Clinical keratoconus (KCN) detection is a challenging and time-consuming task. In the diagnosis process, ophthalmologists must revise demographic and clinical ophthalmic examinations. The latter include slit-lamb, corneal topographic maps, and Pentacam indices (PI). We propose an Ensemble of Deep Transfer Learning (EDTL) based on corneal topographic maps. We consider four pretrained networks, SqueezeNet (SqN), AlexNet (AN), ShuffleNet (SfN), and MobileNet-v2 (MN), and fine-tune them on a dataset of KCN and normal cases, each including four topographic maps. We also consider a PI classifier. Then, our EDTL method combines the output probabilities of each of the five classifiers to obtain a decision based on the fusion of probabilities. Individually, the classifier based on PI achieved 93.1% accuracy, whereas the deep classifiers reached classification accuracies over 90% only in isolated cases. Overall, the average accuracy of the deep networks over the four corneal maps ranged from 86% (SfN) to 89.9% (AN). The classifier ensemble increased the accuracy of the deep classifiers based on corneal maps to values ranging (92.2% to 93.1%) for SqN and (93.1% to 94.8%) for AN. Including in the ensemble-specific combinations of corneal maps’ classifiers and PI increased the accuracy to 98.3%. Moreover, visualization of first learner filters in the networks and Grad-CAMs confirmed that the networks had learned relevant clinical features. This study shows the potential of creating ensembles of deep classifiers fine-tuned with a transfer learning strategy as it resulted in an improved accuracy while showing learnable filters and Grad-CAMs that agree with clinical knowledge. This is a step further towards the potential clinical deployment of an improved computer-assisted diagnosis system for KCN detection to help ophthalmologists to confirm the clinical decision and to perform fast and accurate KCN treatment.
The need to constantly and consistently improve the quality and quantity of the educational system is essential. E-learning has emerged from the rapid cycle of change and the expansion of new technologies. Advances in information technology have increased network bandwidth, data access speed, and reduced data storage costs. In recent years, the implementation of cloud computing in educational settings has garnered the interest of major companies, leading to substantial investments in this area. Cloud computing improves engineering education by providing an environment that can be accessed from anywhere and allowing access to educational resources on demand. Cloud computing is a term used to describe the provision of hosting services
... Show MoreBackground: Scientific education aims to be inclusive and to improve students learning achievements, through appropriate teaching and learning. Problem Based Learning (PBL) system, a student centered method, started in the second half of the previous century and is expanding progressively, organizes learning around problems and students learn about a subject through the experience of solving these problems.Objectives:To assess the opinions of undergraduate medical students regarding learning outcomes of PBL in small group teaching and to explore their views about the role of tutors and methods of evaluation. Type of the study: A cross-sectional study.Methods: This study was conducted in Kerbala Medical Colleges among second year students
... Show MoreThe purpose of the study is to identify the teaching techniques that mathematics' teachers use due to the Brain-based learning theory. The sample is composed of (90) teacher: (50) male, (40) female. The results have shown no significant differences between male and female responses' mean. Additionally, through the observation of author, he found a lack of using Brain-based learning techniques. Thus, the researcher recommend that it is necessary to involve teachers in remedial courses to enhance their ability to create a classroom that raise up brain-based learning skills.
Professional learning societies (PLS) are a systematic method for improving teaching and learning performance through designing and building professional learning societies. This leads to overcoming a culture of isolation and fragmenting the work of educational supervisors. Many studies show that constructing and developing strong professional learning societies - focused on improving education, curriculum and evaluation will lead to increased cooperation and participation of educational supervisors and teachers, as well as increases the application of effective educational practices in the classroom.
The roles of the educational supervisor to ensure the best and optimal implementation and activation of professional learning soci
... Show MoreBioethanol produced from lignocellulose feedstock is a renewable substitute to declining fossil fuels. Pretreatment using ultrasound assisted alkaline was investigated to enhance the enzyme digestibility of waste paper. The pretreatment was conducted over a wide range of conditions including waste paper concentrations of 1-5%, reaction time of 10-30 min and temperatures of 30-70°C. The optimum conditions were 4 % substrate loading with 25 min treatment time at 60°C where maximum reducing sugar obtained was 1.89 g/L. Hydrolysis process was conducted with a crude cellulolytic enzymes produced by Cellulomonas uda (PTCC 1259).The maximum amount of sugar released and hydrolysis efficiency were 20.92 g/L and 78.4 %, respectively. Sugars
... Show MoreThe calculation of the oil density is more complex due to a wide range of pressuresand temperatures, which are always determined by specific conditions, pressure andtemperature. Therefore, the calculations that depend on oil components are moreaccurate and easier in finding such kind of requirements. The analyses of twenty liveoil samples are utilized. The three parameters Peng Robinson equation of state istuned to get match between measured and calculated oil viscosity. The Lohrenz-Bray-Clark (LBC) viscosity calculation technique is adopted to calculate the viscosity of oilfrom the given composition, pressure and temperature for 20 samples. The tunedequation of state is used to generate oil viscosity values for a range of temperatu
... Show MoreSeveral correlations have been proposed for bubble point pressure, however, the correlations could not predict bubble point pressure accurately over the wide range of operating conditions. This study presents Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model for predicting the bubble point pressure especially for oil fields in Iraq. The most affecting parameters were used as the input layer to the network. Those were reservoir temperature, oil gravity, solution gas-oil ratio and gas relative density. The model was developed using 104 real data points collected from Iraqi reservoirs. The data was divided into two groups: the first was used to train the ANN model, and the second was used to test the model to evaluate their accuracy and trend stability
... Show MorePhase change materials (PCMs) such as paraffin wax can be used to store or release large amount of energy at certain temperature at which their solid-liquid phase changes occurs. Paraffin wax that used in latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) has low thermal conductivity. In this study, the thermal conductivity of paraffin wax has been enhanced by adding different mass concentration (1wt.%, 3wt.%, 5wt.%) of (TiO2) nano-particles with about (10nm) diameter. It is found that the phase change temperature varies with adding (TiO2) nanoparticles in to the paraffin wax. The thermal conductivity of the composites is found to decrease with increasing temperature. The increase in thermal conductivity ha
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