Lauren E. Lee, Michael P. Lee, Jackson A. Lipscomb, Morgan E. Masengale, Hannah G. Matthews, Charles M. Mcclain 4th, Tuesday N. Melton, Trace H. Morrow, Alexis M. Perry, David R. Rainwater, Grace E. Renois, Maryann F. Rettig, Duncan C. Troup, Allie J. Wilson, Nathan Reyna, Ruth Plymale

Articles

Chop, DelRio, and GrandSlam are phage with a Siphoviridae morphotype isolated from soil in Arkansas using the host Gordonia terrae 3612. All three are temperate, and their genomes share at least 96% nucleotide identity. These phage are assigned to cluster DI based on gene content similarity to other sequenced actinobacteriophage.

Analog Holographic Wavefront Sensor For Defocus And Spherical Aberration Measurement Recorded In A Photopolymer, Emma Branigan, Suzanne Martin, Matthew Sheehan, Kevin Murphy

Articles

An analog holographic wavefront sensor (AHWFS), for measurement of low and high order (defocus and spherical aberration) aberration modes has been developed as volume phase holograms in a photopolymer recording medium. This is the first time that high order aberrations such as spherical aberration can be sensed using a volume hologram in a photosensitive medium. Both defocus and spherical aberration were recorded in a multi-mode version of this AHWFS. Refractive elements were used to generate a maximum and minimum phase delay of each aberration which were multiplexed as a set of volume phase holograms in an acrylamide based-photopolymer layer. The …

Fair4pghd: A Framework For Fair Implementation Over Pghd, Abdullahi Abubakar Kawu, Dympna O'Sullivan, Lucy Hederman, Mirjam Van Reisen

Articles

Patient Generated Health Data (PGHD) are being considered for integration with health facilities, however little is known about how such data can be made machine-actionable in a way that meets FAIR guidelines. This article proposes a 5-stage framework that can be used to achieve this.

Modeling And Fitting Two-Way Tables Containing Outliers, David L. Farnsworth

Articles

A model is proposed for two-way tables of measurement data containing outliers. The two independent variables are categorical and error free. Neither missing values nor replication are present. The model consists of the sum of a customary additive part that can be fit using least squares and a part that is composed of outliers. Recommendations are made for methods for identifying cells containing outliers and for fitting the model. A graph of the observations is used to determine the outliers’ locations. For all cells containing an outlier, replacement values are determined simultaneously using a classical missing-data tool. The result is …

Determining The Proportionality Of Ischemic Stroke Risk Factors To Age, Elizabeth Hunter, John D. Kelleher

Articles

While age is an important risk factor, there are some disadvantages to including it in a stroke risk model: age can dominate the risk score and lead to over-or under-predictions in some age groups. There is evidence to suggest that some of these disadvantages are due to the non-proportionality of other risk factors with age, eg, risk factors contribute differently to stroke risk based on an individual’s age. In this paper, we present a framework to test if risk factors are proportional with age. We then apply the framework to a set of risk factors using Framingham heart study data …

Experimental And Theoretical Evaluation Of A Commercial Luminescent Dye For Pvt Systems, Kenneth Coldrick, James Walshe, Sarah Mccormack, John Doran, George Amarandei

Articles

Combining photovoltaic (PV) and photo-thermal (PT) energy collection strategies in a single system can enhance solar energy conversion efficiencies, leading to increased economic returns and wider adoption of renewable energy sources. This study focuses on incorporating a commercial luminescent organic dye (BASF Lumogen F Red 305) into ethylene glycol to explore its potential for PVT applications. The optical and electrical characteristics of the working fluid were evaluated at different temperatures under direct solar irradiance. Pristine ethylene glycol reduced the maximum PV cell temperature by 10 °C. The inclusion of luminescent dye at various concentrations further reduced the maximum temperature, with …

Collective Relaxation Processes In Nonchiral Nematics, Neelam Yadav, Yuri Panarin, Wanhe Jiang, Georg H. Mehl, Jagdish Vij

