Tracking the shift in enteric fever trends and evolving antibiotic sensitivity patterns.

Objective: This study aims to examine the frequency of Salmonella Paratyphi found in blood cultures and evaluate the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of Salmonella isolates to different antibiotics. Additionally, the study aims to assess the paradigm shift in the trend of enteric fever caused by Salmonella Typhi (S. Typhi) to Salmonella Paratyphi(S. Paratyphi) . Study Design: Retrospective study. Participant: The study enrolled patients aged 12 years and above diagnosed with enteric fever (positive blood culture) and admitted to Peelamedu Samanaidu Govindasamy Naidu (PSG) Hospital. Interventions: The study analyzed demographic and antibiotic susceptibility profiles of Salmonella isolates collected from 106 enteric fever patients in the hospital between 2010 and 2022. The susceptibility profiles of Salmonella isolates to multiple antibiotics were assessed. Results: There were 106 participants, and 95 (89.62%) of them had enteric fever linked to Salmonella Typhi, while only 11 (10.38%) had enteric fever linked to Salmonella Paratyphi A. From 2010 to 2022, the study discovered a general decline in the prevalence of enteric fever caused by Salmonella species. But between 2014 and 2022, the incidence of enteric fever linked to S. Typhi rapidly increased. Azithromycin (100% , n = 106) and ceftriaxone (99% , n = 105) were highly effective against the Salmonella isolates, whereas nalidixic acid was resisted by 3 isolates (4.72%, n = 3). Conclusion: The study observed a higher incidence of Salmonella Typhi in comparison to Paratyphi A and a greater susceptibility of males to enteric fever. Funding: None declared.

Enhancing brain tumor segmentation in MRI images using the IC-net algorithm framework.

Brain tumors, often referred to as intracranial tumors, are abnormal tissue masses that arise from rapidly multiplying cells. During medical imaging, it is essential to separate brain tumors from healthy tissue. The goal of this paper is to improve the accuracy of separating tumorous regions from healthy tissues in medical imaging, specifically for brain tumors in MRI images which is difficult in the field of medical image analysis. In our research work, we propose IC-Net (Inverted-C), a novel semantic segmentation architecture that combines elements from various models to provide effective and precise results. The architecture includes Multi-Attention (MA) blocks, Feature Concatenation Networks (FCN), Attention-blocks which performs crucial tasks in improving brain tumor segmentation. MA-block aggregates multi-attention features to adapt to different tumor sizes and shapes. Attention-block is focusing on key regions, resulting in more effective segmentation in complex images. FCN-block captures diverse features, making the model more robust to various characteristics of brain tumor images. Our proposed architecture is used to accelerate the training process and also to address the challenges posed by the diverse nature of brain tumor images, ultimately leads to potentially improved segmentation performance. IC-Net significantly outperforms the typical U-Net architecture and other contemporary effective segmentation techniques. On the BraTS 2020 dataset, our IC-Net design obtained notable outcomes in Accuracy, Loss, Specificity, Sensitivity as 99.65, 0.0159, 99.44, 99.86 and DSC (core, whole, and enhancing tumors as 0.998717, 0.888930, 0.866183) respectively.

First-line palliative systemic therapy alternated with oxaliplatin-based pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy for unresectable colorectal peritoneal metastases: A single-arm phase II trial (CRC-PIPAC-II).

