Some connections between importance sampling and enhanced sampling methods in molecular dynamics.

PubMed

Lie, H C; Quer, J

2017-11-21

In molecular dynamics, enhanced sampling methods enable the collection of better statistics of rare events from a reference or target distribution. We show that a large class of these methods is based on the idea of importance sampling from mathematical statistics. We illustrate this connection by comparing the Hartmann-Schütte method for rare event simulation (J. Stat. Mech. Theor. Exp. 2012, P11004) and the Valsson-Parrinello method of variationally enhanced sampling [Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 090601 (2014)]. We use this connection in order to discuss how recent results from the Monte Carlo methods literature can guide the development of enhanced sampling methods.

Some connections between importance sampling and enhanced sampling methods in molecular dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lie, H. C.; Quer, J.

2017-11-01

In molecular dynamics, enhanced sampling methods enable the collection of better statistics of rare events from a reference or target distribution. We show that a large class of these methods is based on the idea of importance sampling from mathematical statistics. We illustrate this connection by comparing the Hartmann-Schütte method for rare event simulation (J. Stat. Mech. Theor. Exp. 2012, P11004) and the Valsson-Parrinello method of variationally enhanced sampling [Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 090601 (2014)]. We use this connection in order to discuss how recent results from the Monte Carlo methods literature can guide the development of enhanced sampling methods.

A review on brightness preserving contrast enhancement methods for digital image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahman, Md Arifur; Liu, Shilong; Li, Ruowei; Wu, Hongkun; Liu, San Chi; Jahan, Mahmuda Rawnak; Kwok, Ngaiming

2018-04-01

Image enhancement is an imperative step for many vision based applications. For image contrast enhancement, popular methods adopt the principle of spreading the captured intensities throughout the allowed dynamic range according to predefined distributions. However, these algorithms take little or no consideration into account of maintaining the mean brightness of the original scene, which is of paramount importance to carry the true scene illumination characteristics to the viewer. Though there have been significant amount of reviews on contrast enhancement methods published, updated review on overall brightness preserving image enhancement methods is still scarce. In this paper, a detailed survey is performed on those particular methods that specifically aims to maintain the overall scene illumination characteristics while enhancing the digital image.

Modeling the heterogeneous traffic correlations in urban road systems using traffic-enhanced community detection approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Feng; Liu, Kang; Duan, Yingying; Cheng, Shifen; Du, Fei

2018-07-01

A better characterization of the traffic influence among urban roads is crucial for traffic control and traffic forecasting. The existence of spatial heterogeneity imposes great influence on modeling the extent and degree of road traffic correlation, which is usually neglected by the traditional distance based method. In this paper, we propose a traffic-enhanced community detection approach to spatially reveal the traffic correlation in city road networks. First, the road network is modeled as a traffic-enhanced dual graph with the closeness between two road segments determined not only by their topological connection, but also by the traffic correlation between them. Then a flow-based community detection algorithm called Infomap is utilized to identify the road segment clusters. Evaluated by Moran's I, Calinski-Harabaz Index and the traffic interpolation application, we find that compared to the distance based method and the community based method, our proposed traffic-enhanced community based method behaves better in capturing the extent of traffic relevance as both the topological structure of the road network and the traffic correlations among urban roads are considered. It can be used in more traffic-related applications, such as traffic forecasting, traffic control and guidance.

A novel rail defect detection method based on undecimated lifting wavelet packet transform and Shannon entropy-improved adaptive line enhancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Qiushi; Zhang, Xin; Wang, Yan; Shen, Yi; Makis, Viliam

2018-07-01

Acoustic emission (AE) technology is sensitive to subliminal rail defects, however strong wheel-rail contact rolling noise under high-speed condition has gravely impeded detecting of rail defects using traditional denoising methods. In this context, the paper develops an adaptive detection method for rail cracks, which combines multiresolution analysis with an improved adaptive line enhancer (ALE). To obtain elaborate multiresolution information of transient crack signals with low computational cost, lifting scheme-based undecimated wavelet packet transform is adopted. In order to feature the impulsive property of crack signals, a Shannon entropy-improved ALE is proposed as a signal enhancing approach, where Shannon entropy is introduced to improve the cost function. Then a rail defect detection plan based on the proposed method for high-speed condition is put forward. From theoretical analysis and experimental verification, it is demonstrated that the proposed method has superior performance in enhancing the rail defect AE signal and reducing the strong background noise, offering an effective multiresolution approach for rail defect detection under high-speed and strong-noise condition.

Effects of empty bins on image upscaling in capsule endoscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rukundo, Olivier

2017-07-01

This paper presents a preliminary study of the effect of empty bins on image upscaling in capsule endoscopy. The presented study was conducted based on results of existing contrast enhancement and interpolation methods. A low contrast enhancement method based on pixels consecutiveness and modified bilinear weighting scheme has been developed to distinguish between necessary empty bins and unnecessary empty bins in the effort to minimize the number of empty bins in the input image, before further processing. Linear interpolation methods have been used for upscaling input images with stretched histograms. Upscaling error differences and similarity indices between pairs of interpolation methods have been quantified using the mean squared error and feature similarity index techniques. Simulation results demonstrated more promising effects using the developed method than other contrast enhancement methods mentioned.

Infrared small target enhancement: grey level mapping based on improved sigmoid transformation and saliency histogram

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Minjie; Gu, Guohua; Qian, Weixian; Ren, Kan; Chen, Qian

2018-06-01

Infrared (IR) small target enhancement plays a significant role in modern infrared search and track (IRST) systems and is the basic technique of target detection and tracking. In this paper, a coarse-to-fine grey level mapping method using improved sigmoid transformation and saliency histogram is designed to enhance IR small targets under different backgrounds. For the stage of rough enhancement, the intensity histogram is modified via an improved sigmoid function so as to narrow the regular intensity range of background as much as possible. For the part of further enhancement, a linear transformation is accomplished based on a saliency histogram constructed by averaging the cumulative saliency values provided by a saliency map. Compared with other typical methods, the presented method can achieve both better visual performances and quantitative evaluations.

Novel techniques for enhancement and segmentation of acne vulgaris lesions.

PubMed

Malik, A S; Humayun, J; Kamel, N; Yap, F B-B

2014-08-01

More than 99% acne patients suffer from acne vulgaris. While diagnosing the severity of acne vulgaris lesions, dermatologists have observed inter-rater and intra-rater variability in diagnosis results. This is because during assessment, identifying lesion types and their counting is a tedious job for dermatologists. To make the assessment job objective and easier for dermatologists, an automated system based on image processing methods is proposed in this study. There are two main objectives: (i) to develop an algorithm for the enhancement of various acne vulgaris lesions; and (ii) to develop a method for the segmentation of enhanced acne vulgaris lesions. For the first objective, an algorithm is developed based on the theory of high dynamic range (HDR) images. The proposed algorithm uses local rank transform to generate the HDR images from a single acne image followed by the log transformation. Then, segmentation is performed by clustering the pixels based on Mahalanobis distance of each pixel from spectral models of acne vulgaris lesions. Two metrics are used to evaluate the enhancement of acne vulgaris lesions, i.e., contrast improvement factor (CIF) and image contrast normalization (ICN). The proposed algorithm is compared with two other methods. The proposed enhancement algorithm shows better result than both the other methods based on CIF and ICN. In addition, sensitivity and specificity are calculated for the segmentation results. The proposed segmentation method shows higher sensitivity and specificity than other methods. This article specifically discusses the contrast enhancement and segmentation for automated diagnosis system of acne vulgaris lesions. The results are promising that can be used for further classification of acne vulgaris lesions for final grading of the lesions. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

An optimization model for infrared image enhancement method based on p-q norm constrained by saliency value

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Fan; Ma, Yong; Dai, Xiaobing; Mei, Xiaoguang

2018-04-01

Infrared image enhancement is an important and necessary task in the infrared imaging system. In this paper, by defining the contrast in terms of the area between adjacent non-zero histogram, a novel analytical model is proposed to enlarge the areas so that the contrast can be increased. In addition, the analytical model is regularized by a penalty term based on the saliency value to enhance the salient regions as well. Thus, both of the whole images and salient regions can be enhanced, and the rank consistency can be preserved. The comparisons on 8-bit images show that the proposed method can enhance the infrared images with more details.

A comparative study on preprocessing techniques in diabetic retinopathy retinal images: illumination correction and contrast enhancement.

PubMed

Rasta, Seyed Hossein; Partovi, Mahsa Eisazadeh; Seyedarabi, Hadi; Javadzadeh, Alireza

2015-01-01

To investigate the effect of preprocessing techniques including contrast enhancement and illumination correction on retinal image quality, a comparative study was carried out. We studied and implemented a few illumination correction and contrast enhancement techniques on color retinal images to find out the best technique for optimum image enhancement. To compare and choose the best illumination correction technique we analyzed the corrected red and green components of color retinal images statistically and visually. The two contrast enhancement techniques were analyzed using a vessel segmentation algorithm by calculating the sensitivity and specificity. The statistical evaluation of the illumination correction techniques were carried out by calculating the coefficients of variation. The dividing method using the median filter to estimate background illumination showed the lowest Coefficients of variations in the red component. The quotient and homomorphic filtering methods after the dividing method presented good results based on their low Coefficients of variations. The contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization increased the sensitivity of the vessel segmentation algorithm up to 5% in the same amount of accuracy. The contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization technique has a higher sensitivity than the polynomial transformation operator as a contrast enhancement technique for vessel segmentation. Three techniques including the dividing method using the median filter to estimate background, quotient based and homomorphic filtering were found as the effective illumination correction techniques based on a statistical evaluation. Applying the local contrast enhancement technique, such as CLAHE, for fundus images presented good potentials in enhancing the vasculature segmentation.

Automatic image enhancement based on multi-scale image decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Lu; Wu, Zhuangzhi; Pei, Luo; Long, Xiong

2014-01-01

In image processing and computational photography, automatic image enhancement is one of the long-range objectives. Recently the automatic image enhancement methods not only take account of the globe semantics, like correct color hue and brightness imbalances, but also the local content of the image, such as human face and sky of landscape. In this paper we describe a new scheme for automatic image enhancement that considers both global semantics and local content of image. Our automatic image enhancement method employs the multi-scale edge-aware image decomposition approach to detect the underexposure regions and enhance the detail of the salient content. The experiment results demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach compared to existing automatic enhancement methods.

Mammographic enhancement with combining local statistical measures and sliding band filter for improved mass segmentation in mammograms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Dae Hoe; Choi, Jae Young; Choi, Seon Hyeong; Ro, Yong Man

2012-03-01

In this study, a novel mammogram enhancement solution is proposed, aiming to improve the quality of subsequent mass segmentation in mammograms. It has been widely accepted that characteristics of masses are usually hyper-dense or uniform density with respect to its background. Also, their core parts are likely to have high-intensity values while the values of intensity tend to be decreased as the distance to core parts increases. Based on the aforementioned observations, we develop a new and effective mammogram enhancement method by combining local statistical measurements and Sliding Band Filtering (SBF). By effectively combining local statistical measurements and SBF, we are able to improve the contrast of the bright and smooth regions (which represent potential mass regions), as well as, at the same time, the regions where their surrounding gradients are converging to the centers of regions of interest. In this study, 89 mammograms were collected from the public MAIS database (DB) to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed enhancement solution in terms of improving mass segmentation. As for a segmentation method, widely used contour-based segmentation approach was employed. The contour-based method in conjunction with the proposed enhancement solution achieved overall detection accuracy of 92.4% with a total of 85 correct cases. On the other hand, without using our enhancement solution, overall detection accuracy of the contour-based method was only 78.3%. In addition, experimental results demonstrated the feasibility of our enhancement solution for the purpose of improving detection accuracy on mammograms containing dense parenchymal patterns.

Visual Contrast Enhancement Algorithm Based on Histogram Equalization

PubMed Central

Ting, Chih-Chung; Wu, Bing-Fei; Chung, Meng-Liang; Chiu, Chung-Cheng; Wu, Ya-Ching

2015-01-01

Image enhancement techniques primarily improve the contrast of an image to lend it a better appearance. One of the popular enhancement methods is histogram equalization (HE) because of its simplicity and effectiveness. However, it is rarely applied to consumer electronics products because it can cause excessive contrast enhancement and feature loss problems. These problems make the images processed by HE look unnatural and introduce unwanted artifacts in them. In this study, a visual contrast enhancement algorithm (VCEA) based on HE is proposed. VCEA considers the requirements of the human visual perception in order to address the drawbacks of HE. It effectively solves the excessive contrast enhancement problem by adjusting the spaces between two adjacent gray values of the HE histogram. In addition, VCEA reduces the effects of the feature loss problem by using the obtained spaces. Furthermore, VCEA enhances the detailed textures of an image to generate an enhanced image with better visual quality. Experimental results show that images obtained by applying VCEA have higher contrast and are more suited to human visual perception than those processed by HE and other HE-based methods. PMID:26184219

Real-Time GNSS-Based Attitude Determination in the Measurement Domain.

PubMed

Zhao, Lin; Li, Na; Li, Liang; Zhang, Yi; Cheng, Chun

2017-02-05

A multi-antenna-based GNSS receiver is capable of providing high-precision and drift-free attitude solution. Carrier phase measurements need be utilized to achieve high-precision attitude. The traditional attitude determination methods in the measurement domain and the position domain resolve the attitude and the ambiguity sequentially. The redundant measurements from multiple baselines have not been fully utilized to enhance the reliability of attitude determination. A multi-baseline-based attitude determination method in the measurement domain is proposed to estimate the attitude parameters and the ambiguity simultaneously. Meanwhile, the redundancy of attitude resolution has also been increased so that the reliability of ambiguity resolution and attitude determination can be enhanced. Moreover, in order to further improve the reliability of attitude determination, we propose a partial ambiguity resolution method based on the proposed attitude determination model. The static and kinematic experiments were conducted to verify the performance of the proposed method. When compared with the traditional attitude determination methods, the static experimental results show that the proposed method can improve the accuracy by at least 0.03° and enhance the continuity by 18%, at most. The kinematic result has shown that the proposed method can obtain an optimal balance between accuracy and reliability performance.

Two Methods of Automatic Evaluation of Speech Signal Enhancement Recorded in the Open-Air MRI Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Přibil, Jiří; Přibilová, Anna; Frollo, Ivan

2017-12-01

The paper focuses on two methods of evaluation of successfulness of speech signal enhancement recorded in the open-air magnetic resonance imager during phonation for the 3D human vocal tract modeling. The first approach enables to obtain a comparison based on statistical analysis by ANOVA and hypothesis tests. The second method is based on classification by Gaussian mixture models (GMM). The performed experiments have confirmed that the proposed ANOVA and GMM classifiers for automatic evaluation of the speech quality are functional and produce fully comparable results with the standard evaluation based on the listening test method.

Does Self-Directed and Web-Based Support for Parents Enhance the Effects of Viewing a Reality Television Series Based on the Triple P--Positive Parenting Programme?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanders, Matthew; Calam, Rachel; Durand, Marianne; Liversidge, Tom; Carmont, Sue Ann

2008-01-01

Background: This study investigated whether providing self-directed and web-based support for parents enhanced the effects of viewing a reality television series based on the Triple P--Positive Parenting Programme. Method: Parents with a child aged 2 to 9 (N=454) were randomly assigned to either a standard or enhanced intervention condition. In…

Image Enhancement via Subimage Histogram Equalization Based on Mean and Variance

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

This paper puts forward a novel image enhancement method via Mean and Variance based Subimage Histogram Equalization (MVSIHE), which effectively increases the contrast of the input image with brightness and details well preserved compared with some other methods based on histogram equalization (HE). Firstly, the histogram of input image is divided into four segments based on the mean and variance of luminance component, and the histogram bins of each segment are modified and equalized, respectively. Secondly, the result is obtained via the concatenation of the processed subhistograms. Lastly, the normalization method is deployed on intensity levels, and the integration of the processed image with the input image is performed. 100 benchmark images from a public image database named CVG-UGR-Database are used for comparison with other state-of-the-art methods. The experiment results show that the algorithm can not only enhance image information effectively but also well preserve brightness and details of the original image. PMID:29403529

Naturalness preservation image contrast enhancement via histogram modification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Qi-Chong; Cohen, Laurent D.

2018-04-01

Contrast enhancement is a technique for enhancing image contrast to obtain better visual quality. Since many existing contrast enhancement algorithms usually produce over-enhanced results, the naturalness preservation is needed to be considered in the framework of image contrast enhancement. This paper proposes a naturalness preservation contrast enhancement method, which adopts the histogram matching to improve the contrast and uses the image quality assessment to automatically select the optimal target histogram. The contrast improvement and the naturalness preservation are both considered in the target histogram, so this method can avoid the over-enhancement problem. In the proposed method, the optimal target histogram is a weighted sum of the original histogram, the uniform histogram, and the Gaussian-shaped histogram. Then the structural metric and the statistical naturalness metric are used to determine the weights of corresponding histograms. At last, the contrast-enhanced image is obtained via matching the optimal target histogram. The experiments demonstrate the proposed method outperforms the compared histogram-based contrast enhancement algorithms.

A Comparative Study on Preprocessing Techniques in Diabetic Retinopathy Retinal Images: Illumination Correction and Contrast Enhancement

PubMed Central

Rasta, Seyed Hossein; Partovi, Mahsa Eisazadeh; Seyedarabi, Hadi; Javadzadeh, Alireza

2015-01-01

To investigate the effect of preprocessing techniques including contrast enhancement and illumination correction on retinal image quality, a comparative study was carried out. We studied and implemented a few illumination correction and contrast enhancement techniques on color retinal images to find out the best technique for optimum image enhancement. To compare and choose the best illumination correction technique we analyzed the corrected red and green components of color retinal images statistically and visually. The two contrast enhancement techniques were analyzed using a vessel segmentation algorithm by calculating the sensitivity and specificity. The statistical evaluation of the illumination correction techniques were carried out by calculating the coefficients of variation. The dividing method using the median filter to estimate background illumination showed the lowest Coefficients of variations in the red component. The quotient and homomorphic filtering methods after the dividing method presented good results based on their low Coefficients of variations. The contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization increased the sensitivity of the vessel segmentation algorithm up to 5% in the same amount of accuracy. The contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization technique has a higher sensitivity than the polynomial transformation operator as a contrast enhancement technique for vessel segmentation. Three techniques including the dividing method using the median filter to estimate background, quotient based and homomorphic filtering were found as the effective illumination correction techniques based on a statistical evaluation. Applying the local contrast enhancement technique, such as CLAHE, for fundus images presented good potentials in enhancing the vasculature segmentation. PMID:25709940

Deep neural network-based bandwidth enhancement of photoacoustic data.

PubMed

Gutta, Sreedevi; Kadimesetty, Venkata Suryanarayana; Kalva, Sandeep Kumar; Pramanik, Manojit; Ganapathy, Sriram; Yalavarthy, Phaneendra K

2017-11-01

Photoacoustic (PA) signals collected at the boundary of tissue are always band-limited. A deep neural network was proposed to enhance the bandwidth (BW) of the detected PA signal, thereby improving the quantitative accuracy of the reconstructed PA images. A least square-based deconvolution method that utilizes the Tikhonov regularization framework was used for comparison with the proposed network. The proposed method was evaluated using both numerical and experimental data. The results indicate that the proposed method was capable of enhancing the BW of the detected PA signal, which inturn improves the contrast recovery and quality of reconstructed PA images without adding any significant computational burden. (2017) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).

Trace Detection of Metalloporphyrin-Based Coordination Polymer Particles via Modified Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Assisted by Surface Metallization.

PubMed

Sun, Yu; Caravella, Alessio

2016-01-01

This study proposed a facile method to detect metalloporphyrin-based coordination polymer particles (Z-CPPs) in aqueous solution by modified surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The SERS-active particles are photodeposited on the surface of Z-CPPs, offering an enhanced Raman signal for the trace detection of Z-CPPs.

Color Image Enhancement Using Multiscale Retinex Based on Particle Swarm Optimization Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matin, F.; Jeong, Y.; Kim, K.; Park, K.

2018-01-01

This paper introduces, a novel method for the image enhancement using multiscale retinex and practical swarm optimization. Multiscale retinex is widely used image enhancement technique which intemperately pertains on parameters such as Gaussian scales, gain and offset, etc. To achieve the privileged effect, the parameters need to be tuned manually according to the image. In order to handle this matter, a developed retinex algorithm based on PSO has been used. The PSO method adjusted the parameters for multiscale retinex with chromaticity preservation (MSRCP) attains better outcome to compare with other existing methods. The experimental result indicates that the proposed algorithm is an efficient one and not only provides true color loyalty in low light conditions but also avoid color distortion at the same time.

Physics-based approach to color image enhancement in poor visibility conditions.

PubMed

Tan, K K; Oakley, J P

2001-10-01

Degradation of images by the atmosphere is a familiar problem. For example, when terrain is imaged from a forward-looking airborne camera, the atmosphere degradation causes a loss in both contrast and color information. Enhancement of such images is a difficult task because of the complexity in restoring both the luminance and the chrominance while maintaining good color fidelity. One particular problem is the fact that the level of contrast loss depends strongly on wavelength. A novel method is presented for the enhancement of color images. This method is based on the underlying physics of the degradation process, and the parameters required for enhancement are estimated from the image itself.

Dynamic modeling method for infrared smoke based on enhanced discrete phase model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhendong; Yang, Chunling; Zhang, Yan; Zhu, Hongbo

2018-03-01

The dynamic modeling of infrared (IR) smoke plays an important role in IR scene simulation systems and its accuracy directly influences the system veracity. However, current IR smoke models cannot provide high veracity, because certain physical characteristics are frequently ignored in fluid simulation; simplifying the discrete phase as a continuous phase and ignoring the IR decoy missile-body spinning. To address this defect, this paper proposes a dynamic modeling method for IR smoke, based on an enhanced discrete phase model (DPM). A mathematical simulation model based on an enhanced DPM is built and a dynamic computing fluid mesh is generated. The dynamic model of IR smoke is then established using an extended equivalent-blackbody-molecule model. Experiments demonstrate that this model realizes a dynamic method for modeling IR smoke with higher veracity.

Towards development of enhanced fully-Lagrangian mesh-free computational methods for fluid-structure interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khayyer, Abbas; Gotoh, Hitoshi; Falahaty, Hosein; Shimizu, Yuma

2018-02-01

Simulation of incompressible fluid flow-elastic structure interactions is targeted by using fully-Lagrangian mesh-free computational methods. A projection-based fluid model (moving particle semi-implicit (MPS)) is coupled with either a Newtonian or a Hamiltonian Lagrangian structure model (MPS or HMPS) in a mathematically-physically consistent manner. The fluid model is founded on the solution of Navier-Stokes and continuity equations. The structure models are configured either in the framework of Newtonian mechanics on the basis of conservation of linear and angular momenta, or Hamiltonian mechanics on the basis of variational principle for incompressible elastodynamics. A set of enhanced schemes are incorporated for projection-based fluid model (Enhanced MPS), thus, the developed coupled solvers for fluid structure interaction (FSI) are referred to as Enhanced MPS-MPS and Enhanced MPS-HMPS. Besides, two smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH)-based FSI solvers, being developed by the authors, are considered and their potential applicability and comparable performance are briefly discussed in comparison with MPS-based FSI solvers. The SPH-based FSI solvers are established through coupling of projection-based incompressible SPH (ISPH) fluid model and SPH-based Newtonian/Hamiltonian structure models, leading to Enhanced ISPH-SPH and Enhanced ISPH-HSPH. A comparative study is carried out on the performances of the FSI solvers through a set of benchmark tests, including hydrostatic water column on an elastic plate, high speed impact of an elastic aluminum beam, hydroelastic slamming of a marine panel and dam break with elastic gate.

Cross-Selectivity Enhancement of Poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene)-Based Sensor Arrays for Detecting Acetone and Ethanol.

PubMed

Daneshkhah, Ali; Shrestha, Sudhir; Siegel, Amanda; Varahramyan, Kody; Agarwal, Mangilal

2017-03-15

Two methods for cross-selectivity enhancement of porous poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP)/carbon black (CB) composite-based resistive sensors are provided. The sensors are tested with acetone and ethanol in the presence of humid air. Cross-selectivity is enhanced using two different methods to modify the basic response of the PVDF-HFP/CB sensing platform. In method I, the adsorption properties of PVDF-HFP/CB are altered by adding a polyethylene oxide (PEO) layer or by treating with infrared (IR). In method II, the effects of the interaction of acetone and ethanol are enhanced by adding diethylene carbonate (DEC) or PEO dispersed in DEC (PEO/DEC) to the film. The results suggest the approaches used in method I alter the composite ability to adsorb acetone and ethanol, while in method II, they alter the transduction characteristics of the composite. Using these approaches, sensor relative response to acetone was increased by 89% compared with the PVDF-HFP/CB untreated film, whereas sensor relative response to ethanol could be decreased by 57% or increased by 197%. Not only do these results demonstrate facile methods for increasing sensitivity of PVDF-HFP/CB film, used in parallel they demonstrate a roadmap for enhancing system cross-selectivity that can be applied to separate units on an array. Fabrication methods, experimental procedures and results are presented and discussed.

Cross-Selectivity Enhancement of Poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene)-Based Sensor Arrays for Detecting Acetone and Ethanol

PubMed Central

Daneshkhah, Ali; Shrestha, Sudhir; Siegel, Amanda; Varahramyan, Kody; Agarwal, Mangilal

2017-01-01

Two methods for cross-selectivity enhancement of porous poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP)/carbon black (CB) composite-based resistive sensors are provided. The sensors are tested with acetone and ethanol in the presence of humid air. Cross-selectivity is enhanced using two different methods to modify the basic response of the PVDF-HFP/CB sensing platform. In method I, the adsorption properties of PVDF-HFP/CB are altered by adding a polyethylene oxide (PEO) layer or by treating with infrared (IR). In method II, the effects of the interaction of acetone and ethanol are enhanced by adding diethylene carbonate (DEC) or PEO dispersed in DEC (PEO/DEC) to the film. The results suggest the approaches used in method I alter the composite ability to adsorb acetone and ethanol, while in method II, they alter the transduction characteristics of the composite. Using these approaches, sensor relative response to acetone was increased by 89% compared with the PVDF-HFP/CB untreated film, whereas sensor relative response to ethanol could be decreased by 57% or increased by 197%. Not only do these results demonstrate facile methods for increasing sensitivity of PVDF-HFP/CB film, used in parallel they demonstrate a roadmap for enhancing system cross-selectivity that can be applied to separate units on an array. Fabrication methods, experimental procedures and results are presented and discussed. PMID:28294961

Texton-based super-resolution for achieving high spatiotemporal resolution in hybrid camera system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamimura, Kenji; Tsumura, Norimichi; Nakaguchi, Toshiya; Miyake, Yoichi

2010-05-01

Many super-resolution methods have been proposed to enhance the spatial resolution of images by using iteration and multiple input images. In a previous paper, we proposed the example-based super-resolution method to enhance an image through pixel-based texton substitution to reduce the computational cost. In this method, however, we only considered the enhancement of a texture image. In this study, we modified this texton substitution method for a hybrid camera to reduce the required bandwidth of a high-resolution video camera. We applied our algorithm to pairs of high- and low-spatiotemporal-resolution videos, which were synthesized to simulate a hybrid camera. The result showed that the fine detail of the low-resolution video can be reproduced compared with bicubic interpolation and the required bandwidth could be reduced to about 1/5 in a video camera. It was also shown that the peak signal-to-noise ratios (PSNRs) of the images improved by about 6 dB in a trained frame and by 1.0-1.5 dB in a test frame, as determined by comparison with the processed image using bicubic interpolation, and the average PSNRs were higher than those obtained by the well-known Freeman’s patch-based super-resolution method. Compared with that of the Freeman’s patch-based super-resolution method, the computational time of our method was reduced to almost 1/10.

Real-Time GNSS-Based Attitude Determination in the Measurement Domain

PubMed Central

Zhao, Lin; Li, Na; Li, Liang; Zhang, Yi; Cheng, Chun

2017-01-01

A multi-antenna-based GNSS receiver is capable of providing high-precision and drift-free attitude solution. Carrier phase measurements need be utilized to achieve high-precision attitude. The traditional attitude determination methods in the measurement domain and the position domain resolve the attitude and the ambiguity sequentially. The redundant measurements from multiple baselines have not been fully utilized to enhance the reliability of attitude determination. A multi-baseline-based attitude determination method in the measurement domain is proposed to estimate the attitude parameters and the ambiguity simultaneously. Meanwhile, the redundancy of attitude resolution has also been increased so that the reliability of ambiguity resolution and attitude determination can be enhanced. Moreover, in order to further improve the reliability of attitude determination, we propose a partial ambiguity resolution method based on the proposed attitude determination model. The static and kinematic experiments were conducted to verify the performance of the proposed method. When compared with the traditional attitude determination methods, the static experimental results show that the proposed method can improve the accuracy by at least 0.03° and enhance the continuity by 18%, at most. The kinematic result has shown that the proposed method can obtain an optimal balance between accuracy and reliability performance. PMID:28165434

Enhancing students’ mathematical representation and selfefficacy through situation-based learning assisted by geometer’s sketchpad program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sowanto; Kusumah, Y. S.

2018-05-01

This research was conducted based on the problem of a lack of students’ mathematical representation ability as well as self-efficacy in accomplishing mathematical tasks. To overcome this problem, this research used situation-based learning (SBL) assisted by geometer’s sketchpad program (GSP). This research investigated students’ improvement of mathematical representation ability who were taught under situation-based learning (SBL) assisted by geometer’s sketchpad program (GSP) and regular method that viewed from the whole students’ prior knowledge (high, average, and low level). In addition, this research investigated the difference of students’ self-efficacy after learning was given. This research belongs to quasi experiment research using non-equivalent control group design with purposive sampling. The result of this research showed that students’ enhancement in their mathematical representation ability taught under SBL assisted by GSP was better than the regular method. Also, there was no interaction between learning methods and students prior knowledge in student’ enhancement of mathematical representation ability. There was significant difference of students’ enhancement of mathematical representation ability taught under SBL assisted by GSP viewed from students’ prior knowledge. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in terms of self-efficacy between those who were taught by SBL assisted by GSP with the regular method.

Enhancing atlas based segmentation with multiclass linear classifiers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sdika, Michaël, E-mail: michael.sdika@creatis.insa-lyon.fr

Purpose: To present a method to enrich atlases for atlas based segmentation. Such enriched atlases can then be used as a single atlas or within a multiatlas framework. Methods: In this paper, machine learning techniques have been used to enhance the atlas based segmentation approach. The enhanced atlas defined in this work is a pair composed of a gray level image alongside an image of multiclass classifiers with one classifier per voxel. Each classifier embeds local information from the whole training dataset that allows for the correction of some systematic errors in the segmentation and accounts for the possible localmore » registration errors. The authors also propose to use these images of classifiers within a multiatlas framework: results produced by a set of such local classifier atlases can be combined using a label fusion method. Results: Experiments have been made on the in vivo images of the IBSR dataset and a comparison has been made with several state-of-the-art methods such as FreeSurfer and the multiatlas nonlocal patch based method of Coupé or Rousseau. These experiments show that their method is competitive with state-of-the-art methods while having a low computational cost. Further enhancement has also been obtained with a multiatlas version of their method. It is also shown that, in this case, nonlocal fusion is unnecessary. The multiatlas fusion can therefore be done efficiently. Conclusions: The single atlas version has similar quality as state-of-the-arts multiatlas methods but with the computational cost of a naive single atlas segmentation. The multiatlas version offers a improvement in quality and can be done efficiently without a nonlocal strategy.« less

Viscous fingering and channeling in chemical enhanced oil recovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daripa, Prabir; Dutta, Sourav

2017-11-01

We have developed a hybrid numerical method based on discontinuous finite element method and modified method of characteristics to compute the multiphase multicomponent fluid flow in porous media in the context of chemical enhanced oil recovery. We use this method to study the effect of various chemical components on the viscous fingering and channeling in rectilinear and radial flow configurations. We will also discuss about the efficiency of various flooding schemes based on these understandings. Time permitting, we will discuss about the effect of variable injection rates in these practical setting. U.S. National Science Foundation Grant DMS-1522782.

The integrative review: updated methodology.

PubMed

Whittemore, Robin; Knafl, Kathleen

2005-12-01

The aim of this paper is to distinguish the integrative review method from other review methods and to propose methodological strategies specific to the integrative review method to enhance the rigour of the process. Recent evidence-based practice initiatives have increased the need for and the production of all types of reviews of the literature (integrative reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and qualitative reviews). The integrative review method is the only approach that allows for the combination of diverse methodologies (for example, experimental and non-experimental research), and has the potential to play a greater role in evidence-based practice for nursing. With respect to the integrative review method, strategies to enhance data collection and extraction have been developed; however, methods of analysis, synthesis, and conclusion drawing remain poorly formulated. A modified framework for research reviews is presented to address issues specific to the integrative review method. Issues related to specifying the review purpose, searching the literature, evaluating data from primary sources, analysing data, and presenting the results are discussed. Data analysis methods of qualitative research are proposed as strategies that enhance the rigour of combining diverse methodologies as well as empirical and theoretical sources in an integrative review. An updated integrative review method has the potential to allow for diverse primary research methods to become a greater part of evidence-based practice initiatives.

Monitoring the chemical production of citrus-derived bioactive 5-demethylnobiletin using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

PubMed Central

Zheng, Jinkai; Fang, Xiang; Cao, Yong; Xiao, Hang; He, Lili

2013-01-01

To develop an accurate and convenient method for monitoring the production of citrus-derived bioactive 5-demethylnobiletin from demethylation reaction of nobiletin, we compared surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) methods with a conventional HPLC method. Our results show that both the substrate-based and solution-based SERS methods correlated with HPLC method very well. The solution method produced lower root mean square error of calibration and higher correlation coefficient than the substrate method. The solution method utilized an ‘affinity chromatography’-like procedure to separate the reactant nobiletin from the product 5-demthylnobiletin based on their different binding affinity to the silver dendrites. The substrate method was found simpler and faster to collect the SERS ‘fingerprint’ spectra of the samples as no incubation between samples and silver was needed and only trace amount of samples were required. Our results demonstrated that the SERS methods were superior to HPLC method in conveniently and rapidly characterizing and quantifying 5-demethylnobiletin production. PMID:23885986

Advanced Image Enhancement Method for Distant Vessels and Structures in Capsule Endoscopy

PubMed Central

Pedersen, Marius

2017-01-01

This paper proposes an advanced method for contrast enhancement of capsule endoscopic images, with the main objective to obtain sufficient information about the vessels and structures in more distant (or darker) parts of capsule endoscopic images. The proposed method (PM) combines two algorithms for the enhancement of darker and brighter areas of capsule endoscopic images, respectively. The half-unit weighted-bilinear algorithm (HWB) proposed in our previous work is used to enhance darker areas according to the darker map content of its HSV's component V. Enhancement of brighter areas is achieved thanks to the novel threshold weighted-bilinear algorithm (TWB) developed to avoid overexposure and enlargement of specular highlight spots while preserving the hue, in such areas. The TWB performs enhancement operations following a gradual increment of the brightness of the brighter map content of its HSV's component V. In other words, the TWB decreases its averaged weights as the intensity content of the component V increases. Extensive experimental demonstrations were conducted, and, based on evaluation of the reference and PM enhanced images, a gastroenterologist (Ø.H.) concluded that the PM enhanced images were the best ones based on the information about the vessels, contrast in the images, and the view or visibility of the structures in more distant parts of the capsule endoscopy images. PMID:29225668

Image enhancement based on in vivo hyperspectral gastroscopic images: a case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Xiaozhou; Han, Zhimin; Yao, Liqing; Zhong, Yunshi; Shi, Qiang; Fu, Ye; Liu, Changsheng; Wang, Xiguang; Xie, Tianyu

2016-10-01

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) has been recognized as a powerful tool for noninvasive disease detection in the gastrointestinal field. However, most of the studies on HSI in this field have involved ex vivo biopsies or resected tissues. We proposed an image enhancement method based on in vivo hyperspectral gastroscopic images. First, we developed a flexible gastroscopy system capable of obtaining in vivo hyperspectral images of different types of stomach disease mucosa. Then, depending on a specific object, an appropriate band selection algorithm based on dependence of information was employed to determine a subset of spectral bands that would yield useful spatial information. Finally, these bands were assigned to be the color components of an enhanced image of the object. A gastric ulcer case study demonstrated that our method yields higher color tone contrast, which enhanced the displays of the gastric ulcer regions, and that it will be valuable in clinical applications.

