Automated brain tumor segmentation on multi-modal MR image using SegNet

Computational Visual Media - The potential of improving disease detection and treatment planning comes with accurate and fully automatic algorithms for brain tumor segmentation. Glioma, a type of...     

Photocatalytic activity and radiation-attenuation ability of copper ions surface-doped dysprosium oxide

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics - Herein, Cu ions surface-doped Dy2O3 photocatalyst (Cu–Dy2O3) is synthesized utilizing hydrothermal technique to degrade methyl violet...     

Deep Learning Neural Network for Unconventional Images Classification

Neural Processing Letters - The pornographic materials including videos and images are easily in reach for everyone, including under-age youths, allover Internet. It is also an aim for popular...     

Deep learning neural network for texture feature extraction in oral cancer: enhanced loss function

Multimedia Tools and Applications - The use of a binary classifier like the sigmoid function and loss functions reduces the accuracy of deep learning algorithms. This research aims to increase the...     

Quasi-dynamic Load Balanced Clustering Protocol for Energy Efficient Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless Personal Communications - Miscellaneous issues related to wireless sensor networks (WSN) like clustering of sensor nodes, load balancing amongst the cluster heads, energy efficient...     

Selecting the Best Approach to Modeling the Performance of Water Supply System Using the Combination of Rough Set Theory with Multi-Criteria Decision Making

The purpose of this study is to select the best modeling approach (simulation or optimization) for operation the water supply system using multi-criteria decision-making method. For this purpose, the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory-Earth System Models (GFDL-ESM2M) and the Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate-ESM (MIROC-ESM) models were selected to predict the changing trend of the climatic variables of rainfall and temperature, respectively. Then Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model and a decision support system tool named Cropwat were used to simulate water resources and consumption; and to model the behavior of the water supply system, the MODified SYMyld (MODSIM) (as simulator) and the modeling language and optimizer LINGO 18 (as optimizer) were used in the future time period (2026–2039) and the results were compared with the baseline period (1987–2000) for the Idoghmush reservoir (Iran). The results of MODSIM simulation model show that the indexes of reliability, vulnerability, reseiliency and flexibility in the future time period under the RCP2.6 emission scenario compared to the baseline time period decreased by 9%, decreased by 22%, increased by 4%, and decreased by 2%, respectively. The results of the LINGO 18 optimization model show that the reliability, vulnerability, resiliency and flexibility indexes in the future time period under the RCP2.6 emission scenario compared to the baseline time period decreased by 13%, decreased by 17%, increased by 14% and increased by 3%, respectively. Due to the different results obtained from optimization and simulation approaches for the study area, the Multi-Attributive Ideal-Real Comparative Analysis (MAIRCA) multi-criteria decision-making method was used to select a more appropriate approach. The results show that for water resources management planning, the simulation approach is given priority over the optimization approach due to its characteristics.

     

Fluorimetric Determination of Aluminium using Sequential Injection Analysis (SIA): State of Our Art and Future Developments

Abstract

This paper describes some of our recent advances and proposed future work in the area of fluorimetric determination of Al using sequential injection analysis (SIA). A rapid, automated system was developed with turnover times for sample analysis of <2 min, and attainable limits of detection of <1 ng/mL. The method is cost‐effective and highly competitive. It utilizes three different approaches: (i) molecular imprinted polymers (MIPs); (ii) micellar enhanced treatment; and (iii) renewable surface application. The merits and limitations of each approach are discussed, and the optimum conditions of analysis are presented. The overall sensitivity achieved was more than adequate for general analysis. Proposed new developments involve greater signal enhancement, and improved analytical strategy. The facility is capable of routine application, and is highly beneficial to developing countries in need of cost‐effective techniques for analysis of environmental samples, body fluids, and foodstuffs.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Heat Resistant,Superparamagnetic Poly(ether-imide) Nanocomposites Containing Xanthene: Representing a Strategy for Improving Thermal Stability of Magnetic Polymer-Based Nanocomposites

Two superparamagnetic and heat resistant xanthene based poly(ether-imide) nanocomposites were successfully synthesized. Field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, thermal gravimetric analysis, vibrating sample magnetometer, Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) techniques were used for studying the morphology, crystalline phase, thermal stability and magnetization properties of the nanocomposites. The neat form of the corresponding poly(ether-imide) was also prepared by thermal imidization method and its structure was confirmed by FTIR, proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR), UV–Vis and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopies. In order to investigate the effects of modifying the surface of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles on thermal properties of the nanocomposites, the surface of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles was coated with SiO₂ and polysuccinimide (PSI), sequentially. Then, both the unmodified Fe₃O₄ and surface-modified Fe₃O₄ (Fe₃O₄@SiO₂–PSI) nanoparticles were used as fillers for the polymer matrix. According to the results, the prepared nanocomposites were superparamagnetic and showed higher thermal stability in comparison to the neat poly(ether-imide). Furthermore, poly(ether-imide)/Fe₃O₄@SiO₂–PSI (PIEN 10b) nanocomposite showed higher thermal stability and dispersed better in the polymer matrix [in comparison to poly(ether-imide)/Fe₃O₄ (PIEN 10 a)] due to the presence of imide groups and high hydroxyl content of the functional Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles which caused high interactions between poly(ether-imide) and functional Fe₃O₄. Furthermore, the presence of methyl, ether and bulky xanthene groups in the poly(ether-imide(backbone improved the solubility of the neat polymer in organic solvents. These properties can be very helpful for extending new applications of poly(ether-imide)s.     

Multiscale iterative voting for differential analysis of stress response for 2D and 3D cell culture models

Focused ion beam-scanning electron microscope (FIB-SEM) tomography is a powerful application in obtaining three-dimensional (3D) information. The FIB creates a cross section and subsequently removes thin slices. The SEM takes images using secondary or backscattered electrons, or maps every slice using X-rays and/or electron backscatter diffraction patterns. The objective of this study is to assess the possibilities of combining FIB-SEM tomography with cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging. The intensity of CL emission is related to variations in defect or impurity concentrations. A potential problem with FIB-SEM CL tomography is that ion milling may change the defect state of the material and the CL emission. In addition the conventional tilted sample geometry used in FIB-SEM tomography is not compatible with conventional CL detectors. Here we examine the influence of the FIB on CL emission in natural diamond and the feasibility of FIB-SEM CL tomography. A systematic investigation establishes that the ion beam influences CL emission of diamond, with a dependency on both the ion beam and electron beam acceleration voltage. CL emission in natural diamond is enhanced particularly at low ion beam and electron beam voltages. This enhancement of the CL emission can be partly explained by an increase in surface defects induced by ion milling. CL emission enhancement could be used to improve the CL image quality. To conduct FIB-SEM CL tomography, a recently developed novel specimen geometry is adopted to enable sequential ion milling and CL imaging on an untilted sample. We show that CL imaging can be manually combined with FIB-SEM tomography with a modified protocol for 3D microstructure reconstruction. In principle, automated FIB-SEM CL tomography should be feasible, provided that dedicated CL detectors are developed that allow subsequent milling and CL imaging without manual intervention, as the current CL detector needs to be manually retracted before a slice can be milled. Due to the required high electron beam acceleration voltage for CL emission, the resolution for FIB-SEM CL tomography is currently limited to several hundreds of nm in XY and up to 650 nm in Z for diamonds. Opaque materials are likely to have an improved Z resolution, as CL emission generated deeper in the material is not able to escape from it.