The mixed Lagrange time-delay estimation autoregressive (MLTDEAR) model is proposed as a solution to estimate image noise variance. The only information available to the proposed estimator is a corrupted image and the nature of additive white noise. The image autocorrelation function is calculated and used to obtain the MLTDEAR model coefficients; the relationship between the MLTDEAR and linear prediction models is utilized to estimate the model coefficients. The forward-backward prediction is then used to obtain the predictor coefficients; the MLTDEAR model coefficients and prior samples of zero-offset autocorrelation values are next used to predict the power of the noise-free image. Furthermore, the fundamental performance limit of the signal and noise estimation, as derived from the Cramer-Rao inequality, is presented.
Biochemical products have been widely used for treatment of various types of wastewater. The treatment processes with the addition of biochemical products are quite attractive because of their simplicity, minimal use of equipment, they are environmentally friendly and are suitable for the removal of organic pollutants. The purpose of these products is to enhance the activities of beneficial microbes in order to improve treatment performance. This study was carried out to determine the potential of applying biochemical products in assisting and improving the performance of sewage treatment plants. In this study, four biochemical products, namely: Zeolite, Bio-C, Eco-B and Was-D, were applied to the sewage treatment plant. Analyses were carried out on several water quality parameters such as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), suspended solids (SS), oil & grease (O&G), phosphorus (P), ammoniacal nitrogen (AN) and sludge thickness (ST). From the results obtained, it can be seen that the overall performance of the treatment plant improved with most of the parameters studied were found to fulfill the DOE Standard B requirements. The performance of Bio-C was found to give better results than other products.
A new filter is developed for the enhancement of scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. A mixed Lagrange time delay estimation auto-regression (MLTDEAR)-based interpolator is used to provide an estimate of noise variance to a standard Wiener filter. A variety of images are captured and the performance of the filter is shown to surpass the conventional noise filters. As all the information required for processing is extracted from a single image, this method is not constrained by image registration requirements and thus can be applied in real-time in cases where specimen drift is presented in the SEM image.
Intra-axial dermoid cysts are rare intracranial space occupying lesions, more so in the pediatric age group. Dermoid cysts account for about 0.2 to 1.8% of all intracranial tumors and are commonly located in the cisternal spaces, mainly in the cerebellopontine angle and parasellar cisterns. A purely intra-axial position as reported in this paper is quite exceptional.
Owing to the importance of dendritic cells (DC) in the induction and control of immunity, an understanding of their biology is central to the development of potent immunotherapies for cancer, chronic infections, autoimmune disease, and induction of transplantation tolerance. This review surveys the heterogeneity of DC with regards to their phenotype and developmental origin, and how they initiate, modify and regulate the immune response, with emphasis on their maturation, migration, antigen-presentation and interaction with T cells and other immune cells. Much of this knowledge is obtained through research on murine DC. Research on human DC has been hampered by limitations associated with in vitro assays and limited access to human tissues. New approaches on human DC research are required in order to develop novel strategies for the treatment of microbial infections, the control of graft rejection, and the improvement of DC-based immunotherapeutic protocols for autoimmunity, allergy, and cancer.
It is common to see chapters on acid-base physiology state that the goal of acid-base regulatory mechanisms is to maintain the pH of arterial plasma and not arterial Pco(2) (Pa(CO(2))) or plasma HCO(3). A hypothetical situation in which the Pa(CO(2)) of arterial plasma is 80 mmHg and the plasma HCO(3) concentration is 48 mM is presented and analyzed to get over this misconception. As per the modified Henderson equation, the pH of arterial plasma would be 7.4; however, we explain that this may be associated with intracellular acidosis due to intracellular hypercapnia and that derangement of homeostasis is evident from the occurrence of respiratory depression and, eventually, coma in the patient described. This suggests that the ultimate goal of acid-base regulatory mechanisms is not just the maintenance of the pH of arterial plasma but the maintenance of the steady-state pH of intracellular fluid as well.
