Brazil’s deforestation monitoring integrates accuracy and current monitoring for land use and land cover applications.Regular monitoring of deforestation and non-deforestation requires Sentinel-2 multispectral satell...Brazil’s deforestation monitoring integrates accuracy and current monitoring for land use and land cover applications.Regular monitoring of deforestation and non-deforestation requires Sentinel-2 multispectral satellite images of several bands at various frequencies,the mix of high-and low-resolution images that make object classification difficult because of the mixed pixel problem.Accuracy is impacted by the mixed pixel problem,which occurs when pixels belong to different classes and makes detection challenging.To identify mixed pixels,Band Math is used to merge numerous bands to generate a new band NDVI.Thresholding is used to analyze the edges of deforested and non-deforested areas.Segmentation is then used to analyze the pixels which helps to identify the number of mixed pixels to compute the deforested and non-deforested areas.Segmented image pixels are used to categorize the deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon Forest between 2019 and 2023.Verify how many pixels are mixed to improve accuracy and identify mixed pixel issues;compare the mixed and pure pixels of fuzzy clustering with the subtracted morphological image pixels.With the help of segmentation and clustering researchers effectively validate mixed pixels in a specific area.The proposed methodology is easy to analyze and helpful for an appropriate calculation of deforested and non-deforested areas.展开更多
Land use change ranks as the second most significant human-made factor affecting climate,following greenhouse gas emissions.Patna is rapidly expanding cities in Bihar state.Urbanization caused substantial alterations ...Land use change ranks as the second most significant human-made factor affecting climate,following greenhouse gas emissions.Patna is rapidly expanding cities in Bihar state.Urbanization caused substantial alterations in land use patterns in Patna,driven by its rapid urban growth and increasing population.Urbanization and population growth caused a rapid increase in built structures to cater the demand,which caused reduction in vegetation,water body,and wasteland cover,due to which land cover changed.Land cover change detection plays a vital role in identifying its impact on diurnal temperature range(DTR).To study the impact,land use/land cover change map for the city is produced from Landsat images for the study area Patna during 1995 to 2023.The supervised classification method is used to identify substantial changes in vegetation cover during 1995 and 2023 as a result of changes in land use and land cover.Landsat image supervised classification shows a growth of 47.80 percent in built-up areas in the last 28 years in the city of Patna.The classified image also shows a consistent decline of 31.74 percent in vegetation cover over the period of 28 years.Urbanization-driven changes in land use and land cover have led to a significant decrease of 20.24 percent in the near-surface DTR,average decrease of 12.54 percent in maximum temperature and an increase of 75.68 percent in minimum temperature of the city.The study offers scientific insights into how urbanization and human activities are impacting the eco-environment of the city.展开更多
The combining microelectronic devices and associated technologies onto a single silicon chip poses a substantial challenge.However,in recent years,the area of silicon photonics has experienced remarkable advancements ...The combining microelectronic devices and associated technologies onto a single silicon chip poses a substantial challenge.However,in recent years,the area of silicon photonics has experienced remarkable advancements and notable leaps in performance.The performance of silicon on insulator(SOI)based photonic devices,such as fast silicon optical modulators,photonic transceivers,optical filters,etc.,have been discussed.This would be a step forward in creating standalone silicon photonic devices,strengthening the possibility of single on-chip nanophotonic integrated circuits.Suppose an integrated silicon photonic chip is designed and fabricated.In that case,it might drastically modify these combined photonic component costs,power consumption,and size,bringing substantial,perhaps revolutionary,changes to the next-generation communications sector.Yet,the monolithic integration of photonic and electrical circuitry is a significant technological difficulty.A complicated set of factors must be carefully considered to determine which application will have the best chance of success employing silicon-based integrated product solutions.The processing limitations connected to the current process flow,the process generation(sometimes referred to as lithography node generation),and packaging requirements are a few of these factors to consider.This review highlights recent developments in integrated silicon photonic devices and their proven applications,including but not limited to photonic waveguides,photonic amplifiers and filters,onchip photonic transceivers,and the state-of-the-art of silicon photonic in multidimensional quantum systems.The investigated devices aim to expedite the transfer of silicon photonics from academia to industry by opening the next phase in on-chip silicon photonics and enabling the application of silicon photonic-based devices in various optical systems.展开更多
BACKGROUND Total hip arthroplasty(THA)has increased along with an increasing demand for improved quality of life.Combined with prolonged life expectancy,the number of revision surgeries is expected to increase.Stress ...BACKGROUND Total hip arthroplasty(THA)has increased along with an increasing demand for improved quality of life.Combined with prolonged life expectancy,the number of revision surgeries is expected to increase.Stress shielding is a significant issue with traditional femoral stems used in THA,making revision surgeries particularly challenging in younger patients.This has sparked renewed interest in studying safety and functional outcomes of short metaphyseal femoral stems,which have the potential to alleviate these challenges and simplify revision surgeries.AIM To evaluate the long-term outcomes of short-stem THA.METHODS A total of 124 hips that underwent THA using the short femoral stem(TRILOCK®Depuy)between May 2006 and November 2008 were included in this study.Patients were followed for a period of 15 years.Outcomes were assessed in terms of pain relief,hip joint range of motion,improvement in mobility,and functional outcomes using the modified Harris Hip Score,Oxford hip score,and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis index score.RESULTS A total of 124 hips in 98 patients were evaluated.Significant improvements in functional outcomes were observed over the 15-year follow-up period,with no cases of subsidence,implant loosening,or complications necessitating revision surgery.The only complication reported was heterotopic ossification in 1 patient.CONCLUSION Short metaphyseal stems provide better functional outcomes with early mobilization,and its long-term follow-up without subsidence,implant loosening,or proximal femoral bone loss simplifies revision surgery in younger patients.展开更多
