Liver segmentation using marker controlled watershed transform

The largest organ in the body is the liver and primarily helps in metabolism and detoxification. Liver segmentation is a crucial step in liver cancer detection in computer vision-based biomedical image analysis. Liver segmentation is a critical task and results in under-segmentation and over-segmentation due to the complex structure of abdominal computed tomography (CT) images, noise, and textural variations over the image. This paper presents liver segmentation in abdominal CT images using marker-based watershed transforms. In the pre-processing stage, a modified double stage gaussian filter (MDSGF) is used to enhance the contrast, and preserve the edge and texture information of liver CT images. Further, marker controlled watershed transform is utilized for the segmentation of liver images from the abdominal CT images. Liver segmentation using suggested MDSGF and marker-based watershed transform help to diminish the under-segmentation and over-segmentation of the liver object. The performance of the proposed system is evaluated on the LiTS dataset based on Dice score (DS), relative volume difference (RVD), volumetric overlapping error (VOE), and Jaccard index (JI). The proposed method gives (Dice score of 0.959, RVD of 0.09, VOE of 0.089, and JI of 0.921)

Liver Segmentation and Liver Cancer Detection Based on Deep Convolutional Neural Network: A Brief Bibliometric Survey

Background: This study analyzes liver segmentation and cancer detection work, with the perspectives of machine learning and deep learning and different image processing techniques from the year 2012 to 2020. The study uses different Bibliometric analysis methods. Methods: The articles on the topic were obtained from one of the most popular databases- Scopus. The year span for the analysis is considered to be from 2012 to 2020. Scopus analyzer facilitates the analysis of the databases with different categories such as documents by source, year, and county and so on. Analysis is also done by using different units of analysis such as co-authorship, co-occurrences, citation analysis etc. For this analysis Vosviewer Version 1.6.15 is used. Results: In the study, a total of 518 articles on liver segmentation and liver cancer were obtained between the years 2012 to 2020. From the statistical analysis and network analysis it can be concluded that, the maximum articles are published in the year 2020 with China is the highest contributor followed by United States and India. Conclusions: Outcome from Scoups database is 518 articles with English language has the largest number of articles. Statistical analysis is done in terms of different parameters such as Authors, documents, country, affiliation etc. The analysis clearly indicates the potential of the topic. Network analysis of different parameters is also performed. This also indicate that there is a lot of scope for further research in terms of advanced algorithms of computer vision, deep learning and machine learning

Prostate cancer immunotherapy: Improving clinical outcomes with a multi-pronged approach

Cancer immunotherapy has gained traction in recent years owing to remarkable tumor clearance in some patients. Despite the notable success of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in multiple malignancies, engagement of the immune system for targeted prostate cancer (PCa) therapy is still in its infancy. Multiple factors contribute to limited response, including the heterogeneity of PCa, the cold tumor microenvironment, and a low number of neoantigens. Significant effort is being invested in improving immune-based PCa therapies. This review is a summary of the status of immunotherapy in treating PCa, with a discussion of multiple immune modalities, including vaccines, adoptively transferred T cells, and bispecific T cell engagers, some of which are undergoing clinical trials. In addition, this review also focuses on emerging mechanism-based small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors with immune modulatory properties that, either as single agents or in combination with other immunotherapies, have the potential to improve clinical outcomes

A combined simulation and optimization based method for predictive - reactive scheduling of flexible production systems subject to execution exceptions

Kiran R. MahajanPaderborn, Univ., Diss., 200

Hextuple-inverter configuration for multilevel nine-phase symmetrical open-winding converter

Abstract: Hextuple-inverter configuration for multilevel nine-phase symmetrical open-winding DC converter is articulated in this work. Power modular unit consists of six classical three-phase voltage source inverters (VSI). Each VSI includes one bi-directional device (MOSFET/IGBT) per each phase and link to two capacitors for neutral connection. A modified single carrier five-level modulation (MSCFM) algorithm is developed and modulates each 2-level VSI as 5- level multilevel inverter (MLI). A set of test results is presented, which are observed from the model based developments in numerical simulation software’s (Matlab/PLECS). The results always showed good conformity with the developed theoretical background under working conditions. The proposed converter found suited for (low-voltage/high current) electric vehicles, DC tractions and ‘More-Electric Aircraft’ applications

Prevalence of refractive errors and their association with socio demographic characteristics in pediatric patients attending tertiary eye care centre

Background: Uncorrected refractive errors are one of the major culprits of visual impairment among children in our country. Children included in school going age groups i.e., 6-16 years, represent 25% of population in developing countries. They fall in the category of preventable age group for correction of refractive errors. This paper describes the salient features and results of the cross-sectional study conducted to determine the prevalence of refractive errors and their association with socio demographic characteristics in pediatric population objective were to study the prevalence of refractive errors and their association with socio demographic characteristics in pediatric patients attending tertiary eye care centre.Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted for a period of one year among children in 0-16 years age group and a total of 444 patients were included. All children were examined by ophthalmologists and refraction was done by optometrists. Data was analysed using web-based software open epi version 3.01.Results: Prevalence of refractive errors was found to be 29.5%. Amongst the socio demographic factors, there was a significant association of age and literacy with refractive errors whereas gender and residence were not found to be significant.Conclusions: Refractive errors are an important preventable cause of childhood ocular morbidity. Schools are an excellent platform to educate children and their parents regarding eye care and signs of ocular morbidity due to refractive errors. Health education activities in schools need to be intensified

