Hair and Scalp Disease Detection using Machine Learning and Image Processing

Almost 80 million Americans suffer from hair loss due to aging, stress, medication, or genetic makeup. Hair and scalp-related diseases often go unnoticed in the beginning. Sometimes, a patient cannot differentiate between hair loss and regular hair fall. Diagnosing hair-related diseases is time-consuming as it requires professional dermatologists to perform visual and medical tests. Because of that, the overall diagnosis gets delayed, which worsens the severity of the illness. Due to the image-processing ability, neural network-based applications are used in various sectors, especially healthcare and health informatics, to predict deadly diseases like cancers and tumors. These applications assist clinicians and patients and provide an initial insight into early-stage symptoms. In this study, we used a deep learning approach that successfully predicts three main types of hair loss and scalp-related diseases: alopecia, psoriasis, and folliculitis. However, limited study in this area, unavailability of a proper dataset, and degree of variety among the images scattered over the internet made the task challenging. 150 images were obtained from various sources and then preprocessed by denoising, image equalization, enhancement, and data balancing, thereby minimizing the error rate. After feeding the processed data into the 2D convolutional neural network (CNN) model, we obtained overall training accuracy of 96.2%, with a validation accuracy of 91.1%. The precision and recall score of alopecia, psoriasis, and folliculitis are 0.895, 0.846, and 1.0, respectively. We also created a dataset of the scalp images for future prospective researchers

AI-Powered Workforce Management and Its Future in India

Day in and day out, the Workforce Department faces new problems and operational demands. It is very important for the department to respond quickly and understand the best possible action to be taken in each single case. It is unknown in a compromised setting of near-constant shifts in forecast and scheduling, increased customer demands, and changing recruitment and retention of employees. Workforce management around the world has begun to use artificial intelligence (AI)-based workforce management (WFM) software to solve the above problems and reach goals. These tools transform workforce management by helping to anticipate and plan short- and long-term planning. These tools improve Workforce Management by helping to predict short- and long-term scheduling and recruiting requirements, communicate with staff, and at the right time bring customers in contact with the right agent. This chapter addresses AI workforce management intervention and WFM instruments with industry-specific case studies and its experience with the product Workforce Dimensions. Present status and future expectations are also critically reviewed. Techniques of AI and machine learning (ML) are transforming industries, as are goods from thermostats to cars. The global enterprise value generated from AI continues to grow, according to Gartner, and is projected to reach up to $ 3.9 trillion by 2022. But what do these approaches mean for workforce management in the field? The current chapter examines the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in various HRM functions, as well as the ongoing debate about the expected decline in the usability of human resources in organizations. In the presence of AI in the workplace, HR practitioners are constantly afraid of being replaced by computers/robots/smart business machines. The study aims to recognize AI’s important contribution to enhancing organizational decision-making processes, as well as to enhance awareness of AI’s acceptability and inclusion in the HRM department. Despite the fact that the combination of AI and HRM is attracting a large number of researchers, many aspects of the field remain unexplored. The current research proposes a collaborative approach by stressing the complementary role of HRM in the successful use of AI, and it contributes to the existing literature. Since AI and HR are so intertwined, organizations should concentrate on incorporating AI as a supporting tool for HR rather than attempting to take over HR’s function. Business systems and smart business machines should be designed in such a way that they cannot produce results without the help of HR

Good Pharmacy Practice in India: Its past, Present & Future with Need and Status in COVID 19

