Detection and Removal of Noise from Images using Improved Median Filter

Noise is any unwanted component in an image. It is important to eliminate noise in the images before some subsequent processing, such as edge detection, image segmentation and object recognition. This work mainly concentrates on automatic detection and efficient removal of impulse (salt and pepper) noise. For automatic detection of impulse noise, a method based on probability density function is proposed. The basic idea of automatic detection is that the difference between the probabilities of black and white pixels will be small. After detecting the presence of impulse noise in an image, we have to remove that noise. For the removal of impulse noise a new efficient impulse noise removal method (Modified SDROM filter) is proposed. The Modified SDROM consists of two parts 1) Impulse detector and 2) Filter. The results show that this method has higher performance than other methods in terms of PSNR values and SSIM-Index values

Impact of Aquatic Resistance Training and Boot Camp Training for Inter-Collegiate Athletes 100 Meter Sprint

Aim and Background of the Study: Professional Athletes need to have a good speed throughout his run on track. To achieve it, athletes are given training in aquatic Resistance Method and Boot Resistance Method and made to perform on ground to compare the Effectiveness of Training. The aim is to increase the endurance of athletes by giving resistance training in two Different Methods. Methodology: This is an Experimental Study of comparative pre-test and post-test type.30 Subjects are included in the study for duration for of 8 Weeks. Subjects were divided into 2 Groups each consisting 15 subjects in Group -A&B. Group “A” were assisted with Boot Camp Training and Group “B” were assisted with Aquatic Resistance Training. The subjects were selected accordingly to the Inclusion Criteria of age Group 18-25 and Exclusion Criteria are below 18 years and above 25 years. Result: On comparing Pre test and Post test within Group A& Group B on 40 Yard dash score Shows highly significant difference in Mean values at P ≤ 0.001. Conclusion: The study concludes and demonstrates the benefits that boot camp training has an increasing performance variable similar to aquatic resistance training

Tuning and Locking the Localized Surface Plasmon Resonances of CuS (Covellite) Nanocrystals by an Amorphous CuPdxS Shell

[Image: see text] We demonstrate the stabilization of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in a semiconductor-based core–shell heterostructure made of a plasmonic CuS core embedded in an amorphous-like alloyed CuPd(x)S shell. This heterostructure is prepared by reacting the as-synthesized CuS nanocrystals (NCs) with Pd(2+) cations at room temperature in the presence of an electron donor (ascorbic acid). The reaction starts from the surface of the CuS NCs and proceeds toward the center, causing reorganization of the initial lattice and amorphization of the covellite structure. According to density functional calculations, Pd atoms are preferentially accommodated between the bilayer formed by the S–S covalent bonds, which are therefore broken, and this can be understood as the first step leading to amorphization of the particles upon insertion of the Pd(2+) ions. The position and intensity in near-infrared LSPRs can be tuned by altering the thickness of the shell and are in agreement with the theoretical optical simulation based on the Mie–Gans theory and Drude model. Compared to the starting CuS NCs, the amorphous CuPd(x)S shell in the core–shell nanoparticles makes their plasmonic response less sensitive to a harsh oxidation environment (generated, for example, by the presence of I(2))

Personality disorder: A mental health priority area

Personality disorders have received limited recognition as a public health priority, despite the publication of treatment guidelines and reviews showing effective treatments are available. Inclusive approaches to understanding and servicing personality disorder are required that integrate different service providers. This viewpoint paper identifies pertinent issues surrounding early intervention, treatment needs, consumer and carer experiences, and the need for accurate and representative data collection in personality disorder as starting points in mental health care reform

Floating Active Baffles, System and Method of Slosh Damping Comprising the Same

This disclosure provides a system for damping slosh of a liquid within a tank, a baffle for use in the system, and a method of damping slosh using the system. The system includes a plurality of baffles. Each baffle has a body configured to substantially float upon the liquid. Each baffle also has an activation material received along at least a portion of the body. The activation material is magnetically reactive provided in a quantity sufficient to enable the body to be manipulated in the presence of a magnetic field (M). The system further includes an actuator configured to pro­vide the magnetic field (M)

Plant growth promoting rhizobia: Challenges and opportunities

Modern agriculture faces challenges, such as loss of soil fertility, fluctuating climatic factors and increasing pathogen and pest attacks. Sustainability and environmental safety of agricultural production relies on eco-friendly approaches like biofertilizers, biopesticides and crop residue return. The multiplicity of beneficial effects of microbial inoculants, particularly plant growth promoters (PGP), emphasizes the need for further strengthening the research and their use in modern agriculture. PGP inhabit the rhizosphere for nutrients from plant root exudates. By reaction, they help in (1) increased plant growth through soil nutrient enrichment by nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, siderophore production and phytohormones production (2) increased plant protection by influencing cellulase, protease, lipase and β-1,3 glucanase productions and enhance plant defense by triggering induced systemic resistance through lipopolysaccharides, flagella, homoserine lactones, acetoin and butanediol against pests and pathogens. In addition, the PGP microbes contain useful variation for tolerating abiotic stresses like extremes of temperature, pH, salinity and drought; heavy metal and pesticide pollution. Seeking such tolerant PGP microbes is expected to offer enhanced plant growth and yield even under a combination of stresses. This review summarizes the PGP related research and its benefits, and highlights the benefits of PGP rhizobia belonging to the family Rhizobiaceae, Phyllobacteriaceae and Bradyrhizobiaceae

