Month: March 2018

 
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High-Throughput Identification and Classification Algorithm for Leukemia Population Statistics

Abstract:
Early detection of leukemia and reduced risk to human health can result from interdisciplinary integration of image analysis with clinical experimental results. Image analysis relies on efficient and reliable processing algorithms to make quantitative judgments on image data. This article presents the design and implementation of an efficient and high-throughput leukemia cell count and cluster classification algorithm to automatically quantify leukemia population statistics in the field of view. The algorithm is divided into two stages: (1) the cell identification stage and (2) the cell classification and inspection stage. The cell identification stage accurately segments background and noise from foreground pixels. A boundary box is generated enclosing the foreground pixels identifying all isolated cells and cell clusters. The cell classification and inspection stage uses one-dimensional intensity profiles that behave as signature plots to segregate isolated cells from cell clusters and evaluate total count within each cluster. The designed algorithm is tested with a variety of leukemia cell images that vary in image acquisition conditions, image sizes, cell sizes, intensity distributions, and image quality. The proposed algorithm demonstrates good potential in processing both ideal and nonideal images with an average accuracy of 91% and average processing time of 3 s. The performance of the proposed algorithm in comparison to recently published algorithms and commercial image analysis tool further ascertains its robustness.

Brinda Prasad and Wael Badawy, “High-Throughput Identification and Classification Algorithm for Leukemia Population Statistics,” The Journal of Imaging Science and Technology 52(3), 2008.

Link to the list of other Peer Journal Publications

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15 Tips to increase your Adwords profits

1. Create a list with all possible keywords that fit to your product, service or business field. The more the better. So you will get also a lot of keywords which you must pay for only the minimal commandment of 5 cents.

2. Benefit from misspelling in order to find keywords which your competitors did not think of. For example if you have a emergency service , do not only bid for “emergency” but also for “imergency”, “imergensy” or “immergency”.

3. The first position on Googles search result page achieves usually most clicks. However this is also the most expensive position. Give it a try if the second to fourth display position gives you more visitors and more customers for less money.

4. The position of the Adwords-ad is determined not only by the maximum click price that you are ready to spend. Google evaluates also the relevancy of the displayed ad in order to position the Adwords-ads. The more clicks your ad receives, the higher it gets listed.

5. The headline in the Adwords-ad must catch the viewers attention. If you implement the keyword in the header line, you receive considerably more clicks onto your ad.

6. In the ad-text mention one or two reasons, why the internet user should click on it. Which problem solves your product or service? Do you offer a product at a cheaper price or do you ship without the dispatch charges?

7. Avoid price wars at which a competitor and you attempt to outdo the click price for a keyword continuously mutually. You only see to it that the click price fires into the sky. It is better to find search-terms which consist of several words and which are more precise.

8. Google AdWords offers keyword-options which you should absolutely study. If properly set up you can make sure that your AdWords-ad appears only for example if the internet-user has exclusively entered your term and no further.

9. Use “excluding keywords”. Those ones are keywords for which your ad is supposed not to appear. In this way you do not have to pay for clicks, when somebody is searching for free stuff or only for a pamphlet.

10. Construct for every keyword and for everyone of your AdWords ads an own landing-page. There you can offer especially that which the internet-user searched for.

11. An own landing-page beside has also the advantage that you can measure exactly how many customers a specific Keyword and a specific ad brought in. You can optimize your displays continuously in this way and increase the purchase rate.

12. Update your AdWords-ads at specific events or holidays, for example to the New Year, Valentine, Easter or Christmas.

13. If you mention the price for a product or a service in the AdWords ad, then you can exclude in front the free- and all-free-searcher from clicking your ad.

14. Be conservatively in the selections of the countries and the languages’ in which your AdWords ads are supposed to appear. If your product or your service turn only to customers speaking in a German manner, you should tune “Germany” and “Austria” as countries. With corresponding success you can try out also further countries, for example Switzerland, and areas close to the border. This method can also be applied to any other language.

