A Study on Clustering for Clustering Based Image De-Noising

In this paper, the problem of de-noising of an image contaminated with Additive White Gaussian Noise (AWGN) is studied. This subject is an open problem in signal processing for more than 50 years. Local methods suggested in recent years, have obtained better results than global methods. However by more intelligent training in such a way that first, important data is more effective for training, second, clustering in such way that training blocks lie in low-rank subspaces, we can design a dictionary applicable for image de-noising and obtain results near the state of the art local methods. In the present paper, we suggest a method based on global clustering of image constructing blocks. As the type of clustering plays an important role in clustering-based de-noising methods, we address two questions about the clustering. The first, which parts of the data should be considered for clustering? and the second, what data clustering method is suitable for de-noising.? Then clustering is exploited to learn an over complete dictionary. By obtaining sparse decomposition of the noisy image blocks in terms of the dictionary atoms, the de-noised version is achieved. In addition to our framework, 7 popular dictionary learning methods are simulated and compared. The results are compared based on two major factors: (1) de-noising performance and (2) execution time. Experimental results show that our dictionary learning framework outperforms its competitors in terms of both factors.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures, Journal of Information Systems and Telecommunications (JIST

A study on the two binding sites of hexokinase on brain mitochondria

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Type I hexokinase (HK-I) constitutes the predominant form of the enzyme in the brain, a major portion of which is associated with the outer mitochondrial membrane involving two sets of binding sites. In addition to the glucose-6-phosphate (G6P)-sensitive site (Type A), the enzyme is bound on a second set of sites (Type B) which are, while insensitive to G6P, totally releasable by use of high concentrations of chaotropic salts such as KSCN. Results obtained on release of HK-I from these "sites" suggested the possibility for the existence of distinct populations of the bound enzyme, differing in susceptibility to release by G6P.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the present study, the sensitivity of HK-I toward release by G6P (2 mM) and a low concentration of KSCN (45 mM) was investigated using rat brain, bovine brain and human brain mitochondria. Partial release from the G6P-insensitive site occurred without disruption of the mitochondrial membrane as a whole and as related to HK-I binding to the G6P-sensitive site. While, as expected, the sequential regime release-rebinding-release was observed on site A, no rebinding was detectable on site B, pre-treated with 45 mM KSCN. Also, no binding was detectable on mitochondria upon blocking site A for HK-I binding utilizing dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), followed by subsequent treatment with KSCN. These observations while confirmed the previously-published results on the overall properties of the two sites, demonstrated for the first time that the reversible association of the enzyme on mitochondria is uniquely related to the Type A site.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Use of very low concentrations of KSCN at about 10% of the level previously reported to cause total release of HK-I from the G6P- insensitive site, caused partial release from this site in a reproducible manner. In contrast to site A, no rebinding of the enzyme takes place on site B, suggesting that site A is 'the only physiologically-important site in relation to the release-rebinding of the enzyme which occur in response to the energy requirements of the brain. Based on the results presented, a possible physiological role for distribution of the enzyme between the two sites on the mitochondrion is proposed.</p

Seroprevalence of and Risk Factors for Toxoplasma gondii among Pregnant Women in Abyek Township of Qazvin Province , Iran (2013)

 Objective: Toxoplasmosis is an important disease which is caused by the coccidian parasite Toxoplasma gondii. The aim of this study was to determineseroprevalence of and risk factors for T. gondii among pregnant women in Abyek township of Qazvin province by enzyme-linked immunosorbentassay method.Methods: Blood samples were taken from 200 pregnant women referred to the health centers of Abyek township. Immunoglobulin M (IgM)and IgGtiters and effects of some factors on incidence of the disease were evaluated. The collected data were statistically analyzed with SPSS 17 using Chisquaretest.Results: Anti toxoplasma IgM and IgG were positive in 2% and 29% respectively. Seropositive subjects were more frequently seen in women withage &gt;30 years compared to younger women. No significant relationship was found between the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection and level ofeducation, residence area, history of abortion and gestational age.Conclusion: It was indicative of having a latent infection due to the previous exposure to toxoplasma parasite in this region.Keywords: Toxoplasma gondii, Prevalence, Pregnant women, Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Immunoglobulin M

Dynamic Analysis of the effect of Corruption on Health Indices in Selected Countries using Panel VAR Model

