Turning function and shape recognition

The technique of turning function is a powerful method for measuring similarity between two dimensional shapes. The method works well when the boundary of the shape does not contain noise edges. We propose an algorithm for smoothing noise edges by decomposing the boundary into monotone components and smoothing the noise edges in each component. We also present an implementation of the proposed smoothing algorithm

Effect of Potting Media on Growth and Quality in Aglaonema

Effect of potting media on growth and quality of ornamental foliage plant, aglaonema cv. Ernesto's Favourite, was evaluated. Soil, cocopeat and sphagnum peat, in combination with sand, FYM and vermicompost in various proportions, were used as potting media. Maximum plant height (71.36cm), number of leaves (16.00), leaf length (60.39cm), leaf width (10.13cm), leaf area (208.36cm2), plant growth index (63.37cm), fresh weight of root (45.00g), dry weight of root (8.53g), visual plant grade (4.50), colour grade (4.58), root grade (4.45), and, N (3.46 %), P (0.95 %) and K content in leaf (1.91%) were recorded with the medium containing cocopeat + sand + vermicompost in 2:1:1, (v/v) combination at 150 DAP. Medium containing cocopeat + sand + FYM + vermicompost in 2:1:1:0.5 ratio, (v/v) was found to be on par with cocopeat + sand + vermicompost in 2:1:1, (v/v) combination with respect to leaf width, dry weight of root, visual plant grade, colour grade, root grade and K content

Waiting is the Hardest Part: Comparison of Two Computational Strategies for Performing a Compelled-Response Task

The neural basis of choice behavior is commonly investigated with tasks in which a subject analyzes a stimulus and reports his or her perceptual experience with an appropriate motor action. We recently developed a novel task, the compelled-saccade task, with which the influence of the sensory information on the subject's choice can be tracked through time with millisecond resolution, thus providing a new tool for correlating neuronal activity and behavior. This paradigm has a crucial feature: the signal that instructs the subject to make an eye movement is given before the cue that indicates which of two possible choices is the correct one. Previously, we found that psychophysical performance in this task could be accurately replicated by a model in which two developing oculomotor plans race to a threshold and the incoming perceptual information differentially accelerates their trajectories toward it. However, the task design suggests an alternative mechanism: instead of modifying an ongoing oculomotor plan on the fly as the sensory information becomes available, the subject could try to wait, withholding the oculomotor response until the sensory cue is revealed. Here, we use computer simulations to explore and compare the performance of these two types of model. We find that both reproduce the main features of the psychophysical data in the compelled-saccade task, but they give rise to distinct behavioral and neurophysiological predictions. Although, superficially, the waiting model is intuitively appealing, it is ultimately inconsistent with experimental results from this and other tasks

A rare case of aggressive angiomyxoma of vulva since childhood

Aggressive angiomyxoma is a locally invasive benign mesenchymal tumour usually occurring in women of reproductive age and is rare in children. It carries a high risk of recurrence and hence needs to be differentiated from other masses. The diagnosis is difficult clinically and is almost always histological. Here is a rare case of aggressive angiomyxoma of vulva in a 15 year old female presented with presented with mass in vulva on left side since birth and increased to the present size since 3 years. The swelling was painless, no local rise of temperature, no visible veins. Attained menarche 2 years ago and cycles are regular with normal flow

Oleic Acid Based Emulgel for Topical Delivery of Ofloxacin

The objective of the present study is to formulate and evaluate ofloxacin emulgel. Emulgel formulations of ofloxacin were prepared using different concentrations of gelling agent’s Carbopol-940 and Xanthum gum. Tween-80 and span-80 were used as emulsifiers and propylene glycol as a humectant in the preparation of emulgel. The effect of the concentration of gelling agent on the drug release from the prepared emulgel was investigated. The compatibility study was conducted using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR). The formulated emulgel was characterized by their physical appearance, pH determination, viscosity, spreadability, drug content, microbial test and in vitro diffusion study. FTIR indicated that the drug and excipients used in the study are compatible with each other. All the prepared formulations showed acceptable physical properties, homogeneity, consistency, spreadability, viscosity, and pH value. Drug release from all the formulations depended upon the concentration of the polymer used. As the concentration of Carbopol 940 increased the spreadability and drug release was found to be decreased. Emulgels formulated with oleic acid gave a much higher release rate of ofloxacin than emulgels formulated with liquid paraffin. The release of drug from all the emulgels prepared followed Zero-order kinetics. The linear Higuchi plots indicated that the drug release from all the emulgels prepared followed diffusion kinetics. Emulgel formulated with oleic acid exhibited greater flux when compared with those formulated with liquid paraffin. The formulations were found to be stable during stability testing. It can be concluded that Carbopol 940 and oleic acid are recommended for the formulation and preparation of Ofloxacin emulgels for topical drug delivery. Key words: Ofloxacin, Emulgel, Spreadibility, Zone of inhibition

