Application of artificial intelligence in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac arrhythmia.

The rapid growth in computational power, sensor technology, and wearable devices has provided a solid foundation for all aspects of cardiac arrhythmia care. Artificial intelligence (AI) has been instrumental in bringing about significant changes in the prevention, risk assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of arrhythmia. This review examines the current state of AI in the diagnosis and treatment of atrial fibrillation, supraventricular arrhythmia, ventricular arrhythmia, hereditary channelopathies, and cardiac pacing. Furthermore, ChatGPT, which has gained attention recently, is addressed in this paper along with its potential applications in the field of arrhythmia. Additionally, the accuracy of arrhythmia diagnosis can be improved by identifying electrode misplacement or erroneous swapping of electrode position using AI. Remote monitoring has expanded greatly due to the emergence of contactless monitoring technology as wearable devices continue to develop and flourish. Parallel advances in AI computing power, ChatGPT, availability of large data sets, and more have greatly expanded applications in arrhythmia diagnosis, risk assessment, and treatment. More precise algorithms based on big data, personalized risk assessment, telemedicine and mobile health, smart hardware and wearables, and the exploration of rare or complex types of arrhythmia are the future direction.

Study on the Physical and Rheological Characterisation of Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE)/Recycled Crumb Rubber (RCR) on Asphalt Binders.

Recycled crumb rubber (RCR) is considered a reliable asphalt modifier and a solution to the problem of scrap tyre recycling. RCR-modified asphalt (RCRMA) typically has good low-temperature performance and storage stability. However, the pre-treatment of crumb rubber (CR) impairs its physical properties, resulting in poor high-temperature performance, which limits the industrial application of RCRMA. In this study, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) composite RCR was used to modify asphalt, and LDPE/RCR-composite-modified asphalt (L-RCRMA) was produced to compensate for the deficiencies in the high-temperature performance of RCRMA. The comprehensive physical properties of L-RCRMA were elucidated using tests such as the conventional properties, rotational viscosity, and rheological tests. The results showed that the incorporation of LDPE improved the high-temperature stability and rutting resistance of the asphalt, but an excessive amount of LDPE impaired the low-temperature performance and storage stability of L-RCRMA. Therefore, it is necessary to control the amount of LDPE to balance the performance of the asphalt. On this basis, we recommend a dosage of 20% for RCR and 1.5% for LDPE.

Speckle denoising based on deep learning via a conditional generative adversarial network in digital holographic interferometry.

Speckle denoising can improve digital holographic interferometry phase measurements but may affect experimental accuracy. A deep-learning-based speckle denoising algorithm is developed using a conditional generative adversarial network. Two subnetworks, namely discriminator and generator networks, which refer to the U-Net and DenseNet layer structures are used to supervise network learning quality and denoising. Datasets obtained from speckle simulations are shown to provide improved noise feature extraction. The loss function is designed by considering the peak signal-to-noise ratio parameters to improve efficiency and accuracy. The proposed method thus shows better performance than other denoising algorithms for processing experimental strain data from digital holography.

Optimal processing scheme for restoration of phase data corrupted by strong decorrelation noise and dislocations.

The presence of speckle noise and dislocations makes phase restoration potentially difficult in quantitative phase imaging and metrology. Unfortunately, there is no appropriate approach to deal with phase data corrupted by high speckle noise and phase dislocations. Usually, processing schemes may deal with low-pass phase filtering, phase unwrapping, or phase inpainting. This paper discusses the efficient processing to deal with noisy phase maps corrupted with phase dislocations. Six processing schemes, combining four operations, are evaluated. The investigation is carried out by realistic numerical simulations in which strong decorrelation phase noise and phase dislocations are generated. As a result, most robust and faster processing is established. The applicability of the optimal scheme is demonstrated through deformation measurement in dental materials.

Robust processing of phase dislocations based on combined unwrapping and inpainting approaches.

