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Different Applications (different + application)
Selected AbstractsA Different Application of the Unilobed Flap: Bilateral Vascularized Scrotal Pedicle Flap for Reconstruction on the Scrotal and Peno-Scrotal DefectsDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 4 2009ILTERIS MURAT EMSEN MD No abstract is available for this article. [source] THE THERAPEUTIC EXCEPTION: ABORTION, STERILIZATION AND MEDICAL NECESSITY IN COSTA RICADEVELOPING WORLD BIOETHICS, Issue 2 2007MARÍA CARRANZA ABSTRACT Based on the case of Rosa, a nine-year-old girl who was denied a therapeutic abortion, this article analyzes the role played by the social in medical practice. For that purpose, it compares the different application of two similar pieces of legislation in Costa Rica, where both the practice of abortion and sterilization are restricted to the protection of health and life by the Penal Code. As a concept subject to interpretation, a broad conception of medical necessity could enable an ample use of the therapeutic exception and a liberal use of both surgeries. The practice of therapeutic sterilization has been generalized in Costa Rica and has become the legitimate way to distribute contraceptive sterilization. In contrast, therapeutic abortion is very rarely practiced. The analysis carried out proposes that it is the difference in social acceptance of abortion and sterilization that explains the different use that doctors, as gatekeepers of social morality, make of medical necessity. [source] Unexpected roles for bone marrow stromal cells (or MSCs): a real promise for cellular, but not replacement, therapyORAL DISEASES, Issue 2 2010É Mezey Oral Diseases (2010) 16, 129,135 Adult and embryonic stem cells have drawn a lot of attention in the last decade as new tools in regenerative medicine. A variety of such cells have been discovered and put forward as candidates for use in cell replacement therapy. Investigators hope that some, if not all, of our organs can be replaced or restored to function; that new livers, kidneys, and brain cells can be produced. Many reviews have already been written about stem cells and their potential use in regenerating tissues. In this study, we would like to call attention to a different application of a special group of adult stem cells, the stromal cells in the bone marrow (also called mesenchymal stem cells or MSCs). These cells have been discovered to modulate immune function. They can easily be expanded in culture and surprisingly, they also seem not to be immunogenic. Thus, they can be removed from donors, expanded, stored in freezers, and used as allogeneic transplants in a variety of diseases in everyday medicine. [source] Theory & Methods: Data Sharpening for Hazard Rate EstimationAUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF STATISTICS, Issue 3 2002Gerda Claeskens Data sharpening is a general tool for enhancing the performance of statistical estimators, by altering the data before substituting them into conventional methods. In one of the simplest forms of data sharpening, available for curve estimation, an explicit empirical transformation is used to alter the data. The attraction of this approach is diminished, however, if the formula has to be altered for each different application. For example, one could expect the formula for use in hazard rate estimation to differ from that for straight density estimation, since a hazard rate is a ratio,type functional of a density. This paper shows that, in fact, identical data transformations can be used in each case, regardless of whether the data involve censoring. This dramatically simplifies the application of data sharpening to problems involving hazard rate estimation, and makes data sharpening attractive. [source] A programming environment for behavioural animationCOMPUTER ANIMATION AND VIRTUAL WORLDS (PREV: JNL OF VISUALISATION & COMPUTER ANIMATION), Issue 5 2002Frédéric Devillers Abstract Behavioural models offer the ability to simulate autonomous agents like organisms and living beings. Psychological studies have shown that human behaviour can be described by a perception,decision,action loop, in which the decisional process should integrate several programming paradigms such as real time, concurrency and hierarchy. Building such systems for interactive simulation requires the design of a reactive system treating flows of data to and from the environment, and involving task control and preemption. Since a complete mental model based on vision and image processing cannot be constructed in real time using purely geometrical information, higher levels of information are needed in a model of the virtual environment. For example, the autonomous actors of a virtual world would exploit the knowledge of the environment topology to navigate through it. Accordingly, in this paper we present our programming environment for real-time behavioural animation which is compounded of a general animation and simulation platform, a behavioural modelling language and a scenario-authoring tool. Those tools has been used for different applications such as pedestrian and car driver interaction in urban environments, or a virtual museum populated by a group of visitors. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Scene-Graph-As-Bus: Collaboration between Heterogeneous Stand-alone 3-D Graphical ApplicationsCOMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM, Issue 3 2000Bob Zeleznik We describe the Scene-Graph-As-Bus technique (SGAB), the first step in a staircase of solutions for sharing software components for virtual environments. The goals of SGAB are to allow, with minimal effort, independently-designed applications to share component functionality; and for multiple users to share applications designed for single users. This paper reports on the SGAB design for transparently conjoining different applications by unifying the state information contained in their scene graphs. SGAB monitors and maps changes in the local scene graph of one application to a neutral scene graph representation (NSG), distributes the NSG changes over the network to remote peer applications, and then maps the NSG changes to the local scene graph of the remote application. The fundamental contribution of SGAB is that both the local and remote applications can be completely unaware of each other; that is, both applications can interoperate without code or binary modification despite each having no knowledge of networking or interoperability. [source] Semantic patterns for user-interactive question answeringCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 7 2008Tianyong Hao Abstract A new type of semantic pattern is proposed in this paper, which can be used by users to post questions and answers in user-interactive question answering (QA) systems. The necessary procedures of using semantic patterns in a QA system are also presented, which include question structure analysis, pattern matching, pattern generation, pattern classification and answer extraction. Both the manual creation method and the automatic generation method are proposed for patterns for different applications. A pattern instantiation level metrics is also presented for the predication of the quality of generated or learned patterns. We implemented a user interface for using the semantic pattern in our QA system, which allows users to effectively post and answer questions. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A catchment scale evaluation of the SIBERIA and CAESAR landscape evolution modelsEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 8 2010GR Hancock Abstract Landscape evolution models provide a way to determine erosion rates and landscape stability over times scales from tens to thousands of years. The SIBERIA and CAESAR landscape evolution models both have the capability to simulate catchment,wide erosion and deposition over these time scales. They are both cellular, operate over a digital elevation model of the landscape, and represent fluvial and slope processes. However, they were initially developed to solve research questions at different time and space scales and subsequently the perspective, detail and process representation vary considerably between the models. Notably, CAESAR simulates individual events with a greater emphasis on fluvial processes whereas SIBERIA averages erosion rates across annual time scales. This paper describes how both models are applied to Tin Camp Creek, Northern Territory, Australia, where soil erosion rates have been closely monitored over the last 10 years. Results simulating 10,000 years of erosion are similar, yet also pick up subtle differences that indicate the relative strengths and weaknesses of the two models. The results from both the SIBERIA and CAESAR models compare well with independent field data determined for the site over different time scales. Representative hillslope cross-sections are very similar between the models. Geomorphologically there was little difference between the modelled catchments after 1000 years but significant differences were revealed at longer simulation times. Importantly, both models show that they are sensitive to input parameters and that hydrology and erosion parameter derivation has long-term implications for sediment transport prediction. Therefore selection of input parameters is critical. This study also provides a good example of how different models may be better suited to different applications or research questions. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Commonwealth of Australia [source] Automated comparative protein structure modeling with SWISS-MODEL and Swiss-PdbViewer: A historical perspectiveELECTROPHORESIS, Issue S1 2009Nicolas Guex Abstract SWISS-MODEL pioneered the field of automated modeling as the first protein modeling service on the Internet. In combination with the visualization tool Swiss-PdbViewer, the Internet-based Workspace and the SWISS-MODEL Repository, it provides a fully integrated sequence to structure analysis and modeling platform. This computational environment is made freely available to the scientific community with the aim to hide the computational complexity of structural bioinformatics and encourage bench scientists to make use of the ever-increasing structural information available. Indeed, over the last decade, the availability of structural information has significantly increased for many organisms as a direct consequence of the complementary nature of comparative protein modeling and experimental structure determination. This has a very positive and enabling impact on many different applications in biomedical research as described in this