Deforestation is the purpose of converting forest into land and reforestation compared to deforestation is very low.That’s why closely and accurately deforestation monitoring using Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellite...Deforestation is the purpose of converting forest into land and reforestation compared to deforestation is very low.That’s why closely and accurately deforestation monitoring using Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellite images for better vision is required.This paper proposes an effective image fusion technique that combines S-1/2 data to improve the deforested areas.Based on review,Optical and SAR image fusion produces high-resolution images for better de-forestation monitoring.To enhance the S-1/2 images,preprocessing is needed as per requirements and then,collocation between the two different types of images to mitigate the image registration problem,and after that,apply an image fu-sion machine learning approach,PCA-Wavelet.As per analysis,PCA helps to maintain spatial resolution,and Wavelet helps to preserve spectral resolution,gives better-fused images compared to other techniques.As per results,2019 S-2 pre-22 processed collocated image enhances 42.2508 km deforested area,S-1 preprocessed collocated image enhances 23.7918 km^(2) deforested area,and after fusion of the 2019 S-1/2 images,it enhances 16.5335 km deforested area.Similarly,the 20232 S-2 preprocessed collocated image enhances 49.2216 km deforested area,S-1 preprocessed collocated image enhances 2223.8459 km deforested area after fusion of the 2023 S-1/2 images,enhancing 35.9185 km deforested area.These im-provements show that combining data sources gives a clearer and more reliable picture of forest loss over time.The overall paper objective is to apply effective techniques for image fusion of Brazil’s Amazon Forest and analyze the difference between collocated image pixels and fused image pixels for accurate analysis of deforested area.展开更多
The process of turning forest area into land is known as deforestation or forest degradation. Reforestation as a fraction of deforestation is extremely low. For improved qualitative and quantitative classification, we...The process of turning forest area into land is known as deforestation or forest degradation. Reforestation as a fraction of deforestation is extremely low. For improved qualitative and quantitative classification, we used Sentinel-1 dataset of State of Para, Brazil to precisely and closely monitor deforestation between June 2019 and June 2023. This research aimed to find out suitable model for classification called Satellite Imaging analysis by Transpose deep neural transformation network (SIT-net) using mathematical model based on Band math approach to classify deforestation applying transpose deep neural network. The main advantage of proposed model is easy to handle SAR images. The study concludes that SAR satellite gives high-resolution images to improve deforestation monitoring and proposed model takes less computational time compared to other techniques.展开更多
Elliptic Curve Cryptography recently gained a lot of attention in industry. The principal attraction of ECC compared to RSA is that it offers equal security for a smaller key size. The present paper includes the study...Elliptic Curve Cryptography recently gained a lot of attention in industry. The principal attraction of ECC compared to RSA is that it offers equal security for a smaller key size. The present paper includes the study of two elliptic curve and defined over the ring where . After showing isomorphism between and , we define a composition operation (in the form of a mapping) on their union set. Then we have discussed our proposed cryptographic schemes based on the elliptic curve . We also illustrate the coding of points over E, secret key exchange and encryption/decryption methods based on above said elliptic curve. Since our proposed schemes are based on elliptic curve of the particular type, therefore the proposed schemes provides a highest strength-per-bit of any cryptosystem known today with smaller key size resulting in faster computations, lower power assumption and memory. Another advantage is that authentication protocols based on ECC are secure enough even if a small key size is used.展开更多
AIM:To study the role of survivin expression induced by chemotherapy agent (doxorubicin) in the development and anti-chemotherapy of cholangiocarcinoma.METHODS:Expression of survivin was detected by SP immunohistochem...AIM:To study the role of survivin expression induced by chemotherapy agent (doxorubicin) in the development and anti-chemotherapy of cholangiocarcinoma.METHODS:Expression of survivin was detected by SP immunohistochemical technique in 33 cases of cholangiocarcinorna,28 cases of adjacent noncancerous bile duct, and 5 cases of benign bile duct lesions. Low concentration of doxorubicin (0.05mg/l) was added in cultured cholangiocarcinoma cell line (QBC939). The expression of survivin was detected by RT-PCR and Western blot at 24h and 48h after adding doxorubicin.RESULTS:Survivin was expressed in 24 of 33 cholangiocarcinoma cases (72.7%).In contrast,no expression of survivin in adjacent noncancerous and benign bile duct lesions was observed (P<0.01). No correlation was found between survivin expression and clinical features.Doxorubicin could markedly (P<0.001) up-regulate survivin mRNA and protein expression of QBC939 cells.CONCLUSION:Overexpression of survivin in cholangiocarcinomas may play an important role in the development of cholangiocarcinoma, its relationship with prognosis of cholangiocarcinoma deserves further investigation. Higher expression of survivin is induced by doxorubicin in QBC939.Survivin expression may resist apoptosis induced by chemotherapy agents.展开更多
AIM:To investigate the in vitro antitumor effect of adenovirus-mediated small interfering RNAs(siRNAs)on pancreatic cancer and the associated mechanism.METHODS:A 63-nucleotide(nt)oligonucleotide encoding K-rasval12 an...AIM:To investigate the in vitro antitumor effect of adenovirus-mediated small interfering RNAs(siRNAs)on pancreatic cancer and the associated mechanism.METHODS:A 63-nucleotide(nt)oligonucleotide encoding K-rasval12 and specific siRNA were introduced into pSilencer 3.1-H1,then the H1-RNA promoter and siRNA coding insert were subcloned into pAdTrack to get plasmid pAdTrackH1-Avasval12.After homologous recombination in bacteria and transfections of such plasmids into a mammalian packaging cell line 293,siRNA expressing adenovirus Adh1-K-rasval12 was obtained.Stable suppression of K-rasval12 was detected by Northern blot and Western blot.Apoptosis in Panc-1 cells was detected by flow cytometry.RESULTS:We obtained adenovirus AdHl-K-rasval12 carrying the pSilencer 3.1-H1 cassette,which could mediate gene silencing.Through siRNA targeted K-rasval12,the oncogenic phenotype of cancer cells was reversed.Flow cytometry showed that apoptotic index of Panc-1 cells was significantly higher in the AdH1-K-rasval12-treatment group(18.70%at 72 h post-infection,49.55%at 96 h post-infection)compared to the control groups(3.47%,3.98%at 72 and 96 h post-infection of AdH1-empty,respectively;4.21%,3.78%at 72 and 96 h post-infection of AdHl-p53,respectively)(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:These results demonstrate that adenoviral vectors can be used to mediate RNA interference(RNAi)to induce persistent loss of functional phenotypes.In gene therapy,the selective down-regulation of only the mutant version of a gene allows for highly specific effects on tumor cells,while leaving the normal cells untouched.In addition,the apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cell line Panc-1 can be induced after AdH1-K-rasval12 infection.This kind of adenovirus based on RNAi might be a promising vector for cancer therapy.展开更多
Rice bran oil(RBO)is unique among edible vegetable oils because of its unique fatty acid composition,phenolic compound(γ-oryzanol,ferulic acid)and vitamin E(tocopherol and tocotrienol).It has become a great choice of...Rice bran oil(RBO)is unique among edible vegetable oils because of its unique fatty acid composition,phenolic compound(γ-oryzanol,ferulic acid)and vitamin E(tocopherol and tocotrienol).It has become a great choice of cooking oil because of its very high burning point,neutral taste and delicate flavour.Non-conventional methods of RBO extraction are more efficient and environmentally friendly than conventional extraction methods.Advances in RBO extraction using innovative extraction strategies like super/sub-critical CO_(2),microwave-assisted,subcritical H_(2)O,enzyme-assisted aqueous and ultrasoundassisted aqueous extraction methods have proven to significantly improve the yields along with improved nutritional profile of RBO.The compositions and strategies for stabilization of RBO are well discussed.The constituents are present in the RBO contribute to antioxidative,anti-inflammatory,antimicrobial,antidiabetic and anti-cancerous properties to RBO.This has helped RBO to become an important substrate for the application in food(cooking oil,milk product and meat product)and non-food industries(polymer,lubricant,biofuel,structural lipid and cosmetic).This review provided comprehensive information on RBO extraction methods,oil stabilization,existing applications and health benefits.展开更多
