Application of a New Method for Analyzing Images: Two-Dimensional Non-Linear Additive Decomposition

This paper documents the application of a new image processing algorithm, two-dimensional non-linear additive decomposition (NLAD), which is used to identify regions in a digital image whose gray-scale (or color) intensity is different than the surrounding background. Standard image segmentation algorithms exist that allow users to segment images based on gray-scale intensity and/or shape. However, these processing techniques do not adequately account for the image noise and lighting variation that typically occurs across an image. NLAD is designed to separate image noise and background from artifacts thereby providing the ability to consistently evaluate images. The decomposition techniques used in this algorithm are based on the concepts of mathematical morphology. NLAD emulates the human capability of visually separating an image into different levels of resolution components, denoted as ''coarse'', ''fine'', and ''intermediate''. Very little resolution information overlaps any two of the component images. This method can easily determine and/or remove trends and noise from an image. NLAD has several additional advantages over conventional image processing algorithms, including no need for a transformation from one space to another, such as is done with Fourier transforms, and since only finite summations are required, the calculational effort is neither extensive nor complicated

ПРОЕКТ ЕНЕРГЕТИЧНОЇ БЕЗПЕКИ УКРАЇНИ НА ОСНОВІ ВЛАСНИХ ГЕОТЕРМАЛЬНИХ РЕСУРСІВ

The article presents the main components of energy and public safety through the development of geothermal resources in Ukraine. The development of geothermal resources is performed by geothermal power plants construction (GPPC) type, tube in tube "that do not require fuel resources, does not produce harmful emissions into the environment and are able to provide all spheres of society own thermal and electrical energy in sufficient amount. The data from the GPPC theory and technology of construction, industrial feasibility, socio-economic and ecological effectiveness are presented.В статті наведені основні складові енергетичної і екологічної безпеки суспільства на основі освоєння геотермальних ресурсів України. Освоєння геотермальних ресурсів виконується шляхом спорудження геотермальних енергоустановок (ГТЕУ) типу ,,труба в трубі”, що не потребують паливних ресурсів, не виробляють шкідливих викидів у довкілля і здатні забезпечити всі сфери діяльності суспільства власною тепловою і електричною енергією в достатній кількості. Наведені відомості з теорії ГТЕУ, техніки і технології їх спорудження, промислової доцільності, соціально-економічної та екологічної ефективності

Tuberculosis outcomes related to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis genotype

Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains of different phylogenetic lineages and genetic families differ in biological properties that determine, to some extent, epidemiological features and clinical manifestation in tuberculosis (TB) patients.The aim of the study was to assess the risk of an adverse outcome of the disease in TB patients caused by various M. tuberculosis genotypes.Materials and methods. A total of 425 patients with respiratory TB were enrolled in this study. They were registered at phthisiatric facilities in the Omsk region from March 2015 to June 2017 period and included: males — 73.1%, mean age 39.9 years, females — 26.9%, mean age 42.0 years. M. tuberculosis culture and drug susceptibility testing and DNA extraction were performed in accordance with standard methods. Strains were assigned to the M. tuberculosis Beijing genotype and its epidemiologically relevant clusters B0/W148 and 94-32 by PCR based detection of specific markers. Non-Beijing strains were subjected to spoligotyping.Results. We found that 66.5% isolates belonged to the Beijing genotype, 12.8% — to LAM, 10.1% — to T, and 4.7% — to the Ural genotype. Multi-drug resistance (MDR) to anti-TB drugs was observed in 195 M. tuberculosis strains (45.9%). Moreover, Beijing genotype was more often isolated from patients with MDR-TB infection (PR = 2.09 (95% CI 1.6–2.74) and TB infection associated with HIV infection (PR = 1.14 (95% CI 1.01–1.31). Lethal outcome was double higher in patients infected with Beijing vs. non-Beijing strains, 28.6% vs. 14.0% (PR = 2.03; 95% CI 1.3–3.17). The risk factors were identified as follows: young age 18–44 years (RR = 1.7; 95% CI 1.18–2.7), co-morbidity with HIV (RR = 5.0; 95% CI 3.39–7.45), multiple (RR = 1.7; 95% CI 1.14–2.55) and extensive drug resistance (RR = 2.57; 95% CI 1.35–4.92), and association with the Beijing genotype (RR = 2.0, 95% CI 1.3–3.17).Conclusion. M. tuberculosis spread in the Omsk region is characterised by significant prevalence of the Beijing genotype, associated with multiple and extensive drug resistance. A significant association of adverse clinical outcomes and various factors, including association with the Beijing genotype, requires development of new approaches in the fight against tuberculosis

