Removal of Multiplicative Gamma Noise from Images via SRAD Model Amelioration

In this paper, an improved Speckle Reducing Anisotropic Diffusion (SRAD), destined to remove multiplicative gamma noise applied to different images is proposed. The basic idea is to divide the image into several riddled areas and then calculate the Equivalent Number of Look (ENL) of each region. The largest value of the ENL is the best optimal homogeneous region of the image. This optimal choice allows us to solve the major problem of the SRAD algorithm articulated around a visual choice of the homogeneous region which is not satisfactory and causes non-uniformity in this area. To give more validity to the proposed method, several experimentations were conducted using different kinds of images and were approved by some quantitative metrics like PSNR, SNR, VSNR, and SSIM. The computer simulation results confirm the efficiency of the proposed method which outperformances the classical SRAD method.

Identification of Suitable Agents against Adenine Phosphoribosyl Transferase for the Management of Leishmaniasis: Synthesis, Characterization and Computational Studies

A leishmaniasis is a group of diseases attributable to protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania. It is a potential disease mostly occurring in developing nations. Various quinoline substituted derivatives (11a-f, 12a-f, and 13a-f) were synthesized by refluxing amino quinolines with an equivalent number of different alkylaminoethyl chlorides and evaluated for their in vitro antileishmanial activity against promastigotes forms of Leishmania donovani by using MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide] reduction assay. Compounds 11f (IC50 = 13.61μg/mL), 12f (IC50 = 11.92 μg/mL) and 13f (IC50 =10.41 μg/mL) have shown significant antileishmanial activity when compared with standard sitamaquine (IC50= 10.09 μg/mL). Furthermore, the molecular docking analysis targeting adenine phosphoribosyltransferase of Leishmania donovani exhibits significant binding interactions. In silico, ADMET predictions revealed that these compounds, i.e., 11f, 12f, and 13f, demonstrated good absorption as well as solubility characteristics with good drug-likeness and drug score values compared to the standard drug.

Truck-Platooning Impacts on Flexible Pavements: Experimental and Mechanistic Approaches

Truck platoons are expected to improve safety and reduce fuel consumption. However, their use is projected to accelerate pavement damage due to channelized-load application (lack of wander) and potentially reduced duration between truck-loading applications (reduced rest period). The effect of wander on pavement damage is well documented, while relatively few studies are available on the effect of rest period on pavement permanent deformation. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to quantify the impact of rest period theoretically, using a numerical method, and experimentally, using laboratory testing. A 3-D finite-element (FE) pavement model was developed and run to quantify the effect of rest period. Strain recovery and accumulation were predicted by fitting Gaussian mixture models to the strain values computed from the FE model. The effect of rest period was found to be insignificant for truck spacing greater than 10 ft. An experimental program was conducted, and several asphalt concrete (AC) mixes were considered at various stress levels, temperatures, and rest periods. Test results showed that AC deformation increased with rest period, irrespective of AC-mix type, stress level, and/or temperature. This observation was attributed to a well-documented hardening–relaxation mechanism, which occurs during AC plastic deformation. Hence, experimental and FE-model results are conflicting due to modeling AC as a viscoelastic and the difference in the loading mechanism. A shift model was developed by extending the time–temperature superposition concept to incorporate rest period, using the experimental data. The shift factors were used to compute the equivalent number of cycles for various platoon scenarios (truck spacings or rest period). The shift model was implemented in AASHTOware pavement mechanic–empirical design (PMED) guidelines for the calculation of rutting using equivalent number of cycles.

Study on End-of-Life Tires (ELTs) Recycling Strategy and Applications

Due to modernization and urbanization, the number of vehicles on the road has been increased. Around 3 billion tires have been sold, and an equivalent number of tires have been discarded each year. Even though the lifetime of the tires has been increased but according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the number of end-of-life tires is going to rise approximately 5 billion in a year. Its complex composition, make it the most tricky and difficult waste in the world to handle. Because it creates significant health and environmental problem by emitting harmful chemicals in the environment, working as a birthplace for pests, and prone to fire hazards. Recycling waste tires can add economical value also creating a sustainable way to dispose of them. This paper presents different recycling strategies and civil engineering applications of end-of-life tires. Reduction, reuse, recovery, and recycling have been applied. Application of waste tire as reinforcing layers in landfill, road pavement, drainage system, fuel source in the kiln, playground surface makes it an ideal material for affordable, medium-density, low-rise buildings that are highly valued worldwide. Moreover, the sound insulation and absorption with enhanced seismic resilience properties of the end-of-life tire can provide novel and effective engineering solutions.

