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 contemporary art culture is considered a resultant of preceding human civilizations from the early days. At the same time, it got closer to the local privacy, because the contemporary Iraqi potter worked hard to create new art, refusing to base his art on the early works, creating art pieces that contains properties to inherited art and their form significance, in order to create a new identity of his own, bringing an empowerment to his deepened civilization, with the goal to create national identity ideas from one hand, and entity and locality from another. Europeans also followed the direction of our civilization, such as (Picasso, Henry Moore, Barbra Hurth, Brankouzi, Hans Arp,..etc). From this point of view comes the importance o
... Show MoreType 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic disorder that is a serious health concern all over the globe, it is linked to Interleukin-10 (IL-10) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at the promoter region. On the other hand, diabetes influences the cellular and humoral immunity predisposing the patient to a variety of opportunistic parasites one of them is Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), which may infect any nucleated cell, including pancreatic cells. The purpose of this research was to explore the association of IL-10 genetic polymorphisms with T2DM and latent toxoplasmosis among Iraqi patients with T2DM. Fifty-five and fifty-eight venous blood samples were taken from T2DM patients and age-matched non-diabetic person
... Show MoreBackground: Obesity and dental caries are multifactorial diseases related to poor eating habits and show a close relationship with the sociodemographic characteristics of individuals presenting these diseases. This research aimed to investigate the severity of dental caries among group of obese boys aged 12 year in relation to salivary interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) of unstimulated whole saliva in comparison with normal weighted boys of the same age. Materials and Methods: The study group included 40 obese boys, with an age of 12 year. The control group included 40 normal weighted boys of the same age. The total sample involved for nutritional status assessment using Body Mass Index specific for age and gender according t
... Show MoreThis research concentrate on cultivated Iraqi Agave attenuata dried leaves and roots, because of little studies on this plant especially on the root that lead to the eager of study and comparison of phytochemical constituents between leaves and root. Extraction of bioactive constituents was carried out using several solvents with increasing polarity (n-hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol) by soxhlet apparatus. Steroidal saponins in Agave genus is well documented in many species, lightening the minds in this research on extraction method which is specific for steroidal saponins. Phytochemical screening was done by GC/MS for n-hexane fraction, qualitative and quantitative estimation of several bioactive constituents (caffe
... Show MoreIn this study, poly4-(nicotinamido)-4-oxo-2-butenoic acid (PNOE) was prepared by the electro polymerization of 4-(nicotinamido)-4-oxo-2-butenoic acid (NOE) monomer on a 316 stainless steel (St.St) which acts as an anticorrosion coating. Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and cyclic voltammetry were used to diagnose the structure and the properties of the prepared polymer layer. The corrosion behavior of the uncoated and coated 316 St.St were evaluated by using an electro chemical polarization technique in 0.2 M hydrochloric acid solution as a corrosive medium at a temperature range of 293 to 323 K. Nano materials, such as nano ZnO and graphene were added in di
... Show MoreBeing the meeting points of the world different languages and out of a scholarly perspective, comparative literature represents a cultural leap as well as an artistic and intellectual development or a global literary movement of both prose and poetry. Such homogenous literary structure requires a systematic and coherent study of the literary output of the people different cultures and civilizations. It also represents the theoretical approach of the present study that debates a systematic comparison between Ghassan Kanafani’s All That's Left to You and William Faulkner’s. The Sound and the Fury. Within the perspective of the descriptive analysis approach, the present paper discusses th
... Show MoreIn this work, the preparation of new multidentate Schiff-base lig and and its metal complexes are described. The formation of the lig and{ 2,2`((5-methyl-1,3-phenylene)-bis-(oxy))-bis-N`(E`)-2- hydroxybenzylideneacetohydrazide}[H2L] was prepared from the reaction {2,2-((5-methyl-1,3-phenylene)-bis-(oxy))- di-(acetohydrazide)}[M]precursor and salicylaldehyde in a 1:2 mole ratio, respectively. The reaction of the lig and [H2L] with (Cr+3 , Mn+2 and Fe+2 )metal ions in a 1:2 (L:M) mole ratio. Ligand and complexes were characterised via spectroscopic analyses; [FT-IR, UV-Vis spectroscopy,(C.H.N) microanalysis, chloride content, thermal analysis(TG), electrospray mass, magnetic susceptibility and conductivity measurements. The characterisation d
... Show MoreThe N-[(2,3-dioxoindolin-1-yl)-N-methylbenzamide] was prepared by the reaction of acetanilide with isatin then in presence of added paraformaldehyde, the prepared ligand was identified by microelemental analysis, FT.IR and UV-Vis spectroscopic techniques. Treatment of the prepared ligand with the following selected metal ions (CoII, NiII, CuII and ZnII) in aqueous ethanol with a 1:2 M:L ratio, yielded a series of complexes of the general formula [M(L)2Cl2]. The prepared complexes were characterized using flame atomic absorption, (C.H.N) analysis, FT.IR and UV-Vis spectroscopic methods as well as magnetic susceptibility and conductivity measurements. Chloride ion content was also evaluated by (Mohr method). From the obtained data the octahed
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