Diagnostic captioning: a survey

Knowledge and Information Systems - Diagnostic captioning (DC) concerns the automatic generation of a diagnostic text from a set of medical images of a patient collected during an examination. DC...     

A novel HMM-based learning framework for improving dynamic wireless push system performance

A new machine learning framework is introduced in this paper, based on the hidden Markov model (HMM), designed to provide scheduling in dynamic wireless push systems. In realistic wireless systems, the clients’ intentions change dynamically; hence a cognitive scheduling scheme is needed to estimate the desirability of the connected clients. The proposed scheduling scheme is enhanced with self-organized HMMs, supporting the network with an estimated expectation of the clients’ intentions, since the system’s environment characteristics alter dynamically and the base station (server side) has no a priori knowledge of such changes. Compared to the original pure scheme, the proposed machine learning framework succeeds in predicting the clients’ information desires and overcomes the limitation of the original static scheme, in terms of mean delay and system efficiency.     

QUASI‐LIKELIHOOD INFERENCE FOR NEGATIVE BINOMIAL TIME SERIES MODELS

We study inference and diagnostics for count time series regression models that include a feedback mechanism. In particular, we are interested in negative binomial processes for count time series. We study probabilistic properties and quasi‐likelihood estimation for this class of processes. We show that the resulting estimators are consistent and asymptotically normally distributed. These facts enable us to construct probability integral transformation plots for assessing any assumed distributional assumptions. The key observation in developing the theory is a mean parameterized form of the negative binomial distribution. For transactions data, it is seen that the negative binomial distribution offers a better fit than the Poisson distribution. This is an immediate consequence of the fact that transactions can be represented as a collection of individual activities that correspond to different trading strategies.     

Classroom furniture dimensions and anthropometric measures in primary school

The purpose of this study was to compare students' dimensions to the dimension of school furniture, in primary school, and determine whether this type of furniture is well-designed and promotes good sitting posture at school by taking into account the dimensions of the children. A total of 180 (90 male and 90 female) students, from three primary schools in Thessaloniki, Greece, participated in the study. Their ages ranged from 7 to 12 years. The following human body dimensions were measured: stature, elbow height, shoulder height, upper arm length, knee height, popliteal height and buttock-popliteal length. In addition, the dimensions were measured for four different types of chairs and five types of desks prevalent in classrooms. Finally, the anthropometric measures of the students and the furniture dimensions were compared in order to identify any incompatibility between them. The data indicate a mismatch between the students' bodily dimensions and the classroom furniture available to them. The chairs are too high and too deep and desks are also too high for the pupils. This situation has negative effects on the sitting posture of the children especially when reading and writing.     

Composition and antioxidant activity of essential oils from Oregano plants grown wild in Greece

In this study, four samples of essential oils obtained from plant species with a wide distribution in Greece and economic importance for the world-wide spice market and also carvacrol and thymol were tested for their possible antioxidant activity. The four plant species wereOriganum vulgare subsp.hirtum, O. onites, Coridothymus capitatus andSatureja thymbra. The essential oils were chemically characterised by gas chromatography-ion trap detection. All the essential oils examined and also carvacrol and thymol were found to have antioxidant activity when tested on TLC plates and by measuring peroxide values of lard stored at 35° C. The results indicate that the antioxidant effect may be related to the presence of carvacrol and thymol in essential oils.     

Combined natural antimicrobial treatments (EDTA,lysozyme, rosemary and oregano oil) on semi cooked coated chicken meat stored in vacuum packages at 4 °C: Microbiological and sensory evaluation

The present study examined the effect of natural antimicrobials: Ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA), lysozyme, rosemary and oregano oil and their combinations, on the shelf-life of semi cooked coated chicken fillets stored under vacuum packaging (VP), at 4 ± 0.5 °C for a period of 18 days. The treatments of semi cooked coated chicken fillets examined in the present study were the following: Air-packaged (A, control samples), vacuum-packaged (VP), VP with EDTA–lysozyme solution 1.50% w/w, (VP + EL), VP with rosemary oil 0.20% v/w, (VP + R), VP with oregano oil 0.20% v/w, (VP + O), VP with EDTA–lysozyme solution and rosemary oil (VP + EL + R) and finally VP with EDTA–lysozyme and oregano oil (VP + EL + O). The shelf-life of the samples was determined using both microbiological and sensory analyses. Among the antimicrobial combinations examined in the present study, the treatments VP + EL + R and VP + EL + O were the most effective against the growth of Gram-negative, Gram-positive bacteria, and to a lesser extent on yeasts. Based on both microbiological (TVC data) and sensory (taste attribute) analyses, treatments: VP and VP + O gave a shelf life extension of 6 days, whereas treatments VP + EL + R and VP + EL + O produced a shelf-life extension of 7–8 days, as compared to the control samples.Industrial RelevanceThe present research has highlighted the use of natural antimicrobial treatment combinations, including: EDTA, lysozyme, rosemary and oregano oil and their combinations, in the extension of shelf-life of semi cooked coated chicken fillets stored under vacuum packaging at 4 °C for a period of 18 days. Establishing, the determination of the shelf-life of fresh poultry and products represents a challenge for food companies as poultry meat has a short shelf-life, which causes substantial practical problems for its distribution. Therefore, knowledge of natural preservatives, that can be used as alternatives to chemical additives, that could extend the products' shelf life can have an important economic feedback by reducing losses attributed to spoilage and by allowing the products to reach distant and new markets. This study has shown that combinations of natural antimicrobials can extend the shelf-life of the product.