This work presents a study of three important issues of the color pixel classification approach to skin segmentation: color representation, color quantization, and classification algorithm. Our ...analysis of several representative color spaces using the Bayesian classifier with the histogram technique shows that skin segmentation based on color pixel classification is largely unaffected by the choice of the color space. However, segmentation performance degrades when only chrominance channels are used in classification. Furthermore, we find that color quantization can be as low as 64 bins per channel, although higher histogram sizes give better segmentation performance. The Bayesian classifier with the histogram technique and the multilayer perceptron classifier are found to perform better compared to other tested classifiers, including three piecewise linear classifiers, three unimodal Gaussian classifiers, and a Gaussian mixture classifier.
Colistin is the last resort for treatment of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. Unfortunately, resistance to colistin has been reported all over the world. The highest resistance rate was ...reported in Asia, followed by Europe. The heteroresistance rate of A. baumannii to colistin is generally higher than the resistance rate. The mechanism of resistance might be loss of lipopolysaccharide or/and the PmrAB two-component system. Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic studies revealed that colistin monotherapy is unable to prevent resistance, and combination therapy might be the best antimicrobial strategy against colistin-resistant A. baumannii. Colistin/rifampicin and colistin/carbapenem are the most studied combinations that showed promising results in vitro, in vivo and in the clinic. New peptides showing good activity against colistin-resistant A. baumannii are also being investigated.
We propose a method for decomposing images into triangles. Contrary to superpixel methods, our output representation both preserves the geometric information disseminated in input images, and has an ...attractive storage capacity. Our method relies on the flexibility and efficiency of Delaunay point processes to address the problem. These stochastic models distribute points interacting between each other through Delaunay triangulations. The mechanism for distributing points combines several complementary ingredients including image discontinuity preservation, radiometric homogeneity inside atomic regions as well as priors on the shape of these regions. Said differently, sampled points and induced shapes work in tandem. The potential of our approach is shown through comparisons with existing oversegmentation methods and applications to vision problems.
BACKGROUND Techniques for uterus transplantation (UTx) have been developed in rodent/domestic animals towards future clinical introduction of UTx to treat uterine factor infertility. The aim of this ...study was to extend the UTx research into a non-human primate species by developing surgical techniques for uterus retrieval and transplantation in the baboon. METHODS Female baboons (n = 15) underwent surgery, with the initial five animals used for studies of pelvic vascular anatomy. Retrieval surgery included isolation of the ovarian veins and the uterine arteries together with the anterior branches of the internal iliacs. The utero-tubal-ovarian specimen was removed, flushed and kept ex vivo for 2 h when the two arterial ends and two venous ends were anastomosed side-to-side to construct one arterial and one venous end. These were, at auto-transplantation, anastomosed end-to-side to the external iliacs and the animals (n = 10) were evaluated concerning cyclicity and later by laparoscopy/laparotomy. RESULTS The total duration of organ retrieval, backtable preparation and transplantation was around 6 h with an overall ischaemic time of the specimen of about 3 h. One animal died due to cardiomyopathy. Five out of the nine surviving animals resumed cyclicity, as a sign of re-established ovarian function. Only two out of these five animals exhibited resumed menstruation, indicating re-established ovarian and uterine function. Laparoscopy confirmed normal-sized uteri in these two animals. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates the feasibility of UTx by vascular anastomosis in a non-human primate species. The low success rate demonstrates the complexity involved in UTx surgery and the need for further methodological developments.
