Search Results (12)

This paper develops a novel approach for reliable vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication in various environments. A switched beam antenna is deployed at the transmitting and receiving points, with a beam management system that concentrates the power in each beam using a low-computation algorithm and a potential mathematical model. The algorithm is designed to be flexible for various environments faced by vehicles. Additionally, an anti-failure system is proposed in case the intelligent transportation system (ITS) system fails to retrieve real-time Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR) values related to traffic density. Performance metrics include the time to collision in seconds, the bit error rate (BER), the packet error rate (PER), the average throughput (Mbps), the beam selection probability, and computational complexity factors. The proposed system is compared with traditional systems. Extensive experiments, simulations, and comparisons show that the proposed approach is excellent and reliable for vehicular systems. The proposed study demonstrates an average throughput of 1.7 Mbps, surpassing conventional methods’ typical throughput of 1.35 Mbps. Moreover, the bit error rate (BER) of the proposed study is reduced by a factor of 0.1. Additionally, the proposed framework achieves a beam power efficiency of touching to 100% at computational factor of 34. These metrics indicate that the proposed method is both efficient and sufficiently robust. Full article

In this paper, we propose a novel switched beam antenna system model integrated with deep reinforcement learning (DRL) for 6G vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications. The proposed system model aims to address the challenges of highly dynamic V2V environments, including rapid changes in channel conditions, interference, and Doppler effects. By leveraging the beam-switching capabilities of switched beam antennas and the intelligent decision making of DRL, the proposed approach enhances the performance of 6G V2V communications in terms of throughput, latency, reliability, and spectral efficiency. The proposed work develops a comprehensive mathematical model that accounts for 6G channel modeling, beam-switching, and beam-alignment errors. The Proposed DRL framework is designed to learn optimal beam-switching decisions in real time, adapting to the complex and varying V2V communication scenarios. The integration of the proposed antenna system and DRL model results in a robust solution that is capable of maintaining reliable communication links in a highly dynamic environment. To validate the proposed approach, extensive simulations were conducted and performance analysis using various performance metrics, such as throughput, latency, reliability, energy efficiency, resource utilization, and network scalability, was analyzed. Results demonstrate that the proposed system model significantly outperforms conventional V2V communication systems and other state-of-the-art techniques. Furthermore, the proposed approach shows that the beam-switching capabilities of the switched beam antenna system and the intelligent decision making of the DRL model are essential in addressing the challenges of 6G V2V communications. Full article

Increased capacity, higher data rate, decreased latency, and better service quality are examples of the primary objectives or needs that must be catered to in the near future, i.e., fifth-generation (5G) and beyond. To fulfil these needs, cellular network design must be drastically improved. The 5G cellular network design, huge multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology, and device-to-device communication are all highlighted in this comprehensive study. Hence, free-space optics (FSO) is a promising solution to address this field. However, FSO standalone is insufficient during turbulent weather conditions. FSO systems possess some limitations, such as being able to be disturbed by any interference between sender and receiver such as a flying bird and a tree, as it requires line-of-sight (LOS) connectivity. Moreover, it is sensitive to weather conditions; the FSO performance significantly decreases in bad weather conditions such as fog and snow; those factors deteriorate the performance of FSO. This paper conducts a systematic survey on the existing projects in the same area of research such as the hybrid FSO/Radio frequency (RF) communication system by listing each technique used for each model to achieve optimum performance in terms of data rate and Bit Error Rate (BER) to be implemented in 5G networks. Full article

Attribute-based encryption (ABE) cryptography is widely known for its potential to solve the scalability issue of recent public key infrastructure (PKI). It provides a fine-grained access control system with high flexibility and efficiency by labeling the secret key and ciphertext with distinctive attributes. Due to its fine-grained features, the ABE scheme is a protection layer in securing users’ data and privacy in big data processing and analytics. However, quantum computing, new technology on the horizon that will transform the security and privacy environment, has begun to appear. Like the conventional ABE schemes, present cryptography is not excluded from the impacts of quantum technology as they are not made to be quantum-resistant. While most recent surveys generally touched on the generic features of attribute-based encryption schemes such as user revocation, scalability, flexibility, data confidentiality, and scope in pairing-based ABE schemes, this survey investigated quantum-resistant ABE schemes in securing big data. This survey reviews the challenges faced by the recent ABE cryptography in the post-quantum era and highlights its differences from the conventional pairing-based ABE schemes. Subsequently, we defined the criteria of an ideal quantum-resistant ABE scheme. Additionally, existing works on quantum-resistant ABE schemes are reviewed based on their algorithms design, security and functionalities. Lastly, we summarized quantum-resistant ABE schemes’ ongoing challenges and future works. Full article

