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Ultrasound imaging is one of the most widely used and the cheapest diagnostic tools of medical imaging modalities. In this paper, a hybrid approach for accurate segmentation of the ultrasound medical images is presented that utilizes both the features of kernel fuzzy clustering with spatial constraints and edge based active contour method using distance regularized level set (DRLS) function. The result obtained from the kernel fuzzy clustering is utilized not only to initialize the curve that spreads to identify the estimated region or object boundaries, but also helps to estimate the optimal parameters, which are responsible for controlling the level set evolution. The DRLS formulation also increase the processing speed by removing the need of re-initialization of the level set function. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated by conducting the several experiments on both the synthetic and real ultrasound images. Experimental results show that the proposed method improves the segmentation accuracy and also produces better results by successfully segmenting the object boundaries compared to others.

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging is mostly used in the diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery diseases, especially in atherosclerosis, because it becomes very difficult to identify in the calcified regions manually. The IVUS images allow to visualize the inner portion of the coronary artery with enhanced resolution and also to acquire the cross-sectional images of arteries. Therefore, this paper presents a computational framework to identify the calcified region in IVUS images. In this paper, spatial fuzzy C-means approach is used to extract the exact boundary of the calcified plaque region in the IVUS images along with the wavelet transform decomposition. This clustering approach is capable of incorporating additional spatial information obtained from the neighboring pixels and also overcoming the limitations of noise and artifacts in IVUS coronary images. Several experiments have been performed on the different IVUS data and their experimental results are analyzed in terms of both quantitative and qualitative manner. The results revealed that the spatial fuzzy C-means provides better segmentation accuracy by extracting the calcified region as compared with other approaches.

The calculation of eigenvalues (EVs) is important in the domain of complex computation and processing of matrices of a higher order. For real-time applications, to get superior performance, the architecture of EV computation comes in handy. In this paper, the authors have investigated an efficient architecture for EV computation using the Jacobi algorithm on the Xilinx Zed-Board FPGA evaluation platform, Artix-7 family. The iterative algorithm proves to be faster and more efficient in terms of area consumed in the FPGA architecture and also in terms of accuracy of the EV computation. The proposed architecture can take up to matrices of order $\mathbf{20}\ \mathbf{x}\ \mathbf{20}$ using the Jacobi algorithm. The algorithm also works for odd order matrices with few modifications in the input matrix. The architecture was implemented on Zynq-7000 xc7z020clg484-1 FPGA and it takes around 4216 LUTs out of 53200 LUTs for matrices of dimensions $\mathbf{4}\ \mathbf{x}\ \mathbf{4}$ .

ackground: Most cardiovascular (CV)/stroke risk calculators using the integration of carotid ultrasound image-based phenotypes (CUSIP) with conventional risk factors (CRF) have shown improved risk stratification compared with either method. However such approaches have not yet leveraged the potential of machine learning (ML). Most intelligent ML strategies use follow-ups for the endpoints but are costly and time-intensive. We introduce an integrated ML system using stenosis as an endpoint for training and determine whether such a system can lead to superior performance compared with the conventional ML system. Methods: The ML-based algorithm consists of an offline and online system. The offline system extracts 47 features which comprised of 13 CRF and 34 CUSIP. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to select the most significant features. These offline features were then trained using the event-equivalent gold standard (consisting of percentage stenosis) using a random forest (RF) classifier framework to generate training coefficients. The online system then transforms the PCA-based test features using offline trained coefficients to predict the risk labels on test subjects. The above ML system determines the area under the curve (AUC) using a 10-fold cross- validation paradigm. The above system so-called “AtheroRisk-Integrated” was compared against “AtheroRisk-Conventional”, where only 13 CRF were considered in a feature set. Results: Left and right common carotid arteries of 202 Japanese patients (Toho University, Japan) were retrospectively examined to obtain 395 ultrasound scans. AtheroRisk-Integrated system [AUC =0.80, P

Aim: The study investigated the association of carotid ultrasound echolucent plaque-based biomarker with HbA1c, measured as age-adjusted grayscale median (AAGSM) as a function of chronological age, total plaque area, and conventional grayscale median (GSMconv). Methods: Two stages were developed: (a) automated measurement of carotid parameters such as total plaque area (TPA) ; (b) computing the AAGSM as a function of GSMconv, age, and TPA. Intra-operator (novice and experienced) analysis was conducted. Results: IRB approved, 204 patients' left/right CCA (408 images) ultrasound scans were collected: mean age: 69 ± 11 years ; mean HbA1c: 6.12 ± 1.47%. A moderate inverse correlation was observed between AAGSM and HbA1c (CC of -0.13, P = 0.01), compared to GSM (CC of -0.06, P = 0.24). The RCCA and LCCA showed CC of -0.18, P < 0.01 and -0.08 ; P < 0.24. Female and males showed CC of -0.29, P < 0.01 and -0.10, P = 0.09. Using the threshold for AAGSM and HbA1c as: low-risk (AAGSM > 100 ; HbA1c < 5.7%), moderate-risk (40 < AAGSM < 100 ; 5.7% < HbA1c < 6.5%) and high-risk (AAGSM < 40 ; HbA1c > 6.5%), the area under the curve showed a better performance of AAGSM over GSMconv. A paired t-test between operators and expert (P < 0.0001) ; inter- operator CC of 0.85 (P < 0.0001). Conclusions: Echolucent plaque in patients with diabetes can be more accurately characterized for risk stratification using AAGSM compared to GSMconv.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke risk assessment have been largely based on the success of traditional statistically derived risk calculators such as Pooled Cohort Risk Score or Framingham Risk Score. However, over the last decade, automated computational paradigms such as machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) techniques have penetrated into a variety of medical domains including CVD/stroke risk assessment. This review is mainly focused on the changing trends in CVD/stroke risk assessment and its stratification from statistical-based models to ML-based paradigms using non-invasive carotid ultrasonography. In this review, ML-based strategies are categorized into two types: non-image (or conventional ML-based) and image-based (or integrated ML-based). The success of conventional (non-image-based) ML-based algorithms lies in the different data-driven patterns or features which are used to train the ML systems. Typically these features are the patients’ demographics, serum biomarkers, and multiple clinical parameters. The integrated (image-based) ML-based algorithms integrate the features derived from the ultrasound scans of the arterial walls (such as morphological measurements) with conventional risk factors in ML frameworks. Even though the review covers ML-based system designs for carotid and coronary ultrasonography, the main focus of the review is on CVD/stroke risk scores based on carotid ultrasound. There are two key conclusions from this review: (i) fusion of image-based features with conventional cardiovascular risk factors can lead to more accurate CVD/stroke risk stratification; (ii) the ability to handle multiple sources of information in big data framework using artificial intelligence-based paradigms (such as ML and DL) is likely to be the future in preventive CVD/stroke risk assessment.