BACKGROUND: Palliative systemic therapy alternated with electrostatic precipitation oxaliplatin-based pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (ePIPAC) has never been prospectively investigated in patients with unresectable colorectal peritoneal metastases (CPM). The CRC-PIPAC-II study aimed to assess safety, feasibility and efficacy of such bidirectional therapy. METHODS: This two-center, single-arm, phase II trial enrolled chemotherapy-naïve patients to undergo three treatment cycles, consisting of systemic therapy (CAPOX, FOLFOX, FOLFIRI, or FOLFOXIRI, all with bevacizumab) and oxaliplatin-based ePIPAC (92 mg/m2) with intravenous leucovorin (20 mg/m2) and 5-fluorouracil (400 mg/m2). Primary outcome were major treatment-related adverse events. Secondary outcomes included minor events, tumor response, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Twenty patients completed 52 treatment cycles. Fifteen major events occurred in 7 patients (35 %): 5 events (33 %) related to systemic therapy; 5 (33 %) related to ePIPAC; and 5 (33 %) were biochemical events. No treatment-related deaths occurred. All patients experienced minor events, mostly abdominal pain, nausea and peripheral sensory neuropathy. After treatment, radiological, pathological, cytological, and biochemical response was observed in 0 %, 88 %, 38 %, and 31 % of patients respectively. Curative surgery was achieved in one patient. Median PFS was 10.0 months (95 % confidence interval [CI] 8.0-13.0) and median OS was 17.5 months (95 % CI 13.0-not reached). CONCLUSIONS: Combining palliative systemic therapy with oxaliplatin-based ePIPAC in patients with unresectable CPM was feasible and showed an acceptable safety profile. Treatment-induced response and survival are promising, yet further research is required to determine the additional value of ePIPAC to systemic therapy.

Revalidating the prognostic relevance of the Abbreviated Burn Severity Index (ABSI): A twenty-year experience examining the performance of the ABSI score in consideration of progression and advantages of burn treatments from a single center in Vienna.

BACKGROUND: The Abbreviated Burn Severity Index (ABSI) is a five-variable scale to help evaluate burn severity upon initial assessment. As other studies have been conducted with comparatively small patient populations, the purpose of this study is to revalidate the prognostic relevance of the ABSI in our selected population (N = 1193) 4 decades after its introduction, considering the progress in the treatment of severe burn injuries over the past decades. In addition, we evaluate whether comorbidities influence the survival probability of severely burned patients. METHODS: This retrospective study presents data from the Center for Severely Burned Patients of the General Hospital in Vienna. We included 1193 patients for over 20 years. Regression models were used to describe the prognostic accuracy of the ABSI. RESULTS: The ABSI can still be used as a prognostic factor for the probability of survival of severely burned patients. The odds of passing increases by a factor of 2.059 for each unit increase in the ABSI with an area under the curve value of 0.909. Over time, the likelihood of survival increased. The existence of chronic kidney disease negatively impacts the survival probability of severely burned patients. CONCLUSION: The ABSI can still be used to provide accurate information about the chances of survival of severely burned patients; however, further exploration of the impact of chronic kidney disease on the survival probability and adding variables to the ABSI scale should be considered. The probability of survival has increased over the last 20 years.

Automatic detection of skate strokes in short-track speed skating using one single IMU: validation of a new method.

Greater impulse is a key performance indicator of success in short track speed skating. The main objective of this study was to develop a method to measure skating strokes using a single IMU. Eight elite or world-class speed skaters had one IMU placed against their skin on the lower back, and a camera setup was positioned to capture the test. A maximal speed trial was then executed by each participant, and the data were analysed to estimate agreement between the camera and IMU estimates of skate stroke events. Inter-evaluator reliability was assessed on a dataset of 22 athletes performing speed trials as well. The algorithm detected 100% of the strokes identified on the video capture system with a root mean square error of 0.06s. Bland-Altman analysis showed a bias of 0.03s between the two methods, which corresponds to the frame rate of the camera. The inter-evaluator reliability yielded an intra-class correlation of 1.00 (ICC3,1) from a dataset of 7089 strokes. This study provides an example of on-ice evaluation of speed skating strokes using a single IMU. This equipment is less expensive than that employed by previous authors and can be implemented in training situations with low invasiveness.

Use of menopausal hormone therapy beyond age 65 years and its effects on women's health outcomes by types, routes, and doses.