paper. [source] Data Mining for Bioprocess OptimizationENGINEERING IN LIFE SCIENCES (ELECTRONIC), Issue 3 2004S. Rommel Abstract Although developed for completely different applications, the great technological potential of data analysis methods called "data mining" has increasingly been realized as a method for efficiently analyzing potentials for optimization and for troubleshooting within many application areas of process, technology. This paper presents the successful application of data mining methods for the optimization of a fermentation process, and discusses diverse characteristics of data mining for biological processes. For the optimization of biological processes a huge amount of possibly relevant process parameters exist. Those input variables can be parameters from devices as well as process control parameters. The main challenge of such optimizations is to robustly identify relevant combinations of parameters among a huge amount of process parameters. For the underlying process we found with the application of data mining methods, that the moment a special carbohydrate component is added has a strong impact on the formation of secondary components. The yield could also be increased by using 2 m3 fermentors instead of 1 m3 fermentors. [source] In-Situ ozonation of contaminated groundwaterENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, Issue 3 2000Michael A. Nimmer This paper presents case studies in the application of insitu ozone sparging to remediate petroleum contaminated groundwater. This technology was developed and installed due to shortcomings with other conventional remedial technologies evaluated for groundwater remediation. The main objective of this study was to develop a system to supply ozone to the groundwater aquifer and to evaluate the system performance in the field. Three different applications were evaluated for this study, all containing petroleum-contaminated groundwater. The ozone sparging system consists of an air compressor, ozone generator, a programmable logic controller, and associated gauges and controls. The mixture of air and ozone is injected into the groundwater aquifer through microporous sparge points contained in various sparge well designs. The initial results from the three applications demonstrated that ozone sparging is a viable alternative to remediate petroleum -contaminated groundwater. Significant reductions in petroleum constituents we re observed shortly after system start-up at all sites. During the one to two years operation at the three sites, a number of maintenance items we re identified; these items we re addressed by modifications to the system design and operation. A long-term evaluation of the system operation has not yet been performed. [source] Quantitative structure-activity relationship methods: Perspectives on drug discovery and toxicologyENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 8 2003Roger Perkins Abstract Quantitative structure,activity relationships (QSARs) attempt to correlate chemical structure with activity using statistical approaches. The QSAR models are useful for various purposes including the prediction of activities of untested chemicals. Quantitative structure,activity relationships and other related approaches have attracted broad scientific interest, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry for drug discovery and in toxicology and environmental science for risk assessment. An assortment of new QSAR methods have been developed during the past decade, most of them focused on drug discovery. Besides advancing our fundamental knowledge of QSARs, these scientific efforts have stimulated their application in a wider range of disciplines, such as toxicology, where QSARs have not yet gained full appreciation. In this review, we attempt to summarize the status of QSAR with emphasis on illuminating the utility and limitations of QSAR technology. We will first review two-dimensional (2D) QSAR with a discussion of the availability and appropriate selection of molecular descriptors. We will then proceed to describe three-dimensional (3D) QSAR and key issues associated with this technology, then compare the relative suitability of 2D and 3D QSAR for different applications. Given the recent technological advances in biological research for rapid identification of drug targets, we mention several examples in which QSAR approaches are employed in conjunction with improved knowledge of the structure and function of the target receptor. The review will conclude by discussing statistical validation of QSAR models, a topic that has received sparse attention in recent years despite its critical importance. [source] Portfolios: Possibilities for Addressing Emergency Medicine Resident CompetenciesACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 11 2002Patricia O'Sullivan EdD Portfolios are an innovative approach to evaluate the competency of emergency medicine residents. Three key characteristics add to their attractiveness. First, portfolios draw from the resident's actual work. Second, they require self-reflection on the part of the resident. Third, they are inherently practice-based learning since residents must review and consider their practice in order to begin the portfolio. This paper illustrates five different applications of portfolios. First, portfolios are applied to evaluating specific