This Letter proposes a robust processing of phase dislocations to recover continuous phase maps. The approach is based on combined unwrapping and inpainting methods. Phase dislocations are determined using an estimator based on the second order phase gradient. The algorithm is validated using a realistic simulation of phase dislocations, and the phase restoration exhibits only weak errors. A comparison with other inpainting algorithms is also provided, demonstrating the suitability of the approach. The approach is applied to experimental data from off-axis digital holographic interferometry. The phase dislocation from phase data from a wake flow at Mach 0.73 are identified and processed. Excellent phase restoration can be appreciated.

Phase calibration unwrapping algorithm for phase data corrupted by strong decorrelation speckle noise.

Robust phase unwrapping in the presence of high noise remains an open issue. Especially, when both noise and fringe densities are high, pre-filtering may lead to phase dislocations and smoothing that complicate even more unwrapping. In this paper an approach to deal with high noise and to unwrap successfully phase data is proposed. Taking into account influence of noise in wrapped data, a calibration method of the 1st order spatial phase derivative is proposed and an iterative approach is presented. We demonstrate that the proposed method is able to process holographic phase data corrupted by non-Gaussian speckle decorrelation noise. The algorithm is validated by realistic numerical simulations in which the fringe density and noise standard deviation is progressively increased. Comparison with other established algorithms shows that the proposed algorithm exhibits better accuracy and shorter computation time, whereas others may fail to unwrap. The proposed algorithm is applied to phase data from digital holographic metrology and the unwrapped results demonstrate its practical effectiveness. The realistic simulations and experiments demonstrate that the proposed unwrapping algorithm is robust and fast in the presence of strong speckle decorrelation noise.

Chloride Permeability of Alkali-Activated Slag Concretes after Exposure to High Temperatures.

The number of fires in buildings and on bridges has increased worldwide in recent years. As a structural material, the strength of alkali-activated slag (AAS) concrete after exposure to high temperatures has been given much attention. However, research of its durability is still lacking, which limits the application of this type of concrete on a larger scale. In this context, as one of the most important aspects of durability, the chloride permeability of AAS concretes after exposure to high temperatures was examined in this study. The influence of the alkali concentration (Na2O%) and the modulus (Ms) of the activator, as well as the influence of heating regimes, including the heating rate, duration of exposure to the target temperature, and cooling method, was also discussed. The results show that the chloride permeability of the AAS concretes increased with temperature elevation. Due to the interference of pore solution conductivity, the influence of the Na2O% and the Ms of the activator on the chloride permeability of the AAS concretes was not made clear by using the ASTM C 1202 charge passed method; however, after exposure to high temperatures, AAS with a lower Na2O% and lower Ms has lower porosity and may have lower chloride permeability, which needs further investigation. Faster heating for a longer duration at the target temperature and water cooling reduced the resistance of the AAS concretes to chloride permeability as a result of their increased porosity.

An anti-impersonation attack electronic health record sharing scheme based on proxy re-encryption and blockchain.

Many current electronic medical record (EMR) sharing schemes that use proxy re-encryption and blockchain do not fully consider the potential threat of malicious node impersonation attacks. This oversight could lead to data leakage as attackers masquerade as legitimate users or proxy nodes during the sharing process. To deal with this problem, we propose an EMR sharing scheme based on proxy re-encryption and blockchain to protect against impersonation attacks. First, we prevent the potential threat of impersonation attacks by generating a shared temporary key and assigning tasks to multiple proxy nodes. Second, we use a random function to ensure that the selection of encrypted proxy nodes is fair. Third, we use a combination of blockchain and the InterPlanetary File System to solve the problem of insufficient storage capacity of shared processes and ensure the storage security of EMRs. Through the security proof, our scheme guarantees anti-impersonation, anti-collusion, and anti-chosen plaintext attack capability in the sharing process of EMRs. Additionally, experiments on the blockchain platform, namely Chain33, show that our scheme significantly increases efficiency.

The Brunner adenoma of the duodenum with positive fecal occult blood and anemia: A case report.

