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

The hero traditionally has such admirable traits as courage, fortitude,
chivalry and patriotism. In the literary works, the hero is the leading
character and the pivot around which all the characters and the events
revolve. The characteristics of the hero usually reflect the cultural values
of his time. Because, in each age, Man's attitudes towards himself and the
world change, different images of the hero emerge.
In Greek Mythology, the hero is frequently favoured by the gods;
therefore, he is himself semi-divine. The Greek hero is of princely birth
and is endowed with good physique, exceptional strength, skill in
athletics and battle, energy and eloquence, like Odysseus who is the hero
of the Odyssey, long

Caryl Churchill's Top Girls (1982) reveals how women have achieved a point of strength and independence in their battle to face men's oppression throughout history. Churchill has replicated recent transitions in the 1980s and 1990s in works that depict these movements' central concerns and contradictions as they change. Similarly, her theater is a result of many problems and shifts in hegemonic modes of production during this time. This paper traces the achievements of the major character of Top Girls, Marlene, in her way of life and her handling of the struggles of other women around her. Because of this strength, Marlene is compared to the British Prime Minister, Thatcher. Therefore, this paper will shed light on the term of T

Ketoprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drug with analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic effects. It is widely used in the treatment of inflammation and pain associated with rheumatic disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and in soft tissue injury. The purpose of this study was to prepare an  oral disintegrating tablets of ketoprofen by simple method. The tablets were prepared by direct compression method and different ratios of various subliming agents or superdisintegrants were incorporated. Then these tablets were evaluated for hardness, friability, weight variation, water absorption ratio, disintegrating time and dissolution time. The results showed that Formula F11 batch had short disint

Applying load to a structural member may result in a bottle-shaped compression field especially when the width of the loading is less than the width of bearing concrete members. At the Building and Construction Department – the University of Technology-Iraq, series tests on fibre reinforced concrete specimens were carried out, subjected to compression forces at the top and bottom of the specimens to produce compression field. The effects of steel fibre content, concrete compressive strength, transverse tension reinforcement, the height of test specimen, and the ratio of the width of loading plate to specimen width were studied by testing a total of tenth normal strength concrete blocks with steel fibre and one normal s

The thermal performance of indirect expansion solar assisted heat pump, IX-SAHP, was investigated experimentally under Iraqi climate. An Indirect-Solar Assisted Heat Pump system was designed, built, instrumented and tested. Experimental tests were conducted by varying the controlling parameters to investigate their effects on the thermal performance of the IX-SAHP such as cooling water flow rate, heating water flow rate, ambient temperature and solar radiation intensity. The investigation covered values of cooling water flow rate of (2, 3, 4, 5 l/min) and heating water flow rate of (2, 3, 4, 5 l/min) under meteorological condition of Baghdad from November 2014 to January 2015.

The results indicated that the performance of the IX-

Multi-belled piles are piles with enlarged ends; these piles have one or further bells at the lower third part of the pile. These piles are suitable for many soils with problems such as softening clay, the variation of groundwater table, expansive soils, black cotton soil, and loose sand. The current study reviewed the behavior of belled piles in multi-layer soils subjected to axial compression and pullout loading. The review covered the experimental and theoretical works on belled piles in multi-layered soils. These piles were subjected to static and dynamic loadings in compression and pullout cases. Most theoretical results focused on software such as PLAXIS 3D. The axial load applied on the piles comes from the upper

The aim of this work is to study the effect of diesel fuel percentage on the combustion processes in compression ignition engine using dual – fuel (diesel and LPG).

 The brake thermal efficiency increased with the increase of diesel fuel rate at low loads, and decreased when load increased. To get sufficient operation in engine fueled with dual fuel, it required sufficient flow rate of diesel fuel, if the engine fueled with insufficient diesel fuel erratic operation with miss fire cycles presented.

Dual-fuel operation at part load showed higher specific fuel consumption than straight diesl operation. At full loads, brake specific fuel consumption of duel fuel engine approaches that for diesel fuel values.