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Practical Use (practical + use)
Selected AbstractsPRACTICAL USE OF MULTIPLEX FLUORESCENT PCR FOR CETACEAN SEX IDENTIFICATIONMARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2001Hideaki Abe [source] Practical use of the International Olympic Committee Medical Commission position stand on the female athlete triad: A case exampleINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EATING DISORDERS, Issue 3 2006Roberta Trattner Sherman PhD Abstract The female athlete triad consists of the interrelated problems of disordered eating, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis, and it is believed to affect female athletes in all sports and at all levels of competition. Objective: The current article highlights the Position Stand on the Female Athlete Triad of the International Olympic Committee's Medical Commission (IOCMC). Method: The literature related to disordered eating, energy availability, amenorrhea, and bone loss in athletes is briefly reviewed. A hypothetical case is presented to illustrate some of the common issues and problems encountered when working with athletes affected by the triad, such as the effect of weight on performance in "thin" sports, coach involvement, sport participation by symptomatic athletes, and treatment resistance/motivation. Results: Strategies recommended by the position stand for managing those issues and problems are presented regarding the referral, evaluation, and treatment phases of the management process. Conclusion: Implications of the position stand are discussed in terms of the IOCMC's endorsement of the athlete's health being primary to her performance. © 2006 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Int J Eat Disord, 2006 [source] RELIABILITY OF SENSORY ASSESSORS: ISSUES OF COMPLEXITYJOURNAL OF SENSORY STUDIES, Issue 1 2009JANNA BITNES ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to investigate whether the sensory performance of assessors in a sensory panel maybe explained by complexity of evaluated product. We aimed to investigate whether we could observe a decline in sensory performance when increasing the complexity of the product. The products increased in number of constituents from mixtures of sucrose, sodium chloride, citric acid and caffeine in water, to the foods ice tea and tomato soup constituting different levels of the same substances. Candidates who succeeded evaluating one product were not always successful evaluating others. Few subjects were successful in everything. The conclusion was that there is only minor systematic decline with increasing complexity of products. The authors emphasize that definition of complexity involves more than just counting number of constituents and taste sensations, and suggest that minor differences in the task given to the assessor might explain different performances. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Practical use of the research presented in the present paper is in a sensory evaluation context. It is important for the users of sensory data to find out how the profiling should be organized to achieve optimum output, and in specific, the need for extensive training when dealing with a more complex product. The present study hypothesized that sensory assessors would have more difficulties evaluating a more complex product. However, the results showed that panel leaders should be more concerned with the task variables in the sensory evaluation. Even a minor shift in task variables had a stronger impact on the performance and reliability of the assessors than increasing number of constituents and/or stimuli sensations of the product. This study did not demonstrate a need for extensive training when dealing with a more complex product as hypothesized. [source] Practical use of hepatitis C virus kinetics monitoring in the treatment of chronic hepatitis CJOURNAL OF VIRAL HEPATITIS, Issue 2007S. Chevaliez Summary., Prevention of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection complications can be achieved by antiviral therapy based on the use of a combination of pegylated interferon (IFN)-, and ribavirin. The steady-state kinetics of HCV infection represents the treatment target. The goal is cure, which is achieved when all infected cells have been cleared from the body. Because of their intrinsic properties, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods are rapidly replacing other technologies for routine quantification of HCV-RNA during antiviral therapy. The virological response at week 12 of therapy is currently used to tailor treatment duration in HCV genotype 1 infection only. Recent reports suggest that the virological response at week 4 could be used to tailor treatment duration, whatever the HCV genotype. [source] Design of bilinear hysteretic isolation systemsEARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 9 2003M. Fragiacomo Abstract This paper concerns the design of passive base isolation systems characterized by a bilinear hysteretic behaviour. The study refers to the case where the structure to be isolated (superstructure) vibrates according to the first mode. In this case the whole isolated structure can be modelled by a two-degree-of-freedom system. The base isolation effectiveness has been evaluated for different characteristics of the device, namely mass, strength, elastic and plastic stiffness, by using mainly energetic quantities. The optimum values for the base device have been obtained by minimizing the input energy and the displacement of the superstructure. Conclusions are drawn for superstructures with a fundamental period of 0.5s, a damping ratio of 5% and for three different kinds of earthquake ground motions. The study showed that the seismic input greatly affects the behaviour of the isolated structure, and therefore the design ground motion must be carefully chosen, dependent on the characteristics of the site. A simple procedure that involves mainly linear dynamic analyses is proposed for the design of base devices used in conjunction with superstructures of any fundamental vibration period. The procedure produces good results in spite of its simplicity, and therefore it is suitable for practical use by design engineers. