Automated screening of congestive heart failure using variational mode decomposition and texture features extracted from ultrasound images

Heart is an important and hardest working muscular organ of the human body. Inability of the heart to restore normal perfusion to the entire body refers to cardiac failure, which then with symptoms results in manifestation of congestive heart failure (CHF). Impairment in systolic function associated with chronic dilation of left ventricle is referred as dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). The clinical examination, surface electrocardiogram (ECG), chest X-ray, blood markers and echocardiography play major role in the diagnosis of CHF. Though the ECG manifests chamber enlargement changes, it does not possess sensitive marker for the diagnosis of DCM, whereas echocardiographic assessment can effectively reveal the presence of asymptomatic DCM. This work proposes an automated screening method for classifying normal and CHF echocardiographic images affected due to DCM using variational mode decomposition technique. The texture features are extracted from variational mode decomposed image. These features are selected using particle swarm optimization and classified using support vector machine classifier with different kernel functions. We have validated our experiment using 300 four-chamber echocardiography images (150: normal, 150: CHF) obtained from 50 normal and 50 CHF patients. Our proposed approach yielded maximum average accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of 99.33%, 98.66% and 100%, respectively, using ten features. Thus, the developed diagnosis system can effectively detect CHF in its early stage using ultrasound images and aid the clinicians in their diagnosis.

     

Fuzzy inference system for follicle detection in ultrasound images of ovaries

The ovarian ultrasound imaging is an effective tool in infertility treatment. Monitoring the follicles is especially important in human reproduction. Periodic measurements of the size and shape of follicles over several days are the primary means of evaluation by physicians. Today monitoring the follicles is done by non-automatic means with human interaction. This work can be very demanding and inaccurate and, in most of the cases, means only an additional burden for medical experts. To improve the performance of follicle detection in ultrasound images of ovaries, we develop a new algorithm using fuzzy logic. The proposed method employs contourlet transform for despeckling the ultrasound images of ovaries, active contours without edge method for segmentation and fuzzy logic for classification. The follicles in an ovary are characterized by seven geometric features which are used as inputs to the fuzzy logic block of the Fuzzy Inference System. The output of the fuzzy logic block is a follicle class or non follicle class. The fuzzy-knowledge-base consists of a set of physically interpretable if-then rules providing physical insight into the process. The experimentation has been done using sample ultrasound images of ovaries and the results are compared with the inferences drawn by interval based classifier and also those drawn by the medical expert. The experimental results demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed method.     

Exopolymer produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa: A super sorbent for ruthenium

Pseudomonas aeruginosa exopolymer was found to have a sorption capacity of 196.3 mg/g at 100 µg/mL of ruthenium, pH 2.8, and 30 min, which is 5–10 times higher compared to the earlier reports. Uptake mechanism was deduced using sorption studies and energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence, proton-induced X-ray emission, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy techniques. Shrinking and volume change were observed in the morphology of the exopolymer upon ruthenium uptake. During biosorption, occurrence of ion exchange and involvement of carboxyl, ether, and alcoholic functional groups were noted. Biopolymer was found to be a potential sorbent for soluble radionuclide removal during nuclear fuel reprocessing and hazardous waste disposal.     

Effect of material parameter on mixed convective fully developed micropolar fluid flow in a vertical channel

In this study, the effect of material parameter on the mixed convective fully developed micropolar fluid flow in a vertical channel has been analyzed. By considering appropriate boundary and interface conditions, the coupled nonlinear equations are solved analytically. The analytical results are plotted for various important parameters. It is found that an increase in the material parameter enhances the microrotation velocity and decreases the fluid velocity, and the results are shown graphically.     

Exfoliation of copper hydroxysalt in water and the conversion of the exfoliated layers to cupric and cuprous oxide nanoparticles

P-aminobenzoate-intercalated copper hydroxysalt was prepared by coprecipitation at high pH (～12). As the pH was reduced to ～7 on washing with water, the development of partial positive charge on the amine end of the intercalated anion caused repulsion between the layers leading to delamination and colloidal dispersion of monolayers of copper hydroxysalt in water. The dispersed copper hydroxysalt monolayers were used as precursors for the synthesis of copper(I)/(II) oxide nanoparticles at room temperature. While the hydroxysalt layers yielded spindle-shaped CuO particles when left to stand, they formed hollow spherical nanoparticles of Cu(2)O when treated with an alkaline solution of ascorbic acid.     

Highly stable,protein capped gold nanoparticles as effective drug delivery vehicles for amino-glycosidic antibiotics

A method for the production of highly stable gold nanoparticles (Au NP) was optimized using sodium borohydride as reducing agent and bovine serum albumin as capping agent. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using UV–visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and dynamic light scattering techniques. The formation of gold nanoparticles was confirmed from the appearance of pink colour and an absorption maximum at 532 nm. These protein capped nanoparticles exhibited excellent stability towards pH modification and electrolyte addition. The produced nanoparticles were found to be spherical in shape, nearly monodispersed and with an average particle size of 7.8 ± 1.7 nm. Crystalline nature of the nanoparticles in face centered cubic structure is confirmed from the selected‐area electron diffraction and XRD patterns. The nanoparticles were functionalized with various amino-glycosidic antibiotics for utilizing them as drug delivery vehicles. Using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, the possible functional groups of antibiotics bound to the nanoparticle surface have been examined. These drug loaded nanoparticle solutions were tested for their antibacterial activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial strains, by well diffusion assay. The antibiotic conjugated Au NP exhibited enhanced antibacterial activity, compared to pure antibiotic at the same concentration. Being protein capped and highly stable, these gold nanoparticles can act as effective carriers for drugs and might have considerable applications in the field of infection prevention and therapeutics.     

