Research in Medical Imaging Using Image Processing Techniques

Medical imaging is the procedure used to attain images of the body parts for medical uses in order to identify or study diseases. There are millions of imaging procedures done every week worldwide. Medical imaging is developing rapidly due to developments in image processing techniques including image recognition, analysis, and enhancement. Image processing increases the percentage and amount of detected tissues. This chapter presents the application of both simple and sophisticated image analysis techniques in the medical imaging field. This chapter also summarizes how to exemplify image interpretation challenges using different image processing algorithms such as k-means, ROI-based segmentation, and watershed techniques

Structure and physical properties of cellulose triacetate/ nanoclay nanocomposites

85-89The nanoclay has been used to modify cellulose triacetate by forming nanocomposites of different composition. The nanoclay and cellulose triacetate as well as the resulting nanocomposites were identified using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The mechanical and thermal properties of different nanocomposites are also investigated. It was generally observed that the addition of the nanoclay to cellulose triacetate increased the thermal conductivity, tensile strength and Young's modulus by 415, 81 and 93%, respectively, on adding only 5% of the nanoclay to cellulose triacetate

Carrier-mediated blends of Chitosan with polyvinyl chloride for different applications

AbstractThe current work aims at blending of PVC with Chitosan through simultaneous casting of their separate solutions in different proportions of PVC and Chitosan in suitable solvents. After dissolution, both solutions were added to each other while stirring at room temperature. The obtained mixture was left at room temperature to form the blend after evaporation of the solvent. Similar blends have been prepared similarly in presence of the organic ligand, dithizone, as a carrier-mediating material for different metal ions. PVC/Chitosan blends were characterized by thermal (TGA) and FT-IR Spectroscopic analyses as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The obtained blends were found to have reasonable extent of compatibility between their components. Such compatibility depends mainly on the way with which the components have been blended with each other. The polymer-supported dithizone was investigated toward its ability to be used for removal of some metal ions from their aqueous solutions. Concentration of metal ions was determined by ICP-AES analysis

A Survey of Scheduling in 5G URLLC and Outlook for Emerging 6G Systems

Future wireless communication is expected to be a paradigm shift from three basic service requirements of 5th Generation (5G) including enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Ultra Reliable and Low Latency communication (URLLC) and the massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC). Integration of the three heterogeneous services into a single system is a challenging task. The integration includes several design issues including scheduling network resources with various services. Specially, scheduling the URLLC packets with eMBB and mMTC packets need more attention as it is a promising service of 5G and beyond systems. It needs to meet stringent Quality of Service (QoS) requirements and is used in time-critical applications. Thus through understanding of packet scheduling issues in existing system and potential future challenges is necessary. This paper surveys the potential works that addresses the packet scheduling algorithms for 5G and beyond systems in recent years. It provides state of the art review covering three main perspectives such as decentralised, centralised and joint scheduling techniques. The conventional decentralised algorithms are discussed first followed by the centralised algorithms with specific focus on single and multi-connected network perspective. Joint scheduling algorithms are also discussed in details. In order to provide an in-depth understanding of the key scheduling approaches, the performances of some prominent scheduling algorithms are evaluated and analysed. This paper also provides an insight into the potential challenges and future research directions from the scheduling perspective

Causal Relationship between Market Growth and Economic Growth. Comparison Study

The present study aims to test the causal relationship between the economic growth and the market growth in three different countries with different market characteristics: the USA, Malaysia and Jordan for the period from 1994 to 2010. The results showed that the growth of market returns in Jordan does not affect the economic growth and vice versa. However, the growth of market returns in Malaysia has an influence on the economic growth, but not vice versa. The USA results, in contrast, showed that the growth of market returns affects the economic growth and vice versa. The results support the researcher assumption that the causal relationship between the economic growth and the market growth affected by the circumstances of each country. Keywords: market growth, economic growth, market return, GDP, causality test

An unusual presentation of metastatic adenocarcinoma of lung: a case report

We report an unusual patient with primary adenocarcinoma of lung causing malignant pleural and pericardial effusions. The diagnosis was made only at autopsy as his staging computed tomography scan of chest was negative for an obvious mass lesion within the lung or pleura. Prior to his death, his symptoms were erroneously managed as left ventricular failure and community-acquired pneumonia

Butein Activates Autophagy Through AMPK/TSC2/ULK1/mTOR Pathway to Inhibit IL-6 Expression in IL-1β Stimulated Human Chondrocytes

Background/Aims: Butein (2’,3,4,4’-Tetrahydroxychalcone), a polyphenol produced by several plants including Butea monoserpma, has been reported to exert potent anti-inflammatory activity but the mechanism remains unknown. In the present work we investigated the mechanism of Butein-mediated suppression of IL-6 expression in normal and human osteoarthritis (OA) chondrocytes under pathological conditions. Methods: Expression level of interleukin-6 (IL-6) protein in OA cartilage was analyzed by immunohistochemistry using a validated antibody. Chondrocytes derived from normal or OA cartilage by enzymatic digestion were pretreated with Butein followed by stimulation with interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and the levels of IL-6 mRNA were quantified by TaqMan assay and the protein levels were measured by Western immunoblotting. Autophagy activation was determined by Western blotting and confocal microscopy. Autophagy was inhibited by siRNA mediated knockdown of ATG5. Results: Expression of IL-6 protein was high in the OA cartilage compared to smooth cartilage from the same patient. OA chondrocytes and cartilage explants stimulated with IL-1β showed high level expression of IL-6 mRNA and protein. Butein increased the phosphorylation of AMPKαThr-172, TSC2Ser-1387 and ULK1Ser-317 and inhibited the phosphorylation of mTORSer-2448 and its downstream target p70S6K and increased autophagy flux that correlated with the suppression of the IL-1β mediated expression of IL-6 in normal and OA chondrocytes. In OA chondrocytes with siRNA-mediated knockdown of ATG5 expression, treatment with Butein failed to activate autophagy and abrogated the suppression of IL-1β induced IL-6 expression. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate for the first time that Butein activate autophagy in OA chondrocytes via AMPK/TSC2/ULK1/mTOR pathway. Additionally, activation of autophagy was essential to block the IL-1β-induced expression of IL-6 in OA chondrocytes. These data support further studies to evaluate the use of Butein or compounds derived from it for the management of OA

Trajectories of university adjustment in the United Kingdom: Emotion management and emotional self-efficacy protect against initial poor adjustment

Little is known about individual differences in the pattern of university adjustment. This study explored longitudinal associations between emotional self-efficacy, emotion management, university adjustment, and academic achievement in a sample of first year undergraduates in the United Kingdom (N=331). Students completed measures of adjustment to university at three points during their first year at university. Latent Growth Mixture Modeling identified four trajectories of adjustment: (1) low, stable adjustment, (2) medium, stable adjustment, (3) high, stable adjustment, and (4) low, increasing adjustment. Membership of the low, stable adjustment group was predicted by low emotional self-efficacy and low emotion management scores, measured at entry into university. This group also had increased odds of poor academic achievement, even when grade at entry to university was controlled. Students who increased in adjustment had high levels of emotion management and emotional self-efficacy, which helped adaptation. These findings have implications for intervention