A novel approach for Face Recognition using Local Binary Pattern

This paper presents Local Binary pattern (LBP) as an approach for face recognition with the use of some global features also. Face recognition has received quite a lot of attention from researchers in biometrics, pattern recognition, and computer vision communities. The idea behind using the LBP features is that the face images can be seen as composition of micro-patterns which are invariant with respect to monotonic grey scale transformations and robust to factors like ageing. Combining these micro-patterns, a global description of the face image is obtained. Efficiency and the simplicity of the proposed method allows for very fast feature extraction giving better accuracy than the other algorithms. The proposed method is tested and evaluated on ORL datasets combined with other university dataset to give a good recognition rate and 89% classification accuracy using LBP only and 98% when global features are combined with LBP. The method is also tested for real images to give good accuracy and recognition rate. The experimental results show that the method is valid and feasible

MOBILE NETWORKING FOR “SMART DUST” WITH RFID SENSOR NETWORKS

Large-scale networks of wireless sensors are becoming an active topic of research.. We review the key elements of the emergent technology of “Smart Dust” and outline the research challenges they present to the mobile networking and systems community, which must provide coherent connectivity to large numbers of mobile network nodes co-located within a small volume. Smart Dust sensor networks – consisting of cubic millimetre scale sensor nodes capable of limited computation, sensing, and passive optical communication with a base station – are envisioned to fulfil complex large scale monitoring tasks in a wide variety of application areas. RFID technology can realize “smart-dust” applications for the sensor network community. RFID sensor networks (RSNs), which consist of RFID readers and RFID sensor nodes (WISPs), extend RFID to include sensing and bring the advantages of small, inexpensive and long-lived RFID tags to wireless sensor networks. In many potential Smart Dust applications such as object detection and tracking, fine-grained node localization plays a key role

Best strategies for patient education about anticoagulation with warfarin: a systematic review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Patient education is an essential component in quality management of the anticoagulated patient. Because it is time consuming for clinicians and overwhelming for patients, education of the anticoagulated patient is often neglected. We surveyed the medical literature in order to identify the best patient education strategies.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Study Selection: Two reviewers independently searched the MEDLINE and Google Scholar databases (last search March 2007) using the terms "warfarin" or "anticoagulation", and "patient education". The initial search identified 206 citations, A total of 166 citations were excluded because patients were of pediatric age (4), the article was not related to patient education (48), did not contain original data or inadequate program description (141), was focused solely on patient self-testing (1), was a duplicate citation (3), the article was judged otherwise irrelevant (44), or no abstract was available (25).</p> <p>Data Extraction: Clinical setting, study design, group size, content source, time and personnel involved, educational strategy and domains, measures of knowledge retention.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Data Synthesis: A total of 32 articles were ultimately used for data extraction. Thirteen articles adequately described features of the educational strategy. Five programs used a nurse or pharmacist, 4 used a physician, and 2 studies used other personnel/vehicles (lay educators (1), videotapes (1)). The duration of the educational intervention ranged from 1 to 10 sessions. Patient group size most often averaged 3 to 5 patients but ranged from as low as 1 patient to as much as 11 patients. Although 12 articles offered information about education content, the wording and lack of detail in the description made it too difficult to accurately assign categories of education topics and to compare articles with one another. For the 17 articles that reported measures of patient knowledge, 5 of the 17 sites where the surveys were administered were located in anticoagulation clinics/centers. The number of questions ranged from as few as 4 to as many as 28, and questions were most often of multiple choice format. Three were self-administered, and 2 were completed over the telephone. Two reports described instruments along with formal testing of the validity and reliability of the instrument.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Published reports of patient education related to warfarin anticoagulation vary greatly in strategy, content, and patient testing. Prioritizing the educational domains, standardizing the educational content, and delivering the content more efficiently will be necessary to improve the quality of anticoagulation with warfarin.</p

Phycoremediation of Dairy Wastewater by Microalgae for elimination of organic pollution load

