Potato Classification Using Deep Learning

Abstract: Potatoes are edible tubers, available worldwide and all year long. They are relatively cheap to grow, rich in nutrients, and they can make a delicious treat. The humble potato has fallen in popularity in recent years, due to the interest in low-carb foods. However, the fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals it provides can help ward off disease and benefit human health. They are an important staple food in many countries around the world. There are an estimated 200 varieties of potatoes, which can be classified into a number of categories based on the cooked texture and ingredient functionality. Using a public dataset of 2400 images of potatoes, we trained a deep convolutional neural network to identify 4 types (Red, Red Washed, Sweet, and White).The trained model achieved an accuracy of 99.5% of test set, demonstrating the feasibility of this approach

Effect of plastic fins on a traditional solar still's efficiency

Solar distillation is a relatively straightforward and environmental method. It is used in many countries and especially in isolated areas to treat polluted water. In this context, two similar solar stills of 50 x 50 cm were used in the same climatic conditions in order to test the influence of plastic fins on the performance of this device. The results show that there is a negative effect on the output of the distiller with a rate of 8.8 %. So this way is not recommended for researchers in this field

A Randomized Controlled Trial to Compare e-Feedback Versus “Standard” Face-to-Face Verbal Feedback to Improve the Acquisition of Procedural Skill

Background: Constructive feedback plays an important role in learning during surgical training. Standard feedback is usually given verbally following direct observation of the procedure by a trained assessor. However, such feedback requires the physical presence of expert faculty members who are usually busy and time-constrained by clinical commitments. We aim to evaluate electronic feedback (e-feedback) after video observation of surgical suturing in comparison with standard face-to-face verbal feedback. Methods: A prospective, blinded, randomized controlled trial comparing e-feedback with standard verbal feedback was carried out in February 2015 using a validated pro formas for assessment. The study participants were 38 undergraduate medical students from the University of Sheffield, UK. They were recorded on video performing the procedural skill, completed a self-evaluation form, and received e-feedback on the same day (group 1); observed directly by an assessor, invited to provide verbal self-reflection, and then received standard verbal feedback (group 2). In both groups, the feedback was provided after performing the procedure. The participants returned 2 days later and performed the same skill again. Poststudy questionnaire was used to assess the acceptability of each feedback among the participants. Results: Overall, 19 students in group 1 and 18 students in group 2 completed the study. Although there was a significant improvement in the overall mean score on the second performance of the task for all participants (first performance mean 11.59, second performance mean 15.95; p ≤ 0.0001), there was no difference in the overall mean improvement score between group 1 and group 2 (4.74 and 3.94, respectively; p = 0.49). The mean overall scores for the e-feedback group at baseline recorded by 2 independent investigators showed good agreement (mean overall scores of 12.84 and 11.89; Cronbach α = 0.86). Poststudy questionnaire demonstrated that both e-feedback and standard verbal feedback achieved high mean Likert grades as recorded by the participants (4.42 [range: 2-5] and 4.71 [range: 4-5], respectively; p = 0.274). Conclusion: e-Feedback after watching a video recording appears to be acceptable and is not quantitatively different than standard feedback in improving suturing skills among novice trainees. Video assessment of procedural skills is reliable

Voluntary Local Review Framework to Monitor and Evaluate the Progress towards Achieving Sustainable Development Goals at a City Level: Buraidah City, KSA and SDG11 as A Case Study

Around the world, cities are on the front lines of sustainable development. They are responsible for more than 70% of global carbon emissions. Many of these cities are experiencing dangerous levels of pollution, underemployment, and health disparities. Since 2015, 193 countries have endorsed the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), intended to help address a wide range of challenges affecting cities and ultimately secure the resources for their next generations. All states are expected to present the national progress towards the SDGs through a Voluntary National Review (VNR). Despite the importance of the cities within this framework, only a handful of them worldwide have actively begun to review and assess progress towards these SDGs on a city scale. This paper seeks to develop a Voluntary Local Review (VLR) framework to assess and evaluate the progress of cities towards contributing to the SDGs. This framework has been developed by localizing the international and national frameworks to measure the performance of cities as they advance towards achieving the SDGs. Such a framework can serve as a tool for benchmarking progress on different aspects of sustainable development and help urban planners and policymakers prioritize policies and actions to improve urban quality of life. This framework is applied to monitor and evaluate the progress of the city of Buraidah in Saudi Arabia, as it strives towards achieving the targets of SDG11 (“Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”).</jats:p

Hepatectomy risk assessment with functional magnetic resonance imaging (HEPARIM)

