FOE NET: Segmentation of Fetal in Ultrasound Images Using V-NET

Ultrasound is a non-invasive method to diagnose and treat medical conditions. It is becoming increasingly popular to use portable ultrasound scanning devices to reduce patient wait times and make healthcare more convenient for patients. By using ultrasound imaging, you will be able to obtain images with better quality and also gain information about soft tissues. The interference caused by tissues reflected in ultrasound waves resulted in intensified speckle sound, complicating imaging. In this paper, a novel Foe-Net has been proposed for segmenting the fetal in ultrasound images. Initially, the input US images are noise removal phase using two different filters Adaptive Gaussian Filter (AGF) and Adaptive Bilateral Filter (ABF) used to reduce the noise artifacts. Then, the US images are enhanced using CLAHE and MSR for smoothing to enhance the image quality. Finally, the denoised images are input to the V-net is used to segment the fetal in the US images. The experimental outcomes of the proposed Multi-Scale Retinex (MSR) is an image enhancement technique that improves image quality by adjusting its illumination and enhancing details. Foe-Net was measured by specific parameters such as specificity, precision, and accuracy. The proposed Foe-Net achieves an overall accuracy of 99.48%, specificity of 98.56 %, and precision of 96.82 % for segmented fetal in ultrasound images. The proposed Foe-Net attains better pre-processing outcomes at low error rates and, high SNR, high PSNR, and high SSIM values

Fodder Scenario and Hortipastoral Opportunities to Enhance Fodder Production in India

Food grain production and livestock production are closely related in India as crop-residue forms the major source of fodder for livestock. It’s thus assumed that increase in food grain production has positive effect on availability of dry matter to the livestock. Using land use classification, crop production (2015 to 2020) and livestock census (2019) data, dry matter (DM) availability for livestock for 28 states of India was estimated. Hortipastoral opportunities by estimating area available under orchards in southern India were done to assess the possibility of introducing fodder crops in orchards. Some of the fodder crops were introduced in orchards of livestock farmers to know how fodder crops address the issue of fodder availability at household level. The lowest DM available state was Assam (52.80 % availability) and highest available state was Haryana (110.80 %). Eight states have surplus DM (+110.80% to +2.3%). Twelve states experience DM deficiency (-2.96 to -47.20%). Inter spaces in orchards, a niche to cultivate fodder crops to reduce such fodder shortage, estimated to produce 67.13 MT of green fodder sufficing yearly requirement of 13.57 million Adult Cattle Units. Adult Cattle Unit is a reference unit which facilitates the aggregation of livestock from various species and age using specific coefficients derived based on the nutritional and feed requirement of each type of animal. Perennial fodder crops were introduced to 450 Mango and Coconut farmers (from 2016-2021) that reduced fodder shortage (50.6±4.39 to 9±1.64%)

Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practices of universal precautions among medical and nursing students

Background: Universal precautions is an approach to infection control to treat all human blood and certain human body fluids as if they were known to be infectious for HIV, HBV and other bloodborne pathogens. The CDC recommends Standard Precautions for the care of all patients, regardless of their diagnosis or presumed infection status. Health care personals are at risk of being exposed to blood-borne pathogens. The aim of the study to determine the knowledge, attitude and practice of medical and nursing students towards universal precautions.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out at S. S. Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Davangere, Karnataka. The participants were medical and Nursing undergraduate students. A questionnaire was prepared based on the WHO and CDC guidelines on Universal Precautions and was validated and pre-tested before finalization. Degree of knowledge was ascertained by means of yes-no questions on each item being evaluated.Results: All students were aware of Universal precautions, but soundness of their knowledge is very poor. Compliance in Universal precautions is good to average in nursing students but poor to average in medical students.Conclusions: It can be concluded that interventions to improve Universal precautions among medical students, nursing students urgently needed. So, there is a need for developing strategies to promote the use of Universal precautions which take into account behaviour change and accuracy of knowledge including its integration into practice. Teaching universal precautions early in their curriculum is necessary for better learning and practices during their posting