15. The Google ads are also displayed on partner sites of Google, for example at Focus.de or T-Online.de. If your AdWords ad costs too much and/or goes for too little profit, then interrupt the option that lets announce your ad also on the partner sites of Google. Test wisely. Not all ads run well on the partner sites.
Here you got 15 powerful methods to increase your Adwords profits. All you have to do is to take action and apply them NOW!

Happy earnings!

 

More info’s and free registrations (restricted to  pros), please join our live seminar

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Video-based Automatic Incident Detection for Intelligent Transportation systems: The Outdoor Environmental Challenges

Video-based automatic incident detection (AID) systems are increasingly being used in intelligent transportation systems (ITS). Video-based AID is a promising method of incident detection. However, the accuracy of video-based AID is heavily affected by environmental factors such as shadows, snow, rain, and glare. This paper presents a review of the different work done in the literature to detect outdoor environmental factors, namely, static shadows, snow, rain, and glare. Once these environmental conditions are detected, they can be compensated for, and hence, the accuracy of alarms detected by video-based AID systems will be enhanced. Based on the presented review, this paper will highlight potential research directions to address gaps that currently exist in detecting outdoor environmental conditions. This will lead to an overall enhancement in the reliability of video-based AID systems and, hence, pave the road for more usage of these systems in the future. Last, this paper suggests new contributions in the form of new suggested algorithmic ideas to detect environmental factors that affect AID systems accuracy.

Published in:

Intelligent Transportation Systems, IEEE Transactions on  (Volume:9 ,  Issue: 2 )

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The Art of Giving Business Cards

Giving business cards is an art, not only because they are needed to be considered successful or because, in fact, they represent your corporate or professional identity, but also as an opportunity to impact your existing or prospective customers, and stay in touch with them, helping you to deal confidently.

The scope of business etiquette includes considerations that many professional ignore, or simply do not pay enough attention in the belief that a business card is just a small paper rectangle with a name and phone numbers to introduce yourself.

Color business cards demonstrate that there is something else beyond a simple paper cut; otherwise, they simply would not exist. Certainly, all over the world business cards are used to provide information about a company and/or the employee or professional who holds it, as well as contact information and other details such as business acquaintances or personal details.

Some of them include expressly empty spaces to write certain details such as an appointment date, some others are as simple as blank cards that come in handy when the holder has to leave a customer further details. However, those in color are undoubtedly part of a practical business strategy following refined business etiquette.

In business, time is gold and every minute is important because more often an individual only has a few minutes to impress a prospective client, before someone else does it first. Gentle manners can conquer, but accompanied with poor business cards, it is more likely the client will forget about you as soon as you live. Unprofessional business cards will not impress but will leave your prospective client with negative thoughts about your company.

On the other hand, color business cards are as attractive that catch the eye of even the most skeptical business contact. There is nothing more accurate that “a picture is worth a thousand words” when it comes to describing the first impression left on a person who receives a business card especially crafted to achieve a predefined business goal.

Color business cards and regular business cards should meet the criteria of being printed in very high quality paper, designed by professionals and never using public domain graphics or other elements that makes them look cheap. Make sure to include all personal information to your business acquaintances, and always carry enough of them with you, particularly when you are planning to attend a business meeting or social event.

The art of business cards is not only in giving them away, but also exchanging and receiving. Every time you attend an event where other professionals participate, try to exchange business cards with them, particularly color business cards to better impress, and when you receive a business card, study its design and content because you can learn from them.

Finally, always keep in mind that business cards are the branding tool of your company, not just a piece of paper to stay in touch with someone else.

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On Networking Groups (Part One)

I have been trying to think about how I can talk about this subject and address it in a way that would be fair and balanced without injecting too much personal opinion and have decided to first talk about the types of groups and then later on be more specific. It is important to remember that you will have preferences that may not align with mine, but that each of us share a common goal in our networking. More business and possibly more friends.

So lets begin by analyzing the various types of groups. There are many different types of groups, but it is easier to categorize them by the meeting format rather than using individual categories like chambers of commerce or women’s groups.

Most groups fall under one of 4 main categories. These are Social Networking, Business Networking, Leads Groups and Networking with a Program.

