Digital measuring the ocular morphological parameters of guinea pig eye in vivo with Python

AIM:To quantitatively measure ocular morphological parameters of guinea pig with Python technology.METHODS:Thirty-six eyeballs of eighteen 3-weekold guinea pigs were measured with keratometer and photographed to obtain the horizontal,coronal,and sagittal planes respectively.The corresponding photo pixels-actual length ratio was acquired by a proportional scale.The edge coordinates were identified artificially by ginput function.Circle and conic curve fitting were applied to fit the contour of the eyeball in the sagittal,coronal and horizontal view.The curvature,curvature radius,eccentricity,tilt angle,corneal diameter,and binocular separation angle were calculated according to the geometric principles.Next,the eyeballs were removed,canny edge detection was applied to identify the contour of eyeball in vitro.The results were compared between in vivo and in vitro.RESULTS:Regarding the corneal curvature and curvature radius on the horizontal and sagittal planes,no significant differences were observed among results in vivo,in vitro,and the keratometer.The horizontal and vertical binocular separation angles were 130.6°±6.39°and 129.8°±9.58°respectively.For the corneal curvature radius and eccentricity in vivo,significant differences were observed between horizontal and vertical planes.CONCLUSION:The Graphical interface window of Python makes up the deficiency of edge detection,which requires too much definition in Matlab.There are significant differences between guinea pig and human beings,such as exotropic eye position,oblique oval eyeball,and obvious discrepancy of binoculus.This study helps evaluate objectively the ocular morphological parameters of small experimental animals in emmetropization research.

Effects of rigid gas permeable contact lens on morphological parameters and vision-related quality of life in keratoconus patients

AIM: To evaluate the effect of rigid gas permeable contact lens(RGP-CL) on corneal morphological parameters and vision-related quality of life in keratoconus(KC) patients.METHODS: Totally 57 eyes of 30 KC patients who were followed-up for more than two years, including 17 RGP wearers(32 eyes) and 13 non-wearers(25 eyes) were retrospectively analyzed. Initial medical history and corneal topography were collected at baseline. Corneal topography, corneal aberration, optical coherence tomography, and vision-related quality of life questionnaires were performed at the last follow-up.RESULTS: According to corneal topography, increase of the flattest keratometric values was higher in RGP wearers than in non-wearers(P=0.038). The morphological parameters, including symmetry index of front corneal curvature(P=0.004) and Baiocchi-Calossi-Versaci index front(P=0.047), were lower in RGP wearers than in nonwearers. Vertical coma was smaller in RGP wearers than non-wearers in 3.0, 5.0, 6.0, and 7.0 mm pupil diameters, respectively(P<0.05). The environmental triggering domain of ocular surface disease index was worse in RGP wearers as compared to non-wearers(P=0.003). At the last followup, there were no significant differences in constituent ratios of KC progression, corneal thickness topography, epithelial thickness topography, morphological parameters of corneal topography, and other questionnaire scores between the two groups(all P>0.05).CONCLUSION: Long-term use of RGP does not worsen KC but may cause corneal epithelial remodeling to increase symmetry of corneal anterior surface, reduce corneal vertical coma and improve visual quality. However, RGP wearing causes a slight decrease in vision-related quality of life. The occurrence of ocular surface symptoms is mainly associated with environmental triggering factors.

Intercropping Cocoa with Rice and Plantain Influencing Cocoa Morphological Parameters and Weed Biomass