The sensor technology is getting advanced day by day in terms of facilitating human in different aspects of human life. The one of the major constraints on the wireless sensor nodes is the battery embedded on them. As these batteries are irreplaceable, the routing to preserve the energy of the sensor nodes becomes prominent. The cluster-based routing has not only acquired network longevity but also has helped in the energy balancing in the network. But, Cluster Head (C'H) selection is NP (Nou-Polynomial)-hard problem therefore, in this paper, we have proposed Enhanced Stable Routing Algorithm (ESRA) for Heterogeneous Wireless Sensor Network (HWSN). The C'H selection is enhanced by involving the distance factor in the threshold formula. While doing so, the energy consumption is reduced, and stability period is enhanced significantly. It is observed that through the simulation in MATLAB, the stability' period by ESRA is enhanced by 15.43%, 64.39% and network lifetime by 30.95%, 73.16% as compared to P-SEP and DSEP protocols, respectively.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, autoimmune disease which may result in a higher risk of cardiovascular (CV) events and stroke. Tissue characterization and risk stratification of patients with rheumatoid arthritis are a challenging problem. Risk stratification of RA patients using traditional risk factor–based calculators either underestimates or overestimates the CV risk. Advancements in medical imaging have facilitated early and accurate CV risk stratification compared to conventional cardiovascular risk calculators. In recent years, a link between carotid atherosclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis has been widely discussed by multiple studies. Imaging the carotid artery using 2-D ultrasound is a noninvasive, economic, and efficient imaging approach that provides an atherosclerotic plaque tissue–specific image. Such images can help to morphologically characterize the plaque type and accurately measure vital phenotypes such as media wall thickness and wall variability. Intelligence-based paradigms such as machine learning– and deep learning–based techniques not only automate the risk characterization process but also provide an accurate CV risk stratification for better management of RA patients. This review provides a brief understanding of the pathogenesis of RA and its association with carotid atherosclerosis imaged using the B-mode ultrasound technique. Lacunas in traditional risk scores and the role of machine learning–based tissue characterization algorithms are discussed and could facilitate cardiovascular risk assessment in RA patients. The key takeaway points from this review are the following: (i) inflammation is a common link between RA and atherosclerotic plaque buildup, (ii) carotid ultrasound is a better choice to characterize the atherosclerotic plaque tissues in RA patients, and (iii) intelligence-based paradigms are useful for accurate tissue characterization and risk stratification of RA patients.

PURPOSE: Conventional cardiovascular risk factors (CCVRFs) and carotid ultrasound image-based phenotypes (CUSIP) are independently associated with long-term risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease. In this study, 26 cardiovascular risk (CVR) factors which consisted of a combination of CCVRFs and CUSIP together were ranked. Further, an optimal risk calculator using AtheroEdge composite risk score (AECRS1.0) was designed and benchmarked against seven conventional CV risk (CVR) calculators. METHODS: Two types of ranking were performed: (i) ranking of 26 CVR factors and (ii) ranking of eight types of 10-year risk calculators. In the first case, multivariate logistic regression was used to compute the odds ratio (OR) and in the second, receiver operating characteristic curves were used to evaluate the performance of eight types of CVR calculators using SPSS23.0 and MEDCALC12.0 with validation against STATA15.0. RESULTS: The left and right common carotid arteries (CCA) of 202 Japanese patients were examined to obtain 404 ultrasound scans. CUSIP ranked in the top 50% of the 26 covariates. Intima-media thickness variability (IMTV) and IMTV10yr were the most influential carotid phenotypes for left CCA (OR = 250, P

It is an established fact that the Earth is sensitive enough to respond to the activities of humans. It is also an open secret that if we move in accordance with the will and nature of Earth with actions parallel to the nature of this beautiful planet then it will reciprocate with blessings for humans, if not then the whole of humankind must be ready to face the wrath of nature in one way or another or even face the possibility of a threat to the very existence of humankind. Biofuel is one of the most stunning alternatives to carbon petroleum products. The emission of carbon and other harmful greenhouse gases from the petroleum fuel are creating numerous problems to the health of people and also threatening the planet generally. However, biofuel is a product which can not only sort out the human need for fuel but also create the least amount of problems for nature. In this chapter we discuss the different types of biofuel, particularly in agriculture, where the residues and waste have a great impact and use in biofuel mechanisms. On the other hand, we have limitations from an agricultural land point of view because it could change its basic nature of the land from the crop cultivation point of view.

Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and carotid plaque (CP) currently act as risk predictors for CVD/Stroke risk assessment. Over 2000 articles have been published that cover either use cIMT/CP or alterations of cIMT/ CP and additional image- based phenotypes to associate cIMT related markers with CVD/Stroke risk. These articles have shown variable results, which likely reflect a lack of standardization in the tools for measurement, risk stratification, and risk assessment. Guidelines for cIMT/CP measurement are influenced by major factors like the atherosclerosis disease itself, conventional risk factors, 10-year measurement tools, types of CVD/ Stroke risk calculators, incomplete validation of measurement tools, and the fast pace of computer technology advancements. This review discusses the following major points: 1) the American Society of Echocardiography and Mannheim guidelines for cIMT/CP measurements ; 2) forces that influence the guidelines ; and 3) calculators for risk stratification and assessment under the influence of advanced intelligence methods. The review also presents the knowledge- based learning strategies such as machine and deep learning which may play a future role in CVD/stroke risk assessment. We conclude that both machine learning and non-machine learning strategies will flourish for current and 10-year CVD/Stroke risk prediction as long as they integrate image-based phenotypes with conventional risk factors.

In this work, the architecture of a dual-coupled linear congruential generator (dual-CLCG) for pseudo-random bit generation is proposed to improve the speed of the generator and minimize power dissipation with the optimum chip area. To improve its performance, a new pseudo-random bit generator (PRBG) employing two-operand modulo adder and without shifting operation-based dual-CLCG architecture is proposed. The novelty of the proposed dual-CLCG architecture is the designing of LCG based on two-operand modulo adder rather than a three-operand one and without using shifting operation as compared to the existing LCG architecture. The aim of the work is to generate pseudo-random bits at a uniform clock rate at the maximum clock frequency and achieve maximum length of the random bit sequence. The power dissipation with the optimum chip area of PRBG is also observed for the proposed architecture. The generated sequence passes all the 15 tests of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standard. Verilog HDL code is used for the design of the proposed architecture. Its simulation is done on commercially available Spartan-3E FPGA (ISE Design Suite by Xilinx) as well as on 90-nm CMOS technology (Cadence tool).

Motivation AtheroEdge Composite Risk Score (AECRS1.010yr) is an integrated stroke/cardiovascular risk calculator that was recently developed and computes the 10-year risk of carotid image phenotypes by integrating conventional cardiovascular risk factors (CCVRFs). It is therefore important to understand how closely AECRS1.010yr is associated with the ten other currently available conventional cardiovascular risk calculators (CCVRCs). Methods The Institutional Review Board of Toho University approved the examination of the left/right common carotid arteries of 202 Japanese patients. Step 1 consists of measurement of AECRS1.010yr, given current image phenotypes and CCVRFs. Step 2 consists of computing the risk score using ten different CCVRCs given CCVR factors: QRISK3, Framingham Risk Score (FRS), United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) 56, UKPDS60, Reynolds Risk Score (RRS), Pooled cohort Risk Score (PCRS or ASCVD), Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE), Prospective Cardiovascular Munster Study (PROCAM) calculator, NIPPON, and World Health Organization (WHO) risk. Step 3 consists of computing the closeness factor between AECRS1.010yr and ten CCVRCs using cumulative ranking index derived using eight different statistically derived metrics. Results AECRS1.010yr reported the highest area-under-the-curve (0.927;P Conclusion AECRS1.010yr produced the largest AUC due to the integration of image-based phenotypes with CCVR factors, and ranked at first place with the highest AUC. Cumulative ranking of ten CCVRCs demonstrated that QRISK3 was the closest calculator to AECRS1.010yr, which is also consistent with the industry trend.

Atherosclerotic plaque deposition within the coronary vessel wall leads to arterial stenosis and severe catastrophic events over time. Identification of these atherosclerotic plaque components is essential to pre-estimate the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stratify them as a high or low risk. The characterization and quantification of coronary plaque components are not only vital but also a challenging task which can be possible using high-resolution imaging techniques. Atherosclerotic plaque components such as thin cap fibroatheroma (TCFA), fibrous cap, macrophage infiltration, large necrotic core, and thrombus are the microstructural plaque components that can be detected with only high-resolution imaging modalities such as intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Light-based OCT provides better visualization of plaque tissue layers of coronary vessel walls as compared to IVUS. Three dominant paradigms have been identified to characterize atherosclerotic plaque components based on optical attenuation coefficients, machine learning algorithms, and deep learning techniques. This review (condensation of 126 papers after downloading 150 articles) presents a detailed comparison among various methodologies utilized for plaque tissue characterization, classification, and arterial measurements in OCT. Furthermore, this review presents the different ways to predict and stratify the risk associated with the CVD based on plaque characterization and measurements in OCT. Moreover, this review discovers three different paradigms for plaque characterization and their pros and cons. Among all of the techniques, a combination of machine learning and deep learning techniques is a best possible solution that provides improved OCT-based risk stratification.

