A passive isolation of sensor faults from un-stealthy attacks in uncertain nonlinear systems.

In this paper, a novel nonlinear observer-based approach is established to cast light on the problem of isolating sensor faults from un-stealthy attacks for Lipschitz affine nonlinear systems subjected to unknown uncertainties and disturbances. A structure consisting of a multi-line transmission mechanism, a random number generator (RNG), and Dedicated Observer Scheme is developed to make the abnormal behaviors distinguishable. A group of two interlinked nonlinear Luenberger-Like observers is designed in nonlinear coordinates to detect abnormal behaviors. Two banks of detection observers and an incidence matrix are introduced to make the final decisions. Adaptive threshold techniques are exploited to guarantee the robustness against the model uncertainties and disturbances. Compared with the existing results, the proposed approach isolates the abnormal behaviors without the need for any redundant hardware components. Finally, the performance of the proposed approach is evaluated on a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR).

Parent's Satisfaction of Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Program in Iran.

Measuring parent satisfaction is an important factor in pediatric health care service programs because parents play a major role in their child's life. The parental decisions are a basis for the success or failure of the child's treatment in many cases. The purpose of this study was to determine levels of parents' satisfaction following the implementation of universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) program in Iran. In this study, the Persain version of the parent satisfaction questionnaire with neonatal hearing screening program (PSQ-NHSP) was used to measure parents' satisfaction on information of newborn hearing screening program, personnel in charge of the hearing testing, hearing screening activities, and overall satisfaction. Newborns were screened using transient evoked otoacoustic emissions and automatic auditory brainstem response tests within the first 48 h of life for each ear. Of the 312 questionnaires distributed, 217 parents (67%) responded. The mean scores of the "overall satisfaction" items ranged from 4.07 to 4.29, demonstrating high levels of parent satisfaction with this aspect of the program. More than 86% of parents were overally satisfied with the hearing screening program. In open-ended items, 84% of parents comments showed their satisfaction. The findings of the present study revealed that parents were generally satisfied with the UNHS program. The PSQ-NHSP questionnaire is easily employed and effective method for assessing parental satisfaction with newborn hearing screening programs.

Dietary status with demographic and anthropometric variables and some health affecting risk factors in people of Southeastern Iran: A population-based study (KERCADRS).

BACKGROUND: Dietary pattern is influenced by lifestyle, genetic, cultural, and socioeconomic factors. We investigated the status of prudent (PDP) and imprudent (IDP) dietary patterns and their relationship with demographic and anthropometric variables and health conditions in an urban population of Southeastern Iran. METHODS: The study was conducted on 9997 people aged 15-80 years randomly selected using one-stage cluster sampling. Demographic and anthropometric measurements were recorded through face-to-face interview, and their nutritional status was assessed by the food frequency questionnaire. PDP and IDP were identified based on scoring to the type and daily/weekly frequency of foods consumed and their production methods. RESULTS: Fifty nine percent of the participants were females. PDP participants reported daily intake of whole grains (99.5%), fruits (66.5%), and unsaturated oil (88.6%). Daily intake of sweets and high fat dairy products were 55.7% and 46%, respectively. Women (64.8% vs 35.2 %) and people with diabetes (p<0.001), hypertension (p<0.01), and higher BMI (p<0.02) had healthier dietary status. People with lower education, cigarette smokers and opium users had a higher rate of IDP (all p<0.001). The dietary pattern improved with aging (AOR of IDP decreased from 1 in 15-24 years to 0.20 for 65-75 years) (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Younger people, men and those with lower education had unhealthier dietary pattern. It seems that dietary behavior is more related to the individuals' tendencies and taste preferences. Modification of nutritional behaviors of the population and leading young people, men, and those with lower education to improve their dietary pattern is recommended.

Involvement of T-type calcium channels in the mechanism of low dose morphine-induced hyperalgesia in adult male rats.

