MODLEACH: A Variant of LEACH for WSNs

Wireless sensor networks are appearing as an emerging need for mankind. Though, Such networks are still in research phase however, they have high potential to be applied in almost every field of life. Lots of research is done and a lot more is awaiting to be standardized. In this work, cluster based routing in wireless sensor networks is studied precisely. Further, we modify one of the most prominent wireless sensor network's routing protocol "LEACH" as modified LEACH (MODLEACH) by introducing \emph{efficient cluster head replacement scheme} and \emph{dual transmitting power levels}. Our modified LEACH, in comparison with LEACH out performs it using metrics of cluster head formation, through put and network life. Afterwards, hard and soft thresholds are implemented on modified LEACH (MODLEACH) that boast the performance even more. Finally a brief performance analysis of LEACH, Modified LEACH (MODLEACH), MODLEACH with hard threshold (MODLEACHHT) and MODLEACH with soft threshold (MODLEACHST) is undertaken considering metrics of throughput, network life and cluster head replacements.Comment: IEEE 8th International Conference on Broadband and Wireless Computing, Communication and Applications (BWCCA'13), Compiegne, Franc

Comparative analysis of spatial and transform domain methods for meningioma subtype classification

Pattern recognition in histopathological image analysis requires new techniques and methods. Various techniques have been presented and some state of the art techniques have been applied to complex textural data in histological images. In this paper, we compare the novel Adaptive Discriminant Wavelet Packet Transform (ADWPT) with a few prominent techniques in texture analysis namely Local Binary Patterns (LBP), Grey Level Co-occurrence Matrices (GLCMs) and Gabor Transforms. We show that ADWPT is a better technique for Meningioma subtype classification and produces classification accuracies of as high as 90%

Failure Behavior of Pultruded GFRP Members Under Combined Bending and Torsion

Glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite sections, manufactured through pultrusion process, are known for their high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, low thermal conductivity, electric and magnetic transparency, low life cycle cost and ease of fabrication. They are being widely applied in infrastructure systems.;The load response of thin-walled GFRP composite sections is different from that of isotropic slender members. For instance, stress variation exists across the wall thickness and the FRP members are more prone to warping and local buckling including shear-lag. The literature survey revealed that the response of pultruded GFRP sections under combined bending and torsion has not yet been studied both in terms of the strength and stiffness.;Thru this research, the behavior of full scale sections was investigated under bending, torsion and combined bending and torsion. The shapes under investigation include circular, square and wide-flange with dimensions from 2 to 6 and lengths from 24 to 144 . The analytical part is based on modified flexural and torsional theories for anisotropic materials.;Due to the absence of any formulation on combined bending and torsion of orthotropic sections, the formulae for isotropic sections were extended for orthotropic ones. Some finite element analysis models were also included to make a comparison.;The experimental work consists of (i) determining the laminate properties at coupon level through tension-tests, shear-tests, burnout-tests and microscopy, and (ii) investigating the behavior of full-length samples under 3-point bending, pure torsion and combined bending and torsion. Under torsion and combined loading, a dedicated apparatus was designed, fabricated, instrumented and calibrated at WVU-CFC Major Units laboratory. This apparatus is capable of incorporating samples of cross-sections up to 6 x6 and lengths up to 144 ; with the angle of twist measurement ranging from +60° to -60°.;It was found from coupon tests that strength and modulus values are measurable with a reasonable range of accuracy, but fiber alignment and fiber volume fraction may vary along the cross-section. The bending behavior of full-length closed-sections was controlled by strength and that of wide-flange sections was due to flange-buckling. The torsional behavior of closed sections was also strength controlled, while the wide-flange section practically showed no torsional strength. The behavior under combined bending and torsion was influenced by principal stresses and maximum shear stresses under the effect of compressive bending and torsional shear stresses. On the T/Tmax - M/Mmax interaction curve, some of the data-points agreed-well with the ideal curve, while the others lay beyond that. The reasons of deviation were investigated to be load rate, variations in fiber content and different types of losses in the apparatus

Minimal excision technique for epidermoid (sebaceous) cysts

This issue of eMedRef provides information to clinicians on the indications, procedures and follow up for the minimal excision technique for epidermoid (sebaceous) cysts

Life threatening spinal shock and complete neurological recovery following minor spinal cord trauma in a patient with pre-existing cervical canal stenosis: case report

