Search

Conventional surveillance which was done by human, is a dull job and prone to many mistakes. Additionally, manpower required for monitoring is expensive and is not suitable for weltering in remote places. Surveillance camera-based monitoring system is a temporary solution in this scenario. However, surveillance cameras are fixed to a certain position with limited coverage area. Furthermore, surveillance cameras defunct during and after natural disasters such as earthquakes,storms, etc., while there is a necessity for search and rescue of dwindling survivors. We propose a surveillance robot that overcomes the surveillance systems’ restricted coverage area problem with a light weight and low-cost robot structure, attached with a movable surveillance camera. Instead of recording video footage in passive, the system actively telecast visual information to a RaspberryPi system connected with Wi-Fi. A face detection system based on Viola-Jones algorithm is used to detect faces on real time basis. A user-friendly and easy to manage Graphical User Interface (GUI) is introduced using PyQt5. The experimental results show that the robot can detect singleto multiple faces either eyes open or closed on real time basis.

The study was to investigate the antidiabetic of aqueous extract of leaves of plant Aloe barbadensis. In STZ induced diabetes in rats, a study was conducted on six groups of six male Wister rats each to evaluate the hypoglycaemic effect. Diabetes was induced in rodents by intravenous (i.v) infusion of STZ at a portion of 50 mg/kg body weight, disintegrated in 00.10M virus citrate cushion (pH = 04.50). Blood glucose level was estimated utilizing GOD-POD (Kit spin react). Blood tests were pulled back from the retro-orbital plexus under light ether. A. barbadensis (ALEC) was exposed to hostile to diabetic action in rodents where STZ was utilized as a portion of 120 mg/kg in intraperitoneal portion as a diabetogenic specialist to an acquainted diabetic with test rodents. In intense streptozotocin prompted models fasting blood glucose level was recorded on multi-day as basal worth 4th, 7th and 10th day. Aqueous extracts of leaves of A. barbadensis at portion 250 and 500 mg/kg showed portion subordinate critical enemy of hyperglycemic action on 4th, 7th and 10th day post-treatment. ALEC portion of 100 mg/kg likewise caused a decrease in blood glucose level; however, outcomes were found factually non-noteworthy. The Antihyperglycemic impact of fluid leaves concentrate of A. barbadensis at portion 100 mg/kg was discovered less viable than reference standard medications glibenclamide. The most extreme decrease was seen on the 10th day of the greatest portion of 500 mg/kg ALEC. Glibenclamide produces a critical decrease in blood glucose level in contrast with diabetic control. Glibenclamide was used as a standard drug, and the results were compared in reference to it. The study confirmed the aqueous extract of Aloe barbadensis has significant and sustained oral hypoglycaemic activity, comparable with the hypoglycaemic effect of glibenclamide, a sulfonylurea derivative.

Conventional fossil fuel‐based power generation is one of the main contributors to global environmental pollutions. The rapid depletion of fossil fuel reserves as well as their adverse environmental impact heighten the quest for cleaner and sustainable energy resources to generate electricity. Solar energy is an unlimited and immeasurable source of renewable energy that is used for direct electricity production through the solar PV cell. However, environmental conditions as well as operation and maintenance of the solar PV cell affect the optimum output and substantially impact the energy conversion efficiency, productivity and lifetime, thus affect the economy of power generation. In this study, an investigation about recent works regarding the effect of environmental and operational factors on the performance of solar PV cell is presented. It is found that dust allocation and soiling effect are crucial, along with the humidity and temperature that largely affect the performance of PV module. Additionally, the wind itself carries a significant amount of dust and sand particles, especially in the deserted areas. Deposition of dust in humid conditions forms adhesive, sticky mud on the PV cell and worsens the situation as it reduces the power generation up to 60–70%. This study discusses advanced approaches to mitigate the effects of these factors with their relative merits and challenges. Finally, a guideline is proposed to minimize the effect of different environmental and operational factors to optimize the performance of solar PV cell.

Aims To test the effect of zinc oxide nanoparticle (ZnO-NP) supplementation for enhancing the efficacy of Pseudomonas fluorescens NK4 siderophore as a biocontrol agent against P. viridiflava NK2 and a plant growth promoter. Methods and Results Cucumber seedlings were treated with a suspension of P. fluorescens NK4 and its siderophore generated in siderophore-inducing medium (SIM), SIM supplemented with ZnO-NP ( Conclusions The siderophore of P. fluorescens NK4 produced by ZnO-NP supplementation can be employed as a biocontrol agent and biofertilizer. Significance and Impact of the Study ZnO-NPs can boost the synthesis of siderophores, which can then be employed as biofertilizers to boost iron bioavailability in iron-deficient soils.

The role of primary surgery in delayed presenting cases of brachial plexus birth injury is still debated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of brachial plexus reconstruction performed at the age of ≥12 months.Twenty-nine cases were included. Five cases had upper (C5-6) palsy, 4 had upper/middle (C5-7), and 20 had total (C5-8 and T1) palsy.The age at the time of primary surgery was an average of 15.6 months. The brachial plexus was formally explored and neurolysis, grafting, and neurotization were used in different combinations. Exploration revealed that 27% of the roots were avulsed and 32% were ruptured. The follow-up was an average of 7.9 years. Generally, the best functional recovery was elbow flexion followed by shoulder external rotation. Satisfactory shoulder abduction (≥6 on the Toronto Active Movement Scale [TAMS]) was achieved in 31% of cases. The abduction range was an average of 79° ± 35°; 50° in upper palsy, 103° in upper/middle palsy, and 82° in total palsy. Shoulder external rotation ≥6 on the TAMS was achieved in 62% of cases. External rotation range was an average of 58° ± 29°; 78° in upper palsy, 68° in upper/middle palsy, and 52° in total palsy. Elbow flexion and extension of ≥6 on the TAMS were achieved in 69% and 58% of cases, respectively. Wrist flexion and finger flexion of ≥6 on the TAMS were achieved in 35% and 12.5%, whereas wrist and finger extension of6 on the TAMS were achieved in 25% and 4% of cases, respectively.In the delayed presentation of brachial plexus birth injury, brachial plexus reconstruction results in good functional recovery of elbow flexion and shoulder external rotation but modest functional recovery of finger flexion and wrist extension. The rate of functional recovery of the elbow flexion was similar following nerve grafting and transfer. Nerve transfer for shoulder external rotation should be considered even in infants with available roots for grafting.Therapeutic IV.