Comparison of image enhancement methods for the effective diagnosis in successive whole-body bone scans.

PubMed

Jeong, Chang Bu; Kim, Kwang Gi; Kim, Tae Sung; Kim, Seok Ki

2011-06-01

Whole-body bone scan is one of the most frequent diagnostic procedures in nuclear medicine. Especially, it plays a significant role in important procedures such as the diagnosis of osseous metastasis and evaluation of osseous tumor response to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. It can also be used to monitor the possibility of any recurrence of the tumor. However, it is a very time-consuming effort for radiologists to quantify subtle interval changes between successive whole-body bone scans because of many variations such as intensity, geometry, and morphology. In this paper, we present the most effective method of image enhancement based on histograms, which may assist radiologists in interpreting successive whole-body bone scans effectively. Forty-eight successive whole-body bone scans from 10 patients were obtained and evaluated using six methods of image enhancement based on histograms: histogram equalization, brightness-preserving bi-histogram equalization, contrast-limited adaptive histogram equalization, end-in search, histogram matching, and exact histogram matching (EHM). Comparison of the results of the different methods was made using three similarity measures peak signal-to-noise ratio, histogram intersection, and structural similarity. Image enhancement of successive bone scans using EHM showed the best results out of the six methods measured for all similarity measures. EHM is the best method of image enhancement based on histograms for diagnosing successive whole-body bone scans. The method for successive whole-body bone scans has the potential to greatly assist radiologists quantify interval changes more accurately and quickly by compensating for the variable nature of intensity information. Consequently, it can improve radiologists' diagnostic accuracy as well as reduce reading time for detecting interval changes.

A New Artificial Neural Network Enhanced by the Shuffled Complex Evolution Optimization with Principal Component Analysis (SP-UCI) for Water Resources Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayatbini, N.; Faridzad, M.; Yang, T.; Akbari Asanjan, A.; Gao, X.; Sorooshian, S.

2016-12-01

The Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are useful in many fields, including water resources engineering and management. However, due to the non-linear and chaotic characteristics associated with natural processes and human decision making, the use of ANNs in real-world applications is still limited, and its performance needs to be further improved for a broader practical use. The commonly used Back-Propagation (BP) scheme and gradient-based optimization in training the ANNs have already found to be problematic in some cases. The BP scheme and gradient-based optimization methods are associated with the risk of premature convergence, stuck in local optimums, and the searching is highly dependent on initial conditions. Therefore, as an alternative to BP and gradient-based searching scheme, we propose an effective and efficient global searching method, termed the Shuffled Complex Evolutionary Global optimization algorithm with Principal Component Analysis (SP-UCI), to train the ANN connectivity weights. Large number of real-world datasets are tested with the SP-UCI-based ANN, as well as various popular Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs)-enhanced ANNs, i.e., Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO)-, Genetic Algorithm (GA)-, Simulated Annealing (SA)-, and Differential Evolution (DE)-enhanced ANNs. Results show that SP-UCI-enhanced ANN is generally superior over other EA-enhanced ANNs with regard to the convergence and computational performance. In addition, we carried out a case study for hydropower scheduling in the Trinity Lake in the western U.S. In this case study, multiple climate indices are used as predictors for the SP-UCI-enhanced ANN. The reservoir inflows and hydropower releases are predicted up to sub-seasonal to seasonal scale. Results show that SP-UCI-enhanced ANN is able to achieve better statistics than other EAs-based ANN, which implies the usefulness and powerfulness of proposed SP-UCI-enhanced ANN for reservoir operation, water resources engineering and management. The SP-UCI-enhanced ANN is universally applicable to many other regression and prediction problems, and it has a good potential to be an alternative to the classical BP scheme and gradient-based optimization methods.

Color Retinal Image Enhancement Based on Luminosity and Contrast Adjustment.

PubMed

Zhou, Mei; Jin, Kai; Wang, Shaoze; Ye, Juan; Qian, Dahong

2018-03-01

Many common eye diseases and cardiovascular diseases can be diagnosed through retinal imaging. However, due to uneven illumination, image blurring, and low contrast, retinal images with poor quality are not useful for diagnosis, especially in automated image analyzing systems. Here, we propose a new image enhancement method to improve color retinal image luminosity and contrast. A luminance gain matrix, which is obtained by gamma correction of the value channel in the HSV (hue, saturation, and value) color space, is used to enhance the R, G, and B (red, green and blue) channels, respectively. Contrast is then enhanced in the luminosity channel of L * a * b * color space by CLAHE (contrast-limited adaptive histogram equalization). Image enhancement by the proposed method is compared to other methods by evaluating quality scores of the enhanced images. The performance of the method is mainly validated on a dataset of 961 poor-quality retinal images. Quality assessment (range 0-1) of image enhancement of this poor dataset indicated that our method improved color retinal image quality from an average of 0.0404 (standard deviation 0.0291) up to an average of 0.4565 (standard deviation 0.1000). The proposed method is shown to achieve superior image enhancement compared to contrast enhancement in other color spaces or by other related methods, while simultaneously preserving image naturalness. This method of color retinal image enhancement may be employed to assist ophthalmologists in more efficient screening of retinal diseases and in development of improved automated image analysis for clinical diagnosis.

Human body region enhancement method based on Kinect infrared imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Lei; Fan, Yubo; Song, Xiaowei; Cai, Wenjing

2016-10-01

To effectively improve the low contrast of human body region in the infrared images, a combing method of several enhancement methods is utilized to enhance the human body region. Firstly, for the infrared images acquired by Kinect, in order to improve the overall contrast of the infrared images, an Optimal Contrast-Tone Mapping (OCTM) method with multi-iterations is applied to balance the contrast of low-luminosity infrared images. Secondly, to enhance the human body region better, a Level Set algorithm is employed to improve the contour edges of human body region. Finally, to further improve the human body region in infrared images, Laplacian Pyramid decomposition is adopted to enhance the contour-improved human body region. Meanwhile, the background area without human body region is processed by bilateral filtering to improve the overall effect. With theoretical analysis and experimental verification, the results show that the proposed method could effectively enhance the human body region of such infrared images.

An historical overview of cavity-enhanced methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paldus, B. A.; Kachanov, A. A.

2005-10-01

An historical overview of laser-based, spectroscopic methods that employ high-finesse optical resonators is presented. The overview begins with the early work in atomic absorption (1962) and optical cavities (1974) that led to the first mirror reflectivity measurements in 1980. This paper concludes with very recent extensions of cavity-enhanced methods for the study of condensed-phase media and biological systems. Methods described here include cavity ring-down spectroscopy, integrated cavity output spectroscopy, and noise-immune cavity-enhanced optical heterodyne molecular spectroscopy. Given the explosive growth of the field over the past decade, this review does not attempt to present a comprehensive bibliography of all work published in cavity-enhanced spectroscopy, but rather strives to illustrate the rich history, creative diversity, and broad applications potential of these methods.

A contrast enhancement method for improving the segmentation of breast lesions on ultrasonography.

PubMed

Flores, Wilfrido Gómez; Pereira, Wagner Coelho de Albuquerque

2017-01-01

This paper presents an adaptive contrast enhancement method based on sigmoidal mapping function (SACE) used for improving the computerized segmentation of breast lesions on ultrasound. First, from the original ultrasound image an intensity variation map is obtained, which is used to generate local sigmoidal mapping functions related to distinct contextual regions. Then, a bilinear interpolation scheme is used to transform every original pixel to a new gray level value. Also, four contrast enhancement techniques widely used in breast ultrasound enhancement are implemented: histogram equalization (HEQ), contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization (CLAHE), fuzzy enhancement (FEN), and sigmoid based enhancement (SEN). In addition, these contrast enhancement techniques are considered in a computerized lesion segmentation scheme based on watershed transformation. The performance comparison among techniques is assessed in terms of both the quality of contrast enhancement and the segmentation accuracy. The former is quantified by the measure, where the greater the value, the better the contrast enhancement, whereas the latter is calculated by the Jaccard index, which should tend towards unity to indicate adequate segmentation. The experiments consider a data set with 500 breast ultrasound images. The results show that SACE outperforms its counterparts, where the median values for the measure are: SACE: 139.4, SEN: 68.2, HEQ: 64.1, CLAHE: 62.8, and FEN: 7.9. Considering the segmentation performance results, the SACE method presents the largest accuracy, where the median values for the Jaccard index are: SACE: 0.81, FEN: 0.80, CLAHE: 0.79, HEQ: 77, and SEN: 0.63. The SACE method performs well due to the combination of three elements: (1) the intensity variation map reduces intensity variations that could distort the real response of the mapping function, (2) the sigmoidal mapping function enhances the gray level range where the transition between lesion and background is found, and (3) the adaptive enhancing scheme for coping with local contrasts. Hence, the SACE approach is appropriate for enhancing contrast before computerized lesion segmentation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An enhanced multi-view vertical line locus matching algorithm of object space ground primitives based on positioning consistency for aerial and space images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ka; Sheng, Yehua; Wang, Meizhen; Fu, Suxia

2018-05-01

The traditional multi-view vertical line locus (TMVLL) matching method is an object-space-based method that is commonly used to directly acquire spatial 3D coordinates of ground objects in photogrammetry. However, the TMVLL method can only obtain one elevation and lacks an accurate means of validating the matching results. In this paper, we propose an enhanced multi-view vertical line locus (EMVLL) matching algorithm based on positioning consistency for aerial or space images. The algorithm involves three components: confirming candidate pixels of the ground primitive in the base image, multi-view image matching based on the object space constraints for all candidate pixels, and validating the consistency of the object space coordinates with the multi-view matching result. The proposed algorithm was tested using actual aerial images and space images. Experimental results show that the EMVLL method successfully solves the problems associated with the TMVLL method, and has greater reliability, accuracy and computing efficiency.

Image processing via level set curvature flow

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Malladi, R.; Sethian, J.A.

We present a controlled image smoothing and enhancement method based on a curvature flow interpretation of the geometric heat equation. Compared to existing techniques, the model has several distinct advantages. (i) It contains just one enhancement parameter. (ii) The scheme naturally inherits a stopping criterion from the image; continued application of the scheme produces no further change. (iii) The method is one of the fastest possible schemes based on a curvature-controlled approach. 15 ref., 6 figs.

A reward optimization method based on action subrewards in hierarchical reinforcement learning.

PubMed

Fu, Yuchen; Liu, Quan; Ling, Xionghong; Cui, Zhiming

2014-01-01

Reinforcement learning (RL) is one kind of interactive learning methods. Its main characteristics are "trial and error" and "related reward." A hierarchical reinforcement learning method based on action subrewards is proposed to solve the problem of "curse of dimensionality," which means that the states space will grow exponentially in the number of features and low convergence speed. The method can reduce state spaces greatly and choose actions with favorable purpose and efficiency so as to optimize reward function and enhance convergence speed. Apply it to the online learning in Tetris game, and the experiment result shows that the convergence speed of this algorithm can be enhanced evidently based on the new method which combines hierarchical reinforcement learning algorithm and action subrewards. The "curse of dimensionality" problem is also solved to a certain extent with hierarchical method. All the performance with different parameters is compared and analyzed as well.

Finger-Vein Image Enhancement Using a Fuzzy-Based Fusion Method with Gabor and Retinex Filtering

PubMed Central

Shin, Kwang Yong; Park, Young Ho; Nguyen, Dat Tien; Park, Kang Ryoung

2014-01-01

Because of the advantages of finger-vein recognition systems such as live detection and usage as bio-cryptography systems, they can be used to authenticate individual people. However, images of finger-vein patterns are typically unclear because of light scattering by the skin, optical blurring, and motion blurring, which can degrade the performance of finger-vein recognition systems. In response to these issues, a new enhancement method for finger-vein images is proposed. Our method is novel compared with previous approaches in four respects. First, the local and global features of the vein lines of an input image are amplified using Gabor filters in four directions and Retinex filtering, respectively. Second, the means and standard deviations in the local windows of the images produced after Gabor and Retinex filtering are used as inputs for the fuzzy rule and fuzzy membership function, respectively. Third, the optimal weights required to combine the two Gabor and Retinex filtered images are determined using a defuzzification method. Fourth, the use of a fuzzy-based method means that image enhancement does not require additional training data to determine the optimal weights. Experimental results using two finger-vein databases showed that the proposed method enhanced the accuracy of finger-vein recognition compared with previous methods. PMID:24549251

Image contrast enhancement with brightness preservation using an optimal gamma correction and weighted sum approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, G.; Wong, C. Y.; Lin, S. C. F.; Rahman, M. A.; Ren, T. R.; Kwok, Ngaiming; Shi, Haiyan; Yu, Ying-Hao; Wu, Tonghai

2015-04-01

The enhancement of image contrast and preservation of image brightness are two important but conflicting objectives in image restoration. Previous attempts based on linear histogram equalization had achieved contrast enhancement, but exact preservation of brightness was not accomplished. A new perspective is taken here to provide balanced performance of contrast enhancement and brightness preservation simultaneously by casting the quest of such solution to an optimization problem. Specifically, the non-linear gamma correction method is adopted to enhance the contrast, while a weighted sum approach is employed for brightness preservation. In addition, the efficient golden search algorithm is exploited to determine the required optimal parameters to produce the enhanced images. Experiments are conducted on natural colour images captured under various indoor, outdoor and illumination conditions. Results have shown that the proposed method outperforms currently available methods in contrast to enhancement and brightness preservation.

Sparsity-driven coupled imaging and autofocusing for interferometric SAR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zengin, Oǧuzcan; Khwaja, Ahmed Shaharyar; ćetin, Müjdat

2018-04-01

We propose a sparsity-driven method for coupled image formation and autofocusing based on multi-channel data collected in interferometric synthetic aperture radar (IfSAR). Relative phase between SAR images contains valuable information. For example, it can be used to estimate the height of the scene in SAR interferometry. However, this relative phase could be degraded when independent enhancement methods are used over SAR image pairs. Previously, Ramakrishnan et al. proposed a coupled multi-channel image enhancement technique, based on a dual descent method, which exhibits better performance in phase preservation compared to independent enhancement methods. Their work involves a coupled optimization formulation that uses a sparsity enforcing penalty term as well as a constraint tying the multichannel images together to preserve the cross-channel information. In addition to independent enhancement, the relative phase between the acquisitions can be degraded due to other factors as well, such as platform location uncertainties, leading to phase errors in the data and defocusing in the formed imagery. The performance of airborne SAR systems can be affected severely by such errors. We propose an optimization formulation that combines Ramakrishnan et al.'s coupled IfSAR enhancement method with the sparsity-driven autofocus (SDA) approach of Önhon and Çetin to alleviate the effects of phase errors due to motion errors in the context of IfSAR imaging. Our method solves the joint optimization problem with a Lagrangian optimization method iteratively. In our preliminary experimental analysis, we have obtained results of our method on synthetic SAR images and compared its performance to existing methods.

Optical absorption of suspended graphene based metal plasmonic grating in the visible range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Y. X.; Chen, B. B.; Yang, J. B.; He, X.; Huang, J.; Zhang, J. J.; Zhang, Z. J.

2018-05-01

We employ finite-difference time-domain ( FDTD) method and Raman spectroscopy to study the properties of graphene, which is suspended on a gold/SiO2/Si grating structure with different trench depth of SiO2 layer. The absorption enhancement of suspended graphene and plasmonic resonance of metal grating are investigated in the visible range using 2D FDTD method. Moreover, it is found that the intensity of the Raman features depends very sensitively on the trench depth of SiO2 layer. Raman enhancement in our experiments is attributed to the enhanced optical absorption of graphene by near-field coupling based metal plasmonic grating. The enhanced absorption of suspended graphene modulated by localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) offers a potential application for opto-electromechanical devices.

Visual enhancement of unmixed multispectral imagery using adaptive smoothing

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lemeshewsky, G.P.; Rahman, Z.-U.; Schowengerdt, R.A.; Reichenbach, S.E.

2004-01-01

Adaptive smoothing (AS) has been previously proposed as a method to smooth uniform regions of an image, retain contrast edges, and enhance edge boundaries. The method is an implementation of the anisotropic diffusion process which results in a gray scale image. This paper discusses modifications to the AS method for application to multi-band data which results in a color segmented image. The process was used to visually enhance the three most distinct abundance fraction images produced by the Lagrange constraint neural network learning-based unmixing of Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus multispectral sensor data. A mutual information-based method was applied to select the three most distinct fraction images for subsequent visualization as a red, green, and blue composite. A reported image restoration technique (partial restoration) was applied to the multispectral data to reduce unmixing error, although evaluation of the performance of this technique was beyond the scope of this paper. The modified smoothing process resulted in a color segmented image with homogeneous regions separated by sharpened, coregistered multiband edges. There was improved class separation with the segmented image, which has importance to subsequent operations involving data classification.

SAW based micro- and acousto-fluidics in biomedicine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramasamy, Mouli; Varadan, Vijay K.

2017-04-01

Protein association starts with random collisions of individual proteins. Multiple collisions and rotational diffusion brings the molecules to a state of orientation. Majority of the protein associations are influenced by electrostatic interactions. To introduce: electrostatic rate enhancement, Brownian dynamics and transient complex theory has been traditionally used. Due to the recent advances in interdisciplinary sciences, an array of molecular assembly methods is being studied. Protein nanostructural assembly and macromolecular crowding are derived from the subsets of biochemistry to study protein-protein interactions and protein self-assembly. This paper tries to investigate the issue of enhancing the protein self-association rate, and bridging the gap between the simulations and experimental results. The methods proposed here include: electrostatic rate enhancement, macromolecular crowing, nanostructural protein assembly, microfluidics based approaches and magnetic force based approaches. Despite the suggestions of several methods, microfluidic and magnetic force based approaches seem to serve the need of protein assembly in a wider scale. Congruence of these approaches may also yield better results. Even though, these methods prove to be conceptually strong, to prevent the disagreement of theory and practice, a wide range of experiments is required. This proposal intends to study theoretical and experimental methods to successfully implement the aforementioned assembly strategies, and conclude with an extensive analysis of experimental data to address practical feasibility.

Graph-based segmentation for RGB-D data using 3-D geometry enhanced superpixels.

PubMed

Yang, Jingyu; Gan, Ziqiao; Li, Kun; Hou, Chunping

2015-05-01

With the advances of depth sensing technologies, color image plus depth information (referred to as RGB-D data hereafter) is more and more popular for comprehensive description of 3-D scenes. This paper proposes a two-stage segmentation method for RGB-D data: 1) oversegmentation by 3-D geometry enhanced superpixels and 2) graph-based merging with label cost from superpixels. In the oversegmentation stage, 3-D geometrical information is reconstructed from the depth map. Then, a K-means-like clustering method is applied to the RGB-D data for oversegmentation using an 8-D distance metric constructed from both color and 3-D geometrical information. In the merging stage, treating each superpixel as a node, a graph-based model is set up to relabel the superpixels into semantically-coherent segments. In the graph-based model, RGB-D proximity, texture similarity, and boundary continuity are incorporated into the smoothness term to exploit the correlations of neighboring superpixels. To obtain a compact labeling, the label term is designed to penalize labels linking to similar superpixels that likely belong to the same object. Both the proposed 3-D geometry enhanced superpixel clustering method and the graph-based merging method from superpixels are evaluated by qualitative and quantitative results. By the fusion of color and depth information, the proposed method achieves superior segmentation performance over several state-of-the-art algorithms.

Specialized Finite Set Statistics (FISST)-Based Estimation Methods to Enhance Space Situational Awareness in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) and Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO)

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-08-17

Research Laboratory AFRL /RVSV Space Vehicles Directorate 3550 Aberdeen Ave, SE 11. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S REPORT Kirtland AFB, NM 87117-5776 NUMBER(S) AFRL -RV...1 cy AFRL /RVIL Kirtland AFB, NM 87117-5776 2 cys Official Record Copy AFRL /RVSV/Richard S. Erwin 1 cy... AFRL -RV-PS- AFRL -RV-PS- TR-2016-0114 TR-2016-0114 SPECIALIZED FINITE SET STATISTICS (FISST)- BASED ESTIMATION METHODS TO ENHANCE SPACE SITUATIONAL

Infrared traffic image enhancement algorithm based on dark channel prior and gamma correction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Lintao; Shi, Hengliang; Gu, Ming

2017-07-01

The infrared traffic image acquired by the intelligent traffic surveillance equipment has low contrast, little hierarchical differences in perceptions of image and the blurred vision effect. Therefore, infrared traffic image enhancement, being an indispensable key step, is applied to nearly all infrared imaging based traffic engineering applications. In this paper, we propose an infrared traffic image enhancement algorithm that is based on dark channel prior and gamma correction. In existing research dark channel prior, known as a famous image dehazing method, here is used to do infrared image enhancement for the first time. Initially, in the proposed algorithm, the original degraded infrared traffic image is transformed with dark channel prior as the initial enhanced result. A further adjustment based on the gamma curve is needed because initial enhanced result has lower brightness. Comprehensive validation experiments reveal that the proposed algorithm outperforms the current state-of-the-art algorithms.

Joint-layer encoder optimization for HEVC scalable extensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, Chia-Ming; He, Yuwen; Dong, Jie; Ye, Yan; Xiu, Xiaoyu; He, Yong

2014-09-01

Scalable video coding provides an efficient solution to support video playback on heterogeneous devices with various channel conditions in heterogeneous networks. SHVC is the latest scalable video coding standard based on the HEVC standard. To improve enhancement layer coding efficiency, inter-layer prediction including texture and motion information generated from the base layer is used for enhancement layer coding. However, the overall performance of the SHVC reference encoder is not fully optimized because rate-distortion optimization (RDO) processes in the base and enhancement layers are independently considered. It is difficult to directly extend the existing joint-layer optimization methods to SHVC due to the complicated coding tree block splitting decisions and in-loop filtering process (e.g., deblocking and sample adaptive offset (SAO) filtering) in HEVC. To solve those problems, a joint-layer optimization method is proposed by adjusting the quantization parameter (QP) to optimally allocate the bit resource between layers. Furthermore, to make more proper resource allocation, the proposed method also considers the viewing probability of base and enhancement layers according to packet loss rate. Based on the viewing probability, a novel joint-layer RD cost function is proposed for joint-layer RDO encoding. The QP values of those coding tree units (CTUs) belonging to lower layers referenced by higher layers are decreased accordingly, and the QP values of those remaining CTUs are increased to keep total bits unchanged. Finally the QP values with minimal joint-layer RD cost are selected to match the viewing probability. The proposed method was applied to the third temporal level (TL-3) pictures in the Random Access configuration. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed joint-layer optimization method can improve coding performance by 1.3% for these TL-3 pictures compared to the SHVC reference encoder without joint-layer optimization.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates in waste activated sludge enhances anaerobic methane production through improving biochemical methane potential instead of hydrolysis rate.

PubMed

Wang, Qilin; Sun, Jing; Zhang, Chang; Xie, Guo-Jun; Zhou, Xu; Qian, Jin; Yang, Guojing; Zeng, Guangming; Liu, Yiqi; Wang, Dongbo

2016-01-21

Anaerobic sludge digestion is the main technology for sludge reduction and stabilization prior to sludge disposal. Nevertheless, methane production from anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge (WAS) is often restricted by the poor biochemical methane potential and slow hydrolysis rate of WAS. This work systematically investigated the effect of PHA levels of WAS on anaerobic methane production, using both experimental and mathematical modeling approaches. Biochemical methane potential tests showed that methane production increased with increased PHA levels in WAS. Model-based analysis suggested that the PHA-based method enhanced methane production by improving biochemical methane potential of WAS, with the highest enhancement being around 40% (from 192 to 274 L CH4/kg VS added; VS: volatile solid) when the PHA levels increased from 21 to 143 mg/g VS. In contrast, the hydrolysis rate (approximately 0.10 d(-1)) was not significantly affected by the PHA levels. Economic analysis suggested that the PHA-based method could save $1.2/PE/y (PE: population equivalent) in a typical wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The PHA-based method can be easily integrated into the current WWTP to enhance methane production, thereby providing a strong support to the on-going paradigm shift in wastewater management from pollutant removal to resource recovery.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates in waste activated sludge enhances anaerobic methane production through improving biochemical methane potential instead of hydrolysis rate

PubMed Central

Wang, Qilin; Sun, Jing; Zhang, Chang; Xie, Guo-Jun; Zhou, Xu; Qian, Jin; Yang, Guojing; Zeng, Guangming; Liu, Yiqi; Wang, Dongbo

2016-01-01

Anaerobic sludge digestion is the main technology for sludge reduction and stabilization prior to sludge disposal. Nevertheless, methane production from anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge (WAS) is often restricted by the poor biochemical methane potential and slow hydrolysis rate of WAS. This work systematically investigated the effect of PHA levels of WAS on anaerobic methane production, using both experimental and mathematical modeling approaches. Biochemical methane potential tests showed that methane production increased with increased PHA levels in WAS. Model-based analysis suggested that the PHA-based method enhanced methane production by improving biochemical methane potential of WAS, with the highest enhancement being around 40% (from 192 to 274 L CH4/kg VS added; VS: volatile solid) when the PHA levels increased from 21 to 143 mg/g VS. In contrast, the hydrolysis rate (approximately 0.10 d−1) was not significantly affected by the PHA levels. Economic analysis suggested that the PHA-based method could save $1.2/PE/y (PE: population equivalent) in a typical wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The PHA-based method can be easily integrated into the current WWTP to enhance methane production, thereby providing a strong support to the on-going paradigm shift in wastewater management from pollutant removal to resource recovery. PMID:26791952

Polyhydroxyalkanoates in waste activated sludge enhances anaerobic methane production through improving biochemical methane potential instead of hydrolysis rate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Qilin; Sun, Jing; Zhang, Chang; Xie, Guo-Jun; Zhou, Xu; Qian, Jin; Yang, Guojing; Zeng, Guangming; Liu, Yiqi; Wang, Dongbo

2016-01-01

Anaerobic sludge digestion is the main technology for sludge reduction and stabilization prior to sludge disposal. Nevertheless, methane production from anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge (WAS) is often restricted by the poor biochemical methane potential and slow hydrolysis rate of WAS. This work systematically investigated the effect of PHA levels of WAS on anaerobic methane production, using both experimental and mathematical modeling approaches. Biochemical methane potential tests showed that methane production increased with increased PHA levels in WAS. Model-based analysis suggested that the PHA-based method enhanced methane production by improving biochemical methane potential of WAS, with the highest enhancement being around 40% (from 192 to 274 L CH4/kg VS added; VS: volatile solid) when the PHA levels increased from 21 to 143 mg/g VS. In contrast, the hydrolysis rate (approximately 0.10 d-1) was not significantly affected by the PHA levels. Economic analysis suggested that the PHA-based method could save $1.2/PE/y (PE: population equivalent) in a typical wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The PHA-based method can be easily integrated into the current WWTP to enhance methane production, thereby providing a strong support to the on-going paradigm shift in wastewater management from pollutant removal to resource recovery.

Fuzzy pulmonary vessel segmentation in contrast enhanced CT data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaftan, Jens N.; Kiraly, Atilla P.; Bakai, Annemarie; Das, Marco; Novak, Carol L.; Aach, Til

2008-03-01

Pulmonary vascular tree segmentation has numerous applications in medical imaging and computer-aided diagnosis (CAD), including detection and visualization of pulmonary emboli (PE), improved lung nodule detection, and quantitative vessel analysis. We present a novel approach to pulmonary vessel segmentation based on a fuzzy segmentation concept, combining the strengths of both threshold and seed point based methods. The lungs of the original image are first segmented and a threshold-based approach identifies core vessel components with a high specificity. These components are then used to automatically identify reliable seed points for a fuzzy seed point based segmentation method, namely fuzzy connectedness. The output of the method consists of the probability of each voxel belonging to the vascular tree. Hence, our method provides the possibility to adjust the sensitivity/specificity of the segmentation result a posteriori according to application-specific requirements, through definition of a minimum vessel-probability required to classify a voxel as belonging to the vascular tree. The method has been evaluated on contrast-enhanced thoracic CT scans from clinical PE cases and demonstrates overall promising results. For quantitative validation we compare the segmentation results to randomly selected, semi-automatically segmented sub-volumes and present the resulting receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Although we focus on contrast enhanced chest CT data, the method can be generalized to other regions of the body as well as to different imaging modalities.

Multi-frame knowledge based text enhancement for mobile phone captured videos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozarslan, Suleyman; Eren, P. Erhan

2014-02-01

In this study, we explore automated text recognition and enhancement using mobile phone captured videos of store receipts. We propose a method which includes Optical Character Resolution (OCR) enhanced by our proposed Row Based Multiple Frame Integration (RB-MFI), and Knowledge Based Correction (KBC) algorithms. In this method, first, the trained OCR engine is used for recognition; then, the RB-MFI algorithm is applied to the output of the OCR. The RB-MFI algorithm determines and combines the most accurate rows of the text outputs extracted by using OCR from multiple frames of the video. After RB-MFI, KBC algorithm is applied to these rows to correct erroneous characters. Results of the experiments show that the proposed video-based approach which includes the RB-MFI and the KBC algorithm increases the word character recognition rate to 95%, and the character recognition rate to 98%.

Unconstrained Enhanced Sampling for Free Energy Calculations of Biomolecules: A Review

PubMed Central

Miao, Yinglong; McCammon, J. Andrew

2016-01-01

Free energy calculations are central to understanding the structure, dynamics and function of biomolecules. Yet insufficient sampling of biomolecular configurations is often regarded as one of the main sources of error. Many enhanced sampling techniques have been developed to address this issue. Notably, enhanced sampling methods based on biasing collective variables (CVs), including the widely used umbrella sampling, adaptive biasing force and metadynamics, have been discussed in a recent excellent review (Abrams and Bussi, Entropy, 2014). Here, we aim to review enhanced sampling methods that do not require predefined system-dependent CVs for biomolecular simulations and as such do not suffer from the hidden energy barrier problem as encountered in the CV-biasing methods. These methods include, but are not limited to, replica exchange/parallel tempering, self-guided molecular/Langevin dynamics, essential energy space random walk and accelerated molecular dynamics. While it is overwhelming to describe all details of each method, we provide a summary of the methods along with the applications and offer our perspectives. We conclude with challenges and prospects of the unconstrained enhanced sampling methods for accurate biomolecular free energy calculations. PMID:27453631

Unconstrained Enhanced Sampling for Free Energy Calculations of Biomolecules: A Review.

PubMed

Miao, Yinglong; McCammon, J Andrew

Free energy calculations are central to understanding the structure, dynamics and function of biomolecules. Yet insufficient sampling of biomolecular configurations is often regarded as one of the main sources of error. Many enhanced sampling techniques have been developed to address this issue. Notably, enhanced sampling methods based on biasing collective variables (CVs), including the widely used umbrella sampling, adaptive biasing force and metadynamics, have been discussed in a recent excellent review (Abrams and Bussi, Entropy, 2014). Here, we aim to review enhanced sampling methods that do not require predefined system-dependent CVs for biomolecular simulations and as such do not suffer from the hidden energy barrier problem as encountered in the CV-biasing methods. These methods include, but are not limited to, replica exchange/parallel tempering, self-guided molecular/Langevin dynamics, essential energy space random walk and accelerated molecular dynamics. While it is overwhelming to describe all details of each method, we provide a summary of the methods along with the applications and offer our perspectives. We conclude with challenges and prospects of the unconstrained enhanced sampling methods for accurate biomolecular free energy calculations.

Improved lossless intra coding for H.264/MPEG-4 AVC.

PubMed

Lee, Yung-Lyul; Han, Ki-Hun; Sullivan, Gary J

2006-09-01

A new lossless intra coding method based on sample-by-sample differential pulse code modulation (DPCM) is presented as an enhancement of the H.264/MPEG-4 AVC standard. The H.264/AVC design includes a multidirectional spatial prediction method to reduce spatial redundancy by using neighboring samples as a prediction for the samples in a block of data to be encoded. In the new lossless intra coding method, the spatial prediction is performed based on samplewise DPCM instead of in the block-based manner used in the current H.264/AVC standard, while the block structure is retained for the residual difference entropy coding process. We show that the new method, based on samplewise DPCM, does not have a major complexity penalty, despite its apparent pipeline dependencies. Experiments show that the new lossless intra coding method reduces the bit rate by approximately 12% in comparison with the lossless intra coding method previously included in the H.264/AVC standard. As a result, the new method is currently being adopted into the H.264/AVC standard in a new enhancement project.

Deep neural network and noise classification-based speech enhancement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Wenhua; Zhang, Xiongwei; Zou, Xia; Han, Wei

2017-07-01

In this paper, a speech enhancement method using noise classification and Deep Neural Network (DNN) was proposed. Gaussian mixture model (GMM) was employed to determine the noise type in speech-absent frames. DNN was used to model the relationship between noisy observation and clean speech. Once the noise type was determined, the corresponding DNN model was applied to enhance the noisy speech. GMM was trained with mel-frequency cepstrum coefficients (MFCC) and the parameters were estimated with an iterative expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm. Noise type was updated by spectrum entropy-based voice activity detection (VAD). Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method could achieve better objective speech quality and smaller distortion under stationary and non-stationary conditions.

Noise-aware dictionary-learning-based sparse representation framework for detection and removal of single and combined noises from ECG signal

PubMed Central

Ramkumar, Barathram; Sabarimalai Manikandan, M.