Mild to moderate trauma to the spinal cord that is complicated by existing cervical canal stenosis or spondylosis can be a life threatening event. It is against this background that we present a 41 year old male with cervical spinal stenosis who developed marked quadriparesis and respiratory embarrassment following collision with a colleague. He was admitted to the intensive care unit, electively sedated, paralysed and ventilated for a period of 48 hours. During the initial 24 hours of admission, he received methylprednisolone as per the National Acute Spinal Cord Injury Studies (NASCIS) protocol. Forty five hours later he had regained full neurological and respiratory function, allowing extubation and subsequent discharge from the intensive care unit. While patients with cervical spinal cord trauma in a setting of cervical canal stenosis or spondylosis can deteriorate dramatically, early recognition of this condition and prompt management using methylprednisolone, cervical stabilisation and ventilatory support during the initial window of opportunity will enable them make a full recovery

Prostate-specific Antigen as a Risk Factor for Skeletal Metastasis in Native Ethnic African Men with Prostate Cancer: A Case-control Study

Prostate cancer is the most common noncutaneous cancer in males. Men of African origin are at a significantly higher risk as reflected in the higher incidence and mortality rates in this racial group. Metastases incidence increases parallel to serum levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), contributing significantly to morbidity and mortality. Staging of the disease involves bone scans, which are sensitive in detecting skeletal metastases. Suggestions that these scans may be omitted in some situations in patients with low prostate specific antigen levels have drawn attention to the matter. In this case-control study, using radiology and pathology records, a registry of prostate cancer patients recorded as being of dark-skinned ethnicity was obtained. Images were presented to image reviewers blinded to the PSA level, to determine the presence of skeletal metastases. The risk factor for the outcome of interest (skeletal metastases) was PSA level above 20 ng/mL. The reliability of image reporting was also assessed. Of the 122 patients, skeletal metastases were present in 50 (41%) while these were absent in 72 (59%). The prevalence of metastases among the high PSA group was 55.9% [95% confidence interval (CI) 44.1–67.7%] and among the normal/low PSA group was 22.2% (95% CI 11.1–33.3%). The odds ratio (OR) for skeletal metastases in the exposed (high PSA) group was 4.4 (95% CI, 2.01–9.78.) Intraobserver agreement on image interpretation was 88.5% with a Kappa statistic of 0.76. A relatively higher prevalence of skeletal metastasis is seen in regional dark-skinned African males with prostate cancer at both low and high prostate specific antigen levels. Bone scanning in this population should therefore, be considered even at PSA levels below 20 ng/mL

A robust adaptive wavelet-based method for classification of meningioma histology images

Intra-class variability in the texture of samples is an important problem in the domain of histological image classification. This issue is inherent to the field due to the high complexity of histology image data. A technique that provides good results in one trial may fail in another when the test and training data are changed and therefore, the technique needs to be adapted for intra-class texture variation. In this paper, we present a novel wavelet based multiresolution analysis approach to meningioma subtype classification in response to the challenge of data variation.We analyze the stability of Adaptive Discriminant Wavelet Packet Transform (ADWPT) and present a solution to the issue of variation in the ADWPT decomposition when texture in data changes. A feature selection approach is proposed that provides high classification accuracy

Attachment, perceived social support and mental health problems in women with primary infertility

Background: Infertility is one of the fastest growing concerns when it comes to reproductive health and most often, women get the blame. Consequently, females suffer from major psycho-social and emotional problems that may lead to serious mental health concerns.Methods: To fill the gap in literature, a cross-sectional research design was used to measure the attachment styles with spouse, perceived social support, and predict mental health problems in women attending infertility clinics with ages ranging from 19-45 (M 27.21, SD 4.79). Adult Attachment Questionnaire, Multidimensional Perceived Social Support, and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale were used among experimental subjects selected through purposive sampling technique.Results: About 32% women reported themselves as secure, 49% as ambivalent, and 19% as avoidant in their attachment style with spouse. The results revealed that a significant negative correlation exists between perceived social support and mental health problems among women with infertility. Moreover, women who identify their attachment pattern as Ambivalent perceive less social support and experience more mental health problems.Conclusions: Education is one of the strongest predictors of how likely infertility is to cause mental health issues while Attachment style is another strong indicator since infertile women with secure attachment pattern have fewer mental health problems. However, the sample size was modest to make any wide-scale assumptions, so further trials with larger participant pools must be performed. Additionally, future studies should include both rural and urban samples with different psychological variables to find the similarities and differences between various groups of people with diverse backgrounds