competencies as part of the training of emergency physicians. While evaluating specific competencies, the portfolio captures aspects of the general competencies. Second, the article illustrates using portfolios as a way to address a specific residency review committee (RRC) requirement such as follow-ups. Third is a description of how portfolios can be used to evaluate resident conferences capturing the competency of practice-based learning and possibly other competencies such as medical knowledge and patient care. Fourth, the authors of the article designed a portfolio as a way to demonstrate clinical competence. Fifth, they elaborate as to how a continuous quality improvement project could be cast within the portfolio framework. They provide some guidance concerning issues to address when designing the portfolios. Portfolios are carefully structured and not haphazard collections of materials. Following criteria is important in maintaining the validity of the portfolio as well as contributing to reliability. The portfolios can enhance the relationship between faculty and residents since faculty will suggest cases, discuss anomalies, and interact with the residents around the portfolio. The authors believe that in general portfolios can cover many of the general competencies specified by the ACGME while still focusing on issues important to emergency medicine. The authors believe that portfolios provide an approach to evaluation commensurate with the self-evaluation skills they would like to develop in their residents. [source] Signal representation and approximation,fundamental limitsEUROPEAN TRANSACTIONS ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS, Issue 5 2007Holger Boche The expansion of functions in orthonormal bases is an important analytical and practical instrument in many different areas such as in signal processing, in system and information theory and in communications. However, the selection of an optimal basis is a non-trivial task in general and depends strongly on the performance measure of the concrete problem. This paper considers the basis selection problem for three different applications, starting with a problem from system theory, looking on entropy based methods from information theory, and finally it investigates the peak-to-average power ratio problem in communication systems. In particular, it is investigated under which conditions the problems are solvable, that is under which conditions there exists an appropriate basis. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Electrospinning of Manmade and Biopolymer Nanofibers,Progress in Techniques, Materials, and ApplicationsADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 18 2009Seema Agarwal Abstract Electrospinning of nanofibers has developed quickly from a laboratory curiosity to a highly versatile method for the preparation of a wide variety of nanofibers, which are of interest from a fundamental as well as a technical point of view. A wide variety of materials has been processed into individual nanofibers or nanofiber mats with very different morphologies. The diverse properties of these nanofibers, based on different physical, chemical, or biological behavior, mean they are of interest for different applications ranging from filtration, antibacterial coatings, drug release formulations, tissue engineering, living membranes, sensors, and so on. A particular advantage of electrospinning is that numerous non-fiber forming materials can be immobilized by electrospinning in nanofiber nonwovens, even very sensitive biological objects such as virus, bacteria, and cells. The progress made during the last few years in the field of electrospinning is fascinating and is highlighted in this Feature Article, with particular emphasis on results obtained in the authors' research units. Specific areas of importance for the future of electrospinning, and which may open up novel applications, are also highlighted. [source] A Novel Oxime-Derived Solid Support for the Synthesis of 3-Phosphorylated OligonucleotidesHELVETICA CHIMICA ACTA, Issue 10 2003Simon Oligonucleotides containing terminal phosphate groups serve as useful intermediates for different applications in molecular and cell biology, as well as for diagnostic purposes. The chemical synthesis of these derivatives has been an important topic of oligonucleotide research. We report here a novel polystyrene-based solid support bearing an , -hydroxy oximate linker that allows the synthesis of 3,-phosphorylated oligodeoxynucleotides as well as oligoribonucleotides in high quality. The formation of the phosphorylated oligonucleotides likely proceeds through an eliminative pathway with concurrent nitroso-ene production. [source] Operational performance of current synthetic aperture radar sensors in mapping soil surface characteristics in agricultural environments: application to hydrological and erosion modellingHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 1 2008Nicolas Baghdadi Abstract Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors are often used to characterize the surface of bare soils in agricultural environments. They enable the soil moisture and roughness to be estimated with constraints linked to the configurations of the sensors (polarization, incidence angle and radar wavelength). These key soil characteristics are necessary for