text:
Conversion-coating treatment for magnesium alloys by a permanganate-phosphate solution
Kwo Zong Chong, Teng Shih Shih
A chrome-free conversion coating treatment, a mainly permanganate-phosphate solution, was developed in this study for magnesium and its alloys. The morphology of the conversion-coated layer was observed using SEM; the crystal structure and the composition was analysed and determined by using XRD and XPS. The XRD results indicated that amorphous structures existed that covered the coated specimen. The solution treated specimen showed a greater intensity of Mg17Al12 than the as-received. The XPS results indicated that the coated layer contained products of MgO, Mg(OH)2, MgAl2O4, Al2O3, Al(OH)3, MnO2 or Mn2O3 and amorphous oxy-hydroxides for Mg-Al-Zn alloys, but MgO, Mg(OH)2, MnO2, amorphous oxy-hydroxides and MgMn2O8 for pure Mg. The electrochemical polarisation test results demonstrated that the presented conversion treatment for the series of AZ alloys had an equivalent corrosion protection potential as the JIS H 8651 MX-1 (similar to Dow No. 1) chrome-based method.
Materials Chemistry and Physics
Conversion coating
Magnesium alloys
Non-chrome chemical conversion
Dive into the research topics of 'Conversion-coating treatment for magnesium alloys by a permanganate-phosphate solution'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
permanganates Physics & Astronomy 100%
Magnesium Alloy Chemical Compounds 73%
Phosphates Engineering & Materials Science 71%
magnesium alloys Physics & Astronomy 69%
Magnesium alloys Engineering & Materials Science 65%
phosphates Physics & Astronomy 62%
X ray photoelectron spectroscopy Engineering & Materials Science 50%
hydroxides Physics & Astronomy 47%
Chong, K. Z., & Shih, T. S. (2003). Conversion-coating treatment for magnesium alloys by a permanganate-phosphate solution. Materials Chemistry and Physics, 80(1), 191-200. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0254-0584(02)00481-9
Chong, Kwo Zong ; Shih, Teng Shih. / Conversion-coating treatment for magnesium alloys by a permanganate-phosphate solution. In: Materials Chemistry and Physics. 2003 ; Vol. 80, No. 1. pp. 191-200.
@article{48940ad94ff848fca9fc276b2ed1623d,
title = "Conversion-coating treatment for magnesium alloys by a permanganate-phosphate solution",
abstract = "A chrome-free conversion coating treatment, a mainly permanganate-phosphate solution, was developed in this study for magnesium and its alloys. The morphology of the conversion-coated layer was observed using SEM; the crystal structure and the composition was analysed and determined by using XRD and XPS. The XRD results indicated that amorphous structures existed that covered the coated specimen. The solution treated specimen showed a greater intensity of Mg17Al12 than the as-received. The XPS results indicated that the coated layer contained products of MgO, Mg(OH)2, MgAl2O4, Al2O3, Al(OH)3, MnO2 or Mn2O3 and amorphous oxy-hydroxides for Mg-Al-Zn alloys, but MgO, Mg(OH)2, MnO2, amorphous oxy-hydroxides and MgMn2O8 for pure Mg. The electrochemical polarisation test results demonstrated that the presented conversion treatment for the series of AZ alloys had an equivalent corrosion protection potential as the JIS H 8651 MX-1 (similar to Dow No. 1) chrome-based method.",
keywords = "Conversion coating, Corrosion, Magnesium alloys, Non-chrome chemical conversion",
author = "Chong, {Kwo Zong} and Shih, {Teng Shih}",
Chong, KZ & Shih, TS 2003, 'Conversion-coating treatment for magnesium alloys by a permanganate-phosphate solution', Materials Chemistry and Physics, vol. 80, no. 1, pp. 191-200. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0254-0584(02)00481-9
Conversion-coating treatment for magnesium alloys by a permanganate-phosphate solution. / Chong, Kwo Zong; Shih, Teng Shih.
In: Materials Chemistry and Physics, Vol. 80, No. 1, 29.04.2003, p. 191-200.
T1 - Conversion-coating treatment for magnesium alloys by a permanganate-phosphate solution
AU - Chong, Kwo Zong
AU - Shih, Teng Shih
N2 - A chrome-free conversion coating treatment, a mainly permanganate-phosphate solution, was developed in this study for magnesium and its alloys. The morphology of the conversion-coated layer was observed using SEM; the crystal structure and the composition was analysed and determined by using XRD and XPS. The XRD results indicated that amorphous structures existed that covered the coated specimen. The solution treated specimen showed a greater intensity of Mg17Al12 than the as-received. The XPS results indicated that the coated layer contained products of MgO, Mg(OH)2, MgAl2O4, Al2O3, Al(OH)3, MnO2 or Mn2O3 and amorphous oxy-hydroxides for Mg-Al-Zn alloys, but MgO, Mg(OH)2, MnO2, amorphous oxy-hydroxides and MgMn2O8 for pure Mg. The electrochemical polarisation test results demonstrated that the presented conversion treatment for the series of AZ alloys had an equivalent corrosion protection potential as the JIS H 8651 MX-1 (similar to Dow No. 1) chrome-based method.
AB - A chrome-free conversion coating treatment, a mainly permanganate-phosphate solution, was developed in this study for magnesium and its alloys. The morphology of the conversion-coated layer was observed using SEM; the crystal structure and the composition was analysed and determined by using XRD and XPS. The XRD results indicated that amorphous structures existed that covered the coated specimen. The solution treated specimen showed a greater intensity of Mg17Al12 than the as-received. The XPS results indicated that the coated layer contained products of MgO, Mg(OH)2, MgAl2O4, Al2O3, Al(OH)3, MnO2 or Mn2O3 and amorphous oxy-hydroxides for Mg-Al-Zn alloys, but MgO, Mg(OH)2, MnO2, amorphous oxy-hydroxides and MgMn2O8 for pure Mg. The electrochemical polarisation test results demonstrated that the presented conversion treatment for the series of AZ alloys had an equivalent corrosion protection potential as the JIS H 8651 MX-1 (similar to Dow No. 1) chrome-based method.
KW - Conversion coating
KW - Corrosion
KW - Magnesium alloys
KW - Non-chrome chemical conversion
JO - Materials Chemistry and Physics
JF - Materials Chemistry and Physics
Chong KZ, Shih TS. Conversion-coating treatment for magnesium alloys by a permanganate-phosphate solution. Materials Chemistry and Physics. 2003 Apr 29;80(1):191-200. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0254-0584(02)00481-9


text:
New/Renewal Subscription
Music Industry Tips
Film/TV News
Signing Stories
Song Biz
New Music Critiques
Photo Blog Show Reviews
New Gear/New Toys Reviews
Music Connection Magazine
Home›Latest›ICYMI: Cheap Trick Get Exclusive with Big Machine Records
ICYMI: Cheap Trick Get Exclusive with Big Machine Records
Latest, More Industry News
Music Connection
Celebrating induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cheap Trick has also announced an exclusive new deal with global independent record label Big Machine Records (Taylor Swift, Steven Tyler, Tim McGraw). The band is currently hard at work finishing their Big Machine debut album titled Bang Zoom Crazy… Hello, slated for release on April 1, 2016. Produced by Grammy-winning producer Julian Raymond, the project marks Cheap Trick's 17th studio album and the first in more than five years.
"We can't thank the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame enough for honoring Cheap Trick. Thanks to all the fans who have supported us for all these years and to the Hall of Fame members who cast their votes. We are excited," said bass guitarist Tom Petersson.
"Coinciding with their entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I am beyond proud and excited to announce that Cheap Trick are the newest members of the Big Machine Records family," said Big Machine Label Group President and CEO Scott Borchetta. "As a band, they've never stopped rock'n the free world and they play every night with as much conviction as their first power-pop-punk club shows from the mid '70s. I can't wait for Cheap Trick fans everywhere to have the new album."
Eligible since 2002, Cheap Trick will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after being nominated for the first time this year. More than 800 artists, historians and music-industry professionals determine the annual honorees, who are considered qualified 25 years after releasing their first single or album—1990—for the newest crop of nominees. The 2016 Induction Ceremony is scheduled for April 8.
Photo from Cheap Trick Facebook.
For more information, visit www.bigmachinelabelgroup.com
TagsBig Machine Label GrouBig Machine Recordscheap trick
Album Review: Marbin - "Aggressive Hippies" ...
Music Connection's Top Prospects 2015
Published since 1977, Music Connection magazine is a monthly music trade publication catering to musicians, industry pro's, and support services. Music Connection exists to serve artists and music people, to offer connections to the unconnected and to provide exclusive information that can help our readers take their music to the next level.
Big Machine Records and John Varvatos Records Team Up for New Joint Venture
Album Review: Carly Pearce by Carly Pearce
Album Reviews, Magazine, Reviews
Boston & Cheap Trick: Heaven On Earth Tour
Photo Blog Show Reviews, Reviews
Founded in 1977 on the principle of bridging the gap between "the street and the elite," Music Connection has grown from a popular print publication into a spectrum of products and services that address the wants and needs of musicians, the music tech community and industry support services.
3441 Ocean View Blvd.
contactmc@musicconnection.com
Album Review: Voices by Jeffrey Foskett
Live Review: Jeremie Albino at the Mercury Lounge in New York City, NY
Live Reviews, Magazine, Reviews
Live Review: Terry Robb at the Emmanuel Presbyterian Church in Thousand Oaks, CA
Live Review: TLQ Plus at The World Stage Performance Gallery in Los Angeles, CA
In celebration of the upcoming Doors documentary honoring Ray Manzarek, rock & roll historian Harvey Kubernik share… https://t.co/KYbDIuymBQ
East LA rock legends #loslobos made an appearance at the Canyon at the Rose in Pasadena, CA last month. MC contribu… https://t.co/WvNfav3dpP
We're ringing in the new year right with our brand new January 2020 issue featuring the mercurial Bishop Briggs. Re… https://t.co/86RqVx69s6
🚨 GIVEAWAY ALE 🚨 Win a pair of 3-day General Admission passes to the One Love Cali Reggae Fest. Go to our Instagr… https://t.co/s4u4Wr8vYb
"It's All Coming Back to Me Now..." why people absolutely love #celinedion. Click https://t.co/pMxEGtBfwa to read a… https://t.co/Ctty0uQaIZ
© Copyright Music Connection Magazine. All rights reserved.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This guide summarises the tools and methods used and the lessons learned from The Water Dialogues – a project that brings together a wide range of stakeholders to address a highly controversial issue around the privatisation of water supply and sanitation services with the aim of improving policy and practice.
Although its contents are rooted in the experience of The Water Dialogues project, the guide should be useful to anyone who is planning to develop their own form of multistakeholder work. As well as providing tips on developing and maintaining multistakeholder processes, the guide also includes examples of potential difficulties and strategies for avoiding or resolving these.


