A multistage hierarchical algorithm for hand shape recognition

This paper represents a multistage hierarchical algorithm for hand shape recognition using principal component analysis (PCA) as a dimensionality reduction and a feature extraction method. The paper discusses the effect of image blurring to build data manifolds using PCA and the different ways to construct these manifolds. In_order to classify the hand shape of an incoming sign object and to be invariant to linear transformations like translation and rotation, a multistage hierarchical classifier structure is used. Computer generated images for different Irish Sign Language shapes are used in testing. Experimental results are given to show the accuracy and performance of the proposed algorithm

Corruption and Conflict: A Phenomenological Study of the Experiences of Nigerian Citizens

This qualitative phenomenological study was designed to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of Nigerian citizens on corruption and conflict. A review of the literature found a gap in the understanding of the lived experiences of participants on corruption and conflict in Nigeria, and this study was designed to fill that gap. Using a purposeful sampling method, the investigator targeted 20 Nigerian citizens who have experienced corruption and conflict. The phenomenological method provided the basis for a reflective structural analysis that exposes the meanings and essences of the lived experiences of the participants on corruption and conflict in Nigeria. Participant interviews showed that many Nigerians encounter bribery on a daily basis because of the following reasons: they were encouraged by a perceived culture of greed, a culture of impunity, a culture of impropriety and a culture of no accountability. All of the participants indicated the need to survive the harsh realities of living in Nigeria. The study revealed a broad variety of corruption and conflict situations in Nigeria. This dissertation adds value and richness to existing body of knowledge, which suggested to policy makers, advocates and civil society of the need to develop policies and strategies to stem corruption as part of a wider strategy for resolving the negative conflicts that currently characterize the socio-political and economic landscape of Nigeria. Overall, as part of the major contributions and objectives, this dissertation illuminated the psychological impacts of corruption and conflict in Nigeria. In other words, this research bridged the gap between the social structural understandings and impacts of corruption and the personal component

Blind image separation based on exponentiated transmuted Weibull distribution

In recent years the processing of blind image separation has been investigated. As a result, a number of feature extraction algorithms for direct application of such image structures have been developed. For example, separation of mixed fingerprints found in any crime scene, in which a mixture of two or more fingerprints may be obtained, for identification, we have to separate them. In this paper, we have proposed a new technique for separating a multiple mixed images based on exponentiated transmuted Weibull distribution. To adaptively estimate the parameters of such score functions, an efficient method based on maximum likelihood and genetic algorithm will be used. We also calculate the accuracy of this proposed distribution and compare the algorithmic performance using the efficient approach with other previous generalized distributions. We find from the numerical results that the proposed distribution has flexibility and an efficient resultComment: 14 pages, 12 figures, 4 tables. International Journal of Computer Science and Information Security (IJCSIS),Vol. 14, No. 3, March 2016 (pp. 423-433

The Influence Of Reconstitution Vehicles On The Stability Of Ampicillin Oral Powders

The effect of different reconstitution vehicles on the stability of ampicillin oral powders was studied. Distilled water, tap water and well water were used for powder reconstitution. The suspensions were stored at 350C that representing the average room temperature in Sudan. The stability of the  drug in suspension was tested daily over a period of seven days. The drug contents in the samples were determined using the cup- plate agar diffusion technique and chemical spectrophotometric method. The obtained results, represented the means of 10-20 determinations. The study revealed a higher degradation extent in the  ampicillin oral powders reconstituted with water obtained from wells, followed by tap water  when compared with the slower rate of degradation in the oral antibiotic that reconstituted with distilled water.  In an attempt to decrease the destabilizing effect of the reconstitution vehicles on the daily used oral antibiotic powders, the authors suggested to use such formulae in a single-dose sachet form to be used instantly after reconstitution

The Association between Race and Survival among Pediatric Patients with Neuroblastoma in the US between 1973 and 2015

Background: Conclusive information regarding the influence of race on survival among neuroblastoma patients is limited. Our objective is to investigate the association between race and cause-specific survival in pediatric patients diagnosed with neuroblastoma in the US between 1973 and 2015.Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) database. Patients aged 17 and younger of black, white, or Asian Pacific Islander (API) race diagnosed with neuroblastoma from 1973-2015 were included (n = 2,119). The outcome variable was time from diagnosis to death. Covariates included age, gender, ethnicity, stage, tumor site, and year of diagnosis. Cox proportional hazard models were used to calculate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals.Results: There were no statistically significant differences in the hazard of survival for blacks (HR 0.93; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.74-1.16) or API (HR 1.02; 95% CI 0.76-1.37) compared with whites. However, patients diagnosed between 2000-2004 (HR 0.46; 95% CI 0.36-0.59) and 2005-2015 (HR 0.33; 95% CI 0.26-0.41) had decreased hazards of death when compared to patients treated during 1973 to 1999.Conclusions: No association between race and survival time was found. However, survival improved among all patients treated during 2000-2004 and 2005-2015 compared with those treated before the year 2000, leading to a narrowing of the racial disparity based on survival.Peer reviewe

Influence of Matric Suction on the Shear Strength Behaviour of Unsaturated Sand

As a part of the effort made to understand the behaviour of unsaturated soils, this work studies the shear strength characteristics of a cohesionless unsaturated soil. Generally, the determination of the shear strength of unsaturated soils is a great challenge to geotechnical engineers, both in terms of understanding it and the effort necessary to determine it. Matric suction is one of the stress state variables that control the shear strength of unsaturated soils. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to investigate the effect of matric suction on the shear strength characteristic of sand known commercially as Sand PR33. The shear strength behaviour of unsaturated sand is studied in this work using the constant water content triaxial test method with measurements of matric suction during the shearing stage. The tests were performed using the axis translation technique in such a way that the pore-air pressure was controlled while the pore-water pressure was measured during all tests