Application of modal flexibility-based deflections for damage diagnosis of a steel frame structure

Abstract In this paper a modal flexibility-based approach for damage diagnosis is presented and discussed. Modal flexibility matrices of structural systems can be derived from vibration tests and changes in these matrices can be associated to structural damage. One of the main challenges is to apply modal flexibility-based methods on real-life civil structures, to detect damage on structures using ambient vibration data. A recent method has been formulated for damage detection, localization, and quantification of building structures; it is based on the modal flexibility-based deflections of such structures under uniform loads. The method was originally formulated for frame buildings that can be modeled as plane shear-type structures. The objective of the paper is to test this methodology on generic buildings that, in principle, cannot be easily modeled as plane shear-type structures. The method was applied to the ambient vibration data of a steel frame structure that has a monitoring system with acceleration sensors. Various damage configurations were induced to the structure by removing diagonal braces on the external surface of the frame. The results showed that the method is able to identify the stories and the directions of the frame that have been affected by the damage

An Individualized Multi-Modal Approach for Detection of Medication “Off” Episodes in Parkinson’s Disease via Wearable Sensors

The primary treatment for Parkinson’s disease (PD) is supplementation of levodopa (L-dopa). With disease progression, people may experience motor and non-motor fluctuations, whereby the PD symptoms return before the next dose of medication. Paradoxically, in order to prevent wearing-off, one must take the next dose while still feeling well, as the upcoming off episodes can be unpredictable. Waiting until feeling wearing-off and then taking the next dose of medication is a sub-optimal strategy, as the medication can take up to an hour to be absorbed. Ultimately, early detection of wearing-off before people are consciously aware would be ideal. Towards this goal, we examined whether or not a wearable sensor recording autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity could be used to predict wearing-off in people on L-dopa. We had PD subjects on L-dopa record a diary of their on/off status over 24 hours while wearing a wearable sensor (E4 wristband®) that recorded ANS dynamics, including electrodermal activity (EDA), heart rate (HR), blood volume pulse (BVP), and skin temperature (TEMP). A joint empirical mode decomposition (EMD) / regression analysis was used to predict wearing-off (WO) time. When we used individually specific models assessed with cross-validation, we obtained > 90% correlation between the original OFF state logged by the patients and the reconstructed signal. However, a pooled model using the same combination of ASR measures across subjects was not statistically significant. This proof-of-principle study suggests that ANS dynamics can be used to assess the on/off phenomenon in people with PD taking L-dopa, but must be individually calibrated. More work is required to determine if individual wearing-off detection can take place before people become consciously aware of it

Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes of COVID-19 Infection in

Background: Limited data is available on the full spectrum of maternal COVID-19 infection in terms of pregnancy outcomes. The present study aimed to compare the maternal and neonatal outcomes of COVID-19 in infected and non-infected pregnant women. Methods: A dual-site retrospective cohort study was conducted in two tertiary hospitals in Isfahan, Iran. The sample included 104 infected and 210 non-infected hospitalized pregnant women. Odds ratios (OR) were estimated using multivariate logistic regression. Results: There were significant differences between COVID-19-infected and non-infected pregnant women regarding preterm labor (PTL) (odds ratio OR: 11.34, 95% confidence interval CI: 1.19-48.54, P = 0.035); hospitalization days (OR: 7.21, 95% CI: 4.05-12.85, P <= 0.001); cesarean section (CS) (OR: 4.76, 95% CI: 1.78-12.45, P = 0.002); neonatal admission to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) (OR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.12-1.67, P = 0.004); and neonatal respiratory distress (OR: 2.37, 95% CI: 1.02- 5.47, P = 0.044). No significant association was found between COVID-19 infection and abortion (OR: 0.06, 95% CI: 0.01-1.45, P = 0.084); stillbirth (OR: 1.84, 95% CI: 0.05-39.68, P = 0.743); Apgar score (1 minute) (OR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.74-1.13, P= 0.382); Apgar score (5 minutes) (OR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.81-1.18, P = 0.765); and low birth weight (LBW) (OR: 4.76, 95% CI: 1.78-12.45, P= 0.002). Conclusion: PTL, CS, neonatal admission in NICU, neonatal respiratory distress, and hospitalization days were significantly higher in pregnant women with COVID-19 compared to those without infection.Cite this article as: Vizheh M, Allahdadian M, Ghasemi-Tehrani H, Muhidin S, Hashemi M, Dehghan M. Maternal and neonatal outcomes of COVID-19 infection in pregnancy. Arch Iran Med. 2023;26(1):43-49. doi: 10.34172/aim.2023.0