AIM: To investigate the therapeutic effect of somatostatin receptor type 2 (SSTR2) gene transfection on pancreatic carcinoma xenografts in vivo in experimental cancers. METHODS: Human pancreatic cancer cell line Panc-...AIM: To investigate the therapeutic effect of somatostatin receptor type 2 (SSTR2) gene transfection on pancreatic carcinoma xenografts in vivo in experimental cancers. METHODS: Human pancreatic cancer cell line Panc-1 was inoculated subcutaneously into the back of nude mice. When tumor nodules were grown as large as about 5 mmx5 mm days after inoculation, the mice were randomly divided into 3 groups (6 mice in each group). Group Ⅰ served as untreated control group. Group Ⅱ received an intratumoral injection of a combination of human cytomegalovirus promoter-6C (pCMV-6C) and lipofectamine 2000. Group Ⅲ received an intratumoral injection of a combination of pCMV-6C-SSTR2 and lipofectamine 2000. The rate of tumor growth was compared among these three groups. The expression of SSTR2 in these tumors was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western-blot. Apoptosis index (AI) in these tumors was examined by using TUNEL in situ. RESULTS: Intratumoral injection of a combination of pCMV-6C-SSTR2 and lipofectamine 2000 resulted in the expression of SSTR2 protein. The tumor size and weight in group Ⅲ (0.318±0.098 cm3, and 0.523±0.090 g, respectively) were significantly lower than those in group I (2.058±0.176 cms, and 1.412±0.146 g, respectively) and group Ⅱ (2.025±0.163 cm3, and 1.365±0.116 g, respectively) (P<0.05) The AI in group Ⅲ (1.47±0.13%) was significantly higher than that in groupⅠ(0.56±0.09%) and group Ⅱ (0.57±0.11%) (P<0.05). But there were no significant differences between groups Ⅰ and Ⅱ. CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrate that re-expression of SSTR2 gene has antitumor effects on experimental pancreatic cancer. Restoration of SSTR2 gene expression through gene transfer in vivo might be a potential gene therapy strategy for human pancreatic cancer.展开更多
AIMTo compare the safety and efficacy of phacoemulsification and small incision cataract surgery (SICS) in patients with uveitic cataract.METHODSIn a prospective, randomized multi-centric study, consecutive patients w...AIMTo compare the safety and efficacy of phacoemulsification and small incision cataract surgery (SICS) in patients with uveitic cataract.METHODSIn a prospective, randomized multi-centric study, consecutive patients with uveitic cataract were randomized to receive phacoemulsification or manual SICS by either of two surgeons well versed with both the techniques. A minimum inflammation free period of 3mo (defined as less than 5 cells per high power field in anterior chamber) was a pre-requisite for eligibility for surgery. Superior scleral tunnel incisions were used for both techniques. Improvement in visual acuity post-operatively was the primary outcome measure and the rate of post-operative complications and surgical time were secondary outcome measures, respectively. Means of groups were compared using t-tests. One way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used when there were more than two groups. Chi-square tests were used for proportions. Kaplan Meyer survival analysis was done and means for survival time was estimated at 95% confidence interval (CI). A P value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.RESULTSOne hundred and twenty-six of 139 patients (90.6%) completed the 6-month follow-up. Seven patients were lost in follow up and another six excluded due to either follow-up less than six months (n=1) or inability implant an intraocular lens (IOL) because of insufficient capsular support following posterior capsule rupture (n=5). There was significant improvement in vision after both the procedures (paired t-test; P<0.001). On first postoperative day, uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) was 20/63 or better in 31 (47%) patients in Phaco group and 26 (43.3%) patients in SICS group (P=0.384). The mean surgically induced astigmatism (SIA) was 0.86±0.34 dioptres (D) in the phacoemulsification group and 1.16±0.28 D in SICS group. The difference between the groups was significant (t-test, P=0.002). At 6mo, corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) was 20/60 or better in 60 (90.9%) patients in Phaco group and 53 (88.3%) in the manual SICS group (P=0.478). The mean surgical time was significantly shorter in the manual SICS group (10.8±2.9 versus 13.2±2.6min) (P<0.001). Oral prednisolone, 1 mg/kg body weight was given 7d prior to surgery, continued post-operatively and tapered according to the inflammatory response over 4-6wk in patients with previously documented macular edema, recurrent uveitis, chronic anterior uveitis and intermediate uveitis. Rate of complications like macular edema (Chi-square, P=0.459), persistent uveitis (Chi-square, P=0.289) and posterior capsule opacification (Chi-square, P=0.474) were comparable between both the groups.CONCLUSIONManual SICS and phacoemulsification do not differ significantly in complication rates and final CDVA outcomes. However, manual SICS is significantly faster. It may be the preferred technique in settings where surgical volume is high and access to phacoemulsification is limited, such as in eye camps. It may also be the appropriate technique for uveitic cataract under such circumstances.展开更多
Submerged arc welding(SAW), owing to its high deposition rate and high welding quality, is widely used in the fabrication of pressure vessel, marine vessel, pipelines and offshore structures. However, selection of an ...Submerged arc welding(SAW), owing to its high deposition rate and high welding quality, is widely used in the fabrication of pressure vessel, marine vessel, pipelines and offshore structures. However, selection of an optimum combination of welding parameters is critical in achieving high weld quality and productivity. In this work, initially, the SAW experiments were performed using fractional factorial design to analyze the effect of direct and indirect input parameters, namely, welding voltage, wire feed rate,welding speed, nozzle to plate distance, flux condition, and plate thickness on weld bead geometrical responses viz. bead width, reinforcement, and penetration. The bead on plate technique was used to deposit weld metal on AISI 1023 steel plates. The effect of SAW input parameters on response variables were analyzed using main and interaction effects. The linear regression was used to develop the mathematical models for the response variable. Then, the multi-objective optimization of input parameters was carried out using desirability approach, genetic algorithm and Jaya algorithm. The Jaya algorithm offered better optimization results as compared to desirability approach, genetic algorithm.展开更多