Our pursuit and enterprise aim would be to "Always fulfill our buyer requirements". We carry on to acquire and layout excellent quality items for the two our old and new clients and realize a win-win prospect for our shoppers in addition as us for Ceramic Semiconductor Thermometer , ceramic semiconductor thermometer , Ceramic Semiconductor Wafer , we've been committed to solving any problem of high temperature protection for users.
"Together with the ""Client-Oriented"" enterprise philosophy, a arduous good quality control technique, sophisticated producing equipment and a sturdy R&D staff, we generally offer superior quality merchandise, superb solutions and aggressive rates for Ceramic Semiconductor Thermometer , ceramic semiconductor thermometer , Ceramic Semiconductor Wafer , We're proud to supply our solutions to every costumer all around the world with our flexible fast efficient services and strictest quality control standard which has always approved and praised by customers.


Ya'll remember Danielle Bregoli (AKA BHAD BHABIE) (AKA THAT HORRIBLE TEENAGE GIRL FROM DR. PHIL WHO ENDED UP GETTING A RECORD DEAL) ? Yeah, she's still around and causing drama- go figure- she's 15. Anyone who condoned her being out in da club should seriously take a step back and realize this is actually what they're doing with their life.
Anyway, she and Iggy Azalea were at the same event and she threw a drink on Iggy...because I guess Iggy was talking smack on Instagram. Watch the encounter and post encounter below. Thanks, TMZ!
DISCLAIMER. Bregoli uses some pretty foul language...so it's NSFW. Are we really surprised, though? Are we???


text:
Book review: The New Wilderness tests whether man and nature can co-exist
Jack Hamilton imagines himself at the edge of civilization as in Diane Cook's new climate fiction novel.
By John Maxwell Hamilton
(About the author: John Maxwell Hamilton, the Hopkins P. Breazeale Professor of Journalism at Louisiana State University, is a longtime journalist and author of Manipulating the Masses: Woodrow Wilson and the Birth of American Propaganda.)
PARATY, Brazil (Callaway Climate Insights) — They have fled in desperation from the City. They are 20 men, women, and children, oppressed by streets and buildings overflowing with people, filth, vermin and danger. They are part of a "an experiment to see how people interacted with nature, because, with all land now being used for resources – oil, gas, minerals, water, wood, food – or storage – trash, servers, toxic waste – such interactions had become lost to history." [p. 51] The overbuilt City has run out of sand for concrete. They were headed to the Wilderness State, the last untouched spot.
As it happened, I read The New Wilderness in settings that poignantly captured the conditions it described. I began reading the dystopian novel in Sao Paulo. The city of 44 million has the allurements of ebullient music and saporous food, but also perpetual traffic jams, deep poverty in crammed favelas, and endless concrete.
Scanning the cityscape from the top of one of Sao Paulo's tallest buildings, I saw a monotonous, choppy sea of gray buildings spreading toward the distant mountains.
On the other side of those mountains, however, lie vast tropical forests. I finished the book here, on the edge of one of them, near the town of Paraty, with a population .001 the size of Sao Paulo. My rented house clung to the side of a steep slope on Brazil's Costa Verde. Only a few homes were visible on the humpbacked islands that dotted the blue water and on the far shores of the bay. As expected of a region called Costa Verde, the dominant color on land was green, in every shade possible.
Government climate reports give us the data on overdevelopment and people-driven global warming. With travel we observe the consequences. In locale after locale, we see the delicate balance of nature teetering. And now a third lens is broadening our understanding of a world that is being paved over. Climate fiction, says Regina Marler in the New York Review of Books, "is a genre of necessity — a new, rapidly expanding chorus of alarm."
The New Wilderness, one of these novels, tells the story of Beatrice, her daughter Agnes, and her partner Glen. They have taken the daring leap from the fetid City to restore Agnes's health. The 20-person Community scratches out a primitive existence under close supervision and strict rules.
The Community must not stay very long in any one place, no matter how comfortable. Rangers in neat uniforms arrive in shiny trucks or on the backs of imposing horses to issue instructions on where to move next. "There is nowhere that you are allowed to just wait," a note-taking Ranger scolds them when they resist. "You're nomadic." [p. 278] Each time they pack up to leave, their camp must be swept of all signs of their having been there. Time becomes unimportant in Wilderness State. Bea loses track of Agnes's age. Memories of simple things like pillows fade. Clothes are soon in tatters, and the Community must make their own. They drown in swollen rivers or fall irretrievably into ravines. Sex becomes a weapon to establish dominance, as Bea does by moving to the bedroll of Carl, the nominative leader, but not up to the job. It is her way of protecting her daughter and Glen, whom she must nevertheless put out of his misery when he breaks his leg.
The population of Wilderness State increases, first with a handful of Newcomers and then, when the Wilderness State waitlist has grown impossibly long, with 2,000 illegal immigrants who have broken out of the City. "We've run across two former presidents here!" one Trespasser tells Agnes, adding they also stumbled on a movie star famous for action films. "But he was a mess. I can't imagine he survived." [p. 381]
For Bea the objective is to find a way to make yet another leap, to the Private Lands, a whispered, secret place "for the wealthy and powerful, where they could have their own land and do as they wished." [p. 46] The chance comes when the Rangers announce that the experiment is over, and all must return to the City. But Agnes refuses to go to the Private Lands. Her distraught mother goes with the seemingly friendly Ranger Bob who has arranged the escape.
The mother-daughter estrangement has brewed for many seasons. Agnes both loves Bea and hates her opportunism at the expense of Glen and herself. Agnes, who proves to be an even more adept leader than her mother, has grown into a healthy self-confident creature of the wilderness. She skillfully kills and skins squirrels and deer. She savors the taste of wild onions. With keen instincts for survival, Agnes does not trust Ranger Bob. Unwilling to bend to any authority but her own, she declares her freedom, even if it means she must live a fugitive existence in the New Wilderness.
Author Diane Cook, who specializes in nature writing, delved deeply into the cultural and culinary histories of tribal cultures when researching The New Wilderness. This enriches the novel. Its grip on the reader — a grip that lasts from the first page to the last — is powered by the disturbing questions Cook raises and only gradually allows to be answered. The book was a Booker Prize finalist but could as easily have competed for a mystery writing award.
One of the last mysteries is unveiled when the impatient head Ranger explains why the Wilderness State experiment has been terminated. "The study," he says, "has clearly shown that you can't have a Wilderness with people." [p. 355]
As I shut the book, I could hear the sounds of hammers and electric saws somewhere on the slopes nearby. The construction was shrouded by the dense jungle canopy — for the time being.
The New Wilderness by Diane Cook (HarperCollins) goes on sale June 22.


The acquisition of Lacey Imaging (Forked River, NJ) prompted a Laitek migration of all data from a GE IW PACS to UR's SDA archive, providing a blueprint for storage configuration going forward.
Decommissioning the GE IW PACS and consolidating a 147,437 net inventory of studies to the SDA archive.
In addition to the standard comprehensive Migratek migration services, the project also included partitioning a unique Lacey Center data space in the SDA. The project was accomplished in four months with a 99.94% verified migration success rate.