Impact of COVID-19 Infection on Neonatal Birth Outcomes

Introduction: There is limited data on newborns born to mothers with COVID-19 infection. This multicenter cohort study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of neonates born to mothers with and without COVID-19 infection to fill a gap in the literature review. Methods: The medical records of all neonates in Isfahan, Iran, between October 2020 and March 2021, were retrospectively reviewed. Results: Among the 600 neonates in this study, 255 (42.5) were in the infected group and 345 (57.5) were assigned to the control group as they were born to non-infected mothers. In the infected group, sepsis, fever and pneumothorax were detected in 3 (1.2), 3 (1.2) and 4 (1.6) neonates, respectively, compared with no case in the control group. In the infected group, neonatal respiratory distress (NRDS) (32, 12.5) was significantly higher than the control group (27, 10.6). Asphyxia in the infected group was 22(6.4), compared with 19 (5.5), in the control group. Preterm labor (PTL) (55, 21.65), premature rupture of membranes (PROMs) (24, 9.4) and intra-uterine growth retardation (IUGR) (15, 5.9) were significantly higher in women with COVID-19 (45, 13.0, 4, 1.2 and 7, 2.0, respectively). Low birth weight (LBW) accounted for 42 (16.5) neonates in the infected group and 25 (7.2) in the control group (p < 0.05). Of the 255 neonates born to infected mothers, 38 (14.9) were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), compared with 31 out of 345 (9.0) in the control group (p < 0.05). RT-PCR test results were positive in two newborns (0.8), one of whom died of necrotizing enterocolitis. Conclusion: As a result of maternal COVID-19 infections, neonates experienced higher rates of sepsis, fever, pneumothorax, asphyxia and NRDS in addition to PTL, PROMs, IUGR, and LBW

Evaluation of the Prevalence of Anti-transglutaminase 2 and 6 Antibodies in Patients with Sero-Positive Multiple Sclerosis

BACKGROUND: Gluten sensitivity (GS) is one of the gluten-related disorders (GRDs). Patients with GS may have serum antibodies against tissue transglutaminase (tTG) (IgA and IgG) without any evidence of enteropathy. We aimed to evaluate both tTG-6 and tTG-2 antibodies to determine the prevalence of seropositive tTG-2 and tTG-6 antibodies in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we carried out serological tests (IgA & IgG anti-tTG-6 and tTG-2 antibodies) in patients with MS. RESULTS: Seventy-two patients with MS were included in this study. Of them, seropositive patients for total (IgA+IgG) of tTG-6 and tTG-2 autoantibodies were 9.7 (95 CI, 4.2-18) and 5.6 (95 CI, 1.4-12.5), respectively. CONCLUSION: Anti-tTG-6 antibody testing may be necessary for early diagnosis of GS in patients with MS. More studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to confirm these data

Short report: assessment of coping strategies in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and multiple sclerosis

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and multiple sclerosis (MS) are disabling neurological diseases with significant emotional distresses. To better deal with these diseases, patients need to adopt coping strategies. Identifying coping strategies is important in our understanding of the disease burden and management. However, no one to the best of our knowledge has studied coping strategies in NMOSD patients worldwide. We performed this study to evaluate coping strategies in NMOSD and MS patients compared to healthy controls. We assessed coping strategies using Coping Orientation for Problem Experiences (COPE) inventory. Demographic and clinical characteristics were gathered as well. Thirty NMOSD patients, 76 MS patients, and 50 healthy controls were recruited. NMOSD and MS patients adopted acceptance and behavioral disengagement strategies more often compared to healthy control. Furthermore, NMOSD cases were more prone to using mental disengagement strategy. Both NMOSD and MS cases were less prone to substance use. In NMOSD group, patients with basic education had higher scores of focus on and venting emotions compared to those with advance education. No relationship between coping strategies and demographic and clinical characteristics was observed. We found almost similar patterns of coping in NMOSD and MS. NMOSD patients showed utilization of maladaptive coping strategies with more frequent use of mental and behavioral disengagement. We suggest a multidisciplinary approach to manage these patients