OBJECTIVES: The study aims to assess the use of menopausal hormone therapy beyond age 65 years and its health implications by types of estrogen/progestogen, routes of administration, and dose strengths. METHODS: Using prescription drug and encounter records of 10 million senior Medicare women from 2007-2020 and Cox regression analyses adjusted for time-varying characteristics of the women, we examined the effects of different preparations of menopausal hormone therapy on all-cause mortality, five cancers, six cardiovascular diseases, and dementia. RESULTS: Compared with never use or discontinuation of menopausal hormone therapy after age 65 years, the use of estrogen monotherapy beyond age 65 years was associated with significant risk reductions in mortality (19% or adjusted hazards ratio, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.79-0.82), breast cancer (16%), lung cancer (13%), colorectal cancer (12%), congestive heart failure (CHF) (5%), venous thromboembolism (3%), atrial fibrillation (4%), acute myocardial infarction (11%), and dementia (2%). For the use of estrogen and progestogen combo-therapy, both E+ progestin and E+ progesterone were associated with increased risk of breast cancer by 10%-19%, but such risk can be mitigated using low dose of transdermal or vaginal E+ progestin. Moreover, E+ progestin exhibited significant risk reductions in endometrial cancer (45% or adjusted hazards ratio, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.50-0.60), ovarian cancer (21%), ischemic heart disease (5%), CHF (5%), and venous thromboembolism (5%), whereas E+ progesterone exhibited risk reduction only in CHF (4%). CONCLUSIONS: Among senior Medicare women, the implications of menopausal hormone therapy use beyond age 65 years vary by types, routes, and strengths. In general, risk reductions appear to be greater with low rather than medium or high doses, vaginal or transdermal rather than oral preparations, and with E2 rather than conjugated estrogen.

Anaerobutyricum soehngenii Reduces Hepatic Lipogenic Pathways and Increases Intestinal Gluconeogenic Gene Expression in Metabolic-Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) Mice.

Metabolic-dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a growing health problem for which no therapy exists to date. The modulation of the gut microbiome may have treatment potential for MASLD. Here, we investigated Anaerobutyricum soehngenii, a butyrate-producing anaerobic bacterium with beneficial effects in metabolic syndrome, in a diet-induced MASLD mouse model. Male C57BL/6J mice received a Western-type high-fat diet and water with 15% fructose (WDF) to induce MASLD and were gavaged with A. soehngenii (108 or 109 colony-forming units (CFU) 3 times per week) or a placebo for 6 weeks. The A. soehngenii gavage increased the cecal butyrate concentrations. Although there was no effect on histological MASLD scores, A. soehngenii improved the glycemic response to insulin. In the liver, the WDF-associated altered expression of three genes relevant to the MASLD pathophysiology was reversed upon treatment with A. soehngenii: Lipin-1 (Lpin1), insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1 (Igfbp1) and Interleukin 1 Receptor Type 1 (Il1r1). A. soehngenii administration also increased the intestinal expression of gluconeogenesis and fructolysis genes. Although these effects did not translate into significant histological improvements in MASLD, these results provide a basis for combined gut microbial approaches to induce histological improvements in MASLD.

Contralateral Thoracotomy With Extracorporeal Circulation for Reoperative Resection of a Kommerell Diverticulum.

Reoperative vascular ring surgery is uncommon. Standard redo ipsilateral thoracotomy may present technical challenges and risks. We describe a patient with right aortic arch, aberrant left subclavian artery, and a Kommerell diverticulum in whom previous vascular ring division via left thoracotomy did not relieve dysphagia. Three years after the unsuccessful operation, left subclavian-carotid transposition via supraclavicular incision followed by resection of the Kommerell diverticulum via right thoracotomy with extracorporeal circulation relieved symptoms. Contralateral thoracotomy with extracorporeal circulation provides a safe, alternative approach to redo ipsilateral thoracotomy for resection of a symptomatic Kommerell diverticulum. We review the literature on the incidence, surgical indications, and operative approaches to manage symptoms from a Kommerell diverticulum.

Identification of constrained sequence elements across 239 primate genomes.