text:
Contact us | Home | Login | Users Online: 463
J Pathol Inform 2014, 5:9
Peripheral blood smear image analysis: A comprehensive review
Emad A Mohammed1, Mostafa M. A. Mohamed2, Behrouz H Far1, Christopher Naugler3
1 Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
2 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt
3 Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Calgary Laboratory Services, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Date of Acceptance 06-Feb-2014
Date of Web Publication 28-Mar-2014
Christopher Naugler
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Calgary Laboratory Services, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
Peripheral blood smear image examination is a part of the routine work of every laboratory. The manual examination of these images is tedious, time-consuming and suffers from interobserver variation. This has motivated researchers to develop different algorithms and methods to automate peripheral blood smear image analysis. Image analysis itself consists of a sequence of steps consisting of image segmentation, features extraction and selection and pattern classification. The image segmentation step addresses the problem of extraction of the object or region of interest from the complicated peripheral blood smear image. Support vector machine (SVM) and artificial neural networks (ANNs) are two common approaches to image segmentation. Features extraction and selection aims to derive descriptive characteristics of the extracted object, which are similar within the same object class and different between different objects. This will facilitate the last step of the image analysis process: pattern classification. The goal of pattern classification is to assign a class to the selected features from a group of known classes. There are two types of classifier learning algorithms: supervised and unsupervised. Supervised learning algorithms predict the class of the object under test using training data of known classes. The training data have a predefined label for every class and the learning algorithm can utilize this data to predict the class of a test object. Unsupervised learning algorithms use unlabeled training data and divide them into groups using similarity measurements. Unsupervised learning algorithms predict the group to which a new test object belong to, based on the training data without giving an explicit class to that object. ANN, SVM, decision tree and K-nearest neighbor are possible approaches to classification algorithms. Increased discrimination may be obtained by combining several classifiers together.
Keywords: Feature extraction, feature selection, microscopic image analysis, peripheral blood smear, segmentation
Mohammed EA, Mohamed MM, Far BH, Naugler C. Peripheral blood smear image analysis: A comprehensive review. J Pathol Inform 2014;5:9
Mohammed EA, Mohamed MM, Far BH, Naugler C. Peripheral blood smear image analysis: A comprehensive review. J Pathol Inform [serial online] 2014 [cited 2020 Jan 18];5:9. Available from: http://www.jpathinformatics.org/text.asp?2014/5/1/9/129442
The screening of prepared blood films is tedious, time-consuming and subject to inter- and intra-observer variation. [1] This has implications for both laboratory resources as well as diagnostic accuracy. As a result, many researchers have addressed problems related to microscopic image analysis of peripheral blood smears, [2],[3],[4],[5] and indeed developing image analysis systems for computer-assisted interpretations of peripheral blood smears is of a great importance. The goal of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the algorithms and methodologies used to analyze peripheral blood smear images. [Figure 1] illustrates the basic steps of the workflow in a peripheral blood smear image analysis system. It starts with a segmentation step, which targets the isolation of the desired cell from the complicated blood smear image into a separate mask (cell mask) and may further divide the cell mask into semantic regions (nucleus mask and cytoplasm mask). The segmentation step provides the input data for the rest of the algorithm and thus a high accuracy segmentation algorithm must be used to guarantee the success of the subsequent image analysis algorithms. The next step is to process the resulting masks by computational tools that can measure, extract and select quantitative features useful for more objective and accurate detection, diagnosis and prognosis of the image under test. The feature selection step is crucial for the success of the cell classification process. A good feature selection algorithm (FSA) manages to select the most distinctive features for every cell class. These features must be very similar within cells of the same class and different for different classes. A significant problem exists for any classifier if the selected features for the different classes are greatly overlapped (i.e. have almost the same feature values). The last step is to classify the extracted features, which aims to assign a class to the features of the object of interest. The classification process starts with a training phase for a classifier model with known cell classes. The training process aims to find the optimal model parameter to minimize the classification error. The final step is to test the trained classifier model with test cells (not used in the training process) to validate the model parameter (i.e. sensitivity and specificity of the classifier model). Finally, the trained classifier model can be used to classify unknown class cells if the model shows high sensitivity and specificity. More than one classifier may be trained on the same dataset and the results of all the classifiers are aggregated to form a better classification.
Figure 1: Workflow of peripheral blood smear image analysis, starting from image segmentation, features extraction, feature selection and classification
Peripheral Blood Smear Microscopic Image Segmentation
Segmentation is the process of correctly and accurately extracting different parts of an image. Leukocytes exhibit wide variations of cell morphology and size that make them difficult to be segmented accurately. Many studies have addressed this problem.
There are many techniques that can be used to address the problem of blood smear image segmentation. In this section a brief introduction to these techniques is introduced and then followed by the algorithms that utilize these techniques.
Multispectral imaging is an imaging technology that can record spectral and spatial information of a specimen. [6] It consists of gray images acquired at a specific narrow band of wavelengths. Watershed algorithm [7] is a clustering algorithm used extensively in image processing algorithms. It is used to group the pixels of an object in a separate mask to further isolate it from the image for the purpose of analysis.
Support vector machine (SVM) [8] is a supervised learning algorithm that can analyze data and recognize patterns. Artificial neural network (ANN) [9] is another type of machine learning algorithms. It can be used as a supervised or unsupervised learning method.
Multispectral white blood cell (WBC) segmentation using a SVM [3] showed results insensitive to blood smear staining and illumination condition, but with low nucleus segmentation accuracy due to variation of the nucleus color. Other work using SVM [4] obtained a 98.9% maximum cell accuracy using feature scale-space filtering and watershed clustering. However, the results show that the method based on an RGB color space did not give accurate results. An online learning system for accurate cell segmentation by simulating the visual attention of the human eyes has also been proposed. [5] The results are promising however, it requires a great deal of processing and it may not be suitable for limited resource systems.
Over and under segmentation are problems arising when a segmented object contains parts of other objects or there is some missing part of the segmented object. This is usually the case when using clustering algorithms such as the watershed algorithm for segmentation. [7] Research [10] has proposed an automatic WBC segmentation using stepwise merging rules and a gradient vector flow snake that reduces the over-segmentation problem by 10.31% and the under-segmentation by 1.32%, but the algorithm is iterative and consumes a lot of system resources.
The SVM is widely used in many areas including pattern recognition, image processing and bioinformatics. The majority of studies utilizing SVM in hematopathology are dedicated to normal WBCs and acute lymphocytic leukemia detection. For example, previous work [11] has applied an automated approach to clinical image segmentation using pathological modeling, a principal component analysis (PCA) and an SVM. Remarkable results have been achieved by applying the PCA to the extracted features and the results are used to train an SVM. However, the algorithm is iterative and as with other iterative processes is resource intensive. Many studies have addressed the problem of reducing the SVM training dataset (to reduce the number of support vectors used in the classification process) without sacrificing performance. Most of these studies are based on the k-means clustering algorithm. Liu and Feng [12] present a new algorithm named kernel bisecting k-means and sample removal as a sampling preprocessing step for SVM training to improve the scalability. Other approaches such as a chunking algorithm, a decomposition algorithm, [13] a sequential minimal optimization, [14] and an "SVM light" algorithm [15] have been used for SVM training. These algorithms tend to reduce the substantial training task into a series of smaller sub-tasks in order to decrease the SVM training time. However, the computational time still needs further improvement in practice.
Global image arithmetic (e.g. image subtraction and image addition) is used for localization and segmentation of lymphoblast cells from peripheral blood smear images. [16] It gives accuracy of 90-95% in restoring the lymphoblast pixels from the original image. This is due to the color inconsistency of the lymphoblast cells. Color image segmentation using SVM and fuzzy C-means has been proposed [17] and has the advantage of segmenting any type of image accurately and quickly. However, it suffers the problems of over and under-segmentation.
The ANN [9] has been used extensively during the past few decades. It has many applications in pattern classification in addition to image segmentation. Jaffar et al. [18] used a self-organizing map (SOM) neural network along with wavelets to segment WBCs; however again, this was computationally expensive. The results show that if the SOM training is performed on the wavelet-transformed image, it reduces the SOM training time and makes more compact segments. This method has the following advantages: It yields more homogeneous regions than those of other methods for color images, it reduces spurious blobs and it removes noisy spots. However, the method is still computationally expensive. Many modified approaches to the classical ANN application have been developed in the literature to speed up the classification process and may be used in both pattern classification and image segmentation. An example is a proposal for a pulse-coupled neural network (PCNN) with multichannel PCNN linking and feeding fields for color image segmentation. [19] Pulse-based radial basis function units are introduced into the model neurons of PCNN to determine the fast links among neurons with respect to their spectral feature vectors and spatial proximity. However, the performance of the proposed method still needs enhancements comparable to those of other popular image segmentation algorithms for the segmentation of noisy images.
In our previous work, [2] we proposed a segmentation method based on the watershed algorithm and optimal threshold using Otsu's method for segmentation of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CCL) cell segmentation. In this research, we tested 140 microscopic lymphocyte images (normal and CLL) and the algorithm obtained 99.92% maximum accuracy for nucleus segmentation and 99.85% maximum accuracy for cell segmentation. The cytoplasm can be extracted with a 99.63% maximum accuracy with a simple mask subtraction. We reported that a 1% reduction of the local minima of the watershed transform controlled the over and under segmentation problems. However, the algorithm suffers from the "occlusion" problem when lymphocytes are tightly bound to the surrounding red blood cells and the percentage of local minima reduction is dependent on the image quality.
In other previous work, [20] we proposed a method based on an SVM classifier model and k-mean clustering algorithm. The proposed method overcomes the occlusion problem and over and under-segmentation problems are significantly reduced. In this research, we used 440 lymphocyte images (normal and CLL), in which 140 images are used for segmentation accuracy measurement and 12 images for SVM training. The algorithm obtained 98.43% maximum accuracy for nucleus segmentation and 98.69% for cell segmentation. The cytoplasm region could be extracted by 99.85% maximum accuracy with a simple mask subtraction. This proposed method has some limitations when two or more lymphocytes are touching as these are identified as one entity. More inference rules must be utilized to overcome this problem. However, the overall performance of the algorithm is quite promising for accurate lymphocyte color cell segmentation.
[Table 1] shows a time comparison of the segmentation algorithms used in. [2],[16],[20] The execution time is recorded in seconds and it represents the time required by the algorithm to extract the cell from the complicated background and further divide the cell into the nucleus and cytoplasm masks. The execution time recorded for the image arithmetic represents only time to segment the nucleus. The execution time is measured using Intel ® quad core CPU i5 2.53 GHz, 4GB DDR RAM PC Windows ® 7 64-bit using MATLAB ® 2011b. The results show a superior performance of SVM based method.
Table 1: Segmentation time in seconds for 140 blood images. Comparisons between the segmentation methods used in.[2],[14],[18] The time recorded is for all the segmentation processes (cell, nucleus and cytoplasm); except for image arithmetic, which includes time for nucleus segmentation only
Feature Extraction and Feature Selection
The potential for automating accurate diagnostic decisions in pathology is limited by the lack of objective, definitive and measureable features for detecting and characterizing diseases. Peripheral blood smears are routinely investigated for abnormalities; however, the delicate visible differences exhibited by some disorders can lead to a significant number of false negatives during microscopic examination of the peripheral blood smears. [Figure 2] shows the workflow of a typical n classes supervised classification that involves training and testing phases to classify a test image.
Figure 2: Procedures for supervised learning technique, showing the overall training and classification procedures for (n) classes
Measuring digital object properties has been a subject of study since the early 1970s and is has benefitted from the culmination of considerable development. [9],[21] It can also be used to discriminate between objects by measuring and comparing their properties. Feature extraction is the process of converting a given mask (cell, nucleus and cytoplasm masks) into a set of measurements. There are many features that can be measured for a given object in an image, [9] but these fall into three primary categories: Geometric features, histogram based features and intensity based features. [Table 2] shows all the possible features that can be measured for a segmented cell.
Table 2: Measurable features of an object
Feature selection is the process of selecting a subset of these extracted features that have minimum redundancy and maximum relevance to the object of interest. The goal of the FSA is to reduce the dimensionality of the classifier input data by selecting the most distinctive features, which maximize the correct classification rate (CCR). The resulting classifier is thereby improved either in terms of learning speed, generalization capacity or simplicity of the representation.
There are two basic types of FSA. The first is the filter type, in which statistical analysis is used to rank the features according to the information represented by the features. The performance of a single feature classifier can be used to select features according to their individual predictive power. The predictive power of the feature can be measured in terms of error rate. Ranking criteria based on the CCR cannot distinguish between the top ranking variables where there are a large number of features that separate the data perfectly. A FSA based on filter type requires the use of the features probability density functions that are not easily computed. However, the probabilities can be estimated from the frequency counts in the case of discrete features. Noise in data can affect the filter type as averaging of two redundant features can lead to a better CCR than a single noisy one.
The second type of FSA is the wrapper type, [22] which assesses subsets of features according to their usefulness to a given classifier. The wrapper type offers a simple and powerful way to address the problem of feature selection, regardless of the selected classifier algorithm. It is based on using the classifier performance to assess the relative usefulness of subsets of features. The wrapper type, however, requires a methodology to search the space of all possible feature subsets, which is computationally expensive. There are two types of the search algorithm for the wrapper type: Sequential forward selection (SFS) and sequential backward selection (SBS). In SFS, features are progressively incorporated into larger subsets, whereas SBS starts with the set of all features and progressively eliminates the least promising ones. [23]
Classification and Multiple Classifier Systems (MCSs)
ANNs [9] are powerful tools that can be trained to solve problems in a way similar to the human brain. They gather knowledge by detecting patterns and relationships in data and learn through experience. An ANN might consist of several thousand artificial neurons and the output of one neuron becomes an input to another neuron. There are several types of ANNs according to their structure and learning algorithms. The simplest neural network, called a perceptron, takes as input a real-valued vector of feature values, obtains a linear combination of them and outputs a (1) if the combination is greater than a threshold and (−1) otherwise. This corresponds to the following linear discriminant function:
where x is a feature vector, w is the vector of weights and w0 is the threshold.
Thus, g(x) = 0 is the surface which separates items in class C1: g(x) > 0 from items in class C2: g(x) < 0, enabling the perceptron to act as a linear classifier for a two-class problem when the two classes are linearly separable. The perceptron must be trained, i.e. the weight vector w is obtained, before it can be applied to classify an item without a class label. A simple approach to obtain the weight vector is to start with random weights, apply the perceptron to classify a data item in the training set and modify the weights whenever the item is misclassified. A gradient descent approach is used to find the weights, which best separate the two classes in the training data [24] if the classes are not linearly separable. According to their structure the ANNs can be classified as feed-forward networks and recurrent networks. [24] In a feed-forward network, the neurons are generally grouped into layers. Signals flow from the input layer through the output layer through unidirectional connections. The neurons are connected from one layer to the next, but not within the same layer. In recurrent networks, the output of some neurons is fed back to the same neurons or to neurons in a preceding layer. The network topology, which includes the number of units and their connectivity is typically determined first, often by trial and error, prior to the start of training. Each unit is a sigmoidal unit and is a smoothly differentiable function:
The commonly used learning algorithm for a multilayer network using sigmoidal units is the conjugate gradient decent back-propagation algorithm. [24] As in the case of a single perceptron, the error function is defined as the sum of the errors over all outputs units. The updates of the weight vectors are now more complex as there are multiple units as well as a layer of hidden units. The derivation of the weights, as well as various practical issues related to the implementation and application of the back-propagation algorithm, can be found in. [24] If the network has too few neurons, it may not be able to learn complex patterns; if it has too many neurons, it is likely to over-fit the data.