It has been shown that systemic and local administration of ultra-low dose morphine induced a hyperalgesic response via mu-opioid receptors. However, its exact mechanism(s) has not fully been clarified. It is documented that mu-opioid receptors functionally couple to T-type voltage dependent Ca+2 channels. Here, we investigated the role of T-type calcium channels, amiloride and mibefradil, on the induction of low-dose morphine hyperalgesia in male Wistar rats. The data showed that morphine (0.01 µg i.t. and 1 µg/kg i.p.) could elicit hyperalgesia as assessed by the tail-flick test. Administration of amiloride (5 and 10 µg i.t.) and mibefradil (2.5 and 5 µg i.t.) completely blocked low-dose morphine-induced hyperalgesia in spinal dorsal horn. Amiloride at doses of 1 and 5 mg/kg (i.p.) and mibefradil (9 mg/kg ip) 10 min before morphine (1 µg/kg i.p.) inhibited morphine-induced hyperalgesia. Our results indicate a role for T-type calcium channels in low dose morphine-induced hyperalgesia in rats.

Risk Factors for Otitis Media in Children Referred to Abuzar Hospital in Ahvaz: A Case-Control Study.

Introduction Otitis media is one of the most common causes of infection in preschool children. The most damaging complication of otitis media is temporary or permanent hearing loss. This study aimed to determine the important risk factors for otitis media. Methods In this case-control study, 625 children aged six months to seven years were examined from winter to spring 2020, and 53 children with otitis media were allocated to the case group and the same number to the control group. The chi-square test was used to identify the risk factors affecting otitis media, and the risk factors were compared between the case and control groups. Logistic regression was used to investigate the relationship between the incidence of otitis media and risk factors. Results Bivariate analysis revealed the following primary risk factors for otitis media: using pacifiers or bottle feeding, working mother, seasonal rhinitis, allergic rhinitis, tonsillopharyngitis, rhinorrhea, and adenoid hypertrophy (P<0.05). In logistic regression analysis, using pacifiers or bottle feeding (odds ratio [OR]=0.156, P=0.000), working mother (OR=0.226, P=0.000), seasonal rhinitis (OR=0.175, P=0.000), allergic rhinitis (OR=5.20, P=0.000) and adenoid hypertrophy (OR=1.57, P=0.000) were identified as the most important risk factors. Conclusion Adenoid hypertrophy and allergic rhinitis increased the risk of otitis media more than the other risk factors. Therefore, pediatricians should increase their awareness of the existence of these risk factors in a patient, and take the appropriate diagnostic steps and implement therapeutic care to prevent language and speech complications.

Development of the Farsi Hearing in Noise Test.

Objectives: Develop sentences in Farsi for use in the Hearing In Noise Test (HINT); equalise the difficulty of the sentences; form twelve 20-sentence lists; and determine the reliability and norms for these materials.Design: The same study design as used in the development of HINT in other languages was followed. Sentences were sampled from elementary school reading materials. Sentence difficulty was matched by scaling sentence levels. Equivalent sentence lists were formed. Speech reception thresholds were measured under headphones in quiet and in three noise conditions that differed in the spatial locations of the speech and noise sources. Spatial locations were simulated using head-related transfer functions.Study sample: Subjects were 24 adult native speakers of Farsi with pure-tone thresholds ≤25 dB HL at audiometric frequencies from 0.25 to 8.00 kHz.Results: Reliability, the variability of test-retest score differences, was 1.28 dB in quiet and 1.08 dB in noise. Average speech reception thresholds in Quiet = 19.4 dB(A). Average signal/noise ratios at threshold were Noise Front = -5.4 dB, Noise Right = -13.7 dB, and Noise Left = -13.7.Conclusions: The reliability and norms for the Farsi HINT are comparable to those for other languages, enabling comparison of test results across languages.

The Correlation Analysis Between the Spatial Hearing Questionnaire (SHQ) and the Psychophysical Measurement of Spatial Hearing.

The aim of the present study was examining the relationship between a psychophysical spatial hearing test (spatial word in noise test) and Spatial Hearing Questionnaire. Sixty-six adults (18-40 years old) were divided in three groups: normal subjects, subjects with mild and moderate hearing loss. Spatial word in noise test and Persian version of the spatial hearing questionnaire were evaluated and compared among these groups. According to Pearson's test, there was a significant positive correlation between the scores of spatial word in noise test and Persian version of the Spatial Hearing Questionnaire in three groups (r = 0.64-0.89). Hearing loss can deteriorate spatial hearing ability. Both objective and subjective spatial hearing tests are shown to be effective in detecting spatial hearing disorder.