The present study was to estimate the anti-diabetic and antihyperlipidemic activity of aqueous extract of leaves of plant Aloe barbadensis.In alloxan-induced diabetes in rats, the research examined six groups of six male wister rats every to value the hypoglycaemic effect of the barbadensis (ALEC) exposed to hostile to diabetic action in rodents where alloxan monohydrates were utilized as a portion of 120.00 mg/kg in intraperitoneal portion as a diabetogenic specialist to an acquainted diabetic with test rodents. In sub intense, treatment, bunch blood glucose levels are seen on 14.00th, 21.00th and 30.00th-day present treatment compare on typical control in diabetic control checked expanded blood glucose level was watched, with dosages of 100.00, 250.00 and 500.00 mg/kg b.w. A portion of 500.00 mg/kg b.w/day was seen as having the most significant activity. Glibenclamide was applied as a standard drug, and the outcome was compared about it. In the antihyperlipidemic activity, serum cholesterol levels were recorded at aqueous extracts of 100.00, 250.00 and 500.00 mg/kg, on 30.00th-day post-treatment. Serum cholesterol levels were ordinary benchmark groups was 107.70±01.21 mg/dl diabetic control 178.50±01.04 mg/dl and standard medications treatment bunches was 111.30±02.40 mg/dl and ALEC treatment bunches were 171.20±01.03 mg/dl, 145.80±02.92 mg/dl and 118.80±03.86 mg/dl for 100.00, 250.00 and 500.00 mg/kg separately. The results show that the aqueous extract of Aloe barbadensis has significant and continuous oral hypoglycaemic activity, equivalent to the hypoglycaemic result of glibenclamide, a sulfonylurea derivative and hyperlipidemic activity. Extracts also confirmed antihyperlipidaemic possible of the plant extract is establish to be comparable with that of the standard.

Background The Cholera Hospital-Based Intervention for 7 Days (CHoBI7) mobile health (mHealth) program was a cluster-randomized controlled trial of diarrhea patient households conducted in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Methods Patients were block-randomized to 3 arms: standard message on oral rehydration solution use; health facility delivery of CHoBI7 plus mHealth (no home visits); and health facility delivery of CHoBI7 plus 2 home visits and mHealth. The primary outcome was reported diarrhea in the past 2 weeks collected monthly for 12 months. The secondary outcomes were stunting, underweight, and wasting at a 12-month follow-up. Analysis was intention-to-treat. Results Between 4 December 2016 and 26 April 2018, 2626 participants in 769 households were randomly allocated to 3 arms: 849 participants to the standard message arm, 886 to mHealth with no home visits arm, and 891 to the mHealth with 2 home visits. Children Conclusions The CHoBI7 mHealth program lowered pediatric diarrhea and stunting among diarrhea patient households. Clinical Trials Registration NCT04008134.

The Cholera-Hospital-Based Intervention for 7-days (CHoBI7) mobile health (mHealth) program delivers mobile messages to diarrhoea patient households promoting water treatment and handwashing with soap. The randomised controlled trial (RCT) of the CHoBI7 mHealth program demonstrated this intervention was effective in significantly reducing diarrhoea and stunting amoung young children. The objective of this study was to assess the implementation of the CHoBI7 mHealth program in delivering mHealth messages during this RCT.517 diarrhoea patient households with 1777 participants received weekly text, voice and interactive voice response (IVR) messages from the CHoBI7 mHealth program over the 12-month program period. The program process evaluation indicators were the following: the percentage of CHoBI7 mHealth messages received and fully listened to by program households (program fidelity and dose), and household members reporting receiving and sharing an mHealth message from the program in the past two weeks (program reach).Ninety two percent of text messages were received by program households. Eighty three percent of voice and 86% of IVR messages sent were fully listened to by at least one household member. Eighty one percent of IVR quiz responses from households were answered correctly. Program households reported receiving a CHoBI7 mHealth message in the past two weeks at 79% of monthly household visits during the 12-month program. Seventy seven percent of participants reported sharing a program message with a spouse, 55% with a neighbour and 49% with a child during the program period.There was high fidelity, dose and reach of mobile messages delivered for the CHoBI7 mHealth program. This study presents an approach for process evaluation that can be implemented to evaluate future mHealth programs.Le programme CHoBI7 (Cholera-Hospital-Based-Intervention-for-7-days) de santé mobile (mHealth) délivre des messages mobiles aux ménages avec patients atteints de diarrhée pour promouvoir le traitement de l'eau et le lavage des mains au savon. L'essai contrôlé randomisé (ECR) du programme mHealth CHoBI7 a démontré que cette intervention était efficace pour réduire de manière significative la diarrhée et le retard de croissance chez les jeunes enfants. L'objectif de cette étude était d'évaluer la mise en œuvre du programme CHoBI7 mHealth dans la diffusion des messages mHealth au cours de cet ECR. MÉTHODES: 517 ménages avec des patients atteints de diarrhée ont reçu chaque semaine des messages SMS, vocaux et de réponse vocale interactive (RVI) du programme mHealth de CHoBI7 pendant les 12 mois du programme. Les indicateurs d'évaluation du processus du programme étaient les suivants: le pourcentage de messages mHealth du programme CHoBI7 reçus (fidélité au programme et dose) et entièrement écoutés par les ménages participant au programme (fidélité au programme et dose) et les bénéficiaires déclarant avoir reçu et partagé un message mHealth du programme (portée du programme) au cours des deux dernières semaines. RÉSULTATS: 92% des SMS ont été reçus par les ménages participant au programme. 83% des messages vocaux et 86% des messages RVI envoyés ont été entièrement écoutés par au moins un membre du ménage. 81% des réponses aux quiz RVI des ménages ont été correctement répondues. Les ménages du programme ont déclaré avoir reçu un message CHoBI7 mHealth au cours des deux dernières semaines dans 79% des visites mensuelles des ménages pendant les 12 mois du programme. 77% des participants ont déclaré avoir partagé un message du programme avec un conjoint, 55% avec un voisin et 49% avec un enfant pendant la durée du programme.La dose et les messages délivrés dans le cadre du programme mHealth de CHoBI7 l’ont été avec une fidélité élevée. Cette étude présente une approche d'évaluation des processus qui peut être mise en œuvre pour évaluer les futurs programmes mHealth.

During hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), patients underwent various serious prolonged treatments, including conditioning and immunosuppressive drugs, resulting in several symptoms and alterations in the patient's functioning. One of the most commonly reported symptoms is fatigue.To assess fatigue levels and associated factors during the first 100 days post-HSCT among Jordanian patients.A descriptive cross-sectional design assessed fatigue and associated factors during the first 100 days post-HSCT among Jordanian patients. A convenient sample was used to recruit post-HSCT patients. Data were collected using the demographic survey and the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) scale.The findings of this study demonstrated that 40.5% of the participants had severe total fatigue scores, while the mean BFI intensity average score was 5.01 and the mean interference of fatigue with patients' daily life was 5.06. In terms of fatigue interference with daily activities, the highest interference was with the patient's mood and normal work, while the lowest interference was with the walking ability. The analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between the fatigue intensity and its interference with the daily activities (r = .98, p ˂.001). Besides, a significantly strong negative correlation was found between the number of days post-HSCT and fatigue scores (r = - .92, p ˂.001).Post-transplant, patients experienced increased fatigue intensity, reduced physical activity, interference with the patient's mood, and diminished functional capacity. Patients who have HSCT require a significant nursing care immediately post-transplant.

A square cored PCF (SC-PCF) sensor is proposed in this paper for the purpose of detecting detrimental chemical analytes (DEHP, BPA, and BPS) that are generally found in different plastic products. This SC-PCF sensor is capable of operating in the 1–2 THz regimes. Within this operable range, we found a relatively higher sensitivity of 96.5% along with 95.73% core power fraction, 0.225 numerical aperture, and a lower Aeff of 1.48 × 105 μm2 at 1.9 THz frequency. A tiny confinement loss of 2.68 × 10−13 cm−1 and effective material loss of 0.008 cm−1 are also evaluated. Besides the present fabrication techniques ensures the feasibility of fabrication for this proposed SC-PCF sensor. These estimated results evinced that our proposed sensor can efficiently be used in terms of the noxious chemical compounds, gas, and bio-sensing applications.

Face detection, which is an effortless task for humans, is complex to perform on machines. The recent veer proliferation of computational resources is paving the way for frantic advancement of face detection technology. Many astutely developed algorithms have been proposed to detect faces. However, there is little attention paid in making a comprehensive survey of the available algorithms. This paper aims at providing fourfold discussions on face detection algorithms. First, we explore a wide variety of the available face detection algorithms in five steps, including history, working procedure, advantages, limitations, and use in other fields alongside face detection. Secondly, we include a comparative evaluation among different algorithms in each single method. Thirdly, we provide detailed comparisons among the algorithms epitomized to have an all-inclusive outlook. Lastly, we conclude this study with several promising research directions to pursue. Earlier survey papers on face detection algorithms are limited to just technical details and popularly used algorithms. In our study, however, we cover detailed technical explanations of face detection algorithms and various recent sub-branches of the neural network. We present detailed comparisons among the algorithms in all-inclusive and under sub-branches. We provide the strengths and limitations of these algorithms and a novel literature survey that includes their use besides face detection.

Pneumothorax and pneumoperitoneum caused by penetrating chest injury are rare. Pneumoperitoneum following trauma usually indicates the presence of a perforated intraabdominal hollow viscous. Other causes of pneumoperitoneum are through the abdominal wall, through the diaphragm, through female genital tract and through retroperitoneum. Here we report an unusual case of pneumothorax and pneumoperitoneum caused by penetrating injury in the posterior aspect of chest in a young male patient of 33 years who presented to us with chest & abdominal pain & breathlessness. The diagnosis was made on clinical & radiological examination. Tube thoracostomy was done followed by laparotomy and repair of diaphragmatic & splenic injury. Post operative recovery was uneventful & the patient was discharged on 9th p.o.d after removal of thoracostomy tube & wound stiches. Journal of Surgical Sciences (2018) Vol. 22 (1) : 67-69

Elevated exposure to arsenic disproportionately affects populations relying on private well water in the United States (US). This includes many American Indian (AI) communities where naturally occurring arsenic is often above 10 μg/L, the current US Environmental Protection Agency safety standard. The Strong Heart Water Study is a randomized controlled trial aiming to reduce arsenic exposure to private well water users in AI communities in North Dakota and South Dakota. In preparation for this intervention, 371 households were included in a community water arsenic testing program to identify households with arsenic ≥10 μg/L by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Arsenic ≥10 μg/L was found in 97/371 (26.1%) households; median water arsenic concentration was 6.3 μg/L, ranging from < 1–198 μg/L. Silica was identified as a water quality parameter that could impact the efficacy of arsenic removal devices to be installed. A low-range field rapid arsenic testing kit evaluated in a small number of households was found to have low accuracy; therefore, not an option for the screening of affected households in this setting. In a pilot study of the effectiveness of a point-of-use adsorptive media water filtration device for arsenic removal, all devices installed removed arsenic below 1 μg/L at both installation and 9 months post-installation. This study identified a relatively high burden of arsenic in AI study communities as well as an effective water filtration device to reduce arsenic in these communities. The long-term efficacy of a community based arsenic mitigation program in reducing arsenic exposure and preventing arsenic related disease is being tested as part of the Strong Heart Water Study.

Arsenic and uranium in unregulated private wells affect many rural populations across the US. The distribution of these contaminants in the private wells of most American Indian communities is poorly characterized, and seldom studied together. Here, we evaluate the association between drinking water arsenic and uranium levels in wells (n = 441) from three tribal regions in North Dakota and South Dakota participating in the Strong Heart Water Study. Groundwater contamination was extensive; 29% and 7% of wells exceeded maximum contaminant levels for arsenic and uranium respectively. 81% of wells had both arsenic and uranium concentrations at one-tenth of their human-health benchmark (arsenic, 1 μg/L; uranium 3 μg/L). Well arsenic and uranium concentrations were uncorrelated (rs = 0.06); however, there appeared to be a spatial correlation of wells co-contaminated by arsenic and uranium associated with flow along a geologic contact. These findings indicate the importance of measuring multiple metals in well water, and to understand underlying hydrogeological conditions. The underlying mechanisms for the prevalence of arsenic and uranium across Northern Plains Tribal Lands in the US, and in particular the occurrence of both elevated arsenic and uranium in drinking water wells in this region, demands further study.

A PCF based nicotine detection technique in THz regime that is found in cigarette smoke is presented here. A square shaped PCF is designed where the cladding consists of four air hole layers and a solid square core is used for filling up the analytes. Some of the optical properties sequentially sensitivity, confinement loss, EML, and effective area are calculated for measuring the sensor performance in THz region of 1 THz to 2 THz. All the values are measured in three conditions namely at optimum air hole radius and optimum air hole radius ± 2%. From the simulation results a high sensitivity of 83% is achieved at 1.5 THz, besides the confinement loss becomes zero after 1.3 THz and also a low value of EML is found. A slightly higher sensitivity (83.8%) is attained at optimum air hole radius+2% but in this case the core-cladding spacing is reduced that will create a barrier in fabrication. Hence the optimum condition of our proposed model is chosen for fabrication flexibility.