RATIONALE: Brunner gland adenoma (BGA) is a rare benign duodenal tumor that is an adenomatoid lesion in nature rather than an actual tumor. Patients with different adenoma sizes have various clinical manifestations with nonspecific clinical symptoms. Here, We report a case of BGA with black stool and anemia as the primary manifestations. PATIENT CONCERNS: A young female patient was admitted to the hospital because of black stool and anemia. Endoscopic surgery was performed to a definitive diagnosis, and endoscopic tumor-like lesions were resected. DIAGNOSIS: The patient was diagnosed with duodenal Brunner adenoma and received related treatment. OUTCOMES: After treatment, the patient symptoms improved, and he was discharged. LESSONS: Brunner adenoma of the duodenum is a rare benign duodenum tumor. This report paper describes a case of BGA with black stool and anemia as the primary manifestations, followed by endoscopic resection and treatment. The literature on Brunner adenoma of the duodenum has been analyzed and discussed. Clinicians should pay attention to differentiating the disease based on atypical symptoms.

Effect of Coffee Grounds/Coffee Ground Biochar on Cement Hydration and Adsorption Properties.

Taking advantage of the strong adsorption characteristics of coffee grounds (CGs) and coffee ground biochar (CGB), this research employed equal amounts of 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8% CGs and CGB to replace cement. This study thereby examined the impacts of CGs and CGB on cement compressive strength, as well as their abilities to adsorb chloride ions and formaldehyde. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TG-DTG), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were employed to investigate the hydration mechanism and characterize the microscopic structure. The results show the following: (1) The presence of a substantial quantity of organic compounds in CGs is found to have an adverse effect on both the compressive strength and hydration degree of the sample. The use of CGB after high-temperature pyrolysis of phosphoric acid can effectively improve the negative impact of organic compounds on the sample. (2) The addition of CGs reduces the adsorption of chloride ions by cement, primarily due to the presence of fewer hydration products. However, when CGB was incorporated into cement, it enhanced the ability to adsorb chloride ions. (3) Cement containing 8% CGB content can slightly enhance the adsorption of formaldehyde. However, the cement sample with 8% CGB content exhibited the most significant ability to adsorb formaldehyde.

Application of Calcium Sulfate Whiskers to Cement-Based Materials: A Review.

In recent years, significant attention has been paid to the use of calcium sulfate whiskers (CSWs) to enhance the performance of cement-based materials (CBM). This technology has attracted widespread interest from researchers because it enhances the performance and sustainability of CBM by modifying the crystal structure of calcium sulfate. This article summarizes the fundamental properties and preparation methods of calcium sulfate whisker materials as well as their applications in cement, potential advantages and disadvantages, and practical applications and prospects. The introduction of CSWs has been demonstrated to enhance the strength, durability, and crack resistance of CBM while also addressing concerns related to permeability and shrinkage. The application of this technology is expected to improve the quality and lifespan of buildings, reduce maintenance costs, and positively impact the environment. The use of CSWs in CBM represents a promising material innovation that offers lasting and sustainable advancement in the construction industry.

Development of a Low-Shrinkage-Lightweight Engineered Cementitious Composite Based on Heavily Doped Zeolites.

In recent years, there has been a growing utilization of lightweight engineered cementitious composites (LECC) for the reinforcement and restoration of contemporary building structures. This study focuses on the incorporation of zeolite, serving as an internal reservoir for moisture maintenance, and examines its impact on various performance indicators, including apparent density, compressive strength, tensile strength, and autogenous shrinkage. Additionally, the influence of zeolite on the tensile and ductile properties of LECC is elucidated with the aid of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The findings reveal that the addition of zeolite enables the preservation of excellent mechanical properties of LECC while further reducing its density. Notably, the introduction of a substantial amount of zeolite leads to a decrease in matrix density, average crack width, and ultimate tensile strain. The ultimate tensile strain exceeds 8% to reach 8.1%, while the decrease in compressive and tensile strengths is marginal. Zeolite's internal curing capability facilitates the complete hydration of unhydrated cement, concurrently alleviating the autogenous shrinkage of LECC. Consequently, the durability and reliability of the material are enhanced. The ability of zeolite, with its porous framework structure, to significantly improve the ultimate tensile strain of the matrix can be attributed to the amplified occurrence of active defects and a shift in the pull-out mode of PE fibers from "pull-out" to "pull-through". This study presents a promising alternative material in the field of engineering, holding potential for diverse building and infrastructure projects, as it enhances their durability and reliability.

