Simultaneous storage of medical images in the spatial and frequency domain: A comparative study

BACKGROUND: Digital watermarking is a technique of hiding specific identification data for copyright authentication. This technique is adapted here for interleaving patient information with medical images, to reduce storage and transmission overheads. METHODS: The patient information is encrypted before interleaving with images to ensure greater security. The bio-signals are compressed and subsequently interleaved with the image. This interleaving is carried out in the spatial domain and Frequency domain. The performance of interleaving in the spatial, Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT), Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) and Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) coefficients is studied. Differential pulse code modulation (DPCM) is employed for data compression as well as encryption and results are tabulated for a specific example. RESULTS: It can be seen from results, the process does not affect the picture quality. This is attributed to the fact that the change in LSB of a pixel changes its brightness by 1 part in 256. Spatial and DFT domain interleaving gave very less %NRMSE as compared to DCT and DWT domain. CONCLUSION: The Results show that spatial domain the interleaving, the %NRMSE was less than 0.25% for 8-bit encoded pixel intensity. Among the frequency domain interleaving methods, DFT was found to be very efficient

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Correction to: Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Una nova subspècie de Consolida d'Anatòlia

A new subspecies from Anatolia. Consolida hellespontica (Boiss.) Chater subsp. rosea Misirdali & Ilarslan subsp. nova, is described.[ca] Es descriu una nova subspècie d'Anatòlia, Consolida hellespontica (Boiss.) Chater subsp. rosea Misirdali & Ilarslan subsp. nov

Fatty acid composition of red mullet (Mullus barbatus): A seasonal differentiation

Seasonal variations in the fatty acid compositions of red mullet (Mullus barbatus) captured from Iskenderun bay, northeastern Mediterranean, were investigated. In all sampling seasons, the major fatty acids of red mullet were palmitic acid (16:0), stearic acid (18:0), oleic acid (18:1), palmitoleic acid (16:1), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5?3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6?3). The fatty acid contents of red mullet were influenced by seasonality. The levels of polyunsaturated fatty acid were 17.32% in autumn, 17.69% in winter and 20.13% in spring. The levels of DHA in the total fatty acids in autumn, winter and spring were 4.36, 8.25 and 10.89%, while those of EPA were 7.93, 4.59 and 4.56, respectively. The present study suggest that red mullet is a good source of ?3 series fatty acids, and the weekly consumption of 300 g of red mullet in autumn, winter or summer could meet EPA + DHA requirements of people. © 2009, Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Changes in the quality of fishburger produced from Tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus ) during frozen storage (-18 degrees C)

In this study, the chemical and sensory qualities of fishburger produced from tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) were investigated during frozen storage (-18 °C) over 8 months. The ratios of crude protein, lipid, moisture, crude ash, and polyunsaturated fatty acids in tilapiaburger were found to be 17.82%, 5.29%, 66.68%, 2.56% and 7.95% respectively. At the end of the study, the total volatile basic nitrogen value was found to have fluctuated throughout the storage periods. The highest thiobarbituric acid value was found at the 7th month as 0.142 mg malonaldehyde/kg. The peroxide value was 0.18 meq/kg at the beginning of the storage but increased to 5.03 meq/kg at 6th month of storage and then decreased to 0.82 meq/kg at the 8th month. The level of free fatty acids was 2.73% oleic acid at the beginning but reached 4.14% in the first month of storage and then increased to 5.92% at the end of the storage. pH values ranged between 8.01 and 7.97. At the end of the storage period, sensory quality criteria were scored as quite near those of the fresh samples. © Springer-Verlag 2004.Acknowledgements The authors are grateful to the Research Fund of ?ukurova University for financial support of this research project

Chemical and sensory quality changes of fish fingers, made from mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio L., 1758), during frozen storage (-18 °C)

The effects of frozen storage at -18 °C on the chemical and sensory qualities of fish fingers produced from unwashed and washed mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio) mince were investigated. The amounts of moisture, crude protein, lipid, crude ash, ?3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA ?3), and ?6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA ?6) in fish fingers produced from unwashed mince (UWF) were found to be 68.50%, 15.5%, 6.00%, 2.20% 2.31%, and 55.2%, respectively, while they were found to be 70.23%, 10.8%, 2.14%, 1.80%, 2.28%, and 54.6%, respectively, in carp fingers produced from washed mince (WF). The thiobarbituric acid value (TBA, mg malonaldehyde/kg) was found to be significantly higher in mince of WF than in mince of UWF and increased significantly during frozen storage in both the mince of UWF and WF (p 0.05), whereas a sharp increase was observed in the fourth month in both groups. The protein solubilities of the mince of both UWF and WF decreased significantly throughout the storage periods (p < 0.05). Sensory parameters of colour, odour, flavour, and general acceptability for both groups decreased during the frozen storage period (p < 0.05) but were still within acceptable limits. It was also concluded that mirror carp was a good source for fish fingers and that product could be stored for five months in a frozen state without undesirable changes of sensory and chemical qualities. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved