Hong-Sen Yan^1,2, Jiao-Jun Zhang^1,2, Qi-Ming Sun^1,2

Intelligent Automation & Soft Computing, Vol.25, No.3, pp. 487-507, 2019, DOI:10.31209/2018.100000037

Abstract MTN optimal control scheme of SISO nonlinear time-varying discrete-time systems based on multi-dimensional Taylor network (MTN) is proposed to achieve the real-time output tracking control for a given reference signal. Firstly, an ideal output signal is selected and Pontryagin minimum principle adopted to obtain the numerical solution of the optimal control law for the system relative to the ideal output signal, with the corresponding optimal output termed as desired output signal. Then, MTN optimal controller (MTNC) is generated automatically to fit the optimal control law, and the conjugate gradient (CG) method is employed to train the weight parameters of MTNC… More >

Hsing‐Chung Chen^1,2, Shyi‐Shiun Kuo^1,3

Intelligent Automation & Soft Computing, Vol.25, No.1, pp. 217-228, 2019, DOI:10.31209/2018.100000057

Abstract Nowadays, more and more smartphones communicate to each other’s by using some popular Next Generation Instant Messaging (NGIM) applications (Apps) which are based on the blockchain (BC) technologies, such as XChat, via IPv4/IPv6 dual stack network environments. Owing to XChat addresses are soon to be implemented as stealth addresses, any DoS attack activated form malicious XChat node will be treated as a kind of DDoS attack. Therefore, the huge NGIM usages with stealth addresses in IPv4/IPv6 dual stack mobile networks, mobile devices will suffer the Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack from Internet. The probing method is deployed in this… More >

Juan Li

Intelligent Automation & Soft Computing, Vol.25, No.1, pp. 35-48, 2019, DOI:10.31209/2018.100000003

Abstract K-Nearest Neighbor algorithm (KNN) is a simple and mature classification method. However there are susceptible factors influencing the classification performance, such as k value determination, the overlarge search space, unbalanced and multi-class patterns, etc. To deal with the above problems, a new classification algorithm that absorbs tree structure, tree pruning and adaptive k value method was proposed. The proposed algorithm can overcome the shortcoming of KNN, improve the performance of multi-class and unbalanced classification, reduce the scale of dataset maintaining the comparable classification accuracy. The simulations are conducted and the proposed algorithm is compared with several existing algorithms. The results… More >

Eun-Joo Choi¹, So Yeon Yoo^2,*

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.22, No.2, pp. 93-104, 2020, DOI:10.32604/IJMHP.2020.011059

Abstract Chronic pain has a high prevalence rate and is difficult to treat because it is associated with personality, socio-psychological problems as well as physical pain, and thereby degrades one’s quality of life. This study aimed to determine whether psychosocial factors are associated with quality of life among outpatients with chronic pain. The subjects were selected from patients with chronic pain who were receiving outpatient treatment at the mental health department of a university hospital in Seoul, Korea. The participants were 100 patients and the data were collected using structured questionnaires. Patients’ quality of life was significantly positively correlated with pain… More >

Amir-Reza Hosseinpour¹, Mathieu van Steenberghe¹, Marc-André Bernath², Stefano Di Bernardo³, Marie-Hélène Pérez⁴, David Longchamp⁴, Mirko Dolci², Yann Boegli², Nicole Sekarski³, Javier Orrit¹, Michel Hurni¹, René Prêtre¹, Jacques Cotting⁴

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.12, No.5, pp. 570-577, 2017, DOI:10.1111/chd.12485

Abstract Objective: An important aspect of perioperative care in pediatric cardiac surgery is maintenance of optimal hemodynamic status using vasoactive/inotropic agents. Conventionally, this has focused on maintenance of cardiac output rather than perfusion pressure. However, this approach has been abandoned in our center in favor of one focusing primarily on perfusion pressure, which is presented here and compared to the conventional approach.
Design: A retrospective study.
Setting: Regional center for congenital heart disease. University Hospital of Lausanne, Switzerland.
Patients: All patients with Aristotle risk score ≥8 that underwent surgery from 1996 to 2012 were included. Patients operated between 1996 and 2005… More >

Ritu Sachdeva¹, Pamela S. Douglas², Michael S. Kelleman¹, Courtney E. McCracken¹, Leo Lopez³, Kenan W.D. Stern⁴, Benjamin W. Eidem⁵, Oscar J. Benavidez⁶, Rory B. Weiner⁶, Elizabeth Welch³, Robert M. Campbell¹, Wyman W. Lai⁷

