Foreground-Background Segmentation Based on Codebook and Edge Detector

Background modeling techniques are used for moving object detection in video. Many algorithms exist in the field of object detection with different purposes. In this paper, we propose an improvement of moving object detection based on codebook segmentation. We associate the original codebook algorithm with an edge detection algorithm. Our goal is to prove the efficiency of using an edge detection algorithm with a background modeling algorithm. Throughout our study, we compared the quality of the moving object detection when codebook segmentation algorithm is associated with some standard edge detectors. In each case, we use frame-based metrics for the evaluation of the detection. The different results are presented and analyzed.Comment: to appear in the 10th International Conference on Signal Image Technology & Internet Based Systems, 201

Utility of cytokeratin 20 and Ki-67 as markers of urothelial dysplasia

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/74783/1/j.1440-1827.2005.01821.x.pd

Oxidative stress and DNA damage in agricultural workers after exposure to pesticides

Background: Recent epidemiological studies on workers describe that exposure to pesticides can induce oxidative stress by increased production of free radicals that can accumulate in the cell and damage biological macromolecules, for example, RNA, DNA, DNA repair proteins and other proteins and/or modify antioxidant defense mechanisms, as well as detoxification and scavenger enzymes. This study aimed to assess oxidative stress and DNA damage among workers exposed to pesticides. Methods: For this purpose, 52 pesticide exposed workers and 52 organic farmers were enrolled. They were assessed: the pesticide exposure, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), total glutathione (TG), oxidized glutathione levels (GSSG), and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2\u2032-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG), levels. Results: Correlation between pesticide exposure was positively associated with high TBARS and 8-oxodG levels (p < 0.001). A negative association was founded with TG and GSSG and pesticide exposure. Conclusions: The present investigation results seem to indicate a mild augment in oxidative stress associated with pesticide exposure, followed by an adaptive response to increase the antioxidant defenses to prevent sustained oxidative adverse effects stress

Neural Crest-Derived Chondrocytes Isolation for Tissue Engineering in Regenerative Medicine

Chondrocyte transplantation has been successfully tested and proposed as a clinical procedure aiming to repair articular cartilage defects. However, the isolation of chondrocytes and the optimization of the enzymatic digestion process, as well as their successful in vitro expansion, remain the main challenges in cartilage tissue engineering. In order to address these issues, we investigated the performance of recombinant collagenases in tissue dissociation assays with the aim of isolating chondrocytes from bovine nasal cartilage in order to establish the optimal enzyme blend to ensure the best outcomes of the overall procedure. We show, for the first time, that collagenase H activity alone is required for effective cartilage digestion, resulting in an improvement in the yield of viable cells. The extracted chondrocytes proved able to grow and activate differentiation/dedifferentiation programs, as assessed by morphological and gene expression analyses

White light emitting silsesquioxane based materials: The importance of a ligand with rigid and directional arms

The synthesis of a novel polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane functionalized with eight rigid and directional terpyridine-based arms (Ter-POSS) was successfully achieved via a Sonogashira reaction. The POSS based ligand was extensively characterized using different techniques including 1H, 13C and 29Si NMR as well as UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopies. The assembly of these nano-caged units in the presence of different transition metal ions (Fe2+, Zn2+ and Cu2+) as well as of a cation from the lanthanides (Eu3+) was investigated using absorption and emission spectroscopies. The final materials display an evident emission in different regions of the visible spectrum as a function of the cation employed. Additional insights into the structural organization of Ter-POSS in the presence of metal cations were obtained via molecular mechanics and molecular dynamics simulations. The polymeric material resulting from the complexation with europium displays a white light emission ascribed to the presence of combined contributions from the blue, green and red regions. The final self-assembled organizations display an increased quantum yield with the highest value (29.6%) obtained in the presence of Zn2+. Moreover, the white-light emitting europium-based nanostructure exhibits one of the highest quantum yields reported in the literature for similar solids

A combined multidisciplinary intervention for health promotion in the workplace: a pilot study

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of a joint health promotion intervention on a cohort of healthcare workers (HCWs) who had at least one cardiovascular risk factor. The HCWs were assessed at three different times, i.e., time zero (T0), after 6 months (T6), and after 12 months (T12). The following parameters were measured at a medical examination: physical activity, blood pressure, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), routine laboratory tests, plicometric analysis, work ability index (WAI), and body image dissatisfaction (BID). Among the 447 HCWs, 38 HCWs were included in the study; 45% (n = 17) were male. At T12, the average blood pressure, waist/hip ratio (WHR) index, BMI, total cholesterol, triglyceride level, and blood glucose values were reduced. The levels of physical activity and adherence to the Mediterranean diet had progressively increased. The WAI showed a significant shift from low to good work performance at T12, as well as BID score. This is the first study that has analyzed work performance in relation to a workplace health promotion through a multidisciplinary approach. This health promotion intervention that combined diet and sport activity has led to a significant change in HCWs’ lifestyles and body perceptions, as well as their ability to work. This project highlights the importance of using a multidisciplinary approach and the workplace setting in health promotion programs

The impact of hyperhidrosis on patients' daily life and quality of life : A qualitative investigation

Background: An understanding of the daily life impacts of hyperhidrosis and how patients deal with them, based on qualitative research, is lacking. This study investigated the impact of hyperhidrosis on the daily life of patients using a mix of qualitative research methods. Methods: Participants were recruited through hyperhidrosis patient support groups such as the Hyperhidrosis Support Group UK. Data were collected using focus groups, interviews and online surveys. A grounded theory approach was used in the analysis of data transcripts. Data were collected from 71 participants, out of an initial 100 individuals recruited. Results: Seventeen major themes capturing the impacts of hyperhidrosis were identified; these covered all areas of life including daily life, psychological well-being, social life, professional /school life, dealing with hyperhidrosis, unmet health care needs and physical impact. Conclusions: Psychosocial impacts are central to the overall impacts of hyperhidrosis, cutting across and underlying the limitations experienced in other areas of life.Peer reviewe

A REPLICABLE OPEN-SOURCE MULTI-CAMERA SYSTEM FOR LOW-COST 4D GLACIER MONITORING

Image-based monitoring has emerged as a prevalent technique for sensing mountain environments. Monoscopic time-lapse cameras, which rely on digital image correlation to quantify glacier motion, have limitations due to the need for a Digital Elevation Model for deriving 3D flow velocity fields. Multi-camera systems overcome this limitation, as they allow for a 3D reconstruction of the scene. This paper presents a replicable low-cost stereoscopic system designed for 4D glacier monitoring. The system consists of independent and autonomous units, built from off-the-shelves components, such as a DSLR camera, an Arduino microcontroller, and a Raspberry Pi Zero, reducing costs compared to pre-built time-lapse cameras. The units are energetically self-sufficient and resistant to harsh alpine conditions. The system was successfully tested for more than a year to monitor the northwest terminus of the Belvedere Glacier (Italian Alps). Daily stereo-pairs acquired were processed with Structure-from-Motion to derive 3D point clouds of the glacier terminus and estimate glacier retreat and ice volume loss. By combining the information about ice volume loss with ablation estimates and ice flow velocity information, e.g., derived from monoscopic-camera time series, a multi-camera system enables a comprehensive understanding of sub-seasonal glacier dynamics