Binaural Interaction Component of Middle Latency Response in Children Suspected to Central Auditory Processing Disorder.

Binaural processing disorder is an important deficit in children with (C)APD so binaural processing evaluations are crucial. There are subjective and objective tests for assessing binaural processing. Subjective tests require patient attention and active so objective evaluation of binaural processing is important. The aim of present study was investigating binaural interaction component (BIC) of middle latency response (MLR) in children suspected to (C)APD. Sixty 8-12 year-old children suspected to (C)APD and sixty normal children were selected based on inclusion criteria. Both groups were matched in terms of sex (40 boys and 20 girls) and age (9.05 ± 1.25 years old). MLR test (monaural right ear, monaural left ear and binaural) was performed in all the cases and BIC was calculated by subtracting binaural response from summed monaural responses. Independent t test showed that latency of Pa and Na (ms), Pa-Na amplitude (µv), BIC latency (ms) and amplitude (µv) were significantly different from normal subjects (p value ≤0.001). Present study showed that MLR and BIC of MLR are clinically available and objective tests that can be used to determining children suspected to (C)APD. These tests might have the potential to separating normal children from children with (C)APD objectively.

Maternal Perception of Self-Efficacy and Involvement in Young Children with Prelingual Hearing Loss.

Appropriate intervention needs to support families and consider them as a part of rehabilitation program. Parents who have high self-efficacy are more likely to put their knowledge and skills into action and have positive interactions with their children. In addition, there has been a positive relation between parental involvement and child educational success. The aim of present study was evaluating maternal perception of both self-efficacy and involvement between mothers of children with hearing aid and cochlear implant via Scale of Parental Involvement and Self Efficacy (SPISE) and exploring relationship between maternal self-efficacy and parental involvement and child factors. 100 mothers of children with hearing loss were available. 49 mothers participated in study, filled SPISE, and return it on time. SPISE consisted of three sections (1) demographic information, (2) maternal self-efficacy, (3) parental involvement. All cases had received at least 6 months auditory training and speech therapy. Participants included 30 (61.2%) mothers of children with hearing aid, 19 (38.8%) mothers of children with cochlear implant. ANOVA analysis showed that there is no significant difference between hearing aid (HA) and cochlear implant (CI) groups in term of self-efficacy and parent-involvement except for question 21 (comfortable in participating in individualized program) that score in HA group was significantly higher than CI group. Results of present study has practical implications for early interventionists working with families. Every early intervention program should consider families to reach maximum outcome. Early interventionists can use SPISE to evaluate parental selfefficacy and involvement and work on parents with low score to achieve the best results.

Auditory Lateralization Training Effects on Binaural Interaction Component of Middle Latency Response in Children Suspected to Central Auditory Processing Disorder.

Many children with central auditory processing disorder (C)APD suffer from spatial processing disorder and benefit from binaural processing training including auditory lateralization training. There are subjective tests for evaluating auditory training effects in children with (C)APD but they rely on patient's attention and cooperation so there is a need for appropriate objective tests. The aim of present study was investigating effects of auditory lateralization training on binaural interaction component (BIC) of middle latency response (MLR). This study was an analytical interventional study. Sixty children suspected to (C)APD (40 boys and 20 girls) were selected based on inclusion criteria and were divided into two groups: control and training group. Auditory lateralization training included 12 formal sessions under headphone by using interaural time difference and performed as a game. MLR (monaural right ear, monaural left ear and binaural) and monaural selective auditory attention test (mSAAT) tests were performed in all the cases. BIC was calculated by subtracting binaural response from summed monaural responses. Covariance test showed that BIC latency decreased and BIC amplitude increased significantly and mSAAT score increased significantly in training group after auditory lateralization training (p value ≤ 0.001). In present study BIC of MLR had potential to show underlying neurophysiologic changes after auditory lateralization training in children suspected to (C)APD objectively. It is in agreement with behavioral improvements after training (mSAAT improvements).