The objective of the study was to investigate potential risk factors for growth faltering among children under 5 years of age.We conducted a prospective cohort study of 553 children under 5 years from diarrhoea patient households in urban Dhaka, Bangladesh. Height and weight measurements were obtained at baseline and at a 12-month follow-up. Caregivers of young children were administered a monthly questionnaire on household sociodemographic characteristics and hygiene practices.Children with caregiver reports of mouthing soil at the majority of household visits had a significant reduction in their height-for-age z-scores (HAZ) from baseline to the 12-month follow-up (ΔHAZ: -0.28 (95% confidence interval (CI): -0.51, -0.05)). A significant reduction in HAZ was also observed for children in households with animals in their sleeping space (ΔHAZ: -0.37 (95% CI: -0.71, -0.04)).These findings provide further evidence to support the hypothesis that child mouthing of soil and the presence of animals in the child's sleeping space are potential risk factors for growth faltering among young children. Interventions are urgently needed to provide clean play and sleeping spaces for young children to reduce exposure to faecal pathogens through child mouthing.L'objectif de l'étude était d'examiner les facteurs de risque potentiels de retard de croissance chez les enfants de moins de 5 ans. MÉTHODE: Nous avons mené une étude de cohorte prospective sur 553 enfants de moins de 5 ans provenant de ménages avec des patients diarrhéiques dans la ville de Dhaka, au Bangladesh. Les mesures de taille et de poids ont été obtenues au départ et à 12 mois de suivi. Les personnes s’occupant de jeunes enfants (les gardiens) ont reçu un questionnaire mensuel sur les caractéristiques sociodémographiques des ménages et les pratiques d'hygiène. RÉSULTATS: Les enfants pour lesquels les gardiens ont déclaré qu'ils mâchouillaient de la terre lors de la majorité des visites à domicile présentaient une diminution du score Z de taille pour l’âge (TAZ) de manière significative de l'âge de référence au 12 mois de suivi (ΔTAZ −0,28 (intervalle de confiance (IC) à 95%: −0,51, −0,05)). Une réduction significative des TAZ a également été observée pour les enfants des ménages ayant des animaux dans leur espace de couchage (ΔTAZ −0,37 (IC95%: −0,71, −0,04)).Ces résultats apportent des données supplémentaires pour appuyer l'hypothèse selon laquelle le fait que l'enfant mâchouille de la terre et la présence d'animaux dans son espace de couchage sont des facteurs de risque potentiels de retard de croissance chez les jeunes enfants. Des interventions sont urgemment nécessaires pour fournir des espaces de jeu et de sommeil sains aux jeunes enfants afin de réduire l'exposition aux agents pathogènes fécaux par le mâchouillement des enfants.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has revealed many areas of public health preparedness that are lacking, especially in lower- and middle-income countries. Digital interventions provide many opportunities for strengthening health systems and could be vital resources in the current public health emergency. We provide several use cases for infection control, home-based diagnosis and screening, empowerment through information, public health surveillance and epidemiology, and leveraging crowd-sourced data. A thoughtful, concerted effort—leveraging existing experience and robust enterprise-grade technologies—can have a substantive impact on the immediate and distal consequences of COVID-19.

UNSTRUCTURED The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has revealed many areas of public health preparedness that are lacking, especially in lower- and middle-income countries. Digital interventions provide many opportunities for strengthening health systems and could be vital resources in the current public health emergency. We provide several use cases for infection control, home-based diagnosis and screening, empowerment through information, public health surveillance and epidemiology, and leveraging crowd-sourced data. A thoughtful, concerted effort—leveraging existing experience and robust enterprise-grade technologies—can have a substantive impact on the immediate and distal consequences of COVID-19.

Post the transplantation; children report high levels of somatic distress, mood disturbance, nausea and pain, and fatigue and malaise. In the first 4–6 months post BMT, children are still susceptible to infections and need to live with restrictions. Aim: This study aim was to assess health needs and problems among children post bone marrow transplantation. Design: Descriptive research design was utilized in this study. Setting: The outpatient clinic at Naser Institute- Egypt, this unit considered the biggest unit for BMT in Egypt. Sample: all children had BMT at 2015 which equal 72 children after discharge from BMT until one year. Tools: : Interviewing questionnaire consist of: children and caregivers socio-demographic characteristic, caregivers‟ general knowledge and practice about bone marrow transplantation, child health needs and problems post bone marrow transplantation. Results: Regarding child needs post bone marrow transplantation, near to half of them achieved their needs post bone marrow transplantation regarding safety and security at school followed by more than one third of them achieved their needs regarding personal hygiene then nutritional pattern and sleep pattern. Regarding children present health problems, near to one fifth of children have urinary system problems followed by digestive systems and skin problems, and then the minority them have cardiovascular system and behavioral and psychological problems. Conclusion: more than two third of the caregiver's have satisfactory knowledge level about bone marrow transplantation, all of them caring their children by correctly practices, the vast majority of the caregivers‟ have a good compliance toward follow-up system with the medical team, and there was no a statistically significant difference between caregiver's knowledge and socio-demographic characteristics of the caregivers except number of children in the family. Recommendation: Carrying out rehabilitation program for the patients and their caregivers to be performed properly during the rehabilitation period.

Thick forest cover and poor infrastructures are the major hindrances for detailed lithologic mapping in an inaccessible montane landscape. To overcome these limitations, we utilize a Landsat 5 TM i...

Daily physical activity monitoring and recognition have become a big health caring challenge in modern times. Fast recognition of physical activity from wearable sensors dataset with acceptable accuracy has got great research attention. In this paper, we have presented an optimization framework with feature selection techniques. The Bayesian Optimization algorithm has been employed to optimize hyper-parameters of Support Vector Machine(SVM), Random Forest (RF), Extreme Gradient Boosting(XGBoost). Two feature selection algorithms like Fast Correlation Based Filter (FCBF) and Maximum Redundancy Maximum Relevance(mRMR) feature selection have been applied to reduce the size of the extracted feature vector. Classification performances of the two feature selection techniques are compared in terms of accuracy and F1 score. For reduced feature vector the highest acceptable accuracy and F1 score of 95.4% and 94.76% respectively have been achieved by optimized XGBoost classifier with mRMR feature selection. In addition to this, it is shown that reduced computation time with considerable classification performance can be achieved by an efficient feature selection algorithm which is useful for designing a simplified system.

