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Advancing Brain Tumor Segmentation in MRI Scans: Hybrid Attention-Residual UNET with Transformer Blocks
Accurate segmentation of brain tumors is vital for effective treatment planning, disease diagnosis, and monitoring treatment outcomes. Post-surgical monitoring, particularly for recurring tumors, relies on MRI scans, presenting challenges in segmenting small residual tumors due to surgical artifacts. This emphasizes the need for a robust model with superior feature extraction capabilities for precise segmentation in both pre-and post-operative scenarios. The study introduces the Hybrid Attention-Residual UNET with Transformer Blocks (HART-UNet), enhancing the U-Net architecture with a spatial self-attention module, deep residual connections, and RESNET50 weights. Trained on BRATS20 and validated on Kaggle LGG and BTC_ postop datasets, HART-UNet outperforms established models (UNET, Attention UNET, UNET++, and RESNET 50), achieving Dice Coefficients of 0.96, 0.97, and 0.88, respectively. These results underscore the models superior segmentation performance, marking a significant advancement in brain tumor analysis across pre-and post-operative MRI scans. 2024 by the authors of this article. -
A new framework for contour tracing using Euclidean distance mapping
In this paper, a new fast, efficient and accurate contour extraction method, using eight sequential Euclidean distance map and connectivity criteria based on maximal disk, is proposed. The connectivity criterion is based on a set of point pairs along the image boundary pixels. The proposed algorithm generates a contour of an image with less number of iterations compared to many of the existing methods. The performance of the proposed algorithm is tested with a database of handwritten character images. In comparison to two standard contour tracing algorithms (the Moore method and the Canny edge detection method), the proposed algorithm found to give good quality contour images and require less computing time. Further, features extracted from contours of handwritten character images, generated using the proposed algorithm, resulted in better recognition accuracy. Copyright 2021 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. -
FITNESS TRAINERS PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS AND GYM GOERS EXERCISE INTENTION
In line with the law of attraction, physical attractiveness has been widely used in marketing as well as advertising due to its potency in persuading consumers to take action. However, would physical attractiveness of a fitness trainer influence gym goers intention to exercise? This question motivated this research. Based on recent literature reviews, several research constructs were identified to form a research framework to investigate the physical attractiveness phenomena in the fitness industry. Hypothetically, the impact of the physical attractiveness of a fitness trainer on gym goers exercise intention is postulated to be mediated by trainers perceived expertise, trustworthiness, likeability and perceived health. Questionnaires were administered among gym-goers from 10 randomly selected fitness centres across three districts of Melaka State in Malaysia, and 192 final sample data were obtained. Data analysis reveals fitness trainers perceived expertise and likeability significantly mediates the relationship between the physical attractiveness of fitness trainers and gym goers exercise intention. Physical attractiveness of fitness trainers does impact the exercise intention of gym goers indirectly. Implications of the findings to theory and practice are also discussed in this paper, as well as suggestions for future studies. 2022, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak. All rights reserved. -
Gym-Goers Self-Identification with Physically Attractive Fitness Trainers and Intention to Exercise
Gym-goers often socially compare themselves with their trainers as they strive to look as attractive as their fitness trainers. The aim of this study was to better understand this phenomenon in the fitness industry. Relying on social comparison theory and social identity theory, self-identification with a physically attractive fitness trainer was posited to have a strong mediating effect on the relationship between appearance motive, weight management motive and gym-goers intention to exercise. The moderation effects of gym-goers age and gender in the direct relationships between appearance motive, weight management motive and exercise intention were also examined. The primary outcome of this study revealed that gym-goers who were influenced by appearance and weight management motives are more likely to identify with physically attractive fitness trainers. Additionally, gender significantly moderates the relationships between appearance motive, weight management motive and exercise intention. Appearance and weight management motives are the primary factors that influence the exercise intention of female gym-goers as compared to their male counterparts. This study sheds new insights into understanding the influence of the physical attractiveness of fitness trainers and its impact on gym-goers exercise intentions via self and social identification process. 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. -