University campuses in India lack assistive systems that facilitate smooth navigation of visually impaired persons. This paper proposes design of a system called Divya-Dristi, that helps visually impaired persons navigate familiar environments such as a university campus. The system requires users to carry only a Android based smart phone. Based on a 3-tier architecture, we aim to develop a conveyable, self-contained system that provide dynamic interactions. The major functional components of this way finding system are (a) an Android application for determining the users position and orientation in space and for generating audio feedback (b) a cloud based geo-spatial data store for holding key location information and answering location queries, (c) a SONAR based sensor module attachment that helps users avoid possible obstacles during outdoor navigation through audio and haptic alerts. The system has been implemented and found to be convenient for the users.

Speckle filtering is of great interest for the ultrasound medical images in which various noises and artefacts are introduced because of various limitations of the acquisition systems and techniques. Speckle is a prime factor to degrade the quality and most importantly, texture information present in the ultrasound images. This study presents a despeckling method based on a modified non-linear diffusion model and non-subsampled shearlet transform (NSST). As a new image representation method with the different features of localisation, directionality and multiscale, the NSST is utilised to provide the effective representation of the image coefficients. The modified anisotropic diffusion is applied to the noisy coarser NSST coefficients to improve the denoising efficiency and preserve the edge features effectively. In the diffusion process, the non-local pixel information is incorporated to evaluate the gradient of eight connected neighbouring pixels with an adaptive grey variance. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated for both the standard test and real ultrasound images. Experimental results show that the proposed method produces better results of noise suppression with the preservation of more edges compared with several existing methods.

Segmentation is a very crucial task for the ultrasound medical images due to the presence of various imaging artifacts and noise. This paper presents a hybrid segmentation method for the ultrasound medical images that utilize both the features of the Gaussian kernel induced fuzzy C-means (GKFCM) clustering and active contour model driven by region scalable fitting (RSF) energy function. In this method, the result obtained from the GKFCM method is utilized to initialize the contour that spreads to identify the estimated regions. It also helps to estimate the several controlling parameters used in the curve evolution process. The RSF formulation that is responsible for attracting the contour toward the object boundaries removes the requirement of the re-initialization process. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated by conducting several experiments on both the synthetic and real ultrasound images. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method produces better results by successfully detecting the object boundaries and also ensures an improvement in segmentation accuracy compared to others.

Introduction Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART) involves manually excavating the carious part of the tooth and restoring the prepared cavity with chemically adhesive restorative material [Glass Ionomer Cement (GIC)] and it may induce and/or impact the dental anxiety in children. It is well established that ART procedure is less anxiety producing when compared with other restorative procedures using dental drill. Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate the anxiety levels among five-year-old children undergoing ART restoration in I.T.S. Dental College, Greater Noida, India. Materials and methods A sample of 50, five-year-old children visiting the Outpatient Department (OPD) of ITS Dental College, Greater Noida was selected for ART treatment using Fuji IX GIC. Modified Venham Anxiety Scale based on their behaviour and heart rate of the children were measured and recorded before, during and after the ART procedure. Heart rate was measured using Radial Pulse examination method. Chi-square test was used and tests were conducted using IBM SPSS software (ver.20.0; IBM, Chicago, IL, USA). Results Before the ART treatment, heart rates and Modified Venham Anxiety Scores of majority of children were higher than that after the treatment. A p-value was statistically significant (0.028 and 0.048 respectively) for association of gender with heart rate and Modified Venham's score before the ART treatment. No statistically significant relation was found between the variables during and after the ART treatment. Conclusion The level of anxiety for ART treatment in children was higher before the treatment than that during and after the treatment. There is a correlation between the gender of children and their level of anxiety for ART treatment.

Context: Edentulism is a handicap that affects the quality of life and nutrition. Tooth loss leads to functional impairment at the level of the orofacial system, significantly interfering with chewing, swallowing and speech, as well as to temporomandibular joint dysfunction, disorders of intermaxillary relation, and facial physiognomy. Aim: The aim of the study was to explore variables that influence self-reported oral health and denture satisfaction in partially and completely edentulous patients using oral health impact profile for edentulous (OHIP-EDENT). Materials and Methods: A hospital-based study was carried out on the patient's age ranged from 30 to 70 years in the dental college who had been treated with complete dentures and removable partial denture using convenience sampling method. Prevalidated questionnaire consisting of OHIP-EDENT was self-administered to all the study participants. The information about the appetite, perceived general and oral health, and satisfaction from the dentures was recorded using a 4-point Likert scale. Data were collected, entered, and analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. One-way ANOVA was performed to test for comparison between different denture groups. P < 0.05 shows statistically significant difference. Results: When the mean of denture satisfaction level was calculated between different denture group and different domains of OHIP-EDENT, there was no difference found in level of denture satisfaction between different denture groups, i.e., overall denture satisfaction mean in Group 1 was 2.18 ± 0.32, Group 2 has 2.23 ± 0.36, Group 3 has the mean of 2.18 ± 0.42, Group 4 has 2.23 ± 0.67, and P value was 0.810 which shows nonsignificant difference. Conclusion: The results of the present study suggest that the poor self-perceived satisfaction among denture wearers affect their quality of life.

