Stack-run adaptive wavelet image compression

We report on the development of an adaptive wavelet image coder based on stack-run representation of the quantized coefficients. The coder works by selecting an optimal wavelet packet basis for the given image and encoding the quantization indices for significant coefficients and zero runs between coefficients using a 4-ary arithmetic coder. Due to the fact that our coder exploits the redundancies present within individual subbands, its addressing complexity is much lower than that of the wavelet zerotree coding algorithms. Experimental results show coding gains of up to 1:4dB over the benchmark wavelet coding algorithm

Crop-based irrigation operations in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. Vol.II: Research approach and interpretation. Final Report

Irrigation management / Crop-based irrigation / Research / Irrigation canals / Water demand / Performance evaluation / Agricultural production / Pakistan / North West Frontier Province

CT-based texture analysis potentially provides prognostic information complementary to interim fdg-pet for patients with hodgkin's and aggressive non-hodgkin's lymphomas

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of computed tomography texture analysis (CTTA) to provide additional prognostic information in patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) and high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). METHODS: This retrospective, pilot-study approved by the IRB comprised 45 lymphoma patients undergoing routine 18F-FDG-PET-CT. Progression-free survival (PFS) was determined from clinical follow-up (mean-duration: 40 months; range: 10-62 months). Non-contrast-enhanced low-dose CT images were submitted to CTTA comprising image filtration to highlight features of different sizes followed by histogram-analysis using kurtosis. Prognostic value of CTTA was compared to PET FDG-uptake value, tumour-stage, tumour-bulk, lymphoma-type, treatment-regime, and interim FDG-PET (iPET) status using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Cox regression analysis determined the independence of significantly prognostic imaging and clinical features. RESULTS: A total of 27 patients had aggressive NHL and 18 had HL. Mean PFS was 48.5 months. There was no significant difference in pre-treatment CTTA between the lymphoma sub-types. Kaplan-Meier analysis found pre-treatment CTTA (medium feature scale, p=0.010) and iPET status (p<0.001) to be significant predictors of PFS. Cox analysis revealed that an interaction between pre-treatment CTTA and iPET status was the only independent predictor of PFS (HR: 25.5, 95% CI: 5.4-120, p<0.001). Specifically, pre-treatment CTTA risk stratified patients with negative iPET. CONCLUSION: CTTA can potentially provide prognostic information complementary to iPET for patients with HL and aggressive NHL

Performance of the CMS Cathode Strip Chambers with Cosmic Rays

The Cathode Strip Chambers (CSCs) constitute the primary muon tracking device in the CMS endcaps. Their performance has been evaluated using data taken during a cosmic ray run in fall 2008. Measured noise levels are low, with the number of noisy channels well below 1%. Coordinate resolution was measured for all types of chambers, and fall in the range 47 microns to 243 microns. The efficiencies for local charged track triggers, for hit and for segments reconstruction were measured, and are above 99%. The timing resolution per layer is approximately 5 ns

Evaluation of three accelerometer devices for physical activity measurement amongst south Asians and Europeans

We recruited 62 South Asians and 40 Europeans aged 25 to 75 years, to assess the potential validity of three physical activity accelerometers for use amongst South Asians. Participants completed an exercise treadmill test (following Bruce protocol) while wearing the 3 accelerometers: Actigraph GT3X+ [GT3X+] and Geneactiv [GA] on ankle, waist and wrist; and Actiheart [AH] on chest. We compared relationships between energy expenditure (EE) measured by accelerometers (Measured) and actual EE on the treadmill (Actual) in the two ethnicities and tested for potential confounding effects. All accelerometers under-reported EE. Difference between Measured and Actual EE was smallest for GT3X+ankle (Measured – Actual at peak exercise [Mets]: GT3X+ankle –6.52 (1.77); GT3X+waist –8.46 (1.29); GT3X+wrist –11.17 (1.03); GAankle –8.17 (1.19); GAwaist –10.24 (0.64); GAwrist –11.21 (1.10); AHchest –9.09 (1.43), P 0.05). Relationship between Measured and Actual EE was not influenced by age, gender, height, waist, weight or waist-hip ratio (all P > 0.05). Amongst the devices and positions tested, GT3X+ankle is the most accurate device for measuring EE during an exercise treadmill test. Accelerometer performance is similar in South Asians and Europeans and is not influenced by anthropometric differences between the two populations