Introduction: Corruption is one of the economic, political and social tuberous phenomena that can be a threat for accessing health, equity and objectives. The aim of this study was to determine the dynamic impact of corruption on health. Methods: This longitudinal study was performed using the Panel VAR model. Moreover, the Johansen test was used to estimate the long-run relationship. Data of 43 countries during 1996-2011 were analyzed through EViews 6. Results: Results showed that, corruption control, in long-term, has a significant positive effect on the health of the society and one unit improvement in corruption leads to 7.47 years increase of life expectancy. Also, corruption control affects the mortality of children under one year with the coefficient of -35.3. Economic inequity and increasing government intervention in the economy have negative impacts on health indicators. Conclusion: Considering the negative impact of corruption on health, fundamental measures for moving towards good governance are required. Moreover, with regard to the impact of economic inequity and the size of government, improving governments efficiency to achieve health goals is necessary. Keywords: Corruption, Life expectancy, Children mortality, Auto regressiv

Explaining the structural model of desire for treatment based on addiction memory, the desire to use with the mediation of self-control in people seeking to quit

Background and purpose: Addiction means acquiring a habit and getting used to it, and it happens in such a way that quitting and giving up causes disruption in the overall functioning of the person, which is accompanied by physical, mental and behavioral discomfort. The present study was conducted with the aim of explaining the model of desire for addiction treatment based on the memory of addiction and the desire to use with the mediation of self-control in substance dependent people seeking to quit. Methods: The current research method was a correlational and predictive description. The statistical population of this study included substance dependent people who referred to addiction treatment clinics in Babol city in a period of four months. 209 participants were selected as a sample using a purposive sampling method and answered the questions of Chen et al.'s addiction memory intensity scale (2018), Tanjeni et al.'s (2004) self-control scale, stages of readiness for change and enthusiasm for change. Miller and Tunigan (1997) Addiction Treatment and Somoza et al. (1995) substance abuse scale responded. Data analysis was done using structural equation modeling method and Lisrel software. Results: The results showed that the memory of addiction has a direct role in the desire for treatment (p<0.01, β=0.31); Addiction memory has a direct role in self-control (p<0.01, β=0.59); The desire to use has a direct role in the desire for treatment (p<0.01, β=0.39); Desire to use has a direct role in self-control (p<0.01, β=0.73); Self-control has a direct role in desire for treatment (p<0.01, β=0.79); Addiction memory plays an indirect role in desire for treatment with self-control mediation (p<0.01, β=0.47) and the desire to use has an indirect role in desire for treatment with self-control mediation (p<0.01, β=0.58). Conclusion: It can be concluded that the model of desire for addiction treatment based on the memory of addiction and the desire to use with the mediation of self-control is suitable for drug addicts seeking to quit

Investigation of Factors Affecting Development of E-government Infrastructure in Iranian Commerce Sector

ABSTRACT E-government is an idea and it is time for it. In many countries, attention to e-government and its implementation is very important. E-government is a new ambition in many countries to modernize and restructure public organizations and offices. Some developed and some developing countries have taken actions for establishing such a government. However, establishment of e-government involves basic challenges and will follow serious challenges. Therefore, such countries have considered strate-governmenties and IT techniques for implementing e-government. The present research is a field study and investigates factors affecting development of e-government infrastructure in commerce sector in Iran (Tehran). Furthermore, geographical area under study was Tehran and its commercial centers. The research is of descriptive-analytical type and statistical methods were used to investigate factors affecting e-government infrastructure and descriptive statistics like frequency table. Data was gathered by library and exploration methods. Questionnaires were distributed among egovernment experts, commentators, and specialists and the received questionnaires were analyzed by SPSS and the hypotheses were tested and t test was used. Furthermore, Lee Ho method was used to rank factors affecting e-government infrastructures in commerce sector in Iran. Cronbach&apos;s alpha was used to investigate questionnaire reliability. The calculated number for Cronbach&apos;s alpha was 0.89. Recommendations which were based on the results are as follows: Presence of a certain strate-governmenty is a factor which affects e-government infrastructure development; Use of experts&apos; opinions in the field of e-government will cause improvement of state managers&apos; knowledge level especially in commerce sector in the field of IT and communications; Presence of traditional approach in managers will not lead to development and change in the present situation and some of them oppose internet and satellite technologies; Investments must be done in the field of development of necessary infrastructure and establishment of egovernment in commerce sector; High-rank managers support for planning and success of e-government implementation is necessary

The efficacy of treatment based on acceptance and commitment on emotion regulation and blood pressure reduction in people with coronary heart disease