Objective: To identify the differential patient characteristics, injury types, and treatment outcomes between hospitalized child abuse and non-child abuse injuries in Taiwan. Methods: Using the data from the National Health Insurance Research Database, we selected a total of 1525 patients under the age of 18 that were diagnosed with child abuse, as well as an additional 6100 patients as a comparison group. Chi-square test, Fisher exact test, and independent samples t-test were used to compare the differences between the abused children and the non-abuse-related injured children. The multivariate conditional logistic regression was performed to measure the risk factor of child maltreatment in injured children. Results: Intracranial injury was more frequent in the child abuse group than it was in the non-child abuse group (35.0% vs. 8.2%; p < 0.001). Children in the child abuse group tended to stay longer in the hospital and incur higher medical expenses (8.91 days vs. 4.41 days and USD 2564 vs. USD 880, respectively). In multivariate analysis, the Adjusted Odds Ratio (Adjusted OR) of abuse resulting in an injury for children in low-income families is 1.965 times higher than those in non-low-income families (p < 0.001). Children living in high urbanization areas had a significantly higher probability of being abused than those living in low urbanization areas (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Children under the age of 1 who were hospitalized with severe intracranial injuries are highly at risk for child maltreatment. Moreover, numerous high-risk environmental factors were observed in child abuse cases, including living in urban areas, families with low income, and seasonality, as child maltreatment cases occur more frequently in autumn. Full article

Objective: To investigate the association between various injuries and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and distinguish ADHD from non-ADHD with regards to risk of various injuries among children in Taiwan. Method: Using the data from the National Health Insurance Research Database, we selected a total of 1802 subjects under the age of 18 who were diagnosed with ADHD as well as an additional 7208 subjects as a comparison group. Results: Compared with children who were not diagnosed with ADHD, children diagnosed with ADHD were more likely to intentionally injure themselves. During the school year, ADHD children were injured less frequently than were non-ADHD children on traffic-related incidents. The adjusted hazard ratio of injury for the ADHD children was 2.493 times higher than that of comparison subjects. The ADHD children had a greater length of stay and medical cost when compared to those of the non-ADHD children. Age showed a significant inverse relationship with injury. Among the ADHD children, the injury rate was evidently higher for the low-income group than for the non-low-income group. Conclusions: Age, cause of injuries, low-income household status, and school season all have a significant connection to the risk of injury for ADHD children. Full article

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is a leading cause of cancer mortality among women but unfortunately is usually not diagnosed until advanced stage. Early detection of EOC is of paramount importance to improve outcomes. Liquid biopsy of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is emerging as one of the promising biomarkers for early detection of solid tumors. However, discrepancies in terms of oncogenomics (i.e., different genetic defects detected) between the germline, primary tumor, and liquid biopsy are a serious concern and may adversely affect downstream cancer management. Here, we illustrate the potential and pitfalls of CTCs by presenting two patients of Stage I EOC. We successfully isolated and recovered CTCs by a silicon-based nanostructured microfluidics system, the automated Cell Reveal^TM. We examined the genomics of CTCs as well as the primary tumor and germline control (peripheral blood mononuclear cells) by whole exome sequencing. Different signatures were then investigated by comparisons of identified mutation loci distinguishing those that may only arise in the primary tumor or CTCs. A novel model is proposed to test if the highly variable allele frequencies, between primary tumor and CTCs results, are due to allele dropout in plural CTCs or tumor heterogeneity. This proof-of-principle study provides a strategy to elucidate the possible cause of genomic discrepancy between the germline, primary tumor, and CTCs, which is helpful for further large-scale use of such technology to be integrated into clinical management protocols. Full article

Skeletal dysplasia (SD) is a complex group of bone and cartilage disorders often detectable by fetal ultrasound, but the definitive diagnosis remains challenging because the phenotypes are highly variable and often overlap among different disorders. The molecular mechanisms underlying this condition are also diverse. Hundreds of genes are involved in the pathogenesis of SD, but most of them are yet to be elucidated, rendering genotyping almost infeasible except those most common such as fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3), collagen type I alpha 1 chain (COL1A1), collagen type I alpha 2 chain (COL1A2), diastrophic dysplasia sulfate transporter (DTDST), and SRY-box 9 (SOX9). Here, we report the use of trio-based whole exome sequencing (trio-WES) with comprehensive gene set analysis in two Taiwanese non-consanguineous families with fetal SD at autopsy. A biparental-origin homozygous c.509G>A(p.G170D) mutation in peptidylprolyl isomerase B (PPIB) gene was identified. The results support a diagnosis of a rare form of autosomal recessive SD, osteogenesis imperfecta type IX (OI IX), and confirm that the use of a trio-WES study is helpful to uncover a genetic explanation for observed fetal anomalies (e.g., SD), especially in cases suggesting autosomal recessive inheritance. Moreover, the finding of an identical PPIB mutation in two non-consanguineous families highlights the possibility of the founder effect, which deserves future investigations in the Taiwanese population. Full article

