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INTRODUCTION Automated CT scan segmentation (labelling of pixels according to tissue type) is now possible. This technique is being adapted to achieve three-dimensional (3D) segmentation of computed tomography (CT) scans, opposed to single L3-slice alone. This systematic review evaluates feasibility and accuracy of automated segmentation of 3D CT scans for volumetric body composition (BC) analysis, as well as current limitations and pitfalls clinicians and researchers should be aware of. METHODS OVID Medline, Embase and grey literature databases up to October 2021 were searched. Original studies investigating automated SM, visceral and subcutaneous AT segmentation from CT were included. RESULTS Seven of 92 studies met inclusion criteria. Variation existed in expertise and numbers of humans performing ground-truth segmentations used to train algorithms. There was heterogeneity in patient characteristics, pathology and CT phases that segmentation algorithms were developed upon. Reporting of anatomical CT coverage varied, with confusing terminology. Six studies covered volumetric regional slabs rather than the whole body. One study stated the use of whole-body CT but it was not clear whether this truly meant head-to-fingertip-to-toe. Two studies used conventional computer algorithms. The latter five used deep learning (DL), an artificial intelligence technique where algorithms are similarly organised to brain neuronal pathways. Six of seven reported excellent segmentation performance (Dice similarity coefficients > 0.9 per tissue). Internal testing on unseen scans was performed for only four of seven algorithms, whilst only three were tested externally. Trained DL algorithms achieved full CT segmentation in 12 to 75 seconds versus 25 minutes for non-DL techniques. CONCLUSION Deep learning enables opportunistic, rapid, and automated volumetric BC analysis of CT performed for clinical indications. However, most CT scans do not cover head-to-fingertip-to-toe; further research must validate using common CT regions to estimate true whole-body BC, with direct comparison to single lumbar slice. Due to successes of DL, we expect progressive numbers of algorithms to materialize in addition to the seven discussed in this paper. Researchers and clinicians in the field of BC must therefore be aware of pitfalls. High Dice similarity coefficients do not inform the degree to which BC tissues may be under- or overestimated, and nor does it inform on algorithm precision. Consensus is needed fto define accuracy and precision standards for ground-truth labelling. Creation of a large international, multicentre common CT dataset with BC ground-truth labels from multiple experts could be a robust solution.

The present study was carried out to investigate food habits and associated risk factors of depressed patients with cardiovascular disease in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia. Depressed and healthy females (n = 30 each) and males (n = 30 each) aged 18–65 years were involved in this study. Sociodemographic, anthropometric proxies, and nutritional status were evaluated. Cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) levels of respondents’ blood were determined. The respondents were varied according to demographic factors and anthropometric proxies. The majority of depressed males had higher values than healthy ones. The student t-test analysis showed that the average daily intake of fat especially saturated fat, by depressed respondents was higher than that of the healthy ones as well as the dietary requirement intake (DRI). The analysis of respondents’ blood showed that the number of depressed females had higher abnormal HDL-c than males, who were observed to have an abnormal level of cholesterol and triglycerides. The correlation of daily nutrient intake and depression duration, depression severity, and age showed that the nutrients responsible for the extension and severity of depression were intake of food rich in dietary fat. Factors including demographics daily nutrient intake appeared to be associated with depression.