ANN learning algorithms can be classified to supervised learning, unsupervised learning and reinforcement learning. In the supervised model, the ANN requires the output in order to adjust its weight. In the unsupervised model, the ANN does not require the output, the ANN adapts purely in response to its input. The reinforcement learning algorithm employs a critic to evaluate the goodness of the neural network output corresponding to a given input. [24] The multi-layer perceptron (MLP) is a well-known type of ANN, which is usually used in classification problems. In MLP, the neurons are grouped in many layers as shown in [Figure 3]. In this approach, during the training process of the network, the network compares its actual results with the desired output and then computes the error by the function:
which represents the mean square difference between the network output and the desired output. Through the back propagation algorithm the error will be presented many times to the input of the forward activation place and the process will continue until the actual outputs get closer to the desired output.
Figure 3: Construction of a multi-layer perceptron artificial neural network with one input layer, two hidden layers and one output layer
The SVM is a powerful tool for classification that can be considered as an alternative to the MLP. The SVM was first introduced in 1992. [8] The basic idea of the SVM is to find the linear classifier known as the hyper-plane that separates two classes. [Figure 4] shows the linear SVM classifier and the support vectors used to define the separation margin of the classifier. As it has shown in [Figure 4], there is an ideal separating classifier - the hyper-plane - which increases the space between it and the nearest dataset points of different classes as much as possible. For separable classes as shown in [Figure 4], an SVM classifier computes a decision function having a maximal margin "M0" with respect to the two classes. There are two planes touching the boundary of dataset, wTx + b = +1 and wTx + b = −1; w is a vector perpendicular on the plane wTx + b = +1. The maximum margin of the best classifier can expressed as . The decision boundaries can be found by solving the following constrained optimizing problem: Minimize subject to:
where y i is the hyper-plane equation and x i is the data point set or basically the feature space. The Lagrange function formulation for this optimization problem is given by:
Figure 4: Demonstration of the linear support vector machine classifier and the support vectors define the hyper-plane used to separate the classes
By setting the derivative of the Lagrange function to zero:
This yields:
x i with the non-zero value of α i are called support vectors. In case of a non-linearly separable dataset as shown in [Figure 5], the positive slack variable ξ i, which controls the constrained condition in the hyper-plane equation, is introduced leading to a soft margin classifier:
Figure 5: Support vector machine algorithm. Transforming the non-linearly separable dataset from the input space to the high dimensional space using kernel methods
The parameter C describes the trade-off between the maximal margin and the correct classification. [25] The parameter C is selected such that a larger C corresponds to assigning a higher penalty to errors. To solve non-linear classification problems, the linear SVM are applied to high dimensional spaces as shown in [Figure 5], which transform the data into a high dimensional space. This means transforming from (xi, xj) to (ϕ(xi),ϕ(xj)) which is known as the kernel trick. This will lead to the following optimization problem:
The common kernel functions are polynomial with degree (d), the radial base function with width sigma (σ) and the sigmoid with parameter (k).
Decision tree [26] is a popular technique used in classification problems, as they are accurate, relatively simple to implement, produce a model that is easy to interpret and understand and have built-in dimension reduction. A decision tree is a structure that is either a leaf, indicating a class, or a decision node that specifies some test to be carried out on a feature (or a combination of features), with a branch and sub-tree for each possible outcome of the test. The traditional version of a decision tree algorithm creates tests at each node that involve a single feature. As the tests at each node are very simple, it is easy for the domain expert to interpret the tree. There are several variants of oblique decision tree, which differ in how the linear combination is obtained.
K-nearest neighbor (K-NN)
The K-nearest neighbor (K-NN) algorithm is considered to be the simplest classifier model. [27] This algorithm belongs to the category of instance-based learning. In such techniques, the learning occurs only when the data items are to be classified. The classification algorithm typically classifies the data items as belonging to the nearest class that is represented by a set of measured features. The K-NN algorithm assigns to an unlabeled item the most frequently occurring class label among the K most similar data items. The similar data items are obtained using different distance metrics between the feature vectors such as Euclidean distance and city-block distance measurement metrics. The K-NN can also be applied using weights, where the neighbors who are closer to the query item have larger weights.
Adaptive boosting (AdaBoost)
AdaBoost is founded on the notion of using a set of weak classifier models and pooling the classification results to produce a stronger composite classifier model. In the sequence of weak models used, each classifier focuses its discriminatory power on the training samples misclassified by the previous weak classifier. The main reference for the AdaBoost algorithm is the original paper by Freund and Schapire. [28] AdaBoost maintains a probability distribution over all the training samples. This distribution is modified iteratively with each selection of a weak classifier. Initially, the probability distribution is uniform over the training samples. The weak classifier, which is chosen at iteration (t) of the AdaBoost algorithm is denoted h t and the class label predicted by this weak classifier for the training data element x i is denoted h t (x i). By comparing h t (x i) with y i for i = 1, 2,…, m, the error rate of the classifier h t can be assessed. The classification error rate of the weak classifier h t is denoted εt. The weak classifier h t is associated with αt , which denotes how much trust can be attained by this classifier. Obviously, the larger the value of εt of a classifier model, the lower the trust level. The final classifier model is denoted as H. This classifier carries out a weighted aggregation of the classifications produced by the individual weak classifiers to predict the class label for a new data sample. The weak classifier can be a perceptron or a simple threshold.
The AdaBoost algorithm can utilize up to (T) weak classifiers, which can be as simple as individual attributes or, individual features that provide some discrimination between the objects of interest.
In the following steps the Adaboost algorithm is described for t = 1, 2,… T, classifiers:
For the probability distribution D t (i), use a weak classifier for the training data.
Apply the weak classifier h t as selected in the previous step to all training data.
Estimate the classification error rate Prob {h t (x i) ≠ y i} for the h t classifier by
Calculate the trust factor for h t by
Update the probability distribution over the training data for the next iteration:
where the role of Z t is to serve as a normalizer. This set a value for Z t so that
Repeat for T classifiers.
At the end of T iterations, construct the final classifier H as follows:
where x is the new data element whose class label need to be predicted on the strength of the information in the training data. If for a new data sample x, H (x) turns out to be positive, the predicted class label for x is (1). Otherwise, it is (−1). [Figure 6] shows the aggregation of the weak classifiers used by the AdaBoost algorithms to form a stronger classifier model, which classifies non-linearly separable data.
Figure 6: Demonstration of the adaptive boosting algorithm using linear combination of weak classifiers to form a stronger classifier model
An approach in classification, which has gained much acceptance in the community of data mining and data fusion is the concept of ensembles or committees of classifiers, which involves combining multiple models of classifiers to form a composite, more stronger one. The idea behind this is very simple, in which the training dataset is used to train several different models, each of which is used to assign a class label to a previously unseen instance. These class labels are then combined suitably to generate a single class label for the instance. This has been found to improve the accuracy of the resulting model, [29] however the process is computationally expensive and it is hard to understand how the decision was obtained as this is depends on the fusion technique used which can be one of the following techniques: Majority-voting, maximum, minimum, average, sum, decision templates and Dempster-Shafer theory of evidence. [30] Ensembles have been used extensively in the context of decision tree classification algorithms. [31]
There are several ways to build classifier models from the same training dataset. [32] However, the approaches vary in how they introduce randomization into the process of model building so that different models are generated. One approach used in creating ensembles is to change the instances, which form the training set for each classifier in the ensemble.
The most popular methods for this include: [26]
Bagging: In this approach, a new sample of the training set is obtained through bootstrapping with each instance weighted equally.
Boosting: In this case, a new sample of the training set is obtained using a distribution based on previous results.
Pasting: In this approach, the ensemble of classifier models is grown using a subsample of the entire training set.
The goal of image segmentation is the isolation of the regions of interest in the image either by partitioning the image into connected semantic regions or by extracting one or many specific objects from the image. The success of the segmentation process is the key factor in the success of the overall detection process of WBCs from the microscopic images of the peripheral blood smear. A number of approaches to segmentation and image analysis have been developed and were reviewed in this paper. Future work on image analysis of peripheral blood smears should emphasize building a software tool utilizing the best performance image analysis algorithms along with data mining techniques, [9] which has a strong influence in automating the process of the peripheral blood smear image analysis.
[Table 3] shows a list of the commercially available software packages that can help in the development of the analysis techniques mentioned above. MATLAB® [33] is a high level interactive interpreted language. It has a variety of machine learning and statistical pattern recognition libraries that help the developer to design their own algorithms. Octave [34] is another scientific computing environment; it supports numerical solution for linear and non-linear problems. Moreover it contains a number of image analysis and machine learning tools such as SVM and ANN libraries. R [35] is a free software package that is designed to help the developer to solve mathematical problems. It supports a wide range of machine learning algorithms. ImageJ [36] is an open source Java implementation if some image enhancement and measurement tools. However, it does not support machine learning algorithms.
Table 3: Available image analysis and machine learning software packages
[Table 4] shows a comparison of some of the commercially available blood image analysis systems. HemaCAM [37] is a computer-based blood cell analysis system. It can automate the assessment of blood cell counts. Another available system is the CellaVision™ [38] automated cell count system. There are two version of the CellaVision system: DM96 and DM1200. They differ mainly in blood film processing capacity.
Table 4: Available blood smears image analysis systems
This work was supported and funded by SmartLabs Ltd., Calgary, AB, Canada and MITACS Accelerate program under Grant IT01892/FR02553.
1. de Vet HC, Koudstaal J, Kwee WS, Willebrand D, Arends JW. Efforts to improve interobserver agreement in histopathological grading. J Clin Epidemiol 1995;48:869-73.
2. Mohammed EA, Mohamed MM, Naugler C, Far BH. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia cell segmentation from microscopic blood images using watershed algorithm and optimal thresholding. Electrical and Computer Engineering (CCECE), 2013, 26 th Annual IEEE Canadian Conference on, IEEE; 2013.
3. Guo N, Zeng L, Wu Q. A method based on multispectral imaging technique for white blood cell segmentation. Comput Biol Med 2007;37:70-6.
4. Jiang K, Liao Q, Xiong Y. A novel white blood cell segmentation scheme based on feature space clustering. Soft Comput 2006;10:12-9.
5. Pan C, Park DS, Yoon S, Yang JC. Leukocyte image segmentation using simulated visual attention. Expert Syst Appl 2012;39:7479-94.
6. Levenson RM, Hoyt CC. Spectral imaging and microscopy. American Laboratory; 2000. Available from: http://www.spectralcameras.com/files/./American_Laboratory_2000.pdf. [Last updated on 2000 Nov 14;Last cited on 2014 Jan 20].
7. Meyer F. Topographic distance and watershed lines. Signal Processing 1994;38:113-25.
8. Boser BE, Guyon IM, Vapnik VN. A training algorithm for optimal margin classifiers. Proceedings of the Fifth Annual Workshop on Computational Learning Theory; ACM; 1992.
9. Fukunaga K. Introduction to Statistical Pattern Recognition. Waltham, Massachusetts: Academic press; Elsevier; 1990. Access online via Elsevier.
10. Ko BC, Gim JW, Nam JY. Automatic white blood cell segmentation using stepwise merging rules and gradient vector flow snake. Micron 2011;42:695-705.
11. Li S, Fevens T, Krzy¿ak A, Li S. Automatic clinical image segmentation using pathological modeling, PCA and SVM. Eng Appl Artif Intell 2006;19:403-10.
12. Liu X, Feng G. Kernel bisecting k-means clustering for SVM training sample reduction. Pattern Recognition, 2008. ICPR 2008. 19 th International Conference on; IEEE; 2008.
13. Osuna E, Freund R, Girosi F. An improved training algorithm for support vector machines. Neural Networks for Signal Processing [1997] VII. Proceedings of the 1997, IEEE Workshop; IEEE; 1997.
14. Platt J. Sequential minimal optimization: A fast algorithm for training support vector machines. Technical report msr-tr-98-14, Microsoft Research; 1998.
15. Joachims T. Making large-scale SVM learning practical. In: Schölkopf B, Burges C, Smola A, editors. Advances in Kernel Methods-Support Vector Learning. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT-Press; 1999.
16. Madhloom HT, Kareem SA, Ariffin H. An image processing application for the localization and segmentation of lymphoblast cell using peripheral blood images. J Med Syst 2012;36:2149-58.
17. Wang XY, Zhang XJ, Yang HY, Bu J. A pixel-based color image segmentation using support vector machine and fuzzy C-means. Neural Netw 2012;33:148-59.
18. Jaffar MA, Ishtiaq M, Ahmed B. Fuzzy wavelet-based color image segmentation using self-organizing neural network. International Journal of Innovative 2010;6:4813:4824.
19. Zhuang H, Low K, Yau W. Multichannel pulse-coupled-neural-network-based color image segmentation for object detection. Industr Electron IEEE Trans 2012;59:3299-308.
20. Mohammed EA, Mohamed MM, Naugler C, Far BH. Application of support vector machine and k-means clustering algorithms for robust chronic lymphocytic leukemia color cell segmentation. Proceedings of the 15 th IEEE International Conference on e-Health Networking, Application and Services HEALTHCOM 2013; IEEE; 2013.
21. Bowie JE, Young IT. An analysis technique for biological shape-III. Acta Cytol 1977;21:739-46.
22. Kohavi R, John GH. Wrappers for feature subset selection. Artif Intell 1997;97:273-324.
23. Ververidis D, Kotropoulos C. Fast and accurate sequential floating forward feature selection with the Bayes classifier applied to speech emotion recognition. Signal Processing 2008;88:2956-70.
24. Yegnanarayana B. Artificial Neural Networks. Patparganj Industrial Estate, Delhi, India:PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd.; 2004.
25. Kecman V. Learning and Soft Computing: Support Vector Machines, Neural Networks, and Fuzzy Logic Models. Cambridge, Massachusetts:MIT Press; 2001.
26. Olshen L, Breiman JH, Friedman RA, Stone CJ. Classification and Regression Trees. Stamford, Connecticut:Wadsworth International Group; 1984.
27. Mitchell TM. Machine learning and data mining. Commun ACM 1999;42:30-6.
28. Freund Y, Schapire RE. A decision-theoretic generalization of on-line learning and an application to boosting. Computational Learning Theory. New York: Springer; 1995.
29. Kuncheva LI. Combining pattern classifiers: Methods and algorithms. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons; 2004.
30. Beynon M, Cosker D, Marshall D. An expert system for multi-criteria decision making using dempster shafer theory. Expert Syst Appl 2001;20:357-67.
31. Polikar R. Ensemble based systems in decision making. Circuits Syst Mag IEEE 2006;6:21-45.
32. Eom J, Kim S, Zhang B. AptaCDSS-E: A classifier ensemble-based clinical decision support system for cardiovascular disease level prediction. Expert Syst Appl 2008;34:2465-79.
33. MathWorks.com. MATLAB ® software. Available from: http://www.mathworks.com/products/matlab/. [Last updated on 2014 Jan 20; Last cited on 2014 Jan 20].
34. GNU Octave. Octave software. Available from: http://www.gnu.org/software/octave/. [Last updated on 2014 Jan 20; Last cited on 2014 Jan 20].
35. The R project for statistical computing. R software. Available from: http://www.r-project.org/. [Last updated on 2014 Jan 20; Last cited on 2014 Jan 20].
36. Image processing and analysis in java. Image J software. Available from: http://rsbweb.nih.gov/ij/. [Last updated on 2014 Jan 20; Last cited on 2014 Jan 20].
37. Computer-assisted microscopy for hematology. HemaCAM. Available from: http://www.hemacam.com/. [Last updated on 2014 Jan 20; Last cited on 2014 Jan 20].
38. CellaVision.com. CellaVision. Available from: http://www.cellavision.com/. [Last updated on 2014 Jan 20; Last cited on 2014 Jan 20].
[Table 1], [Table 2], [Table 3], [Table 4]
1 A novel white blood cells segmentation algorithm based on adaptive neutrosophic similarity score
A. I. Shahin,Yanhui Guo,K. M. Amin,Amr A. Sharawi
Health Information Science and Systems. 2018; 6(1)
2 Quantitative distinction of the morphological characteristic of erythrocyte precursor cells with texture analysis using gray level co-occurrence matrix
Keigo Kono,Ruka Hayata,Satoru Murakami,Mai Yamamoto,Maiko Kuroki,Kana Nanato,Kazuto Takahashi,Keiko Miwa,Yutaka Tsutsumi,Kazunori Okada,Sanae Kaga,Taisei Mikami,Nobuo Masauzi
Journal of Clinical Laboratory Analysis. 2017; : e22175
3 Rapid preparation and single-cell analysis of concentrated blood smears using a high-throughput blood cell separator and a microfabricated grid film
Dongwon You,Sein Oh,Byeongyeon Kim,Young Ki Hahn,Sungyoung Choi
Journal of Chromatography A. 2017; 1507: 141
4 New quantitative features for the morphological differentiation of abnormal lymphoid cell images from peripheral blood
Laura Puigví,Anna Merino,Santiago Alférez,Andrea Acevedo,José Rodellar
Journal of Clinical Pathology. 2017; 70(12): 1038
5 White blood cell differential count of maturation stages in bone marrow smear using dual-stage convolutional neural networks
Jin Woo Choi,Yunseo Ku,Byeong Wook Yoo,Jung-Ah Kim,Dong Soon Lee,Young Jun Chai,Hyoun-Joong Kong,Hee Chan Kim,Constantino Carlos Reyes-Aldasoro
PLOS ONE. 2017; 12(12): e0189259
6 Voting for Image Scoring and Assessment (VISA) - theory and application of a 2?+?1 reader algorithm to improve accuracy of imaging endpoints in clinical trials
Klaus Gottlieb,Fez Hussain
BMC Medical Imaging. 2015; 15(1): 6
Mohammed EA
Mohamed MM
Far BH
Naugler C
feature selection
microscopic image analysis
peripheral blood smear
Peripheral Blood...
Feature Extracti...
Classification a...
Sitemap | What's New | Feedback | Disclaimer |
© Journal of Pathology Informatics | Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow


text:
Tableware woes.
Posted: January 10, 2013 | Author: aida | Filed under: The Wedding | Tags: Bad experiences, Catering, Vendors, Wedding preparation | 6 Comments
After what seemed like forever, we finally have catering and tableware out of the way!
Who knew looking for tableware to rent would be such a pain?
I don't think it should've been that difficult to find, but because we had invested time, energy, and most of all HOPE in a vendor that was first recommended to us but later proved to be a pain in the arse, the whole quest started off on bad footing. It was my good friend's cousin who used this particular vendor for her wedding (she had hired CJS too, which was a plus point) and she had no problems working with him, so I was thankful thinking we were spared the arduous search.
Boy, was I wrong.
This time, it was Faz who was tasked with the liaison. I suppose alarm bells should've started ringing the first few calls he made, because the guy — we'll call him Mr I from hereon — obviously hadn't registered our enquiry at all. Even on the third call he was still getting our event date wrong.
But we persevered with Mr I because at the time we hadn't bothered to look for other options. I mean, he was a recommendation after all. Recommendations are supposed to be good, no?
It took us something like three months to make an appointment with him to view his inventory, as well as discuss prices. Although we were anxious to meet him, we were quite forgiving of this fact because he had told us upfront that he would be very busy.
Our appointment with Mr I was at 9pm on a fateful Wednesday, at his warehouse in Sungei Kadut. As we were driving to the place, we realised his office was literally in the bowels of the Sungei Kadut industrial area.
Let me tell you something: SUNGEI KADUT AT 9PM IS NOT FUNNY OK.
The place was really dark and deserted, save for a couple of foreign construction workers walking on the roadside. Simply put, it just wasn't welcoming lah. I was half-expecting to see zombies emerge, which I imagine would've forced us out of the car, and into the industrial junkyards where we would look for weapons we could use to puncture their brains.
(Ok, ok I admit I've been watching too much of The Walking Dead. I've been suffering from withdrawal symptoms since December last year because the next Season 3 episode will only air this February! )
So when we finally found the place, which by the way looks like this…
Scary, right??!!! It was close to pitch darkness, if not for the car's headlights.
…we gave Mr I a call. Guess what, he wasn't even in and told us quite unapologetically that he wouldn't be able to make it!
He did mildly amuse us though when he told us we could go into his warehouse to look around — on our own! If I'd known, I would've come with a huge ass lorry and take off with all his tableware!
I don't know why Faz bothered sounding civil despite Mr I's blatant lack of courtesy. He was in fact so pissed that he just wanted to leave. I was pissed too but was by the same token desperate, so I urged him to just go in and take a look. After all, we were already there.
So we parked the car, first made sure the dogs lying around didn't flinch at our presence (good doggies!), and entered the first open door we saw. Apparently we entered the wrong room, because it was a roomful of foreign nationals sawing wood. We went round mentioning Mr I's name but no one seemed to comprehend what in God's vast universe we were saying. Eventually we came across a Bangladeshi who could speak Malay, and he led us to the correct room next door.
Mr I's inventory proved that he was at least legit. He did have everything we needed under one roof: tableware, portable sinks (a Grassroots Club requirement for washing), kendarat and dishwashers. But seeing as to how unreliable Mr I was, we knew we had no choice but to look for other alternatives if we didn't want to be let down — especially on The Day!
God, what an awful experience.
Our search proved that looking for tableware to rent wasn't as easy as we thought. Some caterers outsource their tableware themselves. Some are not willing to supply tableware to a club because of the club "restrictions" (we didn't see what restrictions there were, but we didn't bother asking them to elaborate). Others just didn't sound interested — I assume it's because we're basically a small fry to them.
Then I chanced upon Sham Enterprise, our saviour, online. I don't remember which combination of search terms I googled — I must've tried 101 combinations, I think!
Got a same-day email response from them, which was good. Upon enquiry, they had everything we needed, which was fantastic. On the morning of our appointment, we received an SMS confirmation of our meeting again, which was superb! So we met them, got a quotation, went back and did our own calculation, and concluded that the packaged deal they were offering, which included tableware, portable sinks, dishwashers and kendarat, was value for money.
Both Faz and I felt that we could trust them although we had no reviews to base them on. They were nice people, who shared with us that they've been more than 10 years in the wedding business, but mostly work with wedding planners — which is why you don't see them at wedding expos. They seemed genuine enough and were not pushy, which allowed us to be at ease.
It didn't take much convincing, really. We went back another day to take them up on their offer, which then allowed us to make our deposit with CJS Catering.
Lucky thing we called CJS when we did — they were about to hike their prices, and omit one food item from their wedding package! We're really looking forward to the complimentary food tasting for 10 pax, which we'll probably schedule somewhere in March, during his birthday week. Coincidentally he shares the same birthday as my brother. It'll be like a mini celebration!
The issue of tableware was giving us a lot of grief, but we can finally move on to other things with peace of mind now, Alhamdulillah.


