Techniques For Video Surveillance: Automatic Video Editing And Target Tracking

Typical video surveillance control rooms include a collection of monitors connected to a large camera network, with many fewer operators than monitors. The cameras are usually cycled through the monitors, with provisions for manual over-ride to display a camera of interest. In addition, cameras are often provided with pan, tilt and zoom capabilities to capture objects of interest. In this dissertation, we develop novel ways to control the limited resources by focusing them into acquiring and visualizing the critical information contained in the surveyed scenes. First, we consider the problem of cropping surveillance videos. This process chooses a trajectory that a small sub-window can take through the video, selecting the most important parts of the video for display on a smaller monitor area. We model the information content of the video simply, by whether the image changes at each pixel. Then we show that we can find the globally optimal trajectory for a cropping window by using a shortest path algorithm. In practice, we can speed up this process without affecting the results, by stitching together trajectories computed over short intervals. This also reduces system latency. We then show that we can use a second shortest path formulation to find good cuts from one trajectory to another, improving coverage of interesting events in the video. We describe additional techniques to improve the quality and efficiency of the algorithm, and show results on surveillance videos. Second, we turn our attention to the problem of tracking multiple agents moving amongst obstacles, using multiple cameras. Given an environment with obstacles, and many people moving through it, we construct a separate narrow field of view video for as many people as possible, by stitching together video segments from multiple cameras over time. We employ a novel approach to assign cameras to people as a function of time, with camera switches when needed. The problem is modeled as a bipartite graph and the solution corresponds to a maximum matching. As people move, the solution is efficiently updated by computing an augmenting path rather than by solving for a new matching. This reduces computation time by an order of magnitude. In addition, solving for the shortest augmenting path minimizes the number of camera switches at each update. When not all people can be covered by the available cameras, we cluster as many people as possible into small groups, then assign cameras to groups using a minimum cost matching algorithm. We test our method using numerous runs from different simulators. Third, we relax the restriction of using fixed cameras in tracking agents. In particular, we study the problem of maintaining a good view of an agent moving amongst obstacles by a moving camera, possibly fixed to a pursuing robot. This is known as a two-player pursuit evasion game. Using a mesh discretization of the environment, we develop an algorithm that determines, given initial positions of both pursuer and evader, if the evader can take any moving strategy to go out of sight of the pursuer, and thus win the game. If it is decided that there is no winning strategy for the evader, we also compute a pursuer's trajectory that keeps the evader within sight, for every trajectory that the evader can take. We study the effect of varying the mesh size on both the efficiency and accuracy of our algorithm. Finally, we show some earlier work that has been done in the domain of anomaly detection. Based on modeling co-occurrence statistics of moving objects in time and space, experiments are described on synthetic data, in which time intervals and locations of unusual activity are identified

Outcome of Dome-Shaped Proximal Tibial Osteotomy in Infantile Genu Varum

Background: The goals of the proximal tibial osteotomy are correcting the deformity, Hip-knee-ankle angle, and preventing the progress of the destruction of the medial compartment of the knee joint.Objectives: The aim of the work was to evaluate the outcome of children with genu varum after proximal tibial dome shaped osteotomy.Patients and Methods: These randomized clinical trials study included a total of 10 patients with 12 affected knees confirmed with persistent physiologic genu varum, attending at Orthopedic Department, Zagazig University Hospitals, Zagazig, Egypt. All cases were evaluated pre and post-operatively according to Modified Hospital for Special Surgery Knee Scoring System (HSSKS) as shown in appendix I. cases were assessed for functional improvement after surgery at 2, 4 months and detection of malunion or delayed union after 3 months. Results: The mean (±SD) pre-operative tibio-femoral angle was 21.7 (±5.6) versus 3.18 (±1.97) post-operatively, preoperative femoral condyle-tibial shaft angle (FTA) was 16.3 (± 2.8) versus 3.2 (±1.1) post-operatively and preoperative metaphyseal diaphyseal angle was 15.8 (±2.6) versus 3.6 (±1.2) post-operatively with a statistically significant difference in between (p < 0.05). The mean pre-operative HSSKS scores were 70.16±11.3 while the mean post-operative HSSKS scores were 91.4±2.1.Conclusion: It could be concluded that proximal tibial osteotomy using dome-shaped procedure to correct Infantile Genu varum deformity, has favorable treatment outcomes, does not involve any dangerous complications, and can be used as a safe and effective treatment method for the correction of infantile genu varum deformity. In the current study, angles significantly improved, most of legs got full correction and little complications occurred

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta 1 internalization: modulation by ligand interaction with TGF-beta receptors types I and II and a mechanism that is distinct from clathrin-mediated endocytosis

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) internalization was studied by monitoring the uptake of125I-TGF-β1 in Mv1Lu cells, which endogenously express TGF-β receptors types I (RI), II (RII), and III (RIII), and 293 cells transfected with RI and RII. At 37 °C internalization occurred rapidly, within 10 min of ligand addition. Internalization was optimal in 293 cells expressing both RI and RII. Internalization was prevented by phenylarsine oxide, a nonspecific inhibitor of receptor internalization, but was not affected by reagents that interfere with clathrin-mediated endocytosis such as monodansylcadaverine, K44A dynamin, and inhibitors of endosomal acidification. Electron microscopic examination of Mv1Lu cells treated with 125I- TGF-β1 at 37 °C indicated that internalization occurred via a noncoated vesicular mechanism. Internalization was prevented by prebinding cells with TGF-β1 at 4 °C for 2 h prior to switching the cells to 37 °C. This was attributed to a loss of receptor binding, as indicated by a rapid decrease in the amount of TGF-β1 bound to the cell surface at 37 °C and by a reduction in the labeling intensities of RI and RII in125I-TGF-β1-cross-linking experiments. Mv1Lu or 293 (RI+RII) cells, prebound with TGF-β1 at 4 °C and subsequently stripped of ligand by an acid wash, nevertheless initiated a signaling response upon transfer to 37 °C, suggesting that prebinding promotes formation of stable RI·RII complexes that can signal independently of ligand