Sheep and goat farming is a major source of income in the rural areas of Al-Wadiah in Najran region of Southern Saudi Arabia. The study aims to identify the factors and parameters that influence gender participation in sheep and goat farming. Data were collected by interviewing 167 high school students, including 70 male and 97 female students, in Al-Wadiah, by using the simple random sampling technique. Data were statistically analyzed to establish the relationship between gender and participation in sheep and goat farming. The study revealed significant differences between the two genders, for instance, male herders were more experienced, received more benefits, showed greater interest in discussions on topics related to sheep and goat farming, followed information from TV and radio, and received more services offered by veterinary clinics, which proved more beneficial for them. On the other hand, female herders received fewer services, and the veterinary clinics proved less beneficial for them. However, the correlation between the participation of both genders in sheep and goats management was non-significant toward the statement “feeling ashamed of participating in sheep and goat farming.” Generally, sheep and goat rearing proves more beneficial for male participants than female participants, owing to their greater experience and interest in livestock farming. Moreover, they receive more benefits from TV, radio and veterinary clinics to maintain better health of their livestock. Both male and female herders contribute equally to sheep and goat farming by limiting the time spent on their daily routine. This study would enable policymakers and planners to develop more strategies and extension education programs to overcome the identified barriers and improve the livelihood of herders through their enhanced participation in remote areas.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease resulting in destruction of the post-synaptic nicotinic receptors at the neuromuscular junction. Classically, the earliest symptoms of MG are ocular, including ptosis and diplopia. Other less common early symptoms include dysphagia and fatigable chewing. Our case report describes the unusual presentation of MG in a teenager patient and presented for an elective percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG), tube placement due to persistent weight loss. The patient underwent the procedure without any complications. At the time of tracheal extubation, she could not maintain spontaneous ventilation, so requiring mechanical ventilation. The patient was transferred from the recovery room to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Subsequent investigations including a bedside electromyography (EMG), led to the diagnosis of MG. The patient was successfully extubated after treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin, oral prednisone 40 mg per day and pyridostigmine 60 mg every 8 hours.

A digital rectal examination is a highly important procedure carried out on infants and children during visits to the gastroenterology clinic, but is often accompanied with physiologic and psychologic trauma in patients, along with being diagnostically inaccurate in the results obtained from it. In order to avoid causing discomfort to the patients, and to improve the accuracy of the results obtained from a DRE, we have articulated a much safer and more precise method of conducting the examination. The use of a 16 French Foley Catheter in the collection of stool samples during a DRE has proved to be an innovative technique, which eliminates discomfort in patients, provides a less stressful environment for both the physician and the family of the patient, along with providing unambiguous results for the FOBT. The use of this technique will not only produce accurate results, but will also eliminate reasons to avoid such an important examination due to the uncomfortable situation a normal DRE would cause.

Shahid Mehmood,1 Malik A Rehman,1 Hammad Ismail,2 Bushra Mirza,2 Arshad S Bhatti11Center for Micro and Nano Devices, Department of Physics, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, 2Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, PakistanAbstract: In this work, we highlighted the effect of surface modifications of one-dimensional (1D) ZnO nanostructures (NSs) grown by the vapor–solid mechanism on their antibacterial activity. Two sets of ZnO NSs were modified separately – one set was modified by annealing in an Ar environment, and the second set was modified in O2 plasma. Annealing in Ar below 800°C resulted in a compressed lattice, which was due to removal of Zn interstitials and increased O vacancies. Annealing above 1,000°C caused the formation of a new prominent phase, Zn2SiO4. Plasma oxidation of the ZnO NSs caused an expansion in the lattice due to the removal of O vacancies and incorporation of excess O. Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy was employed for the quantification of defects associated with Zn and O in the as-grown and processed ZnO NS. Two distinct bands were observed, one in the ultraviolet (UV) region, due to interband transitions, and other in the visible region, due to defects associated with Zn and O. PL confirmed the surface modification of ZnO NS, as substantial decrease in intensities of visible band was observed. Antibacterial activity of the modified ZnO NSs demonstrated that the surface modifications by Ar annealing limited the antibacterial characteristics of ZnO NS against Staphylococcus aureus. However, ZnO NSs annealed at 1,000°C or higher showed a remarkable antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli. O2 plasma–treated NS showed appreciable antibacterial activity against both E. coli and S. aureus. The minimum inhibition concentration was determined to be 0.5 mg/mL and 1 mg/mL for Ar-annealed and plasma-oxidized ZnO NS, respectively. It was thus proved that the O content at the surface of the ZnO NS was crucial to tune the antibacterial activity against both selected gram-negative (E. coli) and gram-positive (S. aureus) bacterial species.Keywords: oxygen defects, oxygen plasma processing, annealing, photoluminescence spectroscopy

Congenital esophageal atresia needs to be surgically corrected as soon as possible. Some will present with post surgical stricture that needs to be dilated by a balloon dilator. This procedure is difficult in premature born due to infant esophageal size and availability of equipments. We herby report the first case in a premature infant with post surgical esophageal stricture of esophageal atresia by the use of biliary duct balloon dilator.