Background: Numerous studies confirm the effect of psychological factors on the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases such as blood pressure. These diseases affect the quality of people's emotions and health. So far, various treatments have been performed to reduce blood pressure, but it seems that the role of psychological treatments such as treatment based on acceptance and commitment in regulating emotions and consequently reducing blood pressure has not been paid enough attention. Aims: The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy on emotion regulation and blood pressure reduction in people with coronary heart disease. Methods: The present research method was applied and quasi-experimental designs of pre-test-post-test and 6-month follow-up with a control group. The statistical population of this research included all people with coronary heart disease who were referred to Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Nowshahr. The sample of this study includes 30 people with coronary heart disease who were selected using Convenience Sampling. The data were obtained using the emotion regulation questionnaire of Granfsky et al. (2001) and a sphygmomanometer. The protocol used in this research was based on the proposal of Herbert and Furman (2011), which was designed and implemented in 8 sessions of 60 minutes. The data were analyzed using the Mancova method and analysis of variance with repeated measurements, and the above statistical analyzes were performed using SPSS-26 software. Results: The results showed that there is a significant difference between the mean scores before and after the intervention between the experimental and control groups (p<0.05). The average blood pressure of the subjects in the pre-test of the experimental group was 15.16 and in the post-test stage, it was reduced to 12.83, while there was no significant change in the control group. Finally, the findings indicated that the treatment based on acceptance and commitment statistically affects emotion regulation and blood pressure reduction in people with coronary heart disease. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the treatment based on acceptance and commitment can be used as an effective intervention to improve emotion regulation and reduce blood pressure in people with coronary heart disease

Exploring the clinical benefit of ventilation therapy across various patient groups with COVID-19 using real-world data

Abstract Scarcity of ventilators during COVID-19 pandemic has urged public health authorities to develop prioritization recommendations and guidelines with the real-time decision-making process based on the resources and contexts. Nevertheless, patients with COVID-19 who will benefit the most from ventilation therapy have not been well-defined yet. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the benefit of ventilation therapy among various patient groups with COVID-19 admitted to hospitals, based on the real-world data of hospitalized adult patients. Data used in the longitudinal study included 599,340 records of hospitalized patients who were admitted from February 2020 to June 2021. All participants were categorized based on sex, age, city of residence, the hospitals' affiliated university, and their date of hospitalization. Age groups were defined as 18–39, 40–64, and more than 65-year-old participants. Two models were used in this study: in the first model, participants were assessed by their probability of receiving ventilation therapy during hospitalization based on demographic and clinical factors using mixed-effects logistic regression. In the second model, the clinical benefit of receiving ventilation therapy among various patient groups was quantified while considering the probability of receiving ventilation therapy during hospital admission, as estimated in the first model. The interaction coefficient in the second model indicated the difference in the slope of the logit probability of recovery for a one-unit increase in the probability of receiving ventilation therapy between the patients who received ventilation compared to those who did not while considering other factors constant. The interaction coefficient was used as an indicator to quantify the benefit of ventilation reception and possibly be used as a criterion for comparison among various patient groups. Among participants, 60,113 (10.0%) cases received ventilation therapy, 85,158 (14.2%) passed away due to COVID-19, and 514,182 (85.8%) recovered. The mean (SD) age was 58.5 (18.3) [range = 18–114, being 58.3 (18.2) among women, and 58.6 (18.4) among men]. Among all groups with sufficient data for analysis, patients aged 40–64 years who had chronic respiratory diseases (CRD) and malignancy benefitted the most from ventilation therapy; followed by patients aged 65 + years who had malignancy, cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and diabetes (DM); and patients aged 18–39 years who had malignancy. Patients aged 65 + who had CRD and CVD gained the least benefit from ventilation therapy. Among patients with DM, patients aged 65 + years benefited from ventilation therapy, followed by 40–64 years. Among patients with CVD, patients aged 18–39 years benefited the most from ventilation therapy, followed by patients aged 40–64 years and 65 + years. Among patients with DM and CVD, patients aged 40–64 years benefited from ventilation therapy, followed by 65 + years. Among patients with no history of CRD, malignancy, CVD, or DM, patients aged 18–39 years benefited the most from ventilation therapy, followed by patients aged 40–64 years and 65 + years. This study promotes a new aspect of treating patients for ventilators as a scarce medical resource, considering whether ventilation therapy would improve the patient's clinical outcome. Should the prioritization guidelines for ventilators allocation take no notice of the real-world data, patients might end up being deprived of ventilation therapy, who could benefit the most from it. It could be suggested that rather than focusing on the scarcity of ventilators, guidelines focus on evidence-based decision-making algorithms to also take the usefulness of the intervention into account, whose beneficial effect is dependent on the selection of the right time in the right patient