Noncoding DNA is central to our understanding of human gene regulation and complex diseases1,2, and measuring the evolutionary sequence constraint can establish the functional relevance of putative regulatory elements in the human genome3-9. Identifying the genomic elements that have become constrained specifically in primates has been hampered by the faster evolution of noncoding DNA compared to protein-coding DNA10, the relatively short timescales separating primate species11, and the previously limited availability of whole-genome sequences12. Here we construct a whole-genome alignment of 239 species, representing nearly half of all extant species in the primate order. Using this resource, we identified human regulatory elements that are under selective constraint across primates and other mammals at a 5% false discovery rate. We detected 111,318 DNase I hypersensitivity sites and 267,410 transcription factor binding sites that are constrained specifically in primates but not across other placental mammals and validate their cis-regulatory effects on gene expression. These regulatory elements are enriched for human genetic variants that affect gene expression and complex traits and diseases. Our results highlight the important role of recent evolution in regulatory sequence elements differentiating primates, including humans, from other placental mammals.

Three-dimensional blueprinting of molecular patterns in liquid crystalline polymers.

Exploiting the interplay of anisotropic diamagnetic susceptibility of liquid crystalline monomers and site selective photopolymerization enables the fabrication of 3D freeforms with highly refined microstructures. Utilizing chain transfer agents in the mesogenic inks presents a pathway for broadly tuning the mechanical properties of liquid crystalline polymers and their response to stimuli. In particular, the combination of 1,4-benzenedimethanethiol and tetrabromomethane is shown to enable voxelated blueprinting of molecular order, while allowing for a modulation of the crosslink density and the mechanical properties. The formulation of these monomers allows for the resolution of the voxels to approach the limits set by the coherence lengths defined by the anchoring from surfaces. These compositions demonstrate the expected thermotropic responses while allowing for their functionalization with photochromic switches to elicit photomechanical responses. Actuation strains are shown to outstrip that accomplished with prior systems that did not access chain transfer agents to modulate the structure of the macromolecular network. Test cases of this system are shown to create freeform actuators that exploit the refined director patterns during high-resolution printing. These include topological defects, hierarchically-structured light responsive grippers, and biomimetic flyers whose flight dynamics can be actively modulated via irradiation with light.

Trends in Racial Disparities in Healthcare Expenditures Among Senior Medicare Fee-for-service Enrollees in 2007-2020.

Despite the universal healthcare coverages, racial disparities in healthcare expenditures among senior Medicare beneficiaries exist. A few studies explored how racial disparities in healthcare expenditures changed over past decades and how it affected differently across 4 minoritized races, by type of Medicare and poverty levels. We conducted a longitudinal study of 21 healthcare expenditures from senior Medicare fee-for-service enrollees to determine overall and secular trends in racial disparities in healthcare expenditures between 2007 and 2020, during which the Affordable Care Act (ACA) came into full force and the COVID-19 pandemic had begun. We found important disparities in healthcare expenditures across 4 minoritized races compared to Whites, even after adjusting for possible confounders for such disparities. Disparities between Hispanics/Asians and Whites were much greater than disparities between Blacks and Whites, in all Parts A, B, and D expenditures. This reality has not been sufficiently emphasized in the literature. Importantly, Black-White disparities in total Part B expenditure gradually worsened between 2007 and 2020, and Hispanic-White and Asian-White disparities worsened greatly during that time window. Health planners need to focus on these large disparities and develop methods to shrink them.

Directional intensified feature description using tertiary filtering for augmented reality tracking.