The pandemic of COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of emergency preparedness and response (EP and R) in India’s education, training, capacity building, and infrastructure growth. Healthcare professionals, especially pharmacy professionals (PPs) in India, continued to provide drugs, supplies, and services during the pandemic. The public-private healthcare system in India is complicated and of varying quality. Patients face problems as a result of gaps in pharmacy practice education and training, as well as a lack of clarity about pharmacists’ positions. Job requirements and effective placement of healthcare professionals in patient care, as well as on (EP and R) task forces or policy representation, are complicated by this lack of distinction. We have also seen malpractice and spurious distribution in the healthcare and pharmaceutical domain in terms of personal protective kits, medications, injectable, life-saving oxygen, and other items during this unprecedented pandemic situation. A few of the incidents are as follows. The central division police in Bangalore (the Global BPO & IT Hub of India) booked a case of bed-blocking at a private hospital and arrested three people, one of whom is an Arogya Mitra (primary contact for the beneficiaries at every empaneled hospital care provider), for allegedly extorting ₹1.20 lakh from the son of a COVID-19 patient who later passed away. At least 178 COVID-19 patients in India have died because of oxygen shortage in recent weeks. Another 70 deaths have been attributed to an oxygen shortage by patients\u27 families, but this has been denied by the authorities. The Allahabad High court made a remark “Death of COVID patients due to non-supply of oxygen not less than genocide” on reports circulating on social media regarding the death of COVID-19 patients due to lack of oxygen in Lucknow and Meerut. A day ago, the Delhi police busted an industrial manufacturing unit in Uttarakhand’s Kotdwar where fake Remdesivir injections were being manufactured and arrested five people. These depict the ground reality and ethical standards of good pharmacy practice in this country. There is an utmost necessity to relook and re-establish the standards of pharmacy practice in healthcare setups available in each and every corner of the country in line with guidelines provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). For that, the dependency and responsibilities are very high on healthcare professionals, particularly in this pandemic situation. The pharmacy zone is adaptable, evolving, and increasingly diverse, offering a wide range of work and management opportunities to execute. PPs are human service professionals whose responsibilities include safeguarding individuals by dispensing medications based on prescriptions. Representing the world\u27s third-largest medicinal services with active gathering, and in India, there are over 1,000,000 (1 million) enrolled PPs employed in various capacities and readily contributing to the country\u27s well-being. Pharmacy practice, which includes clinical, community, and hospital pharmacy, is referred to as total healthcare in its true sense. Through adaptation and implementation of GPP in healthcare setup, PPs form an essential link between physicians, nurses, and patients in the social community group, with an ultimate emphasis on patient well-being and protection. To instill quality and raise the standard in this chaotic situation there are strict measures required in the country. The International Pharmaceutical Federation and World Health Organization define good pharmacy practice (GPP) as practices that meet the personal needs of patients or those using pharmacy services by offering appropriate evidence-based care. In developed countries, pharmaceutical assistance is defined as a pharmaceutical practice model that involves attitudes, ethical values, behaviors, skills, appointments, and co-responsibility to prevent diseases, promote and recovery health in an integrated manner as part of the healthcare process, highlighting, among other, the requirement that the institution fully adopts the GPP. There is a need for a GPP Program designed by the Indian Govt. or its stakeholders in the context of the Indian healthcare system and adopting “new normal” due to the unprecedented event of COVID 19 and also raising the standard and importance of GPP for the healthcare professionals in the current scenario

Prevalence and major risk factors of non-communicable diseases: a machine learning based cross-sectional study

The aim: The study aimed to determine the prevalence of several non-communicable diseases (NCD) and analyze risk factors among adult patients seeking nutritional guidance in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Participants: 146 hospitalized adults of both genders aged 18-93 participated in this cross-sectional research. Methods: We collected the demographic and vital information from 146 hospitalized patients in Dhaka, Bangladesh. We checked the physical and vital parameters, including blood sugar, serum creatinine, blood pressure, and the presence or absence of major non-communicable diseases. Then we used descriptive statistical approaches to explore the NCDs prevalence based on gender and age group. Afterwards, the relationship between different NCD pairs with their combined effects was analyzed using different hypothesis testing at a 95 % confidence level. Finally, the random forest and XGBoost machine learning algorithms are used to predict the comorbidity among the patients with the underlying responsible factors. Result: Our study observed the relationships between gender, age groups, obesity, and NCDs (DM, CKD, IBS, CVD, CRD, thyroid). The most frequently reported NCD was cardiovascular issues (CVD), which was present in 83.56 % of all participants. CVD was more common in male participants. Consequently, male participants had a higher blood pressure distribution than females. Diabetes mellitus (DM), on the other hand, did not have a gender-based inclination. Both CVD and DM had an age-based progression. Our study showed that chronic respiratory illness was more frequent in middle-aged participants than in younger or elderly individuals. Based on the data, every one in five hospitalized patients was obese. We analyzed the comorbidities and found that 31.5 % of the population has only one NCD, 30.1 % has two NCDs, and 38.3 % has more than two NCDs. Besides, 86.25 % of all diabetic patients had cardiovascular issues. All thyroid patients in our study had CVD. Using a t-test, we found a relationship between CKD and thyroid (p-value 0.061). Males under 35 years have a statistically significant relationship between thyroid and chronic respiratory diseases (p-value 0.018). We also found an association between DM and CKD among patients over 65 (p-value 0.038). Moreover, there has been a statistically significant relationship between CKD and Thyroid (P<0.05) for those below 35 and 35-65. We used a two-way ANOVA test to find the statistically significant interaction of heart issues and chronic respiratory illness in combination with diabetes. The combination of DM and RTI also affected CKD in male patients over 65 years old. Among machine learning algorithms, XGBoost produced the highest accuracy, 69.7 %, in comorbidity detection. Random forest feature importance detected age, weight and waist-hip ratio as the major risk factors behind the comorbidity. Conclusion: The prevalence study helps to identify the future risks and most vulnerable groups. By initiating and implementing control plans based on the prevalence study, it is possible to reduce the burden of NCDs on the elderly and middle-aged population of Bangladesh

Relationship of depth of invasion of tumour with neck node metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma: a clinico pathological correlation