Dhaka city the capital of Bangladesh experienced unprecedented urban growth since the country’s independence in 1971. A significant portion of the urbanization took place in the encroached surface water body and floodplain (SWB and FP) areas. We thus aimed to capture the depletion of SWB and FP in Dhaka city from 1967 to 2008 using geospatial analysis and evaluated its implications for earthquake vulnerability. We used CORONA (1967) and QuickBird (2008) satellite images to compare the pre- and post-urbanization status of SWB and FP. We identified a striking change occurred during this period with a total loss of 33% of SWB and FP areas. The channelized water body faced a depletion of 15%, while the open water body which mainly includes the floodplains experienced a loss of 38%. The urban structures built on the depleted SWB and FP are highly vulnerable to ground motion and liquefaction of earthquake. We found that 90% of the depleted areas have a shear wave velocity in the top 30 m of soil thickness (Vs30) of 180–360 m/s, while the rest has a Vs30 value of 15. We produced an earthquake vulnerability map based on the information of surficial geology, Vs30, LPI and found that substantial areas near the southern, eastern, and western boundaries of the city scored highly in the vulnerability map. The results of the study can support formulation of rational earthquake preparedness strategy for Dhaka.

A prolonged fiscal deficit is an inheriting problem for the Palestinian economy. This leaves the Palestinian authorities unable to pay for salaries and other needed money to spend on the infrastructure, education, health, and other services. The main aim of this study is to examine the relationship between the budget deficit and some indicators, gross domestic product, balance of trade, inflation rate, unemployment rate, and current account, using ordinary least square and ARMA methods for collected quarterly data for the years 2000-2018, and applying the data to a number of other tests such as unit roots test, Johansen cointegration test, normal distribution test, heteroskedasticity test, Breusch-Pagan-Godfrey, variance inflation factors, etcetera, using Eviews10 program. The study’s main findings showed a long-run cointegration relationship between the budget deficit and the independent variables included in the study. The gross domestic product, balance of trade, and unemployment rate have a significant negative relationship with the budget deficit, while the remaining variables, inflation rate and current account, have a significant positive relationship with budget deficit.

More than 100 million people globally are estimated to be exposed to arsenic in drinking water that exceeds the World Health Organization guideline of 10 µg/L. In an effort to develop and test a low-cost sustainable approach for water arsenic testing in Bangladesh, we conducted a randomized controlled trial which found arsenic educational interventions when combined with fee-based water arsenic testing programs led to nearly all households buying an arsenic test for their drinking water sources (93%) compared with only 53% when fee-based arsenic testing alone was offered. The aim of the present study was to build on the findings of this trial by investigating prospectively the psychological factors that were most strongly associated with switching to arsenic-safe wells in response to these interventions. Our theoretical framework was the RANAS (risk, attitude, norm, ability, and self-regulation) model of behavior change. In the multivariate logistic regression model of 285 baseline unsafe well users, switching to an arsenic-safe water source was significantly associated with increased instrumental attitude (odds ratio [OR] = 9.12; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.85, 45.00]), descriptive norm (OR = 34.02; 95% CI = [6.11, 189.45]), coping planning (OR = 11.59; 95% CI = [3.82, 35.19]), and commitment (OR = 10.78; 95% CI = [2.33, 49.99]). In addition, each additional minute from the nearest arsenic-safe drinking water source reduced the odds of switching to an arsenic-safe well by more than 10% (OR = 0.89; 95% CI = [0.87, 0.92]). Future arsenic mitigation programs should target these behavioral determinants of switching to arsenic-safe water sources.

Pneumatosis Cystoides Intestinalis (PCI) is a rare disease characterized by presence of air-filled cysts in the gastrointestinal wall. The incidence of PCI is unknown as most of the patients are asymptomatic. Rarely, patients may experience symptoms secondary to the cysts. The pathogenesis of PCI is still unclear and as such many theories are proposed. Usually, no treatment is necessary for 85% of patients who are asymptomatic. Surgery may be required for complications. Journal of Armed Forces Medical College Bangladesh Vol.12(1) 2016: 112-115