Critical Analysis of Information Sources and Channels Preferred by Rapeseed-Mustard Farmers

ABSTRACT An effective communication or information is pre-requisite for adoption of an innovation or a technology. The present study was conducted in 2003-04 to study the utilization and credibility pattern of information sources and channels by the rapeseed-mustard farmers in Rajasthan. The 350 rapeseed-mustard growers from five districts of Rajasthan were interviewed. The study reported that personal localite sources like neighbours, friends, progressive farmers and opinion leaders were playing important role in transfer of rapeseed-mustard technologies to the fellow farmers. These sources with high credibility were widely used by majority of the respondents. The most revealing finding of the study is that VLWs or Agriculture Supervisors had lost their credibility among the farmers while the input dealers and agents of commercial seed, fertilizers, plant protection, etc., played a critical role in information network of rapeseedmustard farmers, however their credibility is low. It was important to note that scientists and agriculture officers were perceived a much credible source of information by rapeseed-mustard farmers, however these sources were less accessible to the farmers. Further, the increasing literacy rate and easy accessibility of the mass media channels resulted in increased utilization of these media by the farmers. Key words : Information sources and channels; Utilization; Credibility; Adoption; Rapeseed-mustard is the important oilseed crop of India. Rajasthan occupying a prime position among the states and accounts for around 40 per cent of acreage and 38 per cent of total production of rapeseedmustard in India. A number of technical information or innovations for increasing rapeseed-mustard production and productivity have been generated by the research system. The farmers have adopted some of them but still there are many, which have not reached to the farmers. An important pre-requisite for the adoption and diffusion of an innovation within a social system is the effective communication of information relating to the innovation involved. In this context, the sources and channels of information utilized by farmers play an important role. Indian farmers have their own information networks where they continuously interact to get the information about agriculture and to get the solution of their problems. A farmer relies on a few information sources and rejects many others. Therefore, it is necessary to identify different sources and channels of agriculture information available to the rapeseed-mustard farmers and to locate the most utilized sources and channels so as to develop a suitable communication strategy. The utilization of sources and channels may vary from region to region and crop to crop. No study has been done to identify the information sources and channels utilized by rapeseed-mustard farmers in Rajasthan. Identification of these information sources and channels, their utilization pattern and their credibility perceived by the rapeseed-mustard farmers will be helpful for extension agencies and personnel engaged in transfer of technology programmes in selecting appropriate information sources and channels for effective and rapid transfer of new agriculture technologies. The present study was undertaken with the following objectives. 1. To study the utilization and credibility pattern of information sources and channels used by rapeseedmustard farmers. 2. To make the suggestions/recommendations for making information sources and channels more effective for rapid transfer of recommended agriculture technologies. METHODOLOGY The visitors advisory service was being provide

Frequency of polymorphic variants in corticotropin releasing hormone receptor 1, glucocorticoid induced 1 and Fc fragment of IgE receptor II genes in healthy and asthmatic Tamilian population

Background: Asthma is a chronic airway inflammatory disease characterized by increased hyper-responsiveness and recurrent episodes of reversible obstructions. Asthma pharmacogenomic studies report significant association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes corticotropin releasing hormone receptor 1 (CRHR1), Fc fragment of IgE receptor II (FCER2) and glucocorticoid induced 1 (GLCCI1) with inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) response. The present study was aimed to establish the allelic and genotypic frequencies of polymorphisms rs242941, rs28364072 & rs37972 in CRHR1, FCER2 and GLCCI1 genes, respectively in Tamilian healthy population and asthma patients and to compare with established frequencies of global populations.Methods: The study groups consisted of healthy volunteers and persistent asthma patients who were drug naïve or without ICS treatment in the last ≥2 months, attending JIPMER hospital (n=111 and 78, respectively). SNP genotyping was done using PCR-RFLP (polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism) and real time-PCR methods.Results: Allelic and genotypic frequencies for all the studied variants found to be in hardy-weinberg equilibrium with minor allele frequencies (MAF) of rs 242941, rs 28364072 and rs 37972 at 0.51, 0.33 and 0.38, respectively, in healthy population. No significant difference in gene frequencies was obtained between healthy control and asthma patient groups. Significant difference in allele frequencies was observed between Tamilian healthy and specific global populations. West African frequency was found to be significantly different for all 3 SNPs (p<0.0001).Conclusions: MAF of rs 242941, rs 28364072 and rs 37972 were 0.51, 0.33 and 0.38, respectively in Tamilian population which were significantly different from various global populations. The frequency distribution found helps to further with ICS response association studies in larger cohorts of asthma patients