A field study was conducted at CRIN Uhonmora Substation, Edo State in Derived Guinea Savanna Zone of Nigeria between 2007 and 2008. The experiment determined influence of intercropping cocoa with rice and plantain at early stage of field establishment. Four treatments considered were cocoa （sole）, cocoa/rice, cocoa/plantain and cocoa/rice/plantain. Spacing of 3.1 m apart was used for cocoa and plantain while rice was 30 cm. Plot laid out was randomized complete block design replicated three times. Data on cocoa morphological parameters comprising plant height, girth and leaf area as well as weed biomass were measured monthly. Cocoa survival count was also determined. Data collected were subjected to ANOVA, and LSD was used to separate the means. Survival count showed over 95% survival in all treatments without any significance differences. On plant height and leaf area vegetative growth were significantly higher （P 〈 0.05） in the intercrops than the sole cocoa but not significantly different in all the months. Plant vigour was significantly higher in cocoa/plantain intercrop. Cocoa/rice/plantain produced the least weed biomass while cocoa sole gave the highest. Therefore, cocoa/rice and cocoa/plantain intercrops could be recommended to cocoa farmers in Nigeria instead of sole planting at early age of field establishment.

DNA CONTENT AND MORPHOLOGICAL PARAMETERS IN SYNOVIAL SARCOMA AND SYNOVIOMA

By using image analysis technique with 6 normal synovial tissue specimens as controls, nuclear DNA content and morphological parameters in specimens from 51 synovial sarcomas and 15 synovioma were examined quantitatively, The DNA content in synovial sarcoma and synovioma was significantly different (P < 0.01), and that of synovioma and normal synovial tissue was also different (P < 0.05), Morphological parameters including nuclear areas and perimeters differed significantly among the above three groups (P < 0.01). There was no correlation between the DNA content of synovial sarcoma and its histologic type (P > 0.05), but the DNA content greatly differed between its higher and lower differentiated grade in each type (P < 0.01). The DNA content in synovial sarcoma IIA stage, according to Enneking's staging system, was lower than that in IIB, IIIA and IIIB (P < 0.05), The 5-year survival rate of synovial sarcoma with diploid / nearly diploid (D / ND) pattern was higher than that of aneuploid (AN) pattern (P = 0.028), The study suggests that analysis of the DNA content and morphological parameters of tumor cells is helpful in the diagnosis and pathologic grading of synovial sarcoma, It also provides a guide to clinical operation and estimation of the prognosis, Although synovioma is usually a well-differentiated and benign lesion, this investigation also suggested that increased DNA content may be an indication of poor prognosis for this neoplasm.

Comparative Analysis on Growth and Morphology in Yangtze River ♀,Zhujiang River ♂ and Their F_1 Hybrids of Juvenile Grass Carp

[ Objective] The aim of this study was to investigate the growth and morphological characteristics of juvenile hybrids of grass carp. [Method] Three inbred generations of YR （Yangtze River stock ♀×Yangtze River stock ♂ ）, ZR （Zhujiang River stock ♀ ×Zhujiang River stock♂ ） and hybrids F1 （ Yangtze River stock ♀ × Zhujiang River stock ♂ ） were established, and their growth or morphological data were also measured. [ Result] The orders of body weight, standard length and absolute growth rate were F1 〉 ZR 〉 YR. No significant difference was found in body weight or standard length of 50 day-old generations （ P〉0. 05）, while there was an extremely significantly difference in those of 170 day-old generations （ P 〈0.01 ）. However, the absolute growth rate of F1 was 20.00% and 50.00% higher than that of ZR and YR respectively, and no significant difference was found between F1 and ZR （ P 〉 0.05）, but significant difference between F1 and YR （ P 〈 0.05）. F1 showed a significant hybrid vigor with rate of 20.09%. There was no significant difference among three inbred generations in standard length/total length （ P 〉 0.05）, while significant difference in head length/total length, body height/standard length and body width/standard length （ P 〈 0.05）, which indicated that F1 had the characteristics of shorter head, higher and wider body. [ Conclusion]F1 has advantages in growth performance and morphological characteristics.