2017-01-01

Automatic electrocardiogram (ECG) signal enhancement has become a crucial pre-processing step in most ECG signal analysis applications. In this Letter, the authors propose an automated noise-aware dictionary learning-based generalised ECG signal enhancement framework which can automatically learn the dictionaries based on the ECG noise type for effective representation of ECG signal and noises, and can reduce the computational load of sparse representation-based ECG enhancement system. The proposed framework consists of noise detection and identification, noise-aware dictionary learning, sparse signal decomposition and reconstruction. The noise detection and identification is performed based on the moving average filter, first-order difference, and temporal features such as number of turning points, maximum absolute amplitude, zerocrossings, and autocorrelation features. The representation dictionary is learned based on the type of noise identified in the previous stage. The proposed framework is evaluated using noise-free and noisy ECG signals. Results demonstrate that the proposed method can significantly reduce computational load as compared with conventional dictionary learning-based ECG denoising approaches. Further, comparative results show that the method outperforms existing methods in automatically removing noises such as baseline wanders, power-line interference, muscle artefacts and their combinations without distorting the morphological content of local waves of ECG signal. PMID:28529758

Noise-aware dictionary-learning-based sparse representation framework for detection and removal of single and combined noises from ECG signal.

PubMed

Satija, Udit; Ramkumar, Barathram; Sabarimalai Manikandan, M

2017-02-01

Automatic electrocardiogram (ECG) signal enhancement has become a crucial pre-processing step in most ECG signal analysis applications. In this Letter, the authors propose an automated noise-aware dictionary learning-based generalised ECG signal enhancement framework which can automatically learn the dictionaries based on the ECG noise type for effective representation of ECG signal and noises, and can reduce the computational load of sparse representation-based ECG enhancement system. The proposed framework consists of noise detection and identification, noise-aware dictionary learning, sparse signal decomposition and reconstruction. The noise detection and identification is performed based on the moving average filter, first-order difference, and temporal features such as number of turning points, maximum absolute amplitude, zerocrossings, and autocorrelation features. The representation dictionary is learned based on the type of noise identified in the previous stage. The proposed framework is evaluated using noise-free and noisy ECG signals. Results demonstrate that the proposed method can significantly reduce computational load as compared with conventional dictionary learning-based ECG denoising approaches. Further, comparative results show that the method outperforms existing methods in automatically removing noises such as baseline wanders, power-line interference, muscle artefacts and their combinations without distorting the morphological content of local waves of ECG signal.

Accurate evaluation of axillary sentinel lymph node metastasis using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography with Sonazoid in breast cancer: a preliminary clinical trial.

PubMed

Matsuzawa, Fumihiko; Omoto, Kiyoka; Einama, Takahiro; Abe, Hironori; Suzuki, Takashi; Hamaguchi, Jun; Kaga, Terumi; Sato, Mami; Oomura, Masako; Takata, Yumiko; Fujibe, Ayako; Takeda, Chie; Tamura, Etsuya; Taketomi, Akinobu; Kyuno, Kenichi

2015-01-01

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women. The 5-year survival rate in patients with breast cancer ranges from 74 to 82 %. Sentinel lymph node biopsy has become an alternative to axillary lymph node dissection for nodal staging. We evaluated the detection of the sentinel lymph node and metastasis of the lymph node using contrast enhanced ultrasonography with Sonazoid. Between December 2013 and May 2014, 32 patients with operable breast cancer were enrolled in this study. We evaluated the detection of axillary sentinel lymph nodes and the evaluation of axillary lymph nodes metastasis using contrast enhanced computed tomography, color Doppler ultrasonography and contrast enhanced ultrasonography with Sonazoid. All the sentinel lymph nodes were identified, and the sentinel lymph nodes detected by contrast enhanced ultrasonography with Sonazoid corresponded with those detected by computed tomography lymphography and indigo carmine method. The detection of metastasis based on contrast enhanced computed tomography were sensitivity 20.0 %, specificity 88.2 %, PPV 60.0 %, NPV 55.6 %, accuracy 56.3 %. Based on color Doppler ultrasonography, the results were sensitivity 36.4 %, specificity 95.2 %, PPV 80.0 %, NPV 74.1 %, accuracy 75.0 %. Based on contrast enhanced ultrasonography with Sonazoid, the results were sensitivity 81.8 %, specificity 95.2 %, PPV 90.0 %, NPV 90.9 %, accuracy 90.6 %. The results suggested that contrast enhanced ultrasonography with Sonazoid was the most accurate among the evaluations of these modalities. In the future, we believe that our method would take the place of conventional sentinel lymph node biopsy for an axillary staging method.

Particle swarm optimization-based local entropy weighted histogram equalization for infrared image enhancement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Minjie; Gu, Guohua; Qian, Weixian; Ren, Kan; Chen, Qian; Maldague, Xavier

2018-06-01

Infrared image enhancement plays a significant role in intelligent urban surveillance systems for smart city applications. Unlike existing methods only exaggerating the global contrast, we propose a particle swam optimization-based local entropy weighted histogram equalization which involves the enhancement of both local details and fore-and background contrast. First of all, a novel local entropy weighted histogram depicting the distribution of detail information is calculated based on a modified hyperbolic tangent function. Then, the histogram is divided into two parts via a threshold maximizing the inter-class variance in order to improve the contrasts of foreground and background, respectively. To avoid over-enhancement and noise amplification, double plateau thresholds of the presented histogram are formulated by means of particle swarm optimization algorithm. Lastly, each sub-image is equalized independently according to the constrained sub-local entropy weighted histogram. Comparative experiments implemented on real infrared images prove that our algorithm outperforms other state-of-the-art methods in terms of both visual and quantized evaluations.

Recursion Removal as an Instructional Method to Enhance the Understanding of Recursion Tracing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Velázquez-Iturbide, J. Ángel; Castellanos, M. Eugenia; Hijón-Neira, Raquel

2016-01-01

Recursion is one of the most difficult programming topics for students. In this paper, an instructional method is proposed to enhance students' understanding of recursion tracing. The proposal is based on the use of rules to translate linear recursion algorithms into equivalent, iterative ones. The paper has two main contributions: the…

Enhancing SERS by Means of Supramolecular Charge Transfer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wong, Eric; Flood, Amar; Morales, Alfredo

2009-01-01

In a proposed method of sensing small quantities of molecules of interest, surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy would be further enhanced by means of intermolecular or supramolecular charge transfer. There is a very large potential market for sensors based on this method for rapid detection of chemical and biological hazards. In SERS, the Raman signals (vibrational spectra) of target molecules become enhanced by factors of the order of 108 when those molecules are in the vicinities of nanostructured substrate surfaces that have been engineered to have plasmon resonances that enhance local electric fields. SERS, as reported in several prior NASA Tech Briefs articles and elsewhere, has remained a research tool and has not yet been developed into a practical technique for sensing of target molecules: this is because the short range (5 to 20 nm) of the field enhancement necessitates engineering of receptor molecules to attract target molecules to the nanostructured substrate surfaces and to enable reliable identification of the target molecules in the presence of interferants. Intermolecular charge-transfer complexes have been used in fluorescence-, photoluminescence-, and electrochemistry-based techniques for sensing target molecules, but, until now, have not been considered for use in SERS-based sensing. The basic idea of the proposed method is to engineer receptor molecules that would be attached to nanostructured SERS substrates and that would interact with the target molecules to form receptor-target supramolecular charge-transfer complexes wherein the charge transfer could be photoexcited.

Reliability enhancement of Navier-Stokes codes through convergence enhancement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choi, K.-Y.; Dulikravich, G. S.

1993-01-01

Reduction of total computing time required by an iterative algorithm for solving Navier-Stokes equations is an important aspect of making the existing and future analysis codes more cost effective. Several attempts have been made to accelerate the convergence of an explicit Runge-Kutta time-stepping algorithm. These acceleration methods are based on local time stepping, implicit residual smoothing, enthalpy damping, and multigrid techniques. Also, an extrapolation procedure based on the power method and the Minimal Residual Method (MRM) were applied to the Jameson's multigrid algorithm. The MRM uses same values of optimal weights for the corrections to every equation in a system and has not been shown to accelerate the scheme without multigriding. Our Distributed Minimal Residual (DMR) method based on our General Nonlinear Minimal Residual (GNLMR) method allows each component of the solution vector in a system of equations to have its own convergence speed. The DMR method was found capable of reducing the computation time by 10-75 percent depending on the test case and grid used. Recently, we have developed and tested a new method termed Sensitivity Based DMR or SBMR method that is easier to implement in different codes and is even more robust and computationally efficient than our DMR method.

Reliability enhancement of Navier-Stokes codes through convergence enhancement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, K.-Y.; Dulikravich, G. S.

1993-11-01

Reduction of total computing time required by an iterative algorithm for solving Navier-Stokes equations is an important aspect of making the existing and future analysis codes more cost effective. Several attempts have been made to accelerate the convergence of an explicit Runge-Kutta time-stepping algorithm. These acceleration methods are based on local time stepping, implicit residual smoothing, enthalpy damping, and multigrid techniques. Also, an extrapolation procedure based on the power method and the Minimal Residual Method (MRM) were applied to the Jameson's multigrid algorithm. The MRM uses same values of optimal weights for the corrections to every equation in a system and has not been shown to accelerate the scheme without multigriding. Our Distributed Minimal Residual (DMR) method based on our General Nonlinear Minimal Residual (GNLMR) method allows each component of the solution vector in a system of equations to have its own convergence speed. The DMR method was found capable of reducing the computation time by 10-75 percent depending on the test case and grid used. Recently, we have developed and tested a new method termed Sensitivity Based DMR or SBMR method that is easier to implement in different codes and is even more robust and computationally efficient than our DMR method.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy on coupled two-layer nanorings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Yumin; Xu, Jun; Wang, Pengwei; Yu, Dapeng

2010-05-01

A reproducible quasi-three-dimensional structure, composed of top and bottom concentric nanorings with same periodicity but different widths and no overlapping at the perpendicular direction, is built up by a separation-layer method, which results in huge enhancement of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) due to the coupling of plasmons. Simulations show plasmonic focusing with "hot arcs" of electromagnetic enhancement meeting the need of quantitative SERS with extremely high sensitivities. In addition, the separation-layer method opens a simple and effective way to adjust the coupling of plasmons among nanostructures which is essential for the fabrication of SERS-based sensors.

Depth-enhanced three-dimensional-two-dimensional convertible display based on modified integral imaging.

PubMed

Park, Jae-Hyeung; Kim, Hak-Rin; Kim, Yunhee; Kim, Joohwan; Hong, Jisoo; Lee, Sin-Doo; Lee, Byoungho

2004-12-01

A depth-enhanced three-dimensional-two-dimensional convertible display that uses a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal based on the principle of integral imaging is proposed. In the proposed method, a lens array is located behind a transmission-type display panel to form an array of point-light sources, and a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal is electrically controlled to pass or to scatter light coming from these point-light sources. Therefore, three-dimensional-two-dimensional conversion is accomplished electrically without any mechanical movement. Moreover, the nonimaging structure of the proposed method increases the expressible depth range considerably. We explain the method of operation and present experimental results.

Enhanced sampling simulations to construct free-energy landscape of protein-partner substrate interaction.

PubMed

Ikebe, Jinzen; Umezawa, Koji; Higo, Junichi

2016-03-01

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using all-atom and explicit solvent models provide valuable information on the detailed behavior of protein-partner substrate binding at the atomic level. As the power of computational resources increase, MD simulations are being used more widely and easily. However, it is still difficult to investigate the thermodynamic properties of protein-partner substrate binding and protein folding with conventional MD simulations. Enhanced sampling methods have been developed to sample conformations that reflect equilibrium conditions in a more efficient manner than conventional MD simulations, thereby allowing the construction of accurate free-energy landscapes. In this review, we discuss these enhanced sampling methods using a series of case-by-case examples. In particular, we review enhanced sampling methods conforming to trivial trajectory parallelization, virtual-system coupled multicanonical MD, and adaptive lambda square dynamics. These methods have been recently developed based on the existing method of multicanonical MD simulation. Their applications are reviewed with an emphasis on describing their practical implementation. In our concluding remarks we explore extensions of the enhanced sampling methods that may allow for even more efficient sampling.

A parameterized logarithmic image processing method with Laplacian of Gaussian filtering for lung nodule enhancement in chest radiographs.

PubMed

Chen, Sheng; Yao, Liping; Chen, Bao

2016-11-01

The enhancement of lung nodules in chest radiographs (CXRs) plays an important role in the manual as well as computer-aided detection (CADe) lung cancer. In this paper, we proposed a parameterized logarithmic image processing (PLIP) method combined with the Laplacian of a Gaussian (LoG) filter to enhance lung nodules in CXRs. We first applied several LoG filters with varying parameters to an original CXR to enhance the nodule-like structures as well as the edges in the image. We then applied the PLIP model, which can enhance lung nodule images with high contrast and was beneficial in extracting effective features for nodule detection in the CADe scheme. Our method combined the advantages of both the PLIP algorithm and the LoG algorithm, which can enhance lung nodules in chest radiographs with high contrast. To test our nodule enhancement method, we tested a CADe scheme, with a relatively high performance in nodule detection, using a publically available database containing 140 nodules in 140 CXRs enhanced through our nodule enhancement method. The CADe scheme attained a sensitivity of 81 and 70 % with an average of 5.0 frame rate (FP) and 2.0 FP, respectively, in a leave-one-out cross-validation test. By contrast, the CADe scheme based on the original image recorded a sensitivity of 77 and 63 % at 5.0 FP and 2.0 FP, respectively. We introduced the measurement of enhancement by entropy evaluation to objectively assess our method. Experimental results show that the proposed method obtains an effective enhancement of lung nodules in CXRs for both radiologists and CADe schemes.

Efficient OCT Image Enhancement Based on Collaborative Shock Filtering

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Efficient enhancement of noisy optical coherence tomography (OCT) images is a key task for interpreting them correctly. In this paper, to better enhance details and layered structures of a human retina image, we propose a collaborative shock filtering for OCT image denoising and enhancement. Noisy OCT image is first denoised by a collaborative filtering method with new similarity measure, and then the denoised image is sharpened by a shock-type filtering for edge and detail enhancement. For dim OCT images, in order to improve image contrast for the detection of tiny lesions, a gamma transformation is first used to enhance the images within proper gray levels. The proposed method integrating image smoothing and sharpening simultaneously obtains better visual results in experiments. PMID:29599954

Efficient OCT Image Enhancement Based on Collaborative Shock Filtering.

PubMed

Liu, Guohua; Wang, Ziyu; Mu, Guoying; Li, Peijin

2018-01-01

Efficient enhancement of noisy optical coherence tomography (OCT) images is a key task for interpreting them correctly. In this paper, to better enhance details and layered structures of a human retina image, we propose a collaborative shock filtering for OCT image denoising and enhancement. Noisy OCT image is first denoised by a collaborative filtering method with new similarity measure, and then the denoised image is sharpened by a shock-type filtering for edge and detail enhancement. For dim OCT images, in order to improve image contrast for the detection of tiny lesions, a gamma transformation is first used to enhance the images within proper gray levels. The proposed method integrating image smoothing and sharpening simultaneously obtains better visual results in experiments.

Lower-upper-threshold correlation for underwater range-gated imaging self-adaptive enhancement.

PubMed

Sun, Liang; Wang, Xinwei; Liu, Xiaoquan; Ren, Pengdao; Lei, Pingshun; He, Jun; Fan, Songtao; Zhou, Yan; Liu, Yuliang

2016-10-10

In underwater range-gated imaging (URGI), enhancement of low-brightness and low-contrast images is critical for human observation. Traditional histogram equalizations over-enhance images, with the result of details being lost. To compress over-enhancement, a lower-upper-threshold correlation method is proposed for underwater range-gated imaging self-adaptive enhancement based on double-plateau histogram equalization. The lower threshold determines image details and compresses over-enhancement. It is correlated with the upper threshold. First, the upper threshold is updated by searching for the local maximum in real time, and then the lower threshold is calculated by the upper threshold and the number of nonzero units selected from a filtered histogram. With this method, the backgrounds of underwater images are constrained with enhanced details. Finally, the proof experiments are performed. Peak signal-to-noise-ratio, variance, contrast, and human visual properties are used to evaluate the objective quality of the global and regions of interest images. The evaluation results demonstrate that the proposed method adaptively selects the proper upper and lower thresholds under different conditions. The proposed method contributes to URGI with effective image enhancement for human eyes.

Research on respiratory motion correction method based on liver contrast-enhanced ultrasound images of single mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ji; Li, Tao; Zheng, Shiqiang; Li, Yiyong

2015-03-01

To reduce the effects of respiratory motion in the quantitative analysis based on liver contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) image sequencesof single mode. The image gating method and the iterative registration method using model image were adopted to register liver contrast-enhanced ultrasound image sequences of single mode. The feasibility of the proposed respiratory motion correction method was explored preliminarily using 10 hepatocellular carcinomas CEUS cases. The positions of the lesions in the time series of 2D ultrasound images after correction were visually evaluated. Before and after correction, the quality of the weighted sum of transit time (WSTT) parametric images were also compared, in terms of the accuracy and spatial resolution. For the corrected and uncorrected sequences, their mean deviation values (mDVs) of time-intensity curve (TIC) fitting derived from CEUS sequences were measured. After the correction, the positions of the lesions in the time series of 2D ultrasound images were almost invariant. In contrast, the lesions in the uncorrected images all shifted noticeably. The quality of the WSTT parametric maps derived from liver CEUS image sequences were improved more greatly. Moreover, the mDVs of TIC fitting derived from CEUS sequences after the correction decreased by an average of 48.48+/-42.15. The proposed correction method could improve the accuracy of quantitative analysis based on liver CEUS image sequences of single mode, which would help in enhancing the differential diagnosis efficiency of liver tumors.

Exploratory methods for truck re-identification in a statewide network based on axle weight and axle spacing data to enhance freight metrics : phase II.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-05-01

Vehicle re-identification methods can be used to anonymously match vehicles crossing two different locations based on vehicle attribute data. : This research builds upon a previous study and investigates different methods for solving the re-identific...

Novel methods for parameter-based analysis of myocardial tissue in MR images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hennemuth, A.; Behrens, S.; Kuehnel, C.; Oeltze, S.; Konrad, O.; Peitgen, H.-O.

2007-03-01

The analysis of myocardial tissue with contrast-enhanced MR yields multiple parameters, which can be used to classify the examined tissue. Perfusion images are often distorted by motion, while late enhancement images are acquired with a different size and resolution. Therefore, it is common to reduce the analysis to a visual inspection, or to the examination of parameters related to the 17-segment-model proposed by the American Heart Association (AHA). As this simplification comes along with a considerable loss of information, our purpose is to provide methods for a more accurate analysis regarding topological and functional tissue features. In order to achieve this, we implemented registration methods for the motion correction of the perfusion sequence and the matching of the late enhancement information onto the perfusion image and vice versa. For the motion corrected perfusion sequence, vector images containing the voxel enhancement curves' semi-quantitative parameters are derived. The resulting vector images are combined with the late enhancement information and form the basis for the tissue examination. For the exploration of data we propose different modes: the inspection of the enhancement curves and parameter distribution in areas automatically segmented using the late enhancement information, the inspection of regions segmented in parameter space by user defined threshold intervals and the topological comparison of regions segmented with different settings. Results showed a more accurate detection of distorted regions in comparison to the AHA-model-based evaluation.

Adaptive pseudo-color enhancement method of weld radiographic images based on HSI color space and self-transformation of pixels.

PubMed

Jiang, Hongquan; Zhao, Yalin; Gao, Jianmin; Gao, Zhiyong

2017-06-01

The radiographic testing (RT) image of a steam turbine manufacturing enterprise has the characteristics of low gray level, low contrast, and blurriness, which lead to a substandard image quality. Moreover, it is not conducive for human eyes to detect and evaluate defects. This study proposes an adaptive pseudo-color enhancement method for weld radiographic images based on the hue, saturation, and intensity (HSI) color space and the self-transformation of pixels to solve these problems. First, the pixel's self-transformation is performed to the pixel value of the original RT image. The function value after the pixel's self-transformation is assigned to the HSI components in the HSI color space. Thereafter, the average intensity of the enhanced image is adaptively adjusted to 0.5 according to the intensity of the original image. Moreover, the hue range and interval can be adjusted according to personal habits. Finally, the HSI components after the adaptive adjustment can be transformed to display in the red, green, and blue color space. Numerous weld radiographic images from a steam turbine manufacturing enterprise are used to validate the proposed method. The experimental results show that the proposed pseudo-color enhancement method can improve image definition and make the target and background areas distinct in weld radiographic images. The enhanced images will be more conducive for defect recognition. Moreover, the image enhanced using the proposed method conforms to the human eye visual properties, and the effectiveness of defect recognition and evaluation can be ensured.

Adaptive pseudo-color enhancement method of weld radiographic images based on HSI color space and self-transformation of pixels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Hongquan; Zhao, Yalin; Gao, Jianmin; Gao, Zhiyong

2017-06-01

The radiographic testing (RT) image of a steam turbine manufacturing enterprise has the characteristics of low gray level, low contrast, and blurriness, which lead to a substandard image quality. Moreover, it is not conducive for human eyes to detect and evaluate defects. This study proposes an adaptive pseudo-color enhancement method for weld radiographic images based on the hue, saturation, and intensity (HSI) color space and the self-transformation of pixels to solve these problems. First, the pixel's self-transformation is performed to the pixel value of the original RT image. The function value after the pixel's self-transformation is assigned to the HSI components in the HSI color space. Thereafter, the average intensity of the enhanced image is adaptively adjusted to 0.5 according to the intensity of the original image. Moreover, the hue range and interval can be adjusted according to personal habits. Finally, the HSI components after the adaptive adjustment can be transformed to display in the red, green, and blue color space. Numerous weld radiographic images from a steam turbine manufacturing enterprise are used to validate the proposed method. The experimental results show that the proposed pseudo-color enhancement method can improve image definition and make the target and background areas distinct in weld radiographic images. The enhanced images will be more conducive for defect recognition. Moreover, the image enhanced using the proposed method conforms to the human eye visual properties, and the effectiveness of defect recognition and evaluation can be ensured.

Micelle Enhanced Fluorimetric and Thin Layer Chromatography Densitometric Methods for the Determination of (±) Citalopram and its S – Enantiomer Escitalopram

PubMed Central

Taha, Elham A.; Salama, Nahla N.; Wang, Shudong

2009-01-01

Two sensitive and validated methods were developed for determination of a racemic mixture citalopram and its enantiomer S-(+) escitalopram. The first method was based on direct measurement of the intrinsic fluorescence of escitalopram using sodium dodecyl sulfate as micelle enhancer. This was further applied to determine escitalopram in spiked human plasma, as well as in the presence of common and co-administerated drugs. The second method was TLC densitometric based on various chiral selectors was investigated. The optimum TLC conditions were found to be sensitive and selective for identification and quantitative determination of enantiomeric purity of escitalopram in drug substance and drug products. The method can be useful to investigate adulteration of pure isomer with the cheap racemic form. PMID:19652757

Micelle enhanced fluorimetric and thin layer chromatography densitometric methods for the determination of (+/-) citalopram and its S-enantiomer escitalopram.

PubMed

Taha, Elham A; Salama, Nahla N; Wang, Shudong

2009-04-07

Two sensitive and validated methods were developed for determination of a racemic mixture citalopram and its enantiomer S-(+) escitalopram. The first method was based on direct measurement of the intrinsic fluorescence of escitalopram using sodium dodecyl sulfate as micelle enhancer. This was further applied to determine escitalopram in spiked human plasma, as well as in the presence of common and co-administrated drugs. The second method was TLC densitometric based on various chiral selectors was investigated. The optimum TLC conditions were found to be sensitive and selective for identification and quantitative determination of enantiomeric purity of escitalopram in drug substance and drug products. The method can be useful to investigate adulteration of pure isomer with the cheap racemic form.

High-pressure torsion for new hydrogen storage materials.

PubMed

Edalati, Kaveh; Akiba, Etsuo; Horita, Zenji

2018-01-01

High-pressure torsion (HPT) is widely used as a severe plastic deformation technique to create ultrafine-grained structures with promising mechanical and functional properties. Since 2007, the method has been employed to enhance the hydrogenation kinetics in different Mg-based hydrogen storage materials. Recent studies showed that the method is effective not only for increasing the hydrogenation kinetics but also for improving the hydrogenation activity, for enhancing the air resistivity and more importantly for synthesizing new nanostructured hydrogen storage materials with high densities of lattice defects. This manuscript reviews some major findings on the impact of HPT process on the hydrogen storage performance of different titanium-based and magnesium-based materials.

Method for enhancing the solubility of dopants in silicon

DOEpatents

Sadigh, Babak; Lenosky, Thomas J.; De La Rubia, Tomas Diaz

2003-09-30

A method for enhancing the equilibrium solid solubility of dopants in silicon, germanium and silicon-germanium alloys. The method involves subjecting silicon-based substrate to biaxial or compression strain. It has been determined that boron solubility was largely enhanced (more than 100%) by a compressive bi-axial strain, based on a size-mismatch theory since the boron atoms are smaller than the silicon atoms. It has been found that the large enhancement or mixing properties of dopants in silicon and germanium substrates is primarily governed by their, and to second order by their size-mismatch with the substrate. Further, it has been determined that the dopant solubility enhancement with strain is most effective when the charge and the size-mismatch of the impurity favor the same type of strain. Thus, the solid solubility of small p-type (e.g., boron) as well as large n-type (e.g., arsenic) dopants can be raised most dramatically by appropriate bi-axial (compressive) strain, and that solubility of a large p-type dopant (e.g, indium) in silicon will be raised due to size-mismatch with silicon, which favors tensile strain, while its negative charge prefers compressive strain, and thus the two effects counteract each other.

Effectiveness of Facebook Based Learning to Enhance Creativity among Islamic Studies Students by Employing Isman Instructional Design Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alias, Norlidah; Siraj, Saedah; Daud, Mohd Khairul Azman Md; Hussin, Zaharah

2013-01-01

The study examines the effectiveness of Facebook based learning to enhance creativity among Islamic Studies students in the secondary educational setting in Malaysia. It describes the design process by employing the Isman Instructional Design Model. A quantitative study was carried out using experimental method and background survey. The…

Enhancing the Effectiveness of Juvenile Drug Courts by Integrating Evidence-Based Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henggeler, Scott W.; McCart, Michael R.; Cunningham, Phillippe B.; Chapman, Jason E.

2012-01-01

Objective: The primary purpose of this study was to test a relatively efficient strategy for enhancing the capacity of juvenile drug courts (JDC) to reduce youth substance use and criminal behavior by incorporating components of evidence-based treatments into their existing services. Method: Six JDCs were randomized to a condition in which…

An enhanced SOCP-based method for feeder load balancing using the multi-terminal soft open point in active distribution networks

DOE PAGES

Ji, Haoran; Wang, Chengshan; Li, Peng; ...

2017-09-20

The integration of distributed generators (DGs) exacerbates the feeder power flow fluctuation and load unbalanced condition in active distribution networks (ADNs). The unbalanced feeder load causes inefficient use of network assets and network congestion during system operation. The flexible interconnection based on the multi-terminal soft open point (SOP) significantly benefits the operation of ADNs. The multi-terminal SOP, which is a controllable power electronic device installed to replace the normally open point, provides accurate active and reactive power flow control to enable the flexible connection of feeders. An enhanced SOCP-based method for feeder load balancing using the multi-terminal SOP is proposedmore » in this paper. Furthermore, by regulating the operation of the multi-terminal SOP, the proposed method can mitigate the unbalanced condition of feeder load and simultaneously reduce the power losses of ADNs. Then, the original non-convex model is converted into a second-order cone programming (SOCP) model using convex relaxation. In order to tighten the SOCP relaxation and improve the computation efficiency, an enhanced SOCP-based approach is developed to solve the proposed model. Finally, case studies are performed on the modified IEEE 33-node system to verify the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method.« less

An enhanced SOCP-based method for feeder load balancing using the multi-terminal soft open point in active distribution networks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ji, Haoran; Wang, Chengshan; Li, Peng

The integration of distributed generators (DGs) exacerbates the feeder power flow fluctuation and load unbalanced condition in active distribution networks (ADNs). The unbalanced feeder load causes inefficient use of network assets and network congestion during system operation. The flexible interconnection based on the multi-terminal soft open point (SOP) significantly benefits the operation of ADNs. The multi-terminal SOP, which is a controllable power electronic device installed to replace the normally open point, provides accurate active and reactive power flow control to enable the flexible connection of feeders. An enhanced SOCP-based method for feeder load balancing using the multi-terminal SOP is proposedmore » in this paper. Furthermore, by regulating the operation of the multi-terminal SOP, the proposed method can mitigate the unbalanced condition of feeder load and simultaneously reduce the power losses of ADNs. Then, the original non-convex model is converted into a second-order cone programming (SOCP) model using convex relaxation. In order to tighten the SOCP relaxation and improve the computation efficiency, an enhanced SOCP-based approach is developed to solve the proposed model. Finally, case studies are performed on the modified IEEE 33-node system to verify the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method.« less

Enhancement of low visibility aerial images using histogram truncation and an explicit Retinex representation for balancing contrast and color consistency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Changjiang; Cheng, Irene; Zhang, Yi; Basu, Anup

2017-06-01

This paper presents an improved multi-scale Retinex (MSR) based enhancement for ariel images under low visibility. For traditional multi-scale Retinex, three scales are commonly employed, which limits its application scenarios. We extend our research to a general purpose enhanced method, and design an MSR with more than three scales. Based on the mathematical analysis and deductions, an explicit multi-scale representation is proposed that balances image contrast and color consistency. In addition, a histogram truncation technique is introduced as a post-processing strategy to remap the multi-scale Retinex output to the dynamic range of the display. Analysis of experimental results and comparisons with existing algorithms demonstrate the effectiveness and generality of the proposed method. Results on image quality assessment proves the accuracy of the proposed method with respect to both objective and subjective criteria.

Comparison of delay enhancement mechanisms for SBS-based slow light systems.

PubMed

Schneider, Thomas; Henker, Ronny; Lauterbach, Kai-Uwe; Junker, Markus

2007-07-23

We compare two simple mechanisms for the enhancement of the time delay in slow light systems. Both are based on the superposition of the Brillouin gain with additional loss. As we will show in theory and experiment if two losses are placed at the wings of a SBS gain, contrary to other methods, the loss power increases the time delay. This leads to higher delay times at lower optical powers and to an increase of the zero gain delay of more than 50%. With this method we achieved a time delay of more than 120ns for pulses with a temporal width of 30ns. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest time delay in just one fiber spool. Beside the enhancement of the time delay the method could have the potential to decrease the pulse distortions for high bit rate signals.

Chemiluminescence determination of terbutaline sulfate in bovine urine and pharmaceutical preparations based on enhancement of the 2-phenyl-4, 5-di (2-furyl) imidazole-potassium ferricyanide system.

PubMed

Han, Lu; Zhang, Yumin; Kang, Jing; Tang, Jieli; Zhang, Yihua

2012-01-25

In this paper, a novel chemiluminescence (CL) system, 2-phenyl-4, 5-di (2-furyl) imidazole (PDFI)-potassium ferricyanide, for the determination of terbutaline sulfate was described. The method was based on enhancement of CL emission of PDFI-potassium ferricyanide system in the presence of terbutaline sulfate. Under the optimum conditions, the enhanced chemiluminescence intensity is linearly related to the concentration of terbutaline sulfate. The proposed method has been successfully applied to the determination of terbutaline sulfate in bovine urine and pharmaceutical preparations with satisfactory results. Furthermore, the possible mechanism of chemiluminescence reaction was also discussed briefly. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

CINCH (confocal incoherent correlation holography) super resolution fluorescence microscopy based upon FINCH (Fresnel incoherent correlation holography).

PubMed

Siegel, Nisan; Storrie, Brian; Bruce, Marc; Brooker, Gary

2015-02-07

FINCH holographic fluorescence microscopy creates high resolution super-resolved images with enhanced depth of focus. The simple addition of a real-time Nipkow disk confocal image scanner in a conjugate plane of this incoherent holographic system is shown to reduce the depth of focus, and the combination of both techniques provides a simple way to enhance the axial resolution of FINCH in a combined method called "CINCH". An important feature of the combined system allows for the simultaneous real-time image capture of widefield and holographic images or confocal and confocal holographic images for ready comparison of each method on the exact same field of view. Additional GPU based complex deconvolution processing of the images further enhances resolution.

Phase-Locked Loop for Precisely Timed Acoustic Stimulation during Sleep

PubMed Central

Santostasi, Giovanni; Malkani, Roneil; Riedner, Brady; Bellesi, Michele; Tononi, Giulio; Paller, Ken A.; Zee, Phyllis C.

2016-01-01

Background A Brain-Computer Interface could potentially enhance the various benefits of sleep. New Method We describe a strategy for enhancing slow-wave sleep (SWS) by stimulating the sleeping brain with periodic acoustic stimuli that produce resonance in the form of enhanced slow-wave activity in the electroencephalogram (EEG). The system delivers each acoustic stimulus at a particular phase of an electrophysiological rhythm using a Phase-Locked Loop (PLL). Results The PLL is computationally economical and well suited to follow and predict the temporal behavior of the EEG during slow-wave sleep. Comparison with Existing Methods Acoustic stimulation methods may be able to enhance SWS without the risks inherent in electrical stimulation or pharmacological methods. The PLL method differs from other acoustic stimulation methods that are based on detecting a single slow wave rather than modeling slow-wave activity over an extended period of time. Conclusions By providing real-time estimates of the phase of ongoing EEG oscillations, the PLL can rapidly adjust to physiological changes, thus opening up new possibilities to study brain dynamics during sleep. Future application of these methods hold promise for enhancing sleep quality and associated daytime behavior and improving physiologic function. PMID:26617321

Enhancement method for rendered images of home decoration based on SLIC superpixels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Yutong; Jiang, Xiaotong

2018-04-01

Rendering technology has been widely used in the home decoration industry in recent years for images of home decoration design. However, due to the fact that rendered images of home decoration design rely heavily on the parameters of renderer and the lights of scenes, most rendered images in this industry require further optimization afterwards. To reduce workload and enhance rendered images automatically, an algorithm utilizing neural networks is proposed in this manuscript. In addition, considering few extreme conditions such as strong sunlight and lights, SLIC superpixels based segmentation is used to choose out these bright areas of an image and enhance them independently. Finally, these chosen areas are merged with the entire image. Experimental results show that the proposed method effectively enhances the rendered images when compared with some existing algorithms. Besides, the proposed strategy is proven to be adaptable especially to those images with obvious bright parts.

Integrating structure-based and ligand-based approaches for computational drug design.

PubMed

Wilson, Gregory L; Lill, Markus A

2011-04-01

Methods utilized in computer-aided drug design can be classified into two major categories: structure based and ligand based, using information on the structure of the protein or on the biological and physicochemical properties of bound ligands, respectively. In recent years there has been a trend towards integrating these two methods in order to enhance the reliability and efficiency of computer-aided drug-design approaches by combining information from both the ligand and the protein. This trend resulted in a variety of methods that include: pseudoreceptor methods, pharmacophore methods, fingerprint methods and approaches integrating docking with similarity-based methods. In this article, we will describe the concepts behind each method and selected applications.

