Developing an efficient algorithm for automated Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) segmentation to characterize tumor abnormalities in an accurate and reproducible manner is ever demanding. This paper presents an overview of the recent development and challenges of the energy minimizing active contour segmentation model called snake for the MRI. This model is successfully used in contour detection for object recognition, computer vision and graphics as well as biomedical image processing including X-ray, MRI and Ultrasound images. Snakes being deformable well-defined curves in the image domain can move under the influence of internal forces and external forces are subsequently derived from the image data. We underscore a critical appraisal

This paper includes studying the microfacies evalution of Mauddud Formaion in
four wells(Rt-2, Rt-5, Rt17 and Rt-19). Seventy-seven(77) sampels were collected
of above mentioned wells. Based on fossil content of the samples under study, four
main microfacies were identified: packstone , wakestone , grainstone and lime
mudstone microfacies ,which deposited in shallow open marine and restricted
marine environments. Petrographic examination of thin section indicated that
diagenesis vary in intensity from one site to another, such as dissolution,
cementation, compaction, dolomitization and micritization, which led to the
improvement and deterioration of porosity. The dominant pore types are vuggy,
interparticle and

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different inhibitors on the corrosion rate of aluminum in 50% (v/v) ethylene glycol solution at 80°C and pH 8.0 in which the electrochemical technique of linear sweep voltammetry was employed to characterize each inhibitor function and to calculate the corrosion rate from Tafel plots generated by a computer assisted  potentiostat.

It is found that both sodium dichromate and borax reduces the corrosion rate by polarizing the anodic polarization curve while sodium phosphate, potassium phosphate, and sodium benzoate reduces the corrosion rate by polarizing both the anodic and cathodic  polarization curve.

When inhibitor concentration increases from I g/l up

A numerical method is developed to obtain two-dimensional velocity and pressure distribution through a cylindrical pipe with cross jet flows. The method is based on solving partial differential equations for the conservation of mass and momentum by finite difference method to convert them into algebraic equations. This well-known problem is used to introduce the basic concepts of CFD including: the finite- difference mesh, the discrete nature of the numerical solution, and the dependence of the result on the mesh refinement. Staggered grid implementation of the numerical model is used. The set of algebraic equations is solved simultaneously by “SIMPLE” algorithm to obtain velocity and pressure distribution within a pipe. In order to

In this present paper, an experimental study of some plasma characteristics in dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) system using several variables, such as different frequencies and using two different electrodes metals(aluminium (Al) and copper (Cu)), is represented. The discharge plasma was produced by an AC power supply source of 6 and 7 kHz frequencies for the nitrogen gas spectrum and for two different electrodes metals(Al and Cu). Optical emission spectrometer was used to study plasma properties (such as electron temperature ( ), electron number density ( ), Debye length ( ), and plasma frequency ( )). In addition, images were analysed for the plasma emission intensity at atmospheric air pressure.

Oral carcinoma is the 6th most common cancer in the world. MicroRNAs are small non-coding single stranded RNAs. They have been shown to be capable of altering mRNA expression; thus some are oncogenic or tumor suppressive in nature. The salivary microRNA-31 has been proposed as a sensitive marker for oral malignancy since it was abundant in saliva more than in plasma. A total of 55 whole saliva samples were collected from 35 cases diagnosed with OC their ages and gender matched with 20 healthy subjects. TaqManq RT-PCR was performed for RNA samples. Mean age was 52.23+13.73 years in cases (range:17-70 years) with male predominance represented 69%. Risk of smoking and alcoholism was highly significant. The median fold change of miR-31 was sign

  Recent progress in the understanding of psoriasis has shown that the regulation of local and systemic cytokines plays an important role in its pathogenesis. Different studies evaluated the association of serum levels of some proinflammatory cytokines invivo and their correlation with severity of psoriasis. Eighty cases of psoriatic patients had been studied. Patients were divided into mild psoriasis group (30) and severe psoriasis group (50) according to severity, and (30) apparently healthy individuals ware used as acontrol group. Sera samples of all groups were collected from all individuals for the estimation levels of interleukins (IL-6 and IL-8).  All mean values sera levels (IL-6 32.004 pg/ml and 17.579 pg/ml  for

Polycaprolactone polymer is widely used in medical applications due to its biocompatibility. Electro spinning was used to create poly (ε- caprolactone) (PCL) nanocomposite fiber mats containing hydroxyapatite (HA) at concentrations ranging from 0.05 to 0.4% wt. The chemical properties of the fabricated bio composite fibers were evaluated using FTIR and morphologically using field-emission scanning-electron microscopy (FESEM), Porosity, contact angle, as well as mechanical testing(Young Modulus and Tensile strength) of the nanofibers were also studied. The FTIR results showed that all the bonds appeared for the pure PCL fiber and the PCL/HA nano fibers. The FESEM nano fiber showed that the fiber diameter increased from 54.13 to 155.79 (n

One of the most important environmental issues is the responsible effective and economic treatment of drilling waste especially oily waste.
In this research two fungal isolates named Pleurotus ostreatus and Trichoderma harzianum were chosen for the first time to treat biologically the oily drilled cuttings contaminated with diesel which resulted from drilling oil wells use oil based muds (OBMs).
The results showed that the fungi under study utilized the hydrocarbon of contaminated soil as a source of nutrient and growth and that both fungi can be considered hydrocarbon degrading microorganisms. The used biotreatment is cost effective process since most of the materials used in the cultivation and growth of the present fungi were av