Shade adaptive response and yield analysis of different soybean genotypes in relay intercropping systems

Soybean is one of the major oil seed crops,which is usually intercropped with other crops to increase soybean production area and yield.However,soybean is highly sensitive to shading.It is unclear if soybean morphology responds to shading（i.e.,shade tolerance or avoidance）and which features may be suitable as screening materials in relay strip intercropping.Therefore,in this study,various agronomic characteristics of different soybean genotypes were analyzed under relay intercropping conditions.The soybean materials used in this study exhibited genetic diversity,and the coefficient of variations of the agronomic parameters ranged from 13.84 to 72.08%during the shade period and from 6.44 to 52.49%during the maturity period.The ratios of shading to full irradiance in stem mass fraction（SMF）were almost greater than 1,whereas opposite results were found in the leaves.Compared with full irradiance,the average stem length（SL）,leaf area ratio（LAR）and specific leaf area（SLA）for the two years（2013 and 2014）increased by 0.78,0.47 and 0.65 under shady conditions,respectively.However,the stem diameter（SD）,total biomass（TB）,leaf area（LA）,number of nodes（NN）on the main stem,and number of branches（BN）all decreased.During the shady period,the SL and SMF exhibited a significant negative correlation with yield,and the SD exhibited a significant positive correlation with yield.The correlation between the soybean yield and agronomic parameters during the mature period,except for SL,the first pod height（FPH）,100-seed weight（100-SW）,and reproductive growth period（RGP）,were significant（P〈0.01）,especially for seed weight per branch（SWB）,pods per plant（PP）,BN,and vegetative growth period（VGP）.These results provide an insight into screening the shade tolerance of soybean varieties and can be useful in targeted breeding programs of relay intercropped soybeans.

Stability of inner dump slope under coal pillar support:case study in an open‑pit coal mine

The stability of an inner dump slope was investigated under the efect of coal pillar support considering the development position of dumping.Based on the instability mechanism and load distribution characteristics of the supporting coal pillar,the three-dimensional mechanical efects of the supporting coal pillar are characterized.Using the two-dimensional equivalent principle and the residual thrust method,the stability of the inner dump slope was analyzed under the efect of pillar support at diferent dump development positions.The quantitative efects of various factors on the inner dump slope stability were revealed,and the coal pillar shape parameters were optimized through numerical simulations.The results indicate that the slope stability coefcient is linearly related to the top width and height of the coal pillar,slope angle,and base inclination angle,and has an exponential relation with the coal pillar strike length and slope height increment.There are quadratic and absolute value relations with the coal pillar outer and the inner bottom angle,respectively.The top width of the coal pillar in the inner dump of Shengli East No.2 open-pit coal mine should be at a level of+824 m,and the optimal top width and height are 15 and 36.7 m,respectively.The instability mechanism of the supporting and retaining coal pillar obtained by numerical simulations and the stability of the inner dump are in good agreement with the theoretical analysis.Our results provide a theoretical basis for the design,treatment,and safe implementation of similar open-pit mine slope engineering.

Tissue level microstructure and mechanical properties of the femoral head in the proximal femur of fracture patients

This study aims to investigate the regional variations of trabecular morphological parameters and mechanical parameters of the femoral head,as well as to determine the relationship between trabecular morphological and mechanical parameters.Seven femoral heads from patients with fractured proximal femur were scanned using a micro-CT system.Each femoral head was divided into 12 sub-regions according to the trabecular orientation.One 125 mm^3 trabecular cubic model was reconstructed from each sub-region.A total of 81 trabecular models were reconstructed,except three destroyed sub-regions from two femoral heads during the surgery.Trabecular morphological parameters,i.e.trabecular separation（Tb.Sp）,trabecular thickness（Tb.Th）,specific bone surface（BS/B V）,bone volume fraction（BV/TV）,structural model index（SMI）,and degree of anisotropy（DA） were measured.Micro-finite element analyses were performed for each cube to obtain the apparent Young＇s modulus and tissue level von Mises stress distribution under 1%compressive strain along three orthogonal directions,respectively.Results revealed significant regional variations in the morphological parameters（P〈0.05）.Young＇s moduli along the trabecular orientation were significantly higher than those along the other two directions.In general,trabecular mechanical properties in the medial region were lower than those in the lateral region.Trabecular mechanical parameters along the trabecular orientation were significantly correlated with BS/BV,BV/TV,Tb.Th,and DA.In this study,regional variations of microstructural features and mechanical properties in the femoral head of patients with proximal femur fracture were thoroughly investigated at the tissue level.The results of this study will help to elucidate the mechanism of femoral head fracture for reducing fracture risk and developing treatment strategies for the elderly.