Enhancing Student Learning in Knowledge-Based Courses: Integrating Team-Based Learning in Mass Communication Theory Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Han, Gang; Newell, Jay

2014-01-01

This study explores the adoption of the team-based learning (TBL) method in knowledge-based and theory-oriented journalism and mass communication (J&MC) courses. It first reviews the origin and concept of TBL, the relevant theories, and then introduces the TBL method and implementation, including procedures and assessments, employed in an…

Modeling method of time sequence model based grey system theory and application proceedings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Xuexia; Luo, Yaling; Zhang, Shiqiang

2015-12-01

This article gives a modeling method of grey system GM(1,1) model based on reusing information and the grey system theory. This method not only extremely enhances the fitting and predicting accuracy of GM(1,1) model, but also maintains the conventional routes' merit of simple computation. By this way, we have given one syphilis trend forecast method based on reusing information and the grey system GM(1,1) model.

Molecular dynamics based enhanced sampling of collective variables with very large time steps.

PubMed

Chen, Pei-Yang; Tuckerman, Mark E

2018-01-14

Enhanced sampling techniques that target a set of collective variables and that use molecular dynamics as the driving engine have seen widespread application in the computational molecular sciences as a means to explore the free-energy landscapes of complex systems. The use of molecular dynamics as the fundamental driver of the sampling requires the introduction of a time step whose magnitude is limited by the fastest motions in a system. While standard multiple time-stepping methods allow larger time steps to be employed for the slower and computationally more expensive forces, the maximum achievable increase in time step is limited by resonance phenomena, which inextricably couple fast and slow motions. Recently, we introduced deterministic and stochastic resonance-free multiple time step algorithms for molecular dynamics that solve this resonance problem and allow ten- to twenty-fold gains in the large time step compared to standard multiple time step algorithms [P. Minary et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 150201 (2004); B. Leimkuhler et al., Mol. Phys. 111, 3579-3594 (2013)]. These methods are based on the imposition of isokinetic constraints that couple the physical system to Nosé-Hoover chains or Nosé-Hoover Langevin schemes. In this paper, we show how to adapt these methods for collective variable-based enhanced sampling techniques, specifically adiabatic free-energy dynamics/temperature-accelerated molecular dynamics, unified free-energy dynamics, and by extension, metadynamics, thus allowing simulations employing these methods to employ similarly very large time steps. The combination of resonance-free multiple time step integrators with free-energy-based enhanced sampling significantly improves the efficiency of conformational exploration.

Molecular dynamics based enhanced sampling of collective variables with very large time steps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Pei-Yang; Tuckerman, Mark E.

2018-01-01

Enhanced sampling techniques that target a set of collective variables and that use molecular dynamics as the driving engine have seen widespread application in the computational molecular sciences as a means to explore the free-energy landscapes of complex systems. The use of molecular dynamics as the fundamental driver of the sampling requires the introduction of a time step whose magnitude is limited by the fastest motions in a system. While standard multiple time-stepping methods allow larger time steps to be employed for the slower and computationally more expensive forces, the maximum achievable increase in time step is limited by resonance phenomena, which inextricably couple fast and slow motions. Recently, we introduced deterministic and stochastic resonance-free multiple time step algorithms for molecular dynamics that solve this resonance problem and allow ten- to twenty-fold gains in the large time step compared to standard multiple time step algorithms [P. Minary et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 150201 (2004); B. Leimkuhler et al., Mol. Phys. 111, 3579-3594 (2013)]. These methods are based on the imposition of isokinetic constraints that couple the physical system to Nosé-Hoover chains or Nosé-Hoover Langevin schemes. In this paper, we show how to adapt these methods for collective variable-based enhanced sampling techniques, specifically adiabatic free-energy dynamics/temperature-accelerated molecular dynamics, unified free-energy dynamics, and by extension, metadynamics, thus allowing simulations employing these methods to employ similarly very large time steps. The combination of resonance-free multiple time step integrators with free-energy-based enhanced sampling significantly improves the efficiency of conformational exploration.

An Extended Spectral-Spatial Classification Approach for Hyperspectral Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akbari, D.

2017-11-01

In this paper an extended classification approach for hyperspectral imagery based on both spectral and spatial information is proposed. The spatial information is obtained by an enhanced marker-based minimum spanning forest (MSF) algorithm. Three different methods of dimension reduction are first used to obtain the subspace of hyperspectral data: (1) unsupervised feature extraction methods including principal component analysis (PCA), independent component analysis (ICA), and minimum noise fraction (MNF); (2) supervised feature extraction including decision boundary feature extraction (DBFE), discriminate analysis feature extraction (DAFE), and nonparametric weighted feature extraction (NWFE); (3) genetic algorithm (GA). The spectral features obtained are then fed into the enhanced marker-based MSF classification algorithm. In the enhanced MSF algorithm, the markers are extracted from the classification maps obtained by both SVM and watershed segmentation algorithm. To evaluate the proposed approach, the Pavia University hyperspectral data is tested. Experimental results show that the proposed approach using GA achieves an approximately 8 % overall accuracy higher than the original MSF-based algorithm.

Image enhancement using MCNP5 code and MATLAB in neutron radiography.

PubMed

Tharwat, Montaser; Mohamed, Nader; Mongy, T

2014-07-01

This work presents a method that can be used to enhance the neutron radiography (NR) image for objects with high scattering materials like hydrogen, carbon and other light materials. This method used Monte Carlo code, MCNP5, to simulate the NR process and get the flux distribution for each pixel of the image and determines the scattered neutron distribution that caused image blur, and then uses MATLAB to subtract this scattered neutron distribution from the initial image to improve its quality. This work was performed before the commissioning of digital NR system in Jan. 2013. The MATLAB enhancement method is quite a good technique in the case of static based film neutron radiography, while in neutron imaging (NI) technique, image enhancement and quantitative measurement were efficient by using ImageJ software. The enhanced image quality and quantitative measurements were presented in this work. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using a Mixed Methods Research Design in a Study Investigating the "Heads of e-Learning" Perspective towards Technology Enhanced Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Almpanis, Timos

2016-01-01

This paper outlines the research design, methodology and methods employed in research conducted in the context of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and focuses on the Heads of e-Learning (HeLs) perspective about Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) by campus-based UK institutions. This paper aims to expand on the research design and the research…

Single underwater image enhancement based on color cast removal and visibility restoration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chongyi; Guo, Jichang; Wang, Bo; Cong, Runmin; Zhang, Yan; Wang, Jian

2016-05-01

Images taken under underwater condition usually have color cast and serious loss of contrast and visibility. Degraded underwater images are inconvenient for observation and analysis. In order to address these problems, an underwater image-enhancement method is proposed. A simple yet effective underwater image color cast removal algorithm is first presented based on the optimization theory. Then, based on the minimum information loss principle and inherent relationship of medium transmission maps of three color channels in an underwater image, an effective visibility restoration algorithm is proposed to recover visibility, contrast, and natural appearance of degraded underwater images. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, qualitative comparison, quantitative comparison, and color accuracy test are conducted. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can effectively remove color cast, improve contrast and visibility, and recover natural appearance of degraded underwater images. Additionally, the proposed method is comparable to and even better than several state-of-the-art methods.

Computer Mediated Communication: Online Instruction and Interactivity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lavooy, Maria J.; Newlin, Michael H.

2003-01-01

Explores the different forms and potential applications of computer mediated communication (CMC) for Web-based and Web-enhanced courses. Based on their experiences with three different Web courses (Research Methods in Psychology, Statistical Methods in Psychology, and Basic Learning Processes) taught repeatedly over the last five years, the…

Image scanning fluorescence emission difference microscopy based on a detector array.

PubMed

Li, Y; Liu, S; Liu, D; Sun, S; Kuang, C; Ding, Z; Liu, X

2017-06-01

We propose a novel imaging method that enables the enhancement of three-dimensional resolution of confocal microscopy significantly and achieve experimentally a new fluorescence emission difference method for the first time, based on the parallel detection with a detector array. Following the principles of photon reassignment in image scanning microscopy, images captured by the detector array were arranged. And by selecting appropriate reassign patterns, the imaging result with enhanced resolution can be achieved with the method of fluorescence emission difference. Two specific methods are proposed in this paper, showing that the difference between an image scanning microscopy image and a confocal image will achieve an improvement of transverse resolution by approximately 43% compared with that in confocal microscopy, and the axial resolution can also be enhanced by at least 22% experimentally and 35% theoretically. Moreover, the methods presented in this paper can improve the lateral resolution by around 10% than fluorescence emission difference and 15% than Airyscan. The mechanism of our methods is verified by numerical simulations and experimental results, and it has significant potential in biomedical applications. © 2017 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2017 Royal Microscopical Society.

Durability Enhancement of a Microelectromechanical System-Based Liquid Droplet Lens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kyoo Lee, June; Park, Kyung-Woo; Kim, Hak-Rin; Kong, Seong Ho

2010-06-01

In this paper, we propose methods to enhance the durability of a microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based liquid droplet lens driven by electrowetting. The enhanced durability of the lens is achieved through not only improvement in quality of dielectric layer for electrowetting by minimizing concentration of coarse pinholes, but also mitigation of physical and electrostatic stresses by reforming lens cavity. Silicon dioxide layer is deposited using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, splitting the process into several steps to minimize the pinhole concentration in the oxide layer. And the stresses-reduced cavity in a form of overturned tetra-angular truncated pyramid with rounded corners, which is based on simulated results, is proposed and realized using silicon wet etching processes combined into anisotropic and isotropic etching.

Nucleic acid molecules conferring enhanced ethanol tolerance and microorganisms having enhanced tolerance to ethanol

DOEpatents

Brown, Steven; Guss, Adam; Yang, Shihui; Karpinets, Tatiana; Lynd, Lee; Shao, Xiongjun

2014-01-14

The present invention provides isolated nucleic acid molecules which encode a mutant acetaldehyde-CoA/alcohol dehydrogenase or mutant alcohol dehydrogenase and confer enhanced tolerance to ethanol. The invention also provides related expression vectors, genetically engineered microorganisms having enhanced tolerance to ethanol, as well as methods of making and using such genetically modified microorganisms for production of biofuels based on fermentation of biomass materials.

Recent Enhancements to the Development of CFD-Based Aeroelastic Reduced-Order Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Silva, Walter A.

2007-01-01

Recent enhancements to the development of CFD-based unsteady aerodynamic and aeroelastic reduced-order models (ROMs) are presented. These enhancements include the simultaneous application of structural modes as CFD input, static aeroelastic analysis using a ROM, and matched-point solutions using a ROM. The simultaneous application of structural modes as CFD input enables the computation of the unsteady aerodynamic state-space matrices with a single CFD execution, independent of the number of structural modes. The responses obtained from a simultaneous excitation of the CFD-based unsteady aerodynamic system are processed using system identification techniques in order to generate an unsteady aerodynamic state-space ROM. Once the unsteady aerodynamic state-space ROM is generated, a method for computing the static aeroelastic response using this unsteady aerodynamic ROM and a state-space model of the structure, is presented. Finally, a method is presented that enables the computation of matchedpoint solutions using a single ROM that is applicable over a range of dynamic pressures and velocities for a given Mach number. These enhancements represent a significant advancement of unsteady aerodynamic and aeroelastic ROM technology.

An Adaptive Image Enhancement Technique by Combining Cuckoo Search and Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm

PubMed Central

Ye, Zhiwei; Wang, Mingwei; Hu, Zhengbing; Liu, Wei

2015-01-01

Image enhancement is an important procedure of image processing and analysis. This paper presents a new technique using a modified measure and blending of cuckoo search and particle swarm optimization (CS-PSO) for low contrast images to enhance image adaptively. In this way, contrast enhancement is obtained by global transformation of the input intensities; it employs incomplete Beta function as the transformation function and a novel criterion for measuring image quality considering three factors which are threshold, entropy value, and gray-level probability density of the image. The enhancement process is a nonlinear optimization problem with several constraints. CS-PSO is utilized to maximize the objective fitness criterion in order to enhance the contrast and detail in an image by adapting the parameters of a novel extension to a local enhancement technique. The performance of the proposed method has been compared with other existing techniques such as linear contrast stretching, histogram equalization, and evolutionary computing based image enhancement methods like backtracking search algorithm, differential search algorithm, genetic algorithm, and particle swarm optimization in terms of processing time and image quality. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method is robust and adaptive and exhibits the better performance than other methods involved in the paper. PMID:25784928

An adaptive image enhancement technique by combining cuckoo search and particle swarm optimization algorithm.

PubMed

Ye, Zhiwei; Wang, Mingwei; Hu, Zhengbing; Liu, Wei

2015-01-01

Image enhancement is an important procedure of image processing and analysis. This paper presents a new technique using a modified measure and blending of cuckoo search and particle swarm optimization (CS-PSO) for low contrast images to enhance image adaptively. In this way, contrast enhancement is obtained by global transformation of the input intensities; it employs incomplete Beta function as the transformation function and a novel criterion for measuring image quality considering three factors which are threshold, entropy value, and gray-level probability density of the image. The enhancement process is a nonlinear optimization problem with several constraints. CS-PSO is utilized to maximize the objective fitness criterion in order to enhance the contrast and detail in an image by adapting the parameters of a novel extension to a local enhancement technique. The performance of the proposed method has been compared with other existing techniques such as linear contrast stretching, histogram equalization, and evolutionary computing based image enhancement methods like backtracking search algorithm, differential search algorithm, genetic algorithm, and particle swarm optimization in terms of processing time and image quality. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method is robust and adaptive and exhibits the better performance than other methods involved in the paper.

High-pressure torsion for new hydrogen storage materials

PubMed Central

Edalati, Kaveh; Akiba, Etsuo; Horita, Zenji

2018-01-01

Abstract High-pressure torsion (HPT) is widely used as a severe plastic deformation technique to create ultrafine-grained structures with promising mechanical and functional properties. Since 2007, the method has been employed to enhance the hydrogenation kinetics in different Mg-based hydrogen storage materials. Recent studies showed that the method is effective not only for increasing the hydrogenation kinetics but also for improving the hydrogenation activity, for enhancing the air resistivity and more importantly for synthesizing new nanostructured hydrogen storage materials with high densities of lattice defects. This manuscript reviews some major findings on the impact of HPT process on the hydrogen storage performance of different titanium-based and magnesium-based materials. PMID:29511396

Adolescents’ perceptions of a mobile cell phone text messaging-enhanced intervention and development of a mobile cell phone-based HIV prevention intervention

PubMed Central

Cornelius, Judith B.; St. Lawrence, Janet S.; Howard, Jacquelyn C.; Shah, Deval; Poka, Avinash; McDonald, Delilah; White, Ann C.

2013-01-01

Purpose This study examined African American adolescents’ perceptions of a mobile cell phone (MCP)-enhanced intervention and development of an MCP-based HIV prevention intervention. Design and Methods One focus group was conducted with 11 adolescents who participated in the Becoming a Responsible Teen Text Messaging project. Results Adolescents said they benefited from the MCP-enhanced approach and were receptive to the idea of developing an MCP-based intervention. Practice Implications Nurses can use the findings of this report as a starting point in examining the development of MCP-based sexuality education with parents and adolescents. PMID:22188273

3D ductile crack propagation within a polycrystalline microstructure using XFEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beese, Steffen; Loehnert, Stefan; Wriggers, Peter

2018-02-01

In this contribution we present a gradient enhanced damage based method to simulate discrete crack propagation in 3D polycrystalline microstructures. Discrete cracks are represented using the eXtended finite element method. The crack propagation criterion and the crack propagation direction for each point along the crack front line is based on the gradient enhanced damage variable. This approach requires the solution of a coupled problem for the balance of momentum and the additional global equation for the gradient enhanced damage field. To capture the discontinuity of the displacements as well as the gradient enhanced damage along the discrete crack, both fields are enriched using the XFEM in combination with level sets. Knowing the crack front velocity, level set methods are used to compute the updated crack geometry after each crack propagation step. The applied material model is a crystal plasticity model often used for polycrystalline microstructures of metals in combination with the gradient enhanced damage model. Due to the inelastic material behaviour after each discrete crack propagation step a projection of the internal variables from the old to the new crack configuration is required. Since for arbitrary crack geometries ill-conditioning of the equation system may occur due to (near) linear dependencies between standard and enriched degrees of freedom, an XFEM stabilisation technique based on a singular value decomposition of the element stiffness matrix is proposed. The performance of the presented methodology to capture crack propagation in polycrystalline microstructures is demonstrated with a number of numerical examples.

Sum of top-hat transform based algorithm for vessel enhancement in MRA images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ouazaa, Hibet-Allah; Jlassi, Hajer; Hamrouni, Kamel

2018-04-01

The Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) is rich with information's. But, they suffer from poor contrast, illumination and noise. Thus, it is required to enhance the images. But, these significant information can be lost if improper techniques are applied. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a new method of enhancement. We applied firstly the CLAHE method to increase the contrast of the image. Then, we applied the sum of Top-Hat Transform to increase the brightness of vessels. It is performed with the structuring element oriented in different angles. The methodology is tested and evaluated on the publicly available database BRAINIX. And, we used the measurement methods MSE (Mean Square Error), PSNR (Peak Signal to Noise Ratio) and SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio) for the evaluation. The results demonstrate that the proposed method could efficiently enhance the image details and is comparable with state of the art algorithms. Hence, the proposed method could be broadly used in various applications.

CINCH (confocal incoherent correlation holography) super resolution fluorescence microscopy based upon FINCH (Fresnel incoherent correlation holography)

PubMed Central

Siegel, Nisan; Storrie, Brian; Bruce, Marc

2016-01-01

FINCH holographic fluorescence microscopy creates high resolution super-resolved images with enhanced depth of focus. The simple addition of a real-time Nipkow disk confocal image scanner in a conjugate plane of this incoherent holographic system is shown to reduce the depth of focus, and the combination of both techniques provides a simple way to enhance the axial resolution of FINCH in a combined method called “CINCH”. An important feature of the combined system allows for the simultaneous real-time image capture of widefield and holographic images or confocal and confocal holographic images for ready comparison of each method on the exact same field of view. Additional GPU based complex deconvolution processing of the images further enhances resolution. PMID:26839443

Integral imaging based light field display with enhanced viewing resolution using holographic diffuser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Zhiqiang; Yan, Xingpeng; Jiang, Xiaoyu; Gao, Hui; Wen, Jun

2017-11-01

An integral imaging based light field display method is proposed by use of holographic diffuser, and enhanced viewing resolution is gained over conventional integral imaging systems. The holographic diffuser is fabricated with controlled diffusion characteristics, which interpolates the discrete light field of the reconstructed points to approximate the original light field. The viewing resolution can thus be improved and independent of the limitation imposed by Nyquist sampling frequency. An integral imaging system with low Nyquist sampling frequency is constructed, and reconstructed scenes of high viewing resolution using holographic diffuser are demonstrated, verifying the feasibility of the method.

Ultrabright femtosecond source of biphotons based on a spatial mode inverter.

PubMed

Jarutis, Vygandas; Juodkazis, Saulius; Mizeikis, Vygantas; Sasaki, Keiji; Misawa, Hiroaki

2005-02-01

A method of enhancing the efficiency of entangled biphoton sources based on a type II femtosecond spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC) process is proposed and implemented experimentally. Enhancement is obtained by mode inversion of one of the SPDC output beams, which allows the beams to overlap completely, thus maximizing the number of SPDC photon pairs with optimum spatiotemporal overlap. By use of this method, biphoton count rates as high as 16 kHz from a single 0.5-mm-long beta-barium borate crystal pumped by second-harmonic radiation from a Ti:sapphire laser were obtained.

Brain vascular image enhancement based on gradient adjust with split Bregman

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Xiao; Dong, Di; Hui, Hui; Zhang, Liwen; Fang, Mengjie; Tian, Jie

2016-04-01

Light Sheet Microscopy is a high-resolution fluorescence microscopic technique which enables to observe the mouse brain vascular network clearly with immunostaining. However, micro-vessels are stained with few fluorescence antibodies and their signals are much weaker than large vessels, which make micro-vessels unclear in LSM images. In this work, we developed a vascular image enhancement method to enhance micro-vessel details which should be useful for vessel statistics analysis. Since gradient describes the edge information of the vessel, the main idea of our method is to increase the gradient values of the enhanced image to improve the micro-vessels contrast. Our method contained two steps: 1) calculate the gradient image of LSM image, and then amplify high gradient values of the original image to enhance the vessel edge and suppress low gradient values to remove noises. Then we formulated a new L1-norm regularization optimization problem to find an image with the expected gradient while keeping the main structure information of the original image. 2) The split Bregman iteration method was used to deal with the L1-norm regularization problem and generate the final enhanced image. The main advantage of the split Bregman method is that it has both fast convergence and low memory cost. In order to verify the effectiveness of our method, we applied our method to a series of mouse brain vascular images acquired from a commercial LSM system in our lab. The experimental results showed that our method could greatly enhance micro-vessel edges which were unclear in the original images.

Resolution Enhancement Algorithm for Spaceborn SAR Based on Hanning Function Weighted Sidelobe Suppression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, C.; Zhou, X.; Tang, D.; Zhu, Z.

2018-04-01

Resolution and sidelobe are mutual restrict for SAR image. Usually sidelobe suppression is based on resolution reduction. This paper provide a method for resolution enchancement using sidelobe opposition speciality of hanning window and SAR image. The method can keep high resolution on the condition of sidelobe suppression. Compare to traditional method, this method can enchance 50 % resolution when sidelobe is -30dB.

Half-unit weighted bilinear algorithm for image contrast enhancement in capsule endoscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rukundo, Olivier

2018-04-01

This paper proposes a novel enhancement method based exclusively on the bilinear interpolation algorithm for capsule endoscopy images. The proposed method does not convert the original RBG image components to HSV or any other color space or model; instead, it processes directly RGB components. In each component, a group of four adjacent pixels and half-unit weight in the bilinear weighting function are used to calculate the average pixel value, identical for each pixel in that particular group. After calculations, groups of identical pixels are overlapped successively in horizontal and vertical directions to achieve a preliminary-enhanced image. The final-enhanced image is achieved by halving the sum of the original and preliminary-enhanced image pixels. Quantitative and qualitative experiments were conducted focusing on pairwise comparisons between original and enhanced images. Final-enhanced images have generally the best diagnostic quality and gave more details about the visibility of vessels and structures in capsule endoscopy images.

Smart light random memory sprays Retinex: a fast Retinex implementation for high-quality brightness adjustment and color correction.

PubMed

Banić, Nikola; Lončarić, Sven

2015-11-01

Removing the influence of illumination on image colors and adjusting the brightness across the scene are important image enhancement problems. This is achieved by applying adequate color constancy and brightness adjustment methods. One of the earliest models to deal with both of these problems was the Retinex theory. Some of the Retinex implementations tend to give high-quality results by performing local operations, but they are computationally relatively slow. One of the recent Retinex implementations is light random sprays Retinex (LRSR). In this paper, a new method is proposed for brightness adjustment and color correction that overcomes the main disadvantages of LRSR. There are three main contributions of this paper. First, a concept of memory sprays is proposed to reduce the number of LRSR's per-pixel operations to a constant regardless of the parameter values, thereby enabling a fast Retinex-based local image enhancement. Second, an effective remapping of image intensities is proposed that results in significantly higher quality. Third, the problem of LRSR's halo effect is significantly reduced by using an alternative illumination processing method. The proposed method enables a fast Retinex-based image enhancement by processing Retinex paths in a constant number of steps regardless of the path size. Due to the halo effect removal and remapping of the resulting intensities, the method outperforms many of the well-known image enhancement methods in terms of resulting image quality. The results are presented and discussed. It is shown that the proposed method outperforms most of the tested methods in terms of image brightness adjustment, color correction, and computational speed.

Bone surface enhancement in ultrasound images using a new Doppler-based acquisition/processing method.

PubMed

Yang, Xu; Tang, Songyuan; Tasciotti, Ennio; Righetti, Raffaella

2018-01-17

Ultrasound (US) imaging has long been considered as a potential aid in orthopedic surgeries. US technologies are safe, portable and do not use radiations. This would make them a desirable tool for real-time assessment of fractures and to monitor fracture healing. However, image quality of US imaging methods in bone applications is limited by speckle, attenuation, shadow, multiple reflections and other imaging artifacts. While bone surfaces typically appear in US images as somewhat 'brighter' than soft tissue, they are often not easily distinguishable from the surrounding tissue. Therefore, US imaging methods aimed at segmenting bone surfaces need enhancement in image contrast prior to segmentation to improve the quality of the detected bone surface. In this paper, we present a novel acquisition/processing technique for bone surface enhancement in US images. Inspired by elastography and Doppler imaging methods, this technique takes advantage of the difference between the mechanical and acoustic properties of bones and those of soft tissues to make the bone surface more easily distinguishable in US images. The objective of this technique is to facilitate US-based bone segmentation methods and improve the accuracy of their outcomes. The newly proposed technique is tested both in in vitro and in vivo experiments. The results of these preliminary experiments suggest that the use of the proposed technique has the potential to significantly enhance the detectability of bone surfaces in noisy ultrasound images.

Bone surface enhancement in ultrasound images using a new Doppler-based acquisition/processing method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xu; Tang, Songyuan; Tasciotti, Ennio; Righetti, Raffaella

2018-01-01

Ultrasound (US) imaging has long been considered as a potential aid in orthopedic surgeries. US technologies are safe, portable and do not use radiations. This would make them a desirable tool for real-time assessment of fractures and to monitor fracture healing. However, image quality of US imaging methods in bone applications is limited by speckle, attenuation, shadow, multiple reflections and other imaging artifacts. While bone surfaces typically appear in US images as somewhat ‘brighter’ than soft tissue, they are often not easily distinguishable from the surrounding tissue. Therefore, US imaging methods aimed at segmenting bone surfaces need enhancement in image contrast prior to segmentation to improve the quality of the detected bone surface. In this paper, we present a novel acquisition/processing technique for bone surface enhancement in US images. Inspired by elastography and Doppler imaging methods, this technique takes advantage of the difference between the mechanical and acoustic properties of bones and those of soft tissues to make the bone surface more easily distinguishable in US images. The objective of this technique is to facilitate US-based bone segmentation methods and improve the accuracy of their outcomes. The newly proposed technique is tested both in in vitro and in vivo experiments. The results of these preliminary experiments suggest that the use of the proposed technique has the potential to significantly enhance the detectability of bone surfaces in noisy ultrasound images.

General point dipole theory for periodic metasurfaces: magnetoelectric scattering lattices coupled to planar photonic structures.

PubMed

Chen, Yuntian; Zhang, Yan; Femius Koenderink, A

2017-09-04

We study semi-analytically the light emission and absorption properties of arbitrary stratified photonic structures with embedded two-dimensional magnetoelectric point scattering lattices, as used in recent plasmon-enhanced LEDs and solar cells. By employing dyadic Green's function for the layered structure in combination with the Ewald lattice summation to deal with the particle lattice, we develop an efficient method to study the coupling between planar 2D scattering lattices of plasmonic, or metamaterial point particles, coupled to layered structures. Using the 'array scanning method' we deal with localized sources. Firstly, we apply our method to light emission enhancement of dipole emitters in slab waveguides, mediated by plasmonic lattices. We benchmark the array scanning method against a reciprocity-based approach to find that the calculated radiative rate enhancement in k-space below the light cone shows excellent agreement. Secondly, we apply our method to study absorption-enhancement in thin-film solar cells mediated by periodic Ag nanoparticle arrays. Lastly, we study the emission distribution in k-space of a coupled waveguide-lattice system. In particular, we explore the dark mode excitation on the plasmonic lattice using the so-called array scanning method. Our method could be useful for simulating a broad range of complex nanophotonic structures, i.e., metasurfaces, plasmon-enhanced light emitting systems and photovoltaics.

Finding electromagnetic and chemical enhancement factors of surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

PubMed

Dvoynenko, Mykhaylo M; Wang, Juen-Kai

2007-12-15

The authors report two methods to determine electromagnetic and chemical enhancement factors in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), which are based on saturation property and decay dynamics of photoluminescence and concurrent measurements of photoluminescence and resonance Raman scattering intensities. Considerations for experimental implementation are discussed. This study is expected to facilitate the understanding of SERS mechanisms and the advancement of the usage of SERS in chemical and biological sensor applications.

Teaching communication skills: using action methods to enhance role-play in problem-based learning.

PubMed

Baile, Walter F; Blatner, Adam

2014-08-01

Role-play is a method of simulation used commonly to teach communication skills. Role-play methods can be enhanced by techniques that are not widely used in medical teaching, including warm-ups, role-creation, doubling, and role reversal. The purposes of these techniques are to prepare learners to take on the role of others in a role-play; to develop an insight into unspoken attitudes, thoughts, and feelings, which often determine the behavior of others; and to enhance communication skills through the participation of learners in enactments of communication challenges generated by them. In this article, we describe a hypothetical teaching session in which an instructor applies each of these techniques in teaching medical students how to break bad news using a method called SPIKES [Setting, Perception, Invitation, Knowledge, Emotions, Strategy, and Summary]. We illustrate how these techniques track contemporary adult learning theory through a learner-centered, case-based, experiential approach to selecting challenging scenarios in giving bad news, by attending to underlying emotion and by using reflection to anchor new learning.

Real-time spectrum estimation–based dual-channel speech-enhancement algorithm for cochlear implant

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Improvement of the cochlear implant (CI) front-end signal acquisition is needed to increase speech recognition in noisy environments. To suppress the directional noise, we introduce a speech-enhancement algorithm based on microphone array beamforming and spectral estimation. The experimental results indicate that this method is robust to directional mobile noise and strongly enhances the desired speech, thereby improving the performance of CI devices in a noisy environment. Methods The spectrum estimation and the array beamforming methods were combined to suppress the ambient noise. The directivity coefficient was estimated in the noise-only intervals, and was updated to fit for the mobile noise. Results The proposed algorithm was realized in the CI speech strategy. For actual parameters, we use Maxflat filter to obtain fractional sampling points and cepstrum method to differentiate the desired speech frame and the noise frame. The broadband adjustment coefficients were added to compensate the energy loss in the low frequency band. Discussions The approximation of the directivity coefficient is tested and the errors are discussed. We also analyze the algorithm constraint for noise estimation and distortion in CI processing. The performance of the proposed algorithm is analyzed and further be compared with other prevalent methods. Conclusions The hardware platform was constructed for the experiments. The speech-enhancement results showed that our algorithm can suppresses the non-stationary noise with high SNR. Excellent performance of the proposed algorithm was obtained in the speech enhancement experiments and mobile testing. And signal distortion results indicate that this algorithm is robust with high SNR improvement and low speech distortion. PMID:23006896

[Quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy trace gas detection system based on the Fabry-Perot demodulation].

PubMed

Lin, Cheng; Zhu, Yong; Wei, Wei; Zhang, Jie; Tian, Li; Xu, Zu-Wen

2013-05-01

An all-optical quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy system, based on the F-P demodulation, for trace gas detection in the open environment was proposed. In quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS), an optical fiber Fabry-Perot method was used to replace the conventional electronic demodulation method. The photoacoustic signal was obtained by demodulating the variation of the Fabry-Perot cavity between the quartz tuning fork side and the fiber face. An experimental system was setup. The experiment for detection of water vapour in the open environment was carried on. A normalized noise equivalent absorption coefficient of 2.80 x 10(-7) cm(-1) x W x Hz(-1/2) was achieved. The result demonstrated that the sensitivity of the all-optical quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy system is about 2.6 times higher than that of the conventional QEPAS system. The all-optical quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy system is immune to electromagnetic interference, safe in flammable and explosive gas detection, suitable for high temperature and high humidity environments and realizable for long distance, multi-point and network sensing.

Capillary-valve-based fabrication of ion-selective membrane junction for electrokinetic sample preconcentration in PDMS chip.

PubMed

Liu, Vincent; Song, Yong-Ak; Han, Jongyoon

2010-06-07

In this paper, we report a novel method for fabricating ion-selective membranes in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)/glass-based microfluidic preconcentrators. Based on the concept of capillary valves, this fabrication method involves filling a lithographically patterned junction between two microchannels with an ion-selective material such as Nafion resin; subsequent curing results in a high aspect-ratio membrane for use in electrokinetic sample preconcentration. To demonstrate the concentration performance of this high-aspect-ratio, ion-selective membrane, we integrated the preconcentrator with a surface-based immunoassay for R-Phycoerythrin (RPE). Using a 1x PBS buffer system, the preconcentrator-enhanced immunoassay showed an approximately 100x improvement in sensitivity within 30 min. This is the first time that an electrokinetic microfluidic preconcentrator based on ion concentration polarization (ICP) has been used in high ionic strength buffer solutions to enhance the sensitivity of a surface-based immunoassay.

Accurate airway segmentation based on intensity structure analysis and graph-cut

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Qier; Kitsaka, Takayuki; Nimura, Yukitaka; Oda, Masahiro; Mori, Kensaku

2016-03-01

This paper presents a novel airway segmentation method based on intensity structure analysis and graph-cut. Airway segmentation is an important step in analyzing chest CT volumes for computerized lung cancer detection, emphysema diagnosis, asthma diagnosis, and pre- and intra-operative bronchoscope navigation. However, obtaining a complete 3-D airway tree structure from a CT volume is quite challenging. Several researchers have proposed automated algorithms basically based on region growing and machine learning techniques. However these methods failed to detect the peripheral bronchi branches. They caused a large amount of leakage. This paper presents a novel approach that permits more accurate extraction of complex bronchial airway region. Our method are composed of three steps. First, the Hessian analysis is utilized for enhancing the line-like structure in CT volumes, then a multiscale cavity-enhancement filter is employed to detect the cavity-like structure from the previous enhanced result. In the second step, we utilize the support vector machine (SVM) to construct a classifier for removing the FP regions generated. Finally, the graph-cut algorithm is utilized to connect all of the candidate voxels to form an integrated airway tree. We applied this method to sixteen cases of 3D chest CT volumes. The results showed that the branch detection rate of this method can reach about 77.7% without leaking into the lung parenchyma areas.

Contrast-dependent saturation adjustment for outdoor image enhancement.

PubMed

Wang, Shuhang; Cho, Woon; Jang, Jinbeum; Abidi, Mongi A; Paik, Joonki

2017-01-01

Outdoor images captured in bad-weather conditions usually have poor intensity contrast and color saturation since the light arriving at the camera is severely scattered or attenuated. The task of improving image quality in poor conditions remains a challenge. Existing methods of image quality improvement are usually effective for a small group of images but often fail to produce satisfactory results for a broader variety of images. In this paper, we propose an image enhancement method, which makes it applicable to enhance outdoor images by using content-adaptive contrast improvement as well as contrast-dependent saturation adjustment. The main contribution of this work is twofold: (1) we propose the content-adaptive histogram equalization based on the human visual system to improve the intensity contrast; and (2) we introduce a simple yet effective prior for adjusting the color saturation depending on the intensity contrast. The proposed method is tested with different kinds of images, compared with eight state-of-the-art methods: four enhancement methods and four haze removal methods. Experimental results show the proposed method can more effectively improve the visibility and preserve the naturalness of the images, as opposed to the compared methods.

