P.070 Introducing Stroke Endovascular Thrombectomy Into A Smaller Canadian Site, Is It Safe?

Background: Success of Endovascular Thrombectomy (EVT) requires ultra-fast access to specialized neuro imaging, neurological assessment and an angio suite with interventional radiologists. Prior access was via transport to Vancouver and outcomes were poor, with a high rate of disability or death. This appeared primarily due to long delays. Methods: Quality control process, in parallel to the introduction of a new intervention, EVT, to Vancouver Island, to determine if this intervention could be delivered with reasonable safety and good outcomes. Patients receiving EVT from May, 2016 until Sep, 2019 are included, with 90-day outcomes. Data was collected by stroke nurses. Results: The proportion of patients having a good outcome was comparable to that of the major clinical trial involving Canadian academic centres. The proportion sustaining a poor outcome was comparable to the control group in that trial population (who still received tPA treatment where possible). This was despite a median age 4.5 years greater than in that trial. Conclusions: EVT required coordination of multiple services. Victoria General Hospital performance in terms of speed to treatment was slower than in the published trials. This is a factor in determining outcome and is therefore an important quality improvement target moving forward.

Performance analysis of hybrid Fi-Wi network employing OCDMA based NG-PON

Fiber-Wireless (Fi-Wi) networks play a crucial role in broadband wireless communication. A hybrid Fi-Wi architecture integrating Optical Code Division Multiple Access (OCDMA) based Next-Generation Passive Optical Network (NGPON) with Long Term Evolution (LTE) is proposed that can provide a higher capacity to the mobile end users, thereby achieving scalability and mobility. Maximal length sequence (M-sequence) codes of code length 31 used can support six users. A simulation study is carried out for the proposed integrated architecture considering multiple users and multiple services, and the performance is analyzed in terms of the received Bit Error Rate (BER) and Error Vector Magnitude (EVM) values. A high capacity of 160 Gbps and a spectral efficiency of 2–4 bps/Hz are achieved for the multi-user and multi-service links with six users.

Linking Multiple User Identities of Multiple Services from Massive Mobility Traces

Understanding the linkability of online user identifiers (IDs) is critical to both service providers (for business intelligence) and individual users (for assessing privacy risks). Existing methods are designed to match IDs across two services but face key challenges of matching multiple services in practice, particularly when users have multiple IDs per service. In this article, we propose a novel system to link IDs across multiple services by exploring the spatial-temporal features of user activities, of which the core idea is that the same user's online IDs are more likely to repeatedly appear at the same location. Specifically, we first utilize a contact graph to capture the “co-location” of all IDs across multiple services. Based on this graph, we propose a set-wise matching algorithm to discover candidate ID sets and use Bayesian inference to generate confidence scores for candidate ranking, which is proved to be optimal. We evaluate our system using two real-world ground-truth datasets from an Internet service provider (4 services, 815K IDs) and Twitter-Foursquare (2 services, 770 IDs). Extensive results show that our system significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art algorithms in accuracy (AUC is higher by 0.1–0.2), and it is highly robust against data quality, matching order, and number of services.

Machine Learning and LPWAN Based Internet of Things Applications in Healthcare Sector during COVID-19 Pandemic

Low power wide area networks (LPWAN) are comprised of small devices having restricted processing resources and limited energy budget. These devices are connected with each other using communication protocols. Considering their available resources, these devices can be used in a number of different Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Another interesting paradigm is machine learning, which can also be integrated with LPWAN technology to embed intelligence into these IoT applications. These machine learning-based applications combine intelligence with LPWAN and prove to be a useful tool. One such IoT application is in the medical field, where they can be used to provide multiple services. In the scenario of the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of LPWAN-based medical services has gained particular attention. This article describes various COVID-19-related healthcare services, using the the applications of machine learning and LPWAN in improving the medical domain during the current COVID-19 pandemic. We validate our idea with the help of a case study that describes a way to reduce the spread of any pandemic using LPWAN technology and machine learning. The case study compares k-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) and trust-based algorithms for mitigating the flow of virus spread. The simulation results show the effectiveness of KNN for curtailing the COVID-19 spread.

Specific Learning Disorders in Higher Education: The University of Arizona case study

Over the past decade the growing number of students with Attention and Learning Disorders in universities has been documented all over the world. Difficulties experienced by students during their academic career have led to an increase in the support services offered by Universities to meet their needs. This development has taken place as a result of changing attitudes and instructional practices across many countries. In this paper, we highlight an example from the Unites States where one university provides multiple services to increase optimal outcomes for this specific population.

Custo anual de cuidado ao paciente segundo o tipo de morbidade

Objective: The aim of this study was to know the costs of public health service users in a Brazilian city, according to their chronic morbidities. Methods: Cost method absortion was the methodology adopted to calculate those costs. The costs of each service were cross-referenced with a database of users cared in the same period, including a set of pre-existing health conditions, with no individual identification. Results: The results obtained correspond to the costs of 375,760 individuals who use some service of the municipal health network for a year. Costs ranged from R$ 0.05 to R$ 16,773.82, the lowest were equivalent to the consumption of medicines only and the highest to the use of multiple services. Conclusion: Significant variation was observed in the average costs per individual directly associated with the health problem/condition

Optical Networks: An Overview

We present an overview of optical networks, beginning with a background of today’s telecommunication networks and the roles of optical fibers therein. Next, we describe the chronology of developments in telecommunication networks starting from the days of public-switched telephone network (PSTN) offering ‘plain old telephone service’ as the basic service, followed by the divestiture of Bell Laboratories and subsequent developments of the demonopolized regime of telecommunication networks with multiple services offered to users by the same network providers. Then we describe the salient features of the two generations of optical networks for various network segments, including single-wavelength and WDM-based LANs/MANs, accesses networks, metro and long-haul networks, datacenters, and elastic optical networks. Finally, we discuss briefly the possible network architectures with the evolving optical-networking technologies. (124 words)

Genetic Improvement of Local Cattle Breeds in West Africa: A Review of Breeding Programs

Cattle are one of the most important livestock species in West Africa, providing multiple services to farmers and contributing to national economies. Various breeding strategies have been implemented to enhance their productivity and have improved farmer livelihoods. This review describes cattle breeding experiences across West Africa, spanning the N’Dama breed in Mali, Senegal, and The Gambia to the breeds Azawak Zebu, Fulani Zebu, and taurine Baoulé in Burkina Faso. The main objectives of most breeding programs have been to optimize meat and milk performance of taurine and Zebu cattle as well as trypanotolerance of taurine cattle. In some cases, “closed nucleus” schemes have proven limited and so have evolved into “open nucleus” schemes. Recent community-based breeding programs have shown promise. The major challenges of breeding programs remain defining realistic breeding objectives and securing the involvement of stakeholders. All the strategies reviewed here have been funded externally within development or research projects that are often too short to yield tangible genetic improvement, and whether they will continue beyond those projects is uncertain. This review highlights the need for continuing government support to ensure the sustainability of local cattle breeding programs.