Augmented Reality (AR) is applied in almost every field, and a few, but not limited, are engineering, medical, gaming and internet of things. The application of image tracking is inclusive in all these mentioned fields. AR uses image tracking to localize and register the position of the user/AR device for superimposing the virtual image into the real-world. In general terms, tracking the image enhance the users' experience. However, in the image tracking application, establishing the interface between virtual realm and the physical world has many shortcomings. Many tracking systems are available, but it lacks in robustness and efficiency. The robustness of the tracking algorithm, is the challenging task of implementation. This study aims to enhance the users' experience in AR by describing an image using Directional Intensified Features with Tertiary Filtering. This way of describing the features improve the robustness, which is desired in the image tracking. A feature descriptor is robust, in the sense that it does not compromise, when the image undergoes various transformations. This article, describes the features based on the Directional Intensification using Tertiary Filtering (DITF). The robustness of the algorithm is improved, because of the inherent design of Tri-ocular, Bi-ocular and Dia-ocular filters that can intensify the features in all required directions. The algorithm's robustness is verified with respect to various image transformations. The oxford dataset is used for performance analysis and validation. DITF model is designed to achieve the repeatability score of illumination-variation , blur changes and view-point variation, as 100%, 100% and 99% respectively. The comparative analysis has been performed in terms of precision and re-call. DITF outperforms the state-of-the-art descriptors, namely, BEBLID, BOOST, HOG, LBP, BRISK and AKAZE. An Implementation of DITF source code is available in the following GitHub repository: github.com/Johnchristopherclement/Directional-Intensified-Feature-Descriptor.

Nirmatrelvir and Molnupiravir and Post-COVID-19 Condition in Older Patients.

This observational cohort study assesses the occurrence of post­COVID-19 condition symptoms in Medicare enrollees prescribed nirmatrelvir and molnupiravir.

Novel molecular hybrid geometric-harmonic-Zagreb degree based descriptors and their efficacy in QSPR studies of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

The physicochemical characteristics of polycyclic aromatic compounds critical to environmental modelling such as octanol partition coefficients, solubility, lipophilicity, polarity and several equilibrium constants are functions of their underlying molecular structures, prompting the development of mathematical models to predict such characteristics for which experimental results are difficult to obtain. We propose twelve novel descriptors derived from geometric, harmonic and Zagreb degree-based descriptors and then test the effectiveness of these descriptors on a data set consisting of 55 benzenoid hydrocarbons of environmental importance. Our computations show that the proposed descriptors have a good linear correlation and predictive power when compared to the degree and distance type descriptors. We have also derived the QSPR expressions for four properties of a large series of polycyclic aromatics arising from circumscribing coronenes and show that a scaling factor can be deduced to derive physicochemical properties of such series up to 2D graphene sheets.

Future emergence of new ecosystems caused by glacial retreat.

Glacier shrinkage and the development of post-glacial ecosystems related to anthropogenic climate change are some of the fastest ongoing ecosystem shifts, with marked ecological and societal cascading consequences1-6. Yet, no complete spatial analysis exists, to our knowledge, to quantify or anticipate this important changeover7,8. Here we show that by 2100, the decline of all glaciers outside the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets may produce new terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecosystems over an area ranging from the size of Nepal (149,000 ± 55,000 km2) to that of Finland (339,000 ± 99,000 km2). Our analysis shows that the loss of glacier area will range from 22 ± 8% to 51 ± 15%, depending on the climate scenario. In deglaciated areas, the emerging ecosystems will be characterized by extreme to mild ecological conditions, offering refuge for cold-adapted species or favouring primary productivity and generalist species. Exploring the future of glacierized areas highlights the importance of glaciers and emerging post-glacial ecosystems in the face of climate change, biodiversity loss and freshwater scarcity. We find that less than half of glacial areas are located in protected areas. Echoing the recent United Nations resolution declaring 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation9 and the Global Biodiversity Framework10, we emphasize the need to urgently and simultaneously enhance climate-change mitigation and the in situ protection of these ecosystems to secure their existence, functioning and values.

Skin Bank Establishment in Treatment of Severe Burn Injuries: Overview and Experience with Skin Allografts at the Vienna Burn Center.