Social Networking

Social networking is a part of our daily lives whether we realize it or not. Each time we attend any function that involves a group of people we are networking on a social level. Whether we are attending a charity event, going to a party at a friends house, going to a religious service, or attending an organized social networking event, we are in a networking environment.

In most cases a large part of participation in these groups is not related to business. However, there are always opportunities to meet people who could be or know prospective clients. When you attend these types of functions, it is advised to have some business cards in your pocket in case you meet someone else who is networking for their business, but remember that business networking is not the primary purpose of the function, so be very casual in the way you approach others about your business.

Social Networking Tip:

Never assume that any individual at these functions is not a good prospect for your business. You will find many opportunities there. It is just good to remember that people are there for many reasons and may not want to talk about business.

Business Networking

Believe it or not there are very few groups or organizations that are simply “business networking groups”. This category, for the purpose of our discussion is reserved for groups that do not have speakers or programs. An example of business networking would be similar to a chamber of commerce after hours. In business networking, you simply gather together with other business associates to talk about your businesses.

I find it much better to have a lot of time to talk to people about my business rather than have a brief period to talk and then have to sit down and listen to a program. This format enables you to really get to know people in the allotted amount of time. In some cases you can even do business with someone who you have met for the first time.

This format allows you to get to know people very well and sometimes helps to jump-start the relationship without having to meet for lunch or coffee at a later time. The only thing that makes this format difficult is if you are shy. For the shy individual it is sometimes not easy to just walk into a room and start talking to people they do not know.

Business Networking Tip:
Build a core contact group of people that you see at several different meetings. This will give you a broad base of contacts through these people as they are building their networks. Always get to know the “most popular people” in the room. They will often know most of the others and can help to expand your network quickly

Leads Groups
Leads groups are very structured. This is the largest segment of business networking. There are several formats to leads groups that vary in slightly different ways. In most cases the leads group involves sitting around a large table. Usually a leads group is limited to one person per industry. So if you wanted to be a part of a leads group that already has one of your type of industry, you could not join that group until there is an opening for you created by that person leaving.

Usually leads groups are about 5 to 20 persons in size. In most leads groups you are given a set amount of time to stand up and talk about your business ranging from 2 to five minutes depending on the size of the group. This is a dedicated time, no one else speaks and you take turns.

Leads groups are good for people who are shy or for those who have difficulty in a meeting with no structure. If you are a member of a good leads group, members are actively seeking referrals for other members. This can lead to a great deal of business if you consider the fact that everyone has a personal network of about 200 hundred people. This does not mean that it is the best format of meeting or not a good format, but rather it is good for you if you prefer structure.

Leads groups generally meet early in the morning or for lunch.

Leads Groups Tip:
Be sure to enable the members of your leads group to help you. Give them tools that they can carry to represent you when they encounter someone who needs your product or service. Be sure that everyone understands what you do and who your best prospects are.

Networking with a Program
A lot of trade associations and chambers of commerce follow this format. The meeting usually starts with open networking for a period of 15 minutes to an hour. It is then followed by a presentation by a guest speaker or a current member.

In this environment, you will not have much time to really get to know people unless you always attend the meetings. In most cases these meetings are best for initial contact followed up by meeting prospects for coffee or lunch. It is advised that you use a system of taking notes and qualifying prospects for later follow-up.

Generally these meetings end after the presentation and people linger for 15 to 30 minutes before clearing the room.

Networking with a Program Tip:
Get to know the leaders of the organization. In most cases they will know a great deal about the members as they work their way up the ranks into a leadership role. These individuals can be of the most help when seeking prospects or referrals.

Summary
As I said at the beginning of this article, your feelings on these definitions may vary from mine. It is important when seeking meetings to attend or groups to join that you have defined goals on what you are trying to accomplish. Be specific when setting these goals.

Remember business does not always come in the first contact or meeting. Be consistent for best results. Try to balance your networking with a combination of the types of groups and meetings that you attend. Each has it’s own unique benefits and can help you with a well rounded presence in the business community.