Evaluation of Social Media Marketing Literature in the Tourism Industry Using PRISMA
Social media is an effective communication and information-sharing tool for tourism enterprises and organisations. Tourism marketing shall tap the growing popularity of social media and internet users, embracing a technological shift by optimising the potential of social media. This research study evaluates the academic journal articles related to social media in the tourism industry published on EBSCOhost, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar academic databases from 2005 to 2022. The article adopts a content analysis approach to review the articles and to evaluate the present state of knowledge of social media marketing in academic literature. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) is used for reporting and screening the review papers. The articles were coded and categorised under six major themes: Marketing, Destination experience/image, Tourism recovery, Smart tourism, Communication and Promotion. The research analysis has identified two major areas: (a) Travellers/tourists Perspective which has a focus on their behavioural attitude and (b) Tourism Agencies Perspective which has a functional approach. Based on the review of the literature to give direction for further research, an improvised version of the definition for the term social media with the inclusion of more specific terms in it has been proposed with theoretical and practical implications. 2023 MICA-The School of Ideas. -
Temperature and pressure dependent luminescence mechanism of a zinc blende structured ZnS:Mn nanophosphor under UV excitation
A comprehensive photoluminescence and mechanoluminescence analysis of a ZnS:Mn2+ nano-phosphor with a zinc blende structure is presented. The sample containing quantum dot-sized nanocrystallites was synthesized by the chemical precipitation method and shows excellent orange luminescence at ambient conditions related to the 4T1 ? 6A1 transition. The sample shows stable and identical luminescence behavior under both UV and X-ray excitation at ambient conditions and also exhibits excellent self-powered mechanoluminescence properties. The pressure and temperature-induced luminescence mechanism of the phosphor is also established. The shift of the 4T1 ? 6A1 luminescence band of Mn2+ with both pressure and temperature and the luminescence mechanism is explained via the d5 Tanabe Sugano diagram. The broad luminescence band of the 4T1 ? 6A1 transition shifts from the visible to near-infrared range at a rate of ?35.8 meV GPa?1 with the increase of the pressure and it is subsequently quenched completely at a pressure of 16.41 GPa due to a reversible phase transition from zinc blende (F4?3m) to rocksalt (Fm3?m) phase. The high-pressure and temperature-dependent decay kinetics measurements of the sample luminescence are also reported. 2024 The Royal Society of Chemistry. -
Molecularly imprinted graphene based biosensor as effective tool for electrochemical sensing of uric acid
Graphene oxide based molecularly imprinted polymer was designed by incorporating vinyltrimethoxysilane into the layers of graphene oxide, which was copolymerized with functional monomers such as Itaconic acid (IA) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) was developed via bulk imprinting technique. The prepared polymer was studied for selective sensing the uric acid (UA) in blood serum. The electrode was constructed by modifying bare glassy carbon electrodes with the prepared molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) via drop cast method. Electrochemical measurements were made by Cyclic voltammetric (CV) and Differential Pulse Voltammetric (DPV) response of the sensor. The physical and chemical properties of the resultant material will be characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, XRD and FESEM. The constructed sensor showed a regression coefficient (R2) of 0.9302 with limit of detection (LOD) of about 0.565 ??M. The developed sensor is reusable without any compromise in its selectivity. All the results confirm that the constructed biosensor requires no pre-treatment of samples and is suitable for real sample analysis. 2023 The Authors -
Acid functionalized Arachis hypogaea skin based carbon nanosphere as efficacious material for enhanced energy storage