different applications, such as hydrology and risk prediction. This article reviews the potential of currently operational SAR sensors and those planned for the near future to characterize soil surface as a function of users' needs. It details what it is possible to achieve in terms of mapping soil moisture and roughness by specifying optimal radar configurations and the precision associated with the estimation of soil surface characteristics. The summary carried out for the present article shows that mapping soil moisture is optimal with SAR sensors at low incidence angles (<35 ). This configuration, which enables an estimated moisture accuracy greater than 6% is possible several times a month taking into account all the current and future sensors. Concerning soil roughness, it is best mapped using three classes (smooth, moderately rough, and rough). Such mapping requires high-incidence data, which is possible with certain current sensors (RADARSAT-1 and ASAR both in band C). When L-band sensors (ALOS) become available, this mapping accuracy should improve because the sensitivity of the radar signal to Soil Surface Characteristics (SSC) increases with wavelength. Finally, the polarimetric mode of certain imminent sensors (ALOS, RADARSAT-2, TerraSAR-X, etc.), and the possibility of acquiring data at very high spatial resolution (metre scale), offer great potential in terms of improving the quality of SSC mapping. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Employment of the second-moment turbulence closure on arbitrary unstructured gridsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN FLUIDS, Issue 4 2004B. BasaraArticle first published online: 12 JAN 200 Abstract The paper presents a finite-volume calculation procedure using a second-moment turbulence closure. The proposed method is based on a collocated variable arrangement and especially adopted for unstructured grids consisting of ,polyhedral' calculation volumes. An inclusion of 23k in the pressure is analysed and the impact of such an approach on the employment of the constant static pressure boundary is addressed. It is shown that this approach allows a removal of a standard but cumbersome velocity,pressure ,Reynolds stress coupling procedure known as an extension of Rhie-Chow method (AIAA J. 1983; 21: 1525,1532) for the Reynolds stresses. A novel wall treatment for the Reynolds-stress equations and ,polyhedral' calculation volumes is presented. Important issues related to treatments of diffusion terms in momentum and Reynolds-stress equations are also discussed and a new approach is proposed. Special interpolation practices implemented in a deferred-correction fashion and related to all equations, are explained in detail. Computational results are compared with available experimental data for four very different applications: the flow in a two-dimensional 180o turned U-bend, the vortex shedding flow around a square cylinder, the flow around Ahmed Body and in-cylinder engine flow. Additionally, the performance of the methodology is assessed by applying it to different computational grids. For all test cases, predictions with the second-moment closure are compared to those of the k,,model. The second-moment turbulence closure always achieves closer agreement with the measurements. A moderate increase in computing time is required for the calculations with the second-moment closure. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A numerical model for the flooding and drying of irregular domainsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN FLUIDS, Issue 3 2002P. Brufau Abstract A numerical technique for the modelling of shallow water flow in one and two dimensions is presented in this work along with the results obtained in different applications involving unsteady flows in complex geometries. A cell-centred finite volume method based on Roe's approximate Riemann solver across the edges of both structured and unstructured cells is presented. The discretization of the bed slope source terms is done following an upwind approach. In some applications a problem arises when the flow propagates over adverse dry bed slopes, so a special procedure has been introduced to model the advancing front. It is shown that this modification reproduces exactly steady state of still water in configurations with strong variations in bed slope and contour. The applications presented are mainly related with unsteady flow problems. The scheme is capable of handling complex flow domains as will be shown in the simulations corresponding to the test cases that are going to be presented. Comparisons of experimental and numerical results are shown for some of the tests. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Sub-Micrometer Scale Periodic Porous Cellular Structures: Microframes Prepared by Holographic Interference Lithography,ADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 22 2007M. Maldovan The ubiquity of multifunctional cellular solids in both natural and engineered materials is a clear indication of the importance of such materials. The mechanical behavior of these structures is the most common critical functionality across different applications. In this Communication, we establish the effective elastic properties of periodic bicontinuous solid/air structures that can be fabricated at small length scales by interference lithography and compare their properties with standard models. [source] Neuroendocrine tumor targeting: Study of novel gallium-labeled somatostatin radiopeptides in a rat pancreatic tumor modelINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 6 2002Sylvie Froidevaux Abstract Somatostatin analogs labeled with radionuclides are of considerable interest in the diagnosis and therapy of SSTR-expressing tumors, such as gastroenteropancreatic, small cell lung, breast and frequently nervous system tumors. In view of the favorable physical characteristics of the Ga isotopes 67Ga and 68Ga, enabling conventional tumor scintigraphy, PET and possibly internal radiotherapy, we focused on the development of a Ga-labeled somatostatin analog suitable for targeting SSTR-expressing tumors. For this purpose, 3 somatostatin analogs, OC, TOC and TATE were conjugated to the metal chelator DOTA and labeled with the radiometals 111In, 90Y and 67Ga. They were then evaluated for their performance in the AR4-2J pancreatic tumor model by testing SSTR2-binding affinity, internalization/externalization in isolated cells and biodistribution in tumor-bearing nude mice. Surprisingly, we found that, compared to 111In or 90Y, labeling with 67Ga considerably improved the biologic performance of the tested somatostatin analogs with respect to SSTR2 affinity and tissue distribution. 67Ga-labeled DOTA-somatostatin analogs were rapidly excreted from nontarget tissues, leading to excellent tumor-to-nontarget tissue uptake ratios. Of interest for radiotherapeutic application, [67Ga]DOTATOC was strongly internalized by AR4-2J cells. Furthermore, our results suggest a link between the radioligand charge and its kidney retention. The excellent tumor selectivity of Ga-DOTA somatostatin analogs together with the different applications of Ga in nuclear oncology suggests that Ga-DOTA somatostatin analogs will become an important tool in the management of SSTR-positive tumors. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Smoothing and transporting video in QoS IP networksINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, Issue 7 2006Khaled Shuaib Abstract Real-time traffic such as voice and video, when transported over the Internet, demand stringent quality of service (QoS) requirements. The current Internet as of today is still used as a best effort environment with no quality guarantees. An IP-based Internet that supports different QoS requirements for different applications has been evolving for the past few years. Video streams are bursty in nature due to the instant variability of the video content being encoded. To help mitigate the transport of bursty video streams with minimal loss of information, rate-adaptive shapers (RASs) are usually being used to reduce the burstiness and therefore help preserve the desired quality. When transporting video over a QoS IP network, each stream is classified under a specific traffic profile to which it must conform, to avoid packet loss and picture quality degradation. In this paper we study, evaluate and propose RASs for the transport of video over a QoS IP network. We utilize the encoding video parameters for choosing the appropriate configuration needed to support the real-time transport of Variable Bit Rate (VBR) encoded video streams. The performance evaluation of the different RASs is based on the transport of MPEG-4 video streams encoded as VBR. The performance is studied based on looking at the effect of various parameters associated with the RASs on the effectiveness of smoothing out the burstiness of video and minimizing the probability of packet loss. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Comparison of low temperature mixed refrigerant cycles for separation systemsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 4 2009M. Mafi Abstract Numerous mixed refrigerant cycles (MRCs) were developed in the past several decades in different applications. In this paper, two sets of low temperature MRCs are developed and simulated for a typical olefin plant utilizing a mixture of methane, ethane, propane and nitrogen as cycle working fluid to replace the pure ethylene refrigeration cycle that is used in conjunction with propylene refrigeration cycle in conventional plants. The key parameters of the cycles including mixture compositions and operating pressure levels are optimized to meet the objective of minimum shaftwork in compressor. The results show that different cycle configuration has different optimal mixture composition and low and high operating pressures. The results of exergy analysis reveal that the main location of the exergy loss in the cycles is the heat exchanger system. Also, the Carnot factor versus heat flow diagram is provided to identify the distribution of inefficiencies in the heat exchangers for each cycle. The simulation results show that MRCs can improve the thermodynamic performance of refrigeration system using the optimal working fluid mixture composition, optimal high and low operating pressures and optimal arrangement of the cycle components. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] MPEG-4 facial animation in video analysis and synthesisINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF IMAGING SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 5 2003Peter Eisert Abstract MPEG-4 supports the definition, encoding, transmission, and animation of 3-D head and body models. These features can be used for a variety of different applications ranging from low bit-rate video coding to character and avatar animation. In this article, an entire system for the analysis of facial expressions from image sequences and their synthesis is presented. New methods for the estimation of MPEG-4 facial animation parameters as well as scene illumination are proposed. Experiments for different applications demonstrate the potential of using facial animation techniques in video analysis and synthesis. A model-based codec is presented that is able to encode head-and-shoulder video sequences at bit-rates of about 1 kbit/s. Besides the low bit-rate, many enhancements and scene modifications can be easily applied, like scene lighting changes or cloning of expressions for character animation. But also for the encoding of arbitrary sequences, 3-D knowledge can help to increase the coding efficiency. With our model-aided codec, bit-rate reductions of up to 45% at the same quality can be achieved in comparison to standard hybrid video codecs. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol 13, 245,256, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ima.10072 [source] Underwater archaeological surveying using PhotoModeler, VirtualMapper: different applications for different problemsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NAUTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 2 2002Jeremy Green Techniques of underwater photogrammetry discussed include accuracy measurements and survey techniques. [source] Using Nursing Interventions Classification as a Framework to Revise the Belgian Nursing Minimum Data SetINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING TERMINOLOGIES AND CLASSIFICATION, Issue 3 2009Koen Van den Heede PhD Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC); Minimale Verpleegkundige Gegevens; ontwikkeling van consensus PURPOSE., To develop the revised Belgian nursing minimum data set (B-NMDS). METHODS., The Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC, 2nd edition) was used as a framework. Six expert nurse panels (cardiology, oncology, intensive care, pediatrics, geriatrics, chronic care) were consulted. Seventy-nine panelists completed standardized e-mail questionnaires and discussed results in face-to-face meetings. FINDINGS., We initially selected 256 of 433 NIC interventions. After panel discussions, plenary meetings, and pretesting, the revised B-NMDS (alpha version) contained 79 items covering 22 NIC classes and 196 NIC interventions. CONCLUSIONS., Consensus building promoted acceptance of the B-NMDS, while the NIC provided a good theoretical basis and guaranteed international comparability. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE., The revised B-NMDS instrument can be used to visualize nursing activities in different applications (e.g., financing, staffing allocation). DOELSTELLING., Ontwikkeling van een nieuwe versie van de Minimale Verpleegkundige Gegevens (MVG). METHODE., De Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC, 2nd editie) werd gebruikt als raamwerk. Zes experten panels (cardiologie, oncologie, intensieve zorgen, pediatrie, geriatrie, chronische zorg) werden geraadpleegd. Zeven-en-negentig panelleden vulden gestandaardiseerde e-mail vragenlijsten in en bediscussieerden de resultaten in werkgroepvergaderingen. RESULTATEN., We selecteerden initieel 256 van de 433 NIC-interventies. Na panel-discussies, plenaire vergaderingen, en pre-tests, bevatte de herziene MVG (alpha versie) 79 items uit 22 NIC klassen en 196 NIC-interventies. CONCLUSIES., Het draagvlak voor de herziene versie van MVG werd gecreëerd door het nastreven van consensus. Het gebruik van NIC vormde hierbij een geode theoretische basis en verhoogt het internationaal karakter van de nieuwe MVG. IMPLICATIES VOOR DE VERPLEEGKUNDIGE PRAKTIJK., De nieuwe MVG kan gebruikt worden om de dagelijkse verpleegkundige praktijk zichtbaar te maken in verschillende beleidsdomeinen (e.g., financiering, toewijzing personeel). [source] Multivariate methods in pharmaceutical applicationsJOURNAL OF CHEMOMETRICS, Issue 3 2002Jon Gabrielsson Abstract This review covers material published within the field of pharmacy in the last five years. Articles concerning experimental design, optimization and applications of multivariate techniques have been published, from factorial designs to multivariate data analysis, and the combination of the two in multivariate design. The number of publications on this topic testifies to the good results obtained in the studies. Much of the published material highlights the usefulness of experimental design, with many articles dealing with optimization, where much effort is spent on getting useful results. Examples of multivariate data analysis are comparatively few, but these methods are gaining in use. The employment of multivariate techniques in different applications has been reviewed. The examples in this review represent just a few of the possible applications with different aims within pharmaceutical applications. A number of companies are using experimental design as a standard tool in preformulation and in combination with response surface modeling. The properties of e.g. a tablet can be optimized to fulfill a well-specified aim such as a specific release