Coherent optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (CO-OFDM) systems suffer from the high peak-to-average ratio (PAPR) of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signals, which ...leads to the back-off of laser power and fiber nonlinear effects, thereby deteriorating the bit error rate (BER) performance and limiting the transmission distance. Iterative clipping and filtering (ICF) scheme, as a direct, simple and effective PAPR reduction scheme that only processes signals at the transmitter, but requires multiple fast Fourier transform (FFT)/inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT), resulting in high computational complexity. We propose a novel scheme using the machine learning (ML) technique, which is based on nonlinear real-valued support vector regression (NRSVR) and trained on ICF scheme. The simulation results show that compared with ICF scheme, the proposed scheme has a similar PAPR0 for 10−4 complementary cumulative distribution function (CCDF), an additional 15 km of single mode fiber (SMF) transmission for 16 dB optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) and 10−3BER, and a significant time complexity reduction. Compared with other ML-based schemes, the proposed scheme also achieves better performance and lower computational complexity.
•A novel peak to average power ratio reduction scheme is proposed.•The support vector regression is trained on clipping and filtering scheme.•The complexity of proposed scheme is significantly reduced.
Background: Disability among the geriatric population is a major health issue. Assessment of disability among the elderly population is useful in terms of identifying the needs, setting priorities, ...and allocating resources. Purpose: To assess the disability level among the geriatric population and to identify factors associated with disability. Methods: Used prevalence study among 384 participants in the age group between 60 and 80 years. Eligible households for interview were selected using systematic random sampling (every 5th household). Trained interviewers carried out the study by direct interviews at the individuals’ residences using the WHODAS 2.0 questionnaire. Individuals with normal cognitive status (abbreviated mental test score >6) were included in the study. In determining the overall level of disability, the International Classification of Functioning scale were used: extreme disability (96 to 100%), severe disability (50 to 95%), moderate disability (25 to 49%), mild disability (5 to 24%) and no disability (0 to 4%). Results: Around 32.8% of the study population reported no disability, 40.9% disability was reported by most, and moderate level of disability 24.0%. Analysis of the factors associated with disability level showed the existence of significant relationships between disability score >24 and factors like age, marital status, family type, living arrangement and, physical activity of more than 150 hours per week. Conclusion: Higher disability rate was noted among the elderly in the study population. Increasing age, single member /nuclear family, divorced/widowed individuals, and inadequate physical activity were the factors significantly associated with increasing disability level.
ICF syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive condition characterized by immunodeficiency, centromeric instability, and facial abnormalities. It is a clinical condition that depends on the mutation of a ...few particular genes and is caused by methylation disruption in chromosomes 1, 9, and 16 to varying degrees.
The 9-months old, female patient was admitted to our clinic for treatment-resistant thrombocytopenia, chronic diarrhea and sepsis. Immunological investigations revealed agammaglobulinemia. In the genetic analysis by NGS of the patient, who had dysmorphic facial findings as well as a history of parental consanguinity, it was determined that she had a novel mutation in the DNMT3B gene, which is one of the responsible genes of ICF, as homozygous. The patient, who was started on regular immunoglobulin replacement therapy and antibiotic therapy, was referred to a center with a stem cell transplant unit to continue her follow-up.
Although autoimmunity has not been commonly reported in previous studies in ICF syndrome, which has a varied clinical presentation, a homozygous mutation in the DNMT3B gene was discovered in a 9-month-old patient with refractory thrombocytopenia and agammaglobulinemia. Examining the literature reveals that this mutation is a novel mutation.
•ICF1 syndrome.•DNMT3B novel mutation.•Immunodeficiency.
To understand therapeutic priorities, a secondary data analysis on a retrospective cohort was conducted to classify rehabilitation goals according to the International Classification of Functioning, ...Disability, and Health (ICF).PURPOSETo understand therapeutic priorities, a secondary data analysis on a retrospective cohort was conducted to classify rehabilitation goals according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF).Therapeutic goals from an initial outpatient physical or occupational therapy evaluation for patients post-stroke or with Parkinson disease, were classified into Level 1 of the ICF. Goals in the Activity and Participation component were further sub-classified as activity capacity or activity performance (self-report or direct) in daily life.MATERIALS AND METHODSTherapeutic goals from an initial outpatient physical or occupational therapy evaluation for patients post-stroke or with Parkinson disease, were classified into Level 1 of the ICF. Goals in the Activity and Participation component were further sub-classified as activity capacity or activity performance (self-report or direct) in daily life.776 goals across 104 participants were classified into Level 1 of the ICF. The majority, 73% (563/776) were classified as Activity and Participation, 20% (155/776) as Body Function and 2% (17/776) as Environmental Factors. Fifty-two percent (400/776) of all goals were classified as activity capacity and 21% (163/776) as activity performance in daily life, with 21% (160/776) of goals measuring self-report activity performance in daily life and less than 1% (3/776) of goals measuring direct activity performance in daily life.RESULTS776 goals across 104 participants were classified into Level 1 of the ICF. The majority, 73% (563/776) were classified as Activity and Participation, 20% (155/776) as Body Function and 2% (17/776) as Environmental Factors. Fifty-two percent (400/776) of all goals were classified as activity capacity and 21% (163/776) as activity performance in daily life, with 21% (160/776) of goals measuring self-report activity performance in daily life and less than 1% (3/776) of goals measuring direct activity performance in daily life.While the majority of therapeutic goals were classified into the Activity and Participation component, less than 1% of goals measured direct activity performance in daily life. If people seek outpatient rehabilitation to improve functioning in their real-world environment, therapeutic goal setting should reflect this.CONCLUSIONSWhile the majority of therapeutic goals were classified into the Activity and Participation component, less than 1% of goals measured direct activity performance in daily life. If people seek outpatient rehabilitation to improve functioning in their real-world environment, therapeutic goal setting should reflect this.