Cortical Enhanced Tissue Segmentation of Neonatal Brain MR Images Acquired by a Dedicated Phased Array Coil

PubMed Central

Shi, Feng; Yap, Pew-Thian; Fan, Yong; Cheng, Jie-Zhi; Wald, Lawrence L.; Gerig, Guido; Lin, Weili; Shen, Dinggang

2010-01-01

The acquisition of high quality MR images of neonatal brains is largely hampered by their characteristically small head size and low tissue contrast. As a result, subsequent image processing and analysis, especially for brain tissue segmentation, are often hindered. To overcome this problem, a dedicated phased array neonatal head coil is utilized to improve MR image quality by effectively combing images obtained from 8 coil elements without lengthening data acquisition time. In addition, a subject-specific atlas based tissue segmentation algorithm is specifically developed for the delineation of fine structures in the acquired neonatal brain MR images. The proposed tissue segmentation method first enhances the sheet-like cortical gray matter (GM) structures in neonatal images with a Hessian filter for generation of cortical GM prior. Then, the prior is combined with our neonatal population atlas to form a cortical enhanced hybrid atlas, which we refer to as the subject-specific atlas. Various experiments are conducted to compare the proposed method with manual segmentation results, as well as with additional two population atlas based segmentation methods. Results show that the proposed method is capable of segmenting the neonatal brain with the highest accuracy, compared to other two methods. PMID:20862268

Toward a Method for Exposing and Elucidating Ethical Issues with Human Cognitive Enhancement Technologies.

PubMed

Hofmann, Bjørn

2017-04-01

To develop a method for exposing and elucidating ethical issues with human cognitive enhancement (HCE). The intended use of the method is to support and facilitate open and transparent deliberation and decision making with respect to this emerging technology with great potential formative implications for individuals and society. Literature search to identify relevant approaches. Conventional content analysis of the identified papers and methods in order to assess their suitability for assessing HCE according to four selection criteria. Method development. Amendment after pilot testing on smart-glasses. Based on three existing approaches in health technology assessment a method for exposing and elucidating ethical issues in the assessment of HCE technologies was developed. Based on a pilot test for smart-glasses, the method was amended. The method consists of six steps and a guiding list of 43 questions. A method for exposing and elucidating ethical issues in the assessment of HCE was developed. The method provides the ground work for context specific ethical assessment and analysis. Widespread use, amendments, and further developments of the method are encouraged.

Hue-preserving and saturation-improved color histogram equalization algorithm.

PubMed

Song, Ki Sun; Kang, Hee; Kang, Moon Gi

2016-06-01

In this paper, an algorithm is proposed to improve contrast and saturation without color degradation. The local histogram equalization (HE) method offers better performance than the global HE method, whereas the local HE method sometimes produces undesirable results due to the block-based processing. The proposed contrast-enhancement (CE) algorithm reflects the characteristics of the global HE method in the local HE method to avoid the artifacts, while global and local contrasts are enhanced. There are two ways to apply the proposed CE algorithm to color images. One is luminance processing methods, and the other one is each channel processing methods. However, these ways incur excessive or reduced saturation and color degradation problems. The proposed algorithm solves these problems by using channel adaptive equalization and similarity of ratios between the channels. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm enhances contrast and saturation while preserving the hue and producing better performance than existing methods in terms of objective evaluation metrics.

Hot spots based gold nanostar@SiO2@CdSe/ZnS quantum dots complex with strong fluorescence enhancement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shan, Feng; Su, Dan; Li, Wei; Hu, Wei; Zhang, Tong

2018-02-01

In this paper, a novel gold nanostar (NS)@SiO2@CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) complex with plasmon-enhanced fluorescence synthesized using a step-by-step surface linkage method was presented. The gold NS was synthesized by the seed growth method. The synthesized gold NS with the apexes structure has a hot-spot effect due to the strong electric field distributed at its sharp apexes, which leads to a plasmon resonance enhancement. Because the distance between QDs and metal nanostructures can be precisely controlled by this method, the relationship between enhancement and distance was revealed. The thickness of SiO2 shell was also optimized and the optimum distance of about 21 nm was obtained. The highest fluorescence enhancement of 4.8-fold accompanied by a minimum fluorescence lifetime of 2.3 ns were achieved. This strong enhancement comes from the hot spots distributed at the sharp tip of our constructed nanostructure. Through the finite element method, we calculated the field distribution on the surface of NS and found that gold NS with the sharpest apexes exhibited the highest field enhancement, which matches well with our experiment result. This complex shows tremendous potential applications for liquid-dependent biometric imaging systems.

Using reinforcement-based methods to enhance membership recruitment in a volunteer organization.

PubMed Central

Herndon, E J; Mikulas, W L

1996-01-01

The present study employed reinforcement-based methods to induce existing members to recruit new members to join a chamber of commerce. Three interventions took place during June and July of 3 successive years. The investigators trained chamber leaders to use reinforcement methods (e.g., contingent tokens) to reinforce recruitment and dues collections. All three interventions produced substantial increases in their targets. PMID:8995839

Using reinforcement-based methods to enhance membership recruitment in a volunteer organization.

PubMed

Herndon, E J; Mikulas, W L

1996-01-01

The present study employed reinforcement-based methods to induce existing members to recruit new members to join a chamber of commerce. Three interventions took place during June and July of 3 successive years. The investigators trained chamber leaders to use reinforcement methods (e.g., contingent tokens) to reinforce recruitment and dues collections. All three interventions produced substantial increases in their targets.

Using Inquiry-Based Strategies for Enhancing Students' STEM Education Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lai, Ching-San

2018-01-01

The major purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not the inquiry-based method is effective in improving students' learning in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used. A total of 73 college students studying Information Technology (IT) were chosen as…

Enhancement of convective heat transfer coefficient of ethylene glycol base cuprous oxide (Cu2O) nanofluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassan, Ali; Ramzan, Naveed; Umer, Asim; Ahmad, Ayyaz; Muryam, Hina

2018-02-01

The enhancement in the convective heat transfer coefficient of the ethylene glycol (EG) base cuprous oxide (Cu2O) nanofluids were investigated. The nanofluids of different volume concentrations i-e 1%, 2.5% and 4.5% were prepared by the two step method. Cuprous oxide (Cu2O) nanoparticles were ultrasonically stirred for four hours in the ethylene glycol (EG). The experimental study has been performed through circular tube geometry in laminar flow regime at average Reynolds numbers 36, 71 and 116. The constant heat flux Q = 4000 (W/m2) was maintained during this work. Substantial enhancement was observed in the convective heat transfer coefficient of ethylene glycol (EG) base cuprous oxide (Cu2O) nanofluids than the base fluid. The maximum 74% enhancement was observed in convective heat transfer coefficient at 4.5 vol% concentration and Re = 116.

Color reproduction and processing algorithm based on real-time mapping for endoscopic images.

PubMed

Khan, Tareq H; Mohammed, Shahed K; Imtiaz, Mohammad S; Wahid, Khan A

2016-01-01

In this paper, we present a real-time preprocessing algorithm for image enhancement for endoscopic images. A novel dictionary based color mapping algorithm is used for reproducing the color information from a theme image. The theme image is selected from a nearby anatomical location. A database of color endoscopy image for different location is prepared for this purpose. The color map is dynamic as its contents change with the change of the theme image. This method is used on low contrast grayscale white light images and raw narrow band images to highlight the vascular and mucosa structures and to colorize the images. It can also be applied to enhance the tone of color images. The statistic visual representation and universal image quality measures show that the proposed method can highlight the mucosa structure compared to other methods. The color similarity has been verified using Delta E color difference, structure similarity index, mean structure similarity index and structure and hue similarity. The color enhancement was measured using color enhancement factor that shows considerable improvements. The proposed algorithm has low and linear time complexity, which results in higher execution speed than other related works.

A simple and rapid method for direct determination of Al(III) based on the enhanced resonance Rayleigh scattering of hemin-functionalized graphene-Al(III) system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ling, Yu; Chen, Ling Xiao; Dong, Jiang Xue; Li, Nian Bing; Luo, Hong Qun

2016-03-01

A novel method for direct determination of Al(III) by using hemin-functionalized graphene (H-GO) has been established based on the enhancement of resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) intensity. The characteristics of RRS spectra, the optimum reaction conditions, and the reaction mechanism have been investigated. In this experiment, the Al(III) would exist in sol-gel Al(OH)3 species under the condition of pH 5.9 in aqueous solutions. When H-GO existed in the solution, the sol-gel Al(OH)3 would react with H-GO and result in enhancement of RRS intensity, owing to the enhanced hydrophobicity of H-GO surface. Therefore, a simple and rapid sensor for Al(III) was developed. The increased intensity of RRS is directly proportional to the concentration of Al(III) in the range of 10 nM-6 μM, along with a detection limit of 0.87 nM. Moreover, the sensor has been applied to determination of Al(III) concentration in real water and aspirin tablet samples with satisfactory results. Therefore, the proposed method is promising as an effective means for selective and sensitive determination of Al(III).

Enhanced teaching and student learning through a simulator-based course in chemical unit operations design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghasem, Nayef

2016-07-01

This paper illustrates a teaching technique used in computer applications in chemical engineering employed for designing various unit operation processes, where the students learn about unit operations by designing them. The aim of the course is not to teach design, but rather to teach the fundamentals and the function of unit operation processes through simulators. A case study presenting the teaching method was evaluated using student surveys and faculty assessments, which were designed to measure the quality and effectiveness of the teaching method. The results of the questionnaire conclusively demonstrate that this method is an extremely efficient way of teaching a simulator-based course. In addition to that, this teaching method can easily be generalised and used in other courses. A student's final mark is determined by a combination of in-class assessments conducted based on cooperative and peer learning, progress tests and a final exam. Results revealed that peer learning can improve the overall quality of student learning and enhance student understanding.

Highly sensitive determination of iron (III) ion based on phenanthroline probe: Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Lei; Ma, Ning; Park, Yeonju; Jin, Sila; Hwang, Hoon; Jiang, Dayu; Jung, Young Mee

2018-05-01

In this paper, we introduced Raman spectroscopy techniques that were based on the traditional Fe3 + determination method with phenanthroline as a probe. Interestingly, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-based approach exhibited excellent sensitivities to phenanthroline. Different detection mechanisms were observed for the RR and SERS techniques, in which the RR intensity increased with increasing Fe3 + concentration due to the observation of the RR effect of the phenanthroline-Fe2 + complex, whereas the SERS intensity increased with decreasing Fe3 + concentration due to the observation of the SERS effect of the uncomplexed phenanthroline. More importantly, the determination sensitivity was substantially improved in the presence of a SERS-active substrate, giving a detection limit as low as 0.001 μg/mL, which is 20 times lower than the limit of the UV-vis and RR methods. Furthermore, the proposed SERS method was free from other ions interference and can be used quality and sensitivity for the determination of the city tap water.

Connectivity-based fixel enhancement: Whole-brain statistical analysis of diffusion MRI measures in the presence of crossing fibres

PubMed Central

Raffelt, David A.; Smith, Robert E.; Ridgway, Gerard R.; Tournier, J-Donald; Vaughan, David N.; Rose, Stephen; Henderson, Robert; Connelly, Alan

2015-01-01

In brain regions containing crossing fibre bundles, voxel-average diffusion MRI measures such as fractional anisotropy (FA) are difficult to interpret, and lack within-voxel single fibre population specificity. Recent work has focused on the development of more interpretable quantitative measures that can be associated with a specific fibre population within a voxel containing crossing fibres (herein we use fixel to refer to a specific fibre population within a single voxel). Unfortunately, traditional 3D methods for smoothing and cluster-based statistical inference cannot be used for voxel-based analysis of these measures, since the local neighbourhood for smoothing and cluster formation can be ambiguous when adjacent voxels may have different numbers of fixels, or ill-defined when they belong to different tracts. Here we introduce a novel statistical method to perform whole-brain fixel-based analysis called connectivity-based fixel enhancement (CFE). CFE uses probabilistic tractography to identify structurally connected fixels that are likely to share underlying anatomy and pathology. Probabilistic connectivity information is then used for tract-specific smoothing (prior to the statistical analysis) and enhancement of the statistical map (using a threshold-free cluster enhancement-like approach). To investigate the characteristics of the CFE method, we assessed sensitivity and specificity using a large number of combinations of CFE enhancement parameters and smoothing extents, using simulated pathology generated with a range of test-statistic signal-to-noise ratios in five different white matter regions (chosen to cover a broad range of fibre bundle features). The results suggest that CFE input parameters are relatively insensitive to the characteristics of the simulated pathology. We therefore recommend a single set of CFE parameters that should give near optimal results in future studies where the group effect is unknown. We then demonstrate the proposed method by comparing apparent fibre density between motor neurone disease (MND) patients with control subjects. The MND results illustrate the benefit of fixel-specific statistical inference in white matter regions that contain crossing fibres. PMID:26004503

Enhanced robust fractional order proportional-plus-integral controller based on neural network for velocity control of permanent magnet synchronous motor.

PubMed

Zhang, Bitao; Pi, YouGuo

2013-07-01

The traditional integer order proportional-integral-differential (IO-PID) controller is sensitive to the parameter variation or/and external load disturbance of permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM). And the fractional order proportional-integral-differential (FO-PID) control scheme based on robustness tuning method is proposed to enhance the robustness. But the robustness focuses on the open-loop gain variation of controlled plant. In this paper, an enhanced robust fractional order proportional-plus-integral (ERFOPI) controller based on neural network is proposed. The control law of the ERFOPI controller is acted on a fractional order implement function (FOIF) of tracking error but not tracking error directly, which, according to theory analysis, can enhance the robust performance of system. Tuning rules and approaches, based on phase margin, crossover frequency specification and robustness rejecting gain variation, are introduced to obtain the parameters of ERFOPI controller. And the neural network algorithm is used to adjust the parameter of FOIF. Simulation and experimental results show that the method proposed in this paper not only achieve favorable tracking performance, but also is robust with regard to external load disturbance and parameter variation. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated, on-board terrain analysis for precision landings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rahman, Zia-ur; Jobson, Daniel J.; Woodell, Glenn A.; Hines, Glenn D.

2006-01-01

Advances in space robotics technology hinge to a large extent upon the development and deployment of sophisticated new vision-based methods for automated in-space mission operations and scientific survey. To this end, we have developed a new concept for automated terrain analysis that is based upon a generic image enhancement platform|multi-scale retinex (MSR) and visual servo (VS) processing. This pre-conditioning with the MSR and the vs produces a "canonical" visual representation that is largely independent of lighting variations, and exposure errors. Enhanced imagery is then processed with a biologically inspired two-channel edge detection process, followed by a smoothness based criteria for image segmentation. Landing sites can be automatically determined by examining the results of the smoothness-based segmentation which shows those areas in the image that surpass a minimum degree of smoothness. Though the msr has proven to be a very strong enhancement engine, the other elements of the approach|the vs, terrain map generation, and smoothness-based segmentation|are in early stages of development. Experimental results on data from the Mars Global Surveyor show that the imagery can be processed to automatically obtain smooth landing sites. In this paper, we describe the method used to obtain these landing sites, and also examine the smoothness criteria in terms of the imager and scene characteristics. Several examples of applying this method to simulated and real imagery are shown.

New Developments in the Embedded Statistical Coupling Method: Atomistic/Continuum Crack Propagation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saether, E.; Yamakov, V.; Glaessgen, E.

2008-01-01

A concurrent multiscale modeling methodology that embeds a molecular dynamics (MD) region within a finite element (FEM) domain has been enhanced. The concurrent MD-FEM coupling methodology uses statistical averaging of the deformation of the atomistic MD domain to provide interface displacement boundary conditions to the surrounding continuum FEM region, which, in turn, generates interface reaction forces that are applied as piecewise constant traction boundary conditions to the MD domain. The enhancement is based on the addition of molecular dynamics-based cohesive zone model (CZM) elements near the MD-FEM interface. The CZM elements are a continuum interpretation of the traction-displacement relationships taken from MD simulations using Cohesive Zone Volume Elements (CZVE). The addition of CZM elements to the concurrent MD-FEM analysis provides a consistent set of atomistically-based cohesive properties within the finite element region near the growing crack. Another set of CZVEs are then used to extract revised CZM relationships from the enhanced embedded statistical coupling method (ESCM) simulation of an edge crack under uniaxial loading.

Trust-Enhanced Cloud Service Selection Model Based on QoS Analysis.

PubMed

Pan, Yuchen; Ding, Shuai; Fan, Wenjuan; Li, Jing; Yang, Shanlin

2015-01-01

Cloud computing technology plays a very important role in many areas, such as in the construction and development of the smart city. Meanwhile, numerous cloud services appear on the cloud-based platform. Therefore how to how to select trustworthy cloud services remains a significant problem in such platforms, and extensively investigated owing to the ever-growing needs of users. However, trust relationship in social network has not been taken into account in existing methods of cloud service selection and recommendation. In this paper, we propose a cloud service selection model based on the trust-enhanced similarity. Firstly, the direct, indirect, and hybrid trust degrees are measured based on the interaction frequencies among users. Secondly, we estimate the overall similarity by combining the experience usability measured based on Jaccard's Coefficient and the numerical distance computed by Pearson Correlation Coefficient. Then through using the trust degree to modify the basic similarity, we obtain a trust-enhanced similarity. Finally, we utilize the trust-enhanced similarity to find similar trusted neighbors and predict the missing QoS values as the basis of cloud service selection and recommendation. The experimental results show that our approach is able to obtain optimal results via adjusting parameters and exhibits high effectiveness. The cloud services ranking by our model also have better QoS properties than other methods in the comparison experiments.

Trust-Enhanced Cloud Service Selection Model Based on QoS Analysis

PubMed Central

Pan, Yuchen; Ding, Shuai; Fan, Wenjuan; Li, Jing; Yang, Shanlin

2015-01-01

Cloud computing technology plays a very important role in many areas, such as in the construction and development of the smart city. Meanwhile, numerous cloud services appear on the cloud-based platform. Therefore how to how to select trustworthy cloud services remains a significant problem in such platforms, and extensively investigated owing to the ever-growing needs of users. However, trust relationship in social network has not been taken into account in existing methods of cloud service selection and recommendation. In this paper, we propose a cloud service selection model based on the trust-enhanced similarity. Firstly, the direct, indirect, and hybrid trust degrees are measured based on the interaction frequencies among users. Secondly, we estimate the overall similarity by combining the experience usability measured based on Jaccard’s Coefficient and the numerical distance computed by Pearson Correlation Coefficient. Then through using the trust degree to modify the basic similarity, we obtain a trust-enhanced similarity. Finally, we utilize the trust-enhanced similarity to find similar trusted neighbors and predict the missing QoS values as the basis of cloud service selection and recommendation. The experimental results show that our approach is able to obtain optimal results via adjusting parameters and exhibits high effectiveness. The cloud services ranking by our model also have better QoS properties than other methods in the comparison experiments. PMID:26606388

Comparison of Non-Culture-Based Methods for Detection of Systemic Fungal Infections, with an Emphasis on Invasive Candida Infections

PubMed Central

White, P. Lewis; Archer, Alice E.; Barnes, Rosemary A.

2005-01-01

The accepted limitations associated with classic culture techniques for the diagnosis of invasive fungal infections have lead to the emergence of many non-culture-based methods. With superior sensitivities and quicker turnaround times, non-culture-based methods may aid the diagnosis of invasive fungal infections. In this review of the diagnostic service, we assessed the performances of two antigen detection techniques (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] and latex agglutination) with a molecular method for the detection of invasive Candida infection and invasive aspergillosis. The specificities for all three assays were high (≥97%), although the Candida PCR method had enhanced sensitivity over both ELISA and latex agglutination with values of 95%, 75%, and 25%, respectively. However, calculating significant sensitivity values for the Aspergillus detection methods was not feasible due to a low number of proven/probable cases. Despite enhanced sensitivity, the PCR method failed to detect nucleic acid in a probable case of invasive Candida infection that was detected by ELISA. In conclusion, both PCR and ELISA techniques should be used in unison to aid the detection of invasive fungal infections. PMID:15872239

Nanofocusing of the free-space optical energy with plasmonic Tamm states.

PubMed

Niu, Linyu; Xiang, Yinxiao; Luo, Weiwei; Cai, Wei; Qi, Jiwei; Zhang, Xinzheng; Xu, Jingjun

2016-12-20

To achieve extreme electromagnetic enhancement, we propose a plasmonic Tamm states (PTSs) configuration based on the metal-insulator-metal Bragg reflector, which is realized by periodically modulating the width of the insulator. Both the thick (2D) and thin (3D) structures are discussed. Through optimization performed by the impedance-based transfer matrix method and the finite difference time domain method, we find that both the electric field and magnetic field intensities can be increased by three orders of magnitude. The field-enhancement inside the PTSs configuration is not limited to extremely sharp waveguide terminal, which can greatly reduce processing difficulties.

Video Game Learning Dynamics: Actionable Measures of Multidimensional Learning Trajectories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reese, Debbie Denise; Tabachnick, Barbara G.; Kosko, Robert E.

2015-01-01

Valid, accessible, reusable methods for instructional video game design and embedded assessment can provide actionable information enhancing individual and collective achievement. Cyberlearning through game-based, metaphor-enhanced learning objects (CyGaMEs) design and embedded assessment quantify player behavior to study knowledge discovery and…

Design a New Strategy Based on Nanoparticle-Enhanced Chemiluminescence Sensor Array for Biothiols Discrimination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahrajabian, Maryam; Hormozi-Nezhad, M. Reza

2016-08-01

Array-based sensor is an interesting approach that suggests an alternative to expensive analytical methods. In this work, we introduce a novel, simple, and sensitive nanoparticle-based chemiluminescence (CL) sensor array for discrimination of biothiols (e.g., cysteine, glutathione and glutathione disulfide). The proposed CL sensor array is based on the CL efficiencies of four types of enhanced nanoparticle-based CL systems. The intensity of CL was altered to varying degrees upon interaction with biothiols, producing unique CL response patterns. These distinct CL response patterns were collected as “fingerprints” and were then identified through chemometric methods, including linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). The developed array was able to successfully differentiate between cysteine, glutathione and glutathione disulfide in a wide concentration range. Moreover, it was applied to distinguish among the above analytes in human plasma.

Optimization of selenylation modification for garlic polysaccharide based on immune-enhancing activity.

PubMed

Gao, Zhenzhen; Chen, Jin; Qiu, Shulei; Li, Youying; Wang, Deyun; Liu, Cui; Li, Xiuping; Hou, Ranran; Yue, Chanjuan; Liu, Jie; Li, Hongquan; Hu, Yuanliang

2016-01-20

Garlic polysaccharide (GPS) was modified in selenylation respectively by nitric acid-sodium selenite (NA-SS), glacial acetic acid-selenous acid (GA-SA), glacial acetic acid-sodium selenite (GA-SS) and selenium oxychloride (SOC) methods each under nine modification conditions of L9(3(4)) orthogonal design and each to obtain nine selenizing GPSs (sGPSs). Their structures were identified, yields and selenium contents were determined, selenium yields were calculated, and the immune-enhancing activities of four sGPSs with higher selenium yields were compared taking unmodified GPS as control. The results showed that among four methods the selenylation efficiency of NA-SS method were the highest, the activity of sGPS5 was the strongest and significantly stronger than that of unmodified GPS. This indicates that selenylation modification can significantly enhance the immune-enhancing activity of GPS, NA-SS method is the best method and the optimal conditions are 0.8:1 weight ratio of sodium selenite to GPS, reaction temperature of 70 °C and reaction time of 10h. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Kernel Method Based Human Model for Enhancing Interactive Evolutionary Optimization

PubMed Central

Zhao, Qiangfu; Liu, Yong

2015-01-01

A fitness landscape presents the relationship between individual and its reproductive success in evolutionary computation (EC). However, discrete and approximate landscape in an original search space may not support enough and accurate information for EC search, especially in interactive EC (IEC). The fitness landscape of human subjective evaluation in IEC is very difficult and impossible to model, even with a hypothesis of what its definition might be. In this paper, we propose a method to establish a human model in projected high dimensional search space by kernel classification for enhancing IEC search. Because bivalent logic is a simplest perceptual paradigm, the human model is established by considering this paradigm principle. In feature space, we design a linear classifier as a human model to obtain user preference knowledge, which cannot be supported linearly in original discrete search space. The human model is established by this method for predicting potential perceptual knowledge of human. With the human model, we design an evolution control method to enhance IEC search. From experimental evaluation results with a pseudo-IEC user, our proposed model and method can enhance IEC search significantly. PMID:25879050

Applied information system-based in enhancing students' understanding towards higher order thinking (HOTS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hua, Ang Kean; Ping, Owi Wei

2017-05-01

The application of information and communications technology (ICT) had become more important in our daily life, especially in educational field. Teachers are encouraged to use information system-based in teaching Mathematical courses. Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) approach is unable to explain using chalk and talk methods. It needs students to analyze, evaluate, and create by their own natural abilities. The aim of this research study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the application information system-based in enhance the students understanding about HOTS question. Mixed-methods or quantitative and qualitative approach was applied in collecting data, which involve only the standard five students and the teachers in Sabak Bernam, Selangor. Pra-postests was held before and after using information system-based in teaching to evaluate the students' understanding. The result from post-test indicates significant improvement which proves that the use of information system based able to enhance students' understanding about HOTS question and solve it. There were several factor influenced the students such as students' attitude, teachers attraction, school facilities, and computer approach. Teachers play an important role in attracting students to learn. Therefore, the school should provide a conducive learning environment and good facilities for students to learn so that they are able to access more information and always exposed to new knowledge. As conclusion, information system-based are able to enhance students understanding the need of HOTS questions and solve it.

Numerical investigation of field enhancement by metal nano-particles using a hybrid FDTD-PSTD algorithm.

PubMed

Pernice, W H; Payne, F P; Gallagher, D F

2007-09-03

We present a novel numerical scheme for the simulation of the field enhancement by metal nano-particles in the time domain. The algorithm is based on a combination of the finite-difference time-domain method and the pseudo-spectral time-domain method for dispersive materials. The hybrid solver leads to an efficient subgridding algorithm that does not suffer from spurious field spikes as do FDTD schemes. Simulation of the field enhancement by gold particles shows the expected exponential field profile. The enhancement factors are computed for single particles and particle arrays. Due to the geometry conforming mesh the algorithm is stable for long integration times and thus suitable for the simulation of resonance phenomena in coupled nano-particle structures.

Gold nanoparticle enhanced fluorescence anisotropy for the assay of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) based on toehold-mediated strand-displacement reaction.

PubMed

Wang, Xinyi; Zou, Mingjian; Huang, Hongduan; Ren, Yuqian; Li, Limei; Yang, Xiaoda; Li, Na

2013-03-15

We developed a highly differentiating, homogeneous gold nanoparticle (AuNP) enhanced fluorescence anisotropic method for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) detection at nanomolar level using toehold-mediated strand-displacement reaction. The template strand, containing a toehold domain with an allele-specific site, was immobilized on the surface of AuNPs, and the solution fluorescence anisotropy was markedly enhanced when the fluorescein-labeled blocking DNA was attached to the AuNP via hybridization. Strand-displacement by the target ssDNA strand resulted in detachment of fluorescein-labeled DNA from AuNPs, and thus decreased fluorescence anisotropy. The drastic kinetic difference in strand-displacement from toehold design was used to distinguish between the perfectly matched and the single-base mismatched strands. Free energy changes were calculated to elucidate the dependence of the differentiation ability on the mutation site in the toehold region. A solid negative signal change can be obtained for single-base mismatched strand in the dynamic range of the calibration curve, and a more than 10-fold signal difference can still be observed in a mixed solution containing 100 times the single-base mismatched strand, indicating the good specificity of the method. This proposed method can be performed with a standard spectrofluorimeter in a homogeneous and cost-effective manner, and has the potential to be extended to the application of fluorescence anisotropy method of SNP detection. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Contrast enhancement of subcutaneous blood vessel images by means of visible and near-infrared hyper-spectral imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katrašnik, Jaka; Bürmen, Miran; Pernuš, Franjo; Likar, Boštjan

2009-02-01

Visualization of subcutaneous veins is very difficult with the naked eye, but important for diagnosis of medical conditions and different medical procedures such as catheter insertion and blood withdrawal. Moreover, recent studies showed that the images of subcutaneous veins could be used for biometric identification. The majority of methods used for enhancing the contrast between the subcutaneous veins and surrounding tissue are based on simple imaging systems utilizing CMOS or CCD cameras with LED illumination capable of acquiring images from the near infrared spectral region, usually near 900 nm. However, such simplified imaging methods cannot exploit the full potential of the spectral information. In this paper, a new highly versatile method for enhancing the contrast of subcutaneous veins based on state-of-the-art high-resolution hyper-spectral imaging system utilizing the spectral region from 550 to 1700 nm is presented. First, a detailed analysis of the contrast between the subcutaneous veins and the surrounding tissue as a function of wavelength, for several different positions on the human arm, was performed in order to extract the spectral regions with the highest contrast. The highest contrast images were acquired at 1100 nm, however, combining the individual images from the extracted spectral regions by the proposed contrast enhancement method resulted in a single image with up to ten-fold better contrast. Therefore, the proposed method has proved to be a useful tool for visualization of subcutaneous veins.

Image processing based detection of lung cancer on CT scan images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdillah, Bariqi; Bustamam, Alhadi; Sarwinda, Devvi

2017-10-01

In this paper, we implement and analyze the image processing method for detection of lung cancer. Image processing techniques are widely used in several medical problems for picture enhancement in the detection phase to support the early medical treatment. In this research we proposed a detection method of lung cancer based on image segmentation. Image segmentation is one of intermediate level in image processing. Marker control watershed and region growing approach are used to segment of CT scan image. Detection phases are followed by image enhancement using Gabor filter, image segmentation, and features extraction. From the experimental results, we found the effectiveness of our approach. The results show that the best approach for main features detection is watershed with masking method which has high accuracy and robust.

Using soil surveys to target riparian buffers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed

Treesearch

Michael G. Dosskey

2008-01-01

The efficacy of vegetative buffers for improving water quality could be enhanced by distinguishing differences in buffer capability across watersheds and accounting for them in buffer planning. A soil survey-based method was applied to riparian areas in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The method is based on soil attributes that are important in determining buffer...

Enhancing Science Education Instruction: A Mixed-Methods Study on University and Middle School Collaborations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owen-Stone, Deborah S.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this concurrent mixed methods study was to examine the collaborative relationship between scientists and science teachers and to incorporate and advocate scientific literacy based on past and current educational theories such as inquiry based teaching. The scope of this study included archived student standardized test scores,…

DCL System Using Deep Learning Approaches for Land-Based or Ship-Based Real-Time Recognition and Localization of Marine Mammals

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-30

method has been successfully implemented to automatically detect and recognize pulse trains from minke whales ( songs ) and sperm whales (Physeter...workshops, conferences and data challenges 2. Enhancements of the ASR algorithm for frequency-modulated sounds: Right Whale Study 3...Enhancements of the ASR algorithm for pulse trains: Minke Whale Study 4. Mining Big Data Sound Archives using High Performance Computing software and hardware

Affective Teaching: A Method to Enhance Classroom Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shechtman, Zipora; Leichtentritt, Judy

2004-01-01

The purpose of the study was to enhance classroom management in special education classrooms. "Affective teaching" was compared with "cognitive teaching" in 52 classrooms in Israel. Data was collected based on observations of three 90 minute lessons, equally divided into the two types of instruction. Results of MANOVA…

Music as Method: Musically Enhanced Narrative Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolden, Benjamin

2017-01-01

While artist-researchers have been productive within the domains of the literary arts, visual arts, dance and drama, there is little musical arts-based educational research reported in the literature. This article introduces a research methodology to address this deficit: musically enhanced narrative inquiry (MENI). The article describes the…

Enhancing Instruction through Constructivism, Cooperative Learning, and Cloud Computing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Denton, David W.

2012-01-01

Cloud computing technologies, such as Google Docs and Microsoft Office Live, have the potential to enhance instructional methods predicated on constructivism and cooperative learning. Cloud-based application features like file sharing and online publishing are prompting departments of education across the nation to adopt these technologies.…

Using Film and Intergenerational Colearning to Enhance Knowledge and Attitudes toward Older Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCleary, Roseanna

2014-01-01

This study evaluated whether two evidence-based methods used collaboratively, intergenerational colearning and use of films/documentaries in an educational context, enhanced knowledge levels and attitudes toward older adults in nursing, social work, and other allied profession students. Students participated in a gerontology film festival where…

G-quadruplex enhanced fluorescence of DNA-silver nanoclusters and their application in bioimaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Jinbo; Zhang, Libing; Teng, Ye; Lou, Baohua; Jia, Xiaofang; Gu, Xiaoxiao; Wang, Erkang

2015-07-01

Guanine proximity based fluorescence enhanced DNA-templated silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) have been reported and applied for bioanalysis. Herein, we studied the G-quadruplex enhanced fluorescence of DNA-AgNCs and gained several significant conclusions, which will be helpful for the design of future probes. Our results demonstrate that a G-quadruplex can also effectively stimulate the fluorescence potential of AgNCs. The major contribution of the G-quadruplex is to provide guanine bases, and its special structure has no measurable impact. The DNA-templated AgNCs were further analysed by native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and the guanine proximity enhancement mechanism could be visually verified by this method. Moreover, the fluorescence emission of C3A (CCCA)4 stabilized AgNCs was found to be easily and effectively enhanced by G-quadruplexes, such as T30695, AS1411 and TBA, especially AS1411. Benefiting from the high brightness of AS1411 enhanced DNA-AgNCs and the specific binding affinity of AS1411 for nucleolin, the AS1411 enhanced AgNCs can stain cancer cells for bioimaging.Guanine proximity based fluorescence enhanced DNA-templated silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) have been reported and applied for bioanalysis. Herein, we studied the G-quadruplex enhanced fluorescence of DNA-AgNCs and gained several significant conclusions, which will be helpful for the design of future probes. Our results demonstrate that a G-quadruplex can also effectively stimulate the fluorescence potential of AgNCs. The major contribution of the G-quadruplex is to provide guanine bases, and its special structure has no measurable impact. The DNA-templated AgNCs were further analysed by native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and the guanine proximity enhancement mechanism could be visually verified by this method. Moreover, the fluorescence emission of C3A (CCCA)4 stabilized AgNCs was found to be easily and effectively enhanced by G-quadruplexes, such as T30695, AS1411 and TBA, especially AS1411. Benefiting from the high brightness of AS1411 enhanced DNA-AgNCs and the specific binding affinity of AS1411 for nucleolin, the AS1411 enhanced AgNCs can stain cancer cells for bioimaging. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experiment details, Tables S1-3 and Fig. S1-4. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr03092g

Using the Landsat 7 enhanced thematic mapper tasseled cap transformation to extract shoreline

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scott, J.W.

2003-01-01

A semiautomated method for objectively interpreting and extracting the land-water interface has been devised and used successfully to generate multiple shoreline data for the test States of Louisiana and Delaware. The method is based on the application of tasseled cap transformation coefficients derived by the EROS Data Center for Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Data, and is used in conjunction with ERDAS Imagine software. Shoreline data obtained using this method are cost effective compared with conventional mapping methods for State, regional, and national coastline applications. Attempts to attribute vector shoreline data with orthometric elevation values derived from tide observation stations, however, proved unsuccessful.

Preparation of surface enhanced Raman substrate and its characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Y.; Wang, J. Y.; Wang, J. Q.