Planar morphology and controlling factors of the gullies in the Yuanmou Dry-hot Valley based on field investigation

The plane form of a gully can provide a basis for evaluating the gully volume and erosion rate, acting process, and evolutionary stage. For describing the planar characteristics of a permanent gully and understanding their controlling factors, this study, utilizing a total station and GPS RTK, measured the shoulder lines and channel curves of 112 gullies in six sites of the Yuanmou Dry-hot Valley and then mapped them by Arc GIS software and calculated nine parameters. The results showed that the channel lengths range from 10.88 to 249.11 m; the widths range from 6.20 to 40.99 m; the perimeters range from 54.11 to 541.67 m; the gully areas range from 153.02 to 6,930.30 m2; the left-side areas range from 92.93 to 4,027.20 m2; and the right-side areas range from 63.65 to 3,539.77 m2. The slightly sinuous and straight gullies account for 73.21% of the total gullies; the quantity of the right skewed gullies is 8.93% greater than that of the left skewed ones based on the symmetry ratio; the shape ratios range from 1.12 to 1.40 and the morphology ratios from 0.038 to 1.294; the fractal dimension is 1.192. Gullies in different sites have diverse planar characteristics. Except for the symmetry index, which was close to a negatively skewed distribution, all of the other parameters had the characteristic of positively skewed distribution. The gully area is related to the length and width, but the gully length has a weak correlation with the width. The evolutionary stage, topographic conditions, strata, soil properties, and piping erosion played very important roles in the gully planar morphology. This study could provide useful information for controlling gully erosion and safeguarding human habitation and engineering buildings.

Effects of the growing-maize canopy and irrigation characteristics on the ability to funnel sprinkler water

Stemflow is vital for supplying water,fertilizer,and other crop essentials during sprinkler irrigation.Exploring the spatial and temporal variations of crop stemflow and its influencing factors will be essential to preventing soil water and nutrient ion's migration to deeper layers,developing,and optimizing effective sprinkler irrigation schedules.Based on the two-year experimental data,we analyzed the variation patterns(stemflow amount,depth,rate,and funneling ratio)of maize stemflow during the growing season,and clarified its vertical distribution pattern.Meanwhile,effects of sprinkler irrigation and maize morphological parameters on stemflow were investigated.The results showed that stemflow increased gradually as maize plant grew.Specifically,stemflow was small at the pre-jointing stage and reached the maximum at the late filling stage.The upper canopy generated more stemflow than the lower canopy until the flare opening stage.After the tasseling stage,the middle canopy generated more stemflow than the other positions.Variation in canopy closure at different positions was the main factor contributing to the above difference.As sprinkler intensity increased,stemflow also increased.However,the effect of droplet size on stemflow was inconsistent.Specifically,when sprinkler intensity was less than or equal to 10 mm/h,stemflow was generated with increasing droplet size.In contrast,if sprinkler intensity was greater than or equal to 20 mm/h,stemflow tended to decreased with increasing droplet size.Compared with other morphological parameters,canopy closure significantly affected the generation of stemflow.Funneling ratio was not significantly affected by plant morphology.Based on the results of different sprinkler intensities,we developed stemflow depth versus canopy closure and stemflow rate versus canopy closure power function regression models with a high predictive accuracy.The research findings will contribute to the understanding of the processes of stemflow involving the hydro-geochemical cycle of agro-ecosystems and the implementation of cropland management practices.