OBJECTIVES: Intake of high-quality protein may be insufficient to support growth in the context of high enteric pathogen carriage and environmental enteric dysfunction. Our objective was to test whether supplemental protein, with or without presumptive treatment for enteric pathogens, would improve infant growth from 6–12 months of age. METHODS: We conducted a 2 × 4 factorial cluster-randomized trial in rural Bangladesh. The first factor was azithromycin treatment (10 mg/kg * 3 days) or placebo at 6 & 9 months of age. The second factor, delivered from 6–12 months of age, consisted of: supplemental protein as daily porridge (125 kcal/d, with 10 g protein/day as egg white powder) or a daily egg; an isocaloric daily porridge; or nutrition education alone. The present aim tested the impact of the protein-rich porridge, with or without azithromycin treatment. All infants born in the study area over a 9-mo period were eligible and consented at ∼3 mo of age. Trained field workers measured infant size at 6, 9, and 12 mo of age using standardized protocols. We used linear regression with generalized estimating equations to test the interventions’ impact on anthropometric indices, respectively, at 12 mo of age, controlling for baseline measures. Analysis was intention-to-treat. RESULTS: Overall, 2205 infants were enrolled from 282 clusters and exposed to both nutrition (1074 in protein arm from 140 clusters; 1074 in the isocaloric arm from 142 clusters) and presumptive treatment interventions. At baseline, 18.7%, 16.9%, and 6.4% of infants were stunted, underweight, and wasted, respectively. There was no statistical interaction between protein supplementation and azithromycin treatment for any of the anthropometric indices, so groups were combined. In the analysis of main effects, added protein had no impact on mean length-for-age (β = 0.01; 95% CI: −0.06, 0.08), weight-for-age (β = −0.002; 95% CI: −0.06, 0.05), or weight-for-length (β = −0.04; 95% CI: −0.12, 0.05) Z-scores at 12 mo of age. CONCLUSIONS: Supplemental protein from 6–12 mo of age had no effect on mean linear or ponderal growth measured at 12 mo of age, irrespective of presumptive treatment for enteric pathogens with azithromycin. FUNDING SOURCES: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of daily egg supplementation on infant growth from 6–12 months of age in Bangladesh. METHODS: A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted in rural Bangladesh to test the effect of daily egg supplementation and nutrition education versus nutrition education alone on linear growth and stunting prevalence among infants. Infants were enrolled at 3 months of age and assigned to a trial arm based on their geographic sector of residence. Households were visited weekly to distribute eggs and monitor compliance starting at 6 months of age. Length, weight, head circumference, and mid upper arm circumference were measured at 6, 9, and 12 months, as well as dietary intake from home foods in the last 24 hours. Analyses were conducted on an intention-to-treat basis. Linear regression models were developed for continuous outcomes. For dichotomous outcomes, prevalence ratios were estimated using log-binomial regression models. Generalized estimating equations were used with all models to account for clustering. Each model was adjusted for the baseline measure of the outcome variable. RESULTS: Overall, 909 infants were enrolled in the treatment arm from 142 clusters and 842 infants in the control arm from 140 clusters. Prevalence of stunting at baseline was 19.4%, wasting was 6.7%, and underweight was 18.1%. After 6 months of supplementation, the intervention had no effect on mean length-for-age z-scores (β = 0.05, 95% CI: −0.12, 0.23) or prevalence of stunting (PR = 1.00, 95% CI: 0.90, 1.10). Infants in the egg arm had significantly higher mean weight-for-length z-scores (β = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.04, 0.18) and weight-for-age z-scores (β = 0.08, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.12), adjusting for baseline measures of the outcomes. Our presented results will include findings from mixed-effects regression analyses assessing the effect of the intervention on growth rate. CONCLUSIONS: The provision of a daily egg for 6 months to infants in rural Bangladesh had an effect on ponderal but not linear growth. FUNDING SOURCES: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Recurrent cholera causes significant morbidity and mortality in cholera endemic estuarine areas of Bangladesh. There have been limited studies to investigate the transmission patterns of V. cholerae associated with cholera in Bangladesh. In this study, we characterized V. cholerae serogroup O1 isolated from 30 cholera patients, 76 household contacts, 119 stored drinking water samples, and 119 water source samples in Bakerganj and Mathbaria, two cholera endemic coastal regions in Bangladesh. Results of phenotypic and molecular characterization of V. cholerae isolates (n = 56) confirmed them to be toxigenic belonging to serogroup O1 biotype El Tor (ET), and possessing cholera toxin of the classical biotype (altered ET). Molecular fingerprinting of the V. cholerae O1 of clinical and water origins determined by PFGE of Not-I- digested genomic DNA showed them to be closely related, as the PFGE banding patterns were highly homogenous. Phylogenetic analysis using dendrogram of cholera patients, household contacts, and household groundwater sources showed isolates within households to be clonally linked, suggesting water as an important vehicle of transmission of cholera in the coastal villages of Bangladesh. Transmission of toxigenic V. cholerae O1 through drinking water in cholera endemic rural settings underscores the urgent need for evidence based water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions promoting safe drinking water to prevent morbidity and mortality related to cholera and other enteric infections in Bangladesh.

Background Given the potential side effect profile of steroids, the need for an alternative injectable anti-inflammatory is needed. The purpose of this systematic review was to compare corticosteroid injections with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) injections for musculoskeletal pain. Methods Reviewers with methodological and content expertise searched three databases: PUBMED, Medline and EMBASE. Two blinded reviewers searched, screened, and evaluated the data quality. Data was abstracted in duplicate. Agreement and descriptive statistics are presented. Results Four studies were included. All four studies found no statistically significant differences in improvements on the visual analog scale. The follow-up period within the four studies ranged between 2 weeks and 3 months. No statistically significant differences were demonstrated between the two groups with regards to functional outcomes. Interpretation The studies reviewed, while limited in quantity, show that compared with corticosteroids, NSAIDs provide equivalent, if not better, pain relief from the musculoskeletal ailments assessed. Further, there is weak evidence supporting a lower recurrence rate of symptoms with NSAIDs when compared to corticosteroids. There is a need for more long-term high-quality studies on this topic. Level of evidence Level II (Systematic review of Level II and III studies).

Background Household contacts of cholera patients are at a 100 times higher risk of developing cholera than the general population. The objective of this study was to examine the incidence of V. cholerae infections among household contacts of cholera patients in a rural setting in Bangladesh, to identify risk factors for V. cholerae infections among this population, and to investigate transmission pathways of V. cholerae using multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA). Methodology/Principal findings Stool from household contacts, source water and stored water samples were collected from cholera patient households on Day 1, 3, 5, and 7 after the presentation of the index patient at a health facility. Two hundred thirty clinical and water V. cholerae isolates were analyzed by MLVA. Thirty seven percent of households had at least one household contact with a V. cholerae infection. Thirteen percent of households had V. cholerae in their water source, and 27% had V. cholerae in stored household drinking water. Household contacts with V. cholerae in their water source had a significantly higher odds of symptomatic cholera (Odds Ratio (OR): 5.49, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.07, 28.08). Contacts consuming street vended food had a significantly higher odds of a V. cholerae infection (OR: 9.45, 95% CI: 2.14, 41.72). Older age was significantly associated with a lower odds of a V. cholerae infection (OR: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.93, 0.99). Households with both water and clinical V. cholerae-positive samples all had isolates that were closely related by MLVA. Conclusions/Significance These findings emphasize the need for interventions targeting water treatment and food hygiene to reduce V. cholerae infections., Author summary Household members of cholera patients are at a 100 times higher risk of developing cholera infections than the general population. This risk is highest during the seven days after the cholera patient presents at a health facility. In this study we investigated the rate of cholera transmission within cholera patient households, identified risk factors for household cholera transmission, and performed genetic characterization of cholera strains collected. Stool was collected from patients, their household members, and from water sources and stored water during the seven days after the cholera patient presented at the health facility. A total of 230 human and water V. cholerae strains were collected and analyzed. Thirty seven percent of households had at least one household member with a V. cholerae infection. Thirteen percent of households had V. cholerae in their water source, and 27% had V. cholerae in stored drinking water. A water source with V. cholerae, consuming street vended food, and younger age were risk factors for cholera infections for household members of cholera patients. All strains from within households with water and human samples were closely related. These results demonstrate the importance of interventions focusing on water treatment and food hygiene for prevention of cholera.

