Classification of very high resolution aerial photos using spectral-spatial convolutional neural networks

© 2018 Maher Ibrahim Sameen et al. Classification of aerial photographs relying purely on spectral content is a challenging topic in remote sensing. A convolutional neural network (CNN) was developed to classify aerial photographs into seven land cover classes such as building, grassland, dense vegetation, waterbody, barren land, road, and shadow. The classifier utilized spectral and spatial contents of the data to maximize the accuracy of the classification process. CNN was trained from scratch with manually created ground truth samples. The architecture of the network comprised of a single convolution layer of 32 filters and a kernel size of 3 × 3, pooling size of 2 × 2, batch normalization, dropout, and a dense layer with Softmax activation. The design of the architecture and its hyperparameters were selected via sensitivity analysis and validation accuracy. The results showed that the proposed model could be effective for classifying the aerial photographs. The overall accuracy and Kappa coefficient of the best model were 0.973 and 0.967, respectively. In addition, the sensitivity analysis suggested that the use of dropout and batch normalization technique in CNN is essential to improve the generalization performance of the model. The CNN model without the techniques above achieved the worse performance, with an overall accuracy and Kappa of 0.932 and 0.922, respectively. This research shows that CNN-based models are robust for land cover classification using aerial photographs. However, the architecture and hyperparameters of these models should be carefully selected and optimized

Rapid screening of β-Globin gene mutations by Real-Time PCR in Egyptian thalassemic children

Thalassemia is one of the most common genetic disorders in Egypt. With the total population of 70 million, there are approximately 600,000 affected individuals and more than 20 million thalassemia carriers. Thalassemia is therefore one of the major health problems in Egypt. B-Thalassemias are priority genetic diseases for prevention programs. Rapid genotype characterization is fundamental in the diagnostic laboratory, especially when offering prenatal diagnosis for carrier couples. Introduction of the real time PCR has made a revolution in the time taken for the PCR reactions. We present a method for the diagnosis of the common mutations of the B-thalassemia in Egyptian children & families. The procedure depends on the real-time PCR using specific fluorescently labeled hybridization probes. The melting temperature for each of the specific probes obtained after the PCR reaction permits the identification of the specific mutation. Genotyping of 20 thalassemic children attending the hematology clinic of the children specialized hospital and 10 controls was done using Real-time PCR and the conventional Amplification Refractory Mutation System (ARMS) technique. Analysis revealed identical results to most of the patients and they were further checked by the sequencing results of the DNA samples. The established method is a robust, fast and straight forward assay that allows the detection of the common B-thalassemia mutations in Egypt. The described LightCycler system protocol can rapidly screen for many B-globin gene mutations. African Journal of Health Sciences Vol. 13 (3-4) 2006: pp. 70-7

Comparison of flow and dispersion properties of free and wall turbulent jets for source dynamics characterisation

The objective of this paper is to provide an investigation, using large eddy simulations, into the dispersion of aircraft jets in co-flowing take-off conditions. Before carrying out such study, simple turbulent plane free and wall jet simulations are carried out to validate the computational models and to assess the impact of the presence of the solid boundary on the flow and dispersion properties. The current study represents a step towards a better understanding of the source dynamics behind an airplane jet engine during the take-off and landing phases. The information provided from these simulations can be used for future improvements of existing dispersion models

Evidence for eosinophil and IL-17 mediated inflammation in allergic rhinitis.

Background: The aim was to determine the level of inflammatory cytokines, eosinophil cationic protein and IgE in allergic rhinitis (AR) patients. Subjects and methods: Blood samples were taken from 88 AR patients and 88 healthy controls (HC). Each sample was analysed for eosinophil counts by flow cytometry, IgE by ECLIA, ECP, IL-17, and IL-33 by using ELISA test. Results: There was no significant difference between AR patients and the control group in age and gender. Levels of eosinophils, IgE, ECP, IL-17, IL-33 and the total symptom scores were significantly higher in AR patients than the HC (P = 0.0001). Serum ECP correlated with IL-17 (P = 0.041, r = 0.42), IL-33 (P = 0.0001, r = 080), and IgE levels (P = 0.017, r = 0.45) in the R patients. There was no correlation between IL-17 and IL-33. There was a correlation between symptom scores and eosinophils (P = 0.026, r = 0.52), and IgE (P = 0.001, r = 0.60) in the patients. No correlation was observed between symptom scores and ECP, IL-17, and IL-33 in the AR patient. Conclusions: Patients with AR have significant higher serum levels of ECP, IL-17, and IL-33 than healthy controls. This indicates that these markers could be used to in order to diagnose AR and to monitor disease. Inhibitory molecules to IL-17 and IL-33 may be considered as novel treatment strategies

Menhaden fish oil attenuates postpartum depression in rat model via inhibition of NLRP3-inflammasome driven inflammatory pathway.