AIM： To confirm the presence of recombination, fulllength hepatitis B virus （HBV） from chronic patients was sequenced and analyzed. METHODS： Full-length HBV genomes from 12 patients were amplified and sequenced in...AIM： To confirm the presence of recombination, fulllength hepatitis B virus （HBV） from chronic patients was sequenced and analyzed. METHODS： Full-length HBV genomes from 12 patients were amplified and sequenced in an automated sequencer. Phylogenetic analysis was carried out on full-length, Core and preS2/Surface regions using MEGA software. SimPIot Boot Scanning and amino acid sequence analysis were performed for confirmation of recombination. RESULTS： Eight patients were infected with genotype D strain; one patient with genotype A and three patients had genotype A and D recombination; two of them had cirrhosis and one had hepatocellular carcinoma. Phylogenetic analysis of core and preS2/surface regions separately showed evidence of genotype A and D recombination. The breakpoints of recombination were found to be at the start of preS2 and at the endof surface coding regions. CONCLUSION： We identified and characterized recombinant A and D genotype HBV in hepatitis B surface antigen （HBsAg）-positive patients.展开更多
A polyclonal antibody-based antigen-capture ELISA （AC-ELISA） has been developed for detection of Canine parvovirus （CPV） antigens in faecal samples of dogs. The assay uses rabbit anti-CPV polyclonal antibody as th...A polyclonal antibody-based antigen-capture ELISA （AC-ELISA） has been developed for detection of Canine parvovirus （CPV） antigens in faecal samples of dogs. The assay uses rabbit anti-CPV polyclonal antibody as the capture antibody, guinea pig anti-CPV polyclonal antibody as tracing antibody and anti-guinea pig HRPO conjugate as the detection system. The optimum dilution of the capture antibody and the tracing antibody capable of detecting the CPV-2 antigens was found to be 1：1 600 and 1：400, respectively, in the check-board titration. In this study, a total of 152 samples （129 faecal samples and 23 cell culture supernatant） were tested both by AC-ELISA and by polymerase chain reaction （PCR）. Of the samples tested, 69 and 78 samples were found positive by AC-ELISA and PCR, respectively. The AC-ELISA had relative sensitivity, relative specificity and accuracy of 88.4%, 100.0% and 91.4% respectively. The analytical sensitivity of AC-ELISA was estimated to be 102.8 TCID50/mL whereas PCR sensitivity was 100.8 TCIDs0/mL. The AC-ELISA is a simple, quick and reliable method for screening large numbers of faecal samples of dogs suspected of CPV infection.展开更多
The determination of seismic attenuation （s） （dB/cm） is a challenging task in earthquake science. This article employs genetic programming （GP） and minimax probability machine regression （MPMR） for prediction ...The determination of seismic attenuation （s） （dB/cm） is a challenging task in earthquake science. This article employs genetic programming （GP） and minimax probability machine regression （MPMR） for prediction of s. GP is developed based on genetic algo- rithm. MPMR maximizes the minimum probability of future predictions being within some bound of the true regression function. Porosity （n） （%）, permeability （k） （millidarcy）, grain size （d） （μm）, and clay content （c） （%） have been considered as inputs of GP and MPMR. The output of GP and MPMR is s. The developed GP gives an equation for prediction of s. The results of GP and MPMR have been compared with the artificial neural net- work. This article gives robust models based on GP and MPMR for prediction of s.展开更多
The evolution in communication techniques has created wide threats for crucial information transfer through a communication channel. Covert communication with steganography is a skill of concealing secret information ...The evolution in communication techniques has created wide threats for crucial information transfer through a communication channel. Covert communication with steganography is a skill of concealing secret information within cover object and hence shields the data theft over rapidly growing network.Recently, diverse steganography techniques using edge identification have been proposed in literature.Numerous methods however utilize certain pixels in the cover image for inserting edge information,resulting in significant deformation. The conventional edge detection method limits the deployment of edge detection in steganography as concealing the information would introduce some variations to the cover image. Hence inserting data in pixel areas recognized by existing conventional edge detection techniques like canny cannot ensure the recognition of the exact edge locations for the cover and stego images. In this paper, an Adaptive steganography method based on novel fuzzy edge identification is proposed. The method proposed is proficient of estimating the precise edge areas of a cover image and also ensures the exact edge location after embedding the secret message. Experimental results reveal that the technique has attained good imperceptibility compared to the Hayat AI-Dmour and Ahmed AIAni Edge XOR method in spatial domain.展开更多
BACKGROUND: Treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) alone with interferon or lamivudine alone or in combination is effective in only a small proportion of patients. Treatment of patients in whom antiviral therapy fails...BACKGROUND: Treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) alone with interferon or lamivudine alone or in combination is effective in only a small proportion of patients. Treatment of patients in whom antiviral therapy fails is challenging. This study was made to determine the efficacy of combined pegylated interferon alpha (peg-IFN) and lamivudine in patients with CHB who had failed to respond to antiviral treatment. METHODS: Twenty patients with CHB proven by liver biopsy, with ALT levels >1.5×ULN,HBV DNA levels>141 500 copies/ml, and previous treatment failure with an adequate regimen were treated with a combination of peg-IFN 1.5μg/kg and lamivudine 100 mg/day for 52 weeks and followed up for a further 24 weeks. Biochemical response was defined as normalization of ALT and DNA response as HBV DNA<141 500 copies/ml. Secondary efficacy measures included HBsAg loss, HBeAg loss and appearance of anti-HBe (in cases of HBeAg-positive patients). RESULTS: Twenty patients were treated, of whom 16 were HBeAg positive. At 52 weeks, normal ALT was seen in 10 (50%) (8 of 16 HBeAg+ and 2 of 4 HBeAg), HBV DNA response in 5 (25%) (5 of 16 in HBeAg+ and none in HBeAg-), and HBeAg loss with appearance of anti-HBe in 5 (31.3%) of the 16 HBeAg positive patients. At 76 weeks, 8 (80%) of the 10 patients with normal ALT at 52 weeks relapsed, with normal ALT only in 2 (10%) (1 of 16 HBeAg+ and 1 of 4 HBeAg-), and all 5 patients who had a DNA response at 52 weeks relapsed at 76 weeks and had no DNA response. HBeAg loss with appearance of anti-HBe was seen in 1 (6.3%) of 16 HBeAg-positive patients. None of the patients lost HBsAg. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of peg-IFN and lamivudine for 52 weeks is not effective for treatment of CHB patients with a failed treatment. New treatment strategies need to be developed.展开更多
Quantitative safety assessment of safety systems plays an important role in decision making at all stages of system lifecycle, i.e., design, deployment and phase out. Most safety assessment methods consider only syste...Quantitative safety assessment of safety systems plays an important role in decision making at all stages of system lifecycle, i.e., design, deployment and phase out. Most safety assessment methods consider only system parameters, such as configuration, hazard rate, coverage, repair rate, etc. along with periodic proof-tests （or inspection）. Not considering demand rate will give a pessimistic safety estimate for an application with low demand rate such as nuclear power plants, chemical plants, etc. In this paper, a basic model of IEC 61508 is used. The basic model is extended to incorporate process demand and behavior of electronic- and/or computer-based system following diagnosis or proof-test. A new safety index, probability of failure on actual demand （PFAD） based on extended model and demand rate is proposed. Periodic proof-test makes the model semi-Markovian, so a piece-wise continuous time Markov chain （CTMC） based method is used to derive mean state probabilities of elementary or aggregated state. Method to determine probability of failure on demand （PFD） （IEC 61508） and PFAD based on these state probabilities are described. In example, safety indices of PFD and PFAD are compared.展开更多