Despeckling is of great interest for the ultrasound medical images in which various types of noise and artifacts are introduced because of inherent limitations of the acquisition techniques and systems. Among these noise and artifacts, speckle is a main factor, which degrades the quality and most importantly texture information present in the ultrasound images. Due to the speckle, experts may not be able to extract correct and useful information from the images. This paper presents a despeckling method based on a new multiscale geometric representation such as discrete ripplet transform (DRT) and nonlinear bilateral filter (NLBF). The DRT, a new image representation approach with the different features of anisotropy, localization, directionality, and multiscale, is employed to provide effective representation of the noisy coefficients. Bilateral filter is applied to the noisy ripplet coefficient to improve the denoising efficiency and preserve the edge features effectively. The proposed method also helps to improve the visual quality of the ultrasound images. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated on the different ultrasound medical images and results show significant improvement not only in the speckle reduction but also in the edge preservation performance.

A mobile ad hoc network (MANET) is a set of movable devices that is established without wired medium forming with various topologies. Mantes are not using infrastructure as wired network use and anytime, anywhere can be established. The direction-finding algorithms are classified into two parts in this paper (1). proactive DSDV (table driven) and (2). reactive DSR (On demand) algorithms. We simulate various MANET routing algorithms in network simulator NS-2 and compare the performance metrics for each Routing protocol like throughput, packet delivery ratio and average end to end delay by varying the number of nodes (Node 20 and Node 30 Group)with different pause time by using cbr source traffic and node movement model.

Schwannoma is an extremely rare tumor of auricle. We are presenting a rare case of auricular schwannoma, perhaps the fifth in world literature, with traumatic etiology. Twenty-five years old female presented with swelling left pinna since 6 years following ear piercing. She desires surgery for cosmetic reasons only. Swelling was excised under local anesthesia and sent for histopathological examination. HPE report was suggestive of nerve sheath tumor. No recurrence has reported so far in followup of 9 months period.How to cite this articleThakur K, Sharma SK, Raina R, Gupta VD. Auricular Schwannoma: A Rare Presentation. Int J Otorhinolaryngol Clin 2013;5(3):166-168.

Background: Present study compares basic FESS and septoplasty with FESS alone in DNS with maxillary sinusitis.Methods: Sixty patients of DNS with chronic maxillary sinusitis were divided into two groups alternatively. After pre-operative symptoms score and computerized tomography (CT scan), twenty patients underwent FESS with septoplasty (group A) and other 20 underwent FESS alone (group B) under local anaesthesia and topical 4% lignocaine with 1:1000 adrenaline. At 6 weeks, post-operative symptom score and CT scan findings were documented and compared statistically by using unpaired student t-test.Results: Ninety six percent of patients in group A and 87.6% in group B have shown complete improvement in facial pain/pressure. Ninety three percent of patients in group A and 83.3% in group B have shown complete improvement in headache. Ninety percent patients in group A and 63.3% in group B has shown complete improvement in nasal obstruction. Seventy six percent of patients in group A and 63.3% of patients in group B have shown complete improvement in nasal discharge. Eighty six percent and 63.3% of patients in group A and group B respectively were satisfied from the surgery. Ninety three percent of patients in group A and 70% in group B were found to have normal maxillary sinus mucosa on HRCT nose and PNS after 6 weeks following surgical treatment. Hundred percent patients in group A and 96.7% of patients in group B were found to have normal OMC on HRCT nose and PNS 6 weeks after surgery.Conclusions: It was observed that FESS with septoplasty is effective for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis with deviated nasal septum on VAS as well as radiologically (the Lund and Mackay staging system: radiologic staging) than FESS alone.

Despeckling in ultrasound medical images is of great interest. Due to presence of speckle, experts may not be able to extract correct and useful information from the images. This chapter presents a method for despeckling based on a new rational-dilation wavelet transform (RADWT) and non-linear bilateral filter (BLF). The RADWT, a new family of the discrete wavelet transform for which frequency resolution can be varied, provides effective representation of the noisy coefficients. Bilateral filter and thresholding scheme are applied to the noisy RADWT coefficients to improve the denoising efficiency and preserve the edge features effectively. The proposed method also helps to improve the visual quality of bone fracture ultrasound images. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated on the different ultrasound images of bone fracture and results show significant improvement not only in the speckle reduction but also in the edge preservation performance.

Neck pain accounts for 15% of all soft tissue problems seen in general practice and are a common reason for referral to physiotherapy treatment. The prevalence of neck pain in dentists is 74.3%. Musculoskeletal symptoms in dentists are caused due to many reasons for e.g., prolonged static posture, repetitive movements, suboptimal lighting, and genetic predisposition. Since deep cervical muscle activity is required in synergy with superficial muscle activity to stabilize the cervical segments, a study is needed, to compare the effectiveness of deep cervical flexor (DCF) training and posture correction training on neck pain and neck disability index and forward head posture. Aim: To determine and compare the effect of DCF training on forward head posture, neck pain and neck disability index in dentists suffering from chronic non severe neck pain. Material and Methods: Total of 30 subjects were selected, based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, who were further divided into Experimental and Control groups. Baseline information of dependent variables was taken at the beginning of study on day one, for Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Neck disability Index (NDI). Forward head posture was measured on day one using digital photograph technique. Then, Experimental group was given DCF training and Control group was given conventional isometrics training (CIT) for 4 weeks under supervision of examiner. All measurements were repeated at end of 4th week, on completion of study. Results: It was observed that pain and disability had reduced in both groups on group analysis. But the forward head posture had improved significantly in experimental group only. Conclusion: DCF training is more effective than CIT in improving forward head posture, decreasing pain and disability in dentists suffering from chronic neck pain.