Effect of Low-Level Laser Therapy Versus Bioptron on Psoriasis

Purpose: The current study was carried-out to examine the effectiveness of low-level laser therapy versus bioptron on psoriasis. Subjects and Methods: 60 patients of both sexes with psoriasis contributed in this study and they were aged from 30 to 60 years. They were randomized into two groups of the same number (A and B). Group (A) were given low level laser therapy (LLLT) and medical care, while group (B) were given bioptron light therapy (BLT) and the same medical care that received in group (A). The variables included Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) and Dermoscopic finding were measured pre and post intervention program on psoriatic patients in both groups. Both groups were given treatment program 3 sessions a week for 8 weeks. Results: following 8 consecutive weeks, both groups showed statistically significant improvement in all outcome measures, however there was a significant difference between them post treatment, favoring group (A). Conclusion: Low level laser therapy and bioptron were beneficial treatment modalities in psoriatic patients and LLLT may be more effective in treating psoriasis

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in camels recently imported to Egypt from Sudan and a global systematic review.

INTRODUCTION Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum are closely related intracellular protozoan parasites of medical and veterinary concern by causing abortions and systemic illness. Limited or ambiguous data on the prevalence of T. gondii and N. caninum in camels triggered us to conduct this study. METHODS Camels (n = 460) recently imported from Sudan and destined mainly for human consumption, were tested for specific antibodies against these protozoans using commercially available ELISAs. From the two only quarantine stations for camels from Sudan, 368 camels were sampled between November 2015 and March 2016 in Shalateen, Red Sea governorate, and 92 samples were collected between September 2018 and March 2021 from Abu Simbel, Aswan governorate. RESULTS & DISCUSSION Overall, seropositive rates in camels were 25.7%, 3.9% and 0.8% for T. gondii, N. caninum and mixed infection, respectively. However, marked differences were found between the two study sites and/or the two sampling periods: For T. gondii, a higher rate of infection was recorded in the Red Sea samples (31.5%, 116/368; odds ratio 20.7, 5.0-85.6; P<0.0001) than in those collected in Aswan (2.2%, 2/92). The opposite was found for N. caninum with a lower rate of infection in the Red Sea samples (0.82%, 3/368; odds ratio 23.7, 6.7-83.9; P<0.0001) than in the samples from Aswan (16.3%, 15/92). Additionally, our systematic review revealed that the overall published seroprevalence of T. gondii and N. caninum was 28.6% and 14.3% in camels worldwide, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first record of seroprevalence of both T. gondii and N. caninum in recently imported camels kept under quarantine conditions before delivery to other Egyptian cities and regions. In addition, our review provides inclusive data on the prevalence of T. gondii and N. caninum in camel globally. This knowledge provides basic data for the implementation of strategies and control measures against neosporosis and toxoplasmosis

Assessment of Human Impact on Quaternary Aquifers of Rafah Area, NE Sinai, Egypt

Groundwater is endangered by agricultural activities, wastes disposal, aquifer over exploitation and seawater intrusion. The pollution risk is high, as the depth to the water table is shallow and the aquifers are highly permeable and have poor buffering capacity. Intensive farming activities have also put stress on groundwater quality due to intensive use of fertilizers and pesticides. As a result, concentrations of NO3-, SO42- and PO4-2 are very high. Most of the house owners do not have access to public sewers, which poses another risk for the aquifers. More than 71.2% of the aerial distribution of nitrate concentration is greater than 44.29 mg/L, thus causing a serious problem. Static water level maps from 1983 to 2000 show the declining of the water level with time. The discharge from Quaternary aquifers exceeds the recharge rates after 1988 resulting in both upward leakage of the deeper high saline water and seawater intrusion. Factor analyses were used to define the factors that affect the groundwater quality. Dissolution and deposition of several minerals, evaporation from the groundwater, human impact on the aquifers, cation exchange, mixing between different waters and rainfall recharge were identified as the main factors impacting the ground waters

Morphometric, Meteorological, and Hydrologic Characteristics Integration for Rainwater Harvesting Potential Assessment in Southeast Beni Suef (Egypt)

In arid areas, the forecast of runoff is problematic for ungauged basins. The peak discharge of flashfloods and rainwater harvesting (RWH) was assessed by the integration of GIS, the RS tool and hydrologic modeling. This approach is still under further improvement to fully understand flashflood and rainwater harvesting potentialities. Different morphometric parameters are extracted and evaluated; they show the most hazardous sub-basins. Vulnerability potential to flooding is high relative to steep slopes, high drainage density, and low stream sinuosity. Using hydrologic modeling, lag time, concentration time, peak discharge rates, runoff volume, rainfall, and total losses are calculated for different return periods. The hydrologic model shows high rainfall rates, and steep slopes are present in the southeastern part of the study area. Low rainfall rates, moderate–high runoff, and gentle slopes are found in the central and downstream parts, which are suitable sites for rainwater harvesting. An analytic hierarchy process is utilized for mapping the best sites to RWH. These criteria use land-cover, average annual max 24 h rainfall, slope, stream order, and lineaments density. About 4% of the basin area has very high potentialities for RWH, while 59% of the basin area has high suitability for RWH. Ten low dam sites are proposed to impact flooding vulnerability and increase rainwater-harvesting potentialities