Monitoring of Soil Loss from Erosion Using Geoinformatics and Geotechnical Engineering Methods

In this study, the position of all major rill and gully erosion sites were located using hand held GPS （Global Positioning System） receiver during reconnaissance surveys. Based on severity rating and geopolitical considerations, six of the erosion gully sites were selected for monitoring. Control points were established around each of the gully sites using three Leica 500 dual frequency GPS receivers by method of DGPS （differential GPS） surveys. Detailed topographical survey of the gully sites was carried out using total stations. With the aid of SPOT satellite imageries in combination with total station data and GIS （geographic information system） location maps, contoured maps along with DEM （digital elevation model） were generated using ARCGIS 9.2 software. The morphological parameters of the gullies including depth, width, length and area of the gullies were determined. Volumetric estimate of the amount of soil loss from gully erosion was also carried out. Soil samples were recovered from the gully sites to determine their erodibility and other parameters to be used for soil loss modeling. The result of the studies was used as an indicator for determining the gully initiation point. Slope-area relationship and threshold of gully initiation was established. The minimum volume of soil loss occurred in gully No. 2 （Queen Ede）. The minimum AS^2 value was 345 while the maximum was 3,267.

Temporal-spatial risk assessment of COVID-19 under the influence of urban spatial environmental parameters:The case of Shenyang city

Respiratory infection is the main route for the transmission of coronavirus pneumonia,and the results have shown that the urban spatial environment significantly influences the risk of infection.Based on the Wells-Riley model of respiratory infection probability,the study determined the human respiratory-related parameters and the effective influence range;extracted urban morphological parameters,assessed the ventilation effects of different spatial environments,and,combined with population flow monitoring data,constructed a method for assessing the risk of Covid-19 respiratory infection in urban-scale grid cells.In the empirical study in Shenyang city,a severe cold region,urban morphological parameters,population size,background wind speed,and individual behavior patterns were used to calculate the distribution characteristics of temporal and spatial concomitant risks in urban areas grids under different scenarios.The results showed that the correlation between the risk of respiratory infection in urban public spaces and the above variables was significant.The exposure time had the greatest degree of influence on the probability of respiratory infection risk among the variables.At the same time,the change in human body spacing beyond 1 m had a minor influence on the risk of infection.Among the urban morphological parameters,building height had the highest correlation with the risk of infection,while building density had the lowest correlation.The actual point distribution of the epidemic in Shenyang from March to April 2022 was used to verify the evaluation results.The overlap rate between medium or higher risk areas and actual cases was 78.55%.The planning strategies for epidemic prevention and control were proposed for the spatial differentiation characteristics of different risk elements.The research results can accurately classify the risk level of urban space and provide a scientific basis for the planning response of epidemic prevention and control and the safety of public activities.

Development of heartwood,sapwood,bark,pith and specific gravity of teak(Tectona grandis)in fast-growing plantations in Costa Rica

To elucidate the development of heartwood,bark,sapwood,pith and specific gravity of wood in fastgrowing teak(Tectona grandis)plantations in Costa Rica,we sampled three trees in each of 55 plantations and modelled each variable with age,site and different tree heights.Age and stand density of plantations were significant correlated with stem diameter at breast height and total height of the tree.Formation of heartwood was initiated at the age of 4-year-old and increased in direct proportion with age.The age of plantation had a significant relationship with stem diameter at breast height,heartwood percentage,sapwood thickness,sapwood percentage,percentage of bark,pith diameter and percentage,and specify gravity.The model for these tree parameters was model with these parameters as dependent variable and in relation to age as independent variable.

Automated Classification of Segmented Cancerous Cells in Multispectral Images

Automatic reading procedures in colon cells biopsies allow a faster and precise reading of microscopic biopsies. These procedures implement automatic image segmentation in order to classify cell types as cancerous or noncancerous. The authors have developed a new approach aiming to detect colon cancer cells derived from the ＂Snake＂ method but using a progressive division of the dimensions of the image to achieve rapid segmentation. The aim of the present paper was to classify different cancerous cell types based on nine morphological parameters and on probabilistic neural network. Three types of cells were used to assess the efficiency of our classifications models, including BH （Benign Hyperplasia）, IN （Intraepithelial Neoplasia） that is a precursor state for cancer, and Ca （Carcinoma） that corresponds to abnormal tissue proliferation （cancer）. Results showed that among the nine parameters used to classify cells, only three morphologic parameters （area, Xor convex and solidity） were found to be effective in distinguishing the three types of cells. In addition, classification of unknown cells was possible using this method.

