A High permormance hardware architecture for an sad reuse based hierarchical motion estimation algorithm for H.264 video coding

In this paper, we present a high performance and low cost hardware architecture for real-time implementation of an SAD reuse based hierarchical motion estimation algorithm for H.264 / MPEG4 Part 10 video coding. This hardware is designed to be used as part of a complete H.264 video coding system for portable applications. The proposed architecture is implemented in Verilog HDL. The Verilog RTL code is verified to work at 68 MHz in a Xilinx Virtex II FPGA. The FPGA implementation can process 27 VGA frames (640x480) or 82 CIF frames (352x288) per second

Intraperitoneal drain placement and outcomes after elective colorectal surgery: international matched, prospective, cohort study

Despite current guidelines, intraperitoneal drain placement after elective colorectal surgery remains widespread. Drains were not associated with earlier detection of intraperitoneal collections, but were associated with prolonged hospital stay and increased risk of surgical-site infections.Background Many surgeons routinely place intraperitoneal drains after elective colorectal surgery. However, enhanced recovery after surgery guidelines recommend against their routine use owing to a lack of clear clinical benefit. This study aimed to describe international variation in intraperitoneal drain placement and the safety of this practice. Methods COMPASS (COMPlicAted intra-abdominal collectionS after colorectal Surgery) was a prospective, international, cohort study which enrolled consecutive adults undergoing elective colorectal surgery (February to March 2020). The primary outcome was the rate of intraperitoneal drain placement. Secondary outcomes included: rate and time to diagnosis of postoperative intraperitoneal collections; rate of surgical site infections (SSIs); time to discharge; and 30-day major postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo grade at least III). After propensity score matching, multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to estimate the independent association of the secondary outcomes with drain placement. Results Overall, 1805 patients from 22 countries were included (798 women, 44.2 per cent; median age 67.0 years). The drain insertion rate was 51.9 per cent (937 patients). After matching, drains were not associated with reduced rates (odds ratio (OR) 1.33, 95 per cent c.i. 0.79 to 2.23; P = 0.287) or earlier detection (hazard ratio (HR) 0.87, 0.33 to 2.31; P = 0.780) of collections. Although not associated with worse major postoperative complications (OR 1.09, 0.68 to 1.75; P = 0.709), drains were associated with delayed hospital discharge (HR 0.58, 0.52 to 0.66; P < 0.001) and an increased risk of SSIs (OR 2.47, 1.50 to 4.05; P < 0.001). Conclusion Intraperitoneal drain placement after elective colorectal surgery is not associated with earlier detection of postoperative collections, but prolongs hospital stay and increases SSI risk

Removal of COD, phenol, and colour from olive mill wastewater by iron-activated persulphate process: multivariate optimisation approach

In this study, the treatability of olive mill wastewater by iron-activated persulphate (PS) oxidation was investigated. Central Composite Design (CCD) was applied to optimise the process parameters and establish a mathematical model for total phenol, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and colour removal from olive mill wastewater. The effect of process variables (PS dose, Fe2+ dose, initial pH, and reaction time) on pollutant removal efficiency was evaluated. The correlation coefficients of the quadratic polynomial equations were high for COD, total phenol, and colour removal by PS oxidation, and the model was found to be applicable. Optimum conditions determined by the developed model for maximum COD removal were pH 5, PS dose 206.7 mM, Fe2+ dose 70 mM, and reaction time 95 min. The COD, total phenol, and colour removal efficiencies estimated by the applied model were 46.74%, 94.62%, and 96.04%, respectively. The removal efficiencies obtained under optimum conditions as a result of the validation experiments were 45.5%, 93.8%, and 95.5% for COD, total phenol, and colour removal, respectively. The results of the study showed that PS oxidation in which Fe2+ is used as an activator is a suitable alternative for olive mill wastewater treatment

Current Status of Renal Replacement Therapy in Turkey: A Summary of Turkish Society of Nephrology 2014 Annual Registry Report

OBJECTIVE: Turkish Society of Nephrology registry collects data on hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis and transplantation on annual basis. Registry reports are printed every year as a booklet and this is the 24th year of registry reports. The registry is in close collaboration with international registries

Possible effect of gene polymorphisms on the release of TNF alpha and IL1 cytokines in coal workers' pneumoconiosis

WOS: 000286779300025PubMed: 20005085It has been shown that coal dust exposure stimulates inflammatory response leading to increased release of cytokines from monocytes such as TNF-alpha and IL1 These released cytokines play the key role in the pathogenesis of pneumoconiosis including coal workers' pneumoconiosis. In this study, we investigated TNFA, IL1A, IL1B and IL1RA genes variations on basal, lipopolysaccharide and coal dust-induced cytokine release from blood monocytes of homozygous allele and minor variant allele carriers in Turkish coal workers and CWP patients. According to the genotyping results, TNFA -238 gene polymorphism was found as a risk factor in CWP development (OR=3.79) and to in vitro results; release of both TNF-alpha and IL1 cytokines from the monocytes in CWP patients was significantly increased compared to the healthy workers. Also. LPS and coal dust stimulated release of TNF-alpha, which was significantly higher in allele 2 carriers compared to subjects carrying allele 1 in both the groups. These data suggest that the coal dust-induced release of TNF-alpha from monocytes may be a useful biomarker of CWP. (C) 2009 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.Ankara UniversityAnkara University [20030803036]This study was supported by Research Fund of Ankara University (20030803036)