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.12, No.3, pp. 373-381, 2017, DOI:10.1111/chd.12455

Abstract Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate effectiveness of educational intervention (EI) in the Pediatric Appropriate Use of Echocardiography (PAUSE) study to improve appropriateness of transthoracic echocardiograms (TTEs) ordered in pediatric cardiology clinics.
Design: Data were prospectively collected after the publication of the Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) document during 2 phases: the pre-EI phase (1/1/15 to 4/30/15) and the post-EI phase (7/ 1/15 to 10/30/15). Pre-EI, site-investigators (SI) determined AUC indications, by reviewing the clinic records. Post-EI, providers assigned indications prior to obtaining TTE.
Setting: Pediatric cardiology clinics at six centers.
Patients: Those ≤18 years old, receiving initial… More >

Delaram Molkara, Jose A. Silva Sepulveda, Thomas Do, Christopher Davis, Gregory P. Goldstein, John W. Moore, Howaida G El-Said

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.12, No.3, pp. 270-274, 2017, DOI:10.1111/chd.12432

Abstract Objective: Neonatal coronary thrombosis is a rarely reported disorder, with variable outcomes described. This study assessed the feasibility and safety of an institutional protocol using tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) administration for the treatment of neonatal coronary artery thrombi.
Methods: They reviewed the outcome of three neonates with clinical evidence of myocardial infarction secondary to coronary thrombosis. All three underwent the tPA treatment protocol.
Results: The three described cases presented at 5 hours, 15 hours, and 10 days of life. The patients identified underwent the tPA protocol at least once. There was clinical evidence of improvement in coronary flow, as well… More >

Shyam Sathanandam¹, Pooja Kashyap¹, David Zurakowski², Lindsey Bird¹, Vera McGhee³, Jeffrey Towbin¹, Benjamin Rush Waller III¹

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.12, No.2, pp. 181-187, 2017, DOI:10.1111/chd.12423

Abstract Objectives: The primary aim of this study was to compare thermodilution (TD) cardiac index (TDCi) measured by injecting cold saline (C-TDCi) to saline at room temperature (R-TDCi). The secondary aim was to assess the change in body temperature with cold saline injections in children.
Design: This is a prospective, case control study.
Setting: Cardiac catheterization lab at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee.
Patients: Eighty-six children ≤18 years of age that underwent cardiac catheterization between April 2013 and April 2015, excluding patients with admixing lesions, on inotropic support and with ejection fraction < 30%.
Interventions: A TD catheter in the… More >

Shae Anderson^1,2, Courtney E. McCracken², Ritu Sachdeva^1,2

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.13, No.6, pp. 1050-1057, 2018, DOI:10.1111/chd.12679

Abstract Objective: The educational intervention (EI) through the Pediatric Appropriate Use of Echocardiography (PAUSE) multicenter study resulted in improved appropriate‐ ness of transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) orders at our center. The current study evaluated if this pattern persisted after cessation of EI and the potential physician characteristics influencing appropriateness.
Design: Outpatients (≤18 years old) seen for initial evaluation during the EI (July to October, 2015) and 6‐month post‐EI (May to August, 2016) phases were included. Comparison was made between TTE rates and appropriateness ratings during EI and post‐EI phase. Association between TTE rate and appropriateness with physician characteristics (age, experience, patient volume,… More >

Lindsay A. Edwards^1,2, Christine Bui^2,3, Antonio G. Cabrera^1,2, Jill Ann Jarrell^2,4,5

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.13, No.3, pp. 362-368, 2018, DOI:10.1111/chd.12579

Abstract Objective: To improve outpatient advanced care planning (ACP) for adults with congenital/pediatric heart disease followed in a pediatric heart failure (HF) and transplant clinic through quality improvement (QI) methodology.
Design: A one-year QI project was completed. We conducted quarterly chart reviews and incorporated feedback from the providers to direct subsequent interventions.
Patients and Setting: Patients ≥18 years of age seen in the HF and Transplant Clinic for followup visit were included in analysis.
Interventions: Interventions focused on five main areas: identifying and training providers to have ACP discussions, standardizing the ACP discussion, standardizing ACP and advance directive (AD) documentation in… More >