Modulation classification of digital communication signals

Modulation classification of digital communications signals plays an important role in both military and civilian sectors. It has the potential of replacing several receivers with one universal receiver. An automatic modulation classifier can be defined as a system that automatically identifies the modulation type of the received signal given that the signal exists and its parameters lie in a known range. This thesis addresses the need for a universal modulation classifier capable of classifying a comprehensive list of digital modulation schemes. Two classification approaches are presented: a decision-theoretic (DT) approach and a neural network (NN) approach. First classifiers are introduced that can classify ASK, PSK, and FSK signals. A decision tree is designed for the DT approach and a NN structure is formulated und trained to classify these signals. Both classifiers use the same key features derived from the intercepted signal. These features are based on the instantaneous amplitude, instantaneous phase, and instantaneous frequency of the intercepted signal, and the cumulates of its complex envelope. Threshold values for the DT approach are found from the minimum total error probabilities of the extracted key features at SNR of 20 to -5dB. The NN parameters are found by training the networks on the same data. The DT and NN classifiers are expanded to include CPM signals. Signals within the CPM class are also added to the classifiers and a separate decision tree and new NN structure are found far these signals. New key features to classify these signals are also introduced. The classifiers are then expanded further to include multiple access signals, followed by QAM, PSK8 and FSK8 signals. New features arc found to classify these signals. The final decision tree is able to accommodate a total of fifteen different modulation types. The NN structure is designed in a hierarchical fashion to optimise the classification performance of these fifteen digital modulation schemes. Both DT and NN classifiers are able to classify signals with more than 90% accuracy in the presence of additive white Gaussian within SNR ranging from 20 to 5dB. However, the performance of the NN classifier appears to be more robust as it degrades gradually at the SNRs of 0 and -5dB. At -5dB, the NN has an overall accuracy of 73.58%, whereas the DT classifier achieves only 47.3% accuracy. The overall accuracy of the NN classifier, over the combined SNR range of 20 to -5dB, is 90.7% compared to 84.56% for the DT classifier. Finally, the performances of these classifiers are tested in the presence of Rayleigh fading. The DT and NN classifier structures are modified to accommodate fading and again, new key features are introduced to accomplish this. With the modifications, the overall accuracy of the NN classifier, over the combined SNR range of 20 to -5dB and 120Hz Doppler shift, is 87.34% compared to 80.52% for the DT classifier

Occurrence of Additional Canals in Mandibular Lower Anteriors In Between Male and Female Patients

The endodontic treatment with excellent outcomes depends on the critical identification of the root and its canals anatomy. The successful identification of these anatomies guaranteed the pulp tissue extirpation completely, with efficiency in chemo-mechanical cleaning and shaping. All these lead to the most proper three-dimensionally root canal obturation with the most reliable inert filling. The purpose of this study is to provide clinical data on the presence of additional canals in mandibular anterior teeth among males and females.Patients reported from June 2019 to March 2020 were reviewed. 82000 patient records were reviewed and data related to patients undergone Root canal therapy in mandibular lower anteriors. Data includes age, gender and number of additional canals in lower anteriors. The collected data was tabulated in the excel sheet. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software (version 9.0.3). The prevalence of patients with additional canals in mandibular anteriors was 8.1% . For females, the prevalence of additional canals was 3.24% whereas in males it is 4.86%. However, there is no relation between the gender and presence of additional canals in mandibular anteriors