The Effects of the Vestibular Rehabilitation on the Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo Recurrence Rate in Patients with Otolith Dysfunction.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Although repositioning maneuvers have shown remarkable success rate in treatments of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), the high recurrence rate of BPPV has been an important issue. The aims of present study were to examine the effects of otolith dysfunction on BPPV recurrence rate and to describe the effect of vestibular rehabilitation exercises on BPPV recurrence in BPPV patients with concomitant otolith dysfunction. Subjects and. METHODS: Forty-five BPPV patients included in this study (three groups). Patients in group 1 had no otolith dysfunction and patients in groups 2 and 3 had concomitant otolith dysfunction. Otolith dysfunction was determined with ocular/cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential (oVEMP and cVEMP) abnormalities. Epley's maneuver was performed for the patients in all groups but patients in group 3 also received a 2-month vestibular rehabilitation program (habituation and otolith exercises). RESULTS: This study showed that BPPV recurrent rate was significantly higher in patients with otolith dysfunction in comparison to the group 1 (p<0.05). Vestibular rehabilitation resulted in BPPV recurrence rate reduction. Utricular dysfunction showed significant correlation with BPPV recurrence rate. CONCLUSIONS: Otolith dysfunction can increase BPPV recurrence rate. Utricular dysfunction in comparison to saccular dysfunction leads to more BPPV recurrence rate. Vestibular rehabilitation program including habituation and otolith exercises may reduce the chance of BPPV recurrence.

Dichotic training in children with auditory processing disorder.

OBJECTIVES: Several test batteries have been suggested for auditory processing disorder (APD) diagnosis. One of the important tests is dichotic listening tests. Significant ear asymmetry (usually right ear advantage) can be indicative of (APD). Two main trainings have been suggested for dichotic listening disorders: Differential Interaural Intensity Difference (DIID) and Dichotic Offset Training (DOT). The aim of the present study was comparing the efficacy of these two trainings in resolving dichotic listening disorders. METHODS: 12 children in the age range of 8 to 9 years old with APD were included (mean age 8.41 years old±0.51). They all had abnormal right ear advantage based on established age-appropriate norms for Farsi dichotic digit test. Then subjects were randomly divided into two groups (each contained 6 subjects): group 1 received DIID training (8.33 years old ±0.51) and group 2 received DOT training (8.50 years old±0.54). RESULTS: Both trainings were effective in improvement of dichotic listening. There was a significant difference between two trainings with respect to the length of treatment (P-value≤0.001). DOT needed more training sessions (12.83±0.98 sessions) than DIID (21.16±0.75 sessions) to achieve the same amount of performance improvement. CONCLUSION: Based on the present study it can be assumed that DOT might be a good replacement for DIID training in cases that DIID is not applicable and DIID candidacy conditions are not met. To generalize the results, studies with larger sample sizes are recommended.

Adaptive Consensus Control of Nonlinear Multiagent Systems With Unknown Control Directions Under Stochastic Topologies.

The consensus problem over high-order nonlinear multiagent systems with the Brunovsky-type model is studied. The model parameters and control directions of agents are supposed to be unknown. Hence, based on Nussbaum-type functions, an adaptive protocol is proposed, which guarantees achieving consensus in the network when the parameters and control directions of the agents are unknown and unidentical. The main contribution of this paper (compared with the existing similar results in the literature) is to guarantee achieving consensus in networks of agents when the communication topology is not connected constantly, and communication links stochastically switch over time. It is shown that if the probability of the network connectivity is not zero, under some conditions, almost sure consensus can be achieved. Illustrative examples verify the accuracy of the proposed consensus protocol.

Adaptive near-optimal neuro controller for continuous-time nonaffine nonlinear systems with constrained input.

In this paper, an identifier-critic structure is introduced to find an online near-optimal controller for continuous-time nonaffine nonlinear systems having saturated control signal. By employing two Neural Networks (NNs), the solution of Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation associated with the cost function is derived without requiring a priori knowledge about system dynamics. Weights of the identifier and critic NNs are tuned online and simultaneously such that unknown terms are approximated accurately and the control signal is kept between the saturation bounds. The convergence of NNs' weights, identification error, and system states is guaranteed using Lyapunov's direct method. Finally, simulation results are performed on two nonlinear systems to confirm the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy.