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A Robust Video-Based Algorithm for Detecting Snow Movement in Traffic Scenes

Abstract

Video-based Automatic Incident Detection (AID) systems are widely deployed in many cities for detecting traffic incidents to provide smoother, safer and congestion free traffic flow. However, the accuracy of an AID system operating in an outdoor environment suffers from high false alarm rates due to environmental factors. These factors include snow movement, static shadow and static glare on the roads. In this paper, a robust real-time algorithm is proposed to detect snow movement in video streams to improve the rate of detection. This is done by having the AID system reducing its sensitivity in the areas that have snow movements. The feasibility of the proposed algorithm has been evaluated using traffic videos captured from several cameras at the City of Calgary.

Jun Cai, Mohamed Shehata, Wael Badawy, “A Robust Video-Based Algorithm for Detecting Snow Movement in Traffic Scenes”, The Journal of VLSI Signal Processing Systems for Signal, Image, and Video Technology, Special Issue on Signal Processing Systems, Volume 56, Numbers 2-3 / September, 2009, pp. 307-326.

 Link to the list of other Peer Journal Publications

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Success Or Statistic?

Which one will you be in network marketing?

The truth is the odds are against you; chances are youíll be a statistic.

Hmmmmm bet the super star space commander upline guru that signed you up or wants to sign you up told you that did he/she?

Here are a few stats that may alarm you:

Did you know that 70,000 people sign up into a network marketing company EVERYDAY?

But did you know that 95% of the people that sign up into a network marketing company will quit within the first year?

WHY?

Well there are a lot or reasons, poor support, poor company, poor product, poor compensation plan, poor upline. But to me one of the biggest reasons isÖ

PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LIED TO!!

Most people have been lied to from the get go.

Many of the people who are recruiting people into companies (hate that term recruiting) are lying to people and telling people what they want to hear so they will join their company.

Now on one had you canít blame many of these people, thereíre just doing what they were taught by the person that signed them up, and thatís usually some person with the recruit, recruit, recruit mentalityÖthose are the people I blame.

Hey the great news is you DONíT have to be a statistic. You just need to be taught the correct way of building your business, but first you need to know some of the lies youíll probably be told or already have been told.

My first and favorite lie:

Make a list of your friends and family because thatís who were calling first.

Hey upline line guy, are you crazy? Thatís the last thing, no thatís what you NEVER do. Because of this one lie there are thousands of people that have been shunned by their families.

Your friends and family members turn off the lights and pretend thereíre not home when the see you coming. Ring any bells?

By all means share your product or service with your family and friends but not the business opportunity. Many of your friends and family members are NOT looking for a business opportunity, the truth is most of your friends and family are going to spend more time discouraging you then helping you. But donít get mad at them they think thereíre protecting you, ignore them and build your business.

Let them come to you, once you become successful in your business, your friends and family will notice and then theyíll ask you what youíre doing.

Hereís a tip. This is your business and you DONíT want everyone in your business that includes your family and friends. Only share your business opportunity to people who have raised their hand to you and say. ìIím interestedî or ìShow me what youíre doingî.

Lie number two;

Recruit, Recruit, Recruit. You need to make a 100 phone calls a day and remember for every NO you get youíre one step close to a YES.

I would love to track down the putz that said this. Let me ask you a question.

How many times do you like hearing the word NO?

How much do you like being on the phone every day hearing the word NO?

I think itís safe to say, ìYou donít like it very muchî

The word NO has taken so many good people out of this business. Here is an example my mentor shared with me and it really hit home for me.

Duffy youíve set up candles, soft music some good wine a great dinner a bit of hugging and kissing then your spouse says ìNOî. All right just 99 more times and youíll get lucky.

That put things into perspective for me real fast.

Did you know that 90% of the population is sales resistant, no wonder youíre hearing the word NO so much.

And some knucklehead sayís NO is a good thing. Moving on.

Lie number 3,

If you have no warm market you need to spend money and buy leads.

WRONG!! You DO NOT have to buy leads. Personally youíre just wasting your money. Thereíre people spending hundreds of dollars every month for leads. STOP IT!!!

Remember a bought lead is a bought lead. I donít care if you paid $5 or 5 cents a lead is a lead. When you call these leads chances are they donít remember what forum they filled out or the person gets upset because you called them.