Make Your Desktop Wallpaper Look Like a Desktop!
When you spend most of your time at your job, it's important to know how to make your desk look better with cool accessories that will make your desk your happy place.
This doesn't mean, however, that we are left to deal with such a boring work environment. We put together a list of 20 Ways to Make Your Office Space Look Awesome, so that work feels less like work.
Lacquer desk and an urban chair combine to create a semi-minimalist study space Spacious desks and sliding glass doors make this the perfect study space for kids by Sarah Jeffeys Design If you already have a playroom for your kids, the task of adding some desk space becomes all the more easier.
We have already shown you how you can modify your existing desk to make it a standing desk, but if you want more options or prefer something that looks more professional, here are some options to build or buy a permanent standing desk.
Corner desks are perfect for maximising small spaces, while larger desks work better to make the most of a big room. Style � take the style of your home into account when choosing home office furniture to ensure your decor flows nicely.


The 5 of swords isn't the most pleasant card in the deck – it reminds me of a joust or battle between friends which has gone quite wrong. If you are annoyed with a friend or co-worker and there is potential for harsh words, just keep in mind that some battles you lose, even when you win. You may be right but is it really worth losing a friendship? Isn't it better to work with a group than doing your lone ranger thing?
Dig deeper into the situation before any flare up happens. Figure out what is threatening your sense of self? Why do you feel the need to establish your independence? You may win by proving you are in charge, that you are better than the others, that you are special but think about what price you need to pay for that independence. Is it worth the alienation from your friends?
We all long to be seen and it maybe worthwhile questioning yourself about 'whom' you want to be seen by? (hint : mom or dad?) We often get clouded by our perception that we are not seen or heard. It may seem that way and it does become our narrative – I'm never seen or my ideas are dismissed – but this is a perception not the reality.
We also want to be recognised as special, in some way different-better than others. Truth is that we are all special and in our desire to be more special than the others we end up isolating ourselves. Asserting your individuality is awesome but there will be a time and place for it – now is not that time because the price that you will end up paying will be too steep.
It is entirely up to you – decide if you want to be right and feel justified in your actions or to let go the ego and be part of your tribe. You may win this round but end up isolating yourself in the future.
Keep in mind the reading for April – it is all about the changes in the experience of love and this could well be one aspect of it.


Now offering SkinCeuticals Professional-grade skin care at BodyBrite Colorado Springs. The authority in antioxidant protection for your skin, these professional-grade products will extend the benefits of your IPL and facial treatments and get you stellar results. Book your consultation now and get complimentary samples of your favorite products.
Your at-home skincare is essential for bringing out the natural glow of your skin, so you should invest in the right products to nourish your skin and reverse damage caused by the elements. Your age, skin type, and overall health will influence the needs of your skin, which you might choose to address with the SkinCeuticals advanced line of products. At BodyBrite Colorado Springs, you will find sophisticated cosmetic skin care with recommendations for the best products to enhance your beauty. Keep reading to learn more about SkinCeuticals and the benefits of a more advanced skincare routine.
Skin is a complex organ that serves as a protective barrier from the elements. On the surface, your skin has several protective layers that may show signs of damage due to environmental factors or diminished function of the layers of skin below. To strengthen your skin's defenses against the elements and nourish the deeper layers responsible for new cell growth, SkinCeuticals utilizes antioxidants and scientifically formulated solutions for all skin types.
With a philosophy of skincare based on three simple principles: Prevent, protect, and correct, SkinCeuticals offers products backed by science. SkinCeuticals was one of the first skincare lines to partner with physicians and use modern research in dermatology to create products that care for the skin at all levels.
Whether you are looking for a simple cleanser or a comprehensive skincare system, you can find the right solution with SkinCeuticals. Below you can see just a few of the products from SkinCeuticals designed to address a wide range of skin types and specific skin conditions.
Skin Systems – Skin systems are complete skin health solutions offering exactly what you need to address common skincare concerns such as acne, discoloration, and environmental damage.
Corrective Creams and Serums – With SkinCeuticals, you can prevent and reverse damage to keep your skin looking its best. Corrective creams and serums can restore skin elasticity and firmness, even tone, and blemish-free smoothness.
Masques – When you want to rejuvenate your skin between professional treatments, hydrating or clarifying masques can soothe your skin and offer a relaxing at-home treatment.
Sunscreen – Sun damage is a leading cause of wrinkles, dark spots, and fine lines. SkinCeuticals sunscreens all offer broad-spectrum protection to shield skin from UV rays while offering the right nourishment to bring out your natural glow.
To discover the right skincare routine or revitalize with IPL skin rejuvenation, oxygen facials, or teeth whitening, call BodyBrite Colorado Springs at 719-548-4991 or email us at coloradosprings@bodybriteusa.com.