This study was designed to identify the Drarfurians (Darfurians: Refers to Darfur States people of western Sudan that face ongoing civil war and tribal conflicts) displaced women's sustainable strategies to meet their basic livelihood survival needs in Khartoum, Sudan. The purposive non-random sampling technique was adopted to select 90 displaced women. Data were collected in the face-to-face interviews by using a pretested questionnaire and observation.The study findings indicated that the respondents live in extremely poor conditions, characterized by high illiteracy rates, large numbers of dependents and very low income. The displaced women were compelled to accept low paid jobs to meet their household basic needs. Displacement to urban centers does not create improved opportunities for a significant portion of city dwellers living in slums as squatters. The results also revealed that the displaced people in Khartoum live in poverty and have little access to employment in the formal sector. The displaced communities are vulnerable in terms of their physical and social capital. Females headed households such as widows, are at increased risk of abuse, exploitation, coercion and manipulation because of their gender and status. The survivals strategies adopted by the respondents include inter alia income generation activities such as street vending, wage labor, buying low price food items and second-hand clothes; and social networking with the displaced people coming from the same tribe and/or origin to cope with their difficult situation. Key words: Darfurians, sustainable strategies, livelihood, displaced, vulnerable, social capital.

A girl infant was delivered by cesarean section at 32 weeks of gestation because of growth arrest and poor movement patterns. The infant had feeding problems, which were based on gastroesophageal reflux, laryngomalacia, and decreased gut motility. Hypotonia was notable from the outset, and the patient eventually displayed significant delays in both motor and cognitive milestones. Meanwhile, lymphocytes had yielded a normal karyotype (46,XX), but at 2 years of age the patient underwent a skin biopsy and mosaicism because a 68,XX cell line was discovered in fibroblasts. At the age 6.4 years, the patient is short of stature below the 3rd percentile but has a weight at the 42nd percentile and head circumference above the 97th percentile. Other phenotypic features include low-set ears, piebald irides and scalp hair, eyelid ptosis, strabismus, broad nasal bridge, anteverted nares, upswept eyebrows, hypoplastic teeth, pectus excavatum, hypoplastic labia, scoliosis, 3-4 finger syndactyly, and 2-3 toe syndactyly. We present this case with a review of the literature for mixoploidy (the rare event of mosaicism for diploid and triploid cell lines). We add to the existing data on the clinical features of diploid/triploid mixoploidy. The complexities of the gastrointestinal problems make this case unusual.

Trichloroethene (TCE) in groundwater is a major health concern and biostimulation/bioaugmentation-based strategies have been evaluated to achieve complete reductive dechlorination with varying success. Different carbon sources were hypothesized to stimulate different extents of TCE reductive dechlorination. Ecological conditions that developed different dechlorination stages were investigated by quantitating Dehalococcoides 16S rRNA (Dhc) and reductive dehalogenase gene abundance, and by describing biogeochemical properties of laboratory columns in response to this biostimulation. Eight large columns (183 cm × 15.2 cm), packed with aquifer material from Hill AFB, Utah, that were continuously fed TCE for 7.5 years. Duplicate columns were biostimulated with whey or one of two different Newman Zone® emulsified oil formulations containing either nonionic surfactant (EOLN) or standard surfactant (EOL). Two columns were non-stimulated controls. Complete (whey amended), partial (EOLN amended), limited (EOL), and non-TCE dehalogenating systems (controls) developed over the course of the study. Bioaugmentation of half of the columns with Bachman Road culture 3 years prior to dismantling did not influence the extent of TCE dehalogenation. Multivariate analysis clustered samples by biostimulation treatments and extent of TCE dehalogenation. Dhc, tceA, and bvcA gene concentrations did not show a consistent relationship with TCE dehalogenation but the vcrA gene was more abundant in completely dehalogenating, whey-treated columns. The whey columns developed strongly reducing conditions producing FeII, sulfide, and methane. Biostimulation with different carbon and energy sources can support high concentrations of diverse Dhc, but carbon addition has a major influence on biogeochemical processes effecting the extent of TCE dehalogenation.