Background and aimPostpartum depression (PPD) is a familiar problem which is associated with about 10–20% of women after child delivery. Fish oil (FO) has a therapeutic potentials to many diseases including mood disorders. However, there is paucity of data on the effects of FO supplementation on PPD rat model. Hence, this study aimed at investigating the potentials of FO in ameliorating depressive-like behaviors in PPD rat by evaluating the involvement of NLRP3-inflammasome.Experimental procedureThirty six virgin adult female rats (n = 6) were randomly divided into six groups; Group 1–3 were normal control (NC), Sham (SHAM) and ovariectomized group (OVX) respectively whereas group 4–6 were PPD rats forced-fed once daily with distilled water (PPD), fish oil (PPD + FO; 9 g/kg) and Fluoxetine (PPD + FLX; 15 mg/kg) respectively from postpartum day 1 and continued for 10 consecutive days. Rats behaviors were evaluated on postpartum day 10 through open field test (OFT) and forced swimming test (FST), followed by biochemical analysis of NLRP3 inflammasome proteins pathway in their brain and determination of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR).ResultsPPD-induced rats exhibited high immobility and low swimming time in FST with increased inflammatory status; NLR, IL-1β and NFкB/NLRP3/caspase-1 activity in their hippocampus. However, administration of FO or fluoxetine reversed the aforementioned abnormalities.ConclusionIn conclusion, 10 days supplementation with FO ameliorated the depressive-like behaviors in PPD rats by targeting the NFкB/NLRP3/caspase-1/IL-1β activity. This has shed light on the potential of NLRP3 as a therapeutic target in treatment of PPD in rats

Pre-Operative Continued Oral Anticoagulation Impact on Early Outcomes after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation

Considering that there is a lack of evidence and guideline-based recommendations on the best preoperative oral anticoagulation management (OAC) for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), this cohort study aimed to evaluate bleeding, access site complications, and early safety in patients undergoing TAVI on continued OAC therapy vs no-OAC therapy. Three-hundred forty-four patients submitted to a TAVI procedure (66.3% no-OAC vs 33.7% OAC) were consecutively enrolled. Primary endpoint was defined as in-hospital VARC-2 life-threatening or disabling bleeding. Secondary endpoints were in-hospital VARC-2 major vascular complications and VARC-2 early safety at 30 days. Propensity score matching analysis was performed to reduce potential distribution bias, resulting in 2 well-balanced groups (92 patients in each arm). In the overall cohort, mean age, median EuroScore II, and STS-score were 78.7±7.6 years, 2.9% (1.7-5.9), and 2.3% (1.6-3.6), respectively. Despite being older (78 ± 8 vs 80 ± 6, p = 0.004) and having higher STS score (2.1 vs 2.6, p = 0.001), patients on OAC had similar incidence of in-hospital VARC-2 life-threatening or disabling bleeding (1.3% vs. 0.9%, p = 0.711), major vascular complications (4.8% vs 5.2%, p = 0.888), and VARC-2 early safety at 30 days (10.1% vs 12.1%, p = 0.575). No significant differences in the main outcomes were observed when propensity score matching was applied. In conclusion, the management of patients on OAC submitted to a TAVI procedure is challenging and requires balancing the risk of bleeding with the risk of thromboembolic events. The present study suggests that continued OAC was not associated with increased in-hospital VARC-2 life-threatening or disabling bleeding, major vascular complications, and VARC-2 early safety at 30 days

Effects of air pollution and the introduction of the London Low Emission Zone on the prevalence of respiratory and allergic symptoms in schoolchildren in East London: a sequential cross-sectional study