Depending on their extent, burn injuries require different treatment strategies. In cases of severe large-area trauma, the availability of vital skin for autografting is limited. Donor skin allografts are a well-established but rarely standardized option for temporary wound coverage. Ten patients were eligible for inclusion in this retrospective study. Overall, 202 donor skin grafts obtained from the in-house skin bank were applied in the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna. Between 2017 and 2022, we analysed the results in patient treatment, the selection of skin donors, tissue procurement, tissue processing and storage of allografts, as well as the condition and morphology of the allografts before application. The average Abbreviated Burn Severity Index (ABSI) was 8.5 (range, 5-12), and the mean affected total body surface area (TBSA) was 46.1% (range, 20-80%). In total, allograft application was performed 14 times. In two cases, a total of eight allografts were removed due to local infection, accounting for 3.96% of skin grafts. Six patients survived the acute phase of treatment. Scanning electron microscope images and histology showed no signs of scaffold decomposition and intact tissue layers of the allografts. The skin banking program and the application of skin allografts at the Vienna Burn Center can be considered successful. In severe burn injuries, skin allografts provide time by serving as sufficient wound coverage after early necrosectomy. Having an in-house skin banking program at a dedicated burn centre is particularly advantageous since issues of availability and distribution can be minimized. Skin allografts provide a reliable treatment option in patients with extensive burn injuries.

A global catalog of whole-genome diversity from 233 primate species.

The rich diversity of morphology and behavior displayed across primate species provides an informative context in which to study the impact of genomic diversity on fundamental biological processes. Analysis of that diversity provides insight into long-standing questions in evolutionary and conservation biology and is urgent given severe threats these species are facing. Here, we present high-coverage whole-genome data from 233 primate species representing 86% of genera and all 16 families. This dataset was used, together with fossil calibration, to create a nuclear DNA phylogeny and to reassess evolutionary divergence times among primate clades. We found within-species genetic diversity across families and geographic regions to be associated with climate and sociality, but not with extinction risk. Furthermore, mutation rates differ across species, potentially influenced by effective population sizes. Lastly, we identified extensive recurrence of missense mutations previously thought to be human specific. This study will open a wide range of research avenues for future primate genomic research.

Prevalence and characteristics of long COVID in elderly patients: An observational cohort study of over 2 million adults in the US.

BACKGROUND: Incidence of long COVID in the elderly is difficult to estimate and can be underreported. While long COVID is sometimes considered a novel disease, many viral or bacterial infections have been known to cause prolonged illnesses. We postulate that some influenza patients might develop residual symptoms that would satisfy the diagnostic criteria for long COVID, a condition we call "long Flu." In this study, we estimate the incidence of long COVID and long Flu among Medicare patients using the World Health Organization (WHO) consensus definition. We compare the incidence, symptomatology, and healthcare utilization between long COVID and long Flu patients. METHODS AND FINDINGS: This is a cohort study of Medicare (the US federal health insurance program) beneficiaries over 65. ICD-10-CM codes were used to capture COVID-19, influenza, and residual symptoms. Long COVID was identified by (a) the designated long COVID code B94.8 (code-based definition), or (b) any of 11 symptoms identified in the WHO definition (symptom-based definition), from 1 to 3 months post-infection. A symptom would be excluded if it occurred in the year prior to infection. Long Flu was identified in influenza patients from the combined 2018 and 2019 Flu seasons by the same symptom-based definition for long COVID. Long COVID and long Flu were compared in 4 outcome measures: (a) hospitalization (any cause); (b) hospitalization (for long COVID symptom); (c) emergency department (ED) visit (for long COVID symptom); and (d) number of outpatient encounters (for long COVID symptom), adjusted for age, sex, race, region, Medicare-Medicaid dual eligibility status, prior-year hospitalization, and chronic comorbidities. Among 2,071,532 COVID-19 patients diagnosed between April 2020 and June 2021, symptom-based definition identified long COVID in 16.6% (246,154/1,479,183) and 29.2% (61,631/210,765) of outpatients and inpatients, respectively. The designated code gave much lower estimates (outpatients 0.49% (7,213/1,479,183), inpatients 2.6% (5,521/210,765)). Among 933,877 influenza patients, 17.0% (138,951/817,336) of outpatients and 24.6% (18,824/76,390) of inpatients fit the long Flu definition. Long COVID patients had higher incidence of dyspnea, fatigue, palpitations, loss of taste/smell, and neurocognitive symptoms compared to long Flu. Long COVID outpatients were more likely to have any-cause hospitalization (31.9% (74,854/234,688) versus 26.8% (33,140/123,736), odds ratio 1.06 (95% CI 1.05 to 1.08, p < 0.001)), and more outpatient visits than long Flu outpatients (mean 2.9(SD 3.4) versus 2.5(SD 2.7) visits, incidence rate ratio 1.09 (95% CI 1.08 to 1.10, p < 0.001)). There were less ED visits in long COVID patients, probably because of reduction in ED usage during the pandemic. The main limitation of our study is that the diagnosis of long COVID in is not independently verified. CONCLUSIONS: Relying on specific long COVID diagnostic codes results in significant underreporting. We observed that about 30% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients developed long COVID. In a similar proportion of patients, long COVID-like symptoms (long Flu) can be observed after influenza, but there are notable differences in symptomatology between long COVID and long Flu. The impact of long COVID on healthcare utilization is higher than long Flu.