A series of organic and organometallic Schiff bases bearing phenylferrocene and their six transition metal complexes have been prepared and tested for their potential biological applications by using antifungal, antibacterial, antitumor activities, toxicity testing against the brine shrimp and DNA damage analysis. The copper and cobalt complexes of organic Schiff base showed significant antibacterial activity. The antifungal activities tested against six fungal strains revealed that N-(4-hydroxybenzylidene) aniline (A5) had the highest antifungal activity. Most of these compounds showed cytotoxic activity against the brine shrimp. The results of showed that these compounds had significant antitumor activity, up to 97% in the case of N-(4-chlorobenzylidene) aniline (A3). Only two compounds N-(2-hydroxy benzylidene) 4-ferrocenylaniline (F2) and Nickel (II) complex of organic Schiff base (CO2) had DNA damaging activity at 20mg/ml concentration. Validerad; 2017; Nivå 2; 2017-03-03 (andbra)

The challenge of securing large amounts of electronic medical records stored in a variety of forms and in many locations, while still making it available to authorized users, is huge. Pressure to maintain privacy and protection of personal information is a strong motivating force in the development of security policies. It is essential for health care organizations to analyze, assess and ensure security policies to meet these challenges and to develop the necessary policies to ensure the security of medical information.

In today’s business environment, almost all information is captured and stored in electronic form. This digital storage of data in a networked environment provides far greater access to information than ever before. But unfortunately, this also exposes the organization to a variety of new threats that can have impact on the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information. Organizations need a way to understand their information risks and to create new strategies for addressing those risks. A systematic approach to assessing information security risks and developing an appropriate protection strategy is a major component of an effective information security and risk management program. This paper outlines an Analytic Hierarchy Process based approach for analyzing risk factors and sub factors and ascertaining the major areas of security elements where an organization should focus on.

The concept of Web services has attracted a lot of attention during the last few years. Web services allow a distributed system that is made up of many different computers to communicate over the familiar network, the Internet, to form one system. The communication standards and protocols used in Web services are universally accepted open standards. Web services are designed for machine-consumption that expose a Web-accessible program interface. This kind of service can be requested by any type of client application–Web-based, desktop or mobile. The authors of this paper provide an overview of Web services and discuss the potential of improving supply chain processes through the use of Web services.

E‐marketplaces are one of the relatively new trends that are affecting buyer‐supplier relationships. Although there have been several failures in the e‐business arena, whether it is business‐to‐business (B2B) or business‐to‐consumer (B2C) e‐commerce, there is no doubt that the Internet has changed the way that business is done in several ways. It has been shown that electronic commerce can fundamentally change the inter‐organizational processes involving buyer‐supplier relationships. It reshapes these buyer‐supplier relationships, improves a business's core processes, and helps reach new markets or segments through the electronic medium. This paper discusses the opportunities and challenges facing e‐marketplaces today, and also the concerns facing potential participants in these e‐marketplaces who are trying to weigh the risks presented by such participation and the possible benefits that can be reaped by streamlining supply chain processes. Some of the major concerns facing existing and potential buyers and suppliers that are discussed in this paper include integration issues, security issues and antitrust issues.

Partner Relationship Management (PRM) is an information strategy that employs a set of applications focused on directly impacting an enterprise and its business partners' sales and services. Web services employ a distributed computing architecture that consists of many different computers that communicate over the Internet to form one system. the communication standards and protocols used in Web services are universally accepted. These Web services can be requested by client applications: Web based, windows, or mobile devices. This article presents an overview of PRM and Web services, and discusses the potential for improving partner relationship processes through the use of Web services.