Performance and Operation of the CMS Electromagnetic Calorimeter

The operation and general performance of the CMS electromagnetic calorimeter using cosmic-ray muons are described. These muons were recorded after the closure of the CMS detector in late 2008. The calorimeter is made of lead tungstate crystals and the overall status of the 75848 channels corresponding to the barrel and endcap detectors is reported. The stability of crucial operational parameters, such as high voltage, temperature and electronic noise, is summarised and the performance of the light monitoring system is presented

Investigating the intersections of vulnerability detection and IoMTs in healthcare, a scoping review protocol for remote patient monitoring

Due to the rapid and ubiquitous development and acceptance of IoT, healthcare providers have changed their locational settings from solely based in clinics to extend more broadly into the reach of patients’ domestic homes. This IoMT focus extends to various medical devices and applications within the healthcare domain, such as any form of smartphones, surveillance cameras, wearable sensors, and actuators, that hold the capability to access IoT technologies. The aim of this scoping review has two important objectives. The first is to understand the best approaches towards acquisition and refinement of data in favour of an optimised cyber security posture for remote patient monitoring. The second is to understand how best to detect cyberattacks and vulnerabilities in Medical IoTs using automated reasoning. The review will be carried out according to the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) scoping review methodology. The key information sources are Springer Link, IEEE Xplore, Science Direct, SCOPUS, and ACM databases. The search is limited to studies written in English. The initial step in the review uses keywords and index terms to identify literature from the selected database information sources. The second step then takes the identified elements and searches each of the databases. The third step involves a search of the references to determine literature inclusion using a full-text screening process. Medical IoT devices, specifically designed for patient monitoring and diagnosis, excel in their ability to collect, transfer, and interact with real-time data. It focuses on intersections between IoMTs, cyberattacks and vulnerabilities, knowledge graph detection, and automated reasoning

Prevalence and patterns of physical activity among school aged adolescents in Pakistan: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Less than one fifth of Pakistani adolescents, aged 13–15, years achieve recommended activity levels. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to determine a pooled estimate of the prevalence of PA, and to systematically evaluate the literature available on PA among adolescents in Pakistan. A systemic search of databases was conducted. In addition, hand search of references of all the included relevant publications was performed. Random effects meta-analysis was used to get weighted prevalence of PA among adolescents. Quality of undertaken studies was assessed using New-Castle Ottawa Scale. After removing duplicates, reviewing titles and abstracts and screening full texts, 15 articles were included for analysis. All studies were conducted in school setting, with a total sample size of 10,651. Weighted pooled prevalence of PA among adolescents was 36.0% with high heterogeneity (99.28%). Most of the studies met study quality assessment criteria except for comparability of subjects in different outcome groups and assessment of outcome. Prevalence of PA among adolescents is low in Pakistan. Formal strategies are needed for promoting PA among adolescents for their improved health and for reducing future burden of NCDs

GenAI in rule-based systems for IoMT security: Testing and evaluation

Generative AI (GenAI) represents a significant advancement in artificial intelligence research, offering numerous benefits and opening new avenues for innovation across various domains. In healthcare, Generative AI has shown promise in applications such as drug discovery, personalized medicine, and medical imaging. This paper examines the role of Generative AI in rule-based systems, where vulnerabilities are detected with the help of formal logic. In this context, the ruleset is generated and tested to evaluate the performance of rule-based systems with the aid of GenAI. The effectiveness of the GenAI tool was evaluated using a publicly available case study from a laboratory setting. The results show that using generative artificial intelligence in rule-based systems leads to increased creativity, continuous learning, and robust performance. GenAI responded to each use case and provided the desired results compared to traditional rule-based systems. This integration of advanced AI techniques with traditional rule-based systems ensures that these hybrid systems perform reliably and effectively

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy