Border Feature Detection and Adaptation for Classification of Multispectral and Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Images

Effective partitioning of feature space for high classification accuracy with due attention to rare class members is often a difficult task. In this paper, the border feature detection and adaptation (BFDA) algorithm is proposed for this purpose. The BFDA consist of two parts. In the first part of the algorithm, some specially selected training samples are assigned as initial reference vectors called border features. In the second part of the algorithm, the border features are adapted by moving them towards the decision boundaries. At the end of the adaptation process, the border features are finalized. The method next uses the minimum distance to border feature rule for classification. In supervised learning, the training process should be unbiased to reach more accurate results in testing. In the BFDA, decision region borders are related to the initialization of the border features and the input ordering of the training samples. Consensus strategy can be applied with cross validation to reduce these dependencies. The performance of the BFDA and Consensual BFDA (C-BFDA) were studied in comparison to other classification algorithms including neural network with back-propagation learning (NN-BP), support vector machines (SVMs), and some statistical classification techniques

Azathioprine-induced liver injury in a patient with multiple autoimmune syndrome

Extraintestinal manifestations are frequent in patients with ulcerative colitis. They are most commonly associated with active bowel disease but can also occur prior to bowel disease or during a period of remission. The disease often requires long-term therapy. The tolerability of drugs is essential for the comprehensive management of patients. Azathioprine is considered an indispensable drug for the treatment of severe ulcerative colitis patients. It is used to prevent relapse or to treat patients who are refractory to corticosteroids. We report a patient who had alopecia areata, vitiligo, recurrent episcleritis, ulcerative colitis and azathioprine-induced liver injury, and review the related literature

Diagnostic utility of simple hematologic markers in acute gastroenteritis patients admitted to the emergency department

The contributions of hematologic parameters to the inflammatory response via different leukocyte and platelet pathways are well known. However, the diagnostic yield of these parameters in acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is not yet well understood. This study was planned to investigate the diagnostic value of simple hematological markers, including mean platelet volume (MPV), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), red cell distribution width (RDW), platelet distribution width (PDW), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), in patients with AGE admitted to the emergency department. A total of 57 patients with AGE of either viral or bacterial origin and 69 age and sex-matched control subjects were studied. NLR, PLR, MPV, PDW, and RDW values in all patients were calculated and recorded from complete blood cell counts. A total of 126 patients (57 men [45.2%] and 69 women [54.8%]) were included in the study. The mean NLR and PLR values of AGE patients were significantly higher than those of health controls (NLR = 4.44 ± 4.1 for AGE patients and 2.22 ± 1.2 for controls [P < 0.001]; PLR = 160.4 ± 102.4 for AGE patients and 113.8 ± 42.6 for controls [P = 0.02]. ROC curve analysis suggested that the optimum NLR cut-off point for AGE was 2.08, with a sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of 70%, 65%, 62%, and 72%, respectively (AUC = 0.704). The optimum PLR cut-off point for AGE was 105.55, with sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of 71%, 50%, 54%, and 68%, respectively (AUC = 0.648). We demonstrated that NLR and PLR levels are elevated in AGE patients. Thus, NLR and PLR levels can be considered a valuable tool to differentiate acute gastroenteritis from other non-inflammatory emergent conditions. [Med-Science 2020; 9(2.000): 376-80

Numerical analyses of piles subjected to lateral soil movement

Load transfer to piles due to the relative movement between the piles and the moving soil is a fairly complex soil-pile interaction problem. Different analysis methods are available in literature to estimate the loads on piles. However, the predicted loads on the piles calculated by these methods vary due to insufficient representation of loading conditions and ignoring relative pile and soil movement. In this paper, three dimensional finite element analyses have been performed to evaluate the load transfer mechanism of free head passive pile groups in purely cohesionless soils. Numerical analyses are classified to address two most common passive pile cases, namely piles adjacent to embankments and piles used for slope stabilization. The effects of relative pile and soil displacement, pile spacing and pile arrangement on soil arching are investigated by numerical simulations. It is observed that load transfer decreases parallel to a decrease in pile spacing for piles adjacent to embankments contrary to piles used for slope stabilization

Leukoderma and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy in an adolescent with graft-versus-host disease

A 15-year-old Iraqi male patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia received an allogeneic bone marrow transplant from his brother. On the 18th day after the transplant, the patient developed grade II acute graft-versus-host disease, and treatment included methylprednisolone. On day 140, the patient was diagnosed with leukoderma. On day 150, the patient was admitted to hospital because of numbness and muscle weakness in the extremities and a disturbance of the gait. Neurologic examination showed muscle weakness in the upper and lower extremities and there were no deep tendon reflexes. Nerve conduction studies showed reduced conduction speeds of the motor nerves with demyelinating features. The patient was diagnosed as having a chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDB) based on clinical and electrophysiological findings. Treatment included methylprednisolone and intravenous immunoglobulin. The neurologic function improved but the skin lesions persisted. This case shows that graft-versus-host disease can act as a triggering factor for the appearance of autoimmune diseases

Effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy on intrahepatic biliary calculi developing after choledochal cyst surgery: A case report

The development of intra-and extrahepatic bile duct stones has been reported as one of the most serious complications after choledochal cyst excision with biliary-enteric reconstruction through Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy (HJ). Here, we report our experience with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) in a case of giant intrahepatic stones developing after choledochal cyst surgery. ESWL is an excellent therapeutic modality for large intrahepatic biliary calculi, and after dilating the HJ anastomosis percutaneously, it can be offered as first-line therapy to these patients