Image Type Water Meter Character Recognition Based on Embedded DSP

In the paper, we combined DSP processor with image processing algorithm and studied the method of water meter character recognition. We collected water meter image through camera at a fixed angle, and the projection method is used to recognize those digital images. The experiment results show that the method can recognize the meter characters accurately and artificial meter reading is replaced by automatic digital recognition, which improves working efficiency

Nuclear Factor-Kappa B Activity Regulates Brain Expression of P-Glycoprotein in the Kainic Acid-Induced Seizure Rats

This study was aimed to investigate the effect of NF-κB activity on the seizure susceptibility, brain damage, and P-gp expression in kainic acid- (KA-) induced seizure rats. Male SD rats were divided into saline control group (NS group), KA induced epilepsy group (EP group), and epilepsy group intervened with NF-κB inhibitor-pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate salt (PDTC group) or with dexamethasone (DEX group). No seizures were observed in the rats of NS group. Compared with NS group, increased P-gp expression and NF-κB activation in the rat brain of the EP group were observed after KA micro-injection. Both PDTC and DEX pre-treatment significantly increased the latency to grade III or V seizure onset compared to EP group but failed to show neuron-protective effect as the number of survival neurons didn't significantly differ from that in EP group. Furthermore, PDTC pre-treatment significantly decreased P-gp expression along with NF-κB activation in the hippocampus CA3 area and amygdala complex of rats compared with the EP group, implying that NF-κB activation involved in the seizure susceptibility and seizure induced brain P-gp over-expression. Additionally, DEX pre-treatment only decreased P-gp expression level without inhibition of NF-κB activation, suggesting NF-κB independent pathway may also participate in regulating seizure induced P-gp over-expression

Feasibility of improving cone-beam CT number consistency using a scatter correction algorithm.

The study was to explore the feasibility of improving cone-beam CT (CBCT) number (corresponding to the Hounsfield units in computed tomography) consistency using a scatter-correction algorithm, with the aim of using CBCT images for treatment planning with density correction. A scatter correction algorithm was applied to a Varian OBI CBCT and an Elekta XVI CBCT, and was evaluated for improving CBCT number consistency. CBCT numbers of phantom materials were compared between images with and without bolus, which introduced additional scatter, and with and without scatter correction processing. It was observed that CBCT numbers were different in the images with and without bolus in both CBCT studies, and the differences were reduced remarkably after scatter-correction processing. Results showed that CBCT number consistency was significantly improved by use of the scatter-correction algorithm