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Nuclear Cardiology in the Evaluation of Acute Chest Pain in the Emergency DepartmentECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Issue 6 2000Brian G. Abbott M.D. Only a minority of patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with acute chest pain will eventually be diagnosed with an acute coronary syndrome. The majority will have an electrocardiogram that is normal or nondiagnostic for acute myocardial ischemia or infarction. Typically, these patients are admitted to exclude myocardial infarction despite a very low incidence of coronary artery disease. However, missed myocardial infarctions in patients who are inadvertently sent home from the ED have significant adverse outcomes and associated legal consequences. This leads to a liberal policy to admit patients with chest pain, presenting a substantial burden in terms of cost and resources. Many centers have developed chest pain centers, using a wide range of diagnostic modalities to deal with this dilemma. We discuss the methods currently available to exclude myocardial ischemia and infarction in the ED, focusing on the use of myocardial perfusion imaging as both an adjunct and an alternative to routine testing. We review the available literature centering on the ED evaluation of acute chest pain and then propose an algorithm for the practical use of nuclear cardiology in this setting. [source] A practical 3D measurement system based on projection pattern control techniquesELECTRONICS & COMMUNICATIONS IN JAPAN, Issue 11 2009Genki Cho Abstract Most of the recent 3D image measurement methods have employed certain pattern projection techniques because of their higher reliabilities. Especially, the intensity-modulated technique can detect more stripe addresses by a single projection and therefore is very much expected for its practical use in the near future. The traditional techniques of this type, however, have encountered several serious problems where 3D measurements are difficult in sensitivity, speed and accuracy or fatally impossible for unknown objects. In order to solve these problems, we propose an automatic control technique of angle and space frequency of projection pattern. Furthermore, for security of measurement accuracy and measurement speed, projection pattern intensity control technique and optimal intensity-modulation projection technique are adopted in the proposal measurement system. By using the proposed technique the automatic 3D measurement intended for the geostationary objects and the swaying objects were realized in experimental results. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn, 92(11): 34,41, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecj.10147 [source] Analysis of fundamental light receiving characteristics of spherical solar cellsELECTRONICS & COMMUNICATIONS IN JAPAN, Issue 6 2008Hiroki Ishikawa Abstract Spherical solar cells are claimed to have some advantageous characteristics superior to those of ordinary planar solar cells. The most significant one is that the spherical solar cells have no directivity to light. This paper examines the characteristics based on geometrical considerations. The authors prove that a single spherical cell has no directivity as a whole. In practical use, many cells are used in an array configuration, where an individual cell receives the shadows cast by other cells around it. The adjacent shadows, so named in this paper, cause directivity. Their effects are evaluated geometrically and the theoretical considerations are verified through experiments. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn, 91(6): 34,46, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecj.10119 [source] Electromigration diffusivity spectrometry: A way for simultaneous determination of diffusion coefficients from mixed samplesELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 17 2010Suhua Yang Abstract A novel method was proposed for simultaneous measurement of diffusion coefficients, (D), from mixed samples by electrophoresis and termed electromigration-based diffusivity spectrometry. After theoretical treatment, D- equation for practical use has been deduced. With a modified CE system built in laboratory, electromigration-based diffusivity spectrometry has been realized and validated to suit for fast and accurate determination of diffusivities of mixed aromatic amino acids, phenols and aromatic organic acid, giving diffusivity spectra by peak area versus D, much similar to mass spectra. The precision of the measurement was found to critically depend on pH value of running buffer, which should be so selected that the analytes and internal standards could be charged at above 0.5e. The standards have to be selected at an electric flux far from each other and from analytes. In these cases, sample and running buffer concentrations, voltage and system temperature were found to have only negligible impact on the determination. In our test, the obtained measuring precision was generally kept within 1% for five runs, and the measured values of D agreed well with those from literature, with a deviation