An efficient method to classify GI tract images from WCE using visual words

The digital images made with the Wireless Capsule Endoscopy (WCE) from the patient's gastrointestinal tract are used to forecast abnormalities. The big amount of information from WCE pictures could take 2 hours to review GI tract illnesses per patient to research the digestive system and evaluate them. It is highly time consuming and increases healthcare costs considerably. In order to overcome this problem, the CS-LBP (Center Symmetric Local Binary Pattern) and the ACC (Auto Color Correlogram) were proposed to use a novel method based on a visual bag of features (VBOF). In order to solve this issue, we suggested a Visual Bag of Features(VBOF) method by incorporating Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT), Center-Symmetric Local Binary Pattern (CS-LBP) and Auto Color Correlogram (ACC). This combination of features is able to detect the interest point, texture and color information in an image. Features for each image are calculated to create a descriptor with a large dimension. The proposed feature descriptors are clustered by K- means referred to as visual words, and the Support Vector Machine (SVM) method is used to automatically classify multiple disease abnormalities from the GI tract. Finally, post-processing scheme is applied to deal with final classification results i.e. validated the performance of multi-abnormal disease frame detection

Standardization for Drying, Bleaching and Dyeing Processes in Dried Flowers

An experiment was conducted at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, during 2009-2010 to standardize processing techniques for dried flower production. Foliage of silver oak (Grevillea robusta), thuja (Thuja orientalis) and camellia (Camellia reticulata) was best preserved by glycerinization; leaves were soft and pliable, with lowest moisture and highest overall acceptability. In the case of fully-opened flowers in button-type chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum grandiflorum), gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii) and plumeria (Plumeria alba), a combination of sand and silica gel, and microwave-oven embedded method was found to be suitable for drying, with high overall acceptability. Dried pods of jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia) and castanospermum (Castanospermum australe) were fully bleached by soaking overnight in 10% sodium hydroxide and subsequent treatment with 2% sodium hydroxide + 2.5% sodium silicate + 35% hydrogen peroxide. Bleached pods were given dye treatments where acrylic dyes showed good dyeing consistency, light fastness, wash fastness and rubbing fastness

Enhancing customer service in commercial banks in India using the balanced scorecard technique

In today’s competitive environment, customer satisfaction has become a cornerstone for gauging bank performance and profitability. The banking environment is becoming more and more competitive and banks are striving to bring about a competitive edge in their marketing efforts to surge ahead in competition. The customer has become an important source of business and profits for the banks. In order to remain competitive and profitable, banks are making efforts to increase their customer base by developing strong relationships with their customers and by offering efficient services. Business processes are important because they have a great impact on customer satisfaction. The study concludes that focusing on process improvements will help the bank to maintain a competitive edge in the market by satisfying the customer needs efficiently. Improvements in the quality of product, innovations in products and sound risk management and compliance procedures will add to the satisfaction levels of the customer.peer-reviewe

Study of breast lesions in cytology and its histopathological correlation

Background: Breast cancer is commonly diagnosed malignancy in females and is leading cause of death. Malignant lesions mostly occur after menopause. Fine needle aspiration cytology is minimally invasive technique, used in triple test and produces speedy results. It can able to differentiate between benign and malignant lesions of breast lump. Our study aims to categorize the breast lesion and to correlate FNAC with histopathological studies. Methods: This retrospective study was done in department of pathology from July 2021 to May 2023.107 cases were undergone FNAC and slides were examined and lesions were categorized. Tissue biopsies were obtained, processed and histological sections were made and examined. The FNAC findings were correlated and analyzed with histological findings. Results: Right breast lesions (55%) were more in our study than left breast lesions (42%). Totally 77 cases were diagnosed as benign lesions by FNAC of which 37 cases were biopsied and histological diagnosis of all cases shown as benign category. 6 cases were diagnosed as proliferative breast disease with atypia of which only one case was received for biopsy and diagnosed as atypical ductal hyperplasia. 12 cases were diagnosed as malignancy and 6 biopsies were received with 5 cases were diagnosed as malignant lesions. Sensitivity and Specificity of FNAC in breast lesions were 100% and 97.43% respectively. Conclusions: FNAC is rapid and valuable tool with high sensitivity, specificity and low false positivity. It is useful in preoperative evaluation and avoids unnecessary surgical intervention

Formulation and characterization of high thermal conductivity copper nanofluids for a single step industrial heat transfer application system for microelectronics and automobiles