2017-10-01

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a fast, convenient and highly sensitive detection technique, and preparing the good effect and repeatable substrate is the key to realize the trace amount and quantitative detection in the field of food safety detection. In this paper, a surface enhanced Raman substrate based on submicrometer silver particles structure was prepared by chemical deposition method, and characterized its structure and optical properties.

QRS classification and spatial combination for robust heart rate detection in low-quality fetal ECG recordings.

PubMed

Warmerdam, G; Vullings, R; Van Pul, C; Andriessen, P; Oei, S G; Wijn, P

2013-01-01

Non-invasive fetal electrocardiography (ECG) can be used for prolonged monitoring of the fetal heart rate (FHR). However, the signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) of non-invasive ECG recordings is often insufficient for reliable detection of the FHR. To overcome this problem, source separation techniques can be used to enhance the fetal ECG. This study uses a physiology-based source separation (PBSS) technique that has already been demonstrated to outperform widely used blind source separation techniques. Despite the relatively good performance of PBSS in enhancing the fetal ECG, PBSS is still susceptible to artifacts. In this study an augmented PBSS technique is developed to reduce the influence of artifacts. The performance of the developed method is compared to PBSS on multi-channel non-invasive fetal ECG recordings. Based on this comparison, the developed method is shown to outperform PBSS for the enhancement of the fetal ECG.

Image smoothing and enhancement via min/max curvature flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malladi, Ravikanth; Sethian, James A.

1996-03-01

We present a class of PDE-based algorithms suitable for a wide range of image processing applications. The techniques are applicable to both salt-and-pepper gray-scale noise and full- image continuous noise present in black and white images, gray-scale images, texture images and color images. At the core, the techniques rely on a level set formulation of evolving curves and surfaces and the viscosity in profile evolution. Essentially, the method consists of moving the isointensity contours in an image under curvature dependent speed laws to achieve enhancement. Compared to existing techniques, our approach has several distinct advantages. First, it contains only one enhancement parameter, which in most cases is automatically chosen. Second, the scheme automatically stops smoothing at some optimal point; continued application of the scheme produces no further change. Third, the method is one of the fastest possible schemes based on a curvature-controlled approach.

Retinex based low-light image enhancement using guided filtering and variational framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Shi; Tang, Gui-jin; Liu, Xiao-hua; Luo, Su-huai; Wang, Da-dong

2018-03-01

A new image enhancement algorithm based on Retinex theory is proposed to solve the problem of bad visual effect of an image in low-light conditions. First, an image is converted from the RGB color space to the HSV color space to get the V channel. Next, the illuminations are respectively estimated by the guided filtering and the variational framework on the V channel and combined into a new illumination by average gradient. The new reflectance is calculated using V channel and the new illumination. Then a new V channel obtained by multiplying the new illumination and reflectance is processed with contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization (CLAHE). Finally, the new image in HSV space is converted back to RGB space to obtain the enhanced image. Experimental results show that the proposed method has better subjective quality and objective quality than existing methods.

Antipsychotic drug poisoning monitoring of clozapine in urine by using coffee ring effect based surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

PubMed

Zhu, Qingxia; Yu, Xiaoyan; Wu, Zebing; Lu, Feng; Yuan, Yongfang

2018-07-19

Antipsychotics are the drugs most often involved in drug poisoning cases, and therefore, therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is necessary for safe and effective medication administration of these drugs. In this study, a coffee ring effect-based surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (CRE-SERS) method was developed and successfully used to monitor antipsychotic poisoning by using urine samples for the first time. The established method exhibited excellent SERS performance since more hot spots were obtained in the "coffee ring". Using the optimized CRE-SERS method, the sensitivity was improved one order more than that of the conventional method with reasonable reproducibility. The antipsychotic drug clozapine (CLO) spiked into urine samples at 0.5-50 μg mL -1 was quantitatively detected, at concentrations above the thresholds for toxicity. The CRE-SERS method allowed CLO and its metabolites to be ultimately distinguished from real poisoning urine samples. The coffee-ring effect would provide more opportunities for practical applications of the SERS-based method. The frequent occurrence of drug poisoning may have created a new area for the application of the CRE-SERS method. It is anticipated that the developed method will also have great potential for other drug poisoning monitoring. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of a method for enhancing interaural level differences at low frequencies.

PubMed

Moore, Brian C J; Kolarik, Andrew; Stone, Michael A; Lee, Young-Woo

2016-10-01

A method (called binaural enhancement) for enhancing interaural level differences at low frequencies, based on estimates of interaural time differences, was developed and evaluated. Five conditions were compared, all using simulated hearing-aid processing: (1) Linear amplification with frequency-response shaping; (2) binaural enhancement combined with linear amplification and frequency-response shaping; (3) slow-acting four-channel amplitude compression with independent compression at the two ears (AGC4CH); (4) binaural enhancement combined with four-channel compression (BE-AGC4CH); and (5) four-channel compression but with the compression gains synchronized across ears. Ten hearing-impaired listeners were tested, and gains and compression ratios for each listener were set to match targets prescribed by the CAM2 fitting method. Stimuli were presented via headphones, using virtualization methods to simulate listening in a moderately reverberant room. The intelligibility of speech at ±60° azimuth in the presence of competing speech on the opposite side of the head at ±60° azimuth was not affected by the binaural enhancement processing. Sound localization was significantly better for condition BE-AGC4CH than for condition AGC4CH for a sentence, but not for broadband noise, lowpass noise, or lowpass amplitude-modulated noise. The results suggest that the binaural enhancement processing can improve localization for sounds with distinct envelope fluctuations.

Fast and robust brain tumor segmentation using level set method with multiple image information.

PubMed

Lok, Ka Hei; Shi, Lin; Zhu, Xianlun; Wang, Defeng

2017-01-01

Brain tumor segmentation is a challenging task for its variation in intensity. The phenomenon is caused by the inhomogeneous content of tumor tissue and the choice of imaging modality. In 2010 Zhang developed the Selective Binary Gaussian Filtering Regularizing Level Set (SBGFRLS) model that combined the merits of edge-based and region-based segmentation. To improve the SBGFRLS method by modifying the singed pressure force (SPF) term with multiple image information and demonstrate effectiveness of proposed method on clinical images. In original SBGFRLS model, the contour evolution direction mainly depends on the SPF. By introducing a directional term in SPF, the metric could control the evolution direction. The SPF is altered by statistic values enclosed by the contour. This concept can be extended to jointly incorporate multiple image information. The new SPF term is expected to bring a solution for blur edge problem in brain tumor segmentation. The proposed method is validated with clinical images including pre- and post-contrast magnetic resonance images. The accuracy and robustness is compared with sensitivity, specificity, DICE similarity coefficient and Jaccard similarity index. Experimental results show improvement, in particular the increase of sensitivity at the same specificity, in segmenting all types of tumors except for the diffused tumor. The novel brain tumor segmentation method is clinical-oriented with fast, robust and accurate implementation and a minimal user interaction. The method effectively segmented homogeneously enhanced, non-enhanced, heterogeneously-enhanced, and ring-enhanced tumor under MR imaging. Though the method is limited by identifying edema and diffuse tumor, several possible solutions are suggested to turn the curve evolution into a fully functional clinical diagnosis tool.

Acceleration of integral imaging based incoherent Fourier hologram capture using graphic processing unit.

PubMed

Jeong, Kyeong-Min; Kim, Hee-Seung; Hong, Sung-In; Lee, Sung-Keun; Jo, Na-Young; Kim, Yong-Soo; Lim, Hong-Gi; Park, Jae-Hyeung

2012-10-08

Speed enhancement of integral imaging based incoherent Fourier hologram capture using a graphic processing unit is reported. Integral imaging based method enables exact hologram capture of real-existing three-dimensional objects under regular incoherent illumination. In our implementation, we apply parallel computation scheme using the graphic processing unit, accelerating the processing speed. Using enhanced speed of hologram capture, we also implement a pseudo real-time hologram capture and optical reconstruction system. The overall operation speed is measured to be 1 frame per second.

Fast Fourier transform-based solution of 2D and 3D magnetization problems in type-II superconductivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prigozhin, Leonid; Sokolovsky, Vladimir

2018-05-01

We consider the fast Fourier transform (FFT) based numerical method for thin film magnetization problems (Vestgården and Johansen 2012 Supercond. Sci. Technol. 25 104001), compare it with the finite element methods, and evaluate its accuracy. Proposed modifications of this method implementation ensure stable convergence of iterations and enhance its efficiency. A new method, also based on the FFT, is developed for 3D bulk magnetization problems. This method is based on a magnetic field formulation, different from the popular h-formulation of eddy current problems typically employed with the edge finite elements. The method is simple, easy to implement, and can be used with a general current–voltage relation; its efficiency is illustrated by numerical simulations.

Computationally efficient finite-difference modal method for the solution of Maxwell's equations.

PubMed

Semenikhin, Igor; Zanuccoli, Mauro

2013-12-01

In this work, a new implementation of the finite-difference (FD) modal method (FDMM) based on an iterative approach to calculate the eigenvalues and corresponding eigenfunctions of the Helmholtz equation is presented. Two relevant enhancements that significantly increase the speed and accuracy of the method are introduced. First of all, the solution of the complete eigenvalue problem is avoided in favor of finding only the meaningful part of eigenmodes by using iterative methods. Second, a multigrid algorithm and Richardson extrapolation are implemented. Simultaneous use of these techniques leads to an enhancement in terms of accuracy, which allows a simple method such as the FDMM with a typical three-point difference scheme to be significantly competitive with an analytical modal method.

High-efficient Extraction of Drainage Networks from Digital Elevation Model Data Constrained by Enhanced Flow Enforcement from Known River Map

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, T.; Li, T.; Li, J.; Wang, G.

2017-12-01

Improved drainage network extraction can be achieved by flow enforcement whereby information of known river maps is imposed to the flow-path modeling process. However, the common elevation-based stream burning method can sometimes cause unintended topological errors and misinterpret the overall drainage pattern. We presented an enhanced flow enforcement method to facilitate accurate and efficient process of drainage network extraction. Both the topology of the mapped hydrography and the initial landscape of the DEM are well preserved and fully utilized in the proposed method. An improved stream rasterization is achieved here, yielding continuous, unambiguous and stream-collision-free raster equivalent of stream vectors for flow enforcement. By imposing priority-based enforcement with a complementary flow direction enhancement procedure, the drainage patterns of the mapped hydrography are fully represented in the derived results. The proposed method was tested over the Rogue River Basin, using DEMs with various resolutions. As indicated by the visual and statistical analyses, the proposed method has three major advantages: (1) it significantly reduces the occurrences of topological errors, yielding very accurate watershed partition and channel delineation, (2) it ensures scale-consistent performance at DEMs of various resolutions, and (3) the entire extraction process is well-designed to achieve great computational efficiency.

Key-Generation Algorithms for Linear Piece In Hand Matrix Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tadaki, Kohtaro; Tsujii, Shigeo

The linear Piece In Hand (PH, for short) matrix method with random variables was proposed in our former work. It is a general prescription which can be applicable to any type of multivariate public-key cryptosystems for the purpose of enhancing their security. Actually, we showed, in an experimental manner, that the linear PH matrix method with random variables can certainly enhance the security of HFE against the Gröbner basis attack, where HFE is one of the major variants of multivariate public-key cryptosystems. In 1998 Patarin, Goubin, and Courtois introduced the plus method as a general prescription which aims to enhance the security of any given MPKC, just like the linear PH matrix method with random variables. In this paper we prove the equivalence between the plus method and the primitive linear PH matrix method, which is introduced by our previous work to explain the notion of the PH matrix method in general in an illustrative manner and not for a practical use to enhance the security of any given MPKC. Based on this equivalence, we show that the linear PH matrix method with random variables has the substantial advantage over the plus method with respect to the security enhancement. In the linear PH matrix method with random variables, the three matrices, including the PH matrix, play a central role in the secret-key and public-key. In this paper, we clarify how to generate these matrices and thus present two probabilistic polynomial-time algorithms to generate these matrices. In particular, the second one has a concise form, and is obtained as a byproduct of the proof of the equivalence between the plus method and the primitive linear PH matrix method.

Microscopy mineral image enhancement based on improved adaptive threshold in nonsubsampled shearlet transform domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Liangliang; Si, Yujuan; Jia, Zhenhong

2018-03-01

In this paper, a novel microscopy mineral image enhancement method based on adaptive threshold in non-subsampled shearlet transform (NSST) domain is proposed. First, the image is decomposed into one low-frequency sub-band and several high-frequency sub-bands. Second, the gamma correction is applied to process the low-frequency sub-band coefficients, and the improved adaptive threshold is adopted to suppress the noise of the high-frequency sub-bands coefficients. Third, the processed coefficients are reconstructed with the inverse NSST. Finally, the unsharp filter is used to enhance the details of the reconstructed image. Experimental results on various microscopy mineral images demonstrated that the proposed approach has a better enhancement effect in terms of objective metric and subjective metric.

Infrared image segmentation method based on spatial coherence histogram and maximum entropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Songtao; Shen, Tongsheng; Dai, Yao

2014-11-01

In order to segment the target well and suppress background noises effectively, an infrared image segmentation method based on spatial coherence histogram and maximum entropy is proposed. First, spatial coherence histogram is presented by weighting the importance of the different position of these pixels with the same gray-level, which is obtained by computing their local density. Then, after enhancing the image by spatial coherence histogram, 1D maximum entropy method is used to segment the image. The novel method can not only get better segmentation results, but also have a faster computation time than traditional 2D histogram-based segmentation methods.

Measurements of the linewidth enhancement factor of mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers by different optical feedback techniques

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jumpertz, L., E-mail: louise.jumpertz@telecom-paristech.fr; MirSense, 8 avenue de la Vauve, F-91120 Palaiseau; Michel, F.

2016-01-15

Precise knowledge of the linewidth enhancement factor of a semiconductor laser under actual operating conditions is of prime importance since this parameter dictates various phenomena such as linewidth broadening or optical nonlinearities enhancement. The above-threshold linewidth enhancement factor of a mid-infrared quantum cascade laser structure operated at 10{sup ∘}C is determined experimentally using two different methods based on optical feedback. Both Fabry-Perot and distributed feedback quantum cascade lasers based on the same active area design are studied, the former by following the wavelength shift as a function of the feedback strength and the latter by self-mixing interferometry. The results aremore » consistent and unveil a clear pump current dependence of the linewidth enhancement factor, with values ranging from 0.8 to about 3.« less

Sensitivity Enhancement of FBG-Based Strain Sensor.

PubMed

Li, Ruiya; Chen, Yiyang; Tan, Yuegang; Zhou, Zude; Li, Tianliang; Mao, Jian

2018-05-17

A novel fiber Bragg grating (FBG)-based strain sensor with a high-sensitivity is presented in this paper. The proposed FBG-based strain sensor enhances sensitivity by pasting the FBG on a substrate with a lever structure. This typical mechanical configuration mechanically amplifies the strain of the FBG to enhance overall sensitivity. As this mechanical configuration has a high stiffness, the proposed sensor can achieve a high resonant frequency and a wide dynamic working range. The sensing principle is presented, and the corresponding theoretical model is derived and validated. Experimental results demonstrate that the developed FBG-based strain sensor achieves an enhanced strain sensitivity of 6.2 pm/με, which is consistent with the theoretical analysis result. The strain sensitivity of the developed sensor is 5.2 times of the strain sensitivity of a bare fiber Bragg grating strain sensor. The dynamic characteristics of this sensor are investigated through the finite element method (FEM) and experimental tests. The developed sensor exhibits an excellent strain-sensitivity-enhancing property in a wide frequency range. The proposed high-sensitivity FBG-based strain sensor can be used for small-amplitude micro-strain measurement in harsh industrial environments.

Sensitivity Enhancement of FBG-Based Strain Sensor

PubMed Central

Chen, Yiyang; Tan, Yuegang; Zhou, Zude; Mao, Jian

2018-01-01

A novel fiber Bragg grating (FBG)-based strain sensor with a high-sensitivity is presented in this paper. The proposed FBG-based strain sensor enhances sensitivity by pasting the FBG on a substrate with a lever structure. This typical mechanical configuration mechanically amplifies the strain of the FBG to enhance overall sensitivity. As this mechanical configuration has a high stiffness, the proposed sensor can achieve a high resonant frequency and a wide dynamic working range. The sensing principle is presented, and the corresponding theoretical model is derived and validated. Experimental results demonstrate that the developed FBG-based strain sensor achieves an enhanced strain sensitivity of 6.2 pm/με, which is consistent with the theoretical analysis result. The strain sensitivity of the developed sensor is 5.2 times of the strain sensitivity of a bare fiber Bragg grating strain sensor. The dynamic characteristics of this sensor are investigated through the finite element method (FEM) and experimental tests. The developed sensor exhibits an excellent strain-sensitivity-enhancing property in a wide frequency range. The proposed high-sensitivity FBG-based strain sensor can be used for small-amplitude micro-strain measurement in harsh industrial environments. PMID:29772826

Adaptive Markov Random Fields for Example-Based Super-resolution of Faces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephenson, Todd A.; Chen, Tsuhan

2006-12-01

Image enhancement of low-resolution images can be done through methods such as interpolation, super-resolution using multiple video frames, and example-based super-resolution. Example-based super-resolution, in particular, is suited to images that have a strong prior (for those frameworks that work on only a single image, it is more like image restoration than traditional, multiframe super-resolution). For example, hallucination and Markov random field (MRF) methods use examples drawn from the same domain as the image being enhanced to determine what the missing high-frequency information is likely to be. We propose to use even stronger prior information by extending MRF-based super-resolution to use adaptive observation and transition functions, that is, to make these functions region-dependent. We show with face images how we can adapt the modeling for each image patch so as to improve the resolution.

Tailored Algorithm for Sensitivity Enhancement of Gas Concentration Sensors Based on Tunable Laser Absorption Spectroscopy.

PubMed

Vargas-Rodriguez, Everardo; Guzman-Chavez, Ana Dinora; Baeza-Serrato, Roberto

2018-06-04

In this work, a novel tailored algorithm to enhance the overall sensitivity of gas concentration sensors based on the Direct Absorption Tunable Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (DA-ATLAS) method is presented. By using this algorithm, the sensor sensitivity can be custom-designed to be quasi constant over a much larger dynamic range compared with that obtained by typical methods based on a single statistics feature of the sensor signal output (peak amplitude, area under the curve, mean or RMS). Additionally, it is shown that with our algorithm, an optimal function can be tailored to get a quasi linear relationship between the concentration and some specific statistics features over a wider dynamic range. In order to test the viability of our algorithm, a basic C 2 H 2 sensor based on DA-ATLAS was implemented, and its experimental measurements support the simulated results provided by our algorithm.

Bifunctional nanoparticles for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy-based leukemia biomarker detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehn, Dora; Morasso, Carlo; Vanna, Renzo; Schiumarini, Domitilla; Bedoni, Marzia; Ciceri, Fabio; Gramatica, Furio

2014-03-01

The Wilms tumor gene (WT1) is a biomarker overexpressed in more than 90% of acute myeloid leukemia patients. Fast and sensitive detection of the WT1 in blood samples would allow monitoring of the minimal residual disease during clinical remission and would permit early detection of a potential relapse in acute myeloid leukemia. In this work, Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) based detection of the WT1 sequence using bifunctional, magnetic core - gold shell nanoparticles is presented. The classical co-precipitation method was applied to generate magnetic nanoparticles which were coated with a gold shell after modification with aminopropyltriethoxy silane and subsequent deposition of gold nanoparticle seeds. Simple hydroquinone based reduction procedure was applied for the shell growing in water based reaction mixture at room temperature. Thiolated ssDNA probes of the WT1 sequence were immobilized as capture oligonucleotides on the gold surface. Malachite green was applied both for testing the amplification performance of the core-shell colloidal SERS substrate and also as label dye of the target DNA sequence. The SERS enhancer efficacy of the core-shell nanomaterial was compared with the efficacy of classical spherical gold particles produced using the conventional citrate reduction method. The core-shell particles were found not only to provide an opportunity for facile separation in a heterogeneous reaction system but also to be superior regarding robustness as SERS enhancers.

Development of an Enhanced Metaproteomic Approach for Deepening the Microbiome Characterization of the Human Infant Gut

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

The establishment of early life microbiota in the human infant gut is highly variable and plays a crucial role in host nutrient availability/uptake and maturation of immunity. Although high-performance mass spectrometry (MS)-based metaproteomics is a powerful method for the functional characterization of complex microbial communities, the acquisition of comprehensive metaproteomic information in human fecal samples is inhibited by the presence of abundant human proteins. To alleviate this restriction, we have designed a novel metaproteomic strategy based on double filtering (DF) the raw samples, a method that fractionates microbial from human cells to enhance microbial protein identification and characterization in complex fecal samples from healthy premature infants. This method dramatically improved the overall depth of infant gut proteome measurement, with an increase in the number of identified low-abundance proteins and a greater than 2-fold improvement in microbial protein identification and quantification. This enhancement of proteome measurement depth enabled a more extensive microbiome comparison between infants by not only increasing the confidence of identified microbial functional categories but also revealing previously undetected categories. PMID:25350865

Method for enhancing cell penetration of Gd3+-based MRI contrast agents by conjugation with hydrophobic fluorescent dyes.

PubMed

Yamane, Takehiro; Hanaoka, Kenjiro; Muramatsu, Yasuaki; Tamura, Keita; Adachi, Yusuke; Miyashita, Yasushi; Hirata, Yasunobu; Nagano, Tetsuo

2011-11-16

Gadolinium ion (Gd(3+)) complexes are commonly used as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents to enhance signals in T(1)-weighted MR images. Recently, several methods to achieve cell-permeation of Gd(3+) complexes have been reported, but more general and efficient methodology is needed. In this report, we describe a novel method to achieve cell permeation of Gd(3+) complexes by using hydrophobic fluorescent dyes as a cell-permeability-enhancing unit. We synthesized Gd(3+) complexes conjugated with boron dipyrromethene (BDP-Gd) and Cy7 dye (Cy7-Gd), and showed that these conjugates can be introduced efficiently into cells. To examine the relationship between cell permeability and dye structure, we further synthesized a series of Cy7-Gd derivatives. On the basis of MR imaging, flow cytometry, and ICP-MS analysis of cells loaded with Cy7-Gd derivatives, highly hydrophobic and nonanionic dyes were effective for enhancing cell permeation of Gd(3+) complexes. Furthermore, the behavior of these Cy7-Gd derivatives was examined in mice. Thus, conjugation of hydrophobic fluorescent dyes appears to be an effective approach to improve the cell permeability of Gd(3+) complexes, and should be applicable for further development of Gd(3+)-based MRI contrast agents.

Kondo effect and enhanced magnetic properties in gadolinium functionalized carbon nanotube supramolecular complex.

PubMed

Ncube, S; Coleman, C; Strydom, A; Flahaut, E; de Sousa, A; Bhattacharyya, S

2018-05-23

We report on the enhancement of magnetic properties of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) functionalized with a gadolinium based supramolecular complex. By employing a newly developed synthesis technique we find that the functionalization method of the nanocomposite enhances the strength of magnetic interaction leading to a large effective moment of 15.79 µ B and non-superparamagnetic behaviour unlike what has been previously reported. Saturating resistance at low temperatures is fitted with the numerical renormalization group formula verifying the Kondo effect for magnetic impurities on a metallic electron system. Magnetoresistance shows devices fabricated from aligned gadolinium functionalized MWNTs (Gd-Fctn-MWNTs) exhibit spin-valve switching behaviour of up to 8%. This study highlights the possibility of enhancing magnetic interactions in carbon systems through chemical modification, moreover we demonstrate the rich physics that might be useful for developing spin based quantum computing elements based on one-dimensional (1D) channels.

Hepatocellular carcinoma metastasizing to the skull base involving multiple cranial nerves.

PubMed

Kim, Soo Ryang; Kanda, Fumio; Kobessho, Hiroshi; Sugimoto, Koji; Matsuoka, Toshiyuki; Kudo, Masatoshi; Hayashi, Yoshitake

2006-11-07

We describe a rare case of HCV-related recurrent multiple hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metastasizing to the skull base involving multiple cranial nerves in a 50-year-old woman. The patient presented with symptoms of ptosis, fixation of the right eyeball, and left abducens palsy, indicating disturbances of the right oculomotor and trochlear nerves and bilateral abducens nerves. Brain contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed an ill-defined mass with abnormal enhancement around the sella turcica. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) disclosed that the mass involved the clivus, cavernous sinus, and petrous apex. On contrast-enhanced MRI with gadolinium-chelated contrast medium, the mass showed inhomogeneous intermediate enhancement. The diagnosis of metastatic HCC to the skull base was made on the basis of neurological findings and imaging studies including CT and MRI, without histological examinations. Further studies may provide insights into various methods for diagnosing HCC metastasizing to the craniospinal area.

Enhanced, targeted sampling of high-dimensional free-energy landscapes using variationally enhanced sampling, with an application to chignolin

PubMed Central

Shaffer, Patrick; Valsson, Omar; Parrinello, Michele

2016-01-01

The capabilities of molecular simulations have been greatly extended by a number of widely used enhanced sampling methods that facilitate escaping from metastable states and crossing large barriers. Despite these developments there are still many problems which remain out of reach for these methods which has led to a vigorous effort in this area. One of the most important problems that remains unsolved is sampling high-dimensional free-energy landscapes and systems that are not easily described by a small number of collective variables. In this work we demonstrate a new way to compute free-energy landscapes of high dimensionality based on the previously introduced variationally enhanced sampling, and we apply it to the miniprotein chignolin. PMID:26787868

Measuring perceived video quality of MPEG enhancement by people with impaired vision

PubMed Central

Fullerton, Matthew; Woods, Russell L.; Vera-Diaz, Fuensanta A.; Peli, Eli

2007-01-01

We used a new method to measure the perceived quality of contrast-enhanced motion video. Patients with impaired vision (n = 24) and normally-sighted subjects (n = 6) adjusted the level of MPEG-based enhancement of 8 videos (4 minutes each) drawn from 4 categories. They selected the level of enhancement that provided the preferred view of the videos, using a reducing-step-size staircase procedure. Most patients made consistent selections of the preferred level of enhancement, indicating an appreciation of and a perceived benefit from the MPEG-based enhancement. The selections varied between patients and were correlated with letter contrast sensitivity, but the selections were not affected by training, experience or video category. We measured just noticeable differences (JNDs) directly for videos, and mapped the image manipulation (enhancement in our case) onto an approximately linear perceptual space. These tools and approaches will be of value in other evaluations of the image quality of motion video manipulations. PMID:18059909

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering from graphene covered gold nanocap arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, Kailin; Luo, Xiaoguang; Nan, Haiyan; Du, Deyang; Zhao, Weiwei; Ni, Zhenhua; Qiu, Teng

2013-11-01

This work reports an efficient method to fabricate large-area flexible substrates for surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) application. Our technique is based on a single-step direct imprint process via porous anodic alumina stamps. Periodic hexagonal arrangements of porous anodic alumina stamps are transferred to the polyethylene terephthalate substrates by mechanically printing process. Printed nanocaps will turn into "hot spots" for electromagnetic enhancement with a deposited gold film by high vacuum evaporation. The gaps between the nanocaps are controllable with a tight correspondence to the thickness of the deposited gold, which dramatically influence the enhancement factor. After covered with a single-layer graphene sheet, the gold nanocap substrate can be further optimized with an extra enhancement of Raman signals, and it is available for the trace detection of probe molecules. This convenient, simple, and low-cost method of making flexible SERS-active substrates potentially opens a way towards biochemical analysis and disease detection.

Plasmonic photoluminescence for recovering native chemical information from surface-enhanced Raman scattering

PubMed Central

Lin, Kai-Qiang; Yi, Jun; Zhong, Jin-Hui; Hu, Shu; Liu, Bi-Ju; Liu, Jun-Yang; Zong, Cheng; Lei, Zhi-Chao; Wang, Xiang; Aizpurua, Javier; Esteban, Rubén; Ren, Bin

2017-01-01

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy has attracted tremendous interests as a highly sensitive label-free tool. The local field produced by the excitation of localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) dominates the overall enhancement of SERS. Such an electromagnetic enhancement is unfortunately accompanied by a strong modification in the relative intensity of the original Raman spectra, which highly distorts spectral features providing chemical information. Here we propose a robust method to retrieve the fingerprint of intrinsic chemical information from the SERS spectra. The method is established based on the finding that the SERS background originates from the LSPR-modulated photoluminescence, which contains the local field information shared also by SERS. We validate this concept of retrieval of intrinsic fingerprint information in well controlled single metallic nanoantennas of varying aspect ratios. We further demonstrate its unambiguity and generality in more complicated systems of tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) and SERS of silver nanoaggregates. PMID:28348368

Optimization of LED light spectrum to enhance colorfulness of illuminated objects with white light constraints.

PubMed

Wu, Haining; Dong, Jianfei; Qi, Gaojin; Zhang, Guoqi

2015-07-01

Enhancing the colorfulness of illuminated objects is a promising application of LED lighting for commercial, exhibiting, and scientific purposes. This paper proposes a method to enhance the color of illuminated objects for a given polychromatic lamp. Meanwhile, the light color is restricted to white. We further relax the white light constraints by introducing soft margins. Based on the spectral and electrical characteristics of LEDs and object surface properties, we determine the optimal mixing of the LED light spectrum by solving a numerical optimization problem, which is a quadratic fractional programming problem by formulation. Simulation studies show that the trade-off between the white light constraint and the level of the color enhancement can be adjusted by tuning an upper limit value of the soft margin. Furthermore, visual evaluation experiments are performed to evaluate human perception of the color enhancement. The experiments have verified the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Enhanced Pedestrian Navigation Based on Course Angle Error Estimation Using Cascaded Kalman Filters

PubMed Central

Park, Chan Gook

2018-01-01

An enhanced pedestrian dead reckoning (PDR) based navigation algorithm, which uses two cascaded Kalman filters (TCKF) for the estimation of course angle and navigation errors, is proposed. The proposed algorithm uses a foot-mounted inertial measurement unit (IMU), waist-mounted magnetic sensors, and a zero velocity update (ZUPT) based inertial navigation technique with TCKF. The first stage filter estimates the course angle error of a human, which is closely related to the heading error of the IMU. In order to obtain the course measurements, the filter uses magnetic sensors and a position-trace based course angle. For preventing magnetic disturbance from contaminating the estimation, the magnetic sensors are attached to the waistband. Because the course angle error is mainly due to the heading error of the IMU, and the characteristic error of the heading angle is highly dependent on that of the course angle, the estimated course angle error is used as a measurement for estimating the heading error in the second stage filter. At the second stage, an inertial navigation system-extended Kalman filter-ZUPT (INS-EKF-ZUPT) method is adopted. As the heading error is estimated directly by using course-angle error measurements, the estimation accuracy for the heading and yaw gyro bias can be enhanced, compared with the ZUPT-only case, which eventually enhances the position accuracy more efficiently. The performance enhancements are verified via experiments, and the way-point position error for the proposed method is compared with those for the ZUPT-only case and with other cases that use ZUPT and various types of magnetic heading measurements. The results show that the position errors are reduced by a maximum of 90% compared with the conventional ZUPT based PDR algorithms. PMID:29690539

Virtual TeleRehab: a case study.

PubMed

Pareto, Lena; Johansson, Britt; Zeller, Sally; Sunnerhagen, Katharina S; Rydmark, Martin; Broeren, Jurgen

2011-01-01

We examined the efficacy of a remotely based occupational therapy intervention. A 40-year-old woman who suffered a stroke participated in a telerehabilitation program. The intervention method is based on virtual reality gaming to enhance the training experience and to facilitate the relearning processes. The results indicate that Virtual TeleRehab is an effective method for motivational, economical, and practical reasons by combining game-based rehabilitation in the home with weekly distance meetings.

Can a canopy temperature-based stress index enhance water use efficiency in irrigated wine grape under arid conditions?

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Enhancement of irrigation water use efficiency and water productivity in arid wine grape production regions is hindered by a lack of automated, real-time methods for monitoring and interpreting vine water status. A normalized, water stress index calculated from real-time vine canopy temperature meas...

Application of Fuzzy Reasoning for Filtering and Enhancement of Ultrasonic Images

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sacha, J. P.; Cios, K. J.; Roth, D. J.; Berke, L.; Vary, A.

1994-01-01

This paper presents a new type of an adaptive fuzzy operator for detection of isolated abnormalities, and enhancement of raw ultrasonic images. Fuzzy sets used in decision rules are defined for each image based on empirical statistics of the color intensities. Examples of the method are also presented in the paper.

Investigating Technology-Enhanced Teacher Professional Development in Rural, High-Poverty Middle Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blanchard, Margaret R.; LePrevost, Catherine E.; Tolin, A. Dell; Gutierrez, Kristie S.

2016-01-01

This 3-year, mixed-methods study investigated the effects of teacher technology-enhanced professional development (TPD) on 20 teachers' beliefs and practices. Teachers in two middle schools located in neighboring rural, high-poverty districts in the southeastern United States participated in reform-based lessons and learned how to integrate…

Using composite sinusoidal patterns in structured-illumination reflectance imaging (SIRI) for enhanced detection of defects in food

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study presented a first exploration of using composite sinusoidal patterns that integrated two and three spatial frequencies of interest, in structured-illumination reflectance imaging (SIRI) for enhanced detection of defects in food (e.g., bruises in apples). Three methods based on Fourier tra...

Geometrical enhancement of the electric field: Application of fractional calculus in nanoplasmonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baskin, E.; Iomin, A.

2011-12-01

We developed an analytical approach, for a wave propagation in metal-dielectric nanostructures in the quasi-static limit. This consideration establishes a link between fractional geometry of the nanostructure and fractional integro-differentiation. The method is based on fractional calculus and permits to obtain analytical expressions for the electric-field enhancement.

Flow-based analysis using microfluidics-chemiluminescence systems.

PubMed

Al Lawati, Haider A J

2013-01-01

This review will discuss various approaches and techniques in which analysis using microfluidics-chemiluminescence systems (MF-CL) has been reported. A variety of applications is examined, including environmental, pharmaceutical, biological, food and herbal analysis. Reported uses of CL reagents, sample introduction techniques, sample pretreatment methods, CL signal enhancement and detection systems are discussed. A hydrodynamic pumping system is predominately used for these applications. However, several reports are available in which electro-osmotic (EO) pumping has been implemented. Various sample pretreatment methods have been used, including liquid-liquid extraction, solid-phase extraction and molecularly imprinted polymers. A wide range of innovative techniques has been reported for CL signal enhancement. Most of these techniques are based on enhancement of the mixing process in the microfluidics channels, which leads to enhancement of the CL signal. However, other techniques are also reported, such as mirror reaction, liquid core waveguide, on-line pre-derivatization and the use of an opaque white chip with a thin transparent seal. Photodetectors are the most commonly used detectors; however, other detection systems have also been used, including integrated electrochemiluminescence (ECL) and organic photodiodes (OPDs). Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Strong fiber Bragg grating based asymmetric Fabry-Perot sensor system with multiple reflections for high sensitivity enhancement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Wei; Hu, Zhengliang; Ma, Mingxiang; Lin, Huizu; Hu, Yongming

2014-03-01

A fiber Bragg grating based (FBG-based) Fabry-Perot (FP) sensor system utilizing multiple reflections between two strong FBGs with different reflectiveties to enhance the sensitivity is proposed. The different interference signals are obtained by using different multiple-path-matched Michelson interferometers (MIs). The system is lighted by the ultra-narrow line width erbium-doped fiber ring laser and the signal is demodulated by phase-generated carrier (PGC) scheme. The method to choose the optimal parameters of the FBG-based asymmetric FP sensor and the different matching MIs is analyzed. The experimental results show that each matching MI can steadily enhance the sensitivity of the demodulated signal in the bandwidth of 80-8000 Hz. The sensitivity of the system can be enhanced about 19.1 dB when the light reflects nine times between the two FBGs. Further more, this system can be used to extend the dynamic range and the effective working bandwidth and so on.