Nuclear medicine scanning techniques are non-invasive and with the exclusion of IV injections, are usually reliable, painless diagnostic tools that help physicians diagnose and evaluate various complicated medical conditions. These nuclear medicine imaging tools use radioactive substances called radiotracers, which are injected into the body through IV route to investigate abnormalities in the brain, such as seizures, memory loss, abnormalities in blood flow etc. Relatively, several tracers for the dopamine D2 receptors quantification have been discovered and these have provided considerably new insights to evaluate the role of dopamine in movement disorders, psychiatry and genetic diseases. The importance of this thesis is to quantitatively compare two widely used SPECT radiotracers [123I]IBZM - Iodobenzamide: [123I](S)-2-hydroxy-3-iodo-6-methoxy- (1-ethyl-2-pyrrolidinylmethyl)-benzamide and [123I]Epidepride: [123I](S)-N -((1-ethyl-2-pyrrolidinyl) methyl)-5-iodo-2, 3-dimethoxybenzamide in rodents for the first time, both D2 dopamine antagonists and potential imaging agents used in diagnosing various dopamine receptor dependent neurological and psychiatric disorders. The origin of these substituted benzamides comes from atypical anti psychotic agents. Both [123I]Epidepride and [123I]IBZM are benzamine derivatives with very high affinity for dopamine receptors, which in its labelled form can be used as a SPECT tracer. These SPECT tracers can be used to study alterations in D2/D3 levels in specific brain regions. Significance of alternations of dopamine D2/D3 receptor conditions were widely substantiated in Schizophrenia, Parkinson's, Restless leg syndrome etc. (Kessler RM 1991, Al-Tikriti MS 1994) The purpose of this study was to evaluate the bio distribution and pharmacokinetics of [123I]IBZM and [123I]Epidepride brain SPECT. Even though [123I]IBZM is widely preferred as a D2 receptor-imaging agent, distinctive image standards are stipulated by a relatively low target-to-non target ratio (Olsson H 2001). In Vitro and In vivo animal studies suggest that [123I]Epidepride may be preferred to [123I]IBZM (Kessler RM 1992, Al-Tikriti MS 1994, Scherfler C 2005). This study has shown a systematic comparison of both tracers in rodents by comparing the binding potentials obtained from raw VOI images and pixel wise comparison and proposed new insights about Epidepride kinetics which are currently unaccounted. There was no study conducted on rodents to compare [123I]Epidepride and [123I]IBZM kinetics. [123I]IBZM has been widely used to study the in-vivo characterization of dopamine D2 receptors in humans but rarely studied on mice and rats, after all rodent studies are quite important to conduct fundamental research for studying physiology lying under illnesses like addiction, movement disorders and neurodegenerative diseases etc. Therefore we undertook a direct comparison between these two compounds. Our results comply with previously reported data and show that iodobenzamide – [123I]IBZM has a moderate putamen to cerebellum ratio in rodent brain and less binding potential compared with [123I]Epidepride in striatal regions and extra striatal regions. [123I]Epidepride showed its ability to identify extra striatal regions in the following order, Mid Brain >Temporal Cortex > Frontal > Occipital > Cerebellum and showed its exceptional properties. Thus [123I]Epidepride is superior to [123I]IBZM and shows excellent imaging characteristics of both striatal and extra striatal dopamine D2 receptors (Pinborg 2007). Absolutely [123I]Epidepride is superior to [123I]IBZM but activity from cerebellum cannot be considered as a free and non-specifically bound radio ligand while using reference tissue models with [123I] Epidepride SPECT, therefore finding ways to diminish this will be of appropriate

Background: Decreased physical activity, sedentary lifestyle, changes in food habits have led to significant rise in the number of obese children. With an increase in number of children preferring fast food products over a balanced diet, the condition has become more prevalent. Food items such as soft drinks, refined breads are generally of low nutritive quality but have high cariogenic potential. Aim: To determine a correlation between the caries status and Body Mass Index (BMI) in school children aged 6-10 years in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. Settings and Design: A total of 468 children were examined from 4 primary schools which were selected by simple random sampling method. Materials & Method: Prior to the dental and medical examination, informed consents were obtained from the parent’s/ guardian’s of the children. Dental caries was assessed using df-t and DF-T index. The height of the children was measured by a stadiometer and weight was measured by a portable digital weighing machine. BMI was classified according to World Health organization classification. Statistical Analysis used: Student t-test and Chi-square test were used and all statistical tests were conducted using IBM SPSS software (ver.20.0; IBM, Chicago, IL, USA). Results: 79.4% children were in normal range, 7.6% in underweight, 10.20% and 2.8% in overweight and obese range respectively. Caries free dentition was found in 52% of underweight children, 47.4% in normal weight children, 41.6% and 38.5% in overweight and obese children respectively. Mean df-t/DF-T score of the study population was 2.32. Conclusion: The present study showed a significant correlation between caries status and obesity, and it forces the challenge that is forced on preventive public health programs for more focus towards nutrition and physical activity. Keywords: Correlation, Caries Status, Body Mass Index, School children

Feature preserved enhancement is of great interest in medical ultrasound images. Speckle is a main factor which affects the quality, contrast resolution and most importantly texture information present in ultrasound images and can make the post-processing difficult. This paper presents a new enhancement approach which is based on discrete shearlet transform (DST) and thresholding scheme. The DST, a new efficient multiscale geometric representation with the different features of anisotropy, localization, directionality and multiscale, is employed to provide effective representation of the noisy coefficients. Thresholding schemes are applied to the noisy DST coefficients to improve the denoising efficiency and preserve the edge features effectively with this consideration that blurring associated with speckle reduction should be less and fine details are enhanced/preserved properly for the visual enhancement of ultrasound images. The presented algorithm also helps to improve the visual quality of the ultrasound images. Experimental results demonstrate the ability of proposed method for noise suppression, feature and edge preservation defined in terms of different performance measures.