Multifaceted activities of plant gum synthesised platinum nanoparticles: catalytic,peroxidase, PCR enhancing and antioxidant activities

A single pot, green method for platinum nanoparticles (Pt NP) production was devised with gum ghatti (Anogeissus latifolia). Analytical tools: ultraviolet–visible (UV‐vis), dynamic light scattering, zeta potential, transmission electron microscope, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were employed. Wide continuous UV‐vis absorption and black solution colouration proved Pt NP formation. Face‐centred cubic crystalline structure of NP was evidenced from XRD. NPs formed were nearly spherical with a mean particle size of 3 nm. NP demonstrated a myriad of properties including catalytic, peroxidase, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) enhancing and antioxidant activities. Catalytic action of NP was probed via NaBH₄ reduction of arsenazo‐III dye. NP displayed considerable peroxidase activity via catalysis of 3, 3′, 5, 5′‐tetramethylbenzidine oxidation by H₂ O₂. NP showed exceptional stability towards varying pH (3–11), temperature (25–100°C), salt concentration (0–100 mM) and storage time duration (0–12 months). In comparison with horse radish peroxidase, its applicability as an artificial peroxidase is advantageous. NP caused a two‐fold enhancement in PCR yield at 0.4 nM. Also showed significant 1′, 1′ diphenyl picryl‐hydrazyle scavenging (80.1%) at 15 µg/mL. Author envisages that the biogenic Pt NP can be used in a range of biological and environmental applications.Inspec keywords: nanofabrication, ultraviolet spectra, catalysis, molecular biophysics, enzymes, dyes, platinum, electrokinetic effects, transmission electron microscopy, particle size, X‐ray diffraction, visible spectra, pH, nanomedicine, nanoparticles, biochemistry, light scattering, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectra, reduction (chemical), oxidationOther keywords: antioxidant activities, catalytic action, salt concentration, artificial peroxidase, two‐fold enhancement, PCR yield, multifaceted activities, plant gum synthesised platinum nanoparticles, gum ghatti, anogeissus latifolia, analytical characterisation tools, dynamic light scattering, zeta potential, X‐ray diffraction, XRD, black solution colouration, Pt NP formation, face‐centred cubic crystalline structure, peroxidase activity, ultraviolet‐visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, particle size, catalytic activity, PCR enhancing activity, single pot green method, wide continuous UV‐visible absorption, polymerase chain reaction enhancing activity, arsenazo‐III, azo dye decolourisation, 3, 3′, 5, 5′‐tetramethylbenzidine oxidation, pH, environmental conditions, 1′,1′ diphenyl picryl‐hydrazyle scavenging, time 0.0 month to 12.0 month, temperature 25.0 degC to 100.0 degC, Pt     

Nanoparticle Encapsidation of Flock House Virus by Auto Assembly of Tobacco Mosaic Virus Coat Protein

Tobacco Mosaic virus (TMV) coat protein is well known for its ability to self-assemble into supramolecular nanoparticles, either as protein discs or as rods originating from the ~300 bp genomic RNA origin-of-assembly (OA). We have utilized TMV self-assembly characteristics to create a novel Flock House virus (FHV) RNA nanoparticle. FHV encodes a viral polymerase supporting autonomous replication of the FHV genome, which makes it an attractive candidate for viral transgene expression studies and targeted RNA delivery into host cells. However, FHV viral genome size is strictly limited by native FHV capsid. To determine if this packaging restriction could be eliminated, FHV was adapted to express enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP), to allow for monitoring of functional FHV RNA activity. Then TMV OA was introduced in six 3'' insertion sites, with only site one supporting functional FHV GFP expression. To create nanoparticles, FHV GFP-OA modified genomic RNA was mixed in vitro with TMV coat protein and monitored for encapsidation by agarose electrophoresis and electron microscopy. The production of TMV-like rod shaped nanoparticles indicated that modified FHV RNA can be encapsidated by purified TMV coat protein by self-assembly. This is the first demonstration of replication-independent packaging of the FHV genome by protein self-assembly.     

MCM-41 Anchored Cinchona Alkaloid for Catalytic Asymmetric Dihydroxylation of Olefins: A Clean Protocol for Chiral Diols Using Molecular Oxygen

MCM-41 anchored 1,4-bis(9-O-quininyl)phthalazine (MCM-(QN)₂PHAL)-OsO₄, is prepared for the first time and used in the heterogeneous asymmetric dihydroxylation of olefins to afford diols with good to excellent enantiomeric excesses in the presence of N-methylmorpholine N-oxide, K₃Fe(CN)₆ or molecular oxygen as cooxidants.     

The effect of volume percent and morphology of phases on the damping behavior of epoxy/aluminum composites

In this investigation, the finite element method (FEM) has been employed to predict the effects of volume percent and morphology, including size, shape, and continuity of phases, on damping behavior of epoxy/Al composites. It is shown that for a given volume percent of phases, the loss factor of the composite increases with an increase in particle size. The effect of matricity was obtained by selecting a composite with 50 vol pct of each phase and arranging, in one case, aluminum as the particle phase and, in the other case, aluminum as the matrix phase. The loss factor obtained for the former was found to be much higher. This was attributed to the ability of the epoxy phase when it is in the form of matrix to damp/deform relatively freely. The normal stress distributions and two-dimensional (2-D) hydrostatic stress distributions were also predicted. In general, the stresses were found to be higher in the stiffer aluminum phase and the stress gradients were found to increase with an increase in particle size for a given volume percent of phases. The 2-D hydrostatic stresses were also found to be higher in the stiffer aluminum phase and the stress gradients were found to increase with an increase in particle size as well. This article is based on a presentation given in the Mechanics and Mechanisms of Material Damping Symposium, October 1993, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, under the auspices of the SMD Physical Metallurgy Committee.