Articles

Nematic–nematic transitions in a highly polar nematic compound are studied, in thick cells in which the molecules are aligned parallel to the substrates but perpendicular to the applied electric field, using dielectric spectroscopy in the frequency range 1 Hz to 10 MHz over a wide temperature range. The studied compound displays three nematic phases under cooling from the isotropic phase: ubiquitous nematic N; high polarizability NX; and ferroelectric nematic NF. Two collective processes were observed. The dielectric strength and relaxation frequency of one of the processes P2 showed a dependence on the thickness of the cell. The process P1 is …

Electromechanical Coupling In Collagen Measured Under Increasing Relative Humidity, Arwa Bazaid, Fengyuan Zhang, Qiancheng Zhang, Sabine Neumayer, Denise Denning, Stefan Habelitz, Ana Marina Ferreira, Brian J. Rodriguez

Articles

The functional role of collagen piezoelectricity has been under debate since the discovery of piezoelectricity in bone in 1957. The possibility that piezoelectricity plays a role in bone remodelling has generated interest in the investigation of this effect in relevant physiological conditions; however, there are conflicting reports as to whether collagen is piezoelectric in a humid environment. In macroscale measurements, the piezoelectricity in hydrated tendon has been shown to be insignificant compared to dehydrated tendon, whereas, at the nanoscale, the piezoelectric effect has been observed in both dry and wet bone using piezo response force microscopy (PFM). In this work, …

Label-Free Quantification Of Nanoencapsulated Piperonyl Esters In Cosmetic Hydrogels Using Raman Spectroscopy, Suha Elderderi, Franck Bonnier, Xavier Perse, Hugh Byrne, Florent Yvergnaux, Igor Chourpa, Abdalla A. Elbashir, Emilie Munnier

Articles

Raman spectroscopy is a well-established technique for the molecular characterisation of samples and does not require extensive pre-analytical processing for complex cosmetic products. As an illustration of its potential, this study investigates the quantitative performance of Raman spectroscopy coupled with partial least squares regression (PLSR) for the analysis of Alginate nanoencapsulated Piperonyl Esters (ANC-PE) incorporated into a hydrogel. A total of 96 ANC-PE samples covering a 0.4% w/w–8.3% w/w PE concentration range have been prepared and analysed. Despite the complex formulation of the sample, the spectral features of the PE can be detected and used to quantify the concentrations. Using …

A Lak Of Direction Misalignment Between The Goals Of Learning Analytics And Its Research Scholarship, Benjamin A. Motz, Yoav Bergner, Christopher A. Brooks, Anna Gladden, Geraldine Gray, Charles Lang, Warren Li, Fernando Marmolejo-Ramos, Joshua D. Quick

Articles

Learning analytics defines itself with a focus on data from learners and learning environments, with corresponding goals of understanding and optimizing student learning. In this regard, learning analytics research, ideally, should be characterized by studies that make use of data from learners engaged in education systems, should measure student learning, and should make efforts to intervene and improve these learning environments.

Development And Evaluation Of A Multifrequency Ultrafast Doppler Spectral Analysis (Mfudsa) Algorithm For Wall Shear Stress Measurement: A Simulation And In Vitro Study, Andrew Malone, Sean Cournane, Izabela Naydenova, James F. Meaney, Andrew J. Fagan, Jacinta Browne

Articles

Cardiovascular pathology is the leading cause of death and disability in the Western world, and current diagnostic testing usually evaluates the anatomy of the vessel to determine if the vessel contains blockages and plaques. However, there is a growing school of thought that other measures, such as wall shear stress, provide more useful information for earlier diagnosis and prediction of atherosclerotic related disease compared to pulsed-wave Doppler ultrasound, magnetic resonance angiography, or computed tomography angiography. A novel algorithm for quantifying wall shear stress (WSS) in atherosclerotic plaque using diagnostic ultrasound imaging, called Multifrequency ultrafast Doppler spectral analysis (MFUDSA), is presented. …

