A Framework for Object Detection and Segmentation in Medical Images Using Arbitrary Shapes

Detection and segmentation objects are crucial to extract useful information from medical images [1] and still challenging tasks in CAD software development. Due to the irregular structure and high variability of objects of interest, there is no universal solution for detecting objects and segmenting them in all kinds of medical images. This work is a part of a larger project aimed mostly at detection, coarse segmentation and visualization of given objects in microscope images. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a robust framework to facilitate detecting objects with arbitrary size and shape and segmenting them in different kinds of medical images with the help of a library of irregular smooth shapes

Seismic Fragility Assessment of RC Frame Equipped by Visco-Elastic Dampers Using NLTHA and FNA

International audienceIn recent years, the issue of lower computational cost and analysis time has been the important factors for the structural analysts. In the meantime, after years of its introduction as an analysis having features of nonlinear analysis, the Fast Nonlinear Analysis (FNA) claims to have a higher performance speed than other nonlinear analyses, but has been less used by the researchers in this field. This research is conducted in order to improve the accuracy of the claim for a significant difference between the duration of structural analysis using the FNA method in comparison with the Nonlinear Time History Analysis (NLTHA) in Sap2000 software. RC frame with two seismic resistant systems of Moment Resistant Frame (MRF) only and MRF equipped by visco-elastic dampers (MRF-VD) and efficiency of the FNA method has been investigated. The results indicated that in the analysis time, the structural analysis is decreased by 7-9 times, while the seismic fragility curves calculated for performance limit state of the frame does not provide an accurate estimate of the damage to the frame

Prediction of Obsessive-compulsive Symptoms Based on Negative Affect, Rumination, and Dispositional Mindfulness

Obsessive-compulsive symptoms could be an important background for clinical disorder of OCD. The role of negative affect, rumination, and dispositional mindfulness has not been investigated in previous researches. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to study the relationship among negative affect, rumination, dispositional mindfulness with obsessive-compulsive symptoms. In a descriptive-correlational and crosses- sectional study, 283 students from University of Tabriz have selected by available sampling method during April through May 2017.Maudsley OCD inventory, Positive affect and negative affect scale (PANAS), Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) and Rumination Scale of the Response Styles Questionnaire were used for collecting the data. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and multiple Regressions tests. The results showed that correlation between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and dispositional mindfulness was negative and significant, correlation between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and negative affect was positive and significant and correlation between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and rumination was significant. Also, negative affect, rumination, and dispositional mindfulness did able to predict the obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Dispositional mindfulness, negative affect, and rumination are the important determinants of obsessive-compulsive symptoms

Comparative study of cognitive factors in obsessive- compulsive, generalized anxiety, and major depression disorders

Background and aims: With attention to considered various cognitive factors in psychopathology of obsessive- compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, the aim of this study was comparison of Thought Action Fusion (TAF), responsibility and the overestimation of threat (RT), and over importance and Control Thoughts (ICT), Perfectionism and The Intolerance of Uncertainty (PC) cognitive beliefs in Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Major Depression Disorder (MDD) and normal group to more clarification psychopathology of these disorders. Methods: This study is causal-comparative research. The clinical samples include patients referred from January to June 2016 to Sari Shahid Zareh hospital in this regard. From each of these groups, 30 individuals were selected from hospitals and clinics of Sari and 30 individuals were selected accomplish obsessive beliefs questionnaire and thought action fusion scale. Data were analyzed by MANOVA. Results: The results of MANOVA and Tukey posthoc test showed that OCD group was significantly higher than other groups in TAF, RT and ICT (P0.086). Also, the results showed that all of these cognitive beliefs OCD and GAD groups were significantly higher than depression and normal groups (P<0.001). Conclusion: According to these results, it seems that TAF, RT and ICT are more specific for OCD, but about PC there isn’t this specialty and it is common cognitive vulnerability in OCD and GAD

Activite Antifongique Des Flavonoïdes Isoles De La Plante Asteriscus Graveolens Subsp. Odorus (Schousb.) Greuter

A phenol acid and three flavones isolated from the plant Asteriscus graveolens subsp. odorus were tested against three fungi: Botrytis cinerea, Penicillium digitatum and Penicillium expansum. Using the method of incorporation of products in a PDA, a high sensitivity of Botrytis cinerea to caffeic acid and nevadensine was observed. Penicillium digitatum is the sensitive to luteolin, as to Penicillium expansum, it marks a sensitivity to artemetin. The efficacy of the tested molecules could be the subject of an investigation and exploitation in the integrated fight against the three tested fungi that cause a lot of damage to fruits and vegetables post-harvest

Screening phytochimique et identification spectroscopique des flavonoïdes d’Asteriscusgraveolenssubsp. odorus