Spatiotemporal differentiation and development process of tidal creek network morphological characteristics in the Yellow River Delta

Tidal creeks are the main channels of land-sea ecosystem interactions,and their high dynamics are an important factor affecting the hydrological connectivity of tidal flats.Taking the Yellow River Delta as the research area,we selected remote sensing images obtained during five periods from 1998 to 2018 as the data sources.Based on the spatial analysis function in GIS,the typical morphological characteristics of tidal creeks,such as the level,length,density,curvature,bifurcation ratio,and overmarsh path length(OPL),were extracted to characterize the degree of development of the tidal creeks in the Yellow River Delta wetlands.The spatio-temporal evolution of the tidal creeks was studied,and the development process and the characteristics of the tidal creeks during the different stages of development were investigated.The results revealed that(1)The number,density,and bifurcation ratio of tidal creeks exhibit an increasing trend,but the growth of the trend is slowing.The number of tidal creeks increased by 44.9%from the initial stage of the Yellow River diversion to the late stage of the wetland restoration,but it only increased by 26.2%from the late stage of the wetland restoration to the slow expansion of the Spartina alterniflora.(2)The curvature of the tidal creeks on the landward side is greater than that on the seaward side.(3)The development degree of tidal creek has spatial heterogenetiy,which is AreaⅢ>AreaⅡ>AreaⅠ.(4)The drainage efficiency is significantly correlated with the tidal creak density and bifurcation ratio.Based on the analysis of the various morphological parameters and the drainage efficiency,it was found that after the rapid change in the tidal creek system in the early stage,the tidal creeks entered a state of slow change,and the development state of the tidal creeks tends to be in dynamic balance.The results of this study are expected to provide scientific support for the sustainable development and utilization of coastal tidal flats.

Regional Variations in Trabecular Morphological Features of Femoral Head of Patients with Proximal Femoral Fractures

The regional microstructural variations in femoral head from proximal femoral fracture patients were investigated. Mi- cro-CT scanning was performed on seven femoral heads from proximal femoral fracture patients. Each femoral head was divided into three regions according to the trabecular orientation from the fovea of femoral head to the femoral neck. Eight three-dimensional trabecular cube models were reconstructed from each region. A total of 154 trabecular cubic models were reconstructed because the corresponding areas for 14 cubic models were damaged during the surgeries. Eight trabecular mor- phological parameters were measured and analyzed, namely, trabecular thickness （Tb.Th）, trabecular separation （Tb.Sp）, spe- cific bone surface （BS/BV）, bone volum在不 fraction （BV/TV）, structural model index （SMI）, degree of anisotropy （DA）, trabecular pattern factor （Tb.Pf）, and trabecular number （Tb.N）. Bivariate correlation analyses were performed for all mor- phological parameters. One-way ANOVA tests were performed to analyze the differences of each parameter among three re- gions. Post-hoc multiple comparisons （Student-Newman-Keuls method） were performed to analyze the morphological differ- ence between two regions. Trabecular bone of proximal femoral fracture patients significantly degenerated in all regions of femoral heads. BV/TV was statistically correlated with Tb.Th, Tb.Sp, BS/BV, Tb.Pf, and Tb.N （p 〈 0.05）. Statistical differences in morphological parameters were observed between regions （p 〈 0.05）. The trabecular strength in the middle regions was significantly higher than that in other regions because of the relationships between morphological parameters and mechanical parameters. Trabeculae in the medial region were more uniform and stable along each direction than those in the lateral region. Most trabeculae in the lateral region only grew along the weight-bearing direction, and those along the other directions de- generated significantly. This study provides detailed trabecular morphological information on fractured femoral heads, as well as references for the prevention of high fracture risk in the elderly.