The present study aims to demonstrate the potential of microalgae Chlorococcum humicola for treatment of dairy industry effluent and reduction of its pollution load with the cultivation of microalgae in the same effluent. Dairy industry wastewater supplies the required nutrients for the growth of C. humicola and its growth was comparatively higher in 50 % dairy industry effluent as compare to Bold basal growth medium. Optimization of growth parameters of algae showed that growth of C. humicola was favoured by alkaline pH and optimum growth was observed at pH 8, whereas acidic pH does not favour the growth of selected algae. The exponential growth phase of C. humicola was achieved between 3-7 days, at 20˚C temperature, a further increase in temperature decreases the algal growth. The results for the effect of different concentration of dairy wastewater (0, 10, 25, 50, 75 and 100 %) on biochemical content (protein, chlorophyll a, carbohydrate) of C. humicola revealed that 50 % wastewater concentration was more efficient for enhancement of biochemical content of microalgae as compare to control. The result further showed considerable reduction in the organic pollution load of dairy wastewater as biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduced to 72 and 78 % respectively, after 15 days of treatment with C. humicola. The results also showed a reduction in the nutrient concentration of dairy wastewater such as nitrate, phosphate and sulphate by 92, 43, 62 % respectively, after 10 days of treatment and 96, 67 and 78 % respectively, after 15 days of microalgal treatment as compared to control (without microalgae). These findings suggested that dairy industry wastewater was a good nutrient supplement and can be directly used for mass cultivation of C. humicola without requiring additional nutrient supplements and also the microalgae C. humicola has a great potential for the treatment of dairy industry wastewate

Study of incidence and outcome of acute inversion of uterus

Background: Acute inversion of uterus also called as puerperal inversion of uterus is a rare, but life-threatening complication of third stage of labour. Severe uterine atony, mismanagement of third stage of labour, adherent placenta are some of the common factors associated with the occurrence of acute inversion of uterus. Early recognition and prompt treatment are important to save life of the woman.Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional record-based study was carried out to find out the incidence, presentation and outcome of cases of acute inversion of uterus admitted to Pravara Rural Hospital Loni for a period of three years (October 2015 to September 2018).Results: During the study period, there were 27,134 deliveries including 8,834 caesarean sections. There were six cases of acute inversion of uterus in the hospital during study period. The incidence of acute inversion of uterus was 0.22 per one thousand deliveries (0.27 per thousand vaginal deliveries and 0.11per one thousand caesarean sections). Three cases were referred from outside hospital and three cases had delivered at Pravara Rural Hospital. Five cases had delivered vaginally, where as one case had undergone caesarean section. There were two maternal deaths and four survivals among six cases of inversion of uterus. Severe anaemia, irreversible hypovolemic shock and multi-organ failure were causes of maternal deaths.Conclusions: Prompt recognition of uterine inversion and its immediate reposition under anaesthesia was a key for successful management. Delay in recognition and transfer of cases resulted in haemorrhagic and neurogenic shock, leading to death of a women. Institutional deliveries with practice of principles of active management of third stage of labour (AMTSL) and improvement in emergency obstetric care services at peripheral hospitals, avoiding delays at all levels will help to reduce the incidence, morbidity and mortality associated with acute inversion of uterus

Pediatric Giant Right Atrial Aneurysm: A Case Series and Review of the Literature

Giant right atrial aneurysm is a rare form of congenital heart disease with a wide spectrum of clinical presentation varying from asymptomatic patients to those with refractory atrial arrhythmias or severe airway obstruction. Diagnosis is often confused with other causes of right atrial dilation such as E bstein disease. Because of its rare occurrence and variable clinical presentation, inconsistencies in medical and surgical management strategies exist between centers. We present five cases of giant right atrial aneurysm managed at our institution and discuss the clinical presentation, diagnostic challenges, and medical and surgical management.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/107528/1/chd12079.pd

Always Better Control-Vital Essential Desirable analysis of the drugs used in health centres of Ahmedabad district