Once you truly understand that people are not numbers, they have goals and dreams just like you. And theyíre real people. And just like you they donít want to be lied too and just like you they want a true opportunity to fulfill those dreams and goals. If you get just this youíll go very, very far in this business.

Network marketing is a Relationship Business NOT a Sales Business. As soon as you understand that youíll have people saying to you ìPLEASE sponsor me into your businessî

Until then youíre DEAD in the water.

I have NEVER bought a lead with my network marketing company and I donít spend 10 hours a day making phone calls, I have people contacting me everyday asking me about my business.

If you had people calling you how do you think your lead calls would turn out compared to you calling people? Please tell me I donít have to answer that for you.

For those of you buying leads stop wasting your money, prospects are everywhere.

I have tons of ways of getting leads for free, but hereís one tip that will reveal prospects to you everyday.

First LISTEN to people, thatís the most important thing you need to do. Youíve heard this ìOne mouth two earsî Listen twice as much as you speak.

Ok how do you determine if someone is a prospect?

Letís say you have a company that provides a nutritional product that helps with weight loss. And now lets say youíre talking to someone and they are complaining about how they canít lose weight.

All you have to say to this person is this: ìHave you ever thought about doing something about itî?

If they say ìYESî you have a prospect, depending on the time and place this person has just given you permission to provide them with a presentation of your product. You could give them your business card, send them to a web site or provide them some brochures about your product. Or ask them for there contact info so you could send them some info later.

If the person says ìNOîÖyou say, ìOKî.

THEY ARE NOT A PROSPECT, REPEAT NOT A PROSPECTÖ forget about them, move on and keep listening.

This is just one-way thereíre lots of other ways to find prospects. The point is you never have to buy leads to find prospects.

Itís a shame that so many lies are being told just to get people into a business, just because the rest of the world is doing it doesnít mean you have to. Tell people the truth, listen to them and truly hear what they are saying. Build relationships; help a person, thatís how you build a business.

If you can help them GREAT if not thatís ok too. Not everyone is suited to fit into your business; and you would be a fool to think so.

Personally I would rather have 10 people that wanted to be in my business and that I told the truth to from the get go, then a 100 people I told what ever they wanted to hear so they would join my business.

Until Next Time

To Your MLM Success

Wael

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The "Networking" Part of Network Marketing

Networking is obviously an essential part of network marketing. Every successful network marketer knows this to be true. Although networking is such an intricate part of network marketing, the two terms are not synonymous. However there are many similarities. Both rely heavily on people skills. Both require people to confront their fear of talking to other people. Both carry with them the risk of rejection. Both also carry with them enormous opportunity. And to some people, both are considered dirty words.

Of course people that consider networking as something that is ‘not done’ don’t understand what networking is really about. The same can be said of people that think network marketing is something that is beneath them. Many people think of networking as a way to get connected solely for their own advancement in life. In that respect a person might feel that it is unethical or not noble to network. This line of thinking stems from the idea that advancement will always come at the expense of someone else, that success in life is a zero-sum game. These people often look at network marketing from the same perspective. They think of profiting from other people’s efforts as something that is negative and not fair to them. In reality, successful networkers will tell you that it doesn’t work that way at all. Networking doesn’t have to be at anybody’s expense and the business of network marketing doesn’t reward anyone for taking advantage of others. It actually rewards people for helping other people to succeed. In that respect it may very well be the most ethical business model in the world today.

A lot of the negativity around networking can be explained by the different types of networkers. Some can be considered ‘hunters’, moving in for a quick kill, after which they move out again. They often operate without regard of the other persons interest and because of this they will enjoy the fruits of success for only a limited period of time. Often it will not take long before people find out what’s really driving the hunter. Once they see that he or she is only looking after his or her own interests, their willingness to interact with this person will quickly evaporate. By contrast, truly successful networkers are often ‘farmers’ who spend a lot of time sowing and nourishing their relationships, instead of just focusing on reaping. They invest in their network, they energize their network. They use their network, but they never ever abuse their network! And their network knows this. A true networker will always keep the interests of others in mind. That’s why working with a true networker is so enjoyable. Networkers are often very likeable and as such people like to interact with them.

