Machine learning and IoT-based cardiac arrhythmia diagnosis using statistical and dynamic features of ECG

The Journal of Supercomputing - Cardiac arrhythmia is a life-threatening disease which causes severe health problems in patients. A timely diagnosis of arrhythmia diseases will be useful to save...     

Bridge pier scour in cohesive soil: a review

Bridge failure due to local scour has stimulated the enthusiasm of many researchers to study the causes of scouring and to predict the ultimate scour depth at bridge foundation. A brief review of the state of artwork of investigation conducted on local scour at bridge pier in cohesive bed material is presented. Scour process and mechanism at bridge pier in cohesive and noncohesive soil are presented. The effects of parameters influencing local scour around bridge pier is discussed. Empirical equations for predicting ultimate scour depth at bridge pier embedded in cohesive soil are outlined. Comparisons of the equations are made considering two examples: one under laboratory condition and another under field condition.     

Probiotics: A Comprehensive Approach toward Health Foods

This article has been retracted.     

FTNIR-A Robust Diagnostic Tool for the Rapid Detection of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhyzopertha dominica</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sitophilus oryzae</Emphasis> Infestation and Quality Changes in Stored Rice Grains

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTNIR) is an excellent mode for evaluation of grain-quality attributes. It enables the nonperturbative molecular information to be diagnosed and allows the explication of images of grains by the passage of the spectral data through an array of computational algorithms. The images are contrived from fingerprint spectra so the conception is that the reflection can conceal the status of the analyzed sample. Rhyzopertha dominica F.- and Sitophilus oryzae-infested and fresh rice grains analyzed with FTNIR within a range of 12,000–4000 cm^?1 were proffered to mathematical processing. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) was used for the estimation of physicochemical parameters of rice grains. Outstanding predictive results were acquired denoting that infested rice grains could be convincingly quantified. The coefficient of correlation, root mean square error of validation, and cross validation for the FTNIR model developed to quantify the quality attribute changes with infestation in rice grains were in the range of 99.85–99.01% (R²), 0.2–1.14% (RMSEE), and 0.3–1.25% (RMSECV). Excellent prediction results of various physico-chemical attributes were obtained for rice grains indicating the fresh and infested samples can be uniquely identified. Also, a paired t test was performed to compare the analytical methods with FTNIR-developed method; no significant difference was found (t_cal 0.025?<?t_cri 2.12; α?=?0.05, RPD >?6) between the two methods. Thus, the results further confirmed the developed FTNIR system to be inherently rapid, clean, and capable of preventing hazardous chemicals which originates from traditional analytical processes and has the potential for monitoring and sorting of rice grains.     

Study of the structure of degummed Antheraea assamensis (muga) silk fibre

The paper discusses a special type of silk (muga silk) produced by the moth Antheraea assamensis (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae), which is available in the north east region, particularly in Assam, India. The structure of the degummed muga silk fibre is characterised by spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction. An attempt has been made to establish a correlation between the orientation of the protein of the fibre and the mechanical properties of the fibre. Inter‐conversion of the α‐ and β‐phases of proteins is very common, and in some cases, both the phases may be present. Since muga silk is a protein fibre, there is a strong possibility of exhibition of this inter‐conversion property. The results show that the structure of muga fibre is made up of four molecular chains contained in a primitive tetrahedral cell with an average cell edge a _o = b ₀ = 746 pm and c ₀ =738 pm (fibre axis) and lattice number 8. The space group of the α‐phase is P4₁, with screw axis 4₁. The α‐phase accounts for rigidity and crystallinity, while the β‐phase accounts for extensibility and the amorphous state of the fibre.     

Development of protein-Rich Sorghum-Based Expanded Snacks Using Extrusion Technology

Sorghum is an important staple crop in semi-arid regions of Africa and India because of its drought tolerance. But low protein content and quality limit its widespread use. This project focused on developing sorghum-based extruded snacks. Results from preliminary lab-scale extrusion experiments were used to design a 2×5 factorial pilot-scale study. Two blends of sorghum flour and corn flour were prepared (6:1 and 5:2 w/w ratios) as the controls. Three different sources of protein—whey protein isolate, defatted soy flour, and mixed legume flour—were added to the sorghum/corn flour blends at 30%. A 50:50 blend of defatted soy flour and whey protein isolate was also added at 30% to the sorghum/corn flour blends. The resultant ten formulations were extruded on a pilot-scale twin-screw extruder to investigate the effects of sorghum/corn flour ratio and protein addition on product expansion, microstructure, mechanical properties, and sensory attributes. Expansion ratio of extruded product increased at the higher level of corn flour, and decreased with the incorporation of protein sources. Extrudates with defatted soy flour had a lower expansion ratio (5.3–5.4) than those with whey protein isolate (7.7–7.9), legume flour (7.1–9.9), or whey protein isolate-defatted soy flour (6.1–6.9). Extrudate microstructure, obtained by X-ray microtomography, corresponded well with expansion characteristics. Extrudates with defatted soy flour had the lowest cell diameter. Average crushing force (ranging from 40.9 to 154.87 N) was lower for extrudates with a higher level of corn flour. However, contrary to expectations, crushing force and crispness work both decreased with incorporation of protein sources. Consumer acceptability results showed that the addition of protein sources enhanced taste and overall acceptability of the extruded snacks, with the treatment sorghum/corn flour 5:2 and whey protein isolate-defatted soy flour as the protein source having significantly higher ratings than the other treatments.