Background: The basic principle of inventory control is Always Better Control (ABC) based on cost criteria and Vital Essential Desirable (VED) on criticality. Inequity in drug prioritization and expenses directly affects the health of the community. Study design: Based on ABC-VED matrix, inventory analysis was done. Study area: Community health centre (CHC) - Singarva, two primary health centres (PHC) - Kanbha and Sanathal and two urban health centre (UHC) - Amraiwadi and Sabarmati. Study period: December 2012 to December 2013.Methods: The drugs were first categorized by ABC method and then by VED method. On coupling the two techniques, ABC-VED matrix was made and drugs were classified in to Category I (AV + BV +CV + AE + AD), Category II (BE + CE + BD) and Category III (CD).Results: According to VED analysis large amount of money was spent on D category that is; 35% of annual drug expenditure (ADE) from CHC, 7.6% and 23.4% from both the PHC respectively, 20.1% and 24.7% from both the UHCs. On considering the ABC-VED matrix analysis the ADE spent on Class III was 6.6% among CHC, 1.2% and 1.5% among PHC, 2.6% and 7.2% among the UHC.Conclusion: The ADE used among the ABC-VED Class III should be avoided and the ADE on Class II drugs should be controlled and used judiciously

Adaptive Variation Regulates the Expression of the Human <i>SGK1</i> Gene in Response to Stress

The Serum and Glucocorticoid-regulated Kinase1 (SGK1) gene is a target of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and is central to the stress response in many human tissues. Because environmental stress varies across habitats, we hypothesized that natural selection shaped the geographic distribution of genetic variants regulating the level of SGK1 expression following GR activation. By combining population genetics and molecular biology methods, we identified a variant (rs9493857) with marked allele frequency differences between populations of African and European ancestry and with a strong correlation between allele frequency and latitude in worldwide population samples. This SNP is located in a GR-binding region upstream of SGK1 that was identified using a GR ChIP-chip. SNP rs9493857 also lies within a predicted binding site for Oct1, a transcription factor known to cooperate with the GR in the transactivation of target genes. Using ChIP assays, we show that both GR and Oct1 bind to this region and that the ancestral allele at rs9493857 binds the GR-Oct1 complex more efficiently than the derived allele. Finally, using a reporter gene assay, we demonstrate that the ancestral allele is associated with increased glucocorticoid-dependent gene expression when compared to the derived allele. Our results suggest a novel paradigm in which hormonal responsiveness is modulated by sequence variation in the regulatory regions of nuclear receptor target genes. Identifying such functional variants may shed light on the mechanisms underlying inter-individual variation in response to environmental stressors and to hormonal therapy, as well as in the susceptibility to hormone-dependent diseases.</p

Adaptive Variation Regulates the Expression of the Human SGK1 Gene in Response to Stress

The Serum and Glucocorticoid-regulated Kinase1 (SGK1) gene is a target of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and is central to the stress response in many human tissues. Because environmental stress varies across habitats, we hypothesized that natural selection shaped the geographic distribution of genetic variants regulating the level of SGK1 expression following GR activation. By combining population genetics and molecular biology methods, we identified a variant (rs9493857) with marked allele frequency differences between populations of African and European ancestry and with a strong correlation between allele frequency and latitude in worldwide population samples. This SNP is located in a GR-binding region upstream of SGK1 that was identified using a GR ChIP-chip. SNP rs9493857 also lies within a predicted binding site for Oct1, a transcription factor known to cooperate with the GR in the transactivation of target genes. Using ChIP assays, we show that both GR and Oct1 bind to this region and that the ancestral allele at rs9493857 binds the GR-Oct1 complex more efficiently than the derived allele. Finally, using a reporter gene assay, we demonstrate that the ancestral allele is associated with increased glucocorticoid-dependent gene expression when compared to the derived allele. Our results suggest a novel paradigm in which hormonal responsiveness is modulated by sequence variation in the regulatory regions of nuclear receptor target genes. Identifying such functional variants may shed light on the mechanisms underlying inter-individual variation in response to environmental stressors and to hormonal therapy, as well as in the susceptibility to hormone-dependent diseases