Nasrul Humaimi Mahmood

Automated Red Blood Cells Counting in Peripheral Blood Smear Image Using Circular Hough Transform

In medical field, the number of red blood cells (RBC) are used as an indicator to detect the type of diseases such as malaria, anemia, leukemia and etc. The problems using manual counting of RBC under the microscope is tend to give inaccurate result and errors. This paper proposed a method to count a total number of RBC in peripheral blood smear image by using circular Hough transform (CHT) method. The process involves preprocessing and segmentation a single cell image of RBC after cropping it to get the minimum and maximum radius of cell. Then, CHT method is applied to detect and count the number of RBC based on the range radius of cells. The results show that from ten samples of peripheral blood smear image, the accuracy using CHT method is 91.87%.

The use of graphic rules in grade one to help identify children at risk of handwriting difficulties.

Previous researches on elementary grade handwriting revealed that pupils employ certain strategy when writing or drawing. The relationship between this strategy and the use of graphic rules has been documented but very little research has been devoted to the connection between the use of graphic rules and handwriting proficiency. Thus, this study was conducted to investigate the relative contribution of the use of graphic rules to the writing ability. A sample of 105 first graders who were average printers and 65 first graders who might experience handwriting difficulty, as judged by their teachers, of a normal primary school were individually tested on their use of graphic rules. It has been found that pupils who are below average printers use more non-analytic strategy than average printers to reproduce the figures. The results also reveal that below average printers do not acquire the graphic principles that foster an analytic approach to production skills. Although the findings are not sufficient to allow definitive conclusions about handwriting ability, it can be considered as one of the screening measures in identifying pupils who are at risk of handwriting difficulties.

Cervix Detection Using Squared Error Subtraction

In order to reduce uncomfortable cervix screening either using Pap smear or transvaginal ultrasound scanning, an autonomous transabdominal ultrasound scanning is proposed. This requires an exact probe position and angulation to capture the cervix image. In this paper, we present a new method to detect cervix in the best position and angulation. More than 100 samples were processed and analyzed. Image enhancement of the ultrasound image data was performed before further processing and cervix detection. The best cervix ultrasound image was used as a reference template for analysis. The correlation between template and target image was compared using squared error subtraction of histograms. Test results show that taking a different rate threshold at 0.075, an accuracy of 100% for cervix identification is achieved. This method is very efficient since it uses a simple algorithm and requires low memory capacity. This technique will be powerful to be used for real time autonomous scanning of cervix for surgical monitoring or acceptable operator-independent cervix screening.

EEG different frequency sound response identification using neural network and fuzzy techniques

Electroencephalographic (EEG) technology has enabled effective measurement of human brain activity, as functional and physiological changes within the brain may be registered by EEG signals. In this paper, electrical activity of human brain due to sound waves of different frequency, i.e. 40 Hz, 500 Hz, 5000 Hz and 15000 Hz, is studied based on EEG signals. Several signal processing techniques, i.e. Principle Component algorithm, Discrete Wavelet Transform and Fast Fourier Transform, are applied onto the raw EEG signal to extract useful information and specific characteristics from the EEG signals. This research has shown that the characteristics of EEG signals differ with respect to different frequency of sound waves, and hence the EEG signal can be identified with suitable characterization algorithm using artificial intelligent techniques, such as Artificial neural network, fuzzy logic and adaptive neuro-fuzzy system.

Development and measurement properties of prosthetics users' survey

The need to measure and evaluate prosthetics practice has received growing recognition in the past several years. Reliable and valid self-report instruments are needed that can help facilities evaluate patient outcomes. Evidence of construct validity is provided by hierarchies of item difficulty that are consistent with clinical experience. A survey with 16 completed survey returned from hospital and rehabilitation centre. The instruments demonstrate adequate internal consistency of mean 4.0 for satisfaction with services, mean 3.81 for satisfaction with devices and 16.67% for defects or drawbacks of devices. Documenting mechanical stability of the prosthesis is inadequate when reporting follow-up studies and a questionnaires assessing patient satisfaction should be added to provide a better picture of the outcome and results.

Prosthetics: Health quality of life effects of limb loss

This study investigates and compares clinical outcome and patient health related quality of life in Malaysia who still undergoing routine prosthetic care. It was developed to access the quality of life that can be used in hospitals and clinics. It aims to establish how widespread the quality of life effects of limb loss. Reliability and validity are needed that can help facilitate patient outcomes. A survey with 16 completed surveys was returned from rehabilitation centre and hospital. The instruments demonstrate adequate internal consistency of average mean 3.44 for health related quality of life. Two overseas sample data from America and India were then made comparison with the existing data to provide a better picture of the assessment of patient satisfaction with the devices. The impact that limb loss can have on patients and their lives should not be underestimated. In this study it affected 64.4% of the respondents.

Pulse Wave Transit Time and Its Relationship with Systolic Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is one of important parameter in assessing patients’ health status. The measurement of blood pressure using conventional method is less practical in monitoring continuous blood pressure. This paper proposed an automatic technique for monitoring blood pressure continuously using the relation of pulse wave transit time (PWTT) with systolic blood pressure (SBP). The measurement of PWTT involves the marking of electrocardiograph R (ECG-R) peak from electrocardiograph (ECG) signal and the peak of peripheral pulse wave from photoplethysmography (PPG) signal. Data collection involves three different sessions, which are resting period, exercise period and recovery period, thus establishing the relationship between SBP and PWTT. The results of monitoring blood pressure based on pulse wave transit time will facilitate personal healthcare monitoring blood pressure continuously.

Apini and Meliponini foraging activities influence the phenolic content of different types of Malaysian honey

Malaysian honeys are produced by two main bee genera: Apis and Trigona. Each bee species has long been reported to exhibit unique foraging patterns and time, and it is very likely that bee foraging activities play a significant role in the phenolic composition of honeys. This work aims to justify the potential relationship between species-specific foraging activities and phenolic composition of honeys, to distinguish polyphenolic profiles and to identify possible floral markers in each type of Malaysian honey studied. Seventeen samples of Malaysian gelam, acacia, nenas, tualang, and kelulut honeys were analyzed using a high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). Total phenolic contents ranged from 1.92 to 14.84 mg/g of honey, in nenas and gelam honey, respectively. Fifteen phenolic compounds were identified, probably affected by the bee foraging preference. The highest number was seen in kelulut honey (Trigona spp.) while the lowest were in tualang honey (10 compounds, Apis dorsata). Apis cerana indica showed the highest phenolic acid and flavonoid contents (8.74 mg/g honey) compared to the other bee species, probably due to less selective floral preference, longer duration and early foraging time as well as small body size that influence their foraging activity. Similarity in two dominant polyphenols from polyhenolic profiles between acacia and tualang honeys (naringenin and ellagic acid), and between gelam and kelulut honeys (ellagic acid and benzoic acid) suggesting that the floral source of unifloral honey is an equally important food source for the analyzed multifloral honey, was confirmed by PCA analysis. This work assumes that competition between bee species for nectar and pollen might exist, affecting honey production and total polyphenolic content. From the results, some polyphenolic profiles could be regarded as possible floral markers of Malaysian unifloral honeys, with very consistent profiles observed in nenas honeys.

3D Reconstruction for Prosthetic Design

This paper investigates the use of an inexpensive passive method involving 3D surface reconstruction from digital images taken at multiple views. The modification of existing model-based reconstruction, mainly on the deformation process of vertices is discussed and the results of different objects show a good possibility for using a passive method in orthotic and prosthetic devices. For a dummy limb, the fitting of the model with the data shows a satisfactory result. The results of 15 measurements of different length between both reconstructed and actual dummy limb show both the model and the actual limb data are highly correlated. The methodology developed is shown to be useful for prosthetic designers as an alternative to manual impression during the design.

Application of Infrared sensor for shape detection

This paper describes the use of multiple Infrared sensors to reconstruct a shape by detecting any changes in sensor displacement when there is an obstacle placed in front of the sensor. Meanwhile, the distance between IR sensors and the obstacle was set at 5 cm to minimize the noise contributed by the reflection of the sensor during data collection. A stepper motor was used in the experimental design to control the movement of an obstacle which rotates at 3600 for one complete cycle. Additionally, Arduino Software was used as a micro controller to control the switching mode of the sensor and CoolTerm Software was used to store the sensor output data in the text file format. For analysis, Matlab Software has been used to plot the graph of sensor value against the collected data. IR sensors are capable in measuring data up to 0.05 cm of resolution in displacement. Experimental results showed that by using IR sensors, it is possible to reconstruct a shape via plotting the graph for cylinder, hemisphere and ellipse shape obstacles.