Portable microfluidic chip for detection of Escherichia coli in produce and blood

Pathogenic agents can lead to severe clinical outcomes such as food poisoning, infection of open wounds, particularly in burn injuries and sepsis. Rapid detection of these pathogens can monitor these infections in a timely manner improving clinical outcomes. Conventional bacterial detection methods, such as agar plate culture or polymerase chain reaction, are time-consuming and dependent on complex and expensive instruments, which are not suitable for point-of-care (POC) settings. Therefore, there is an unmet need to develop a simple, rapid method for detection of pathogens such as Escherichia coli. Here, we present an immunobased microchip technology that can rapidly detect and quantify bacterial presence in various sources including physiologically relevant buffer solution (phosphate buffered saline [PBS]), blood, milk, and spinach. The microchip showed reliable capture of E. coli in PBS with an efficiency of 71.8% ± 5% at concentrations ranging from 50 to 4,000 CFUs/mL via lipopolysaccharide binding protein. The limits of detection of the microchip for PBS, blood, milk, and spinach samples were 50, 50, 50, and 500 CFUs/mL, respectively. The presented technology can be broadly applied to other pathogens at the POC, enabling various applications including surveillance of food supply and monitoring of bacteriology in patients with burn wounds

The natural history of primary sclerosing cholangitis in 781 children. A multicenter, international collaboration

There are limited data on the natural history of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) in children. We aimed to describe the disease characteristics and long-term outcomes of pediatric PSC. We retrospectively collected all pediatric PSC cases from 36 participating institutions and conducted a survival analysis from the date of PSC diagnosis to dates of diagnosis of portal hypertensive or biliary complications, cholangiocarcinoma, liver transplantation, or death. We analyzed patients grouped by disease phenotype and laboratory studies at diagnosis to identify objective predictors of long-term outcome. We identified 781 patients, median age 12 years, with 4,277 person-years of follow-up; 33% with autoimmune hepatitis, 76% with inflammatory bowel disease, and 13% with small duct PSC. Portal hypertensive and biliary complications developed in 38% and 25%, respectively, after 10 years of disease. Once these complications developed, median survival with native liver was 2.8 and 3.5 years, respectively. Cholangiocarcinoma occurred in 1%. Overall event-free survival was 70% at 5 years and 53% at 10 years. Patient groups with the most elevated total bilirubin, gamma-glutamyltransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index at diagnosis had the worst outcomes. In multivariate analysis PSC-inflammatory bowel disease and small duct phenotypes were associated with favorable prognosis (hazard ratios 0.6, 95% confidence interval 0.5-0.9, and 0.7, 95% confidence interval 0.5-0.96, respectively). Age, gender, and autoimmune hepatitis overlap did not impact long-term outcome. CONCLUSION: PSC has a chronic, progressive course in children, and nearly half of patients develop an adverse liver outcome after 10 years of disease; elevations in bilirubin, gamma-glutamyltransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index at diagnosis can identify patients at highest risk; small duct PSC and PSC-inflammatory bowel disease are more favorable disease phenotypes

Light-strand bias and enriched zones of embedded ribonucleotides are associated with DNA replication and transcription in the human-mitochondrial genome

Abundant ribonucleoside-triphosphate (rNTP) incorporation into DNA by DNA polymerases in the form of ribonucleoside monophosphates (rNMPs) is a widespread phenomenon in nature, resulting in DNA-structural change and genome instability. The rNMP distribution, characteristics, hotspots and association with DNA metabolic processes in human mitochondrial DNA (hmtDNA) remain mostly unknown. Here, we utilize the ribose-seq technique to capture embedded rNMPs in hmtDNA of six different cell types. In most cell types, the rNMPs are preferentially embedded on the light strand of hmtDNA with a strong bias towards rCMPs; while in the liver-tissue cells, the rNMPs are predominately found on the heavy strand. We uncover common rNMP hotspots and conserved rNMP-enriched zones across the entire hmtDNA, including in the control region, which links the rNMP presence to the frequent hmtDNA replication-failure events. We show a strong correlation between coding-sequence size and rNMP-embedment frequency per nucleotide on the non-template, light strand in all cell types, supporting the presence of transient RNA-DNA hybrids preceding light-strand replication. Moreover, we detect rNMP-embedment patterns that are only partly conserved across the different cell types and are distinct from those found in yeast mtDNA. The study opens new research directions to understand the biology of hmtDNA and genomic rNMPs.Graphical Abstrac