Quantitative Electron Tomography for Accurate Measurement of Precipitates Microstructure Parameters in Al–Cu–Li Alloys

Mechanical theories show that properties of alloys are strongly dependent on the morphological parameters oftheir strengthening precipitates.However,accurate measurement of precipitates microstructure parameters is still a challenging task.In this article,we develop a quantitative electron tomography method by combining computer vision technology to accurately characterize the three-dimensional microstructure parameters,such as volume fractions,sizes and distributions,of the T_(1) and δ’/θ’/δ’ precipitates in Al-Cu-Li(-Mg) alloys.Since they have extremely large aspect-ratios in shape and large numbers in density upon formation in the Al matrix,these thin plate-like precipitates are difficult to be characterized quantitatively without the assistance of computer vision technology.It is shown that the property difference between two peak-aged states of the alloy can be well explained with the quantitative precipitate parameters correctly measured.Using these correct precipitate data,we also tested the validity of current mechanical models for projecting the contribution of precipitates to the strengths of the alloy,demonstrating that quantitative relations between strength and micro structure parameters still need to be refined.

Hurricane eye morphology extraction from SAR images by texture analysis

Tropical hurricanes are among the most devastating hazards on Earth.Knowledge about its intense inner-core structure and dynamics will improve hurricane forecasts and advisories.The precise morphological parameters extracted from high-resolution spaceborne Synthetic Aperture Radar(SAR)images,can play an essential role in further exploring and monitoring hurricane dynamics,especially when hurricanes undergo amplification,shearing,eyewall replacements and so forth.Moreover,these parameters can help to build guidelines for wind calibration of the more abundant,but lower resolution scatterometer wind data,thus better linking scatterometer wind fields to hurricane categories.In this paper,we develop a new method for automatically extracting the hurricane eyes from C-band SAR data by constructing Gray Level-Gradient Co-occurrence Matrices(GLGCMs).The hurricane eyewall is determined with a two-dimensional vector,generated by maximizing the class entropy of the hurricane eye region in GLGCM.The results indicate that when the hurricane is weak,or the eyewall is not closed,the hurricane eye extracted with this automatic method still agrees with what is observed visually,and it preserves the texture characteristics of the original image.As compared to Du’s wavelet analysis method and other morphological analysis methods,the approach developed here has reduced artefacts due to factors like hurricane size and has lower programming complexity.In summary,the proposed method provides a new and elegant choice for hurricane eye morphology extraction.

Study of Substrate and Physico-Chemical Base Classification of the Rivers of Nepal

The rivers in Nepal are classified in terms of geographical regions but a more scientific classification such as on the ba-sis of morphology is clearly lacking. This study was done in 9 rivers namely Jhikhukhola of the Koshi system, Aandhikhola, Arungkhola, East Rapti, Karrakhola, Seti and main channel Narayani of the Gandaki system, and two independent systems within Nepal, Bagmati and Tinau. Among the morphologies, river bed or the substratum was taken as the main variable for the analysis which was categorized into 7 types as rocks, boulders, cobbles, pebbles, gravels, sand and silt. There were 23 sampling sites each with 2 stretches of around 100m in those rivers. The data were taken as a percentage, and to avoid biases it was observed visually by the same person for a complete year in every season. With 23 sites each with 2 stretches and 4 replicates corresponding to 4 seasons, there are altogether 184 observations, each termed as a case, that constitute this work. Canonical Discrimination Analysis (CDA) which is most suitable when the data pool is huge was applied to see if the rivers studied distinguish themselves in terms of its morphology. The result was remarkably successful and was close to the established regional classification of the rivers. This kind of river classification has great application in the utilization, conservation and restoration of the most important natural re-source of the country.