The adverse effects of traffic-related air pollution on children’s respiratory health have been widely reported, but few studies have evaluated the impact of traffic-control policies designed to reduce urban air pollution. We assessed associations between traffic-related air pollutants and respiratory/allergic symptoms amongst 8–9 year-old schoolchildren living within the London Low Emission Zone (LEZ). Information on respiratory/allergic symptoms was obtained using a parent-completed questionnaire and linked to modelled annual air pollutant concentrations based on the residential address of each child, using a multivariable mixed effects logistic regression analysis. Exposure to traffic-related air pollutants was associated with current rhinitis: NOx (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00–1.02), NO2 (1.03, 1.00–1.06), PM10 (1.16, 1.04–1.28) and PM2.5 (1.38, 1.08–1.78), all per μg/m3 of pollutant, but not with other respiratory/allergic symptoms. The LEZ did not reduce ambient air pollution levels, or affect the prevalence of respiratory/allergic symptoms over the period studied. These data confirm the previous association between traffic-related air pollutant exposures and symptoms of current rhinitis. Importantly, the London LEZ has not significantly improved air quality within the city, or the respiratory health of the resident population in its first three years of operation. This highlights the need for more robust measures to reduce traffic emissions

Prevalence of Allergic Disorders among Primary School-Aged Children in Madinah, Saudi Arabia: Two-Stage Cross-Sectional Survey

There are limited data on the epidemiology of allergic disorders in Saudi Arabia. Such data are needed for, amongst other things, helping to plan service provision at a time when there is considerable investment taking place in national healthcare development. We sought to estimate the prevalence of atopic eczema, allergic rhinitis and asthma in primary school children in Madinah, Saudi Arabia.We conducted a two-stage cross-sectional survey of schoolchildren in Madinah. Children were recruited from 38 randomly selected schools. Questionnaires were sent to the parents of all 6,139 6-8 year old children in these schools. These parental-completed questionnaires incorporated questions from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC), which had previously been validated for use in Arab populations. We undertook descriptive analyses, using the Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) to calculate 95% confidence intervals. The overall response rate was 85.9% (n = 5,188), 84.6% for girls and 86.2% for boys, respectively. Overall, parents reported symptoms suggestive of a history of eczema in 10.3% (95%CI 9.4, 11.4), rhinitis in 24.2% (95%CI 22.3, 26.2) and asthma in 23.6% (95%CI 21.3, 26.0) of children. Overall, 41.7% (95%CI 39.1, 44.4) of children had symptoms suggestive of at least one allergic disorder, with a substantial minority manifesting symptoms indicative of co-morbid allergic disease. Comparison of these symptom-based prevalence estimates with reports of clinician-diagnosed disease suggested that the majority of children with eczema and asthma had been diagnosed, but only a minority (17.4%) of children had been diagnosed with rhinitis. International comparisons indicated that children in Madinah have amongst the highest prevalence of allergic problems in the world.Symptoms indicative of allergic disease are very common in primary school-aged children in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, with figures comparable to the highest risk regions in the world

Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis in sputum of severe asthma with inflammasome and neutrophil activation

BACKGROUND: Because of altered airway microbiome in asthma, we analysed the bacterial species in sputum of patients with severe asthma. METHODS: Whole genome sequencing was performed on induced sputum from non-smoking (SAn) and current or ex-smoker (SAs/ex) severe asthma patients, mild/moderate asthma (MMA) and healthy controls (HC). Data were analysed by asthma severity, inflammatory status and transcriptome-associated clusters (TACs). RESULTS: α-diversity at the species level was lower in SAn and SAs/ex, with an increase in Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis, and Haemophilus influenzae and Tropheryma whipplei, respectively, compared to HC. In neutrophilic asthma, there was greater abundance of Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis and in eosinophilic asthma, Tropheryma whipplei was increased. There was a reduction in α-diversity in TAC1 and TAC2 that expressed high levels of Haemophilus influenzae and Tropheryma whipplei, and Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis, respectively, compared to HC. Sputum neutrophils correlated positively with Moraxella catarrhalis and negatively with Prevotella, Neisseria and Veillonella species and Haemophilus parainfluenzae. Sputum eosinophils correlated positively with Tropheryma whipplei which correlated with pack-years of smoking. α- and β-diversities were stable at one year. CONCLUSIONS: Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis were more abundant in severe neutrophilic asthma and TAC2 linked to inflammasome and neutrophil activation, while Haemophilus influenzae and Tropheryma whipplei were highest in SAs/ex and in TAC1 associated with highest expression of IL-13 type 2 and ILC2 signatures with the abundance of Tropheryma whipplei correlating positively with sputum eosinophils. Whether these bacterial species drive the inflammatory response in asthma needs evaluation

A classification of chronic pain for ICD-11.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4450869