The present introduces a single step approach for enhancing supercapacitor performance by utilizing acid-functionalized porous carbon derived from the inner skin of Arachis hypogaea as a sustainable biomass precursor. Through pyrolysis at 800 C in a nitrogen atmosphere, the resulting porous carbon material demonstrates unique structural and electrochemical behavior as confirmed by FTIR, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, FE-SEM, HR-TEM,EDS,BET analyses. The acid functionalized variant (FAH8) significantly outperformed the non-functionalized carbon (AH8), showing a fourfold increase in specific capacitance. Electrochemical evaluations revealed that FAH8 achieved a high specific capacitance of 273 Fg?1 at 0.25 Ag?1 in 3 M KOH, with an energy density of 22.5 Wh kg?1 and a power density of 125 W kg?1 in a three-electrode setup. The symmetrical CR2032 device of FAH8 exhibited a maximum capacitance of 98 Fg?1 and displayed excellent stability, with 98.5 % efficiency and 97.4 % capacitance retention after 7500 cycles. Notably, the device also delivered a high energy density of 23.17 Wh kg?1 and power density of 325.0 W kg?1. The enhanced performance attributed by the simple acid functionalization highlights the potential of this material in energy storage. Thus, the study not only emphasizes the effective use of low-cost biomass precursors but also provides a straightforward functionalization strategy to boost energy storage capabilities, paving the way for sustainable high-performance supercapacitors. 2025 Elsevier Ltd -
Do Koreans hate Indians? Fact checking viral online videos calling out Korean racism
[No abstract available] -
Romance and Hitchcock? Viewing master of suspense as master of romance
This essay through literature and textual analysis argues that romance or romantic love is a dominant theme in Alfred Hitchcocks films alongside suspense. Romance in Hitchcocks films is highlighted in limited studies in the past and the findings are not conclusive. This study analysed a selected sample of 19 prominent films of Hitchcock. It argues that romantic content in Hitchcocks films is similar to classic Hollywood romantic films. However, unique features of romance specific to Hitchcocks films such as working together to solve a mystery, and complicated love were also found as recurring themes. Hitchcock employs his auteur style in the portrayal of romantic love to an extent that the romantic content in his films can be characterised as having a distinct style lending itself to term it as Hitchcock romance. Hitchcock romance is the amalgamation of suspense and romance that support each other to drive the narrative forward. 2024 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. -
Beyond Bollywood and Hindi: making a case for other language films in India
[No abstract available] -
National cinema in India: exploring myths and realities
[No abstract available] -
Purification and evaluating in vitro activity of a fibrinolytic protease produced by a mangrove isolate Bacillus subtilis AIBL_AMSB2_M7E32
One of the main causes of heart-related problems globally is intravascular thrombosis. Microbial fibrinolytic proteases play a very crucial role in the management of thrombosis. Plasminogen activators and plasmin-like proteins, which are fibrinolytic enzymes of microbial origin, hydrolyze thrombin with great efficacy and without causing noticeable side effects. These fibrinolytic enzymes can also be manufactured efficiently and economically in huge quantities within a short period. However, the search for novel fibrinolytic enzymes demands difficult purification procedures, as well as physicochemical and structural-functional properties that provide information about their mode of action. In this study, the strain named Bacillus subtilis AIBL_AMSB2_M7E32, isolated from the Coringa mangrove soils, was shown to produce a fibrinolytic enzyme. The enzyme was purified by a four-step purification process that resulted in a 43.33-fold purification with a specific activity of 6368.20 (U/mg). Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that the purified enzyme was a protein of about 28 kDa and showed fibrinolytic activity on a zymogram. In vitro assay on blood clots revealed that the purified enzyme could lyse the blood effectively by a percentage of 72.96 0.16a%, indicating that the enzyme could be used as a fibrinolytic agent. Furthermore, an observation for enzyme stability and its in vivo activity studies would be necessary for its application in the market. 2024 Bhavana Sompalli and Alok Malaviya. -
A novel fibrinolytic enzyme producer from mangrove soil sediments: Screening, isolation, strain improvement, and fermentation