The effects of cochlear implantation on vestibular function in 1-4 years old children.

OBJECTIVES: Although cochlear implants offer an effective hearing restoration option in children with severe to profound hearing loss, concern continues to exist regarding the possible effects of cochlear implantation on the vestibular system and balance. METHODS: In a prospective cohort study, 27 children with bilateral profound hearing loss (all candidates for cochlear implantation) were evaluated for their vestibular function before and after cochlear implantation. Vestibular evaluations consisted of Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials, caloric testing and the Head-Impulse Test. RESULTS: Mean age at the time of cochlear implantation was 27.19 months. Without considering vestibular evaluation results, one of the ears was selected for surgery. Vestibular tests after surgery were not indicative of any statistically significant change in vestibular system or balance. CONCLUSION: This limited data shows that cochlear implantation did not impair the vestibular system of these patients. By the results of our study we may conclude that round window implantation does not have any disturbing impact on vestibular function in children. The generalization of this result needs further research.

Consensus Problem Over High-Order Multiagent Systems With Uncertain Nonlinearities Under Deterministic and Stochastic Topologies.

The leaderless consensus problem over a class of high-order nonlinear multiagent systems (MASs) is studied. A robust protocol is proposed which guarantees achieving consensus in the network in the presences of uncertainties in agents models. Achieving consensus in the case of stochastic links failure is studied as well. Based on the concept super-martingales, it is shown that if the probability of the network connectivity is not zero, under some conditions, achieving almost sure consensus in the network can be guaranteed. Despite existing consensus protocols for high-order stochastic networks, the proposed consensus protocol in this paper is robust to uncertain nonlinearities in the agents models, and it can be designed independent of knowledge on the set of feasible topologies (topologies with nonzero probabilities). Numerical examples for a team of single-link flexible joint manipulators with fourth-order models verify the accuracy of the proposed strategy for consensus control of high-order MASs with uncertain nonlinearities.

Effects of an Auditory Lateralization Training in Children Suspected to Central Auditory Processing Disorder.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Central auditory processing disorder [(C)APD] refers to a deficit in auditory stimuli processing in nervous system that is not due to higher-order language or cognitive factors. One of the problems in children with (C)APD is spatial difficulties which have been overlooked despite their significance. Localization is an auditory ability to detect sound sources in space and can help to differentiate between the desired speech from other simultaneous sound sources. Aim of this research was investigating effects of an auditory lateralization training on speech perception in presence of noise/competing signals in children suspected to (C)APD. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In this analytical interventional study, 60 children suspected to (C)APD were selected based on multiple auditory processing assessment subtests. They were randomly divided into two groups: control (mean age 9.07) and training groups (mean age 9.00). Training program consisted of detection and pointing to sound sources delivered with interaural time differences under headphones for 12 formal sessions (6 weeks). Spatial word recognition score (WRS) and monaural selective auditory attention test (mSAAT) were used to follow the auditory lateralization training effects. RESULTS: This study showed that in the training group, mSAAT score and spatial WRS in noise (p value≤0.001) improved significantly after the auditory lateralization training. CONCLUSIONS: We used auditory lateralization training for 6 weeks and showed that auditory lateralization can improve speech understanding in noise significantly. The generalization of this results needs further researches.

The Cytotoxicity of Dacarbazine Potentiated by Sea Cucumber Saponin in Resistant B16F10 Melanoma Cells through Apoptosis Induction.