Web related initiatives are a viable method for many companies seeking to enhance their customer focus. Web personalization is a technique that can be used by firms to develop and foster relationships with their customers. Web personalization may not be suitable for all types of businesses. Web personalization is used to generate individualized content for each visitor. Personalization techniques include content filtering, collaborative filtering, and a rules-based engine approach. The scope and technique chosen for the personalization initiative determine the resources required for successful implementation. This paper presents a framework to help firms ascertain the value of web personalization. The components of the framework include the ability to classify the popular features of the website, the degree the product is considered personal, the competitiveness of the market, and the value customers place on personalization. A survey was conducted and results of the survey are presented to help ...

Knowledge Management involves gathering, categorizing, storing and sharing of knowledge. There are several available tools that can be used to build a knowledge management infrastruc-ture to achieve its goals. This paper discusses issues involved in designing an information Portal using XML-based tools. As compared to traditional HTML-based portals, use of XML offers several benefits - it provides a great way of efficiently aggregating, classifying, and presenting both structured and unstructured content over the Internet or similar networks.

In several key functional areas of contemporary engineering and management science, neural networks have steadily been gaining recognition as robust and reliable tools for classification problems. This paper describes a new application of the learning vector quantization neural network: the classification of the degree of modularization appropriate for the construction of an industrial facility. This neural network uses variables related to plant location, labor issues, organizational issues, plant characteristics, project risks, and environmental issues as inputs to perform the classification. The neural network training and performance evaluation is also discussed.

Driven by economic and environmental considerations, a consortium of companies sponsored the development of a knowledge-based decision support system, called MODEX (Modularization Expert) to help professionals in the construction industry to make decisions about the feasibility of using modularization technology for construction projects. MODEX also provides a detailed analysis of the impact of modularization on the cost and schedule of the constructed facility. To acquire knowledge, we interviewed experts from 22 organizations including facility owners, contractors, and fabricators. Over 50 member companies of the consortium have evaluated and validated the system, and about 80 companies and universities in the US and other countries are now using it. By encouraging companies to use modules in building industrial plants, MODEX can help reduce the damage to the natural environment that results from heavy on-site construction activities.

This paper presents an approach for decision making about construction modularization using neural networks. The model helps make a decision whether to use a conventional “stick‐built” method or to use some degree of modularization when building an industrial process plant. This decision is based on several decision attributes which are divided into following five categories: plant location, environmental and organizational, labor‐related, plant characteristics, and project risks. The neural network is trained using cases collected from several engineering and construction firms and owner firms of industrial process plants. In this paper, an overview of modular construction is provided and the reasons for using a neural network are also discussed. The architecture, representation, and training procedure for the selected neural network paradigms are described. The performance of the trained neural network system is compared with the recommendations provided by human experts. The results of statistical test...

Pressure to expedite mortgage originations has prompted the need to accelerate the appraisal process for residential real estate. The appraisal aspect of a mortgage origination is one area where decision support can play a major role in redefining the process. This study presents propositions that incorporate new technologies into the decision-making process of a residential real estate appraiser. The four propositions deal with intelligent agents, XML, automated valuation models (AVMs), and web services. Intelligent agents have the ability to redefine how appraisal firms create, maintain, and update their databases. XML offers enhanced data handling capabilities, while automated valuation models offer the ability to drastically reduce the time required to render an estimate of value. These two technologies can be combined with web services to make the real estate appraisal application available anywhere and anytime of the day.

The present paper focuses on the decision-making methodology involved in deciding whether or not to use modular construction techniques in building a petrochemical or power plant. The paper identifies those factors that help construction owners and engineers involved in conceptual project design in their modularization decisions and proposes a formal framework for decision-making support. A computerized knowledge-based system assisting in this task is presented and discussed. The system performs feasibility analysis based upon various factors classified into five influencing factor categories—plant location; labor-related, environmental, and organizational project characteristics; and project risks. The system also performs an economic analysis to determine the impact of modularization on cost and schedule. The performance of the system is validated comparing its recommendations with those of the experts in the construction industry. A statistical hypothesis test, conducted on the recommendations of the system and those of the experts, proves the system’s credibility.