Impact of age and level of experience on occupational stress experienced by non-gazetted officers of the central reserve police force

Background: The study explores the effect of demographic variables such as age and level of experience on the level of stress experienced by non-gazette officers of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Materials and Methods: A purposive sample of 163 CRPF personnel was chosen. The Police Stress Inventory developed for use among CRPF personnel was administered. Various statistical parameters such as mean, standard deviation, standard error, mean difference and single-factor ANOVA were used to analyze the data. Conclusion: The study strongly indicates the relationship between stress and demographic variables such as age and level of experience

Perceptual and categorical decision making: goal-relevant representation of two domains at different levels of abstraction

To date it has been unclear whether perceptual decision making and rule-based categorization reflect activation of similar cognitive processes and brain regions. On one hand, both map potentially ambiguous stimuli to a smaller set of motor responses. On the other hand, decisions about perceptual salience typically concern concrete sensory representations derived from a noisy stimulus, while categorization is typically conceptualized as an abstract decision about membership in a potentially arbitrary set. Previous work has primarily examined these types of decisions in isolation. Here we independently varied salience in both the perceptual and categorical domains in a random dot-motion framework by manipulating dot-motion coherence and motion direction relative to a category boundary, respectively. Behavioral and modeling results suggest that categorical (more abstract) information, which is more relevant to subjects' decisions, is weighted more strongly than perceptual (more concrete) information, although they also have significant interactive effects on choice. Within the brain, BOLD activity within frontal regions strongly differentiated categorical salience and weakly differentiated perceptual salience; however, the interaction between these two factors activated similar frontoparietal brain networks. Notably, explicitly evaluating feature interactions revealed a frontal-parietal dissociation: parietal activity varied strongly with both features, but frontal activity varied with the combined strength of the information that defined the motor response. Together, these data demonstrate that frontal regions are driven by decision-relevant features and argue that perceptual decisions and rule-based categorization reflect similar cognitive processes and activate similar brain networks to the extent that they define decision-relevant stimulus-response mappings.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Here we study the behavioral and neural dynamics of perceptual categorization when decision information varies in multiple domains at different levels of abstraction. Behavioral and modeling results suggest that categorical (more abstract) information is weighted more strongly than perceptual (more concrete) information but that perceptual and categorical domains interact to influence decisions. Frontoparietal brain activity during categorization flexibly represents decision-relevant features and highlights significant dissociations in frontal and parietal activity during decision making

Perceptual and categorical decision making: goal-relevant representation of two domains at different levels of abstraction.

To date it has been unclear whether perceptual decision making and rule-based categorization reflect activation of similar cognitive processes and brain regions. On one hand, both map potentially ambiguous stimuli to a smaller set of motor responses. On the other hand, decisions about perceptual salience typically concern concrete sensory representations derived from a noisy stimulus, while categorization is typically conceptualized as an abstract decision about membership in a potentially arbitrary set. Previous work has primarily examined these types of decisions in isolation. Here we independently varied salience in both the perceptual and categorical domains in a random dot-motion framework by manipulating dot-motion coherence and motion direction relative to a category boundary, respectively. Behavioral and modeling results suggest that categorical (more abstract) information, which is more relevant to subjects' decisions, is weighted more strongly than perceptual (more concrete) information, although they also have significant interactive effects on choice. Within the brain, BOLD activity within frontal regions strongly differentiated categorical salience and weakly differentiated perceptual salience; however, the interaction between these two factors activated similar frontoparietal brain networks. Notably, explicitly evaluating feature interactions revealed a frontal-parietal dissociation: parietal activity varied strongly with both features, but frontal activity varied with the combined strength of the information that defined the motor response. Together, these data demonstrate that frontal regions are driven by decision-relevant features and argue that perceptual decisions and rule-based categorization reflect similar cognitive processes and activate similar brain networks to the extent that they define decision-relevant stimulus-response mappings.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Here we study the behavioral and neural dynamics of perceptual categorization when decision information varies in multiple domains at different levels of abstraction. Behavioral and modeling results suggest that categorical (more abstract) information is weighted more strongly than perceptual (more concrete) information but that perceptual and categorical domains interact to influence decisions. Frontoparietal brain activity during categorization flexibly represents decision-relevant features and highlights significant dissociations in frontal and parietal activity during decision making

C-reactive protein: An inflammatory biomarker in oral cancer

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a plasma phase protein that takes part in systemic responses to inflammatory reactions. Its serum concentration can increase up to 1000 folds or more in relation to acute stimuli due to infections, tissue injuries, and malignant disorders. It is highly resistant to proteolysis, principally synthesized in the liver in response to proinflammatory cytokines, i.e. interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor. These cytokines are seen to be related to neoplastic disorders. It forms an integral component of innate immunity and serves primarily to recognize potential pathogens and damaged cells. The present article summarizes the importance of CRP and its significance in oral cancer and associated disorders. It was found that a lowered CRP level may prove to be beneficial in prevention and treatment of oral cavity cancer