Assessment of Pansharpening Methods Applied to WorldView-2 Imagery Fusion.

PubMed

Li, Hui; Jing, Linhai; Tang, Yunwei

2017-01-05

Since WorldView-2 (WV-2) images are widely used in various fields, there is a high demand for the use of high-quality pansharpened WV-2 images for different application purposes. With respect to the novelty of the WV-2 multispectral (MS) and panchromatic (PAN) bands, the performances of eight state-of-art pan-sharpening methods for WV-2 imagery including six datasets from three WV-2 scenes were assessed in this study using both quality indices and information indices, along with visual inspection. The normalized difference vegetation index, normalized difference water index, and morphological building index, which are widely used in applications related to land cover classification, the extraction of vegetation areas, buildings, and water bodies, were employed in this work to evaluate the performance of different pansharpening methods in terms of information presentation ability. The experimental results show that the Haze- and Ratio-based, adaptive Gram-Schmidt, Generalized Laplacian pyramids (GLP) methods using enhanced spectral distortion minimal model and enhanced context-based decision model methods are good choices for producing fused WV-2 images used for image interpretation and the extraction of urban buildings. The two GLP-based methods are better choices than the other methods, if the fused images will be used for applications related to vegetation and water-bodies.

Assessment of Pansharpening Methods Applied to WorldView-2 Imagery Fusion

PubMed Central

Li, Hui; Jing, Linhai; Tang, Yunwei

2017-01-01

Since WorldView-2 (WV-2) images are widely used in various fields, there is a high demand for the use of high-quality pansharpened WV-2 images for different application purposes. With respect to the novelty of the WV-2 multispectral (MS) and panchromatic (PAN) bands, the performances of eight state-of-art pan-sharpening methods for WV-2 imagery including six datasets from three WV-2 scenes were assessed in this study using both quality indices and information indices, along with visual inspection. The normalized difference vegetation index, normalized difference water index, and morphological building index, which are widely used in applications related to land cover classification, the extraction of vegetation areas, buildings, and water bodies, were employed in this work to evaluate the performance of different pansharpening methods in terms of information presentation ability. The experimental results show that the Haze- and Ratio-based, adaptive Gram-Schmidt, Generalized Laplacian pyramids (GLP) methods using enhanced spectral distortion minimal model and enhanced context-based decision model methods are good choices for producing fused WV-2 images used for image interpretation and the extraction of urban buildings. The two GLP-based methods are better choices than the other methods, if the fused images will be used for applications related to vegetation and water-bodies. PMID:28067770

Enhanced Imaging of Specific Cell-Surface Glycosylation Based on Multi-FRET.

PubMed

Yuan, Baoyin; Chen, Yuanyuan; Sun, Yuqiong; Guo, Qiuping; Huang, Jin; Liu, Jianbo; Meng, Xiangxian; Yang, Xiaohai; Wen, Xiaohong; Li, Zenghui; Li, Lie; Wang, Kemin

2018-05-15

Cell-surface glycosylation contains abundant biological information that reflects cell physiological state, and it is of great value to image cell-surface glycosylation to elucidate its functions. Here we present a hybridization chain reaction (HCR)-based multifluorescence resonance energy transfer (multi-FRET) method for specific imaging of cell-surface glycosylation. By installing donors through metabolic glycan labeling and acceptors through aptamer-tethered nanoassemblies on the same glycoconjugate, intramolecular multi-FRET occurs due to near donor-acceptor distance. Benefiting from amplified effect and spatial flexibility of the HCR nanoassemblies, enhanced multi-FRET imaging of specific cell-surface glycosylation can be obtained. With this HCR-based multi-FRET method, we achieved obvious contrast in imaging of protein-specific GalNAcylation on 7211 cell surfaces. In addition, we demonstrated the general applicability of this method by visualizing the protein-specific sialylation on CEM cell surfaces. Furthermore, the expression changes of CEM cell-surface protein-specific sialylation under drug treatment was accurately monitored. This developed imaging method may provide a powerful tool in researching glycosylation functions, discovering biomarkers, and screening drugs.

Rapid bacterial antibiotic susceptibility test based on simple surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic biomarkers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Chia-Ying; Han, Yin-Yi; Shih, Po-Han; Lian, Wei-Nan; Wang, Huai-Hsien; Lin, Chi-Hung; Hsueh, Po-Ren; Wang, Juen-Kai; Wang, Yuh-Lin

2016-03-01

Rapid bacterial antibiotic susceptibility test (AST) and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) measurement are important to help reduce the widespread misuse of antibiotics and alleviate the growing drug-resistance problem. We discovered that, when a susceptible strain of Staphylococcus aureus or Escherichia coli is exposed to an antibiotic, the intensity of specific biomarkers in its surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra drops evidently in two hours. The discovery has been exploited for rapid AST and MIC determination of methicillin-susceptible S. aureus and wild-type E. coli as well as clinical isolates. The results obtained by this SERS-AST method were consistent with that by the standard incubation-based method, indicating its high potential to supplement or replace existing time-consuming methods and help mitigate the challenge of drug resistance in clinical microbiology.

Compound parabolic concentrator probe for efficient light collection in spectroscopy of biological tissue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanaka, Kazunori; Pacheco, Marcos T. T.; Brennan, James F., III; Itzkan, Irving; Berger, Andrew J.; Dasari, Ramachandra R.; Feld, Michael S.

1996-02-01

We describe a compound parabolic concentrator (CPC)-based probe for enhanced signal collection in the spectroscopy of biological tissues. Theoretical considerations governing signal enhancement compared with conventional collection methods are given. A ray-tracing program was used to analyze the throughput of CPC's with shape deviations and surface imperfections. A modified CPC shape with 99% throughput was discovered. A 4.4-mm-long CPC was manufactured and incorporated into an optical fiber-based near-infrared Raman spectrometer system. For human tissue samples, light collection was enhanced by a factor of 7 compared with collection with 0.29-NA optical fibers.

Naive Bayes Bearing Fault Diagnosis Based on Enhanced Independence of Data

PubMed Central

Zhang, Nannan; Wu, Lifeng; Yang, Jing; Guan, Yong

2018-01-01

The bearing is the key component of rotating machinery, and its performance directly determines the reliability and safety of the system. Data-based bearing fault diagnosis has become a research hotspot. Naive Bayes (NB), which is based on independent presumption, is widely used in fault diagnosis. However, the bearing data are not completely independent, which reduces the performance of NB algorithms. In order to solve this problem, we propose a NB bearing fault diagnosis method based on enhanced independence of data. The method deals with data vector from two aspects: the attribute feature and the sample dimension. After processing, the classification limitation of NB is reduced by the independence hypothesis. First, we extract the statistical characteristics of the original signal of the bearings effectively. Then, the Decision Tree algorithm is used to select the important features of the time domain signal, and the low correlation features is selected. Next, the Selective Support Vector Machine (SSVM) is used to prune the dimension data and remove redundant vectors. Finally, we use NB to diagnose the fault with the low correlation data. The experimental results show that the independent enhancement of data is effective for bearing fault diagnosis. PMID:29401730

Automated noninvasive classification of renal cancer on multiphase CT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Linguraru, Marius George; Wang, Shijun; Shah, Furhawn

2011-10-15

Purpose: To explore the added value of the shape of renal lesions for classifying renal neoplasms. To investigate the potential of computer-aided analysis of contrast-enhanced computed-tomography (CT) to quantify and classify renal lesions. Methods: A computer-aided clinical tool based on adaptive level sets was employed to analyze 125 renal lesions from contrast-enhanced abdominal CT studies of 43 patients. There were 47 cysts and 78 neoplasms: 22 Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL), 16 Birt-Hogg-Dube (BHD), 19 hereditary papillary renal carcinomas (HPRC), and 21 hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancers (HLRCC). The technique quantified the three-dimensional size and enhancement of lesions. Intrapatient and interphasemore » registration facilitated the study of lesion serial enhancement. The histograms of curvature-related features were used to classify the lesion types. The areas under the curve (AUC) were calculated for receiver operating characteristic curves. Results: Tumors were robustly segmented with 0.80 overlap (0.98 correlation) between manual and semi-automated quantifications. The method further identified morphological discrepancies between the types of lesions. The classification based on lesion appearance, enhancement and morphology between cysts and cancers showed AUC = 0.98; for BHD + VHL (solid cancers) vs. HPRC + HLRCC AUC = 0.99; for VHL vs. BHD AUC = 0.82; and for HPRC vs. HLRCC AUC = 0.84. All semi-automated classifications were statistically significant (p < 0.05) and superior to the analyses based solely on serial enhancement. Conclusions: The computer-aided clinical tool allowed the accurate quantification of cystic, solid, and mixed renal tumors. Cancer types were classified into four categories using their shape and enhancement. Comprehensive imaging biomarkers of renal neoplasms on abdominal CT may facilitate their noninvasive classification, guide clinical management, and monitor responses to drugs or interventions.« less

Enhancement and restoration of non-uniform illuminated Fundus Image of Retina obtained through thin layer of cataract.

PubMed

Mitra, Anirban; Roy, Sudipta; Roy, Somais; Setua, Sanjit Kumar

2018-03-01

Retinal fundus images are extensively used in manually or without human intervention to identify and analyze various diseases. Due to the comprehensive imaging arrangement, there is a large radiance, reflectance and contrast inconsistency within and across images. A novel method is proposed based on the cataract physical model to reduce the generated blurriness of the fundus image at the time of image acquisition through the thin layer of cataract by the fundus camera. After the blurriness reduction the method is proposed the enhancement procedure of the images with an objective on contrast perfection with no preamble of artifacts. Due to the uneven distribution of thickness of the cataract, the cataract surroundings are first predicted in the domain of frequency. Second, the resultant image of first step enhanced by the intensity histogram equalization in the adapted Hue Saturation Intensity (HSI) color image space such as the gamut problem can be avoided. The concluding image with suitable color and disparity is acquired by using the proposed max-min color correction approach. The result indicates that not only the proposed method can more effectively enhanced the non-uniform image of retina obtain through thin layer of cataract, but also the resulting image show appropriate brightness and saturation and maintain complete color space information. The projected enhancement method has been tested on the openly available datasets and the result evaluated with the standard used image enhancement algorithms and the cataract removal method. Results show noticeable development over existing methods. Cataract often prevents the clinician from objectively evaluating fundus feature. Cataract also affect subjective test. Enhancement and restoration of non-uniform illuminated Fundus Image of Retina obtained through thin layer of Cataract has shown here to be potentially beneficial. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enhanced performance of an S-band fiber laser using a thulium-doped photonic crystal fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muhammad, A. R.; Emami, S. D.; Hmood, J. K.; Sayar, K.; Penny, R.; Abdul-Rashid, H. A.; Ahmad, H.; Harun, S. W.

2014-11-01

This work proposes a new method to enhance the performance of an S-band fiber laser by using a thulium-doped photonic crystal fiber (PCF). The proposed method is based on amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) suppression provided by the thulium-doped PCF unique geometric structure. The enhanced performance of this filter based PCF is dependent on the short and long cut-off wavelength characteristics that define the fiber transmission window. Realizing the short wavelength cut-off location requires the PCF cladding to be doped with a high index material, which provides a refractive index difference between the core and cladding region. Achieving the long cut-off wavelength necessitates enlarging the size of the air holes surrounding the rare-earth doped core region. The PCF structure is optimized so as to achieve the desired ASE suppression regions of below 0.8 μm and above 1.8 μm. The laser performance is simulated for different host media, namely pure silica, alumino-silicate, and fluoride-based fiber ZBLAN based on this thulium-doped PCF design. The host media spectroscopic details, including lifetime variations and quantum efficiency effect on the lasing emission are also discussed. Information on the filter based PCF design is gathered via a full-vectorial finite element method analysis and specifically a numerical modelling solution for the energy level rate equation using the Runge-Kutta method. Results are analyzed for gain improvement, lasing cavity, laser efficiency and effect of core size diameter variation. Results are compared with conventional thulium-doped fiber and thulium-doped PCF for every single host media. We observe that the ZBLAN host media is the most promising candidate due to its greater quantum efficiency.

Improved medical image fusion based on cascaded PCA and shift invariant wavelet transforms.

PubMed

Reena Benjamin, J; Jayasree, T

2018-02-01

In the medical field, radiologists need more informative and high-quality medical images to diagnose diseases. Image fusion plays a vital role in the field of biomedical image analysis. It aims to integrate the complementary information from multimodal images, producing a new composite image which is expected to be more informative for visual perception than any of the individual input images. The main objective of this paper is to improve the information, to preserve the edges and to enhance the quality of the fused image using cascaded principal component analysis (PCA) and shift invariant wavelet transforms. A novel image fusion technique based on cascaded PCA and shift invariant wavelet transforms is proposed in this paper. PCA in spatial domain extracts relevant information from the large dataset based on eigenvalue decomposition, and the wavelet transform operating in the complex domain with shift invariant properties brings out more directional and phase details of the image. The significance of maximum fusion rule applied in dual-tree complex wavelet transform domain enhances the average information and morphological details. The input images of the human brain of two different modalities (MRI and CT) are collected from whole brain atlas data distributed by Harvard University. Both MRI and CT images are fused using cascaded PCA and shift invariant wavelet transform method. The proposed method is evaluated based on three main key factors, namely structure preservation, edge preservation, contrast preservation. The experimental results and comparison with other existing fusion methods show the superior performance of the proposed image fusion framework in terms of visual and quantitative evaluations. In this paper, a complex wavelet-based image fusion has been discussed. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method enhances the directional features as well as fine edge details. Also, it reduces the redundant details, artifacts, distortions.

Problem-Based Learning Approaches in Meteorology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charlton-Perez, Andrew James

2013-01-01

Problem-Based Learning, despite recent controversies about its effectiveness, is used extensively as a teaching method throughout higher education. In meteorology, there has been little attempt to incorporate Problem-Based Learning techniques into the curriculum. Motivated by a desire to enhance the reflective engagement of students within a…

Magnetic signature of overbank sediment in industry impacted floodplains identified by data mining methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chudaničová, Monika; Hutchinson, Simon M.

2016-11-01

Our study attempts to identify a characteristic magnetic signature of overbank sediments exhibiting anthropogenically induced magnetic enhancement and thereby to distinguish them from unenhanced sediments with weak magnetic background values, using a novel approach based on data mining methods, thus providing a mean of rapid pollution determination. Data were obtained from 539 bulk samples from vertical profiles through overbank sediment, collected on seven rivers in the eastern Czech Republic and three rivers in northwest England. k-Means clustering and hierarchical clustering methods, paired group (UPGMA) and Ward's method, were used to divide the samples to natural groups according to their attributes. Interparametric ratios: SIRM/χ; SIRM/ARM; and S-0.1T were chosen as attributes for analyses making the resultant model more widely applicable as magnetic concentration values can differ by two orders. Division into three clusters appeared to be optimal and corresponded to inherent clusters in the data scatter. Clustering managed to separate samples with relatively weak anthropogenically induced enhancement, relatively strong anthropogenically induced enhancement and samples lacking enhancement. To describe the clusters explicitly and thus obtain a discrete magnetic signature, classification rules (JRip method) and decision trees (J4.8 and Simple Cart methods) were used. Samples lacking anthropogenic enhancement typically exhibited an S-0.1T < c. 0.5, SIRM/ARM < c. 150 and SIRM/χ < c. 6000 A m-1. Samples with magnetic enhancement all exhibited an S-0.1T > 0.5. Samples with relatively stronger anthropogenic enhancement were unequivocally distinguished from the samples with weaker enhancement by an SIRM/ARM > c. 150. Samples with SIRM/ARM in a range c. 126-150 were classified as relatively strongly enhanced when their SIRM/χ > 18 000 A m-1 and relatively less enhanced when their SIRM/χ < 18 000 A m-1. An additional rule was arbitrary added to exclude samples with χfd% > 6 per cent from anthropogenically enhanced clusters as samples with natural magnetic enhancement. The characteristics of the clusters resulted mainly from the relationship between SIRM/ARM and the S-0.1T, and SIRM/χ and the S-0.1T. Both SIRM/ARM and SIRM/χ increase with increasing S-0.1T values reflecting a greater level of anthropogenic magnetic particles. Overall, data mining methods demonstrated good potential for utilization in environmental magnetism.

Method of Improved Fuzzy Contrast Combined Adaptive Threshold in NSCT for Medical Image Enhancement

PubMed Central

Yang, Jie; Kasabov, Nikola

2017-01-01

Noises and artifacts are introduced to medical images due to acquisition techniques and systems. This interference leads to low contrast and distortion in images, which not only impacts the effectiveness of the medical image but also seriously affects the clinical diagnoses. This paper proposes an algorithm for medical image enhancement based on the nonsubsampled contourlet transform (NSCT), which combines adaptive threshold and an improved fuzzy set. First, the original image is decomposed into the NSCT domain with a low-frequency subband and several high-frequency subbands. Then, a linear transformation is adopted for the coefficients of the low-frequency component. An adaptive threshold method is used for the removal of high-frequency image noise. Finally, the improved fuzzy set is used to enhance the global contrast and the Laplace operator is used to enhance the details of the medical images. Experiments and simulation results show that the proposed method is superior to existing methods of image noise removal, improves the contrast of the image significantly, and obtains a better visual effect. PMID:28744464

Aligning observed and modelled behaviour based on workflow decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lu; Du, YuYue; Liu, Wei

2017-09-01

When business processes are mostly supported by information systems, the availability of event logs generated from these systems, as well as the requirement of appropriate process models are increasing. Business processes can be discovered, monitored and enhanced by extracting process-related information. However, some events cannot be correctly identified because of the explosion of the amount of event logs. Therefore, a new process mining technique is proposed based on a workflow decomposition method in this paper. Petri nets (PNs) are used to describe business processes, and then conformance checking of event logs and process models is investigated. A decomposition approach is proposed to divide large process models and event logs into several separate parts that can be analysed independently; while an alignment approach based on a state equation method in PN theory enhances the performance of conformance checking. Both approaches are implemented in programmable read-only memory (ProM). The correctness and effectiveness of the proposed methods are illustrated through experiments.

The ship edge feature detection based on high and low threshold for remote sensing image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xuan; Li, Shengyang

2018-05-01

In this paper, a method based on high and low threshold is proposed to detect the ship edge feature due to the low accuracy rate caused by the noise. Analyze the relationship between human vision system and the target features, and to determine the ship target by detecting the edge feature. Firstly, using the second-order differential method to enhance the quality of image; Secondly, to improvement the edge operator, we introduction of high and low threshold contrast to enhancement image edge and non-edge points, and the edge as the foreground image, non-edge as a background image using image segmentation to achieve edge detection, and remove the false edges; Finally, the edge features are described based on the result of edge features detection, and determine the ship target. The experimental results show that the proposed method can effectively reduce the number of false edges in edge detection, and has the high accuracy of remote sensing ship edge detection.

Comparison of liver volumetry on contrast-enhanced CT images: one semiautomatic and two automatic approaches.

PubMed

Cai, Wei; He, Baochun; Fan, Yingfang; Fang, Chihua; Jia, Fucang

2016-11-08

This study was to evaluate the accuracy, consistency, and efficiency of three liver volumetry methods- one interactive method, an in-house-developed 3D medical Image Analysis (3DMIA) system, one automatic active shape model (ASM)-based segmentation, and one automatic probabilistic atlas (PA)-guided segmentation method on clinical contrast-enhanced CT images. Forty-two datasets, including 27 normal liver and 15 space-occupying liver lesion patients, were retrospectively included in this study. The three methods - one semiautomatic 3DMIA, one automatic ASM-based, and one automatic PA-based liver volumetry - achieved an accuracy with VD (volume difference) of -1.69%, -2.75%, and 3.06% in the normal group, respectively, and with VD of -3.20%, -3.35%, and 4.14% in the space-occupying lesion group, respectively. However, the three methods achieved an efficiency of 27.63 mins, 1.26 mins, 1.18 mins on average, respectively, compared with the manual volumetry, which took 43.98 mins. The high intraclass correlation coefficient between the three methods and the manual method indicated an excel-lent agreement on liver volumetry. Significant differences in segmentation time were observed between the three methods (3DMIA, ASM, and PA) and the manual volumetry (p < 0.001), as well as between the automatic volumetries (ASM and PA) and the semiautomatic volumetry (3DMIA) (p < 0.001). The semiautomatic interactive 3DMIA, automatic ASM-based, and automatic PA-based liver volum-etry agreed well with manual gold standard in both the normal liver group and the space-occupying lesion group. The ASM- and PA-based automatic segmentation have better efficiency in clinical use. © 2016 The Authors.

Optimization of analytical parameters for inferring relationships among Escherichia coli isolates from repetitive-element PCR by maximizing correspondence with multilocus sequence typing data.

PubMed

Goldberg, Tony L; Gillespie, Thomas R; Singer, Randall S

2006-09-01

Repetitive-element PCR (rep-PCR) is a method for genotyping bacteria based on the selective amplification of repetitive genetic elements dispersed throughout bacterial chromosomes. The method has great potential for large-scale epidemiological studies because of its speed and simplicity; however, objective guidelines for inferring relationships among bacterial isolates from rep-PCR data are lacking. We used multilocus sequence typing (MLST) as a "gold standard" to optimize the analytical parameters for inferring relationships among Escherichia coli isolates from rep-PCR data. We chose 12 isolates from a large database to represent a wide range of pairwise genetic distances, based on the initial evaluation of their rep-PCR fingerprints. We conducted MLST with these same isolates and systematically varied the analytical parameters to maximize the correspondence between the relationships inferred from rep-PCR and those inferred from MLST. Methods that compared the shapes of densitometric profiles ("curve-based" methods) yielded consistently higher correspondence values between data types than did methods that calculated indices of similarity based on shared and different bands (maximum correspondences of 84.5% and 80.3%, respectively). Curve-based methods were also markedly more robust in accommodating variations in user-specified analytical parameter values than were "band-sharing coefficient" methods, and they enhanced the reproducibility of rep-PCR. Phylogenetic analyses of rep-PCR data yielded trees with high topological correspondence to trees based on MLST and high statistical support for major clades. These results indicate that rep-PCR yields accurate information for inferring relationships among E. coli isolates and that accuracy can be enhanced with the use of analytical methods that consider the shapes of densitometric profiles.

Passive fetal heart rate monitoring apparatus and method with enhanced fetal heart beat discrimination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zahorian, Stephen A. (Inventor); Livingston, David L. (Inventor); Pretlow, III, Robert A. (Inventor)

1996-01-01

An apparatus for acquiring signals emitted by a fetus, identifying fetal heart beats and determining a fetal heart rate. Multiple sensor signals are outputted by a passive fetal heart rate monitoring sensor. Multiple parallel nonlinear filters filter these multiple sensor signals to identify fetal heart beats in the signal data. A processor determines a fetal heart rate based on these identified fetal heart beats. The processor includes the use of a figure of merit weighting of heart rate estimates based on the identified heart beats from each filter for each signal. The fetal heart rate thus determined is outputted to a display, storage, or communications channel. A method for enhanced fetal heart beat discrimination includes acquiring signals from a fetus, identifying fetal heart beats from the signals by multiple parallel nonlinear filtering, and determining a fetal heart rate based on the identified fetal heart beats. A figure of merit operation in this method provides for weighting a plurality of fetal heart rate estimates based on the identified fetal heart beats and selecting the highest ranking fetal heart rate estimate.

Passive fetal heart rate monitoring apparatus and method with enhanced fetal heart beat discrimination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zahorian, Stephen A. (Inventor); Livingston, David L. (Inventor); Pretlow, Robert A., III (Inventor)

1994-01-01

An apparatus for acquiring signals emitted by a fetus, identifying fetal heart beats and determining a fetal heart rate is presented. Multiple sensor signals are outputted by a passive fetal heart rate monitoring sensor. Multiple parallel nonlinear filters filter these multiple sensor signals to identify fetal heart beats in the signal data. A processor determines a fetal heart rate based on these identified fetal heart beats. The processor includes the use of a figure of merit weighting of heart rate estimates based on the identified heart beats from each filter for each signal. The fetal heart rate thus determined is outputted to a display, storage, or communications channel. A method for enhanced fetal heart beat discrimination includes acquiring signals from a fetus, identifying fetal heart beats from the signals by multiple parallel nonlinear filtering, and determining a fetal heart rate based on the identified fetal heart beats. A figure of merit operation in this method provides for weighting a plurality of fetal heart rate estimates based on the identified fetal heart beats and selecting the highest ranking fetal heart rate estimate.

A combination of feature extraction methods with an ensemble of different classifiers for protein structural class prediction problem.

PubMed

Dehzangi, Abdollah; Paliwal, Kuldip; Sharma, Alok; Dehzangi, Omid; Sattar, Abdul

2013-01-01

Better understanding of structural class of a given protein reveals important information about its overall folding type and its domain. It can also be directly used to provide critical information on general tertiary structure of a protein which has a profound impact on protein function determination and drug design. Despite tremendous enhancements made by pattern recognition-based approaches to solve this problem, it still remains as an unsolved issue for bioinformatics that demands more attention and exploration. In this study, we propose a novel feature extraction model that incorporates physicochemical and evolutionary-based information simultaneously. We also propose overlapped segmented distribution and autocorrelation-based feature extraction methods to provide more local and global discriminatory information. The proposed feature extraction methods are explored for 15 most promising attributes that are selected from a wide range of physicochemical-based attributes. Finally, by applying an ensemble of different classifiers namely, Adaboost.M1, LogitBoost, naive Bayes, multilayer perceptron (MLP), and support vector machine (SVM) we show enhancement of the protein structural class prediction accuracy for four popular benchmarks.

Safety assessment in pediatric studies.

PubMed

Koren, Gideon; Elzagallaai, Abdelbasset; Etwel, Fatma

2011-01-01

It typically takes many years before an association of a drug with a rare, serious adverse reaction is established. As related to pediatric drug use, evidence is even more erratic, as most drugs are used off labels. To enhance child safety, there is an urgent need to develop robust and rapid methods to identify such associations in as timely a manner as possible. In this chapter, several novel methods, both clinically based pharmacoepidemiological approaches and laboratory-based methods, are described.

A Mapmark method of standard setting as implemented for the National Assessment Governing Board.

PubMed

Schulz, E Matthew; Mitzel, Howard C

2011-01-01

This article describes a Mapmark standard setting procedure, developed under contract with the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB). The procedure enhances the bookmark method with spatially representative item maps, holistic feedback, and an emphasis on independent judgment. A rationale for these enhancements, and the bookmark method, is presented, followed by a detailed description of the materials and procedures used in a meeting to set standards for the 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in Grade 12 mathematics. The use of difficulty-ordered content domains to provide holistic feedback is a particularly novel feature of the method. Process evaluation results comparing Mapmark to Anghoff-based methods previously used for NAEP standard setting are also presented.

Optimal methods for measuring eligibility for liver transplant in hepatocellular carcinoma patients undergoing transarterial chemoembolization.

PubMed

Kim, Hyung-Don; Shim, Ju Hyun; Kim, Gi-Ae; Shin, Yong Moon; Yu, Eunsil; Lee, Sung-Gyu; Lee, Danbi; Kim, Kang Mo; Lim, Young-Suk; Lee, Han Chu; Chung, Young-Hwa; Lee, Yung Sang

2015-05-01

We investigated the optimal radiologic method for measuring hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated by transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in order to assess suitability for liver transplantation (LT). 271 HCC patients undergoing TACE prior to LT were classified according to both Milan and up-to-seven criteria after TACE by using the enhancement or size method on computed tomography images. The cumulative incidence function curves with competing risks regression was used in post-LT time-to-recurrence analysis. The predictive accuracy for recurrence was compared using area under the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) estimation. Of the 271 patients, 246 (90.8%) and 164 (60.5%) fell within Milan and 252 (93.0%) and 210 (77.5%) fell within up-to-seven criteria, when assessed by enhancement and size methods, respectively. Competing risks regression analyses adjusting for covariates indicated that meeting the criteria by enhancement and by size methods was independently related to post-LT time-to-recurrence in the Milan or up-to-seven model. Higher AUC values were observed with the size method only in the up-to-seven model (p<0.05). Mean differences in the sum of tumor diameter and number of tumors between pathologic and radiologic findings were significantly less by the enhancement method (p<0.05). Cumulative incidence curves showed similar recurrence results between patients with and without prior TACE within the criteria based on either method, except for the within up-to-seven by the enhancement method (p=0.017). The enhancement method is a reliable tool for assessing the control or downstaging of HCC within Milan after TACE, although the size method may be preferable when applying the up-to-seven criterion. Copyright © 2014 European Association for the Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A generalized time-frequency subtraction method for robust speech enhancement based on wavelet filter banks modeling of human auditory system.

PubMed

Shao, Yu; Chang, Chip-Hong

2007-08-01

We present a new speech enhancement scheme for a single-microphone system to meet the demand for quality noise reduction algorithms capable of operating at a very low signal-to-noise ratio. A psychoacoustic model is incorporated into the generalized perceptual wavelet denoising method to reduce the residual noise and improve the intelligibility of speech. The proposed method is a generalized time-frequency subtraction algorithm, which advantageously exploits the wavelet multirate signal representation to preserve the critical transient information. Simultaneous masking and temporal masking of the human auditory system are modeled by the perceptual wavelet packet transform via the frequency and temporal localization of speech components. The wavelet coefficients are used to calculate the Bark spreading energy and temporal spreading energy, from which a time-frequency masking threshold is deduced to adaptively adjust the subtraction parameters of the proposed method. An unvoiced speech enhancement algorithm is also integrated into the system to improve the intelligibility of speech. Through rigorous objective and subjective evaluations, it is shown that the proposed speech enhancement system is capable of reducing noise with little speech degradation in adverse noise environments and the overall performance is superior to several competitive methods.

Gas-sensing enhancement methods for hydrothermal synthesized SnO2-based sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yalei; Zhang, Wenlong; Yang, Bin; Liu, Jingquan; Chen, Xiang; Wang, Xiaolin; Yang, Chunsheng

2017-11-01

Gas sensing for hydrothermal synthesized SnO2-based gas sensors can be enhanced in three ways: structural improvement, composition optimization, and processing improvement. There have been zero-dimensional, one-dimensional, and three-dimensional structures reported in the literature. Controllable synthesis of different structures has been deployed to increase specific surface area. Change of composition would intensively tailor the SnO2 structure, which affected the gas-sensing performance. Furthermore, doping and compounding methods have been adopted to promote gas-sensing performance by adjusting surface conditions of SnO2 crystals and constructing heterojunctions. As for processing area, it is very important to find the optimal reaction time and temperature. In this paper, a gas-solid reaction rate constant was proposed to evaluate gas-sensing properties and find an excellent hydrothermal synthesized SnO2-based gas sensor.

Cryptanalysis and security enhancement of optical cryptography based on computational ghost imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Sheng; Yao, Jianbin; Liu, Xuemei; Zhou, Xin; Li, Zhongyang

2016-04-01

Optical cryptography based on computational ghost imaging (CGI) has attracted much attention of researchers because it encrypts plaintext into a random intensity vector rather than complexed-valued function. This promising feature of the CGI-based cryptography reduces the amount of data to be transmitted and stored and therefore brings convenience in practice. However, we find that this cryptography is vulnerable to chosen-plaintext attack because of the linear relationship between the input and output of the encryption system, and three feasible strategies are proposed to break it in this paper. Even though a large number of plaintexts need to be chosen in these attack methods, it means that this cryptography still exists security risks. To avoid these attacks, a security enhancement method utilizing an invertible matrix modulation is further discussed and the feasibility is verified by numerical simulations.

Polarization-dependent transverse-stress sensing characters of the gold-coated and liquid crystal filled photonic crystal fiber based on Surface Plasmon Resonance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Hai; Zhu, Chenghao; Wang, Yan; Tan, Ce; Li, Hongwei

2018-03-01

A transverse-stress sensor with enhanced sensitivity based on nematic liquid crystal (NLC) filled photonic crystal fiber (PCF) is proposed and analyzed by using the finite element method (FEM). The central hole of the PCF is infiltrated with NLC material with an adjustable rotation angle to achieve the polarization-dependent wavelength-selective sensing. And the combined use of side-hole structure and Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) technology enhanced the transverse-stress sensitivity enormously. Results reveal that the sensor can achieve a high sensitivity based on the polarization filter characteristic at special wavelengths. Besides that, the temperature and the transverse-stress in either direction can be effectively discriminated through dual-parameter demodulation method by adjusting the rotation angle of the NLC to introduce a new degree of freedom for sensing.

Optimal Battery Sizing in Photovoltaic Based Distributed Generation Using Enhanced Opposition-Based Firefly Algorithm for Voltage Rise Mitigation

PubMed Central

Wong, Ling Ai; Shareef, Hussain; Mohamed, Azah; Ibrahim, Ahmad Asrul

2014-01-01

This paper presents the application of enhanced opposition-based firefly algorithm in obtaining the optimal battery energy storage systems (BESS) sizing in photovoltaic generation integrated radial distribution network in order to mitigate the voltage rise problem. Initially, the performance of the original firefly algorithm is enhanced by utilizing the opposition-based learning and introducing inertia weight. After evaluating the performance of the enhanced opposition-based firefly algorithm (EOFA) with fifteen benchmark functions, it is then adopted to determine the optimal size for BESS. Two optimization processes are conducted where the first optimization aims to obtain the optimal battery output power on hourly basis and the second optimization aims to obtain the optimal BESS capacity by considering the state of charge constraint of BESS. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated by applying the algorithm to the 69-bus distribution system and by comparing the performance of EOFA with conventional firefly algorithm and gravitational search algorithm. Results show that EOFA has the best performance comparatively in terms of mitigating the voltage rise problem. PMID:25054184

Optimal battery sizing in photovoltaic based distributed generation using enhanced opposition-based firefly algorithm for voltage rise mitigation.

PubMed

Wong, Ling Ai; Shareef, Hussain; Mohamed, Azah; Ibrahim, Ahmad Asrul

2014-01-01

This paper presents the application of enhanced opposition-based firefly algorithm in obtaining the optimal battery energy storage systems (BESS) sizing in photovoltaic generation integrated radial distribution network in order to mitigate the voltage rise problem. Initially, the performance of the original firefly algorithm is enhanced by utilizing the opposition-based learning and introducing inertia weight. After evaluating the performance of the enhanced opposition-based firefly algorithm (EOFA) with fifteen benchmark functions, it is then adopted to determine the optimal size for BESS. Two optimization processes are conducted where the first optimization aims to obtain the optimal battery output power on hourly basis and the second optimization aims to obtain the optimal BESS capacity by considering the state of charge constraint of BESS. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated by applying the algorithm to the 69-bus distribution system and by comparing the performance of EOFA with conventional firefly algorithm and gravitational search algorithm. Results show that EOFA has the best performance comparatively in terms of mitigating the voltage rise problem.