To evaluate the response to lime on cultivars of ricebean(Vigna umbellata), a field experiment was conducted during the two consecutive rabi seasons of 2010–2011 and 2011–2012 in the Nagaland foothills, India. The e...To evaluate the response to lime on cultivars of ricebean(Vigna umbellata), a field experiment was conducted during the two consecutive rabi seasons of 2010–2011 and 2011–2012 in the Nagaland foothills, India. The experiment used a split-plot design with four levels of lime(control, 0.2, 0.4and 0.6 t ha-1) in main plots and four ricebean cultivars(RBS-16, RBS-53, PRR-2, and RCRB-4) in sub-plots with three replicates. The results revealed that increasing levels of lime(in the furrow)from 0 to 0.6 t ha-1significantly increased growth, yield attributes and yield. The quality parameters of ricebean were also influenced significantly by the application of lime. Maximum gross return(INR 39,098 ha-1), net return(INR 27,281 ha-1), benefit:cost(B:C) ratio(2.29),production efficiency, and economic efficiency were also realized with the application of lime at 0.6 t ha-1. Among the ricebean cultivars, RBS-53 produced significantly higher growth, yield attributes, grain yield, straw yield, biological yield, and harvest index. Similarly, yield and protein content were higher in RBS-53. Maximum gross return, net return, B:C ratio, production efficiency, and economic efficiency were observed for RBS-53.展开更多
文摘Brazil’s deforestation monitoring integrates accuracy and current monitoring for land use and land cover applications.Regular monitoring of deforestation and non-deforestation requires Sentinel-2 multispectral satellite images of several bands at various frequencies,the mix of high-and low-resolution images that make object classification difficult because of the mixed pixel problem.Accuracy is impacted by the mixed pixel problem,which occurs when pixels belong to different classes and makes detection challenging.To identify mixed pixels,Band Math is used to merge numerous bands to generate a new band NDVI.Thresholding is used to analyze the edges of deforested and non-deforested areas.Segmentation is then used to analyze the pixels which helps to identify the number of mixed pixels to compute the deforested and non-deforested areas.Segmented image pixels are used to categorize the deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon Forest between 2019 and 2023.Verify how many pixels are mixed to improve accuracy and identify mixed pixel issues;compare the mixed and pure pixels of fuzzy clustering with the subtracted morphological image pixels.With the help of segmentation and clustering researchers effectively validate mixed pixels in a specific area.The proposed methodology is easy to analyze and helpful for an appropriate calculation of deforested and non-deforested areas.
文摘Land use change ranks as the second most significant human-made factor affecting climate,following greenhouse gas emissions.Patna is rapidly expanding cities in Bihar state.Urbanization caused substantial alterations in land use patterns in Patna,driven by its rapid urban growth and increasing population.Urbanization and population growth caused a rapid increase in built structures to cater the demand,which caused reduction in vegetation,water body,and wasteland cover,due to which land cover changed.Land cover change detection plays a vital role in identifying its impact on diurnal temperature range(DTR).To study the impact,land use/land cover change map for the city is produced from Landsat images for the study area Patna during 1995 to 2023.The supervised classification method is used to identify substantial changes in vegetation cover during 1995 and 2023 as a result of changes in land use and land cover.Landsat image supervised classification shows a growth of 47.80 percent in built-up areas in the last 28 years in the city of Patna.The classified image also shows a consistent decline of 31.74 percent in vegetation cover over the period of 28 years.Urbanization-driven changes in land use and land cover have led to a significant decrease of 20.24 percent in the near-surface DTR,average decrease of 12.54 percent in maximum temperature and an increase of 75.68 percent in minimum temperature of the city.The study offers scientific insights into how urbanization and human activities are impacting the eco-environment of the city.
文摘The combining microelectronic devices and associated technologies onto a single silicon chip poses a substantial challenge.However,in recent years,the area of silicon photonics has experienced remarkable advancements and notable leaps in performance.The performance of silicon on insulator(SOI)based photonic devices,such as fast silicon optical modulators,photonic transceivers,optical filters,etc.,have been discussed.This would be a step forward in creating standalone silicon photonic devices,strengthening the possibility of single on-chip nanophotonic integrated circuits.Suppose an integrated silicon photonic chip is designed and fabricated.In that case,it might drastically modify these combined photonic component costs,power consumption,and size,bringing substantial,perhaps revolutionary,changes to the next-generation communications sector.Yet,the monolithic integration of photonic and electrical circuitry is a significant technological difficulty.A complicated set of factors must be carefully considered to determine which application will have the best chance of success employing silicon-based integrated product solutions.The processing limitations connected to the current process flow,the process generation(sometimes referred to as lithography node generation),and packaging requirements are a few of these factors to consider.This review highlights recent developments in integrated silicon photonic devices and their proven applications,including but not limited to photonic waveguides,photonic amplifiers and filters,onchip photonic transceivers,and the state-of-the-art of silicon photonic in multidimensional quantum systems.The investigated devices aim to expedite the transfer of silicon photonics from academia to industry by opening the next phase in on-chip silicon photonics and enabling the application of silicon photonic-based devices in various optical systems.
文摘BACKGROUND Total hip arthroplasty(THA)has increased along with an increasing demand for improved quality of life.Combined with prolonged life expectancy,the number of revision surgeries is expected to increase.Stress shielding is a significant issue with traditional femoral stems used in THA,making revision surgeries particularly challenging in younger patients.This has sparked renewed interest in studying safety and functional outcomes of short metaphyseal femoral stems,which have the potential to alleviate these challenges and simplify revision surgeries.AIM To evaluate the long-term outcomes of short-stem THA.METHODS A total of 124 hips that underwent THA using the short femoral stem(TRILOCK®Depuy)between May 2006 and November 2008 were included in this study.Patients were followed for a period of 15 years.Outcomes were assessed in terms of pain relief,hip joint range of motion,improvement in mobility,and functional outcomes using the modified Harris Hip Score,Oxford hip score,and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis index score.RESULTS A total of 124 hips in 98 patients were evaluated.Significant improvements in functional outcomes were observed over the 15-year follow-up period,with no cases of subsidence,implant loosening,or complications necessitating revision surgery.The only complication reported was heterotopic ossification in 1 patient.CONCLUSION Short metaphyseal stems provide better functional outcomes with early mobilization,and its long-term follow-up without subsidence,implant loosening,or proximal femoral bone loss simplifies revision surgery in younger patients.