Assessment Of The Imerg Early-Run Precipitation Estimates Over South American Country Of Chile, Luciana Das Dores De Jesus Da Silva, Mohammed Mahoud, Lisdelys González-Rodríguez, Safa Mohammed, Lien Rodríguez-López, Mauricio Ivan Aguayo Arias

Articles

Accurate rainfall measurement is a challenge, especially in regions with diverse climates and complex topography. Thus, knowledge of precipitation patterns requires observational networks with a very high spatial and temporal resolution, which is very difficult to construct in remote areas with complex geological features such as desert areas and mountains, particularly in countries with high topographical variability such as Chile. This study evaluated the performance of the near-real-time Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) Early product throughout Chile, a country located in South America between 16°S–66°S latitude. The accuracy of the IMERG Early was assessed at different special and temporal …

Cavitation Erosion And Corrosion Resistance Of Hydrophobic Sol-Gel Coatings On Aluminium Alloy, Manasa Hegde, Joseph Mohan, Muhammad Qasim Mushtaq Warraich, Yvonne Kavanagh, Brendan Duffy, Edmond F. Tobin

Articles

Cavitation erosion and erosion-corrosion are the popular failure modes of hydronautics components namely propellers, valves, turbines etc which occurs due to mechanical destructions and electrochemical corrosion. Erosion corrosion is caused due to surge in the number of solid particles affecting the surfaces whereas cavitation erosion is caused due to steady collapse of cavities or bubbles. Aluminium alloys are widely used in marine renewable industries owing to its high strength, light weight and good corrosion resistance. Despite that, cavitation and erosion-corrosion are the limiting factors for these alloys. The aim of the present work is to produce a coating system capable …

The Biological Responses Of Vitamin K2: A Comprehensive Review, Quanxiang Yan, Tao Zhang, Christine O'Connor, James W. Barlow, John Walsh, Gaia Scalabrino, Feng Xu, Helan Sheridan

Articles

Vitamin K1 (VitK1) and Vitamin K2 (VitK2), two important naturally occurring micronutrients in the VitK family, found, respectively, in green leafy plants and algae (VitK1) and animal and fermented foods (VitK2). The present review explores the multiple biological functions of VitK2 from recently published in vitro and in vivo studies, including promotion of osteogenesis, prevention of calcification, relief of menopausal symptoms, enhancement of mitochondrial energy release, hepato-and neuro-protective effects, and possible use in treatment of coronavirus disease. The mechanisms of action associated with these biological effects are also explored. Overall, the findings presented here suggest that VitK, especially VitK2, is …

Design, Synthesis And Biological Evaluation Of A Novel Bioactive Indane Scaffold 2-(Diphenylmethylene)C-2,3-Dihydro-1h-Inden-1-One With Potential Anticancer Activity, Tao Zhang, Vilmar Bandero, Claire Corcoran, Ismael Obaidi, Manuel Ruether, John O'Brien, Lorraine O'Driscoll, Neil Frankish, Helen Sheridan

Articles

Over the past decades, designing of privileged structures has emerged as a useful approach to the discovery and optimisation of novel biologically active molecules, and many have been successfully exploited across and within different target families. Examples include indole, quinolone, isoquinoline, benzofuran and chromone, etc. In the current study, we focus on synthesising a novel hybrid scaffold constituting naturally occurring benzophenone (14) and indanone (22) ring systems, leading to a general structure of 2-(diphenylmethylene)-2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-one (23). It was hypothesised this new hybrid system would provide enhanced anti-cancer activity owing to the presence of the common features associated with the tubulin binding …

Investigation Of Oleic Acid As A Dispersant For Hydroxyapatite Powders For Use In Ceramic Filled Photo-Curable Resins For Stereolithography, Brendan Kennedy, Eamonn De Barra, Stuart Hampshire, Maura Kelleher