Mg/Ca (1
wt.%, 5
wt.%, 10
wt.% Ca) composites were prepared from pure magnesium and calcium powders using the powder metallurgy method, aiming to enlarge the addition of Ca content without the ...formation of Mg
2Ca. The microstructures, mechanical properties and cytotoxicities of Mg/Ca composite samples were investigated. The corrosion of Mg/Ca composites in Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium (DMEM) for various immersion intervals was studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements and environmental scanning electron microscope, with the concentrations of released Mg and Ca ions in DMEM for various immersion time intervals being measured. It was shown that the main constitutional phases were Mg and Ca, which were uniformly distributed in the Mg matrix. The ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and elongation of experimental composites decreased with increasing Ca content, and the UTS of Mg/1Ca composite was comparable with that of as-extruded Mg–1Ca alloy. The corrosion potential increased with increasing Ca content, whereas the current density and the impedance decreased. It was found that the protective surface film formed quickly at the initial immersion stage. With increasing immersion time, the surface film became compact, and the corrosion rate of Mg/Ca composites slowed down. The surface film consisted mainly of CaCO
3, MgCO
3·3H
2O, HA and Mg(OH)
2 after 72
h immersion in DMEM. Mg/1Ca and Mg/5Ca composite extracts had no significant toxicity (
p
>
0.05) to L-929 cells, whereas Mg/10Ca composite extract induced ∼40% reduced cell viability.
BACKGROUND
Uterus transplantation (UTx) may provide the first available treatment for women affected by uterine infertility. The present study aimed to further develop a surgical technique for ...autologous UTx in a non-human primate species and to assess long-term function.
METHODS
Female baboons (n= 16) underwent autologous transplantation of the uterus with the Fallopian tubes and ovaries, performed with a previously published surgical technique (n= 6, Group 1) or using a modified technique (n= 10; Group 2). The uterine arteries were dissected to the proximal end of the anterior branch (Group 1) or the entire (Group 2) internal iliac artery, and the ovarian veins were dissected to the crossing over the ureter (Group 1) or further cranially to include greater lengths and patches of the cava/renal vein (Group 2). Back-table preparation created common venous and arterial ends with arterial anastomosis either end-to-side to the left external iliac artery (Group 1) or end-to-end to the left internal iliac artery (Group 2).
RESULTS
Overall short-time survival of the animals was 88% (66% in Group 1 and 100% in Group 2). Of all the operated animals, 75% (66% in Group 1 and 80% in Group 2) resumed ovarian cyclicity. Regular menstruation after UTx was demonstrated only in Group 2 (60%). Menstruating animals (n= 6) were each exposed to timed mating for ≥5 menstrual cycles, but pregnancy did not occur. Adhesions and tubal blockage were seen in post-mortem analysis.
CONCLUSIONS
The modified UTx model of Group 2 is a safe procedure and shows resumed long-term uterine function in a majority of the animals, although pregnancy could not be demonstrated.
3D dynamic barcode van der Westhuizen, Y; Chai, D
Electronics letters,
08/2018, Letnik:
54, Številka:
17
Journal Article
Recenzirano
A novel 3D dynamic barcode that can easily and effectively be captured, and decoded utilising inexpensive and mobile camera devices is presented. The primary expectation of the authors’ approach is ...that users will have the ability to transfer large packets of information without the necessity for customary electromagnetic techniques such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Designing an algorithm that successfully extracts the frames from the recorded dynamic barcode enables the end user to video capture the dynamic barcode, rather than taking multiple snapshots of each barcode frame. The results indicate that the optimum setting for the capturing device is 720p at 30 frames per second with an efficiency of 99% and transmission rate of 622 bytes/s.
Deciduosis (ectopic or extrauterine decidua) is a phenomenon seen in the ovary and cervix and on serosal surfaces of abdominal and pelvic organs. It is thought to be the result of progesterone ...effects on extrauterine mesenchymal cells during pregnancy. Although deposits are typically asymptomatic and incidentally found in surgically removed tissues on microscopy, deciduosis has also been known to cause pain and intraperitoneal haemorrhage. We sourced all cases of appendiceal deciduosis that have occurred in Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and Bunbury Hospital between the years 2006 and 2014. Clinical information was obtained from patients' medical records. Four cases of ectopic decidua of the appendix, all of which were incidentally found in pregnant patients presenting with features highly suggestive of appendicitis, were reviewed. These patients underwent appendicectomy and subsequent histopathology findings showed deciduosis with no evidence of appendicitis. Deciduosis of the appendix can mimic acute appendicitis in pregnancy. At present, it is difficult to confidently differentiate one from the other either by way of clinical presentation or with current imaging modalities.
PDF
