Enhancing spoken connected-digit recognition accuracy by error correction codes - a novel scheme

Recognizing spoken connected-digit numbers accurately is an important problem and has very many applications. Though state-of-the-art word recognition systems have gained acceptable accuracy levels, the accuracy of recognition of current connected spoken digits (and other short words) is very poor. In this paper, we develop a novel scheme to enhance the accuracy of recognizing a connected number. The basic idea proposed in this paper is to increase the number of digits in a number and use these appended digits to increase the overall accuracy of recognizing the number, as is done in the error-correcting code literature. We further show that the developed scheme is able to uniquely and exactly correct single-digit errors

Efficacy, safety and cost effectiveness of levocetrizine and ebastine in allergic rhinitis: a comparative study

Background: Allergic rhinitis is a ubiquitous aliment affecting a large population of individuals. The mainstay of treatment includes antihistamines and topical steroids. With a large assortment available, the choice of the drugs needs to be non-random and evidenced based. Hence this study was undertaken to compare Levocetrezine and Ebastine in terms of efficacy, safety and cost effectiveness in treatment of allergic rhinitis.Methods: Newly diagnosed patients with allergic rhinitis were categorized into two groups and treated with Levocetrizine 5mg and Ebastine 20mg per day respectively. Severity of the symptoms at the commencement and at the end of second and the fourth weeks of therapy were assessed using a four-point Likert scale and assigning a Total Nasal Symptoms Score (TNSS). The primary efficacy measure was mean change from baseline TNSS at each follow up visit. Change in TNSS was compared using Independent sample test. Adverse effects in both the groups were compared using Chi square test. Cost effectiveness was inferred by calculation of the Average Cost Effectiveness Ratio.Results: A total of 159 patients 84 from Levocetrizine group (L group) and 75 from the Ebastine group (E group) were available for study. At the end of second week, the E group showed a better reduction in TNSS(p-0.04). However, both the groups showed similar reduction in TNSS at the concluding visit (p-value of 0.09). The incidence of adverse effects was significantly higher in the L than in E. Levocetrezine was found to be more cost effective than Ebastine.Conclusions: Levocterezine and Ebastine are equally efficacious in treatment of allergic rhinitis. Hence treatment will have to be personalized to the individual patients based on other factors such as adverse drug effects and cost effectiveness

Sclerosing PEComa: A Histologic Surprise

PEComa represents a group of mesenchymal tumors consisting of perivascular epithelioid cells. We present a 50-year old female patient with a rare distinctive variant, sclerosing PEComa, characterized by extensive stromal hyalinization and a predilection for the pararenal retroperitoneum.Key Words: PEComa, Sclerosing PECom

A comparative study on total phenolic content, reducing power and free radical scavenging activity of aerial parts of Barleria prionitis

Context: Barleria prionitis L. (Family Acanthaceae; commonly known as Vajradanti), is an annual shrub, 1–3 feet high, found throughout tropical Asia and in South Africa.Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antioxidant activity of 50% ethanolic extract of leaf, flower, and stem of B. prionitis by using β carotene bleaching assay, reducing power and free radical scavenging activity (DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity). Total phenolic content (TPC) was analysed by the Folin–Ciocalteu colorimetric method using gallic acid as standard and expressed as mg/g gallic acid equivalent (GAE).Results: Total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity (AOA) in B. prionitis leaves were found to be 67.48 mg/g GAE dry plant material and 79.20%. The B. prionitis leaves exhibited strong free radical scavenging activity as evidenced by the low IC50 values in both DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl) (336.15 μg/ml) and hydroxyl radical (568.65 μg/ml) methods.Conclusions: The leaf of B. prionitis possesses high phenolic content, potential antioxidant activity, reducing power & radical scavenging activity in comparison to flower and stem.Keywords: Barleria prionitis, total phenolic content, β carotene bleaching assay, reducing power, free radical scavenging activity

ATOMIC-SCALE FINITE ELEMENT OF POST BUCKLING CNT’S

This paper illustrates an atomic-scale finite element method AFEM to study the post buckling behavior of Carbon Nano Tubes CNTs. The computed energy curves and critical strain for the (8, 0) single-walled CNT SWNT agree with atomistic simulations. The AFEM is very fast and flexible outstanding to the competence of the finite element method. For the SWNT, the strain energy curves have apparent jumps at morphology changes and during the smooth continuation stages of post buckling, the strain energy varies in the linear order with the strain. For the double-walled CNT, there are only small strain energy releases, and the strain energy also changes approximately piecewise linearly with the strain. The morphologies are obtained in detail. AFEM is computationally rapid and is an alternative efficient way to study the post buckling of CNTs

Inverse relationship between serum high density lipoprotein and negative syndrome in antipsychotic-naive schizophrenia

Background: Recent literature suggests a role for apolipoprotein L (apoL) aberrations in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. ApoL is almost exclusively associated with apolipoprotein A-I in high-density lipoproteins (HDLs). The objective of this study was to examine the correlation between symptom scores and serum HDL in antipsychotic-naive schizophrenia patients. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 60 antipsychotic-naive schizophrenia patients were systematically examined for their symptom scores, with good inter-rater reliability. Concurrently, an overnight fasting serum lipid profile from these patients was assessed. Results: Serum HDL had a significant inverse correlation with a total negative syndrome score (ρ=−0.43; p=0.001). Conclusions: The study observation supports the potential role for HDL abnormalities in the genesis of negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Clin Chem Lab Med 2010;48:95–8.Peer Reviewe

A Framework for Interoperable Healthcare Information Systems

Abstract: It is clear that in today's organizations, new and existing applications require access to data stored in several preexisting databases held at several local and remote locations. Therefore, a main criterion required by most complex organizations, is the provision of collaboration possibilities and information integration mechanisms among distributed, heterogeneous, and autonomous database systems. The development of an application provides interoperability and information integration among distributed systems, via the deployment of database standards and emerging Internet technologies. It is one of the most challenging approaches in the area of integrating heterogeneous information from autonomous sites. In this context, the work described in this paper focuses on the design and development of a Generic Information Exchange (GIE) System. The system supports a wide variety of applications with efficient means for their interconnection and interoperation, while preserving their heterogeneity, distribution, and full autonomy. An example of the interoperability problem is found in the healthcare domain, where each hospital, or even each department in a hospital, maintains its own database. In this environment it is very important to permit users to locate and access data from several remote databases, supporting the needs of patient care, daily operations of the hospitals and research consultations. It necessitates the sharing and exchange of data related to clinical, administrative, managerial and research (statistical) information. Therefore, it is necessary to propose an approach i.e. GIE System that permits interoperation among heterogeneous, distributed, and autonomous sites