Estimation of BMI from facial images using semantic segmentation based region-aware pooling.

Body-Mass-Index (BMI) conveys important information about one's life such as health and socio-economic conditions. Large-scale automatic estimation of BMIs can help predict several societal behaviors such as health, job opportunities, friendships, and popularity. The recent works have either employed hand-crafted geometrical face features or face-level deep convolutional neural network features for face to BMI prediction. The hand-crafted geometrical face feature lack generalizability and face-level deep features don't have detailed local information. Although useful, these methods missed the detailed local information which is essential for exact BMI prediction. In this paper, we propose to use deep features that are pooled from different face regions (eye, nose, eyebrow, lips, etc.) and demonstrate that this explicit pooling from face regions can significantly boost the performance of BMI prediction. To address the problem of accurate and pixel-level face regions localization, we propose to use face semantic segmentation in our framework. Extensive experiments are performed using different Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) backbones including FaceNet and VGG-face on three publicly available datasets: VisualBMI, Bollywood and VIP attributes. Experimental results demonstrate that, as compared to the recent works, the proposed Reg-GAP gives a percentage improvement of 22.4% on VIP-attribute, 3.3% on VisualBMI, and 63.09% on the Bollywood dataset.

Dengue Knowledge In Indoor Dengue Patients From Low Socioeconomic Class; Aetiology, Symptoms, Mode Of Transmission And Prevention.

BACKGROUND: Dengue fever has emerged as an emerging public health issue during last decade bearing significant morbidity and economic burden particularly in third world countries. Current study aims to assess various domains of knowledge of indoor dengue patients.. METHODS: This descriptive crosssectional study was conducted at Medicine dept. Rawal Institute of Health Sciences Islamabad and BBH Rawalpindi over 6 months. One hundred & twenty-five adult indoor confirmed cases of dengue from lower socioeconomic class were included after ethical approval. The 25-item dengue knowledge questionnaire including aetiology, symptoms, modes of transmission and prevention of dengue was filled. RESULTS: Among 125 cases (77% males and 23% females), mean age was 30±13 years. Mean knowledge score was 11±5 points; with excellent knowledge in 6%, good knowledge (22%), moderate knowledge (23%), fair knowledge (34%) and poor knowledge (17%). Mosquito being a vector of dengue was identified by 78%, with peak time in afternoon (48%). Symptoms identified include fever (95%), headache (55%), muscle pain (44%), rash (33%), retro-orbital pain (32%), joint pains (28%) and abdominal pain (18%). Flies and ticks aren't the vectors of dengue according to 61% and 74% respectively, special mosquito is vector (54%), i.e., Aedes aegypti (18%) that breeds in standing water (53%). Preventive measures identified were netting (56%), insecticide sprays (54%), covering water containers (38%), removing standing water (36%), mosquito repellents (17%), cutting down bushes (22%) and pouring chemicals in standing water (18%). CONCLUSIONS: Our patients from lower socioeconomic class, though aware of vector and mode of transmission, have insufficient knowledge of prevention and vector control measures. There is need to strengthen dengue awareness through community-based programs, social media, schools and health care centres for high risk people well before the expected epidemic season about mode of transmission, vector control, screening and early approach to health care facility.

Comparison of single intra operative versus an intra operative and two post operative injections of the triamcinolone after wedge excision of keloids of helix.

OBJECTIVE: To compare single intra-operative versus an intra-operative and two post-operative injections of triamcinolone after wedge excision of keloids of helix. METHODS: The randomised controlled trial was conducted at the King Edward Medical University, Lahore, from January, 2011, to March, 2014, and comprised female patients over 14 years of age presenting with post-piercing keloids of helix not treated previously by any means and amenable to wedge excision. The subjects were divided into Group A who were given a single intra-operative injection of triamcinolone, and Group B who had an intra-operative and two post-operative injections of triamcinolone. Extra-lesional wedge excision of keloids was done, followed by infiltration of flaps and wound base with 0.5-1cc of triamcinolone 40mg/cc. Group B patients were given additional injections of triamcinolone at 1st and 2nd monthly visits. Both groups were observed for the evidence of hypertrophy or complications. Development of hypertrophy within one year of completion of treatment was considered recurrence. RESULTS: The 70 patients in the study were divided into two equal groups of 35(50%) each. The mean age of Group A was 22.34±4.95 years and that of Group B was 22.88±4.22 years (p=0.624). The Mean size of the keloids was 2.54±0.516 cm(2) in Group A and 2.61±0.569 cm(2) in Group B (p=0.613). Recurrence rate in Group A was 3(8.5%) and 2(5.7%) in Group B (p= 0.64). The complication rate was 3(8.5%) in Group A and 8(22.8%) in Group B (p=0.10). CONCLUSIONS: Single injection of triamcinolone was as effective as three in reducing recurrence with less complication rate.

The outcome of microvascular free flap surgery with or without the use of postoperative heparin.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the outcome of microvascular free tissue transfer with or without use of postoperative heparin in terms of flap viability and postoperative complications. STUDY DESIGN: Quasi-experimental study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Department of Plastic Surgery, King Edward Medical University, Lahore, from July 2010 to July 2012. METHODOLOGY: Thirty eight patients requiring elective or emergency microvascular free tissue transfer were selected. Those with poly-trauma, previous failed free flap and re-anastomosis of vessels were excluded from the study. All anastomoses were performed by trained microvascular surgeons. Per operatively, Aucland test was performed to ensure anastomotic patency. Thereafter, patients were divided into two groups: in group A, heparin was not given postoperatively and in group B, heparin was given postoperatively. The flaps were monitored for signs of vascular compromise, viability or non-viability and complications of the procedure. Chi-square test was used to compare the distribution of qualitative variable in two groups. P-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: In group A, the number of viable flaps was 13 (81%) and non-viable flaps were 3 (19%). In group B the number of viable flaps was 11 (73%) and non-viable flaps were 04 (23%) [p = 0.68]. There was no significant difference regarding postoperative complications between the two groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Postoperative heparin does not appear to have an influence on the viability or complications of free flaps.