Fibrinolytic enzymes are used for addressing many cardiovascular disease conditions. However, current fibrinolytic enzymes are highly expensive with many side effects which necessitate the development of alternative cost-effective processes for low-cost production of these lifesaving enzymes. Since the availability of a suitable strain is considered the basic requirement for any process development effort, we started our work in this direction with screening and isolation of fibrinolytic enzyme producers. The goal of this study was to screen and isolate fibrinolytic enzyme producers from a relatively unexplored environment, i.e., the mangroves. Mangroves are wetlands and are one of the unique and less studied habitats for the production of therapeutic molecules. Microbiota that produces fibrinolytic enzymes from Coringa mangroves located in Kakinada District, Andhra Pradesh, India, is lacking. Therefore, in this study, fibrinolytic enzyme-producing bacterium was screened from samples obtained from Coringa mangroves. Out of 200, protease enzyme-producing isolates obtained from screening 30 mangrove soil samples, 7 isolates exhibiting fibrinolytic activity were selected. Out of these 7, the highest fibrinolytic enzyme-producing bacterial strain (AIBL_AMSB2) was characterized by biochemical and genomic methods, which was finally identified as Bacillus subtilis subsp. Inaquosorum by 16S rRNA analysis. The strain was also found to be an amylase producer. AIBL_AMSB2 was subjected to strain improvement using random mutagenesis techniques (i) Ultraviolent radiations (UV) and (ii) Ethyl methyl Sulphonate (EMS), which resulted in an improved mutant strain AIBL_AMSB2_M7E32 exhibiting 54.70% improvement in fibrinolytic activity. Batch fermentation in controlled experimental conditions using the obtained mutant strain resulted in a 133.54% increase in growth OD and a 391.11% increase in enzyme activity. Thus, the study reports an increased fibrinolytic enzyme activity producing mangrove isolate and its production by submerged fermentation. Further studies to prove the potential of the enzyme on blood clots are necessary to utilize for industrial application. 2024 Bhavana Sompalli and Alok Malaviya. -
Bioconvective flow of bi-viscous Bingham nanofluid subjected to Thompson and Troian slip conditions
This paper describes the bioconvection phenomenon and its significant influence on the thermal features of the flow of bi-viscous Bingham (BVB) nanofluid past a vertically stretching flat surface. The analysis of the impact of convection parameters is considered along with various other forces. Meanwhile, the flow of BVB nanofluid is put through the slip conditions defined by Thompson and Troian for the velocity at the boundary. The flow of BVB nanofluid is modeled using the partial differential equations (PDEs) under the assumptions of thermophoresis and Brownian motion which occur due to the movement of nanoparticles. Along with these forces, the radiation is also considered so that the obtained results are close to the practical scenarios. Thus, using the proper Lie group similarity transformations, the intended mathematical model is converted into ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The resulting equation system is encoded using the RKF-45 technique, and the outcomes are explained using graphs and tables. The solutions found for the model showed that, for higher ranges of the non-Newtonian fluid parameter, the velocity decreases while the heat transferred by the nanofluid increases. The availability of motile density at the surface grows as the Plet number rises, whereas the Schmidt numbers decline in their respective profiles. 2023 World Scientific Publishing Company. -
On ? -Vertex Choosability of Graphs
A connected, simple graph G with vertex set V(G) = { 1 , 2 , , n} is said to be vertex (n,k)-choosable, if there exists a collection of subsets { Sk(v) ? V(G) : v? V} of cardinality k, such that Sk(u) ? Sk(v) = ? for all uv? E(G) , where k is a positive integer less than n. The maximum value of such k is called the vertex choice number of G. In this paper, we introduce the notion of ?- choosability of graphs in terms of their vertex (n,k)-choice number and initiate a study on the structural characteristics of ?-choosable graphs. 2020, The National Academy of Sciences, India. -
Decolonising Caste in the Indian Context: The Psyche of the Oppressor
Caste is a social construct as well as a psychological phenomenon. So far, it has been predominantly viewed, understood and researched through the lens of anthropology, sociology, economics and political science. However, very little understanding has been gained in the domain of psychological science with respect to caste in the Indian context. The population of the Global South (includes the regions of Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania) cannot be understood with the frameworks and research undertaken by the Global North (Europe and North America, known as the West, the industrialised world) because the knowledge production centres of psychology have predominantly been Euro-American centric, as many critics have pointed out. Although research has been scarce in relation to caste and psychology, it has mostly revolved around the oppressed. Therefore, this article aims to shift the focus from the oppressed to the oppressor. To understand Indian human behaviour and thought, it is essential to view it through the lens of the colonial past, the caste system and religion, which are intertwined with each other. This article aims to look at the psychology of the oppressor in the Indian context through the psychological frameworks of purity and pollution. It also stems from the premise that casteism is inculcated through modelling and intergenerational learning. Hence, the above-mentioned factors help to understand unequal power relations and discrimination, which facilitate the decolonisation of the Indian psyche. It also highlights the influence of colonisation on the mind and behaviour with respect to caste. 2023 Department of Psychology, University of Allahabad. -
