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.
Background: Non-nutritive sucking habits are common in infants and toddlers. One of the most common non-nutritive sucking habits is pacifier; its prevalence varies from one population to another. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of pacifier sucking habit among children aged 1-5 years old in Baghdad city and to assess its effect on the occlusion of primary dentition concerning posterior crossbite. Materials and methods: The study was carried out among 1222 children aged 1-5 years old, from which 50 children with continues pacifier sucking habit were chosen to be the study group, compared to 50 children without any sucking habit (control group) matching the study group in age and gender. Children were examined clinically t
... Show MoreBreast cancer is one of the most widespread cancers,depending on World Health Organization, cancer calculated for approximately 7.6 million incidences in 2008, whoever expected elevation in incidence is about 13.1 million in 2030. So that the current research investigates vitamin D role in the occurrence of this disease and explains if vitamin D has a positive effect on the incidence of disease, as well as measuring parathyroid hormone and estrogen levels. Three groups were included in this analysis: control healthy women, benign and malignant breast tumor women. All cases that were selected at the beginning of the disease diagnosis. According to statistical values vitamin D showed highly significant (P<0.001) decrease in benign (3.74±2.33
... Show MoreThe aim of this study was to provide an overall assessment to the efficiency of the Iraq stocks exchanges (ISE) through specifying well –known models .First, Fama's efficient market hypothesis as a contrary concept to the random walk hypothesis, was performed and it has been found that ISE follows the random process, so the price of the shares can't be predicated on the basis of past information. Second,we use a multifactor model, which so named multiple regression, to explore the link between ISE and the main economic indicators. our empirical analysis finds that every weak associations exists between major ISE measures and main economic indicators.
Background:Amino acid disorders are a major group of inborn error metabolism (IEM) with variable clinical presentation; its diagnosis constitutes a real challenge in a community with high consanguinity rate and no systematic newborn screening.
Objectives: to provide data about amino acid disorders detected in high-risk Iraqi children by using quantitative amino acid fluorescent high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis.
Type of the study: Cross-sectional study.
Methods: a descriptive cross sectional study from 1st February to 1st December 2014, at Neurological ward and clinic of the Children Welfare teaching Hospital, in Baghdad - Ira
... Show MoreBackground: The best material for dental implants is polyetherketoneketone (PEKK). However, this substance is neither osteoinductive nor osteoconductive, preventing direct bone apposition. Modifying the PEKK with bioactive elements like strontium hydroxyapatite is one method to overcome this (Sr-HA). Due to the technique's capacity to provide better control over the coating's properties, RF magnetron sputtering has been found to be a particularly useful technique for deposition. Materials and methods : With specific sputtering conditions, the RF magnetron technique was employed to provide a homogeneous and thin coating on Polyetherketoneketone substrates.. the coatings were characterized by Contact angle, adhesion test, X-ray
... Show MoreHigh-performance liquid chromatographic methods are used for the determination of water-soluble vitamins with UV-Vis. Detector. A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic has been developed for determination of water-soluble vitamins. Identification of compounds was achieved by comparing their retention times and UV spectra with those of standards solution. Separation was performed on a C18 column, using an isocratic 30% (v/v) acetonitril in dionozed water as mobile phase at pH 3.5 and flow rate 1.0m/min. The method provides low detection and quantification limits, good linearity in a large concentration interval and good precision. The detection limits ranged from 0.01 to 0.025µg/ml. The accuracy of the method was
... Show MoreThe research examines the awareness of the components of responsible citizenship among primary schoolgirls in Jeddah using a descriptive approach. A test was then prepared, which consists of loyalty, affiliation to homeland, conscious citizenship based on the knowledge of rights, the fulfillment of duties, family roles in education and society revival, homeland and preservation of the components and gains, participation in achievements, and of national heritage. To maintain the validity and reliability of the study, 28-item test of multiple-choice and short essays type was applied to a random sample of (303) female students in the (fourth-fifth-sixth) primary school class in Jeddah. Results have shown that the level of awareness of schoo
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