Discrimination of form in images corrupted by speckle

The problem investigated is that of a human observer having to distinguish between certain specified geometrical forms corrupted by speckle-an idealization of the problem of a scientist studying a synthetic aperture radar map. Specifically, the cases of two simple alternative forms and of two and four orientations of a simple form have been considered. A theoretical model is developed for the observer's decision process by analogy with optimal receiver theory, and the probability of a correct decision is related to form parameters like size, contrast, and looks. These calculations are verified by psychophysical experiments using computer-simulated pictures

A Prospect Evolvement Of Household Expenditure On Water Supply For Health Benifits In Chennai

Due to rapid urbanization, especially in developing countries such as India, has affected the availability and quality of groundwater is contaminated, its quality cannot be restored by stopping the pollutants from the source. The common pollutants of groundwater are discharge of agricultural, domestic, and industrial waste, pesticides, etc., which leads to water-borne diseases. Water-diseases may be of microbial origin such as diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera and typhoid and chemical origin such as fluorosis and methemoglobinemia, therefore, in order to consume the quality water people need to spend more on water supply as other household expenditure, such as: food, clothing, housing (rent), energy, transport, etc., A significant number of people purchase water from private and public water suppliers and that they incur a sizeable expenditure on water purchases; some of these households are also willing to pay additional amounts for improved water supply from public and private sources for their health benefits. The results suggest that improvements in water supply would significantly increase the welfare of the people. This is clearly a public health risk that must be addressed along with the issue of water service affordability

Comparative Study of Federation Proposals for Nepal

An elected constituent assembly is planned to frame a new constitution of Nepal. This paper argues for a federal system of governance and reviews various federal proposals that have been made so far, some of which suggest territorial subdivision and some suggest cultural subdivision of the country. This paper argues that a cultural subdivision offers a greater promise of durable peace and stability of federation than a territorial subdivision and would also help improve economic efficiency in delivery of governmental services. Further, it proposes a cultural federation of 15 small size states, with directly elected governors in the states and a proportional system of representation in the state assemblies

Comparative study of federation proposals for Nepal

At the time Nepal is planning for an unprecedented task of forming constitution through a constituent assembly of people’s representatives, restructuring of Nepal into a federation of autonomous or semi-autonomous states has been prominently proposed by some scholars, the Federation of Indigenous Nationalities, and some major political parties, like the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists), the Communist Party of Nepal (UML), Jana Morcha, and Nepal Sadbhawana Party. To my knowledge there are at least 14 proposals already made, which can be classified into two groups. Proposals in one group consider the meeting of political aspirations and demands of ethnic and indigenous nationalities the main objective of federal restructure. Accordingly, those proposals demarcate states by subdividing Nepal based on ethnic/nationality concentration. The proposals in the next group demarcate states on geographical and/or topographical basis, on broad arguments of improving governance through local control of governments and/or on some economic arguments like demarcating states by major river basins to economically harness hydropower potential of the country. Which type of federation proposal is better

AN EFFECT OF CARDIOPROTECTIVE ACTIVITY IN VARIOUS MEDICINAL PLANTS–A REVIEW

Siddha system of medicines is known for its herbal in origin. Herbal plays a major role in treating acute and chronic diseases. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is the life-threatening disease that contributes a leading cause of death day by day across the world. A change in lifestyle modification is the one of the risks of CVDs. This review paper attempts to facilitate the cardioprotective activity by providing different types of medicinal plants and its botanical distribution, description, chemical constituents and pharmacological activity. Few important herbs will protect the human being from CVDs and gives health and quality of life. In this paper, the authors explores the effect of cardioprotective activity in medicinal plants as follows, Terminalia chebula (Kadukkai), Piper longum (Thippili), Zingiber officinale (Inji), Tinospora cordifolia (Seenthil), Asparagus racemosus (Thanneervitan), Embelia ribes (Vaaivilangam), Andrographis paniculata (Nilavembu), Nelumbo nucifera (Thaamarai), Allium sativum (Vellaipoondu), Bauhinia variegata (Mantharai)

Introgression of Brown Norway \u3cem\u3eCYP4A\u3c/em\u3e Genes onto the Dahl Salt-Sensitive Background Restores Vascular Function in SS-5\u3csup\u3eBN\u3c/sup\u3e Consomic Rats

The present study tested the hypothesis that the Dahl SS (salt-sensitive) rat has vascular dysfunction due, in part, to the up-regulation of the CYP4A/20-HETE (cytochrome P450 ω-hydroxylase 4A)/20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid) system. To assess the role of vascular 20-HETE, SS rats were compared with SS-5BN consomic rats, carrying CYP4A alleles on chromosome 5 from the normotensive BN (Brown Norway) introgressed on to the SS genetic background. Cerebral arteries from SS-5BN rats had less CYP4A protein than arteries from SS rats fed either NS (normal-salt, 0.4% NaCl) or HS (high-salt, 4.0% NaCl) diet. ACh (acetylcholine)-induced dilation of MCAs (middle cerebral arteries) from SS and SS-5BN rats was present in SS-5BN rats fed on either an NS or HS diet, but absent in SS rats. In SS rats fed on either diet, ACh-induced dilation was restored by acute treatment with the CYP4A inhibitor DDMS (N-methyl-sulfonyl-12,12-dibromododec-11-enamide) or the 20-HETE antagonist 20-HEDE [20-hydroxyeicosa-6(Z),15(Z)-dienoic acid]. The restored response to ACh in DDMS-treated SS rats was inhibited by L-NAME (NGnitro-L-arginine methyl ester) and unaffected by indomethacin or MS-PPOH [N-methylsulfonyl-6-(2-propargyloxyphenyl)hexanamide]. Vascular relaxation responses to the NO donor C5FeN6Na2O were intact in both SS and SS-5BN rats and unaffected by the acute addition of DDMS, indicating that the vascular dysfunction of the SS rat is due to a reduced bioavailability of NO instead of failure of the VSMCs (vascular smooth muscle cells) to respond to the vasodilator. Superoxide levels in cerebral arteries of SS-5BN rats [evaluated semi-quantitatively by DHE (dihydroethidium) fluorescence] were lower than those in the arteries of SS rats. These findings indicate that SS rats have an up-regulation of the CYP4A/20-HETE pathway resulting in elevated ROS (reactive oxygen species) and reduced NO bioavailability causing vascular dysfunction

Oxalate-Induced and Cell-Cycle-Dependent Expression of Nuclear Pore Complex Oxalate Binding Protein gp210

The effect of oxalate, a constituent of renal stone, on the expression of nuclear pore complex oxalate binding protein (gp210) in Vero monkey kidney cells was examined. The expression of this protein was found to increase more in mitotic phase than in S phase, suggesting cell cycle dependency. Exposure of cells to oxalate-containing growth medium resulted in a relative increase in nuclear pore complex oxalate binding protein in each stage of cell cycle. The concentration of this protein was found to increase six times in the telophase stage of the cells exposed to high concentrations of oxalate in the growth medium, though slight reduction in cell density was observed. Structural analogues of oxalate did not show any stimulatory effect on expression of this oxalate binding protein. Hence, the expression of the nuclear pore complex oxalate binding protein gp210 was specific to oxalate and is cell cycle dependent

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