Articles

Stereolithography allows production of porous hydroxyapatite scaffolds for bone regeneration but is limited by the challenging rheology of ceramic filled resins. Oleic acid, a natural fatty acid, was applied in concentrations of 0.0–0.3 wt% to improve the rheological properties of HAp resins for the fabrication of solid cylinders and scaffolds by digital light processing (DLP) printing in a wiperless system. Bonding by chemisorption was confirmed by FTIR analysis. The powders were then incorporated into a photo-curable resin of 1–6 hexanediol diacrylate at 18–30 vol%. The shear viscosity and sedimentation rates of photocurable resins containing HAp powder decreased with increasing concentration …

Feature Papers In Optical Sensors 2022, Vittorio M. N. Passaro, Yuliya Semenova, Benjamin Miller

Articles

Today, optical sensors are the subject of a very significant number of studies and applications. Many well-established technologies, including free-space optics, integrated photonics, and fiber optics approaches, have been developed in recent decades to fabricate and develop increasingly more efficient optical sensors for applications ranging from industrial control to monitoring the environment, biomedical use, and even as part of the Internet of Things.

Enhancing The Thermo-Optic Tuning Performance Of Whispering Gallery Modes In A Microcapillary Resonator Filled With Nematic Liquid Crystals, Zhe Wang, Arun Kumar Mallik, Fangfang Wei, Zhuochen Wang, Anuradha Rout, Qiang Wu, Yuliya Semenova

Articles

We investigated both theoretically and experimentally, the thermo-optic tuning of whispering-gallery modes (WGMs) in a microcapillary resonator filled with nematic liquid-crystal (LC). The tuning of WGMs was realized due to the photo-thermal effect of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) on the surface of a fiber half-taper connected to a pump laser source, resulting in temperature-induced refractive index (RI) changes of the LC material. Based on perturbation theory, we analyzed the influence the RI and the wall thickness on the sensitivity of the proposed tuning scheme. Furthermore, we experimentally demonstrated that increasing the thickness of the MNPs coating on the fiber taper surface …

Evaluation Of The Photon Contributions To The Solar Energy Conversion For Organic Luminescent Down-Shifting Liquid Beam Splitters In Hybrid Photovoltaic-Thermal (Pvt) Applications Using Raytracing Monte Carlo Simulations, Kenneth Coldrick

Articles

A hybrid photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) system combines photovoltaic (PV) and photo-thermal (PT) energy collection into a single structure, enhancing the potential to achieve greater solar energy conversion efficiencies. Such enhanced efficiencies can result in greater economic returns and could promote a larger uptake of PVT devices in cold and temperate climate countries. Through the utilization of a Monte Carlo ray-tracing model, this work provides new insights into the optical, electrical, and thermal characteristics of PVT devices. In particular, the work focuses on evaluating the behaviour of novel luminescent imidazole-phenanthroline-based working fluids that were previously experimentally investigated as liquid spectral beam splitters …

Characterization Of Food Chain Clostridioides Difficile Isolates In Terms Of Ribotype And Antimicrobial Resistance, Pilar Marcos, Aoife Doyle, Paul Whyte, Thomas R. Rogers, Maire Mcelroy, Seamus Fanning, Jesus Maria Frias, Declan Bolton

Articles

The aim of this study was to characterize C. difficile isolates from the farm, abattoir, and retail outlets in Ireland in terms of ribotype and antibiotic resistance (vancomycin, erythromycin, metronidazole, moxifloxacin, clindamycin, and rifampicin) using PCR and E-test methods, respectively. The most common ribotype in all stages of the food chain (including retail foods) was 078 and a variant (RT078/4). Less commonly reported (014/0, 002/1, 049, and 205) and novel (RT530, 547, and 683) ribotypes were also detected, but at lower frequencies. Approximately 72% (26/36 tested) of the isolates tested were resistant to at least one antibiotic, with the majority …