Image Processing Instrumentation for Giardia lamblia Detection

Currently, the identification and enumeration of Giardia Iamblia cysts are based upon microscopic methods requiring individuals proficient in this area. It is a tedious process which consumes time that could be constructively used elsewhere. This project attempts to alleviate that burden by employing a computer to automatically process Indirect Fluorescent Antibody (IFA) prepared slides using digital image processing techniques. A computer controlled frame grabber, in conjunction with a CCD TV camera mounted on the epi-fluorescence microscope phototube, captures the light intensities of the objects in view under the microscope objective. The captured image is stored as pixels, with each pixel having a numerical value that can be altered using linear contrast enhancement and bit-slicing to emphasize the cysts and eliminate the majority of unwanted objects from the image. The altered image is then analyzed by a vector trace routine for typical area and perimeters characteristic to Giardia lamblia cysts. Objects in the image matching these characteristics are most likely cysts and are added to a running tally of the number of cysts present on the slide

Instruments: HRC

HRC operations continue smoothly with no major problems, anomalies, or interruptions. Routine monitoring observations show no significant charge extraction from the detectors. There may be some evidence of a decrease in the low energy (below 400 eV) QE of the HRC-S, probably indicative of the chemical evolution of the CsI photocathode. This is being monitored by the CXC Cal team and the HRC instrument team, but this phenomenon currently is not significant for scientific observations. There has been no significant change in the HRC-I quantum efficiency during the past year. One HRC observation was made using one of the shutters during the past year, an HRC+LETG observation of the Crab Nebula. The shutter was used to block the zeroth order image in order to reduce the overall instrument rate from this bright source below the telemetry limit. There were some anomalies in inserting and withdrawing the shutter in the past. Overall another quiet year from an HRC perspective. A wide variety of scientific investigations have been carried out over the past year with the HRC instruments. This year we highlight an HRC-I observation of the Mouse nebula, a pulsar wind nebula, demonstrating the HRC's imaging and timing capabilities.published_or_final_versio

Comparing digital badges-and-points with classroom token systems: Effects on elementary school ESL students' classroom behavior and English learning

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The importance of traditional healers in the planning of rural healthcare delivery in Ghana: the case of bone-setting services in Loagri and Wungu

There has been increasing debate on whether traditional healers actually matter in planning for healthcare delivery and how their services can be effectively integrated into planning for formal health delivery systems. Whilst many have raised issues of standardization and efficacy against traditional healing, others have acclaimed its efficacy and many Ghanaians are claimed to have confidence in it and use traditional healing simultaneously with orthodox treatment. Detailed qualitative interviews were held with two bone-setters, one in Loagri and one in Wungu, 150 bone patients, 100 community members and 20 health staff. It was revealed that rural healthcare planning must incorporate traditional bone-setters and therefore traditional healers as they offer useful services and are popular because of the proximity one has to such services in relation to clinics and hospitals, the cost of healthcare, socio-cultural beliefs and norms and the confidence the people with bone injuries have in traditional bone-setters. In spite of the importance of traditional bone-setters, the weak collaboration with district hospitals, inadequate accommodation, limited use of modern equipment, and inadequate support and recognition from the District Assembly and the Ministry of Health undermine their role. Effective collaboration between traditional bone-setters and the West Mamprusi District Hospital and the integration of traditional bone-setting into the national public health framework need urgent policy attention. Keywords: Bone-setting, Ghana, planning, healthcare, traditional healer

Barrier-Lyapunov-Function-Based Backstepping Adaptive Hybrid Force/Position Control for Manipulator with Force and Position Constraints

In this paper, we present a backstepping adaptive hybrid force/position control based on Barrier Lyapunov Function for a robotic manipulator to prevent constraint violation of applied force and position simultaneously. First, the task space is partitioned according to the constrained and unconstrained directions, and a new representation of dynamics is introduced. Next, force/position control is applied using the strict-feedback backstepping technique, in which a time-varying Barrier Lyapunov Function is employed to ensure that the force and position do not violate their constraints. Finally, to deal with uncertainty, disturbance and non-linearity of the system, an adaptive radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) is also implemented in the control algorithm. Stability proof of the proposed control method is presented, and simulation studies on a 2-link manipulator show the effectiveness as well as the performance of the proposed controller in preventing constraint violation

Response Capabilities to Natural Disasters: Case Studies of Thailand Flooding

This paper explores and identifies the natural disaster response capabilities, and uncovers the underlying processes and mechanisms of which businesses respond to natural disasters. Evidence from two comparative extreme cases of factories dealing with the Thailand 2011 flood were examined, which resulted in a process framework that exhibits enabler response capabilities, organization response capabilities and underpinning response capabilities required to achieve a successful response. It highlights that the successful factory had better flexibility, speed and continuous updating enabler response capabilities as well as activated, adaptable and the ability to extend higher amounts of underpinning response capabilities

Access to high cost medicines in Australia: ethical perspectives

Access to "high cost medicines" through Australia's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is tightly regulated. It is inherently difficult to apply any criteria-based system of control in a way that provides a fair balance between efficient use of limited resources for community needs and equitable individual access to care. We suggest, in relation to very high cost medicines, that the present arrangements be re-considered in order to overcome potential inequities. The biological agents for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis are used as an example by which to discuss the ethical issues associated with the current scheme. Consideration of ethical aspects of the PBS and similar programs is important in order to achieve the fairest outcomes for individual patients, as well as for the community

An efficient semiparametric maxima estimator of the extremal index

The extremal index $\theta$, a measure of the degree of local dependence in the extremes of a stationary process, plays an important role in extreme value analyses. We estimate $\theta$ semiparametrically, using the relationship between the distribution of block maxima and the marginal distribution of a process to define a semiparametric model. We show that these semiparametric estimators are simpler and substantially more efficient than their parametric counterparts. We seek to improve efficiency further using maxima over sliding blocks. A simulation study shows that the semiparametric estimators are competitive with the leading estimators. An application to sea-surge heights combines inferences about $\theta$ with a standard extreme value analysis of block maxima to estimate marginal quantiles.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures. Minor edits made to version 1 prior to journal publication. The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10687-015-0221-