of less than 2.2% after the right use of calibration standards. [source] Search of Microorganisms that Degrade PAHs under Alkaline ConditionsENGINEERING IN LIFE SCIENCES (ELECTRONIC), Issue 4 2004A. Gerbeth Abstract Bacterial strains were enriched from building rubble contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These strains were studied as an inoculum in bioremediation processes with contaminated building rubble. The selection criteria for the bacteria were broad profiles in PAH degradation, stable expression of the traits and tolerance to alkaline conditions. Various strains of Micrococcus sp., Dietzia sp., Rhodococcus sp. and Pseudomonas sp. met the selection criteria. In general, degradative activity was limited at higher pH values. Strains of Micrococcus were suitable for practical use as complete degradation of various PAHs was observed at pH values exceeding 10. Strains of Dietzia sp. showed broad PAH degradation profile, but in some cases degradation came to a halt leaving some of the PAHs unutilized. With Dietzia sp. this could be due to inhibitory effects from the accumulation of toxic PAH metabolic products and/or growth-limiting media conditions. [source] LCC,The economic pillar of sustainability: Methodology and application to wastewater treatmentENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, Issue 4 2003Gerald Rebitzer Industrial applications of supply chain cost management, along with life cycle costing of goods and services, are increasing. Several industrial sectors, in particular the automotive, electronics, and primary materials, have engaged in programs to coordinate upstream and downstream activities to reduce environmental burdens. At the same time, there is an increasing need to pass on information on product, material, and energy flows along the supply chain, as well as to provide data on the use and end-of-life phases of goods and services. Therefore, methods to analyze, assess, and manage these flows, from an economic as well as an environmental perspective, are of essential importance, particularly in established large-scale industries where suppliers are increasingly challenged to provide comprehensive cost and environmental information. In this context, a life cycle costing analysis (LCC), conducted as part of life cycle management activities, can provide important opportunities. Therefore, this paper focuses on a life cycle assessment (LCA)-based LCC method, which utilizes an LCA model as a basis for cost estimations in product development and planning. A case study on life cycle costing of wastewater treatment illustrates the practical use and benefits of the method. [source] SIMPEROTA 1/3 , a decision support system for blue mould disease of tobacco,EPPO BULLETIN, Issue 2 2007P. Racca Blue mould (Peronospora tabacina) is the most serious threat to German tobacco crops. In order to efficiently control the disease whilst minimizing the risk of nontolerable fungicide residue levels on tobacco leaves, a decision support system has been developed which optimizes the timing of fungicide treatments. The DSS consists of two models, SIMPEROTA 1, which forecasts the dates of blue mould first appearance and SIMPEROTA 3 which forecasts the dates of fungicide applications. Crucial biological processes are included in the models (infection, mycelium growth, sporulation and spore release). Input parameters are temperature, relative humidity and leaf wetness recorded on an hourly basis. Validation with data from 2003 and 2006 showed that SIMPEROTA 1 gave satisfying results. The model is suitable for practical use and can be employed for steering monitoring efforts of extension services and for the timing of the first fungicide treatment. SIMPEROTA 3 gives advice on follow-up treatments and the length of spraying intervals, but this model needs to be validated before being introduced into practice. [source] A Thermoplastic Gel Electrolyte for Stable Quasi-Solid-State Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells,ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 15 2007H. Wu Abstract Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are receiving considerable attention as low-cost alternatives to conventional solar cells. In DSSCs based on liquid electrolytes, a photoelectric efficiency of 11,% has been achieved, but potential problems in sealing the cells and the low long-term stability of these systems have impeded their practical use. Here, we present a thermoplastic gel electrolyte (TPGE) as an alternative to the liquid electrolytes used in DSSCs. The TPGE exhibits a thermoplastic character, high conductivity, long-term stability, and can be prepared by a simple and convenient protocol. The viscosity, conductivity, and phase state of the TPGE can be controlled by tuning the composition. Using 40,wt,% poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as the polymeric host, 60,wt,% propylene carbonate (PC) as the solvent, and 0.65,M KI and 0.065,M I2 as the ionic conductors, a TPGE with a conductivity of 2.61,mS,cm,2 is prepared. Based on this TPGE, a DSSC is fabricated with an overall light-to-electrical-energy conversion efficiency of 7.22,% under 100,mW,cm,2 irradiation. The present findings should accelerate the widespread use of DSSCs. [source] The dynamic characteristics of a thermal control system using latent heat: Comparison between analytical and experimental resultsHEAT TRANSFER - ASIAN RESEARCH (FORMERLY HEAT TRANSFER-JAPANESE RESEARCH), Issue 8 2005Terushige Fujii Abstract The two-phase flow thermal control system, using latent heat of the internal fluid, has received a great deal of research interest as a method for heat removal on the space station and the Space Solar Power System (SSPS). The system has a much lower weight than the single-phase flow, and the temperature can be accurately controlled by changing the saturated pressure inside the loop. To date, this system has not been put into practical use. Numerical analyses were therefore used to investigate the dynamic responses of the loop and to investigate the operational characteristics of the thermal control system. A simulation model was constructed, and the results of the numerical analysis were compared with the experimental results. Good agreement was obtained between analytical and experimental results. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res, 34(8): 564,578, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/htj.20090 [source] Development of a knowledge-based system for nonpowered hand tools (Tool Expert): Part I,The scientific basisHUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS IN MANUFACTURING & SERVICE INDUSTRIES, Issue 3 2004Berman Kayis The need for developing a clear and concise guide for designing, selecting, and using hand tools would minimize if not eliminate acute,chronic trauma exposure factors and help improve efficiency, well-being, and morale. Despite several research efforts devoted to the exploration and understanding of the interrelation between human capabilities, task requirements, nature of tasks, and ergonomically designed hand tools, there appear to be several problems in utilizing existing knowledge in practical use. One of the most important barriers is the lack of interaction of several specialists from different backgrounds. In this article, TOOL-EXPERT, a knowledge-based system developed to assert the ergonomical nonpowered hand tool design, selection, and use, is explained, which will provide a guideline to several users from various backgrounds. The system is designed to run in any IBM-compatible personal computer system. Knowledge from several domains was included. The type of knowledge used in the research was selected to be a declarative knowledge. Altogether it includes 423 goals, 35 questions, and 40 rules. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Hum Factors Man 14: 257,268, 2004. [source] Cultivation and engineering of a software metrics programINFORMATION SYSTEMS JOURNAL, Issue 1 2003Jakob Iversen Abstract. This paper reports from a case study of an organization that implements a software metrics program to measure the effects of its improvement efforts. The program measures key indicators of all completed projects and summarizes progress information in a quarterly management report. The implementation turns out to be long and complex, as the organization is confronted with dilemmas based on contradictory demands and value conflicts. The process is interpreted as a combination of a rational engineering process in which a metrics program is constructed and put into use, and an evolutionary cultivation process in which basic values of the software organization are confronted and transformed. The analysis exemplifies the difficulties and challenges that software organizations face when bringing known principles for software metrics programs into practical use. The article discusses the insights gained from the case in six lessons that may be used by Software Process Improvement managers in implementing a successful metrics program. [source] A practical large-strain solid finite element for sheet formingINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 4 2005Jue Wang Abstract An alternative approach for developing practical large-strain finite elements has been introduced and used to create a three-dimensional solid element that exhibits no locking or hourglassing, but which is more easily and reliably derived and implemented than typical reduced-integration schemes with hourglassing control. Typical large-strain elements for forming applications rely on reduced integration to remove locking modes that occur with the coarse meshes that are necessary for practical use. This procedure introduces spurious zero-energy deformation modes that lead to hourglassing, which in turn is controlled by complex implementations that involve lengthy derivations, knowledge of the material model, and/or undetermined parameters. Thus, for a new material or new computer program, implementation of such elements is a daunting task. Wang,Wagoner-3-dimensions (WW3D), a mixed, hexahedral, three-dimensional solid element, was derived from the standard linear brick element by ignoring the strain components corresponding to locking modes while maintaining full integration (8 Gauss points). Thus, WW3D is easily implemented for any material law, with little chance of programming error, starting from programming for a readily available linear brick element. Surprisingly, this approach and resulting element perform similarly or better than standard solid elements in a series of numerical tests appearing in the literature. The element was also tested successfully for an applied sheet-forming analysis problem. Many variations on the scheme are also possible for deriving special-purpose elements. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Numerical issues in the virtual fields methodINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 10 2004Michel Grédiac Abstract This paper deals with the direct identification of parameters governing anisotropic elastic constitutive equations. These parameters are identified from heterogeneous strain fields with the virtual fields method. This method is based on a relevant use of the principle of virtual work. Different numerical aspects of the implementation of the method are discussed in the paper, mainly in terms of stability of the identified parameters when noisy data are processed. It is shown that the sensitivity of the method to noisy data is compatible with a practical use during experiments. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Toward accurate hybrid prediction techniques for cavity flow noise applicationsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN FLUIDS, Issue 12 2009W. De Roeck Abstract A large variety of hybrid computational aeroacoustics (CAA) approaches exist differing from each other in the way the source region is modeled, in the way the equations are used to compute the propagation of acoustic waves in a non-quiescent medium, and in the way the coupling between source and acoustic propagation regions is made. This paper makes a comparison between some commonly used numerical methods for aeroacoustic applications. The aerodynamically generated tonal noise by a flow over a 2D rectangular cavity is investigated. Two different cavities are studied. In the first cavity (L/D=4, M=0.5), the sound field is dominated by the cavity wake mode and its higher harmonics, originating from a periodical vortex shedding at the cavity leading edge. In the second cavity (L/D=2, M=0.6), shear-layer modes, due to flow-acoustic interaction phenomena, generate the major components in the noise spectrum. Source domain modeling is carried out using a second-order finite-volume large eddy simulation. Propagation equations, taking into account convection and refraction effects, are solved using high-order finite-difference schemes for the linearized Euler equations and the acoustic perturbation equations. Both schemes are compared with each other for various coupling methods between source region and acoustic region. Conventional acoustic analogies and Kirchhoff methods are rewritten for the various propagation equations and used to obtain near-field acoustic results. The accuracy of the various coupling methods in identifying the noise-generating mechanisms is evaluated. In this way, this paper provides more insight into the practical use of various hybrid CAA techniques to predict the aerodynamically generated sound field by a flow over rectangular cavities. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] URANS computations for an oscillatory non-isothermal triple-jet using the k,, and second moment closure turbulence modelsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN FLUIDS, Issue 9 2003M. Nishimura Abstract Low Reynolds number turbulence stress and heat flux equation models (LRSFM) have been developed to enhance predictive capabilities. A new method is proposed for providing the wall boundary condition for dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy, ,, to improve the model capability upon application of coarse meshes for practical use. The proposed method shows good agreement with accepted correlations and experimental data for flows with various Reynolds and Prandtl numbers including transitional regimes. Also, a mesh width about 5 times or larger than that used in existing models is applicable by using the present boundary condition. The present method thus enhanced computational efficiency in applying the complex turbulence model, LRSFM, to predictions of complicated flows. Unsteady Reynolds averaged Navier,Stokes (URANS) computations are conducted for an oscillatory non-isothermal quasi-planar triple-jet. Comparisons are made between an experiment and predictions with the LRSFM and the standard k,, model. A water test facility with three vertical jets, the cold in between two hot jets, simulates temperature fluctuations anticipated at the outlet of a liquid metal fast reactor core. The LRSFM shows good agreement with the experiment, with respect to mean profiles and the oscillatory motion of the flow, while the k,, model under-predicts the mixing due to the oscillation, such that a transverse mean temperature difference remains far downstream. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Simulating three-dimensional aeronautical flows on mixed block-structured/semi-structured/unstructured meshesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN FLUIDS, Issue 3 2002J. A. Shaw Abstract The design requirements of a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method for modelling high Reynolds number flows over complete aircraft are reviewed. It is found that the specifications are unlikely to be met by an approach based on the sole use of either structured or unstructured grids. Instead, it is proposed that a hybrid combination of these grids is appropriate. Techniques for developing such meshes are given and the process of establishing the data structure defining the meshes described. Details of a flow algorithm which operates on a hybrid mesh are presented. A description is given of the suitability and generation of hybrid grids for a number of examples, and results from flow simulations shown. Finally, issues still to be addressed in the practical use of these meshes are discussed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Numerical analysis of the single electrode heat effect in molten carbonate fuel cells: temperature analysis of the electrolyte plate by applying irreversible thermodynamicsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 15 2004Fumihiko Yoshiba Abstract A temperature analysis model of a molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFC) stack is used to calculate the single electrode heat effects. The magnitude of heat which evolves from the cathode and absorbed at the anode is large, and in similar value to the electrical output of a MCFC. This suggests that the heat evolution of a single electrode causes a temperature