The role of growth atmosphere on the structural and optical quality of defect free ZnO films for strong ultraviolet emission

Highly c-axis oriented wurtzite structured ZnO thin films were deposited on silicon substrates using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) by ablating a ZnO target in different atmospheres, including vacuum, argon and oxygen in the deposition chamber. The stress in the films was shown to vary from −3.83 to −0.03 GPa as a function of the chamber atmosphere. The minimum compressive stress (−0.03 GPa) was observed for the oxygen atmosphere. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data indicated that the O1s peak consists of three components designated as O1 (due to ZnO), O2 (due to defects) and O3 (due to adsorbed species). A small defect level emission was obtained in the luminescence spectra of the ZnO film deposited in the oxygen atmosphere, while strong ultraviolet (UV) emission was observed for the ZnO films deposited in the vacuum and argon atmosphere. These PLD grown ZnO thin films have the potential to be used as sources of UV radiation in light emitting devices.The authors want to thank to the National Laser Centre, CSIR, Pretoria for providing pulsed laser deposition technique. This work is based on the research supported by the South African Research Chairs Initiative of the Department of Science and Technology, and the National Research Foundation of South Africa. The PL system used in this study is supported both technically and financially by the rental pool programme of the National Laser Centre. The financial support from the Cluster program of the University of the Free State is highly recognized.Highly c-axis oriented wurtzite structured ZnO thin films were deposited on silicon substrates using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) by ablating a ZnO target in different atmospheres, including vacuum, argon and oxygen in the deposition chamber. The stress in the films was shown to vary from −3.83 to −0.03 GPa as a function of the chamber atmosphere. The minimum compressive stress (−0.03 GPa) was observed for the oxygen atmosphere. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data indicated that the O1s peak consists of three components designated as O1 (due to ZnO), O2 (due to defects) and O3 (due to adsorbed species). A small defect level emission was obtained in the luminescence spectra of the ZnO film deposited in the oxygen atmosphere, while strong ultraviolet (UV) emission was observed for the ZnO films deposited in the vacuum and argon atmosphere. These PLD grown ZnO thin films have the potential to be used as sources of UV radiation in light emitting devices

Recent Advances on Metal Oxide Based Nano-Photocatalysts as Potential Antibacterial and Antiviral Agents

Photocatalysis, a unique process that occurs in the presence of light radiation, can potentially be utilized to control environmental pollution, and improve the health of society. Photocatalytic removal, or disinfection, of chemical and biological species has been known for decades; however, its extension to indoor environments in public places has always been challenging. Many efforts have been made in this direction in the last two–three years since the COVID-19 pandemic started. Furthermore, the development of efficient photocatalytic nanomaterials through modifications to improve their photoactivity under ambient conditions for fighting with such a pandemic situation is a high research priority. In recent years, several metal oxides-based nano-photocatalysts have been designed to work efficiently in outdoor and indoor environments for the photocatalytic disinfection of biological species. The present review briefly discusses the advances made in the last two to three years for photocatalytic viral and bacterial disinfections. Moreover, emphasis has been given to the tailoring of such nano-photocatalysts in disinfecting surfaces, air, and water to stop viral/bacterial infection in the indoor environment. The role of such nano-photocatalysts in the photocatalytic disinfection of COVID-19 has also been highlighted with their future applicability in controlling such pandemics