Characteristics of the least-cited and most-cited articles in ophthalmology journals: A pilot study

Background: Limited research has examined differences between uncited papers and their most-cited counterparts. By comparing characteristics of each cohort, it is possible to better determine factors associated with increased citation count in the ophthalmology literature. Methods: We initially identified all research articles published in six popular general ophthalmology journals ( Ophthalmology, JAMA Ophthalmology, Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, American Journal of Ophthalmology, British Journal of Ophthalmology, and Graefe’s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology) between 2001 and 2011. Forty-nine articles were identified as having accrued zero citations as of March 2021 and were compared with an equivalent number of articles with the highest number of citations published in the same journals and time period. Significance ( p < 0.05) for comparisons was determined using the Mann–Whitney U test and Fisher’s exact test. Results: Compared to the least-cited articles, the most-cited articles were significantly more likely to be clinical, multi-institutional, and multi-national in scope, report a statistically significant result, have a conflict of interest, state a funding source, and have higher sample sizes. These publications had significantly more words in the abstract and manuscript and more references. Overall, the first authors of the most-cited articles were significantly more likely to be female and report greater prior research productivity, as assessed by the relative citation ratio (RCR). Conclusion: Considering a small number of articles were uncited at least a decade after publication, it appears most research is useful for future investigations. However, there remain distinct differences between uncited articles and their most-cited equivalents in ophthalmology.

Material and Temperature Effects in Low and High Cycle EAF of Austenitic Stainless Steels

Fatigue design of nuclear power plant pressure boundary components necessitates the use of design curves, where the allowable number of cycles is a function of the applied stress intensity. Design curves are derived from best-fit curves to small-specimen data, which comprises a range of materials, heats, temperatures and test techniques. This paper continues the series of papers most recently published in PVP2020-21136. At VTT, heat specific strain-life data has been obtained. In this paper, using our data and literature data we demonstrate the significance these heat and temperature specific best-fit curves can have on the predicted number of cycles, when also considering the detrimental effect of environment through Fen factors. Example calculations show that in most cases, a simple change of the reference curve from the Code best-fit curve to a more realistic one adds considerably to the number of predicted cycles, or alternatively, reduces the cumulative usage at equivalent number of cycles. Mainly for high cycle fatigue at high temperature, best-fit heat-specific curves may lie below the reference, taken as the mean curve in NUREG/CR-6909. However, refinement of calculation criteria and/or the Fen methodology is considered to provide additional relief to these cases so that the cumulative usage factor calculation can still be kept below unity.

Passenger Car Equivalent Value for Commercial Vehicles: A New Approach

Within the framework of the present paper an attempt has been made to develop a methodology for the calculation of a Passenger Car Equivalent (PCE) factor in order to express the number of commercial vehicles in the equivalent number of passenger cars. The methodology is based on the Highway Capacity Manual, the examination of the international literature and an extended field survey. The research area is the Municipality of Thessaloniki, Greece and specifically 27 at-grade, signalized intersections which were examined. The field survey was performed during two time-periods in order a comparison to be possible.

A multi-centre phase 3 study comparing efficacy and safety of Bemfola® versus Gonal-f® in women undergoing ovarian stimulation for IVF

Bemfola (follitropin alfa) (Finox AG, Switzerland), a new recombinant FSH, has a comparable pharmacological profile to that of Gonal-f (Merck Serono, Germany), the current standard for ovarian stimulation. A randomized, multi-centre, Phase 3 study in women undergoing IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (n = 372) showed Bemfola yielding similar efficacy and safety profiles to Gonal-f. Women aged 20–38 years of age were randomized 2:1 to receive a single, daily, subcutaneous 150 IU dose of either Bemfola or Gonal-f. This study tested equivalence in the number of retrieved oocytes using a pre-determined clinical equivalence margin of ±2.9 oocytes. Compared with Gonal-f, Bemfola treatment resulted in a statistically equivalent number of retrieved oocytes (Bemfola 10.8 ± 5.11 versus Gonal-f 10.6 ± 6.06, mean difference: 0.27 oocytes, 95% confidence interval: -1.34–1.32) as well as a similar clinical pregnancy rate per embryo transfer in first and second cycles (Bemfola: 40.2% and 38.5%, respectively; Gonal-f: 48.2% and 27.8%, respectively). No difference in severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome was observed between treatment groups (Bemfola: 0.8%; Gonal-f: 0.8%). This study demonstrates similar clinical efficacy and safety profiles between Bemfola and Gonal-f, and suggests that Bemfola can be an appropriate alternative in ovarian stimulation protocols.

The effect of the traffic composition on the urban traffic capacity. Passenger car equivalent coefficients

Predicting the traffic capacity and its elements requires bringing the traffic flow represented by various vehicles to uniformity expressed in the equivalent number of passenger cars, through the use of the passenger car equivalent coefficients (PCE). The currently used in Russian Federation passenger car equivalent coefficients are taken on the basis of studies of the capacity of the Russian Federation, carried out in the 70s - 80s of the last century on rural roads, where most of the vehicles were heavy vehicles. Currently, the traffic flow is mostly represented by passenger cars. The riding qualities of cars, especially trucks, have changed significantly. This situation is especially common to Moscow. In this regard, the question of clarifying the traffic flow composition and revising the passenger car equivalent coefficients becomes relevant. The article presents the methodology and results of studies carried out on the route sections between road crossings to determine the passenger car equivalent coefficients and the traffic composition in Moscow.