Background: Squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity are relatively common among the head and neck cancers. The increasing depth of invasion (DOI) and the microvascular proliferation caused by neoplastic growth might determine proximity to blood vessels and lymphatics, thus facilitating the tumor’s ability to metastasize. The role of tumour DOI as a prognostic parameter for the development of nodal metastases and for the survival of patients with OSCC are important. Aim of the study was to determine the relationship of the DOI of tumor with the neck node metastasis in squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity.Methods: This study is conducted in the State cancer institute, Gauhati medical college over a period of 1 year from June 2021 to June 2022 among 100 patients. All patients underwent tumor resection with neck dissection, and the DOI is measured.Results: Out of 100 patients included in the study 66 were males and 34 were females. Maximum number of cases 30% were seen in the age group of 51-60 years. Gingivobuccal sulcus (32%) is the most commonly involved site. Maximum number of nodal meta-stasis present in tumours with DOI>11 mm and minimum nodal metastasis present in tumours with DOI<3 mm.   Conclusions: We conclude that tumor DOI is significantly related with neck nodal metastasis in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma

Performance evaluation for Ag and Au nanoparticle containing K2O‐MgO‐B2O3‐Al2O3‐SiO2‐F glass sealants for SOFC application

Abstract The present work illustrates the effect of Ag and Au nanoparticle addition on the density, microstructure, phase formation and thermal performance of K2O‐MgO‐B2O3‐Al2O3‐SiO2‐F glass‐ceramics considered as a potential sealant material for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) applications. Addition of 0.2 wt.% Ag and Au nanoparticles caused a steep increase in the density of the base glasses in comparison to the glass containing an equivalent amount (0.2 wt%) of Cu nanoparticle. The glass‐ceramics were prepared from the base glasses by controlled heat treatment at 900°C, a temperature relevant for SOFC operation. They were multicrystalline having fluorophlogopite (KMg3AlSi3O10F2) as the predominant crystal phase and norbergite (Mg2SiO4.MgF2) and enstatite (MgSiO3) as additional phases. Fluorophlogopite crystals form in both plate‐like and rod‐like morphologies within the glass matrix in the microstructure of the glass‐ceramics. The size of the plate‐shaped fluorophlogopite crystals increases for Ag nanoparticles containing glass‐ceramics in comparison to either Cu or Au nanoparticles containing glass‐ceramics. The density of the Ag and Au nanoparticle glass‐ceramics are also considerably higher due to the formation of a compact interlocked crystalline microstructures. The Au nanoparticle containing glass‐ceramics is characterized by a large thermal expansion (coefficient of thermal expansion, CTE= 11.29 × 10−6/K in 50–800°C range) which is comparable to other SOFC components. This glass/glass‐ceramics sealant also possess maximum volume shrinkage in the range of 30–900°C as well as nearly constant CTE without any considerable decrease up to 10 cycles of SOFC operations making it suitable for SOFC sealant applications

Resurfacing the Great Toe by an Island Flap

A distally based dorsalis pedis island flap has been used to resurface the soft tissue defects of the great toe successfully in five cases

Cr+6 Controlled Nucleation in SiO2-MgO-Al2O3-K2O-B2O3-F Glass Sealant (SOFC)

This study highlights the strong effect of chromium (Cr6+) as a nucleating agent for SiO2-MgO-Al2O3-B2O3-K2O-F glass sealant. In the process, Al2O3 from the base glass was gradually substituted by K2Cr2O7, which considerably tuned the crystallization characteristics, microstructure, thermal, and mechanical properties. The distinctive feature of this study is the induction of nucleation and crystallization in glass matrix on addition of Cr6+ content performing only annealing heat-treatment (600 degrees C). The melt-quenched SiO2-MgO-Al2O3-B2O3-K2O-F glass with zero Cr6+ content is found amorphous, which in presence of Cr6+ content became crystalline with MgCr2O4, K3CrF6, MgF2, and mullite (3Al(2)O(3).2SiO(2)) phases. Glassy features in DSC and dilatometric thermal properties (T-g, T-d, thermal expansion) were attained in glass without Cr- content, but glass-ceramic-like features obtained for Cr- containing glasses. Large thermal expansion (>11 x 10(-6)/K) was achieved for such glasses, and that is compatible with the CTE of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) components (electrode, interconnect, etc.) at the operating temperature (700-900 degrees C). FESEM study revealed the development of 200-500 nm sized crystallites in 2 mol% K2Cr2O7-containing glass microstructure and that became more compact sorted with 10-50 mu m sized crystals in higher Cr-doped glasses. Higher crystallinity was thus ascertained for higher Cr-containing glasses, which influenced the corresponding density and mechanical properties. From nano-indentation measurements, the hardness and Young's modulus were estimated to be 0.6 (+/- 0.5) and 25 (+/- 10) GPa, respectively, for base glass and in the range of 3.3 to 8.4 and 58 to 94 GPa, respectively, for Cr-containing glass-ceramics. Hardness measured from micro-indentation tests for the base glass was 3.63 (+/- 0.18) GPa, which increased to 3.94-6.08 GPa for Cr-containing glass-ceramics. Due to the typical microstructure and compatible thermal and mechanical properties, 2 mol% K2Cr2O7-doped SiO2-MgO-Al2O3-B2O3-K2O-F glass can be useable as high temperature sealant (like SOFC)