文摘Deforestation is the purpose of converting forest into land and reforestation compared to deforestation is very low.That’s why closely and accurately deforestation monitoring using Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellite images for better vision is required.This paper proposes an effective image fusion technique that combines S-1/2 data to improve the deforested areas.Based on review,Optical and SAR image fusion produces high-resolution images for better de-forestation monitoring.To enhance the S-1/2 images,preprocessing is needed as per requirements and then,collocation between the two different types of images to mitigate the image registration problem,and after that,apply an image fu-sion machine learning approach,PCA-Wavelet.As per analysis,PCA helps to maintain spatial resolution,and Wavelet helps to preserve spectral resolution,gives better-fused images compared to other techniques.As per results,2019 S-2 pre-22 processed collocated image enhances 42.2508 km deforested area,S-1 preprocessed collocated image enhances 23.7918 km^(2) deforested area,and after fusion of the 2019 S-1/2 images,it enhances 16.5335 km deforested area.Similarly,the 20232 S-2 preprocessed collocated image enhances 49.2216 km deforested area,S-1 preprocessed collocated image enhances 2223.8459 km deforested area after fusion of the 2023 S-1/2 images,enhancing 35.9185 km deforested area.These im-provements show that combining data sources gives a clearer and more reliable picture of forest loss over time.The overall paper objective is to apply effective techniques for image fusion of Brazil’s Amazon Forest and analyze the difference between collocated image pixels and fused image pixels for accurate analysis of deforested area.
文摘The process of turning forest area into land is known as deforestation or forest degradation. Reforestation as a fraction of deforestation is extremely low. For improved qualitative and quantitative classification, we used Sentinel-1 dataset of State of Para, Brazil to precisely and closely monitor deforestation between June 2019 and June 2023. This research aimed to find out suitable model for classification called Satellite Imaging analysis by Transpose deep neural transformation network (SIT-net) using mathematical model based on Band math approach to classify deforestation applying transpose deep neural network. The main advantage of proposed model is easy to handle SAR images. The study concludes that SAR satellite gives high-resolution images to improve deforestation monitoring and proposed model takes less computational time compared to other techniques.
文摘Elliptic Curve Cryptography recently gained a lot of attention in industry. The principal attraction of ECC compared to RSA is that it offers equal security for a smaller key size. The present paper includes the study of two elliptic curve and defined over the ring where . After showing isomorphism between and , we define a composition operation (in the form of a mapping) on their union set. Then we have discussed our proposed cryptographic schemes based on the elliptic curve . We also illustrate the coding of points over E, secret key exchange and encryption/decryption methods based on above said elliptic curve. Since our proposed schemes are based on elliptic curve of the particular type, therefore the proposed schemes provides a highest strength-per-bit of any cryptosystem known today with smaller key size resulting in faster computations, lower power assumption and memory. Another advantage is that authentication protocols based on ECC are secure enough even if a small key size is used.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.30271473
文摘AIM:To study the role of survivin expression induced by chemotherapy agent (doxorubicin) in the development and anti-chemotherapy of cholangiocarcinoma.METHODS:Expression of survivin was detected by SP immunohistochemical technique in 33 cases of cholangiocarcinorna,28 cases of adjacent noncancerous bile duct, and 5 cases of benign bile duct lesions. Low concentration of doxorubicin (0.05mg/l) was added in cultured cholangiocarcinoma cell line (QBC939). The expression of survivin was detected by RT-PCR and Western blot at 24h and 48h after adding doxorubicin.RESULTS:Survivin was expressed in 24 of 33 cholangiocarcinoma cases (72.7%).In contrast,no expression of survivin in adjacent noncancerous and benign bile duct lesions was observed (P<0.01). No correlation was found between survivin expression and clinical features.Doxorubicin could markedly (P<0.001) up-regulate survivin mRNA and protein expression of QBC939 cells.CONCLUSION:Overexpression of survivin in cholangiocarcinomas may play an important role in the development of cholangiocarcinoma, its relationship with prognosis of cholangiocarcinoma deserves further investigation. Higher expression of survivin is induced by doxorubicin in QBC939.Survivin expression may resist apoptosis induced by chemotherapy agents.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.30271473
文摘AIM:To investigate the in vitro antitumor effect of adenovirus-mediated small interfering RNAs(siRNAs)on pancreatic cancer and the associated mechanism.METHODS:A 63-nucleotide(nt)oligonucleotide encoding K-rasval12 and specific siRNA were introduced into pSilencer 3.1-H1,then the H1-RNA promoter and siRNA coding insert were subcloned into pAdTrack to get plasmid pAdTrackH1-Avasval12.After homologous recombination in bacteria and transfections of such plasmids into a mammalian packaging cell line 293,siRNA expressing adenovirus Adh1-K-rasval12 was obtained.Stable suppression of K-rasval12 was detected by Northern blot and Western blot.Apoptosis in Panc-1 cells was detected by flow cytometry.RESULTS:We obtained adenovirus AdHl-K-rasval12 carrying the pSilencer 3.1-H1 cassette,which could mediate gene silencing.Through siRNA targeted K-rasval12,the oncogenic phenotype of cancer cells was reversed.Flow cytometry showed that apoptotic index of Panc-1 cells was significantly higher in the AdH1-K-rasval12-treatment group(18.70%at 72 h post-infection,49.55%at 96 h post-infection)compared to the control groups(3.47%,3.98%at 72 and 96 h post-infection of AdH1-empty,respectively;4.21%,3.78%at 72 and 96 h post-infection of AdHl-p53,respectively)(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:These results demonstrate that adenoviral vectors can be used to mediate RNA interference(RNAi)to induce persistent loss of functional phenotypes.In gene therapy,the selective down-regulation of only the mutant version of a gene allows for highly specific effects on tumor cells,while leaving the normal cells untouched.In addition,the apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cell line Panc-1 can be induced after AdH1-K-rasval12 infection.This kind of adenovirus based on RNAi might be a promising vector for cancer therapy.