A mycological medium was developed for primary isolation and culture of lipophilic yeasts. It was initially based on published information of nutrients and trace components that would promote the growth of these yeasts. It was subsequently modified and adjusted to specifically promote the growth of lipophilic yeasts and simultaneously avoid the luxurious growth of other fungi and bacteria. With this medium, the conventional bacteriological procedures such as microbial streaking for pure culture and anti-microbial sensitivity testing could be carried out for these lipophilic yeasts.
Oil palm empty fruit bunch fiber is a lignocellulosic waste from palm oil mills. It is a potential source of xylose which can be used as a raw material for production of xylitol, a high value product. The increasing interest on use of lignocellulosic waste for bioconversion to fuels and chemicals is justifiable as these materials are low cost, renewable and widespread sources of sugars. The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of H(2)SO(4) concentration, reaction temperature and reaction time for production of xylose. Batch reactions were carried out under various reaction temperature, reaction time and acid concentrations and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was followed to optimize the hydrolysis process in order to obtain high xylose yield. The optimum reaction temperature, reaction time and acid concentration found were 119 degrees C, 60 min and 2%, respectively. Under these conditions xylose yield and selectivity were found to be 91.27% and 17.97 g/g, respectively.
The School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia (SHS) is planning to expand its contribution to produce more graduate nurses by offering a nursing degree through e-learning. After three years of using e-learning by four lecturers in seven nursing courses, we conducted a study to get the lecturers feedback and to compare the students' preference and their actual experiences in e-learning. Lecturers' feedback were collected based on six open-ended questions. Feedback from all the 36 final year nursing students were collected using Constructivist On-line Learning Environment Survey (COLLES)--the Student Experience/Preferred Form. Results show that lecturers and students have positive perception on e-learning. They perceive e-learning as a powerful and effective tool for expanding nursing education to meet the demand for a labour force that is knowledgeable, highly skilled and equipped with positive values. We believe blended learning is the most suitable approach to implement e-learning and social constructivism theory provides the dynamic view of learning. To increase success in e-learning implementation for the nursing programme, lecturers should be educated regarding proper instructional design so that their content delivery blends well with the technology and pedagogy.
Many medical examinations involve acquisition of a large series of slice images for 3D reconstruction of the organ of interest. With the paperless hospital concept and telemedicine, there is very heavy utilization of limited electronic storage and transmission bandwidth. This paper proposes model-based compression to reduce the load on such resources, as well as aid diagnosis through the 3D reconstruction of the structures of interest, for images acquired by various modalities, such as MRI, Ultrasound, CT, PET etc. and stored in the DICOM file format. An example implementation for the biliary track in MRCP images is illustrated in the paper. Significant compression gains may be derived from the proposed method, and a suitable mixture of the models and raw images would enhance the patient medical history archives as the models may be stored in the DICOM file format used in most medical archiving systems.
In this paper, an algorithm based on independent component analysis (ICA) for extracting the fetal heart rate (FHR) from maternal abdominal electrodes is presented. Three abdominal ECG channels are used to extract the FHR in three steps: first preprocessing procedures such as DC cancellation and low-pass filtering are applied to remove noise. Then the algorithm for multiple unknown source extraction (AMUSE) algorithm is fed to extract the sources from the observation signals include fetal ECG (FECG). Finally, FHR is extracted from FECG. The method is shown to be capable of completely revealing FECG R-peaks from observation leads even with a SNR=-200dB using semi-synthetic data.
Restoring the intestinal continuity of an acquired massive cervico-thoracic oesophagus defect is a reconstructive challenge. A case requiring such defect restoration following a failed pedicled colonic interposition bypass graft between the cervical oesophagus and stomach for an intra-thoracic oesophageal perforation is presented. The defect between the oesophagostome at the lower left neck and the stoma of the colonic stump at the lower left chest measured about 20 cm. An ante-thoracic skin-tube neo-esophagus was constructed in two stages using a pedicled contralateral right deltopectoral skin flap and a pedicled ipsilateral island left latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap (LD MC flap). A normal swallowing mechanism was re-established.