Mindfulness: An emotional aid to the glass ceiling experiences
We have progressed to a phase where there is very little difference between men and women, but the reality in many countries is that women are looked down as the inferior gender and not given career opportunities to explore. They are not let into the decision-making roles at the organization even when they have an equal qualification, experience and skill. They are placed low in the hierarchy which allows them to witness the functions at the higher level of the organization but restricts them from participating in them. There are a lot of factors like cultural, socio-demographic factors and society itself that influence this disparity in the organization. These contributory factors create the glass ceiling phenomenon at the workplace, thereby generating emotional and psychological imbalances in women employees. This is a conceptual paper aiming to explore the concept and impact of mindfulness, and various concepts of mindfulness could be used as an emotional aid to treat the psychological effects of the glass ceiling. It further explains some of the mindful concepts like mindful walking, mindful life and mindfulness-based stress reduction technique in treating some of the psychological and emotional issues like depression, anxiety, frustration, traumatic experiences, adjustment issues, addiction, stress, low self-esteem, low self-confidence and aggression. It also elucidates adopting mindfulness techniques in real organizational scenarios where women are constantly discriminated because of their gender and opportunities are taken away. 2021 The Author(s). This open access article is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 license. -
Antecedents of employee readiness for change in the IT sector and the manufacturing sector: A comparative study
A sample of 305 employees comprising nearly equal numbers from the manufacturing sector and from the information technology (IT) sector in India was assessed in terms of: 1) attributes of the individual employees (practical intelligence and creative behaviour); 2) processes (participation in making decisions and the quality of communication); 3) contextual factors (trust in management and history of change), to predict the readiness of the employees for change. The predictors of employee readiness for change differed between the two sectors, and the factor most closely related to the readiness was prior experience of organisational changes. Copyright 2018 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. -
Imidazopyridine chalcones as potent anticancer agents: Synthesis, single-crystal X-ray, docking, DFT and SAR studies
New imidazopyridinechalcone analogs were synthesized through the ClaisenSchmidt condensation reaction. The newly synthesized imidazopyridine-chalcones (S1S12) were characterized using spectroscopic and elemental analysis. The structures of compounds S2 and S5 were confirmed by X-ray crystallography. The global chemical reactivity descriptor parameter was calculated using theoretically (DFT-B3LYP-3-211, G) estimated highest occupied molecular orbital and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital values and the results are discussed. Compounds S1S12 were screened on A-549 (lung carcinoma epithelial cells) and MDA-MB-231 (M.D. Anderson-Metastatic Breast 231) cancer cell lines. Compounds S6 and S12 displayed exceptional antiproliferative activity against lung A-549 cancer cells with IC50 values of 4.22 and 6.89 M, respectively, compared to the standard drug doxorubicin (IC50 = 3.79 ?M). In the case of the MDA-MB-231 cell line, S1 and S6 exhibited exceptionally superior antiproliferative activity with IC50 of 5.22 and 6.50 ?M, respectively, compared to doxorubicin (IC50 = 5.48 ?M). S1 was found to be more active than doxorubicin. Compounds S1S12 were tested for their cytotoxicity on human embryonic kidney 293 cells, which confirmed the nontoxic nature of the active compounds. Further molecular docking studies verified that compounds S1S12 have a higher docking score and interacted well with the target protein. The most active compound S1 interacted well with the target protein carbonic anhydrase II in complex with pyrimidine-based inhibitor, and S6 with human Topo II? ATPase/AMP-PNP. The results suggest that imidazopyridine-chalcone analogs may serve as new leads as anticancer agents. 2023 Deutsche Pharmazeutische Gesellschaft.