A Dorsal Hand Vein Recognition-based on Local Gabor Phase Quantization with Whitening Transformation

The hand vein pattern is a biometric feature in which the actual pattern is the shape of the vein network and its characteristics are the vein features. This paper investigates a new approach for dorsal hand vein pattern identification from grey level dorsal hand vein information. In this study Gabor filter quadrature pair is employed to compute locally in a window for every pixel position to extract the phase information. The phases of six frequency coefficients are quantized and it is used to form a descriptor code for the local region. These local descriptors are decorrelated using whitening transformation and a histogram is generated for every pixel which describes the local pattern.  Experiments are evaluated on North China University of Technology  dorsal hand vein image dataset with minimum distance classifier and the results are analyzed for recognition rate, run time and equal error rate. The proposed method gives 100 per cent recognition rate and 1 per cent EER for fusion of both left and right hands.Defence Science Journal, 2014, 64(2), pp. 159-167. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/dsj.64.465

Impact of obesity with impaired glucose tolerance on retinal degeneration in a rat model of metabolic syndrome.

PurposeMetabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with several degenerative diseases, including retinal degeneration. Previously, we reported on progressive retinal degeneration in a spontaneous obese rat (WNIN/Ob) model. In this study, we investigated the additional effect of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), an essential component of MetS, on retinal degeneration using the WNIN/GR-Ob rat model.MethodsThe retinal morphology and ultrastructure of WNIN/GR-Ob and age-matched littermate lean rats were studied by microscopy and immunohistochemistry. The retinal transcriptome of WNIN/GR-Ob was compared with the respective lean controls and with the WNIN/Ob model using microarray analysis. Expression of selected retinal marker genes was studied via real-time PCR.ResultsProgressive loss of photoreceptor cells was observed in WNIN/GR-Ob rats with an onset as early as 3 months. Similarly, thinning of the inner nuclear layer was observed from 6 months in these rats. Immunohistochemical analysis showed decreased levels of rhodopsin and postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD-95) proteins and increased levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and calretinin in WNIN/GR-Ob rats compared with the age-matched lean controls, further supporting cellular stress/damage and retinal degeneration. The retinal transcriptome analysis indicated altered expression profiles in both the WNIN/GR-Ob and WNIN/Ob rat models compared to their respective lean controls; these pathways are associated with activation of pathways like cellular oxidative stress response, inflammation, apoptosis, and phototransduction, although the changes were more prominent in WNIN/GR-Ob than in WNIN/Ob animals.ConclusionsWNIN/GR-Ob rats with added glucose intolerance developed retinal degeneration similar to the parent line WNIN/Ob. The severity of retinal degeneration was greater in WNIN/GR-Ob rats compared to WNIN/Ob, suggesting a possible role for IGT in this model. Hence, the WNIN/GR-Ob model could be a valuable tool for investigating the impact of MetS on retinal degeneration pathology

Role of microRNAs in Alcohol-Induced Multi-Organ Injury

Alcohol consumption and its abuse is a major health problem resulting in significant healthcare cost in the United States. Chronic alcoholism results in damage to most of the vital organs in the human body. Among the alcohol-induced injuries, alcoholic liver disease is one of the most prevalent in the United States. Remarkably, ethanol alters expression of a wide variety of microRNAs that can regulate alcohol-induced complications or dysfunctions. In this review, we will discuss the role of microRNAs in alcoholic pancreatitis, alcohol-induced liver damage, intestinal epithelial barrier dysfunction, and brain damage including altered hippocampus structure and function, and neuronal loss, alcoholic cardiomyopathy, and muscle damage. Further, we have reviewed the role of altered microRNAs in the circulation, teratogenic effects of alcohol, and during maternal or paternal alcohol consumption

Carbon stocks in major cashew growing soils of coastal Karnataka, India

This study was taken up to assess the soil organic carbon (SOC) stock under cashew plantations in different management conditions viz., natural (cashew mixed with forest trees and cashew in scrub land conditions) and intensive management (research stations) in regions/locations of coastal Karnataka. Profile study was undertaken and six major soil series were identified. Horizon-wise soil samples were collected from different layers of soil profiles and the major soil properties viz., bulk density, pH, EC, particle size distribution and SOC were determined using standard laboratory procedures. The SOC stock was high in surface soils (2.0 to 8.23 kg C m-2) compared to subsoils (0.08 to 3.28 kg C m-2) and it decreased with depth. The maximum SOC was found in mixed forest land use system followed by cashew plantation in scrub land and in research farm. The SOC stock in different depths (0-30, 30-100 and 0-100 cm) of the soils varied from 2.37 to 9.70 kg C m-2 and 1.48 to 5.69 kg C m-2, respectively. Result indicated that cashew plantation under natural management has more SOC stock and high carbon sequestration potential-than intensively managed cashew plantations