Environmental terrestrial gamma radiation dose rates were measured throughout Melaka, Malaysia, over a period of two years, with the objective of establishing baseline data on the background radiation level. Results obtained are shown in tabular, graphic and cartographic form. The values of terrestrial gamma radiation dose rate vary significantly over different soil types and for different underlying geological characteristics present in the study area. The values ranged from 54 +/- 5 to 378 +/- 38 nGy h(-1). The highest terrestrial gamma dose rates were measured over soil types of granitic origin and in areas with underlying geological characteristics of an acid intrusive (undifferentiated) type. An isodose map of terrestrial gamma dose rate in Melaka was drawn by using the GIS application 'Arc View'. This was based on data collected using a NaI(Tl) scintillation detector survey meter. The measurements were taken at 542 locations. Three small 'hot spots' were found where the dose rates were more than 350 nGy h(-1). The mean dose rates in the main population areas in the mukims (parishes) of Bukit Katil, Sungai Udang, Batu Berendam, Bukit Baru and Bandar Melaka were 154 +/- 15, 161 +/- 16, 160 +/- 16, 175 +/- 18 and 176 +/- 18 nGy h(-1), respectively. The population-weighted mean dose rate throughout Melaka state is 172 +/- 17 nGy h(-1). This is lower than the geographical mean dose rate of 183 +/- 54 nGy h(-1). The lower value arises from the fact that most of the population lives in the central area of the state where the lithology is dominated by sedimentary rocks consisting of shale, mudstone, phyllite, slate, hornfels, sandstone and schist of Devonian origin which have lower associated dose rates. The mean annual effective dose to the population from outdoor terrestrial gamma radiation was estimated to be 0.21 mSv. This value is higher than the world average of 0.07 mSv.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are present in both gaseous and particulate phases. These compounds are considered to be atmospheric contaminants and are human carcinogens. Many studies have monitored atmospheric particulate and gaseous phases of PAH in Asia over the past 5 years. This work compares and discusses different sample collection, pretreatment and analytical methods. The main PAH sources are traffic exhausts (AcPy, FL, Flu, PA, Pyr, CHR, BeP) and industrial emissions (BaP, BaA, PER, BeP, COR, CYC). PAH concentrations are highest in areas of traffic, followed by the urban sites, and lowest in rural sites. Meteorological conditions, such as temperature, wind speed and humidity, strongly affect PAH concentrations at all sampling sites. This work elucidates the characteristics, sources and distribution, and the healthy impacts of atmospheric PAH species in Asia.
The aim of this study was to screen and identify the types of thalassemia among blood donors at the Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM). Thalassemia screening was performed by hemoglobin electrophoresis. A total number of 80 blood samples were obtained from donors at the Transfusion Medicine Unit, HUSM. The ethnic origins of the donors were Malays (n=73, 91.3%) and non-Malays (n=7, 8.75%). Males comprised 88.1% of the donors. Thalassemia was detected in 16.25% (n=13) of the blood donors. Of those with thalassemia, 46.2% (6/13) were anemic. Microcytosis and hypochromia were detected in 84.6% (n=l1) and 84.6% (n=l1) of these donors, respectively. The types of thalassemias detected were Hb E, 11.25% (n=9/80) and beta thalassemia trait, 5% (n=4/80). Among the thalassemias detected, the Hb E hemoglobinopathy was comprised of Hb E/ alpha-thalassemia (38.5%: n=5), Hb E /beta-thalassemia (23.1%: n=3), Hb E trait (7.6%: n=1) and beta-thalassemia (30.8%: n=4). In conclusion, screening for thalassemia trait should be included as part of a standard blood testing before blood donation. Further studies are required to look at the effects of donated thalassemic blood.
Hysterectomy is performed for a wide range of benign and malignant conditions, such as fibroids, menorrhagia and pelvic pain, and gynaecological malignancies. One in four women has a chance of undergoing hysterectomy in her lifetime. Conventionally abdominal hysterectomy is done through the open approach. However, many patients assume that the modern laparoscopic hysterectomy is superior to the standard approach. Laparoscopic surgical centres are mushrooming in major cities. This article presents ethical considerations involved in the decision-making process of choosing from the surgical options available.