Adaptive support ventilation (ASV) is a closed-loop ventilation, which can make automatic adjustments in tidal volume (V_T) and respiratory rate based on the minimal work of breathing. The purpose of this research was to study whether ASV can provide a protective ventilation pattern to decrease the risk of ventilator-induced lung injury in patients of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In the clinical study, 15 ARDS patients were randomly allocated to an ASV group or a pressure-control ventilation (PCV) group. There was no significant difference in the mortality rate and respiratory parameters between these two groups, suggesting the feasible use of ASV in ARDS. In animal experiments of 18 piglets, the ASV group had a lower alveolar strain compared with the volume-control ventilation (VCV) group. The ASV group exhibited less lung injury and greater alveolar fluid clearance compared with the VCV group. Tissue analysis showed lower expression of matrix metalloproteinase 9 and higher expression of claudin-4 and occludin in the ASV group than in the VCV group. In conclusion, the ASV mode is capable of providing ventilation pattern fitting into the lung-protecting strategy; this study suggests that ASV mode may effectively reduce the risk or severity of ventilator-associated lung injury in animal models. Full article

Autosomal recessive renal tubular dysgenesis (ARRTD) is a rare and lethal disorder that causes stillbirth or early neonatal death. Most of the reported cases are diagnosed postnatally by a histopathological hallmark of the absence or paucity of differentiated proximal tubules in kidneys. Prenatal diagnosis of ARRTD is challenging because only a few fetal features (e.g., oligohydramnios/anhydramnios, anuria) are associated with this condition. In this study, we report a fetus with ARRTD, which showed anhydramnios and invisible urinary bladder since the second trimester, followed by growth restriction and reversed end diastolic flow in the middle cerebral artery (MCA-REDF). No morphological anomaly was detected on the fetal kidneys during an ultrasound scan. The baby died of refractory hypotension the day after their birth. Genetic analysis of genes that are involved in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), which are the known genetic causes of ARRTD, identified a novel, biparental-origin homozygous c.857-619_1269+243delinsTTGCCTTGC mutation in the AGT gene. The mutation is considered as pathogenic because it is cosegregated with ARRTD and detected in other unrelated ARRTD families. Our findings link the fetal ultrasound manifestations to the ARRTD, highlighting clues that are useful for prenatal diagnosis, which warrants confirmatory genotyping of the RAAS genes including oligohydramnios/anhydramnios, anuria (absent filling of a fetal urinary bladder), MCA-REDF, and a morphologically normal kidney. Full article

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) has become a crucial approach in helping carriers of inherited disorders to give birth to healthy offspring. In this study, we review PGD methodologies and explore the use of amplification refractory mutation system quantitative polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-qPCR) and/or linkage analysis for PGD in neurodegenerative diseases that are clinically relevant with typical features, such as late onset, and which are severely debilitating. A total of 13 oocyte retrieval cycles were conducted in 10 cases with various neurodegenerative diseases. Among the 59 embryos analyzed, 49.2% (29/59) were unaffected and 50.8% (30/59) were affected. Of the 12 embryo transfer cycles, three resulted in pregnancy, and all pregnancies were delivered. The implantation rate and livebirth rate were 23.1% (3/13) per oocyte retrieval cycle and 25.0% (3/12) per embryo transfer cycle. Allele dropout (ADO) was noted in two embryos that were classified as unaffected by ARMS-qPCR but were evidenced as affected after prenatal diagnosis, rendering the false negative rate as 6.3% (2/32). Four among the 13 cycles underwent PGD by ARMS-qPCR coupled with linkage analysis, and all were correctly diagnosed. We conclude that PGD by ARMS-qPCR and/or linkage analysis is a feasible strategy, whereas ADO is a concern when ARMS-qPCR is used as the sole technology in PGD, especially in autosomal dominant diseases. Full article

Circulating fetal cells (CFCs) in maternal blood are rare but have a strong potential to be the target for noninvasive prenatal diagnosis (NIPD). “Cell Reveal^TM system” is a silicon-based microfluidic platform capable to capture rare cell populations in human circulation. The platform is recently optimized to enhance the capture efficiency and system automation. In this study, spiking tests of SK-BR-3 breast cancer cells were used for the evaluation of capture efficiency. Then, peripheral bloods from 14 pregnant women whose fetuses have evidenced non-maternal genomic markers (e.g., de novo pathogenic copy number changes) were tested for the capture of circulating fetal nucleated red blood cells (fnRBCs). Captured cells were subjected to fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) on chip or recovered by an automated cell picker for molecular genetic analyses. The capture rate for the spiking tests is estimated as 88.1%. For the prenatal study, 2–71 fnRBCs were successfully captured from 2 mL of maternal blood in all pregnant women. The captured fnRBCs were verified to be from fetal origin. Our results demonstrated that the Cell Reveal^TM system has a high capture efficiency and can be used for fnRBC capture that is feasible for the genetic diagnosis of fetuses without invasive procedures. Full article