Carpenter here laid off for winter over 18 years of experience. Testimonials and references. Attention-to-detail no job too big or too small. Please call me with anything you might have that you need help with.advice is free if you have any home projects that you are doing.


text:
stanford executive education
courses offered range from the humanities to degree engineering programs: stanford graduate school of business (gsb) executive education offers programs that are designed to enhance the participant's leadership skills, build his foundation in general management, and connect to a global network of peers. the gsb offers a frequently updated portfolio of open enrollment executive education programs ranging from several days to several weeks in length. the gsb also collaborates with select organizations to design and deliver custom executive programs that address an organization's specific business challenges. the stanford msx program offers experienced leaders a one-year, full-time, accelerated master's degree program at the stanford graduate school of business.
the stanford center for professional development, a part of the office of the vice provost for teaching and learning (vptl), makes it possible for today's best and brightest professionals to enroll in stanford university courses and programs while they maintain their careers. the program allows the student to take graduate and professional courses, earn graduate and professional certificates, purse a master of science degree on a part-time basis as well as view free online seminars and webinars. with an emphasis on law's intersection with business, policy and conflict resolution, stanford law offers a set of innovative executive education programs that build on the academic excellence, cutting-edge research and multidisciplinary resources of stanford law school. these are programs designed to educate, challenge and engage a broad array of participants, from the judges who make the decisions, to the scholars who interpret them, to the mediators who solve conflicts, to the attorneys and corporate executives who implement solutions. stanford continuing studies welcomes all adult members of the community—working, retired, or somewhere in between.
stanford executive education offers programs that are designed to enhance your leadership skills, build your foundation in general management, and connect you to a global network of peers. see highlights of the executive education experience: the faculty, innovative coursework, global participants, sunshine, and more. stanford graduate school of business (gsb) executive education offers programs that are designed to enhance the executive program in leadership: the effective use of power. – . in-person | stanford gsb., harvard executive education, harvard executive education, stanford executive education gi bill, stanford executive education be a leader who matters, mit executive education.
at the d.school we believe that creativity exists in all people. we want to cultivate that potential, and fundamentally stanford graduate school of business (gsb) executive education offers programs that are designed to enhance the stanford graduate school of business today unveiled a new immersive online executive education, stanford executive leadership program, stanford executive program, stanford executive mba, wharton executive education
When you search for the stanford executive education, you may look for related areas such as harvard executive education, stanford executive education gi bill, stanford executive education be a leader who matters, mit executive education, stanford executive leadership program, stanford executive program, stanford executive mba, wharton executive education. what is the stanford executive program? does stanford have an executive mba program? how much is stanford lead program?
Model Strategy
Model Sample
Business Model Strategy


Where to download the official Office 2013 to use with a PKC?
We bought a Dell computer with Windows 7 pro + Office 2013 home & business. The disk has failed the day we installed it (hardware failure). The disk is now replaced, but the Dell technician installed a bare Windows 7.
We have a PKC (Product Key Card) for Office, but I could't find out where I can download the software. I only found "Office Professional Plus" from a Microsoft's site. Other downloads I found are only from no-official websites.
Where can I download an official version of Office Home & Business, usable with a PKC?
Enter your 25-digit install key.
Follow on-screen instructions to download.
If the card with your 25 character Office 2013 product key references a PC manufacturer, please use www.office.com/getoffice to download your new Office product.
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged installation microsoft-office download or ask your own question.
Do Office 2013 OEMs allow for x64 installations?
How to download multiple IMG files of Office 2013?
how can I install and activate office 2013 from a local installer (.msi or .img)?


text:
Articles by Michael Patrick Leahy
Tennessee GOP Splits Nashville into Three Congressional Districts
The Republican-controlled Tennessee House of Representatives released a proposed map of the state's nine congressional districts on Wednesday that divides the Democrat majority city of Nashville into three congressional districts.
13 Jan 2022, 3:51 PM PST
Tennessee Republicans to Unveil Congressional Redistricting Map that Could Change Delegation to 8 to 1 GOP Advantage
Tennessee Speaker of the House Cam Sexton (R-Crossville) said on Monday that a new map of the boundaries of the state's nine congressional districts will be unveiled at a House committee hearing on Wednesday.
IRS Filing Confirms: Zuckerberg Grantee Spent $332 Million for 'Local Election Administration' in 2020
A compliance document filed with the Internal Revenue Service by the Mark Zuckerberg-funded Center for Technology and Civic Life (CTCL) confirms the nonprofit spent $332 million in "grants and other assistance to domestic organizations and domestic governments" in the 2020 election to "increase civic participation by modernizing engagement between local gov[ernment] and the people they serve."
17 Dec 2021, 2:16 PM PST
Special Counsel in Wisconsin 2020 Election Investigation Asks Court to Require Cooperation from Mayors of Green Bay and Madison
Special Counsel and former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman zeroed in on the mayors of Green Bay and Madison for their failure to cooperate with the investigation.
7 Dec 2021, 2:04 PM PST
Gov. DeWine Signs Ohio Redistricting Bill, Could Add One GOP House Seat in 2022
Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) signed a bill into law on Friday that sets new boundaries for congressional districts in Ohio and could add an additional GOP seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2022 midterm elections.
20 Nov 2021, 3:10 PM PST
Republican Majority in Georgia General Assembly Releases Proposed Congressional Redistricting Map
The Georgia State Senate Republican Majority Caucus and the George State House of Representatives Republican Majority Caucus released a proposed congressional redistricting map on Wednesday.
GOP Bogs Down in Georgia Redistricting Fight, Sources Claim
Republican efforts to improve their position in the Georgia General Assembly's special session convened earlier this month to draw new congressional district boundaries have reportedly bogged down.
Redistricting Battles Heat Up as Democrats Play Gerrymander Hardball and the House Hangs in the Balance
Redistricting battles in state legislatures across the country have heated up over the past few months, and control of the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2022 midterm elections hangs in the balance.
15 Nov 2021, 4:00 AM PST
Florida State Senate Committee Releases 2022 Redistricting Maps: 'Barely Gerrymanders' or 'Head Fake'?
The legislative staff of the Florida State Senate Committee on Reapportionment released four draft maps of redistricting plans for congressional and state legislative districts on Wednesday that appear to maintain the status quo in the partisan breakdown of the state's Congressional delegation.
No Concession Yet as New Jersey GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Jack Ciattarelli Weighs Possible Recount Request
The campaign of New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli, who has not conceded, announced on Monday that it is still considering the possibility of requesting a recount, even though he trails incumbent Gov. Phil Murphy (D-NJ) by 2.6 percent in the latest vote count, with 90 percent of the vote counted six days after the November 3 election.
8 Nov 2021, 5:32 PM PST
Racine County Sheriff: Absentee Ballot Voting Election Statute 'Not Just Broken, But Shattered' by Wisconsin Elections Commission
Sheriff Schmaling said the state election statute that governs absentee voting in residential care facilities "was not just broken, but shattered, by members of the WEC, the Wisconsin Election Commission" in the 2020 election.
28 Oct 2021, 5:23 PM PST
True the Vote Sends Document Preservation Letter to Georgia Gov. Kemp After GBI Releases Confidential Election Integrity Research to Media
The attorney for election integrity watchdog True the Vote sent Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) a document preservation letter on Friday, "in light of the serious nature of the leak and the likelihood of litigation" after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Director D. Victor Reynolds released a letter he sent to Georgia Republican Party Chairman David Shafer and True the Vote on September 30 to the media that, "contains information provided confidentially to the Federal Bureau of Investigation."
24 Oct 2021, 10:15 AM PST
Public Interest Legal Foundation Files Lawsuit Over Illegal Absentee Ballots in Fairfax County in Advance of VA Gubernatorial Election
The Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Virginia Public Policy Institute on Wednesday alleging illegal absentee ballot procedures in Fairfax County, Virginia in the 2020 general election.
Michigan Governor Whitmer Vetoes Two Modest Election Reform Bills
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) vetoed two relatively modest election reform bills on Friday.
Exclusive Excerpt from 'Rigged,' Mollie Hemingway's New Book: 'Strong Reason to Question the Legality of More Votes Than Margin Biden Won' Georgia By
Mollie Hemingway's explosive new book, Rigged: How the Media, Big Tech, and the Democrats Seized Our Elections, details how a mismanaged election in Fulton County, a corrupt and incompetent Secretary of State's office, millions of dollars from Mark Zuckerberg-backed nonprofits, and more than 10,000 illegal votes provide compelling evidence for a person to question the legitimacy of Joe Biden's narrow victory in Georgia over Donald Trump in the November 2020 election.
Ken Blackwell Blasts Patrick Leahy's Latest Attempt at Federal Elections Takeover
Ken Blackwell blasted Sen. Patrick Leahy's (D-VT) recently revised version of HR 4, labeled by Democrats as the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
6 Oct 2021, 1:09 PM PST
Iowa State Senate Rejects Democrat-Leaning Redistricting Map
The Iowa State Senate resoundingly rejected a pro-Democrat redistricting map on Tuesday in a 32 to 18 vote.
5 Oct 2021, 12:38 PM PST
Iowa Speaker 'Pelosi Pat' Grassley Gives No Indication of Whether He Supports or Opposes Pro-Democrat Redistricting
Speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives Pat Grassley has not yet indicated whether he will support or oppose a redistricting plan submitted by the state's Legislative Services Agency (LSA) that is favorable to Democrats when it comes to a vote in the Iowa House of Representatives and the Iowa State Senate on Tuesday, giving rise to some Republicans now calling him "Pelosi Pat."
2 Oct 2021, 8:19 AM PST
Iowa Speaker Pat Grassley Comes Under Fire for Soft Approach to Redistricting
Speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives Pat Grassley has come under fire from conservatives for failing to oppose a Democrat-friendly redistricting plan proposed by the Iowa agency responsible for drawing the first draft of new congressional and state legislative boundaries.
29 Sep 2021, 4:00 PM PST
Maricopa County: 23,344 Mail-In Ballots Voted from a Prior Address 'Legal Under Federal Election Law'
Maricopa County officials tweeted Friday, 30 minutes into the Arizona Senate hearing on the report of the Forensic Election Audit of the county's 2020 election results, it "is legal under federal election law" that 23,344 mail-in ballots were voted from a prior address.
Arizona Senate Report on the Maricopa County Election Audit Highlights 49,000 Questionable Votes, Asks AG to Investigate
The report of the Maricopa County Forensic Election Audit of the 2020 election released at a public hearing of the Arizona State Senate chaired by Senate President Karen Fann and Judiciary Committee Chairman Senator Warren Petersen on Friday identified a number of significant election irregularities discovered during the audit.
25 Sep 2021, 11:07 AM PST
Reports: Leaked Arizona Senate Doc Says Maricopa Noncompliance Prevented 'Complete' Vote Audit
Several media outlets shared leaked copies of the draft report prepared by the firm hired to conduct a forensic audit of the 2020 election in Maricopa County by the Arizona State Senate early Friday morning, in advance of the official release of the draft report on Friday at 1 p.m. Pacific Time.
PA GOP State Senate Forensic Investigation of 2020 Election Faces Partisan Democrat Attacks, GOP Infighting
The Republican-controlled Pennsylvania State Senate committee conducting hearings as part of a forensic investigation of the 2020 election has subpoenaed the administration of Gov. Tom Wolf.
Wisconsin Special Counsel Reveals Plan for 2020 Election Investigation
The Wisconsin Office of Special Counsel released a video on Monday outlining the "parameters of [its] investigation" into the 2020 election.
Arizona State Senate to Release Maricopa County Election Audit Results Friday
The Arizona State Senate announced on Friday that the results of the Maricopa County forensic audit of the 2020 election will be released on Friday, September 24.
Iowa Redistricting Agency Releases Democrat-Friendly Map While GOP Has Majorities in State Legislature
The nominally "nonpartisan" Iowa redistricting agency released a decidedly Democrat-friendly map on Thursday, setting the stage for a possible rejection by the Iowa Legislature, where Republicans enjoy large majorities in both the State Senate and the State House of Representatives.
Senate Democrats Try Power Grab with Another Federal Takeover of Elections
Democrats are taking a third shot at efforts to nationalize elections this year through a bill introduced by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) on Tuesday, the "Freedom to Vote Act."
15 Sep 2021, 12:45 PM PST
Wisconsin Special Counsel Requests Elections Commission Preserve 'Information Retained on Any, All Voting Machines'
Wisconsin Special Counsel Mike Gableman asked the Wisconsin Elections Commission on Thursday to preserve "any and all records and evidence … including … information retained on any and all voting machines."
Public Interest Legal Foundation: 440,781 Pennsylvania Mail Ballots 'Went Missing or Undeliverable' in 2020
The Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) released another stunning research brief on the 2020 election Thursday, this time reporting that more than 440,000 mail ballots in Pennsylvania "went missing or undeliverable" in a state Joe Biden won by a certified margin of just 80,555 votes.
9 Sep 2021, 4:56 PM PST
Public Interest Legal Foundation: 27,287 Georgia Mail Ballots Were 'Undeliverable,' Over Twice Biden's Certified Margin of Victory
The Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) released a report on Wednesday showing 27,787 absentee ballots sent to voters by mail in the 2020 Georgia presidential election were deemed "undeliverable."
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Signs Election Integrity Bill
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) signed the election integrity bill, passed last week in a special session of the Texas State Legislature, into law on Tuesday.
7 Sep 2021, 12:12 PM PST
True the Vote: 'Ballot Trafficking Will Soon Be Exposed on a Massive Scale'
True the Vote says ballot trafficking was a huge problem in the November 2020 presidential election.
31 Aug 2021, 9:32 AM PST
J. Christian Adams: 15 Million Mail Ballots Unaccounted For in 2020 Election
The president of the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) told Breitbart News Washington political editor Matt Boyle on Sirius XM's Breitbart News Saturday that 15 million mail ballots were unaccounted for in the 2020 presidential election.
28 Aug 2021, 11:33 AM PST
Public Interest Legal Foundation: 82,766 Wisconsin 2020 Mail Ballots 'Went Missing or Undeliverable'
The Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) said on Friday that more than 83,000 mail ballots sent to voters in Wisconsin's November 2020 presidential election "went missing or undeliverable."
27 Aug 2021, 1:45 PM PST
AZ AG to Maricopa County: Comply with Election Audit Subpoena or Lose State Funding
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich (R-AZ) told Maricopa County officials on Thursday they must comply with an election audit subpoena from the Arizona State Senate or they will lose state funding.
Groups Say Holes in Absentee Ballot Envelopes in LA County Create Potential for CA Recall Vote Fraud
The bizarre design of the return envelopes for completed gubernatorial recall election absentee ballots in Los Angeles County is raising red flags that the privacy of votes may be compromised and that opportunities for vote fraud exist.
Texas Election Integrity Bill Back on Track After Some 'Fleebagger' Democrats Return for Quorum
The Texas election integrity bill that prompted the majority of the Democratic delegation of the Texas House of Representative to flee the state last month is back on track as enough Democrats have returned to the state Capitol to establish a quorum.
Center for Election Integrity's Ken Blackwell Says HR 4 Is 'Another Unconstitutional Effort to Take Power Away from States'
Ken Blackwell, chairman of America First Policy Institute's Center for Election Integrity (CEI), blasted HR 4, also known as the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, as "another unconstitutional effort to take power away from states and federalize our elections," on Monday.
Georgia Election Board Votes to Begin Review: Could Result in Takeover of Fulton County's Elections
Georgia's State Election Board voted unanimously on Wednesday to authorize the establishment of a three person panel to review election irregularities that took place in Fulton County during the November 2020 election.
Sen. Bill Hagerty: 'I've Seen Reports Ranging from 10,000 to 20,000' Americans Stranded in Afghanistan
Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) said on Tuesday, "I've seen reports ranging from 10,000 to 20,000″ Americans are currently stranded in Afghanistan."