A novel niobium-based superconducting DC-contact RF MEMS switch is presented for the first time. The switch is amenable to integration with the superconducting micro-electronics (SME) technology. A comparison of the switch RF performance at room and cryogenic temperatures indicates a great improvement in the insertion loss of the switch when niobium is superconducting. The mechanical characteristic of the switch at extremely low temperature (4K) is investigated. The switch exhibits only 18% increase in the actuation voltage as temperature changes from room temperature (300K) to 4K. A niobium superconducting tunable resonator is designed and fabricated employing the proposed switch as the tuning element. The concept can be extended to realize a high-Q switched capacitor bank for reconfigurable RF front-end components in SME receivers.

A wireless network (multi-hop) is a network of computers and devices, which are connected by wireless communication links. The connections are most often implemented with digital packet radios. Because each radio link has a limited communications range, many pairs of nodes cannot communicate directly, and must forward data to each other via one or more cooperating intermediate nodes. We will often use ‘hop-count metric’ to mean the minimum hop-count metric. The PTC of a route is the total number of packet transmissions and retransmissions required to send a packet across the route, assuming that each link in the route retransmits the packet until it is successfully received across the link. PTC is designed for links with link-layer acknowledgments (ACKs) and retransmissions, as provided by IEEE 802.11 radios. The PTC metric for a route is calculated using measurements of the lossless of each link in the route. Routing protocols select routes with the minimum PTC. For short routes (up to and including 3-hop routes), the minimum — PTC route is the maximum-throughput route; for longer routes, the minimum — PTC route is still a high-throughput route. The design of the PTC metric does not depend on a particular routing protocol; PTC improves the throughput of both Dynamic Source Routing (DSR), an on-demand source routing protocol, and Destination-Sequenced Distance-Vector (DSDV) routing, a proactive table-driven distance-vector routing protocol. We also present a set of design changes and implementation techniques that allow DSR and DSDV to work well with PTC.

Publisher Summary This chapter highlights the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of nutmeg. Volatile essential oil and various extracts of nutmeg seeds have been reported to have many pharmacological properties, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, insecticidal, anti-amebic, and anticarcinogenic activity. The antioxidant capacity of nutmeg seeds can be measured by various chemical assays, such as estimation of total phenolic concentration, capacity to scavenge the stable free radical DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), ferric reducing/antioxidant power assay (FRAP), inhibition of lipid peroxidation, and inhibition of bleaching of β-carotene. Antioxidant properties are contributed by the variety of active phytochemicals, including vitamins, carotenoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, flavonoids, lignans, simple phenols, and phenolic acids. Various extracts and the essential oil of nutmeg seeds have presented strong antimicrobial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, as well as a variety of fungi. Due to its high antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, nutmeg could be considered as a significant natural source of antioxidants and antimicrobials. Nutmeg, being a natural product, can offer more safety to people and the environment and is considered to be less of a risk for resistance development by pathogenic microorganisms.

NfW Simulater-3(ns-3) is a next generation for modeling and simulation planed as a substitute of the network simulator-2 (ns-2). It enables sufficient firm of features and is designed for the basic need of the technical and scientific community, ns-3 is in its running process and work at different version which is still ongoing. With the recent emergence of wireless networks, simulation and modeling support for such networks, especially WiMAX segmentation, is becoming a basic requirement. In this paper, we propose and discuss in detail the design and implementation of a WiMAX segmentation for ns-3, with the Point-to-Multipoint (PMP) mode and the Wireless MAN-OFDMPHY layer. Our segment implements fundamental functions of the convergence sublayer (CS) and the MAC sublayer, including quality of service (QoS), band-width request mechanism, and a simple uplink scheduler. Our aim is to provide a standard partition in ns-3 with object-oriented WiMAX segmentation and well designed implementation of the standard. General Terms Segment, Design, Process, Techniques.

Superconducting integrated circuits (SCICs) require cooling to about 4 K for proper circuit operation. Current efforts are being made to transfer SCIC technology from lab experiments to viable consumer and military products. In order for this to be feasible, SCICs must function in cryogen-free closed-cycle refrigerator (or cryocooler) based systems. Design constraints for SCICs utilizing rapid single-flux-quantum (RSFQ) logic require a maximum temperature gradient across the package of less than 50 mK for proper circuit operation when implemented in cryocooler mounted systems. Also, to achieve increased functional density and decreased signal delays, it is desired to implement multichip module (MCM) SCICs in which RSFQ signals are passed from chip-to-chip through a common MCM substrate. Satisfying these constraints requires innovative packaging and thermal interface materials for harsh environment packaging (low temperature, high vacuum). The objective of this modeling work is to: explain the role of underfill in harsh environment cryogenic packages, explore the role of polymers and nanocomposites in filling this role, and anticipate the role of manufacturing defects on thermal management of 4 K packages. A characteristic model is developed in COMSOL MultiPhysics that allows for investigation of the dependence of temperature gradients across the package on these variables. It is found that at 4 K thermal interface resistances act as major bottlenecks to heat removal from the active die. It is also shown that as bump diameter decreases below 100 microns due to device miniaturization, the need for effective thermal interface materials is exacerbated. A novel nanoengineered cryogenic adhesive (nECA) comprised of nanoparticles dispersed in an epoxy matrix is proposed to act as a heat transfer medium between chip and substrate. Incorporation of nECA into the FEA model of a single chip package reduces the overall temperature gradient from 78 mK to 44 mK. This advance in thermal management of low temperature SCICs is paramount for the advancement of MCM packaging requiring efficient removal of heat from densely packaged chips.