profile, hardness, disintegration time etc. However, none of the companies apply multivariate methods in all steps of the drug development process. As this is still very much a growing field, it is only a question of time before experimental design, optimization and multivariate data analysis are implemented throughout the entire formulation process, from performulation to multivariate process control. Copyright ©,2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The emancipatory character of action research, its history and the present state of the artJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY & APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 6 2003Ben W. M. Boog Abstract Right from the start, action research was intended to be emancipatory research, and it still is. This article will underpin this by outlining its history and the present state of the art. Though a variety of action research approaches have developed along divergent theoretical pathways, it will be stressed that these approaches share the most important characteristics of action research and are basically different applications of different action theories. They are all supported by a participatory worldview and are meant to be a double-sided process of research, self research and education directed at individual empowerment and collective empowerment and/or emancipation. Since the relationship between the researcher and the subjects being researched is crucial for the success of action research as an emancipatory or empowering activity, this article will maintain that the most important task of action researchers is to develop refined heuristics concerning this communication. The article will end by making some recommendations for the improvement of action research as an emancipatory practice. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Feasibility of infusion pumps for continuous spinal administration of local anesthetics in post-operative pain therapyACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 5 2009M. WENK Background and Objectives: For completion of perioperative care and for general ethical considerations, any intraoperatively used catheter technique should be utilizable for post-operative pain therapy. Continuous spinal anesthesia (CSA) is an established form of local anesthetic application. However, for its use in post-operative therapy, infusion pumps are required that are technically able to deliver low rates and are distinctive in design to avoid possible pump or medication swaps. Because of a lack of devices specifically designed for CSA, we investigated the potential deployability of infusion pumps for post-operative pain therapy via CSA microcatheters, which were originally designed and approved for different applications. Methods: The accuracy of infusion rates of three different pumps was measured in a liquor model environment. Furthermore, we investigated safety and user-friendliness by interviewing 30 anesthesiologists and 15 pain nurses. Results: Except for the first hour of infusion, all pumps provided comparable and adequate flow profiles. However, interviews revealed significant risk factors for all pumps in terms of swapping devices, lines or medications and misprogramming the units. Discussion: All pumps tested were technically able to deliver accurate flow rates; however, because the non-CSA-specific design involves the risk of medication overdosage and syringe swaps, none of the systems tested can be recommended for routine use in post-operative CSA, irrespective of the fact that it was an off-label application anyway. Therefore, to ensure patient safety, continuous spinal administration of local anesthetics via microcatheters is a questionable method of post-operative pain therapy as long as non-specific pumps are used. [source] A robust calibration modeling strategy for analysis of interference-subject spectral dataAICHE JOURNAL, Issue 1 2010Chunhui Zhao Abstract Preprocessing and correction of mixture spectra have been an important issue with regard to the removal of undesired systematic variation due to variations in environmental, instrumental, or sample conditions. In this article, a new robust calibration modeling strategy is proposed on the basis of independent component analysis (ICA). It aims at separating the interference-subject parasitic subspace from the interference-immune common subspace among all considered cases. The common subspace is further divided into two orthogonal parts according to their relationship with quality: one is quality-irrelevant and the other is quality-informative, in which, only the second part is employed for quality prediction. Focusing on each subspace, it identifies distinct types of underlying source components underlying different spectra subspaces, analyzes their characteristics and roles, and accordingly models them for different applications, respectively. This approach provides a comprehensive insight into the inherent nature of interference-subject mixture spectra. Furthermore, several model statistics are defined to give quantitative indication on the effectiveness of the correction strategy. The feasibility and performance of the proposed method are illustrated with data from laboratory experiments. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2010 [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||