Izloženost genotoksičnim agensima iz životnog okoliša tijekom prenatalnog razvoja i djetinjstva

Health disorders and diseases related to environmental exposure in children such as cancer and immunologic disturbances (asthma, allergies) are on the rise. However, complex transplacental and prepubertal genotoxicology is given very limited consideration, even though intrauterine development and early childhood may be critical for elucidating the cancer aetiology. The foetus is transplacentally exposed to contaminants in food and environment such as various chemicals, drugs, radiochemically contaminated water and air. Target organs of xenobiotic action may differ between the mother and the foetus due to specific stage of developmental physiology and enzyme distribution. This in turn may lead to different levels of clastogenic and aneugenic metabolites of the same xenobiotic in the mother and the foetus. Adult’s protective behaviour is not sufficient to isolate children from radioisotopes, pesticides, toxic metals and metalloids, environmental tobacco smoke, endocrine disrupting chemicals, and various food contaminants, which are just a part of the stressors present in a polluted environment. In order to improve legislation related to foetus and child exposure to genotoxic and possibly carcinogenic agents, oncologists, paediatricians, environmental health specialists, and genotoxicologists should work together much more closely to make a more effective use of accumulated scientific data, with the final aim to lower cancer incidence and mortality.Unatoč velikim naporima da se smanji okolišna izloženost u djece se dalje bilježi trend porasta pojavnosti karcinoma i imunosnih poremećaja (astma, alergije). Premda su intrauterini razvoj i rano djetinjstvo kritično razdoblje za tumačenje etiologije nastanka karcinoma, transplacentalna i prepubertetna genotoksikologija do danas su slabo istražene. Fetus je transplacentalno izložen brojnim fizikalnim i kemijskim čimbenicima: kontaminantima iz hrane i okoliša, radiokemijski kontaminiranoj vodi, zraku te lijekovima. Ciljna tkiva za djelovanje ksenobiotika mogu biti različita u majke i fetusa zbog različitosti u razvojnoj fiziologiji i distribuciji enzima. Zbog toga u organizmu majke i fetusa mogu nastati različite razine klastogenih i aneugenih metabolita istog ksenobiotika. Zaštitna uloga odraslih u namjeri da spriječe negativne utjecaje onečišćenog okoliša na djetetovo zdravlje često je ograničena jer su radioizotopi, olovo, PCB, pasivno pušenje, živa, endokrino aktivne tvari, pesticidi i kontaminanti prisutni u svim životnim područjima tijekom razvoja i rasta djeteta. Kako bi se poboljšalo zakonodavstvo vezano uz izloženost djece genotoksičnim i vjerojatno kancerogenim tvarima, tijekom razvoja potrebna je bolja suradnja onkologa, pedijatara, stručnjaka zdravstvene ekologije i genotoksikologa. Na taj način ostvarilo bi se uspješnije iskorištavanje postojećih znanstvenih podataka u cilju smanjenja incidencije karcinoma i mortaliteta

Application of a New Method for Analyzing Images: Two-Dimensional Non-Linear Additive Decomposition NOTICE Application of a New Method for Analyzing Images: Two-Dimensional Non-Linear Additive Decomposition