Bearing Capacity Performance and Optimal Design of a Novel Aluminum Alloy Arch Gusset Joint.

Current research on aluminum alloy gusset joints has neglected the influences of the angle between members and the curvature of the joint plate on joint performance. This study introduces the concept of the planar angle and establishes 16 joint models using ABAQUS finite element software with parameters such as the planar angle, arch angles, joint plate thickness, web thickness, and flange thickness. The load-bearing capacity of the novel aluminum alloy arch gusset joint is theoretically analyzed, and the concepts of strong and weak axes are proposed. The failure modes and significance of different parameters regarding the bearing capacity and initial stiffness of the joint under various parameters are summarized. The results indicate that the planar and arch angles significantly affect the bearing capacity, stiffness, and failure mode of the joint.

Analysis of Asphalt Mixtures Modified with Steel Slag Surface Texture Using 3D Scanning Technology.

This paper investigates the use of steel slag in the place of basalt coarse aggregate in Stone Mastic Asphalt-13 (SMA-13) gradings in the early forming of an experimental pavement and evaluates the test performance of the mixes, combined with 3D scanning techniques to analyse the initial textural structure of the pavement. Laboratory tests were carried out to design the gradation of the two asphalt mixtures and to assess the strength, chipping and cracking resistance of the asphalt mixtures using water immersion Marshall tests, freeze-thaw splitting tests, rutting tests and for comparison with laboratory tests, while surface texture collection and analysis of the height parameters (i.e., Sp, Sv, Sz, Sq, Ssk) and morphological parameters (i.e., Spc) of the pavement were performed to assess the skid resistance of the two asphalt mixtures. Firstly, the results show that a substitution of steel slag for basalt in pavements is a good alternative for efficient resource utilization. Secondly, when steel slag was used in place of basalt coarse aggregate, the water immersion Marshall residual stability improved by approximately 28.8% and the dynamic stability by approximately 15.8%; the friction values decayed at a significantly lower rate, and the MTD did not change significantly. Thirdly, in the early stages of pavement formation, Sp, Sv, Sz, Sq and Spc showed a good linear relationship with BPN values, and these texture parameters can be used as parameters to describe steel slag asphalt pavements. Finally, this study also found that the standard deviation of peak height was higher for steel slag-asphalt mixes than for basalt-asphalt mixes, with little difference in texture depth, while the former formed more peak tips than the latter.

Study on the Low-Temperature Pre-Desulfurization of Crumb Rubber-Modified Asphalt.

Waste tires can be ground as crumb rubber (CR) and incorporated into asphalt pavement for efficient resource utilization. However, due to its thermodynamic incompatibility with asphalt, CR cannot be uniformly dispersed in the asphalt mix. In order to address this issue, pretreating the CR with desulfurization is a common way to restore some of the properties of natural rubber. The main technique of desulfurization and degradation is dynamic desulfurization, requiring a high temperature that may lead to asphalt fires, aging, and the volatilization of light substances, generating toxic gases and resulting in environmental pollution. Therefore, a green and low-temperature controlled desulfurization technology is proposed in this study to exploit the maximum potential of CR desulfurization and obtain high-solubility "liquid waste rubber" (LWR) close to the ultimate regeneration level. In this work, LWR-modified asphalt (LRMA) with superior low-temperature performance and processability, stable storage, and less susceptibility to segregation was developed. Nevertheless, its rutting and deformation resistance deteriorated at high temperatures. The results showed that the proposed CR-desulfurization technology could produce LWR with 76.9% solubility at a low temperature of 160 °C, which is close to or even better than the finished products produced at the preparation temperature of TB technology, i.e., 220-280 °C.