An original transformer and switched-capacitor (T & SC)-based extension for DC-DC boost converter for high-voltage/low-current renewable energy applications:Hardware implementation of a new T & SC boost converter

In this article a new Transformer and Switched Capacitor-based Boost Converter (T & SC-BC) is proposed for high-voltage/low-current renewable energy applications. The proposed T & SC-BC is an original extension for DC-DC boost converter which is designed by utilizing a transformer and switched capacitor (T & SC). Photovoltaic (PV) energy is a fast emergent segment among the renewable energy systems. The proposed T & SC-BC combines the features of the conventional boost converter and T & SC to achieve a high voltage conversion ratio. A Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) controller is compulsory and necessary in a PV system to extract maximum power. Thus, a photovoltaic MPPT control mechanism also articulated for the proposed T & SC-BC. The voltage conversion ratio (Vo/Vin) of proposed converter is (1 + k)/(1 − D) where, k is the turns ratio of the transformer and D is the duty cycle (thus, the converter provides 9.26, 13.88, 50/3 voltage conversion ratios at 78.4 duty cycle with k = 1, 2, 2.6, respectively). The conspicuous features of proposed T & SC-BC are: (i) a high voltage conversion ratio (Vo/Vin); (ii) continuous input current (Iin); (iii) single switch topology; (iv) single input source; (v) low drain to source voltage (VDS) rating of control switch; (vi) a single inductor and a single untapped transformer are used. Moreover, the proposed T & SC-BC topology was compared with recently addressed DC-DC converters in terms of number of components, cost, voltage conversion ratio, ripples, efficiency and power range. Simulation and experimental results are provided which validate the functionality, design and concept of the proposed approach

Formulation and Evaluation of Lornoxicam Nanosuspension with Eudragit Rs100 Polymer

BCS Class II has a low aqueous solubility problem in pharmaceutical formulation. Hence to overcome this problem this research the was carried out for BCS Class II drug lornoxicam was selected to enhance the aqueous solubility by formulating nanosuspension with a polymer like Eudragit RL100, Eudragit RS100 and Poloxamber407 as a stabilizer. The present study focuses on the polymer Eudragit RS100. A total of four formulations LRS-F1, LRS-F2, LRS-F3, LRS-F4, and LRS-F4 were prepared with a ratio of drug: polymer: stabilizer (1:1:0.5 & 1:2:0.5, 1:1:1 & 1:2:1)LRS-F4 formulation was found to be optimized formulation with  90.00 – 100 nm particle size & -11.20 zeta potential and % drug release at the end of 10 hrs was found to be 96.88 % with the increase in the dissolution/saturation solubility of 70.36±0.09 ( µg /mL) of poorly water-soluble lornoxicam (reported solubility with 14.28 µg /mL µg /mL). The amount unincorporated was found to be 09.74 % with an optimized formulation. Moreover, the physical appearance of the nanosuspension was found to be up to the mark confirming that the nanosuspension is stable and has no crystal growth or crystal development with optimized formulation at a temperature of 4 °C for 3 months. Poloxamer 407 as a stabilizer

A New Structure of High Voltage Gain SEPIC Converter for Renewable Energy Applications

The paper proposes a new structure of SEPIC with high voltage gain for renewable energy applications. The proposed circuit is designed by amalgamating the conventional SEPIC with a boosting module. Therefore, the converter benefits from various advantages that the SEPIC converter has, such as continuous input current. Also, high voltage gain and input current continuity make the presented converter suitable for renewable energy sources. The modified SEPIC converter (MSC) provides higher voltage gain compared to the conventional SEPIC and recently addressed converters with a single-controlled switch. The analysis of voltage gain in continuous current mode (CCM) and discontinuous current mode (DCM) is analyzed by considering the non-idealities of the semiconductor devices and passive components. The selection of the semiconductor devices depending on the voltage-current rating is presented along with the designing of reactive components. The numerical simulation and experimental work are carried out, and the obtained results prove the feasibility of the MSC concept and the theoretical analysis.This work was supported by the National Priorities Research Program (NPRP) through the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of the Qatar Foundation) under Grant X-033-2-007.Scopu

A Systematic Review On Treatment Of Hypertension

High blood stress is one of the most historic threat representatives for ischaemic heart complaint, stroke, different cardiovascular conditions, habitual order complaint and madness. Mean blood stress and the frequency of aired blood stress possess deselected mainly in High- profit areas since at least the 1970s. By discrepancy, blood stress has risen in East, South and Southeast Asia, Oceania and sub-Saharan Africa. presented these currents, the frequency of hypertension is right now advanced in low- profit and medium- profit nations than in High- profit nations. In 2015, an assessed8.5 million exits were attributable to systolic blood stress> 115mmHg, 88 of which were by low- profit and medium- profit nations. The application and authority of hypertension treatment differ mainly across nations. spanning up treatment content and perfecting its neighbourhood authority can mainly degrade the fitness burden of hypertension