Role of microRNAs in Alcohol-Induced Multi-Organ Injury

Alcohol consumption and its abuse is a major health problem resulting in significant healthcare cost in the United States. Chronic alcoholism results in damage to most of the vital organs in the human body. Among the alcohol-induced injuries, alcoholic liver disease is one of the most prevalent in the United States. Remarkably, ethanol alters expression of a wide variety of microRNAs that can regulate alcohol-induced complications or dysfunctions. In this review, we will discuss the role of microRNAs in alcoholic pancreatitis, alcohol-induced liver damage, intestinal epithelial barrier dysfunction, and brain damage including altered hippocampus structure and function, and neuronal loss, alcoholic cardiomyopathy, and muscle damage. Further, we have reviewed the role of altered microRNAs in the circulation, teratogenic effects of alcohol, and during maternal or paternal alcohol consumption

Role of microRNAs in Alcohol-Induced Multi-Organ Injury.

Alcohol consumption and its abuse is a major health problem resulting in significant healthcare cost in the United States. Chronic alcoholism results in damage to most of the vital organs in the human body. Among the alcohol-induced injuries, alcoholic liver disease is one of the most prevalent in the United States. Remarkably, ethanol alters expression of a wide variety of microRNAs that can regulate alcohol-induced complications or dysfunctions. In this review, we will discuss the role of microRNAs in alcoholic pancreatitis, alcohol-induced liver damage, intestinal epithelial barrier dysfunction, and brain damage including altered hippocampus structure and function, and neuronal loss, alcoholic cardiomyopathy, and muscle damage. Further, we have reviewed the role of altered microRNAs in the circulation, teratogenic effects of alcohol, and during maternal or paternal alcohol consumption

SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION, ANTI-MICROBIAL, ANTI-CANCER, AND ANTI-OXIDANT ACTIVITY OF NOVEL 1-(NAPHTHALEIN 2-YL OXY)(PHENYL)(METHYL) THIOUREA MANNICH BASE AND ITS METAL COMPLEXES

ABSTRACT Objective: Mannich bases of 2-naphthol are predominantly popular in metal-mediated and ligand-accelerated catalysis of enantioselective carbon-carbon bond formation. Since these compounds have multiple centre for chelation with metal ions, they are likely to be potent inhibitors of metallo-enzymes. A number of pharmaceutical and agricultural agents have a naphthalein frame work. Our present study focuses on the synthesis of Mannich base derived from the condensation of 2-naphthol, benzaldehyde and thiourea and its metal complexes and their biological activities. Methods: The ligand 1-(naphthalein -2-yloxy )(phenyl)(methyl) thiourea (BNBTU) was synthesized by Mannich condensation reaction  between 2- naphthol, benzaldehyde and thiourea in 1:1:1 molar ratio. Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II)  and Zn(II) complexes of the new Mannich base BNBTU have been synthesized. Results: The anti-bacterial activity of the ligand and all the metal complexes leads to the conclusion that most of the complexes were found to have activities against E.coli    and B. subtilis. The cytotoxic effects of the newly synthesized ligand have been found good inhibition activity against the cancer cell line. Further the ligand and the metal complexes have been screened for their fungicidal and anti-oxidant properties and they are found to be significantly active. Conclusion: The ligand 1-(naphthalein -2-yloxy )(phenyl)(methyl) thiourea (BNBTU) has shown as one of the novel ligand and its coordination with transition metals exhibited enhanced biological activity

Roman and inverse roman domination in network of triangles

In graph G (V, E), a function f : V → {0, 1 2} is said to be a Roman Dominating Function (RDF). If ∀u ∈ V, f(u) = 0 is adjacent to at least one vertex v ∈ V such that f(v) = 2. The weight of f is given by w(f) = P v∈V f(v). The Roman Domination Number (RDN) denoted by γR(G) is the minimum weight among all RDF in G. If V −D contains a RDF f 1 : V → {0, 1, 2}, where D is the set of vertices v, f(v) > 0, then f 1 is called Inverse Roman Dominating Function (IRDF) on a graph G with respect to the RDF f. The Inverse Roman Domination Number (IRDN) denoted by γ 1 R(G) is the minimum weight among all IRDF in G. In this paper we find RDN and IRDN of few triangulations graphs.Publisher's Versio