text:
module ActiveModel
  class ForbiddenAttributes < StandardError
  end

  module ForbiddenAttributesProtection
    def sanitize_for_mass_assignment(*options)
      new_attributes = options.first
      if !new_attributes.respond_to?(:strengthened?) || new_attributes.strengthened?
        super
      else
        raise ActiveModel::ForbiddenAttributes
      end
    end
  end
end

ActiveModel.autoload :ForbiddenAttributesProtection

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Casey: Hospitals Need Money to Fight Ebola
Hospital Preparedness Program funding has dropped in recent years.
By Joel Mathis·	 10/14/2014, 9:29 a.m.
In the wake of Ebola's appearance on American soil, Sen. Bob Casey is calling on Congress to increase funding to a program that helps hospitals prepare for "epidemic emergencies."
The New York Times reports:
Senator Bob Casey, Democrat of Pennsylvania, released a letter demanding more money for the Hospital Preparedness Program, the main federal effort to train local hospitals to properly use protective gear, set up isolation units and handle epidemic emergencies.
State grants from the Hospital Preparedness Program are currently funded at $255 million, less than half the 2004 level and well below the $375 million authorized by Congress last year. "It's a red flag," Mr. Casey said in an interview, pointing to a steep drop after the across-the-board spending cuts known as sequestration went into effect in early 2013. "Republicans have been having second thoughts on sequestration because they worry about the defense side, but this is one of the most significant programs to look at on the domestic side."
Casey's office issued a press release:
"We have to ensure that hospitals and medical facilities have the resources they need to protect public health," Senator Casey said. "Chronic underfunding for vital public health programs like the Hospital Preparedness Program presents challenges for doctors and nurses in emergency situations. The drastic cuts that have hit the Hospital Preparedness Program should be reversed."
And Huffington Post has some of the text of Casey's letter:
"The news that a nurse who treated the Ebola patient in Texas has now become infected with the virus herself highlights the need for ongoing training and education for health care workers and drills and exercises for hospitals. Without an ongoing commitment to preparing for these events, and the funding to support training activities, we cannot adequately ensure that our health system is ready for Ebola or any other emergency," Casey wrote. "Any response to a serious threat such as Ebola must include input from public health officials, hospitals, community health care providers, emergency responders and others. We must do all we can to promote full collaboration and appropriate planning in order to ensure a robust response, including funding HPP."
No word on the prospects for actually reviving the funding.
Previously: Philadelphia International Airport Says It's Prepared for Ebola
Previously: Newark Airport to Screen Arrivals for Ebola
Previously: This Philly Virus Expert Is Close to Finishing Ebola Vaccine


text:
Les Araignées () est un film muet allemand réalisé par Fritz Lang. Deux épisodes ont été tournés : Le Lac d'or (Der Golden See), sorti en 1919, et Le Vaisseau de diamant (Das Brillantenschiff), sorti en 1920.

Une copie neuve a été distribuée en 1984 en France.

Le film est tiré de l'unique roman, éponyme,  écrit par Fritz Lang.

Synopsis
Dans le premier volet, Le Lac d'or, un riche américain, Kay Hoog, lutte contre une mystérieuse organisation, les Araignées, qui cherche comme lui à s'emparer d'un fabuleux trésor inca.

Dans la seconde partie, Le Vaisseau en diamant, Kay Hoog et les Araignées s'opposent à nouveau au sujet d'un diamant, dont la possession permettrait à l'organisation  d'asseoir sa domination sur l'Asie.

Fiche technique
 Titre : Les Araignées
 Titre original :
 Réalisation : Fritz Lang
 Scénario : Fritz Lang
 Musique : Max Josef Bojakowski
 Décors : Otto Hunte, Carl Ludwig Kirmse, Heinrich Umlauff, Hermann Warm
 Producteur : Erich Pommer
 Société de production et de distribution : Decla-Bioscop AG
 Pays d'origine : Allemagne
 Format : Noir et blanc - 1,33:1 - Film muet - 35 mm
 Genre : Aventure
 Durée : 81 minutes
 Dates de sortie :
  (1 partie)
  ()

Distribution
 Carl de Vogt : Kay Hoog
 Ressel Orla : Lio Sha
 Georg John : Dr Telphas
 Lil Dagover : la princesse Neola
 Paul Biensfeldt
 Harry Frank
 Rudolf Lettinger : Terry Landon
 Meinhart Maur
 Paul Morgan
 Edgar Pauly
 Reiner Steiner
 Thea Zander : Ellen Terry

Notes et références

Liens externes

Film allemand sorti en 1919
Film d'aventure allemand
Film allemand en noir et blanc
Film muet allemand
Film réalisé par Fritz Lang
Film produit par Erich Pommer

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia