Saliency-Aided Online RPCA for Moving Target Detection in Infrared Maritime Scenarios.

Moving target detection (MTD) is a crucial task in computer vision applications. In this paper, we investigate the problem of detecting moving targets in infrared (IR) surveillance video sequences captured using a steady camera in a maritime setting. For this purpose, we employ robust principal component analysis (RPCA), which is an improvement of principal component analysis (PCA) that separates an input matrix into the following two matrices: a low-rank matrix that is representative, in our case study, of the slowly changing background, and a sparse matrix that is representative of the foreground. RPCA is usually implemented in a non-causal batch form. To pursue a real-time application, we tested an online implementation, which, unfortunately, was affected by the presence of the target in the scene during the initialization phase. Therefore, we improved the robustness by implementing a saliency-based strategy. The advantages offered by the resulting technique, which we called "saliency-aided online moving window RPCA" (S-OMW-RPCA) are the following: RPCA is implemented online; along with the temporal features exploited by RPCA, the spatial features are also taken into consideration by using a saliency filter; the results are robust against the condition of the scene during the initialization. Finally, we compare the performance of the proposed technique in terms of precision, recall, and execution time with that of an online RPCA, thus, showing the effectiveness of the saliency-based approach.

Choice of three different intramedullary nails in the treatment of trochanteric fractures: Outcome, analysis and consideration in midterm.

The purpose of this study is to compare the results obtained using three different systems of osteosynthesis, developed for the surgical treatment of fractures of the trochanteric region of the femur, based on the principle intramedullary nailing: the Gamma nail, the Affixus nail and the ZNN nail. This is a retrospective study: 72 trochanteric fractures treated with the Gamma nail, 68 treated with the Affixus nail and 69 treated with the ZNN nail, between the years 2012 and 2014, with the prerequisite of a minimum follow-up of 18 months. The fractures were classified according to the AO system; the most commonly reported subtype was the A2 fracture. Clinical and radiographic examinations were performed, both at hospital admission and post-operatively, at 1, 3, 6, 12 and 18 months. Of the 209 patients, 171 were women and 38 were men. The average age was 83.12 years old. All three systems guaranteed an early mobilization and ambulation in most of the patients. There were no significant differences in the use of the three nails in terms of recovery of previous functional capacity, or in terms of the time required for the fracture to heal. There were no advantages encountered with the use of one intramedullary nail over another and, in particular, when observing the complications and patient outcome, there were no statistically significant differences detected.

The effectiveness of long-term course of Sterimar Mn nasal spray for treatment of the recurrence rates of acute allergic rhinitis in patients with chronic allergic rhinitis.

BACKGROUND: The "cost of illness" of the acute allergic rhinitis (AR) episodes in patients with chronic AR is very high in terms of therapy and quality of life. AR represents a worldwide health problem; despite the fact that many standardized treatments have been proposed and used, the recurrence rate of acute rhinitis episodes in springtime is always higher. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty consecutive patients (13 F and 17 M in group A, 15 F and 15 M in group B; p=0.60) with chronic AR were enrolled in this prospective, controlled clinical trial. Thirty patients were treated daily for the same 5 months of the following year (2013) with isotonic seawater nasal spray enriched with manganese (Sterimar Mn; 4 puffs/day), whereas 30 patients received only the standard care and were used as control group. RESULTS: A 5 months course treatment with the nasal Sterimar Mn was able to decrease, significantly (p<0.001), the number of episodes of acute AR (6.33 episodes in the group of treated patients versus 9.33 episodes in control group). Also, the 5 months quality of life reduced over time (Visual Analogue Scale 5th month 9.90 in treated group versus Visual Analogue Scale 5th month 8.72 in control group: p<0.001) without the typical adverse effects of the AR standard care therapy. CONCLUSION: This study shows the effectiveness of the use of Sterimar Mn for a 5 months therapy in terms of reduction of the number of episodes of acute AR and effectiveness of intrasubject improvement of Visual Analog Scale (quality of life).