difference between the electrodes. The temperature distribution in the electrolyte plate is evaluated to establish more accurate results concerning the temperature analysis model of the stack. The temperature distribution in the electrolyte plate is studied by applying irreversible thermodynamics. When the operating current density is less than 3000 A m,2 and the thermal conductivity of the electrolyte is more than 2 W m,1 K,1, the temperature difference between cathode and anode is estimated to be less than approximately 1 K. This result proves that the temperature difference between the electrodes can be supposed constant in constructing the temperature analysis model of the MCFC stack. This results also allows us to construct a two-dimensional heat production distribution in the cell plane and discrete heat production distribution in the stacking direction for the practical use of the temperature analysis model. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Improved upsampling filter design for spatially scalable video codingINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF IMAGING SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 5 2007Zhang Wang Abstract Scalable video coding is an ongoing standard, and the current working draft (WD) is to be finalized as an extension of H.264/AVC. It provides scalability at the bit stream level with good compression efficiency and allowing free combinations of spatial, temporal and quality scalability. In the WD, a uniform up-sampling filter is employed to interpolate the base layer frames. This technique achieves high interpolated precision for both luma component and chroma components, but it results in extremely large encoding time which obstructs it from practical use. This paper proposes an improved up-sampling filter design for spatially scalable video coding. It makes use of a basic characteristic of human vision system and intends to assign different filters for different components. Specifically, current usage of the 6-tap up-sampling filter is only for luma component, but for chroma components, much more simplified filter such as 4-tap filter or 2-tap filter should be used instead. Experimental results show that improved up-sampling filter design reduces the computational complexity significantly with negligible coding loss and bit-rate increases. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 17, 315,319, 2007 [source] Pyramid-based super-resolution of the undersampled and subpixel shifted image sequenceINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF IMAGING SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 6 2002Yao Lu Abstract The existing methods for the reconstruction of a super-resolution image from the undersampled and subpixel shifted image sequence have to solve a large ill-condition equation group by approximately finding the inverse matrix or performing many iterations to approach the solution. The former leads to a big burden of computation, and the latter causes the artifacts or noise to be overstressed. So they are rarely implemented in practical use. In order to solve these problems, in this article, we consider applying pyramid structure to the super-resolution of the image sequence and present a suitable pyramid framework, called Super-Resolution Image Pyramid (SRIP), and determine the pyramid back-projection. Pyramid structure and methods are widely used in image processing and computer vision. But we have not found their applications to the super-resolution in literatures. We give a complete description for SRIP. As an example, the Iterative Back-Projection (IBP) suggested by Peleg (1991, 1993) is integrated in this pyramid framework. The experiments and the error analysis are performed to show the effectiveness of this framework. The image resolution can be improved better even in the case of severely undersampled images. In addition, the other general super-resolution methods can be easily integrated in this framework so that they can be done in parallel so as to meet the need of real-time processing. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol 12, 254,263, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ima.10033 [source] Valuing the past: The importance of an understanding of the history of psychiatry for healthcare professionals, service users and carersINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 4 2003Robin M. Ion ABSTRACT: Drawing primarily on examples from the UK, this paper argues that an understanding of the history of psychiatry can be of practical use to clinicians, service users and carers. It can provide a window on the present and an explanation of some aspects of current practice. In addition, a study of the past can provide a vision of how things might be done differently in the present and in the future. Moreover, knowledge of the past can also serve to remind us of psychiatry's potential for misuse and the dangers inherent in a view of the world in which psychiatry is simply seen as a benevolent science destined to find an answer to mental illness. [source] Source localization using electric and magnetic point dipoles with modified genetic algorithmINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NUMERICAL MODELLING: ELECTRONIC NETWORKS, DEVICES AND FIELDS, Issue 4 2009Päivi K. Koivisto Abstract A method to reconstruct the source current from far-field data in terms of electric and magnetic point dipoles is described. The inverse problem of solving the source from a known electromagnetic far-field pattern is carried out by a combination of genetic algorithm and local optimizers. The source is modelled by a small number of point dipoles, the locations, amplitudes and types of which are determined by minimizing the difference between the field of the ensemble and the targeted pattern. Uniqueness is ensured by limiting the number of dipoles together with an appropriately weighted minimum energy condition. A general description of the method applicable to antenna analysis and synthesis is given and three examples of its practical use are presented. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Nonmetric multidimensional scaling with clustering of subjectsJAPANESE PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH, Issue 2 2000Kohei Adachi A new nonmetric multidimensional scaling method is devised to analyze three-way data concerning inter-stimulus similarities obtained from many subjects. It is assumed that subjects are classified into a small number of clusters and that the stimulus configuration is specific to each cluster. Under this assumption, the classification of subjects and the scaling used to derive the configurations for clusters are simultaneously performed using an alternating least-squares algorithm. The monotone regression of ordinal similarity data, the scaling of stimuli and the K -means clustering of subjects are iterated in the algorithm. The method is assessed using a simulation and its practical use is illustrated with the analysis of real data. Finally, some extensions are considered. [source] An operative kairomonal lure for managing pine sawyer beetle Monochamus galloprovincialis (Coleoptera: Cerymbycidae)JOURNAL OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 1 2007F. Ibeas Abstract:,Monochamus galloprovincialis Olivier (Col., Cerambycidae) is a vector of the pine wood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, causing the destructive pine wilt disease. An effective lure for monitoring and/or mass-trapping would be of great interest in the management of this pine sawyer. Males and females of this species show an attractive kairomonal response to blends composed of four pheromone compounds used by Ips spp. bark beetles and two host volatiles from pines. This six-component lure is highly attractive but may to be too complex and costly for practical use as each component is released from a separate lure. The role of each component, ipsdienol, ipsenol, cis -verbenol, methyl butenol, , -pinene and ethanol as attractants for M. galloprovincialis was field tested in Spain to obtain a simpler but equally effective bait. Ipsenol was confirmed as the strongest kairomonal signal to M. galloprovincialis synergizing response to , -pinene by 95 times. The addition of methyl butenol to this blend doubled the number of males and females trapped. On the other hand, neither ipsdienol, cis -verbenol nor ethanol improved the results when incorporated into the above three-component blend. A lure consisting of ipsenol, methyl butenol and , -pinene may be very cost-efficient in operational monitoring or mass trapping of M. galloprovincialis. Three potentially repellent candidates, (,)verbenone, methyl cyclohexenone and trans -conophthorin, were also tested against the attractive three-component bait. trans -Conophthorin significantly reduced male catches of M. galloprovincialis; methyl cyclohexenone had no effect. Verbenone significantly enhanced the response of females to the attractive combination of , -pinene, ipsenol and methyl butenol. [source] Use of ionic liquids for the efficient utilization of lignocellulosic materialsJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 6 2008Shengdong Zhu Abstract Lignocellulosic materials are the most abundant renewable resource in the world and their efficient utilization provides a practical route to maintain social sustainable development. Application of ionic liquids has opened new avenues for the efficient utilization of lignocellulosic materials in such areas as fractionation, preparation of cellulose composites and derivatives, analysis, and removal of pollutants. However, there are still many challenges in putting these potential applications into practical use, for example, the high price of ionic liquids and lack of basic physico-chemical and toxicological data. Further research and financial support are required to address such challenges. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry [source] On the direct calculation of the free energy of quantization for molecular systems in the condensed phaseJOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY, Issue 4 2009Daan P. Geerke Abstract Using the path integral formalism or the Feynman-Hibbs approach, various expressions for the free energy of quantization for a molecular system in the condensed phase can be derived. These lead to alternative methods to directly compute quantization free energies from molecular dynamics computer simulations, which were investigated with an eye to their practical use. For a test system of liquid neon, two methods are shown to be most efficient for a direct evaluation of the excess free energy of quantization. One of them makes use of path integral simulations in combination with a single-step free energy perturbation approach and was previously reported in the literature. The other method employs a Feynman-Hibbs effective Hamiltonian together with the thermodynamic integration formalism. However, both methods are found to give less accurate results for the excess free energy of quantization than the estimate obtained from explicit path integral calculations on the excess free energy of the neon liquid in the classical and quantum mechanical limit. Suggestions are made to make both methods more accurate. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 2009 [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||