Effect of Vulcanization on the Electro-Mechanical Sensing Characteristics of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube/Silicone Rubber Composites.

In order to realize effective monitoring for the working performance of seismic isolation structures, a multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/methyl vinyl silicone rubber (VMQ) composite was prepared via mechanical blending using dicumyl peroxide (DCP) and 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di(tert-butyl peroxy)hexane (DBPMH) as vulcanizing agents. The effects of the different vulcanizing agents on the dispersion of the MWCNT, electrical conductivity, mechanical properties, and resistance-strain response of the composites were investigated. The experimental results showed that the percolation threshold of the composites prepared with the two vulcanizing agents was low, while the DCP-vulcanized composites showed high mechanical properties and a better resistance-strain response sensitivity and stability, especially after 15,000 loading cycles. According to the analysis using scanning electron microscopy and Fourier infrared spectroscopy, it was found that the DCP contributed higher vulcanization activity, a denser cross-linking network, better and uniform dispersion, and a more stable damage-reconstruction mechanism for the MWCNT network during the deformation load. Thus, the DCP-vulcanized composites showed better mechanical performance and electrical response abilities. When employing an analytical model based on the tunnel effect theory, the mechanism of the resistance-strain response was explained, and the potential of this composite for real-time strain monitoring for large deformation structures was confirmed.

Preparation and Micromechanics of Red Sandstone-Phosphogypsum-Cement Composite Cementitious Materials.

Based on the physical and chemical properties of red sandstone (RS), RS is used to produce composite cementitious materials. The flowability, mechanical strength, and micromechanics of a red sandstone-cement binary cementitious material (RS-OPC) were investigated as functions of the amount of RS replacing the cement (OPC). Additionally, the feasibility of producing red sandstone-phosphogypsum-cement composite materials (RS-PG-OPC) using the phosphogypsum (PG)- enhanced volcanic ash activity of RS was investigated. The products of hydration and microstructures of RS-OPC and RS-PG-OPC were analyzed by XRD, FTIR, TG-DTG, and SEM. RS enhanced the flowability of RS-OPC relative to the unmodified cement slurry but lowered its mechanical strength, according to the experiments. When the quantity of OPC replaced was greater than 25%, the compressive strength after 28 days was substantially reduced, with a maximum reduction of 78.8% (RS-60). The microscopic mechanism of RS-OPC suggested that the active SiO2 in the RS can react with Ca(OH)2 to produce C-S-H but can only utilize small quantities of Ca(OH)2, confirming the low volcanic ash activity of RS. RS was responsible for dilution and filling. The incorporation of 5% PG into RS-PG-OPC slowed the hydration process compared with RS-OPC without PG but also increased the flowability and aided in the later development of the mechanical strength. This was primarily because the addition of PG provided the system with sufficient Ca2+ and SO42- to react with [Al(OH)6]3- to form ettringite (AFt), therefore accelerating the dissolution of Al3+ in RS to generate more AFt and C-(A)-S-H gels. To some extent, this excites the volcanic ash of RS. Therefore, if there is an abundance of waste RS in the region and a lack of other auxiliary cementitious materials, a sufficient quantity of PG and a finely powdered waste RS component can be used to replace cementitious materials prepared with OPC to reduce the mining of raw OPC materials.

Green-Engineered Cementitious Composite Production with High-Strength Synthetic Fiber and Aggregate Replacement.