Propose a way of coding and qualifying HRQoL following a stroke using the codes and qualifiers of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).
An observational, ...cross-sectional study was conducted involving 51 individuals with hemiparesis resulting from a stroke. ICF codes related to the Stroke Specific Quality of Life (SS-QOL) scale were listed and subsequently classified using the generic ICF qualifiers, which range from .0 - no impairment to .4 - complete impairment. A simple mathematic calculation was proposed to convert the SS-QOL scores into ICF qualifiers.
The use of the ICF qualifiers revealed that the individuals exhibited a moderate level (.2) of quality of life, with mild impairment (.1) regarding upper limb function, language, self-care, and vision as well as severe impairment (.3) regarding social relations.
The proposal presented in this study allowed qualifying 43 ICF codes related to quality of life after a stroke in a simple, standardized manner, enabling the identification of different levels of impairment on each of the domains of the SS-QOL scale. This coding standardizes the evaluation, facilitates communication between healthcare providers, and systematizes the collection of data and information on health.
Implications for rehabilitation
Proposal for qualifying concepts related to body functions, activity & participation, and environmental factors in a simple, standardized manner.
The proposed mathematic calculation is simple and easy to understand, which minimizes the occurrence of errors.
Possibility to identify different levels of impairment in each of the domains of the Stroke Specific Quality of Life scale, facilitating the establishment of individualized, longitudinal care.
The ICF codes standardize the evaluation, facilitate communication between healthcare providers, and systematize the collection of data and information on health and functioning.
•TMS combined with EMG permits the generation of key neurophysiological indices in the cortex.•AD patients had increased motor cortical excitability and decreased cholinergic and GABAergic functions ...compared with HC.•MCI patients had increased motor cortical excitability and decreased cholinergic function compared with HC.•TMS neurophysiology are useful measure to understand the pathophysiology of AD and MCI.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive neurophysiological tool that enables the investigation of cortical excitability in the human brain. Paired-pulse TMS paradigms include short- and long-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI/LICI), intracortical facilitation (ICF), and short-latency afferent inhibition (SAI), which can assess neurophysiological functions of GABAergic, glutamatergic, and cholinergic neural circuits, respectively. We conducted the first systematic review and meta-analysis to compare these TMS indices among patients with AD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and healthy controls (HC). Our meta-analyses indicated that RMT, SAI, SICI, and LICI were significantly lower in patients with AD, while ICF did not show a difference in patients with AD compared with HC. In patients with MCI, RMT and SAI were significantly lower than in HC. In conclusion, motor cortical excitability was increased, while cholinergic function was decreased in AD and MCI in comparison with HC and patients with AD had decreased GABAergic and glutamatergic functions compared with HC. Our results warrant further studies to differentiate AD, MCI, and HC, employing multimodal TMS neurophysiology.
This study describes the development of four age-based item code sets from WHO's International classification of functioning disability and health, children and youth version (ICF-CY). Given the ...continuing goal of universal implementation of the ICF-CY, a reduced set of codes was identified from more than 1600 codes to facilitate the use of the classification for clinical, research and policy applications of the ICF-CY.
The ICF-CY developmental code sets were developed by consensus using the Delphi method. A multi-disciplinary group of international experts representing 27 countries from 5 WHO world regions completed a series of iterative online surveys to rate categories of child functioning essential for inclusion in the respective age-based code set.
Four age-based code sets covering 37, 52, 60 and 57 codes across four domains of the ICF-CY were successfully derived with a high level of participant consensus. The code sets align with developmental theory and represent essential indicators of functioning defining key stages of child development.
The ICF-CY developmental code sets offer a common, universal language of childhood functioning and disability with global application for multidisciplinary research, clinical practice and policy.
Developing support technology for elderly people with dementia is an urgent issue. The purpose of this study was to propose a computational method for designing “micro happiness” by applying the ...concept of subjective experience to dementia. In this paper, subjective experiences that can positively affect the quality of life are referred to as micro happiness. The proposed method provides experience recommendations by evaluating both the similarity of life functions and the similarity of experiences among elderly people. To verify the effectiveness of the method, the authors created a database consisting of 1124 subjective experiences of 77 people with dementia using a knowledge graph. The authors confirmed that the prototype data service system could recommend plausible social events considering the life functions and past subjective experiences of a target person with dementia. From the evaluations, it was suggested that the proposed method could be used to present candidates for positive experiences to elderly people with dementia.
The aim of this review is to introduce the concept of neurodiversity as used for developmental stuttering. Since the introduction of the ICF by WHO in 2001, the social model has been introduced into ...clinical practice. However, it primarily asks the community to be responsible for the accommodation of persons with disabilities (PDs). In addition to the necessity of changes in the legal and legislative environments to conform to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities of the United Nations (2006), effective education and advocacy are needed for society to acknowledge and reduce biases of ableism and stigma of disabilities. Ableism is the claim that society is for able-bodied and able-minded people. Ableism remarks and behaviors may impact PDs adversely and are called microaggressions. The diversity movement tries to embrace PDs by removing the border between the able and the disabled. The etiology and characteristics of developmental stuttering are depicted, as well as its neurodiverse and complex nature. The recent advances in the treatment of stuttering without ableism are introduced. Education and advocacy of (neuro)diversity and inclusion in society are still sorely needed for medical and welfare professionals as well as for the general public.