Rickettsial neglected zoonoses: prevalence of scrub typhus at central Karnataka

Background: Fever of unknown Origin (FUO) has many multiple causes such as enteric fever, malaria, dengue, tuberculosis, brucellosis. But scrub typhus is less known cause in Indian scenario. The present study reports the prevalence of scrub typhus at central Karnataka and compares the sensitivity and specificity of Weil-Felix test and the IgM ELISA in the detection of infection.Methods: 368 serum samples of FUO cases were collected. Weil-Felix test was performed and also analyzed for IgM antibodies to Orienta tsutsugamushi by IgM ELISA test along with haematological and biochemical investigations.Results: Out of 368 patients of fever of unknown origin, 94 cases were positive by OXK antigens by Weil Felix test and 61 were positive by ELISA test for ST IgM antibodies. Fever was the most common clinical presentation occurring in ST IgM ELISA positive cases, followed by myalgia in 90.1% cases, headache in 77%, hepatomegaly in 65.5%, splenomegaly in 62.2% and rashes were seen in 29.5% patients. Eschar was seen in 13.1% patients, pneumonia in 3.2% and meningo-encephalitis in 1.6%. Sensitivity and specificity of WFT in relation to IgM ELISA at a titre of 160 was 81.97% and 85.67% respectively.Conclusions: With the growing number of cases detected in India, scrub typhus is fast emerging as a public health threat and also due to limited diagnostics leading to underreporting, Weil Felix test could be used in adjunct with Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and blood parameters in the diagnosis of rickettsial diseases

Studies on Medium Grade Ilmenite-Depleted Beach Placer deposit of Chavakkad Ponnani Coast, Kerala

In the present paper, characterization, beneficiation and further value addition studies carried out with samples collected from unexploited Chavakkad ponnani (CP) area of Kerala coast have been reported. Characterization studies involve size and chemical analyses, sink and float studies and optical microscopy. total 21 samples were collected from 18 km. stretch of CP area at almost 1 km. apart. While sink and float studies and optical microscopy were carried on with all individual samples, detail characterization and beneficiation studies were undertaken with composite samples-one prepared from all 21 samples and the second from few selected samples. Pre-concentration followed by high tension separation and magnetic separation yielded product containing more than 95% THM with around 90% recovery. Further value addition studies with generated ilmenite concentrate was found to produce synthetic rutile, through reduction followed by oxidation and leaching, containing more than 94% TiO2

Exploring farmers’ communication pattern and satisfaction regarding the adoption of Agromet advisory services in semi-arid regions of southern India

Agriculture is significantly impacted by the variability in weather patterns, imposing substantial constraints on farmers’ ability to make informed tactical and strategic decisions regarding their crops. Seasonal climate projections have shown potential for informing agricultural decisions, but the actual adoption of climate information by farmers has been relatively slow and limited. The present study was conducted with the objective of investigating the characteristics of adopters, the communication network, and the level of farmer’s satisfaction concerning the adoption and continued use of Agromet Advisories Services (AAS). Two semi-arid districts, namely Kurnool and Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh, were purposively selected, wherein 280 farmers constituted the sampling frame. In this study, social network analysis (SNA) was conducted to examine the peer-to-peer communication patterns, while importance-performance analysis (IPA) was employed to evaluate farmer’s satisfaction, contributing to the continued adoption of AAS. The findings revealed that with regard to personality and communication characteristics, farmers were in the low category for their ability to cope with uncertainties and risk and even for their information-seeking behavior. Furthermore, the results showed farmers to be highly satisfied with the overall adoption of AAS. However, the IPA matrix revealed that among the nine attributes, the credibility of the forecasts needed refinement to promote sustained adoption. Excessive emphasis was placed on attributes such as the frequency of forecasts, which could be channeled into other initiatives. Peer-to-peer communication emerged as a crucial strategy in the adoption of AAS. Governments, non-governmental organizations, and extension functionaries should make a concerted effort to enhance the continued adoption of AAS by involving local stakeholders in sharing and participating in climate information production, forming farmer’s groups, and focusing on farmers’ literacy toward AAS