GRU-SVM Based Threat Detection in Cognitive Radio Network.

Cognitive radio networks are vulnerable to numerous threats during spectrum sensing. Different approaches can be used to lessen these attacks as the malicious users degrade the performance of the network. The cutting-edge technologies of machine learning and deep learning step into cognitive radio networks (CRN) to detect network problems. Several studies have been conducted utilising various deep learning and machine learning methods. However, only a small number of analyses have used gated recurrent units (GRU), and that too in software defined networks, but these are seldom used in CRN. In this paper, we used GRU in CRN to train and test the dataset of spectrum sensing results. One of the deep learning models with less complexity and more effectiveness for small datasets is GRU, the lightest variant of the LSTM. The support vector machine (SVM) classifier is employed in this study's output layer to distinguish between authorised users and malicious users in cognitive radio network. The novelty of this paper is the application of combined models of GRU and SVM in cognitive radio networks. A high testing accuracy of 82.45%, training accuracy of 80.99% and detection probability of 1 is achieved at 65 epochs in this proposed work.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the epidemiology of severe burns : A single center study from a specialized burn center in Vienna.

INTRODUCTION: Currently, very little detailed information on the epidemiological distribution and specificities of severely burned patients during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is available. This retrospective study aims to describe and compare this specific patient population based on 114 patients who were treated between March 2019 and March 2021 at the Center for Severe Burn Injuries at the Medical University of Vienna. METHODS: To answer the research questions, a retrospective cohort study has been conducted over a period of 24 months, starting in March 2019 and ending in March 2021. To evaluate the epidemiological differences, the patients were divided into 2 observation periods of 12 months each. RESULTS: In the period from 12 March 2020 to 11 March 2021, a total of 62 patients were admitted to the Center for Severe Burn Injuries. In comparison, only 52 patients were admitted in the same period of the previous year, which corresponds to an increase of 19.2%. In addition, it was noted that during the 2019-2020 observation period, 27% of patients were female and 73% male, whereas during the pandemic the gender distribution was 42% female and only 58% male. During the pre-pandemic observational period, 13 out of 52 patients admitted died (25%), whereas during the pandemic, 17 out of 62 patients succumbed to their injuries (27%). CONCLUSION: Although the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be decreasing, especially due to the increasing availability of vaccines, there is a need for more data on the impact of the crisis on severely burned patients. In contrast to the current literature, we have seen a greater number of inpatient admissions to the Center for Severe Burn Injuries, as well as significant differences in gender distribution. Our data also suggest that the circumstances of the pandemic have no influence on the likelihood of survival for patients with severe burns.