Earthen levees have a significant role in protecting large areas of inhabited and cultivated land in the United States from flooding. Failure of the levees can result in loss of life and property. Slough slides are among the problems which can lead to complete levee failure during a high water event. In this paper, we develop a method to detect such slides using X-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data. Our proposed methodology includes: 1) radiometric normalization of the TerraSAR image using high-resolution digital elevation map (DEM) data; 2) extraction of features including backscatter and texture features from the levee; 3) a feature selection method based on minimum redundancy maximum relevance (mRMR); and 4) training a support vector machine (SVM) classifier and testing on the area of interest. To validate the proposed methodology, ground-truth data are collected from slides and healthy areas of the levee. The study area is part of the levee system along the lower Mississippi River in the United States. The output classes are healthy and slide areas of the levee. The results show the average classification accuracies of approximately 0.92 and Cohen’s kappa measures of 0.85 for both healthy and slide pixels using ten optimal features selected by mRMR with a sigmoid SVM. A comparison of the SVM performance to the maximum likelihood (ML) and back propagation neural network (BPNN) shows that the average accuracy of the SVM is superior to that of the BPNN and ML classifiers.

Background Household contacts of cholera patients have a 100 times higher risk of developing a cholera infection than the general population. To compare the genetic relatedness of clinical and water source Vibrio cholerae isolates from cholera patients’ households across three outbreaks, we analyzed these isolates using whole-genome-sequencing (WGS) and multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA). Results The WGS analyses revealed that 80% of households had source water isolates that were more closely related to clinical isolates from the same household than to any other isolates. While in another 20% of households an isolate from a person was more closely related to clinical isolates from another household than to source water isolates from their own household. The mean pairwise differences in single nucleotide-variant (SNV) counts for isolates from the same household were significantly lower than those for different households (2.4 vs. 7.7 p

The main objective of this paper is to design a very directive reflectarray antenna (RA) for biomedical imaging applications and breast cancer detection. The RA consists of a horn antenna as a feeder and a reflection surface based on double ring (DR) unit cell that achieves 350° phase range at a resonant frequency of 2.2 GHz. The designed RA is a pencil beam antenna with a high directivity gain of 19.6 dBi, small Half-Power-Beamwidth (HPBW) of and low Side-Lobe Level (SLL) of −15.9 dB compared to the horn antenna with a directivity gain of 6.5 dBi, HPBW of 109° and Side-Lobe Level of −12.3 dB. A fair comparison between the RA and the horn antenna is presented based on a 3D EM simulation with respect to Bio Tissue/Fat material box and human breast model as well. The designed RA achieves larger penetration depth and smaller power loss density/specific absorption rate (PLD/SAR) comparing with the horn antenna. Furthermore, it provides a higher resolution and a smaller angular scanning capability.

More than 100 million people globally are estimated to be exposed to arsenic in drinking water that exceeds the World Health Organization guideline of 10 µg/L. In an effort to develop and test a low-cost sustainable approach for water arsenic testing in Bangladesh, we conducted a randomized controlled trial which found arsenic educational interventions when combined with fee-based water arsenic testing programs led to nearly all households buying an arsenic test for their drinking water sources (93%) compared with only 53% when fee-based arsenic testing alone was offered. The aim of the present study was to build on the findings of this trial by investigating prospectively the psychological factors that were most strongly associated with switching to arsenic-safe wells in response to these interventions. Our theoretical framework was the RANAS (risk, attitude, norm, ability, and self-regulation) model of behavior change. In the multivariate logistic regression model of 285 baseline unsafe well users, switching to an arsenic-safe water source was significantly associated with increased instrumental attitude (odds ratio [OR] = 9.12; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.85, 45.00]), descriptive norm (OR = 34.02; 95% CI = [6.11, 189.45]), coping planning (OR = 11.59; 95% CI = [3.82, 35.19]), and commitment (OR = 10.78; 95% CI = [2.33, 49.99]). In addition, each additional minute from the nearest arsenic-safe drinking water source reduced the odds of switching to an arsenic-safe well by more than 10% (OR = 0.89; 95% CI = [0.87, 0.92]). Future arsenic mitigation programs should target these behavioral determinants of switching to arsenic-safe water sources.

Elevated concentrations of arsenic in groundwater pose a public health threat to millions of people worldwide. The authors aimed to evaluate the association between arsenic exposure and skin lesion incidence among participants in the Health Effects of Arsenic Longitudinal Study (HEALS). The analyses used data on 10,182 adults free of skin lesions at baseline through the third biennial follow-up of the cohort (2000-2009). Discrete-time hazard regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for incident skin lesions. Multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios for incident skin lesions comparing 10.1-50.0, 50.1-100.0, 100.1-200.0, and ≥200.1 μg/L with ≤10.0 μg/L of well water arsenic exposure were 1.17 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.92, 1.49), 1.69 (95% CI: 1.33, 2.14), 1.97 (95% CI: 1.58, 2.46), and 2.98 (95% CI: 2.40, 3.71), respectively (P(trend) = 0.0001). Results were similar for the other measures of arsenic exposure, and the increased risks remained unchanged with changes in exposure in recent years. Dose-dependent associations were more pronounced in females, but the incidence of skin lesions was greater in males and older individuals. Chronic arsenic exposure from drinking water was associated with increased incidence of skin lesions, even at low levels of arsenic exposure (100 μg/L).