ABSTRACT This paper documents the application of a new image processing algorithm, two-dimensional non-linear additive decomposition (NLAD), which is used to identify regions in a digital image whose gray-scale (or color) intensity is different than the surrounding background. Standard image segmentation algorithms exist that allow users to segment images based on gray-scale intensity and/or shape. However, these processing techniques do not adequately account for the image noise and lighting variation that typically occurs across an image. NLAD is designed to separate image noise and background from artifacts thereby providing the ability to consistently evaluate images. The decomposition techniques used in this algorithm are based on the concepts of mathematical morphology. NLAD emulates the human capability of visually separating an image into different levels of resolution components, denoted as 'coarse', 'fine', and 'intermediate.' Very little resolution information overlaps any two of the component images. This method can easily determine and/or remove trends and noise from an image. NLAD has several additional advantages over conventional image processing algorithms, including no need for a transformation from one space to another, such as is done with Fourier transforms, and since only finite summations are required, the calculational effort is neither extensive nor complicated

Dynamics and Merger Rate of Primordial Black Holes in a Cluster

The PBH clusters can be sources of gravitational waves, and the merger rate depends on the spatial distribution of PBHs in the cluster which changes over time. It is well known that gravitational collisional systems experience the core collapse that leads to significant increase of the central density and shrinking of the core. After core collapse, the cluster expands almost self-similarly (i.e., density profile extends in size without changing its shape). These dynamic processes affect the merger rate of PBHs. In this paper, the dynamics of the PBH cluster is considered using the Fokker–Planck equation. We calculate the merger rate of PBHs on cosmic time scales and show that its time dependence has a unique signature. Namely, it grows by about an order of magnitude at the moment of core collapse which depends on the characteristics of the cluster, and then decreases according to the dependence R∝t−1.48. It was obtained for monochromatic and power-law PBH mass distributions with some fixed parameters. Obtained results can be used to test the model of the PBH clusters via observation of gravitational waves at high redshift

The Prevalence of Risk Factors of Breast Cancer in Different Age Groups of the Female Population of the Omsk Region

The paper estimates the prevalence of the main risk factors for breast cancer (BC) in different age groups of the female population of the Omsk Region. Priority groups for the correction of risk factors in five age intervals were identified. According to the results of an integrated assessment of the aggregate of risk factors at different ages of women, the age group 60-69 years old was in the first ranking place for the priority of preventive measures, the second group was 70 years or more, the third group included a group of 30-39 year old women. The specific weight of the corrected risk factors in this group of respondents was 85.7%, which determines the potential of preventive measures

Eating habits among the Omsk Oblast population and poor nutrition in association with cardiovascular diseases according to the ESSE-RF2 study

Aim. To assess the prevalence of eating habits among the Omsk Oblast population and their association with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) according to the ESSERF2 study.Material and methods. In the ESSE-RF2 study with persons aged 25-64 years (random sample, n=1648), the dietary habits of 21 food groups were assessed using the questionnaire method. Results. Insufficient consumption of vegetables and fruits was revealed in 60,0% and 68,7% of the region’s population, which is 1,5-2,2 times higher than amongRussians. The daily intake of cereals is 2,3 times higher than that of pasta, especially in those with CVDs. In the region, poultry is preferred. Poultry at least once a week is consumed by 91,7% of Omsk residents, red meat — 74,8%, and fish — only 35,2% (vs 84,7%, 83,1% and 65,1% in Russians, respectively). The daily intake of liquid dairy products is low. Cheese and cottage cheese is consumed significantly lower than the national average, while legumes — 4 times lower. The presence of confectionery in the daily diet of 40,3% of Omsk residents looks more favorable than the average among Russians. In addition, 50% of the population eat pickles only 1-2 times a month (significantly less than in Russia). On the contrary, 60,9% of Omsk residents regularly (daily-weekly) consume meat and sausages (56,0% in Russia, p=0,000). Omsk residents with CVDs refrain from excessive consumption of sugar, other sweets, meat and sausages, pickles and marinades. They are almost 2 times more likely to exclude red meat from the diet or reduce its daily consumption than people without CVDs. Salting of cooked food, consumption of vegetables and fruits, fish, seafood and dairy products practically did not depend on CVDs.Conclusion. The food habits of Omsk residents differs from the national one in many products. People with CVDs have unfavorable eating habits: reduced consumption of fresh vegetables, fruits, fish, seafood, legumes and nuts. Patients do not change their diet in favor of cardioprotective products and decrease in adding more salt. Although, they more often refuse meat and sausages, pickles, marinades, sweets, and pasta, and increase the consumption of cereals