Background Post hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) remains a significant risk in patients undergoing curative liver resection for cancer, however currently available PHLF risk prediction investigations are not sufficiently accurate. The Hepatectomy risk assessment with functional magnetic resonance imaging trial (HEPARIM) aims to establish if quantitative MRI biomarkers of liver function & perfusion can be used to more accurately predict PHLF risk and FLR function, measured against indocyanine green (ICG) liver function test. Methods HEPARIM is an observational cohort study recruiting patients undergoing liver resection of 2 segments or more, prior to surgery patients will have both Dynamic Gadoxetate-enhanced (DGE) liver MRI and ICG testing. Day one post op ICG testing is repeated and R15 compared to the Gadoxetate Clearance (GC) of the future liver remnant (FLR-GC) as measure by preoperative DGE- MRI which is the primary outcome, and preoperative ICG R15 compared to GC of whole liver (WL-GC) as a secondary outcome. Data will be collected from medical records, biochemistry, pathology and radiology reports and used in a multi-variate analysis to the value of functional MRI and derive multivariant prediction models for future validation. Discussion If successful, this test will potentially provide an efficient means to quantitatively assess FLR function and PHLF risk enabling surgeons to push boundaries of liver surgery further while maintaining safe practice and thereby offering chance of cure to patients who would previously been deemed inoperable. MRI has the added benefit of already being part of the routine diagnostic pathway and as such would have limited additional burden on patients time or cost to health care systems. (Hepatectomy Risk Assessment With Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging - Full Text View - ClinicalTrials.gov, n.d.) Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04705194 - Registered 12th January 2021 – Retrospectively registere

A survey of oral health in a Sudanese population

10.1186/1472-6831-12-5BMC Oral Health121

A multicentre outcome analysis to define global benchmarks for donation after circulatory death liver transplantation

BACKGROUND: To identify the best possible outcomes in liver transplantation from donation after circulatory death donors (DCD) and to propose outcome values, which serve as reference for individual liver recipients or patient groups. METHODS: Based on 2219 controlled DCD liver transplantations, collected from 17 centres in North America and Europe, we identified 1012 low-risk, primary, adult liver transplantations with a laboratory MELD of ≤20points, receiving a DCD liver with a total donor warm ischemia time of ≤30minutes and asystolic donor warm ischemia time of ≤15minutes. Clinically relevant outcomes were selected and complications were reported according to the Clavien-Dindo-Grading and the Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI). Corresponding benchmark cut-offs were based on median values of each centre, where the 75(th)-percentile was considered. RESULTS: Benchmark cases represented between 19.7% and 75% of DCD transplantations in participating centers. The one-year retransplant and mortality rate was 5.23% and 9.01%, respectively. Within the first year of follow-up, 51.1% of recipients developed at least one major complication (≥Clavien-Dindo-Grade-III). Benchmark cut-offs were ≤3days and ≤16days for ICU and hospital stay, ≤66% for severe recipient complications (≥Grade-III), ≤16.8% for ischemic cholangiopathy, and ≤38.9CCI points at one-year posttransplant. Comparisons with higher risk groups showed more complications and impaired graft survival, outside the benchmark cut-offs. Organ perfusion techniques reduced the complications to values below benchmark cut-offs, despite higher graft risk. CONCLUSIONS: Despite excellent 1-year survival, morbidity in benchmark cases remains high with more than half of recipients developing severe complications during 1-year follow-up. Benchmark cut-offs targeting morbidity parameters offer a valid tool to assess the protective value of new preservation technologies in higher risk groups, and provide a valid comparator cohort for future clinical trials. LAY SUMMARY: The best possible outcomes after liver transplantation of grafts donated after circulatory death (DCD) were defined using the concept of benchmarking. These were based on 2219 liver transplantations following controlled DCD donation in 17 centres worldwide. The following benchmark cut-offs for the most relevant outcome parameters were developed: ICU and hospital stay: ≤3 and ≤16 days; primary non function: ≤2.5%; renal replacement therapy: ≤9.6%; ischemic cholangiopathy: ≤16.8% and anastomotic strictures ≤28.4%. One-year graft loss and mortality were defined as ≤14.4% and 9.6%, respectively. Donor and recipient combinations with higher risk had significantly worse outcomes. The use of novel organ perfusion technology achieved similar, good results in this high-risk group with prolonged donor warm ischemia time, when compared to the benchmark cohort

A multicentre outcome analysis to define global benchmarks for donation after circulatory death liver transplantation

Cellular mechanisms in basic and clinical gastroenterology and hepatolog

Malaria incidence among kidney-transplanted recipients in an endemic malaria area, Sudan

Malaria is endemic all over Sudan. The population are at risk of malaria infection to variable degrees. Kidney-transplanted patients on maintenance immunosuppressive therapy are known to be prone to infection, but there is not enough data in the medical literature as to whether they are more susceptible to malaria infection in endemic areas. This study was conducted in the Gezira Hospital for Renal Diseases and Surgery to assess the effect of maintenance immunosuppressive therapy in renal transplantation on malaria incidence. A total of 110 individuals were enrolled: 55 were renal-transplanted patients with end-stage renal disease who received kidney transplantation at least one year earlier and were on maintenance immunosuppressive medi-cations. The other 55 individuals were the compatible healthy group. Thorough follow-up was exercised for both groups for one year (January-December 2009). Following the World Health Organization criteria for malaria diagnosis, a total of 51 malarial attacks were reported in both the groups, 25 in the transplanted group and 26 in the controls. The incidence difference between both groups was statistically insignificant [0.76 (΁1.170) and 1.09 (΁1.917) P = 0.282 among transplanted group and control group, respectively]. Providing routine malaria prophylaxis is not required for renal transplant recipients on maintenance immunosuppressive