The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite mission will provide global, space-based estimates of water elevation, its temporal change, and its spatial slope in fluvial environments, as well as across lakes, reservoirs, wetlands, and floodplains. This paper illustrates the utility of existing remote sensing measurements of water temporal changes and spatial slope to characterize two complex fluvial environments. First, repeat-pass interferometric SAR measurements from the Japanese Earth Resources Satellite are used to compare and contrast floodplain processes in the Amazon and Congo River basins. Measurements of temporal water level changes over the two areas reveal clearly different hydraulic processes at work. The Amazon is highly interconnected by floodplain channels, resulting in complex flow patterns. In contrast, the Congo does not show similar floodplain channels and the flow patterns are not well defined and have diffuse boundaries. During inundation, the Amazon floodplain often shows sharp hydraulic changes across floodplain channels. The Congo, however, does not show similar sharp changes during either infilling or evacuation. Second, Shuttle Radar Topography Mission measurements of water elevation are used to derive water slope over the braided Brahmaputra river system. In combination with in situ bathymetry measurements, water elevation and slope allow one to calculate discharge estimates within 2.3% accuracy. These two studies illustrate the utility of satellite-based measurements of water elevation for characterizing complex fluvial environments, and highlight the potential of SWOT measurements for fluvial hydrology. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Introduction One major use for high tibial osteotomy aims at improving alignment in the symptomatic, varus malaligned, medial compartment osteoarthritic knee. The importance of achieving correct alignment is obvious upon considering the increased potential for significant complications with over- or undercorrection in any plane. The aim of this systematic review was to compare navigation and conventional high tibial osteotomy. Methods This systematic review searched the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases to compare the short-term clinical and radiological outcomes between patients undergoing either conventional or navigated high tibial osteotomy. Results We retrieved 71 articles, which ultimately resulted in 14 eligible studies for inclusion. Though heterogeneity prevented statistical analysis, only one study failed to suggest superiority of navigation over conventional techniques. Conclusion Navigated high tibial osteotomy improves accuracy over conventional techniques, though the current best evidence presented herein must be advanced by higher quality studies. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40064-015-1040-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background\ud Type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes are an increasing pandemic globally and often remain undiagnosed long after onset in low-income settings. The objective of this study is to assess the determinants and prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes and pre-diabetes among adults in Bangladesh.\ud \ud Methods\ud In an exploratory study, we performed oral glucose tolerance test on 1243 adults ≥20 years of age from urban Mirpur, Dhaka (n = 518) and rural Matlab, Chandpur (n = 725) who had never been diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes. We collected data on socioeconomic, demographic, past medical history, physical activity, and measured weight, height, waist and hip circumferences, and blood pressure. Risk factors associated with undiagnosed diabetes and pre-diabetes were examined using a multiple logistic regression model.\ud \ud Results\ud Overall prevalence of diabetes and pre-diabetes was 6.6 % (95 % CI 5.3, 8.1) and 16.6 % (14.5, 18.7) respectively, with both being significantly higher in urban than rural populations (diabetes 12.2 % vs 2.6 % respectively, p

The main objective of this paper is to design an electronically scanning reflectarray antenna for the RFID system to precisely identify and locate the tags. The RA consists of a novel cell design utilizing a varactor diode to provide the phase shifts required to steer the beam in a certain direction. The cell used in the design is Split Slotted Dipole (SSD) that provide minimum re-radiation loss and sufficient phase range and phase slope. The achievable phase range is 300° over the frequency range from 4.8 GHz to 5.9 GHz. Finally, we achieved a steerable directive beam with a beamwidth of 16° from −65° to +65° with low Side Lobe Level (SLL) and a considerable high gain from 14 dB to 17 dB over the operating frequency range.

Surficial failures or slides in the levees along the Mississippi River have been recorded since 1964. The current method of detecting these slides involves a physical survey that is neither time nor cost efficient. This research was designed to evaluate the potential of commercially available high-resolution multispectral and hyperspectral imagery as a tool to detect levee slides. QuickBird, IKONOS, and CASI II imagery were used to evaluate a 20-mi (32-km) levee reach near Gunnison in Bolivar County, Mississippi. Field investigations were combined with image processing techniques including pan-sharpening, ISODATA clustering, Spectral Angle Mapper classification, and Tasseled Cap transformation. Field observations and processing of both multispectral and hyperspectral imagery suggest that it is possible to detect slides by the nature of the vegetation and land use in the slide area. Certain types of plants were found in slide-affected areas and appear to be a good indicator of slides in the field and in imagery. QuickBird and IKONOS imagery are both suitable for detecting slides by visual inspection and for monitoring recorded slides. Hyperspectral CASI II imagery can be used to identify slide indicative vegetation. Soil Brightness Index and Greenness Index obtained from a Tasseled Cap transformed IKONOS imagery was used to develop a slide detection model. The slide detection model did not determine the exact location of all slides but was able to narrow the search area for slides.

Pulmonary artery pressure is one of the most important parameter for evaluating the status of pulmonary vascular bed for patients of PDA, which helps in formulating treatment strategy. This study was carried out in National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and Hospital (NICVD) and National Centre for Control of Rheumatic Fever and Heart Diseases, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Pulmonary artery pressure was recorded noninvasively using Doppler echocardiography and the it was correlated with those obtained from haemodynamic studies done at cardiac catheterization. Estimation of pulmonary artery pressure using Doppler derived measurement of pressure gradient across patent ductus arteriosus correlated well with that of simultaneous catheterization measured values. Doppler echocardiography is a cheap, simple, noninvasive bedside test for measuring pulmonary artery systolic and diastolic pressure in patient with PDA. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/uhj.v7i1.10202 UHJ 2011; 7(1): 10-12

A Rock Engineering Systems (RES) approach was adopted for rock mass characterization to indicate unstable slopes along the main roads of Bandarban Sadar Thana, Bandarban district of southeastern Bangladesh. The research work was based on a thorough field investigation, which was followed by geomathematical analyses of collected data. Fieldwork was carried out along two roads in Bandarban Sadar Thana of Bandarban. The slopes are composed of rocks of the lithostratigraphic units--the Surma and Tipam Group. Data on probable parameters related to slope instability were collected for the analyses. Based on the findings of the field investigation, literature review and collected ancillary data, 13 parameters were found relevant to slope instability. For the geomathematical analysis, matrix coding was done and rating values were designated for subcategories of each parameter to construct pull down menus. Finally, Rock Mass Instability Index (RMIIj) was calculated for each slope; higher values of RMIIj indicate higher degrees of slope instability. For the purpose of verification of the RES methodology and results, several stable slopes were included in the field study and geomathematical analyses. It was found that the unstable slopes had a RMIIj value ranging between 43.99 and 65.27, whereas the stable slopes were found to have RMIIj values between 14.04 and 39.10. Therefore, the adapted RES method of rock mass characterization based on RMIIj values was found effective in differentiating the studied slopes based on their degree of slope instability.

There is a critical need to advance the science of levee monitoring to enable the implementation of a cost-effective multi-scale monitoring system that can identify internal weakness and vulnerable points at early stages. In this study, a developed levee monitoring system using polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) data is used. The PolSAR data are used as input in an automated classification system for characterizing areas in the levees facing anomalies with an emphasis on slump slides. In addition to the remotely sensed data, extensive set of in- situ soil data are collected to provide detailed information about the soils properties within the study area. In-situ data are collected via geotechnical field exploration to provide information regarding soil texture, moisture content and penetration resistance. The study area is focused on the mainline levee system of the Mississippi River along the eastern side of the river in the state of Mississippi. While the automated classification system correctly identified the location of actual slide, there were some points, referred as "false positive points", which were classified as anomaly by the classifier but no actual slide was found at those locations. This study focuses on these false positive points by comparing their in-situ soil properties with that of true positive points (i.e., actual slide areas) to understand if these false positive points are similar to the slide area, and if they can be vulnerable to future slump slides. The results showed that over 70% of the false positives have similar soil proprieties to the actual slide.