This research article investigate a novel method for the formulation of stable, non–agglomerated copper nanofluids by reducing copper sulphate pentahydrate with sodium hypophosphite chemical as a reducing agent in ethylene glycol as base power fluid by means of conventional heat transfer process in electronics, electrical and automobiles. This is an insitu, single step method, which gives very high yield of product with less time duration. The characterization of the nanofluid was done by particle size analyzer, x-ray diffraction (XRD), uv-visible (UV-VIS) analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) followed by thermal conductivity studies of nanofluid by the well known transient hot wire anemometer method

Greener One-pot Synthesis of Chromeno Oxazin and Oxazin Quinoline Derivatives and their Antibacterial Activity

An efficient green method for the synthesis of oxazino quinoline-2-amine derivatives, oxazino quinoline derivatives and chromeno oxazin-5-one derivatives have been synthesized through cyclization of aromatic aldehyde, ammonium acetate, substituted amides and 8-hydroxy-quinoline or 4-hydroxy coumarin by one-pot condensation method is described. The synthesized compounds are characterized by FT-IR, 1H NMR and MASS spectral techniques and are screened further for biological activities against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis using cup plate method and disc diffusion method

Direct Nitrate Reductase Assay versus Microscopic Observation Drug Susceptibility Test for Rapid Detection of MDR-TB in Uganda

The most common method for detection of drug resistant (DR) TB in resource-limited settings (RLSs) is indirect susceptibility testing on Lowenstein-Jensen medium (LJ) which is very time consuming with results available only after 2–3 months. Effective therapy of DR TB is therefore markedly delayed and patients can transmit resistant strains. Rapid and accurate tests suitable for RLSs in the diagnosis of DR TB are thus highly needed. In this study we compared two direct techniques - Nitrate Reductase Assay (NRA) and Microscopic Observation Drug Susceptibility (MODS) for rapid detection of MDR-TB in a high burden RLS. The sensitivity, specificity, and proportion of interpretable results were studied. Smear positive sputum was collected from 245 consecutive re-treatment TB patients attending a TB clinic in Kampala, Uganda. Samples were processed at the national reference laboratory and tested for susceptibility to rifampicin and isoniazid with direct NRA, direct MODS and the indirect LJ proportion method as reference. A total of 229 specimens were confirmed as M. tuberculosis, of these interpretable results were obtained in 217 (95%) with either the NRA or MODS. Sensitivity, specificity and kappa agreement for MDR-TB diagnosis was 97%, 98% and 0.93 with the NRA; and 87%, 95% and 0.78 with the MODS, respectively. The median time to results was 10, 7 and 64 days with NRA, MODS and the reference technique, respectively. The cost of laboratory supplies per sample was low, around 5 USD, for the rapid tests. The direct NRA and MODS offered rapid detection of resistance almost eight weeks earlier than with the reference method. In the study settings, the direct NRA was highly sensitive and specific. We consider it to have a strong potential for timely detection of MDR-TB in RLS

Evidence-based national vaccine policy

India has over a century old tradition of development and production of vaccines. The Government rightly adopted self-sufficiency in vaccine production and self-reliance in vaccine technology as its policy objectives in 1986. However, in the absence of a full-fledged vaccine policy, there have been concerns related to demand and supply, manufacture vs. import, role of public and private sectors, choice of vaccines, new and combination vaccines, universal vs. selective vaccination, routine immunization vs. special drives, cost-benefit aspects, regulatory issues, logistics etc. The need for a comprehensive and evidence based vaccine policy that enables informed decisions on all these aspects from the public health point of view brought together doctors, scientists, policy analysts, lawyers and civil society representatives to formulate this policy paper for the consideration of the Government. This paper evolved out of the first ever ICMR-NISTADS national brainstorming workshop on vaccine policy held during 4-5 June, 2009 in New Delhi, and subsequent discussions over email for several weeks, before being adopted unanimously in the present form