Condensate on the air-side surface of flat-tube air-cooling heat exchangers can result in several adverse effects on the overall thermal hydraulic performance. In order to enhance the performance of compact heat exchangers under wet-surface conditions, promoting the drainage of condensed water is critical. Drainage channels on tube walls might provide a robust solution to promote condensate drainage from compact heat exchangers. A quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the effectiveness of drainage channels on the condensate retention characteristics of compact flat-tube louver-fin heat exchangers is presented. Various geometries of drainage channels are engraved on the surrogate tubes in contact with fin stock. Two fin designs are tested using dynamic dip testing method and a small wind tunnel. The data from the quantitative results and the visualization tests clearly show that the drainage channels reduce the condensate retention for one of the fin designs. The results also provide a comparison between drainage channels based on their geometry and dimensions.

In spite of its proven advantage, realization of affordable multi-functional phased-arrays, combining multiple communication apertures, is hindered by size, weight, and power consumption (SWaP) and cost issues. Incremental improvements in both transmit and receive analog RF chains are being pursued. However, it is difficult to expect revolutionary advances in phased array SWaP using architectures based on state-of-the-art analog component efficiencies and performances. These difficulties are very pronounced for the multi-band, multi-beam applications often found in modern MILSATCOM mobile and shipboard systems such as the Army's HC-3, Navy's NMT and Integrated Topside and Air Force's FAB-T programs. Dramatic improvements in single or multi-purpose large phased array apertures require a breakthrough technology. HYPRES has been developing superconductor wideband Digital-RF technology - a disruptive technological innovation capable of enabling dramatic change in communication architectures. Impressive results through recent live demonstrations have been achieved in proving that Digital-RF technology can be practically applied to next generation communication systems. Recent advances in direct conversion Digital-RF technology show that affordable, reliable, large multi-purpose phased arrays for communications, radar, and electronic warfare can be a reality.

2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) is a post emergence herbicide. The tests were conducted to study the toxicity of 2,4-D using EC50 value in four dilutions. 2,4-D was applied at concentration of 25, 50, 75, 100, 200 and 300 mg l(-1) in the potato Dextrose agar medium. The effect of this herbicide was evaluated as the colony forming unit (CFU). EC50 value for 10(-3) dilution of soil was 138 +/- 5.944 mg l(-1). Soil physico-chemical parameters and mycofloral properties were also evaluated. Qualitatively 10 genera of fungi were observed in untreated soil, whereas 4 genera were found in 2,4-D administered dose.

Edge preserved enhancement is of great interest in medical images. Noise present in medical images affects the quality, contrast resolution, and most importantly, texture information and can make post-processing difficult also. An enhancement approach using an adaptive fusion algorithm is proposed which utilizes the features of shearlet transform (ST) and total variation (TV) approach. In the proposed method, three different denoised images processed with TV method, shearlet denoising, and edge information recovered from the remnant of the TV method and processed with the ST are fused adaptively. The result of enhanced images processed with the proposed method helps to improve the visibility and detectability of medical images. For the proposed method, different weights are evaluated from the different variance maps of individual denoised image and the edge extracted information from the remnant of the TV approach. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated by conducting various experiments on both the standard images and different medical images such as computed tomography, magnetic resonance, and ultrasound. Experiments show that the proposed method provides an improvement not only in noise reduction but also in the preservation of more edges and image details as compared to the others.

Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of nutmeg ( Myristica fragrans Houtt) seed extracts were evaluated. Seeds were extracted with acetone, ethanol, methanol, butanol and water. All the extracts have shown significant antioxidant and antimicrobial activities against the tested microorganisms. Among all extracts, acetone extract has shown the highest antioxidant activity. The acetone extract showed 93.12 ± 1.48 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/100 g dry weight total phenolic content, DPPH scavenging activity of 63.04 ± 1.56%, chelating activity of 64.11 ± 2.21% and 74.36 ± 1.94% inhibition of β-carotene bleaching, at 1 mg/mL extract concentration. Out of all extracts, acetone extract was able to exert antimicrobial activity against all tested bacteria and fungi. Acetone extract has shown the strongest antibacterial and antifungal activity with Staphylococcus aureus (13.8 ± 0.42 mm) and Aspergillus niger (14.4 ± 0.37 mm), respectively. GC–MS analysis of acetone extract has revealed the presence of 32 compounds of extract representing 99.49%. Sabinene (28.61%) has shown the highest occurrence in the extract. β-Pinene (10.26), α-pinene (9.72), myristicin (4.30%), isoeugenol (2.72%), p-cymene (1.81%), carvacrol (1.54%), eugenol (0.89%) and β-caryophellene (0.82%) were reported as possible contributor for antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of nutmeg.