文摘Rice bran oil(RBO)is unique among edible vegetable oils because of its unique fatty acid composition,phenolic compound(γ-oryzanol,ferulic acid)and vitamin E(tocopherol and tocotrienol).It has become a great choice of cooking oil because of its very high burning point,neutral taste and delicate flavour.Non-conventional methods of RBO extraction are more efficient and environmentally friendly than conventional extraction methods.Advances in RBO extraction using innovative extraction strategies like super/sub-critical CO_(2),microwave-assisted,subcritical H_(2)O,enzyme-assisted aqueous and ultrasoundassisted aqueous extraction methods have proven to significantly improve the yields along with improved nutritional profile of RBO.The compositions and strategies for stabilization of RBO are well discussed.The constituents are present in the RBO contribute to antioxidative,anti-inflammatory,antimicrobial,antidiabetic and anti-cancerous properties to RBO.This has helped RBO to become an important substrate for the application in food(cooking oil,milk product and meat product)and non-food industries(polymer,lubricant,biofuel,structural lipid and cosmetic).This review provided comprehensive information on RBO extraction methods,oil stabilization,existing applications and health benefits.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30271473
文摘AIM: To investigate the therapeutic effect of somatostatin receptor type 2 (SSTR2) gene transfection on pancreatic carcinoma xenografts in vivo in experimental cancers. METHODS: Human pancreatic cancer cell line Panc-1 was inoculated subcutaneously into the back of nude mice. When tumor nodules were grown as large as about 5 mmx5 mm days after inoculation, the mice were randomly divided into 3 groups (6 mice in each group). Group Ⅰ served as untreated control group. Group Ⅱ received an intratumoral injection of a combination of human cytomegalovirus promoter-6C (pCMV-6C) and lipofectamine 2000. Group Ⅲ received an intratumoral injection of a combination of pCMV-6C-SSTR2 and lipofectamine 2000. The rate of tumor growth was compared among these three groups. The expression of SSTR2 in these tumors was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western-blot. Apoptosis index (AI) in these tumors was examined by using TUNEL in situ. RESULTS: Intratumoral injection of a combination of pCMV-6C-SSTR2 and lipofectamine 2000 resulted in the expression of SSTR2 protein. The tumor size and weight in group Ⅲ (0.318±0.098 cm3, and 0.523±0.090 g, respectively) were significantly lower than those in group I (2.058±0.176 cms, and 1.412±0.146 g, respectively) and group Ⅱ (2.025±0.163 cm3, and 1.365±0.116 g, respectively) (P<0.05) The AI in group Ⅲ (1.47±0.13%) was significantly higher than that in groupⅠ(0.56±0.09%) and group Ⅱ (0.57±0.11%) (P<0.05). But there were no significant differences between groups Ⅰ and Ⅱ. CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrate that re-expression of SSTR2 gene has antitumor effects on experimental pancreatic cancer. Restoration of SSTR2 gene expression through gene transfer in vivo might be a potential gene therapy strategy for human pancreatic cancer.
文摘AIMTo compare the safety and efficacy of phacoemulsification and small incision cataract surgery (SICS) in patients with uveitic cataract.METHODSIn a prospective, randomized multi-centric study, consecutive patients with uveitic cataract were randomized to receive phacoemulsification or manual SICS by either of two surgeons well versed with both the techniques. A minimum inflammation free period of 3mo (defined as less than 5 cells per high power field in anterior chamber) was a pre-requisite for eligibility for surgery. Superior scleral tunnel incisions were used for both techniques. Improvement in visual acuity post-operatively was the primary outcome measure and the rate of post-operative complications and surgical time were secondary outcome measures, respectively. Means of groups were compared using t-tests. One way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used when there were more than two groups. Chi-square tests were used for proportions. Kaplan Meyer survival analysis was done and means for survival time was estimated at 95% confidence interval (CI). A P value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.RESULTSOne hundred and twenty-six of 139 patients (90.6%) completed the 6-month follow-up. Seven patients were lost in follow up and another six excluded due to either follow-up less than six months (n=1) or inability implant an intraocular lens (IOL) because of insufficient capsular support following posterior capsule rupture (n=5). There was significant improvement in vision after both the procedures (paired t-test; P<0.001). On first postoperative day, uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) was 20/63 or better in 31 (47%) patients in Phaco group and 26 (43.3%) patients in SICS group (P=0.384). The mean surgically induced astigmatism (SIA) was 0.86±0.34 dioptres (D) in the phacoemulsification group and 1.16±0.28 D in SICS group. The difference between the groups was significant (t-test, P=0.002). At 6mo, corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) was 20/60 or better in 60 (90.9%) patients in Phaco group and 53 (88.3%) in the manual SICS group (P=0.478). The mean surgical time was significantly shorter in the manual SICS group (10.8±2.9 versus 13.2±2.6min) (P<0.001). Oral prednisolone, 1 mg/kg body weight was given 7d prior to surgery, continued post-operatively and tapered according to the inflammatory response over 4-6wk in patients with previously documented macular edema, recurrent uveitis, chronic anterior uveitis and intermediate uveitis. Rate of complications like macular edema (Chi-square, P=0.459), persistent uveitis (Chi-square, P=0.289) and posterior capsule opacification (Chi-square, P=0.474) were comparable between both the groups.CONCLUSIONManual SICS and phacoemulsification do not differ significantly in complication rates and final CDVA outcomes. However, manual SICS is significantly faster. It may be the preferred technique in settings where surgical volume is high and access to phacoemulsification is limited, such as in eye camps. It may also be the appropriate technique for uveitic cataract under such circumstances.
文摘Submerged arc welding(SAW), owing to its high deposition rate and high welding quality, is widely used in the fabrication of pressure vessel, marine vessel, pipelines and offshore structures. However, selection of an optimum combination of welding parameters is critical in achieving high weld quality and productivity. In this work, initially, the SAW experiments were performed using fractional factorial design to analyze the effect of direct and indirect input parameters, namely, welding voltage, wire feed rate,welding speed, nozzle to plate distance, flux condition, and plate thickness on weld bead geometrical responses viz. bead width, reinforcement, and penetration. The bead on plate technique was used to deposit weld metal on AISI 1023 steel plates. The effect of SAW input parameters on response variables were analyzed using main and interaction effects. The linear regression was used to develop the mathematical models for the response variable. Then, the multi-objective optimization of input parameters was carried out using desirability approach, genetic algorithm and Jaya algorithm. The Jaya algorithm offered better optimization results as compared to desirability approach, genetic algorithm.
基金Indian Council of Medical Research-Advanced Center for Liver Diseases Project (ICMR-ACLD)
文摘AIM： To confirm the presence of recombination, fulllength hepatitis B virus （HBV） from chronic patients was sequenced and analyzed. METHODS： Full-length HBV genomes from 12 patients were amplified and sequenced in an automated sequencer. Phylogenetic analysis was carried out on full-length, Core and preS2/Surface regions using MEGA software. SimPIot Boot Scanning and amino acid sequence analysis were performed for confirmation of recombination. RESULTS： Eight patients were infected with genotype D strain; one patient with genotype A and three patients had genotype A and D recombination; two of them had cirrhosis and one had hepatocellular carcinoma. Phylogenetic analysis of core and preS2/surface regions separately showed evidence of genotype A and D recombination. The breakpoints of recombination were found to be at the start of preS2 and at the endof surface coding regions. CONCLUSION： We identified and characterized recombinant A and D genotype HBV in hepatitis B surface antigen （HBsAg）-positive patients.