BACKGROUND: Malignant melanoma is a highly aggressive malignant melanocytic neoplasm which resists against the most conventional therapies. Sea cucumber as one of marine organisms contains bioactive compounds such as polysaccharide, terpenoid and other metabolites which have anti-cancer, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The present study was designed to investigate the anticancer potential of saponin extracted from sea cucumber Holothuria leucospilata alone and in combination with dacarbazine on B16F10 melanoma cell line. METHODS: The B16F10 cell line was treated with different concentrations of saponin (0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 µg/ml), dacarbazine (0, 1200, 1400, 1600, 18000, 1200, 1400, 1600, 2000 µg/ml) and co-administration of saponin-dacarbazine (1200 da+8 sp, 1200 da+4 sp) for 24 and 48 hr and the cytotoxic effect was examined by MTT, DAPI, acridine orange/propodium iodide, flow cytometry and caspase colorimetric assay. RESULTS: The results exhibited that sea cucumber saponin, dacarbazine, and co-administration of saponin-dacarbazine inhibited the proliferation of melanoma cells in a dose and time dependent manner with IC50 values of 10, 1400 and 4+1200 µg/ml, respectively. Morphological observation of DAPI and acridine orange/propodium iodide staining documented typical characteristics of apoptotic cell death. Flow cytometry assay indicated accumulation of IC50 treated cells in sub-G1 peak. Additionally, saponin extracted induced intrinsic apoptosis via up-regulation of caspase-3 and caspase-9. CONCLUSION: These results revealed that the saponin extracted from sea cucumber as a natural anti-cancer compound may be a new treatment modality for metastatic melanoma and the application of sea cucumber saponin in combination with dacarbazine demonstrated the strongest anti-cancer activity as compared with the drug alone.

Auditory Brainstem Response Improvements in Hyperbillirubinemic Infants.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Hyperbillirubinemia in infants have been associated with neuronal damage including in the auditory system. Some researchers have suggested that the bilirubin-induced auditory neuronal damages may be temporary and reversible. This study was aimed at investigating the auditory neuropathy and reversibility of auditory abnormalities in hyperbillirubinemic infants. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study participants included 41 full term hyperbilirubinemic infants (mean age 39.24 days) with normal birth weight (3,200-3,700 grams) that admitted in hospital for hyperbillirubinemia and 39 normal infants (mean age 35.54 days) without any hyperbillirubinemia or other hearing loss risk factors for ruling out maturational changes. All infants in hyperbilirubinemic group had serum bilirubin level more than 20 milligram per deciliter and undergone one blood exchange transfusion. Hearing evaluation for each infant was conducted twice: the first one after hyperbilirubinemia treatment and before leaving hospital and the second one three months after the first hearing evaluation. Hearing evaluations included transient evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) screening and auditory brainstem response (ABR) threshold tracing. RESULTS: The TEOAE and ABR results of control group and TEOAE results of the hyperbilirubinemic group did not change significantly from the first to the second evaluation. However, the ABR results of the hyperbilirubinemic group improved significantly from the first to the second assessment (p=0.025). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the bilirubin induced auditory neuronal damage can be reversible over time so we suggest that infants with hyperbilirubinemia who fail the first hearing tests should be reevaluated after 3 months of treatment.

Adaptive control of uncertain nonaffine nonlinear systems with input saturation using neural networks.

This paper presents a tracking control methodology for a class of uncertain nonlinear systems subject to input saturation constraint and external disturbances. Unlike most previous approaches on saturated systems, which assumed affine nonlinear systems, in this paper, tracking control problem is solved for uncertain nonaffine nonlinear systems with input saturation. To deal with the saturation constraint, an auxiliary system is constructed and a modified tracking error is defined. Then, by employing implicit function theorem, mean value theorem, and modified tracking error, updating rules are derived based on the well-known back-propagation (BP) algorithm, which has been proven to be the most relevant updating rule to control problems. However, most of the previous approaches on BP algorithm suffer from lack of stability analysis. By injecting a damping term to the standard BP algorithm, uniformly ultimately boundedness of all the signals of the closed-loop system is ensured via Lyapunov's direct method. Furthermore, the presented approach employs nonlinear in parameter neural networks. Hence, the proposed scheme is applicable to systems with higher degrees of nonlinearity. Using a high-gain observer to reconstruct the states of the system, an output feedback controller is also presented. Finally, the simulation results performed on a Duffing-Holmes chaotic system, a generalized pendulum-type system, and a numerical system are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the suggested state and output feedback control schemes.