Engineered cementitious composites (ECCs) are potentially useful structural reinforcement and repair materials. However, owing to their high costs and carbon emissions, they are not used extensively. To control these carbon emissions and costs, recycled fly ash cenospheres (FACs) and high-strength polyethylene (PE) fibers are used here to explore the possibility of developing green lightweight ECCs (GLECCs). A series of experiments was conducted to test the physical and mechanical properties of the developed GLECC and to evaluate the possibility of developing an GLECC. The crack width development of the GLECC was also analyzed using the digital image correlation method. The experimental results indicate the following: (1) The increase in FAC content and the decrease in PE content worsened the performance of GLECCs, but the resulting GLECCs still had significant strain-hardening properties; (2) The performance and costs of GLECCs can be balanced by adjusting the amount of FAC and PE. The maximum amount of FACs attainable is 0.45 (FAC/binder), and the required amount of PE fibers can be reduced to 1%. As a result, the cost was reduced by 40% and the carbon emission was reduced by 36%, while the compressive strength was greater than 30 MPa, the tensile strength was greater than 3.5 MPa, and the tensile strain was nearly 3%. (3) The width of the crack was positively correlated with the FAC content and negatively correlated with the fiber content. In the 0.8% strain range, the average crack width can be controlled to within 100 µm and the maximum crack width can be controlled to within 150 µm, with the performance still meeting the requirements of many applications.

Study on the Performance of Steel Slag and Its Asphalt Mixture with Oxalic Acid and Water Erosion.

The reuse of steel slag, a large-scale solid waste from steel production, has good social and environmental benefits. The application of a steel slag asphalt mixture is mainly hindered by its volume expansion in water. The expansion of steel slag can be inhibited by oxalic acid. The expansion rate and adhesion of steel slag were investigated, and the immersion stability of steel slag and its asphalt mixture was evaluated by water erosion. By means of XRD, XRF, TG, SEM, etc., the influence mechanism of oxalic acid and water erosion on the properties of steel slag and its asphalt mixture was discussed. The results show that oxalic acid can not only inhibit the expansion of steel slag but also improve its crush resistance, with a reduction in the expansion rate of steel slag by 53%. Oxalic acid is able to leach alkaline metal elements, reducing its adhesion with asphalt. After 10 days of water erosion, the rutting stability and bending crack resistance of the treated steel slag mixture decreased by 37% and 43.2%, respectively. Calcium oxalate is generated on the surface of treated steel slag, which improves the surface compactness, effectively inhibits the expansion of steel slag caused by water erosion, and improves the performance of steel slag and its asphalt mixture. Water erosion can accelerate the hydration and shedding of calcium-containing substances on the surface of steel slag, reduce the adhesion of steel slag, and lead to degradation in the performance of steel slag and its asphalt mixture. Oxalic acid is able to effectively inhibit the expansion of steel slag, and the treated steel slag can be used as recycled aggregate in asphalt mixture, effectively solving the problems of road aggregate deficiency and environmental pollution caused by steel slag.

Fracture Behavior of Basalt Fiber-Reinforced Airport Pavement Concrete at Different Strain Rates.

As a commonly used surface structure for airport runways, concrete slabs are subjected to various complex and random loads for a long time, and it is necessary to investigate their fracture performance at different strain rates. In this study, three-point bending fracture tests were conducted using ordinary performance concrete (OPC) and basalt fiber-reinforced airport pavement concrete (BFAPC) with fiber volume contents of 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6%, at five strain rates (10-6 s-1, 10-5 s-1, 10-4 s-1, 10-3 s-1, and 10-2 s-1). Considering parameters such as the peak load, initial cracking load, double K fracture toughness, fracture energy, and critical crack expansion rate, the effects of the fiber volume content and strain rate on the fracture performance of concrete were systematically studied. The results indicate that these fracture parameters of OPC and BFAPC have an obvious strain rate dependence; in particular, the strain rate has a positive linear relationship with peak load and fracture energy, and a positive exponential relationship with the critical crack growth rate. Compared with OPC, the addition of basalt fiber (BF) can improve the fracture performance of airport pavement concrete, to a certain extent, where 0.4% and 0.6% fiber content were the most effective in enhancing the fracture properties of concrete under strain rates of 10-6-10-5 s-1 and 10-4-10-2 s-1, respectively. From the point of view of the critical crack growth rate, it is shown that the addition of BF can inhibit the crack growth of concrete. In this study, the fracture properties of BFAPC were evaluated at different strain rates, providing an important basis for the application of BFAPC in airport pavement.