文摘A polyclonal antibody-based antigen-capture ELISA （AC-ELISA） has been developed for detection of Canine parvovirus （CPV） antigens in faecal samples of dogs. The assay uses rabbit anti-CPV polyclonal antibody as the capture antibody, guinea pig anti-CPV polyclonal antibody as tracing antibody and anti-guinea pig HRPO conjugate as the detection system. The optimum dilution of the capture antibody and the tracing antibody capable of detecting the CPV-2 antigens was found to be 1：1 600 and 1：400, respectively, in the check-board titration. In this study, a total of 152 samples （129 faecal samples and 23 cell culture supernatant） were tested both by AC-ELISA and by polymerase chain reaction （PCR）. Of the samples tested, 69 and 78 samples were found positive by AC-ELISA and PCR, respectively. The AC-ELISA had relative sensitivity, relative specificity and accuracy of 88.4%, 100.0% and 91.4% respectively. The analytical sensitivity of AC-ELISA was estimated to be 102.8 TCID50/mL whereas PCR sensitivity was 100.8 TCIDs0/mL. The AC-ELISA is a simple, quick and reliable method for screening large numbers of faecal samples of dogs suspected of CPV infection.
文摘The determination of seismic attenuation （s） （dB/cm） is a challenging task in earthquake science. This article employs genetic programming （GP） and minimax probability machine regression （MPMR） for prediction of s. GP is developed based on genetic algo- rithm. MPMR maximizes the minimum probability of future predictions being within some bound of the true regression function. Porosity （n） （%）, permeability （k） （millidarcy）, grain size （d） （μm）, and clay content （c） （%） have been considered as inputs of GP and MPMR. The output of GP and MPMR is s. The developed GP gives an equation for prediction of s. The results of GP and MPMR have been compared with the artificial neural net- work. This article gives robust models based on GP and MPMR for prediction of s.
文摘The evolution in communication techniques has created wide threats for crucial information transfer through a communication channel. Covert communication with steganography is a skill of concealing secret information within cover object and hence shields the data theft over rapidly growing network.Recently, diverse steganography techniques using edge identification have been proposed in literature.Numerous methods however utilize certain pixels in the cover image for inserting edge information,resulting in significant deformation. The conventional edge detection method limits the deployment of edge detection in steganography as concealing the information would introduce some variations to the cover image. Hence inserting data in pixel areas recognized by existing conventional edge detection techniques like canny cannot ensure the recognition of the exact edge locations for the cover and stego images. In this paper, an Adaptive steganography method based on novel fuzzy edge identification is proposed. The method proposed is proficient of estimating the precise edge areas of a cover image and also ensures the exact edge location after embedding the secret message. Experimental results reveal that the technique has attained good imperceptibility compared to the Hayat AI-Dmour and Ahmed AIAni Edge XOR method in spatial domain.
文摘BACKGROUND: Treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) alone with interferon or lamivudine alone or in combination is effective in only a small proportion of patients. Treatment of patients in whom antiviral therapy fails is challenging. This study was made to determine the efficacy of combined pegylated interferon alpha (peg-IFN) and lamivudine in patients with CHB who had failed to respond to antiviral treatment. METHODS: Twenty patients with CHB proven by liver biopsy, with ALT levels >1.5×ULN,HBV DNA levels>141 500 copies/ml, and previous treatment failure with an adequate regimen were treated with a combination of peg-IFN 1.5μg/kg and lamivudine 100 mg/day for 52 weeks and followed up for a further 24 weeks. Biochemical response was defined as normalization of ALT and DNA response as HBV DNA<141 500 copies/ml. Secondary efficacy measures included HBsAg loss, HBeAg loss and appearance of anti-HBe (in cases of HBeAg-positive patients). RESULTS: Twenty patients were treated, of whom 16 were HBeAg positive. At 52 weeks, normal ALT was seen in 10 (50%) (8 of 16 HBeAg+ and 2 of 4 HBeAg), HBV DNA response in 5 (25%) (5 of 16 in HBeAg+ and none in HBeAg-), and HBeAg loss with appearance of anti-HBe in 5 (31.3%) of the 16 HBeAg positive patients. At 76 weeks, 8 (80%) of the 10 patients with normal ALT at 52 weeks relapsed, with normal ALT only in 2 (10%) (1 of 16 HBeAg+ and 1 of 4 HBeAg-), and all 5 patients who had a DNA response at 52 weeks relapsed at 76 weeks and had no DNA response. HBeAg loss with appearance of anti-HBe was seen in 1 (6.3%) of 16 HBeAg-positive patients. None of the patients lost HBsAg. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of peg-IFN and lamivudine for 52 weeks is not effective for treatment of CHB patients with a failed treatment. New treatment strategies need to be developed.
文摘Quantitative safety assessment of safety systems plays an important role in decision making at all stages of system lifecycle, i.e., design, deployment and phase out. Most safety assessment methods consider only system parameters, such as configuration, hazard rate, coverage, repair rate, etc. along with periodic proof-tests （or inspection）. Not considering demand rate will give a pessimistic safety estimate for an application with low demand rate such as nuclear power plants, chemical plants, etc. In this paper, a basic model of IEC 61508 is used. The basic model is extended to incorporate process demand and behavior of electronic- and/or computer-based system following diagnosis or proof-test. A new safety index, probability of failure on actual demand （PFAD） based on extended model and demand rate is proposed. Periodic proof-test makes the model semi-Markovian, so a piece-wise continuous time Markov chain （CTMC） based method is used to derive mean state probabilities of elementary or aggregated state. Method to determine probability of failure on demand （PFD） （IEC 61508） and PFAD based on these state probabilities are described. In example, safety indices of PFD and PFAD are compared.
文摘To evaluate the response to lime on cultivars of ricebean(Vigna umbellata), a field experiment was conducted during the two consecutive rabi seasons of 2010–2011 and 2011–2012 in the Nagaland foothills, India. The experiment used a split-plot design with four levels of lime(control, 0.2, 0.4and 0.6 t ha-1) in main plots and four ricebean cultivars(RBS-16, RBS-53, PRR-2, and RCRB-4) in sub-plots with three replicates. The results revealed that increasing levels of lime(in the furrow)from 0 to 0.6 t ha-1significantly increased growth, yield attributes and yield. The quality parameters of ricebean were also influenced significantly by the application of lime. Maximum gross return(INR 39,098 ha-1), net return(INR 27,281 ha-1), benefit:cost(B:C) ratio(2.29),production efficiency, and economic efficiency were also realized with the application of lime at 0.6 t ha-1. Among the ricebean cultivars, RBS-53 produced significantly higher growth, yield attributes, grain yield, straw yield, biological yield, and harvest index. Similarly, yield and protein content were higher in RBS-53. Maximum gross return, net return, B:C ratio, production efficiency, and economic efficiency were observed for RBS-53.