Networking is a skill that is essential to all businesses not just network marketing. Although network marketing differs in many ways from the more traditional forms of doing business, the importance of networking is just as prevalent. If not more so. A network marketer that doesn’t know how to network will be out of business in no time. Network marketing is first and foremost a people’s business and this implies that the ability to effectively work with people is absolutely critical. This is why successful network marketers are extremely adept at networking. Many have found out over time that developing this skill can pay off in many areas outside their network marketing business as well. Business owners who have started a home based business on the side often apply their enhanced networking and people’s skills in their traditional business with great success. For some network marketers this spin-off has earned them more money than the income from their network marketing business itself.

So whether you are in network marketing or in a more traditional type of business, don’t underestimate the importance of becoming an effective networker. And if you really want to master this skill you may find there is a lot to learn from good network marketers. So if you happen to know anybody that fits that description, try and benefit from their knowledge on the topic. It will surely help you network your way to success!

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Taking The Vampire Out Of Online MLM Business Networking

You just got started with a new online MLM business and you want to tell everyone online about it. So, you sign up for all kinds of message boards, email groups and other business networking websites.

Before you do anything, please realize that you are dealing with REAL PEOPLE. The Internet seems like this anonymous place where you might feel people wonít really notice you if you engage in any vampirish behavior, but realize that the Internet is no different than dealing with people offline.

Treat people with respect, get to know them first and youíll have plenty of valuable contacts for your business. No, most probably wonít join your business opportunity, but they will teach you a lot about business, will refer others to you and will be a great asset to your business ñ even if they never buy a thing from you.

Some Online Networking No-Nos:

– Sending private messages or emails about your business opportunity or products to another member is in poor taste. If you want to contact someone privately because you feel you have something in common, go for it, but donít recruit or sell.

– When you introduce yourself on a networking group, itís usually okay to say what you doÖbut donít invite people to check out your website or say that you are looking for new customers or recruits.

– Even if a message board or networking group allows you to post ads in certain places or on certain days, donít bother if youíre new. Get to know the group first and then theyíll be more interested your offers.

When you have a new business, it can be stressful and you feel pressure to get results. The important thing to remember is that results come from building long-term relationships and not from preying on online networking groups.

Donít suck the blood out of all your prospects and people who can connect you with potential prospects before you even get started.

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On Networking Groups ( Part Three )

I am about to share with you something that I talk to people about a lot. It is focused networking.

In each business, we have a target market or the perfect prospect. If you have been in a particular business for any length of time, you should know what type of person or business owner falls into this category for you. If not, it is time to figure out who this might be.

In networking for business it is important to have a well rounded networking schedule. You should attend many different types of groups in order to reach a broad spectrum of people. If you only attend a business after hours, you may run into several people who provide the same product or service as you. In this environment, it is important to know what makes you different from them. In most cases this is not a company thing, but a personal thing. When you have reached the point that you can relate what makes you different, you will do very well in a competitive environment.

One of the groups that you are likely to attend is a trade association. In my first exposure to networking many years ago, I attended meetings for a group that specialized in the creation of multimedia. I went to the meetings each month in the hope of building a relationship with others who might be able to help me find some work in the field. The opposite happened. I found myself in the ultimate competition. I should have been there to learn about trends in the industry and to get background information of my competitors, there was literally no work to be had in an environment with all of my competition!

What happens if you attend the trade association meeting of your target prospect? It is likely that you may be the only person in the room selling your product or service. If you do your homework before you go and discover the mission of the group, it is easier to prepare for that kind of opportunity.

In this environment, you may be sitting through a presentation by a speaker that you know nothing about, so to maximize your networking opportunity, arrive early and leave late. Talk to as many people as you can in the time that you have to network before the presentation begins. If you see someone in the group that you know, approach them and ask them to introduce you around in the room. This will help you to shortcut the process of meeting people. It also gives a friend an opportunity to refer you personally in a group of their peers.

It is important to be creative when looking for meetings to attend. Attend many, and you will have more opportunities to work with. Set a goal to visit all the types of groups at least once a month for maximum exposure and optimum contacts.