SenMinCom: Pervasive Distributed Dynamic Sensor Data Mining for Effective Commerce

In last few years, the use of wireless sensor networks and cell phones has become ubiquitous; fusing these technologies in the field of business will open up new possibilities. To fill this lacuna, I propose a novel idea where the combination of these will facilitate companies to receive feedback on their products and services. System\u27s unobtrusive sensors will not only collect shopping, mobile usage data from consumers but will also make effective use of this information to increase revenue, cut costs, etc.; the use of mobile agent based data mining allows analyzing the data from different dimensions, categorizing it on factors such as product positioning, promotion of goods, etc. as in the case of a shopping store. Additionally, because of the dynamic mining system the companies get on-the-scene recommendation of products rather than off-the-scene. In this thesis, a novel distributed pervasive mining system is proposed to get dynamic shopping information and mobile device usage of the customers

Radial-Distance Based Shape Descriptor for Image Retrieval

Shape analysis is used in many application fields including emerging virtual environments or 3D model market, security applications, medical imaging and many more. A Shape descriptor (or Signature) is the simplified representation of images. These shape descriptors carry important image information to store and makes easy the comparing of different shapes. The proposed shape descriptor is based on radial-distances. The type of shape descriptor used here is contour-based shape descriptor. Distance from center of bounding box encompassing the edge image to farthest point on the edge is calculated. A circle is drawn using the distance mentioned above as radius. The ratio of Euclidean distances of an edge pixel and the radius is considered as a feature. A set of such ratios for all the edge pixels forms a shape descriptor. The descriptor is divided into segments so as to avoid global distribution. A rotational matching scheme ensures invariance to rotation. As the computation of feature set is compact, implementation of this method results in quick retrieval of images invariant to scaling, translation and rotation

NeuronBank: A Tool for Cataloging Neuronal Circuitry

The basic unit of any nervous system is the neuron. Therefore, understanding the operation of nervous systems ultimately requires an inventory of their constituent neurons and synaptic connectivity, which form neural circuits. The presence of uniquely identifiable neurons or classes of neurons in many invertebrates has facilitated the construction of cellular-level connectivity diagrams that can be generalized across individuals within a species. Homologous neurons can also be recognized across species. Here we describe NeuronBank.org, a web-based tool that we are developing for cataloging, searching, and analyzing neuronal circuitry within and across species. Information from a single species is represented in an individual branch of NeuronBank. Users can search within a branch or perform queries across branches to look for similarities in neuronal circuits across species. The branches allow for an extensible ontology so that additional characteristics can be added as knowledge grows. Each entry in NeuronBank generates a unique accession ID, allowing it to be easily cited. There is also an automatic link to a Wiki page allowing an encyclopedic explanation of the entry. All of the 44 previously published neurons plus one previously unpublished neuron from the mollusc, Tritonia diomedea, have been entered into a branch of NeuronBank as have 4 previously published neurons from the mollusc, Melibe leonina. The ability to organize information about neuronal circuits will make this information more accessible, ultimately aiding research on these important models

Effect of aliskiren on post-discharge outcomes among diabetic and non-diabetic patients hospitalized for heart failure: insights from the ASTRONAUT trial

Aims The objective of the Aliskiren Trial on Acute Heart Failure Outcomes (ASTRONAUT) was to determine whether aliskiren, a direct renin inhibitor, would improve post-discharge outcomes in patients with hospitalization for heart failure (HHF) with reduced ejection fraction. Pre-specified subgroup analyses suggested potential heterogeneity in post-discharge outcomes with aliskiren in patients with and without baseline diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods and results ASTRONAUT included 953 patients without DM (aliskiren 489; placebo 464) and 662 patients with DM (aliskiren 319; placebo 343) (as reported by study investigators). Study endpoints included the first occurrence of cardiovascular death or HHF within 6 and 12 months, all-cause death within 6 and 12 months, and change from baseline in N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) at 1, 6, and 12 months. Data regarding risk of hyperkalaemia, renal impairment, and hypotension, and changes in additional serum biomarkers were collected. The effect of aliskiren on cardiovascular death or HHF within 6 months (primary endpoint) did not significantly differ by baseline DM status (P = 0.08 for interaction), but reached statistical significance at 12 months (non-DM: HR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.64-0.99; DM: HR: 1.16, 95% CI: 0.91-1.47; P = 0.03 for interaction). Risk of 12-month all-cause death with aliskiren significantly differed by the presence of baseline DM (non-DM: HR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.50-0.94; DM: HR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.15-2.33; P < 0.01 for interaction). Among non-diabetics, aliskiren significantly reduced NT-proBNP through 6 months and plasma troponin I and aldosterone through 12 months, as compared to placebo. Among diabetic patients, aliskiren reduced plasma troponin I and aldosterone relative to placebo through 1 month only. There was a trend towards differing risk of post-baseline potassium ≥6 mmol/L with aliskiren by underlying DM status (non-DM: HR: 1.17, 95% CI: 0.71-1.93; DM: HR: 2.39, 95% CI: 1.30-4.42; P = 0.07 for interaction). Conclusion This pre-specified subgroup analysis from the ASTRONAUT trial generates the hypothesis that the addition of aliskiren to standard HHF therapy in non-diabetic patients is generally well-tolerated and improves post-discharge outcomes and biomarker profiles. In contrast, diabetic patients receiving aliskiren appear to have worse post-discharge outcomes. Future prospective investigations are needed to confirm potential benefits of renin inhibition in a large cohort of HHF patients without D

Successful apexification with resolution of the periapical lesion using mineral trioxide aggregate and demineralized freeze-dried bone allograft

Immature teeth with necrotic pulp and large periapical lesion are difficult to treat via conventional endodontic therapy. The role of materials such as calcium hydroxide and mineral trioxide aggregate in apexification is indispensable. This case report presents the successful healing and apexification with combined use of white mineral trioxide aggregate and demineralized freeze-dried bone allograft