Parametric classification in domains of characters, numerals, punctuation, typefaces and image qualities

This thesis contributes to the Optical Font Recognition problem (OFR), by developing a classifier system to differentiate ten typefaces using a single English character ‘e’. First, features which need to be used in the classifier system are carefully selected after a thorough typographical study of global font features and previous related experiments. These features have been modeled by multivariate normal laws in order to use parameter estimation in learning. Then, the classifier system is built up on six independent schemes, each performing typeface classification using a different method. The results have shown a remarkable performance in the field of font recognition. Finally, the classifiers have been implemented on Lowercase characters, Uppercase characters, Digits, Punctuation and also on Degraded Images

Resource Efficient Authentication and Session Key Establishment Procedure for Low-Resource IoT Devices

open access journalThe Internet of Things (IoT) can includes many resource-constrained devices, with most usually needing to securely communicate with their network managers, which are more resource-rich devices in the IoT network. We propose a resource-efficient security scheme that includes authentication of devices with their network managers, authentication between devices on different networks, and an attack-resilient key establishment procedure. Using automated validation with internet security protocols and applications tool-set, we analyse several attack scenarios to determine the security soundness of the proposed solution, and then we evaluate its performance analytically and experimentally. The performance analysis shows that the proposed solution occupies little memory and consumes low energy during the authentication and key generation processes respectively. Moreover, it protects the network from well-known attacks (man-in-the-middle attacks, replay attacks, impersonation attacks, key compromission attacks and denial of service attacks)

Hypertensive supratentorial intracerebral Hemorrhage: early surgery and functional Outcome; a tertiary care hospital experience from Karachi, Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous supratentorialintracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) has a high morbidity and mortality and places a significant burden on health and social services.The role and timing of operative neurosurgical intervention remain controversial and the practice and timing of surgery continue to be haphazard. METHODOLOGY: Our study was a descriptive study conducted at Civil hospital Karachi, Pakistan. Sample size was calculated. The sampling technique of our study was non probability. The data was collected and analyzed using spssvs 17. Data was observed for any descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS: There were 38 males (63.3%) and 22 females (36.7%). The mean age of patients was 52.7 years. 36 patients (60%) had right hemispheric hemorrhage while 24 patients (40%) had left hemispheric hemorrhage. 48 patients (80%) had typical putaminal hemorrhage while 6 (5%) patients had subcortical and 6 (5%) occipital bleed. Regarding the improvement of neurological status, 16 patients (26%) were able to perform daily activities. 9 patients (15%) were able to take care of themselves at home while 07 patients (11%) required partial care. 10 patients (16%) were vegetative and 18 (30%) patients died. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that early evacuation of large hematoma resulted in short ICU and short hospital stay, less postoperative complications and overall good functional recovery particularly in middle aged and younger patients with non dominant hemispheric hemorrhage therefore early surgical intervention definitely has the role in the management of extensive intracerebral hemorrhage

Hajdu cheney syndrome due to NOTCH2 defect - First case report from Pakistan and review of literature

Introduction and importance: Hajdu Cheney Syndrome (HCS) is a rare skeletal disease characterized by severe, progressive focal bone loss with osteoporosis, variable craniofacial, vertebral anomalies and distinctive facial features. It is inherited as an autosomal dominant disease although sporadic cases have been described in literature. Identifying these cases in clinical practice is important for proper diagnosis and management.Case presentation: We report a case of a 36-year-old male patient presented at metabolic bone disease clinic at the Aga Khan University Hospital with history of multiple fragility fractures and juvenile osteoporosis since childhood. DNA sequence analysis of the NOTCH2 coding sequence revealed a pathogenic variant in NOTCH 2, Exon 34, c.6426_6427insTT (p.Glu2143Leufs*5), consistent with a NOTCH2 related conditions including HCS.Clinical discussion: The multitude of presentations associated with HCS are linked to the NOTCH2 gene, as Notch signaling is one of the core signaling pathways that control embryonic development. Hence, mutations in the Notch signaling pathway cause developmental phenotypes that affect various organs including the liver, skeleton, heart, eye, face, kidney, and vasculature.Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, nucleotide mutations of c.6933delT, c.6854delA, c.6787C.T, and c.6424-6427delTCTG were all determined to be novel, with c.6428T \u3e C being the most common mutation found in literature. The c.6426_6427insTT mutation our patient was found to have via gene sequencing too appears to be a novel mutation, which has not previously been reported in literature

A rare presentation of acute flaccid myelitis in covid-19 patient: a case report

SARS-CoV-2 virus enters human cells via ACE-2 receptors and causes multiple organs dysfunction. These ACE-2 receptors are in cells surface of human lung, liver, heart, kidney and blood vessels. The expression of ACE2 receptors in cortical neurons, glial cells and spinal cord cells create nervous system susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 attack and may be a source of different neurological deficits including myelitis in COVID-19 patients

The Framework of Car Price Prediction and Damage Detection Technique

In this paper, the research area has always been car price forecasting. We demonstrate that using the proposed object detection method, the type of damage can be categorized into two classes with good accuracy damaged and undamaged. So, when we discovered these issues, we decided to develop a mobile application called Car Price Prediction, which allows users to anticipate the price of a used car. So, we trained the damage identification model using our data using a state-of-the-art image detection method convolutional neural network and evaluated the accuracy on a GPU server and a smartphone

Third ventricular tumors: A comprehensive literature review

Third ventricle tumors are uncommon and account for 0.6 - 0.9% of all the brain tumors. Tumors of the third ventricle are classified into primary tumors, such as colloid cysts, choroid plexus papillomas, and ependymomas, or secondary tumors, such as craniopharyngiomas, optic nerve gliomas, pineal tumors, and meningiomas. Third ventricular tumors are uncommon, and their treatment involves significant morbidity and mortality. The colloid cyst has a better surgical outcome and many approaches are available to achieve a complete cure. Choroid plexus papilloma is also a common tumor documented with its treatment majorly based on surgical resection. In addition to multiple treatment options for craniopharyngiomas, surgery is the most preferred treatment option. Ependymomas also have few treatment options, with surgical resection adopted as the first line of treatment

National guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of hilar cholangiocarcinoma

©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Burnout among surgeons before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: an international survey

Background: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had many significant impacts within the surgical realm, and surgeons have been obligated to reconsider almost every aspect of daily clinical practice. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study reported in compliance with the CHERRIES guidelines and conducted through an online platform from June 14th to July 15th, 2020. The primary outcome was the burden of burnout during the pandemic indicated by the validated Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure. Results: Nine hundred fifty-four surgeons completed the survey. The median length of practice was 10 years; 78.2% included were male with a median age of 37 years old, 39.5% were consultants, 68.9% were general surgeons, and 55.7% were affiliated with an academic institution. Overall, there was a significant increase in the mean burnout score during the pandemic; longer years of practice and older age were significantly associated with less burnout. There were significant reductions in the median number of outpatient visits, operated cases, on-call hours, emergency visits, and research work, so, 48.2% of respondents felt that the training resources were insufficient. The majority (81.3%) of respondents reported that their hospitals were included in the management of COVID-19, 66.5% felt their roles had been minimized; 41% were asked to assist in non-surgical medical practices, and 37.6% of respondents were included in COVID-19 management. Conclusions: There was a significant burnout among trainees. Almost all aspects of clinical and research activities were affected with a significant reduction in the volume of research, outpatient clinic visits, surgical procedures, on-call hours, and emergency cases hindering the training. Trial registration: The study was registered on clicaltrials.gov "NCT04433286" on 16/06/2020