Ce travail s’intéresse à l’étude phytochimique d’une espèce du Sud du Maroc appartenant à la famille des Asteraceae : Asteriscusgraveolenssubsp. odorus. Le screening phytochimique des feuilles et des fleurs de cette plante, effectuée pour la première fois, a révélé la présence des alcaloïdes, des flavonoïdes, des tanins catéchiques, des terpènes, des coumarines et des composés cyanogénétiques. Quant aux saponines et les quinones libres, ils sont présents chez les fleurs et absents chez les feuilles. La caractérisation des molécules par spectrophotométrie UV a révélé la présence de l’acide caféique, névadensine, lutéoline et artemétine dans les feuilles d’Asteriscus graveolens subsp. odorus.Mots-clés : analyse spectrophotométrique, screening phytochimique, asteriscus graveolens subsp. odorus

Prediction of cyberchondria based on components of anxiety sensitivity and intolerance of uncertainty among students of Tabriz universities in 2015

زمینه و هدف: جستجوی اینترنتی اطلاعات پزشکی، جز فعالیت های متداول به شمار می رود. اخیراً پژوهشگران شروع به مطالعه درباره چرخه&zwnj; ای آزار دهنده از نگرانی های مرتبط با سلامت جسمانی و جستجوی اینترنتی اطلاعات پزشکی تحت عنوان &laquo;سایبرکندوریا&raquo; کرده اند. هدف از مطالعه حاضر معرفی حساسیت اضطرابی و عدم تحمل بلاتکلیفی به عنوان 2 پیش بین مهم برای سایبرکندوریا است. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه توصیفی- تحلیلی که بین دانشجویان دانشگاه&zwnj; های تبریز (سراسری تبریز و پیام نور) در سال 1394 انجام شد؛ 228 نفر (154 نفر پسر و 74 نفر دختر) به روش نمونه گیری در دسترس انتخاب شده و به پرسش نامه شدت سایبرکندوریا، مقیاس حساسیت اضطرابی و مقیاس عدم تحمل بلاتکلیفی پاسخ دادند. برای تحلیل داده ها از روش همبستگی پیرسون و تحلیل رگرسیون استفاده شد. یافته ها: یافته ها نشان داد که حساسیت اضطرابی و عدم تحمل بلاتکلیفی همبستگی نسبتاً بالایی با سایبرکندوریا دارند. از میان مولفه های حساسیت اضطرابی، نگرانی های بدنی و نگرانی های شناختی توان پیش بینی سایبرکندوریا را داشتند؛ همچنین هر 2 مولفه عدم تحمل بلاتکلیفی، یعنی IU بازدارنده و IU آینده نگرانه به خوبی توانستند علائم سایبرکندوریا را پیش بینی کنند. نتیجه گیری: یافته های این پژوهش بر اهمیت حساسیت اضطرابی و عدم تحمل بلاتکلیفی در شکل گیری و تداوم سایبرکندوریا صحه گذاشت؛ بنابراین این 2 عامل را می توان به عنوان ریسک فاکتورهای مهمی برای سایبرکندوریا مطرح کرد

Application of Multi Objective HFAPSO algorithm for Simultaneous Placement of DG, Capacitor and Protective Device in Radial Distribution Network

In this paper, simultaneous placement of distributed generation, capacitor bank and protective devices are utilized to improve the efficiency of the distribution network. The objectives of the problem are reduction of active and reactive power losses, improvement of voltage profile and reliability indices and increasing distribution companies’ profit. The combination of firefly algorithm, particle swarm optimization and analytical hierarchy process is proposed to solve the multi-objective allocation problem. The proposed method is implemented on IEEE 69-bus and also an actual 22-bus distribution systems in Tehran-Iran. Test results approve the effectiveness of the proposed method for improved reliability and network performance of the distribution network

Day-Ahead Scheduling of Electric Vehicles and Electrical Storage Systems in Smart Homes Using a Novel Decision Vector and AHP Method

The two-way communication of electricity and information in smart homes facilitates the optimal management of devices with the ability to charge and discharge, such as electric vehicles and electrical storage systems. These devices can be scheduled considering domestic renewable energy units, the energy consumption of householders, the electricity tariff of the grid, and other predetermined parameters in order to improve their efficiency and also the technical and economic indices of the smart home. In this paper, a novel framework based on decision vectors and the analytical hierarchy process method is investigated to find the optimal operation schedule of these devices for the day-ahead performance of smart homes. The initial data of the electric vehicle and the electrical storage system are modeled stochastically. The aim of this work is to minimize the electricity cost and the peak demand of the smart home by optimal operation of the electric vehicle and the electrical storage system. Firstly, the different decision vectors for charging and discharging these devices are introduced based on the market price, the produce power of the domestic photovoltaic panel, and the electricity demand of the smart home. Secondly, the analytical hierarchy process method is utilized to implement the various priorities of decision criteria and calculate the ultimate decision vectors. Finally, the operation schedule of the electric vehicle and the electrical storage system is selected based on the ultimate decision vectors considering the operational constraints of these devices and the constraints of charging and discharging priorities. The proposed method is applied to a sample smart home considering different priorities of decision criteria. Numerical results present that although the combination of decision criteria with a high rank of electricity demand has the highest improvement of technical and economic indices of the smart home by about 12 and 26%, the proposed method has appropriate performance in all scenarios for selecting the optimal operation schedule of the electric vehicles and the electrical storage system