During last few years, healthcare organizations have been increasingly focused on implementation and use of electronic health records. This article identifies the benefits and challenges in implementing electronic health records utilizing service-oriented architecture. The paper also explores the potential of service-oriented architecture in the development of interoperable electronic health records.

In this work the Aharonov-Casher (AC) phase is calculated for spin one particles in a noncommutative space. The AC phase has previously been calculated from the Dirac equation in a noncommutative space using a gauge-like technique [17]. In the spin-one, we use kemmer equation to calculate the phase in a similar manner. It is shown that the holonomy receives non-trivial kinematical corrections. By comparing the new result with the already known spin 1/2 case, one may conjecture a generalized formula for the corrections to holonomy for higher spins., 9 pages

The effect of various concentrations and combinations of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 6-benzylaminopurine (BA) and a-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) on regeneration of rough lemon (Citrus jambhiri Lush.) explants was studied. Optimal callus induction response was observed on Murashige and Skoog medium (MS), supplemented with 2,4-D 1.5 mg L–l from all types of explants, with stem explants showing the highest response (92%). Maximum shoot regeneration response (70%) from callus was observed on MS medium supplemented with BA 3 mg L–l. Direct shoot regeneration was highest in stem segment explants on MS medium with BA3mg L–l.MSmedium supplemented with NAA0.5mg L–l provided 70%rooting response. This is the first report on direct and indirect regeneration in vitro in rough lemon.

A new finite-size scaling approach based on the transfer matrix method is developed to calculate the critical temperature of anisotropic two-layer Ising ferromagnet, on strips of r wide sites of square lattices. The reduced internal energy per site has been accurately calculated for the ferromagnetic case, with the nearest neighbor couplings Kx, Ky (where Kx and Ky are the nearest neighbor interactions within each layer in the x and y directions, respectively) and with inter-layer coupling Kz, using different size-limited lattices. The calculated energies for different lattice sizes intersect at various points when plotted versus the reduced temperature. It is found that the location of the intersection point versus the lattice size can be fitted on a power series in terms of the lattice sizes. The power series is used to obtain the critical temperature of the unlimited two-layer lattice. The results obtained, are in good agreement with the accurate values reported by others., 12 pages, 1 table, 2 figures

We present exact calculations of the partition function for the q-state Potts model for general q, temperature and magnetic field on strips of the square lattices of width $L_{y}=2$ and arbitrary length $L_x = m $ with periodic longitudinal boundary conditions. A new representation of the transfer matrix for the q-state Potts model is introduced which can be used to calculate the determinant of the transfer matrix for an arbirary $m \times m$ lattice with periodic boundary conditions., Comment: 8 pages TeX

We investigate the effect of the noncommutative geometry on the classical orbits of particles in a central force potential. The relation is implemented through the modified commutation relations $[x_i, x_j]=i \theta_{ij} $. Comparison with observation places severe constraints on the value of the noncommutativity parameter.

Introduction Ectopic pelvic kidneys represent an anatomic variant that remains clinically asymptomatic in most patients. While there is some literature to suggest that ectopic kidneys may be more predisposed to blunt trauma injuries, there are few examples to guide the management of these injuries. To our knowledge, we present the first case of a grade V renal injury to an ectopic pelvic kidney managed successfully with conservative measures. Case Presentation We present a case of grade V renal injury to an ectopic pelvic kidney in a 21 year-old African-American male. The clinical and radiographic findings are presented, along with the patient's conservative hospital course. Conclusion We suggest that management of grade V renal injuries to ectopic pelvic kidneys can be treated similarly to that of kidneys in normal anatomic position. Conservative measures may be considered in properly selected patients.

Variously substituted N-(4-phenyl-3-aroylthiazol-2(3H)-ylidene)benzamides (2a-t) were prepared by base-catalyzed cyclization of corresponding 1-aroyl-3-aryl thioureas with acetophenone in the presence of bromine. Some of the synthesized compounds were assayed in vitro for their antifungal activity and were found to exhibit low to moderate activity.