A novel reporter system for neutralizing and enhancing antibody assay against dengue virus.

PubMed

Song, Ke-Yu; Zhao, Hui; Jiang, Zhen-You; Li, Xiao-Feng; Deng, Yong-Qiang; Jiang, Tao; Zhu, Shun-Ya; Shi, Pei-Yong; Zhang, Bo; Zhang, Fu-Chun; Qin, E-De; Qin, Cheng-Feng

2014-02-18

Dengue virus (DENV) still poses a global public health threat, and no vaccine or antiviral therapy is currently available. Antibody plays distinct roles in controlling DENV infections. Neutralizing antibody is protective against DENV infection, whereas sub-neutralizing concentration of antibody can increase DENV infection, termed antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE). Plaque-based assay represents the most widely accepted method measuring neutralizing or enhancing antibodies. In this study, a novel reporter virus-based system was developed for measuring neutralization and ADE activity. A stable Renilla luciferase reporter DENV (Luc-DENV) that can produce robust luciferase signals in BHK-21 and K562 cells were used to establish the assay and validated against traditional plaque-based assay. Luciferase value analysis using various known DENV-specific monoclonal antibodies showed good repeatability and a well linear correlation with conventional plaque-based assays. The newly developed assay was finally validated with clinical samples from infected animals and individuals. This reporter virus-based assay for neutralizing and enhancing antibody evaluation is rapid, lower cost, and high throughput, and will be helpful for laboratory detection and epidemiological investigation for DENV antibodies.

Development of Support Service for Prevention and Recovery from Dementia and Science of Lethe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otake, Mihoko

Purpose of this study is to explore service design method through the development of support service for prevention and recovery from dementia towards science of lethe. We designed and implemented conversation support service via coimagination method based on multiscale service design method, both were proposed by the author. Multiscale service model consists of tool, event, human, network, style and rule. Service elements at different scales are developed according to the model. Interactive conversation supported by coimagination method activates cognitive functions so as to prevent progress of dementia. This paper proposes theoretical bases for science of lethe. Firstly, relationship among coimagination method and three cognitive functions including division of attention, planning, episodic memory which decline at mild cognitive imparement. Secondly, thought state transition model during conversation which describes cognitive enhancement via interactive communication. Thirdly, Set Theoretical Measure of Interaction is proposed for evaluating effectiveness of conversation to cognitive enhancement. Simulation result suggests that the ideas which cannot be explored by each speaker are explored during interactive conversation. Finally, coimagination method compared with reminiscence therapy and its possibility for collaboration is discussed.

A fast color image enhancement algorithm based on Max Intensity Channel

PubMed Central

Sun, Wei; Han, Long; Guo, Baolong; Jia, Wenyan; Sun, Mingui

2014-01-01

In this paper, we extend image enhancement techniques based on the retinex theory imitating human visual perception of scenes containing high illumination variations. This extension achieves simultaneous dynamic range modification, color consistency, and lightness rendition without multi-scale Gaussian filtering which has a certain halo effect. The reflection component is analyzed based on the illumination and reflection imaging model. A new prior named Max Intensity Channel (MIC) is implemented assuming that the reflections of some points in the scene are very high in at least one color channel. Using this prior, the illumination of the scene is obtained directly by performing a gray-scale closing operation and a fast cross-bilateral filtering on the MIC of the input color image. Consequently, the reflection component of each RGB color channel can be determined from the illumination and reflection imaging model. The proposed algorithm estimates the illumination component which is relatively smooth and maintains the edge details in different regions. A satisfactory color rendition is achieved for a class of images that do not satisfy the gray-world assumption implicit to the theoretical foundation of the retinex. Experiments are carried out to compare the new method with several spatial and transform domain methods. Our results indicate that the new method is superior in enhancement applications, improves computation speed, and performs well for images with high illumination variations than other methods. Further comparisons of images from National Aeronautics and Space Administration and a wearable camera eButton have shown a high performance of the new method with better color restoration and preservation of image details. PMID:25110395

A fast color image enhancement algorithm based on Max Intensity Channel.

PubMed

Sun, Wei; Han, Long; Guo, Baolong; Jia, Wenyan; Sun, Mingui

2014-03-30

In this paper, we extend image enhancement techniques based on the retinex theory imitating human visual perception of scenes containing high illumination variations. This extension achieves simultaneous dynamic range modification, color consistency, and lightness rendition without multi-scale Gaussian filtering which has a certain halo effect. The reflection component is analyzed based on the illumination and reflection imaging model. A new prior named Max Intensity Channel (MIC) is implemented assuming that the reflections of some points in the scene are very high in at least one color channel. Using this prior, the illumination of the scene is obtained directly by performing a gray-scale closing operation and a fast cross-bilateral filtering on the MIC of the input color image. Consequently, the reflection component of each RGB color channel can be determined from the illumination and reflection imaging model. The proposed algorithm estimates the illumination component which is relatively smooth and maintains the edge details in different regions. A satisfactory color rendition is achieved for a class of images that do not satisfy the gray-world assumption implicit to the theoretical foundation of the retinex. Experiments are carried out to compare the new method with several spatial and transform domain methods. Our results indicate that the new method is superior in enhancement applications, improves computation speed, and performs well for images with high illumination variations than other methods. Further comparisons of images from National Aeronautics and Space Administration and a wearable camera eButton have shown a high performance of the new method with better color restoration and preservation of image details.

A fast color image enhancement algorithm based on Max Intensity Channel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Wei; Han, Long; Guo, Baolong; Jia, Wenyan; Sun, Mingui

2014-03-01

In this paper, we extend image enhancement techniques based on the retinex theory imitating human visual perception of scenes containing high illumination variations. This extension achieves simultaneous dynamic range modification, color consistency, and lightness rendition without multi-scale Gaussian filtering which has a certain halo effect. The reflection component is analyzed based on the illumination and reflection imaging model. A new prior named Max Intensity Channel (MIC) is implemented assuming that the reflections of some points in the scene are very high in at least one color channel. Using this prior, the illumination of the scene is obtained directly by performing a gray-scale closing operation and a fast cross-bilateral filtering on the MIC of the input color image. Consequently, the reflection component of each RGB color channel can be determined from the illumination and reflection imaging model. The proposed algorithm estimates the illumination component which is relatively smooth and maintains the edge details in different regions. A satisfactory color rendition is achieved for a class of images that do not satisfy the gray-world assumption implicit to the theoretical foundation of the retinex. Experiments are carried out to compare the new method with several spatial and transform domain methods. Our results indicate that the new method is superior in enhancement applications, improves computation speed, and performs well for images with high illumination variations than other methods. Further comparisons of images from National Aeronautics and Space Administration and a wearable camera eButton have shown a high performance of the new method with better color restoration and preservation of image details.

Enhancing Important Fluctuations: Rare Events and Metadynamics from a Conceptual Viewpoint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valsson, Omar; Tiwary, Pratyush; Parrinello, Michele

2016-05-01

Atomistic simulations play a central role in many fields of science. However, their usefulness is often limited by the fact that many systems are characterized by several metastable states separated by high barriers, leading to kinetic bottlenecks. Transitions between metastable states are thus rare events that occur on significantly longer timescales than one can simulate in practice. Numerous enhanced sampling methods have been introduced to alleviate this timescale problem, including methods based on identifying a few crucial order parameters or collective variables and enhancing the sampling of these variables. Metadynamics is one such method that has proven successful in a great variety of fields. Here we review the conceptual and theoretical foundations of metadynamics. As demonstrated, metadynamics is not just a practical tool but can also be considered an important development in the theory of statistical mechanics.

Surface enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopic waveguide

DOEpatents

Lascola, Robert J; McWhorter, Christopher S; Murph, Simona H

2015-04-14

A waveguide for use with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy is provided that includes a base structure with an inner surface that defines a cavity and that has an axis. Multiple molecules of an analyte are capable of being located within the cavity at the same time. A base layer is located on the inner surface of the base structure. The base layer extends in an axial direction along an axial length of an excitation section. Nanoparticles are carried by the base layer and may be uniformly distributed along the entire axial length of the excitation section. A flow cell for introducing analyte and excitation light into the waveguide and a method of applying nanoparticles may also be provided.

SU-E-J-16: Automatic Image Contrast Enhancement Based On Automatic Parameter Optimization for Radiation Therapy Setup Verification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Qiu, J; Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO; Li, H. Harlod

Purpose: In RT patient setup 2D images, tissues often cannot be seen well due to the lack of image contrast. Contrast enhancement features provided by image reviewing software, e.g. Mosaiq and ARIA, require manual selection of the image processing filters and parameters thus inefficient and cannot be automated. In this work, we developed a novel method to automatically enhance the 2D RT image contrast to allow automatic verification of patient daily setups as a prerequisite step of automatic patient safety assurance. Methods: The new method is based on contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization (CLAHE) and high-pass filtering algorithms. The mostmore » important innovation is to automatically select the optimal parameters by optimizing the image contrast. The image processing procedure includes the following steps: 1) background and noise removal, 2) hi-pass filtering by subtracting the Gaussian smoothed Result, and 3) histogram equalization using CLAHE algorithm. Three parameters were determined through an iterative optimization which was based on the interior-point constrained optimization algorithm: the Gaussian smoothing weighting factor, the CLAHE algorithm block size and clip limiting parameters. The goal of the optimization is to maximize the entropy of the processed Result. Results: A total 42 RT images were processed. The results were visually evaluated by RT physicians and physicists. About 48% of the images processed by the new method were ranked as excellent. In comparison, only 29% and 18% of the images processed by the basic CLAHE algorithm and by the basic window level adjustment process, were ranked as excellent. Conclusion: This new image contrast enhancement method is robust and automatic, and is able to significantly outperform the basic CLAHE algorithm and the manual window-level adjustment process that are currently used in clinical 2D image review software tools.« less

Enhancement of NH3 gas sensitivity at room temperature by carbon nanotube-based sensor coated with Co nanoparticles.

PubMed

Nguyen, Lich Quang; Phan, Pho Quoc; Duong, Huyen Ngoc; Nguyen, Chien Duc; Nguyen, Lam Huu

2013-01-30

Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) film has been fabricated onto Pt-patterned alumina substrates using the chemical vapor deposition method for NH(3) gas sensing applications. The MWCNT-based sensor is sensitive to NH(3) gas at room temperature. Nanoclusters of Co catalysts have been sputtered on the surface of the MWCNT film to enhance gas sensitivity with respect to unfunctionalized CNT films. The gas sensitivity of Co-functionalized MWCNT-based gas sensors is thus significantly improved. The sensor exhibits good repeatability and high selectivity towards NH(3), compared with alcohol and LPG.

Educational Strategies for Learning to Learn from Role Models.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Martha

The way that socialization, via role modeling, can be enhanced in professional education is discussed, and 10 class assignments are used to illustrate teaching methods for enhancing role modeling, based on a course on women in administration at The University of Texas at Austin. Among the objectives of the course assignments are the following: to…

Assessing the Crossdisciplinarity of Technology-Enhanced Learning with Science Overlay Maps and Diversity Measures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kalz, Marco; Specht, Marcus

2014-01-01

This paper deals with the assessment of the crossdisciplinarity of technology-enhanced learning (TEL). Based on a general discussion of the concept interdisciplinarity and a summary of the discussion in the field, two empirical methods from scientometrics are introduced and applied. Science overlay maps and the Rao-Stirling diversity index are…

Using the Student Lifecycle Approach to Enhance Employability: An Example from Criminology and Criminal Justice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bates, Lyndel; Hayes, Hennessey

2017-01-01

Universities are increasingly focusing on the employability of students after they graduate from their studies. While practicums is one way of enhancing students' employability, the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice embeds employability throughout its degree programs using a range of strategies. These methods are based on the student…

Twitter Micro-Blogging Based Mobile Learning Approach to Enhance the Agriculture Education Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dissanayeke, Uvasara; Hewagamage, K. P.; Ramberg, Robert; Wikramanayake, G. N.

2013-01-01

The study intends to see how to introduce mobile learning within the domain of agriculture so as to enhance the agriculture education process. We propose to use the Activity theory together with other methodologies such as participatory methods to design, implement, and evaluate mLearning activities. The study explores the process of introducing…

Effective enhancement of hydrophilicity of solution indium zinc oxide-based thin-film transistors by oxygen plasma treatment of deposition layer surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

You, Hsin-Chiang; Wang, Yu-Chih

2016-06-01

In this paper, we describe the use of a simple and efficient sol-gel solution method for synthesizing indium zinc oxide (IZO) films for use as semiconductor channel layers in thin-film transistors (TFTs) on p-type silicon substrates. The performance of IZO-based TFTs was investigated, and the effect of oxygen plasma treatment on the surface of dielectric SiN x was observed. Oxygen plasma treatment effectively enhanced the electron mobility in IZO-based TFT devices from 0.005 to 1.56 cm2 V-1 s-1, an increase of more than 312 times, and effectively enhanced device performance. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of the IZO film was performed to clarify element bonding.

Sector-Based Detection for Hands-Free Speech Enhancement in Cars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lathoud, Guillaume; Bourgeois, Julien; Freudenberger, Jürgen

2006-12-01

Adaptation control of beamforming interference cancellation techniques is investigated for in-car speech acquisition. Two efficient adaptation control methods are proposed that avoid target cancellation. The "implicit" method varies the step-size continuously, based on the filtered output signal. The "explicit" method decides in a binary manner whether to adapt or not, based on a novel estimate of target and interference energies. It estimates the average delay-sum power within a volume of space, for the same cost as the classical delay-sum. Experiments on real in-car data validate both methods, including a case with[InlineEquation not available: see fulltext.] km/h background road noise.

Performance comparison of deep learning and segmentation-based radiomic methods in the task of distinguishing benign and malignant breast lesions on DCE-MRI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antropova, Natasha; Huynh, Benjamin; Giger, Maryellen

2017-03-01

Intuitive segmentation-based CADx/radiomic features, calculated from the lesion segmentations of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance images (DCE-MRIs) have been utilized in the task of distinguishing between malignant and benign lesions. Additionally, transfer learning with pre-trained deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) allows for an alternative method of radiomics extraction, where the features are derived directly from the image data. However, the comparison of computer-extracted segmentation-based and CNN features in MRI breast lesion characterization has not yet been conducted. In our study, we used a DCE-MRI database of 640 breast cases - 191 benign and 449 malignant. Thirty-eight segmentation-based features were extracted automatically using our quantitative radiomics workstation. Also, 2D ROIs were selected around each lesion on the DCE-MRIs and directly input into a pre-trained CNN AlexNet, yielding CNN features. Each method was investigated separately and in combination in terms of performance in the task of distinguishing between benign and malignant lesions. Area under the ROC curve (AUC) served as the figure of merit. Both methods yielded promising classification performance with round-robin cross-validated AUC values of 0.88 (se =0.01) and 0.76 (se=0.02) for segmentationbased and deep learning methods, respectively. Combination of the two methods enhanced the performance in malignancy assessment resulting in an AUC value of 0.91 (se=0.01), a statistically significant improvement over the performance of the CNN method alone.

A point-value enhanced finite volume method based on approximate delta functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xuan, Li-Jun; Majdalani, Joseph

2018-02-01

We revisit the concept of an approximate delta function (ADF), introduced by Huynh (2011) [1], in the form of a finite-order polynomial that holds identical integral properties to the Dirac delta function when used in conjunction with a finite-order polynomial integrand over a finite domain. We show that the use of generic ADF polynomials can be effective at recovering and generalizing several high-order methods, including Taylor-based and nodal-based Discontinuous Galerkin methods, as well as the Correction Procedure via Reconstruction. Based on the ADF concept, we then proceed to formulate a Point-value enhanced Finite Volume (PFV) method, which stores and updates the cell-averaged values inside each element as well as the unknown quantities and, if needed, their derivatives on nodal points. The sharing of nodal information with surrounding elements saves the number of degrees of freedom compared to other compact methods at the same order. To ensure conservation, cell-averaged values are updated using an identical approach to that adopted in the finite volume method. Here, the updating of nodal values and their derivatives is achieved through an ADF concept that leverages all of the elements within the domain of integration that share the same nodal point. The resulting scheme is shown to be very stable at successively increasing orders. Both accuracy and stability of the PFV method are verified using a Fourier analysis and through applications to the linear wave and nonlinear Burgers' equations in one-dimensional space.

Spoof Detection for Finger-Vein Recognition System Using NIR Camera.

PubMed

Nguyen, Dat Tien; Yoon, Hyo Sik; Pham, Tuyen Danh; Park, Kang Ryoung

2017-10-01

Finger-vein recognition, a new and advanced biometrics recognition method, is attracting the attention of researchers because of its advantages such as high recognition performance and lesser likelihood of theft and inaccuracies occurring on account of skin condition defects. However, as reported by previous researchers, it is possible to attack a finger-vein recognition system by using presentation attack (fake) finger-vein images. As a result, spoof detection, named as presentation attack detection (PAD), is necessary in such recognition systems. Previous attempts to establish PAD methods primarily focused on designing feature extractors by hand (handcrafted feature extractor) based on the observations of the researchers about the difference between real (live) and presentation attack finger-vein images. Therefore, the detection performance was limited. Recently, the deep learning framework has been successfully applied in computer vision and delivered superior results compared to traditional handcrafted methods on various computer vision applications such as image-based face recognition, gender recognition and image classification. In this paper, we propose a PAD method for near-infrared (NIR) camera-based finger-vein recognition system using convolutional neural network (CNN) to enhance the detection ability of previous handcrafted methods. Using the CNN method, we can derive a more suitable feature extractor for PAD than the other handcrafted methods using a training procedure. We further process the extracted image features to enhance the presentation attack finger-vein image detection ability of the CNN method using principal component analysis method (PCA) for dimensionality reduction of feature space and support vector machine (SVM) for classification. Through extensive experimental results, we confirm that our proposed method is adequate for presentation attack finger-vein image detection and it can deliver superior detection results compared to CNN-based methods and other previous handcrafted methods.

Spoof Detection for Finger-Vein Recognition System Using NIR Camera

PubMed Central

Nguyen, Dat Tien; Yoon, Hyo Sik; Pham, Tuyen Danh; Park, Kang Ryoung

2017-01-01

Finger-vein recognition, a new and advanced biometrics recognition method, is attracting the attention of researchers because of its advantages such as high recognition performance and lesser likelihood of theft and inaccuracies occurring on account of skin condition defects. However, as reported by previous researchers, it is possible to attack a finger-vein recognition system by using presentation attack (fake) finger-vein images. As a result, spoof detection, named as presentation attack detection (PAD), is necessary in such recognition systems. Previous attempts to establish PAD methods primarily focused on designing feature extractors by hand (handcrafted feature extractor) based on the observations of the researchers about the difference between real (live) and presentation attack finger-vein images. Therefore, the detection performance was limited. Recently, the deep learning framework has been successfully applied in computer vision and delivered superior results compared to traditional handcrafted methods on various computer vision applications such as image-based face recognition, gender recognition and image classification. In this paper, we propose a PAD method for near-infrared (NIR) camera-based finger-vein recognition system using convolutional neural network (CNN) to enhance the detection ability of previous handcrafted methods. Using the CNN method, we can derive a more suitable feature extractor for PAD than the other handcrafted methods using a training procedure. We further process the extracted image features to enhance the presentation attack finger-vein image detection ability of the CNN method using principal component analysis method (PCA) for dimensionality reduction of feature space and support vector machine (SVM) for classification. Through extensive experimental results, we confirm that our proposed method is adequate for presentation attack finger-vein image detection and it can deliver superior detection results compared to CNN-based methods and other previous handcrafted methods. PMID:28974031

Fingerprint pattern restoration by digital image processing techniques.

PubMed

Wen, Che-Yen; Yu, Chiu-Chung

2003-09-01

Fingerprint evidence plays an important role in solving criminal problems. However, defective (lacking information needed for completeness) or contaminated (undesirable information included) fingerprint patterns make identifying and recognizing processes difficult. Unfortunately. this is the usual case. In the recognizing process (enhancement of patterns, or elimination of "false alarms" so that a fingerprint pattern can be searched in the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS)), chemical and physical techniques have been proposed to improve pattern legibility. In the identifying process, a fingerprint examiner can enhance contaminated (but not defective) fingerprint patterns under guidelines provided by the Scientific Working Group on Friction Ridge Analysis, Study and Technology (SWGFAST), the Scientific Working Group on Imaging Technology (SWGIT), and an AFIS working group within the National Institute of Justice. Recently, the image processing techniques have been successfully applied in forensic science. For example, we have applied image enhancement methods to improve the legibility of digital images such as fingerprints and vehicle plate numbers. In this paper, we propose a novel digital image restoration technique based on the AM (amplitude modulation)-FM (frequency modulation) reaction-diffusion method to restore defective or contaminated fingerprint patterns. This method shows its potential application to fingerprint pattern enhancement in the recognizing process (but not for the identifying process). Synthetic and real images are used to show the capability of the proposed method. The results of enhancing fingerprint patterns by the manual process and our method are evaluated and compared.

Joint Estimation of Effective Brain Wave Activation Modes Using EEG/MEG Sensor Arrays and Multimodal MRI Volumes.

PubMed

Galinsky, Vitaly L; Martinez, Antigona; Paulus, Martin P; Frank, Lawrence R

2018-04-13

In this letter, we present a new method for integration of sensor-based multifrequency bands of electroencephalography and magnetoencephalography data sets into a voxel-based structural-temporal magnetic resonance imaging analysis by utilizing the general joint estimation using entropy regularization (JESTER) framework. This allows enhancement of the spatial-temporal localization of brain function and the ability to relate it to morphological features and structural connectivity. This method has broad implications for both basic neuroscience research and clinical neuroscience focused on identifying disease-relevant biomarkers by enhancing the spatial-temporal resolution of the estimates derived from current neuroimaging modalities, thereby providing a better picture of the normal human brain in basic neuroimaging experiments and variations associated with disease states.

Intensity Variation Normalization for Finger Vein Recognition Using Guided Filter Based Singe Scale Retinex

PubMed Central

Xie, Shan Juan; Lu, Yu; Yoon, Sook; Yang, Jucheng; Park, Dong Sun

2015-01-01

Finger vein recognition has been considered one of the most promising biometrics for personal authentication. However, the capacities and percentages of finger tissues (e.g., bone, muscle, ligament, water, fat, etc.) vary person by person. This usually causes poor quality of finger vein images, therefore degrading the performance of finger vein recognition systems (FVRSs). In this paper, the intrinsic factors of finger tissue causing poor quality of finger vein images are analyzed, and an intensity variation (IV) normalization method using guided filter based single scale retinex (GFSSR) is proposed for finger vein image enhancement. The experimental results on two public datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in enhancing the image quality and finger vein recognition accuracy. PMID:26184226

Intensity Variation Normalization for Finger Vein Recognition Using Guided Filter Based Singe Scale Retinex.

PubMed

Xie, Shan Juan; Lu, Yu; Yoon, Sook; Yang, Jucheng; Park, Dong Sun

2015-07-14

Finger vein recognition has been considered one of the most promising biometrics for personal authentication. However, the capacities and percentages of finger tissues (e.g., bone, muscle, ligament, water, fat, etc.) vary person by person. This usually causes poor quality of finger vein images, therefore degrading the performance of finger vein recognition systems (FVRSs). In this paper, the intrinsic factors of finger tissue causing poor quality of finger vein images are analyzed, and an intensity variation (IV) normalization method using guided filter based single scale retinex (GFSSR) is proposed for finger vein image enhancement. The experimental results on two public datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in enhancing the image quality and finger vein recognition accuracy.

An infrared small target detection method based on multiscale local homogeneity measure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nie, Jinyan; Qu, Shaocheng; Wei, Yantao; Zhang, Liming; Deng, Lizhen

2018-05-01

Infrared (IR) small target detection plays an important role in the field of image detection area owing to its intrinsic characteristics. This paper presents a multiscale local homogeneity measure (MLHM) for infrared small target detection, which can enhance the performance of IR small target detection system. Firstly, intra-patch homogeneity of the target itself and the inter-patch heterogeneity between target and the local background regions are integrated to enhance the significant of small target. Secondly, a multiscale measure based on local regions is proposed to obtain the most appropriate response. Finally, an adaptive threshold method is applied to small target segmentation. Experimental results on three different scenarios indicate that the MLHM has good performance under the interference of strong noise.

Enhanced light extraction in tunnel junction-enabled top emitting UV LEDs

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Yuewei; Allerman, Andrew A.; Krishnamoorthy, Sriram; ...

2016-04-11

The efficiency of ultra violet LEDs has been critically limited by the absorption losses in p-type and metal layers. In this work, surface roughening based light extraction structures are combined with tunneling based p-contacts to realize highly efficient top-side light extraction efficiency in UV LEDs. Surface roughening of the top n-type AlGaN contact layer is demonstrated using self-assembled Ni nano-clusters as etch mask. The top surface roughened LEDs were found to enhance external quantum efficiency by over 40% for UV LEDs with a peak emission wavelength of 326 nm. The method described here can enable highly efficient UV LEDs withoutmore » the need for complex manufacturing methods such as flip chip bonding.« less

Alkali-templated surface nanopatterning of chalcogenide thin films: a novel approach toward solar cells with enhanced efficiency.

PubMed

Reinhard, Patrick; Bissig, Benjamin; Pianezzi, Fabian; Hagendorfer, Harald; Sozzi, Giovanna; Menozzi, Roberto; Gretener, Christina; Nishiwaki, Shiro; Buecheler, Stephan; Tiwari, Ayodhya N

2015-05-13

Concepts of localized contacts and junctions through surface passivation layers are already advantageously applied in Si wafer-based photovoltaic technologies. For Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin film solar cells, such concepts are generally not applied, especially at the heterojunction, because of the lack of a simple method yielding features with the required size and distribution. Here, we show a novel, innovative surface nanopatterning approach to form homogeneously distributed nanostructures (<30 nm) on the faceted, rough surface of polycrystalline chalcogenide thin films. The method, based on selective dissolution of self-assembled and well-defined alkali condensates in water, opens up new research opportunities toward development of thin film solar cells with enhanced efficiency.

Enhanced sampling simulations of DNA step parameters.

PubMed

Karolak, Aleksandra; van der Vaart, Arjan

2014-12-15

A novel approach for the selection of step parameters as reaction coordinates in enhanced sampling simulations of DNA is presented. The method uses three atoms per base and does not require coordinate overlays or idealized base pairs. This allowed for a highly efficient implementation of the calculation of all step parameters and their Cartesian derivatives in molecular dynamics simulations. Good correlation between the calculated and actual twist, roll, tilt, shift, and slide parameters is obtained, while the correlation with rise is modest. The method is illustrated by its application to the methylated and unmethylated 5'-CATGTGACGTCACATG-3' double stranded DNA sequence. One-dimensional umbrella simulations indicate that the flexibility of the central CG step is only marginally affected by methylation. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Beyond Standard Molecular Dynamics: Investigating the Molecular Mechanisms of G Protein-Coupled Receptors with Enhanced Molecular Dynamics Methods

PubMed Central

Johnston, Jennifer M.

2014-01-01

The majority of biological processes mediated by G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) take place on timescales that are not conveniently accessible to standard molecular dynamics (MD) approaches, notwithstanding the current availability of specialized parallel computer architectures, and efficient simulation algorithms. Enhanced MD-based methods have started to assume an important role in the study of the rugged energy landscape of GPCRs by providing mechanistic details of complex receptor processes such as ligand recognition, activation, and oligomerization. We provide here an overview of these methods in their most recent application to the field. PMID:24158803

Video Encryption and Decryption on Quantum Computers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Fei; Iliyasu, Abdullah M.; Venegas-Andraca, Salvador E.; Yang, Huamin

2015-08-01

A method for video encryption and decryption on quantum computers is proposed based on color information transformations on each frame encoding the content of the encoding the content of the video. The proposed method provides a flexible operation to encrypt quantum video by means of the quantum measurement in order to enhance the security of the video. To validate the proposed approach, a tetris tile-matching puzzle game video is utilized in the experimental simulations. The results obtained suggest that the proposed method enhances the security and speed of quantum video encryption and decryption, both properties required for secure transmission and sharing of video content in quantum communication.

Surveying Consumer Satisfaction to Assess Managed-Care Quality: Current Practices

PubMed Central

Gold, Marsha; Wooldridge, Judith

1995-01-01

Growing interest in using consumer satisfaction information to enhance quality of care and promote informed consumer choice has accompanied recent expansions in managed care. This article synthesizes information about consumer satisfaction surveys conducted by managed-care plans, government and other agencies, community groups, and purchasers of care. We discuss survey content, methods, and use of consumer survey information. Differences in the use of consumer surveys preclude one instrument or methodology from meeting all needs. The effectiveness of plan-based surveys could be enhanced by increased information on alternative survey instruments and methods and new methodological studies, such as ones developing risk-adjustment methods. PMID:10151887

Comparison of liver volumetry on contrast‐enhanced CT images: one semiautomatic and two automatic approaches

PubMed Central

Cai, Wei; He, Baochun; Fang, Chihua

2016-01-01

This study was to evaluate the accuracy, consistency, and efficiency of three liver volumetry methods— one interactive method, an in‐house‐developed 3D medical Image Analysis (3DMIA) system, one automatic active shape model (ASM)‐based segmentation, and one automatic probabilistic atlas (PA)‐guided segmentation method on clinical contrast‐enhanced CT images. Forty‐two datasets, including 27 normal liver and 15 space‐occupying liver lesion patients, were retrospectively included in this study. The three methods — one semiautomatic 3DMIA, one automatic ASM‐based, and one automatic PA‐based liver volumetry — achieved an accuracy with VD (volume difference) of −1.69%,−2.75%, and 3.06% in the normal group, respectively, and with VD of −3.20%,−3.35%, and 4.14% in the space‐occupying lesion group, respectively. However, the three methods achieved an efficiency of 27.63 mins, 1.26 mins, 1.18 mins on average, respectively, compared with the manual volumetry, which took 43.98 mins. The high intraclass correlation coefficient between the three methods and the manual method indicated an excellent agreement on liver volumetry. Significant differences in segmentation time were observed between the three methods (3DMIA, ASM, and PA) and the manual volumetry (p<0.001), as well as between the automatic volumetries (ASM and PA) and the semiautomatic volumetry (3DMIA) (p<0.001). The semiautomatic interactive 3DMIA, automatic ASM‐based, and automatic PA‐based liver volumetry agreed well with manual gold standard in both the normal liver group and the space‐occupying lesion group. The ASM‐ and PA‐based automatic segmentation have better efficiency in clinical use. PACS number(s): 87.55.‐x PMID:27929487

Shadow detection and removal in RGB VHR images for land use unsupervised classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Movia, A.; Beinat, A.; Crosilla, F.

2016-09-01

Nowadays, high resolution aerial images are widely available thanks to the diffusion of advanced technologies such as UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) and new satellite missions. Although these developments offer new opportunities for accurate land use analysis and change detection, cloud and terrain shadows actually limit benefits and possibilities of modern sensors. Focusing on the problem of shadow detection and removal in VHR color images, the paper proposes new solutions and analyses how they can enhance common unsupervised classification procedures for identifying land use classes related to the CO2 absorption. To this aim, an improved fully automatic procedure has been developed for detecting image shadows using exclusively RGB color information, and avoiding user interaction. Results show a significant accuracy enhancement with respect to similar methods using RGB based indexes. Furthermore, novel solutions derived from Procrustes analysis have been applied to remove shadows and restore brightness in the images. In particular, two methods implementing the so called "anisotropic Procrustes" and the "not-centered oblique Procrustes" algorithms have been developed and compared with the linear correlation correction method based on the Cholesky decomposition. To assess how shadow removal can enhance unsupervised classifications, results obtained with classical methods such as k-means, maximum likelihood, and self-organizing maps, have been compared to each other and with a supervised clustering procedure.

Unpredictability of escape trajectory explains predator evasion ability and microhabitat preference of desert rodents.

PubMed

Moore, Talia Y; Cooper, Kimberly L; Biewener, Andrew A; Vasudevan, Ramanarayan

2017-09-05

Mechanistically linking movement behaviors and ecology is key to understanding the adaptive evolution of locomotion. Predator evasion, a behavior that enhances fitness, may depend upon short bursts or complex patterns of locomotion. However, such movements are poorly characterized by existing biomechanical metrics. We present methods based on the entropy measure of randomness from Information Theory to quantitatively characterize the unpredictability of non-steady-state locomotion. We then apply the method by examining sympatric rodent species whose escape trajectories differ in dimensionality. Unlike the speed-regulated gait use of cursorial animals to enhance locomotor economy, bipedal jerboa (family Dipodidae) gait transitions likely enhance maneuverability. In field-based observations, jerboa trajectories are significantly less predictable than those of quadrupedal rodents, likely increasing predator evasion ability. Consistent with this hypothesis, jerboas exhibit lower anxiety in open fields than quadrupedal rodents, a behavior that varies inversely with predator evasion ability. Our unpredictability metric expands the scope of quantitative biomechanical studies to include non-steady-state locomotion in a variety of evolutionary and ecologically significant contexts.Biomechanical understanding of animal gait and maneuverability has primarily been limited to species with more predictable, steady-state movement patterns. Here, the authors develop a method to quantify movement predictability, and apply the method to study escape-related movement in several species of desert rodents.

Micelle-enhanced spectrofluorimetric method for determination of cholesterol-reducing drug ezetimibe in dosage forms.

PubMed

Alarfaj, Nawal A; Aly, Fatma A

2012-01-01

A simple and sensitive spectrofluorimetric method was developed for the determination of ezetimibe in its pharmaceutical formulations. The proposed method is based on investigation of the fluorescence spectral behavior of ezetimibe in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micellar system. In aqueous solution of acetate buffer pH 5.0, the fluorescence intensity of ezetimibe was greatly enhanced, 200% enhancement, in the presence of SDS. The fluorescence intensity of ezetimibe was measured at 380 nm after excitation at 268 nm. The fluorescence-concentration plot was rectilinear over the range of 0.03-3.0 μg/mL with lower detection limit of 3.08 × 10(-3) μg/mL. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of ezetimibe in its commercial tablets; the results were in good agreement with those obtained with the reported method. The application of the proposed method was extended to the stability studies of ezetimibe after exposure to different forced degradation conditions, such as acidic, alkaline, photo and oxidative conditions, according to ICH guidelines.

Review of in situ derivatization techniques for enhanced bioanalysis using liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Baghdady, Yehia Z; Schug, Kevin A

2016-01-01

Accurate and specific analysis of target molecules in complex biological matrices remains a significant challenge, especially when ultra-trace detection limits are required. Liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry is often the method of choice for bioanalysis. Conventional sample preparation and clean-up methods prior to the analysis of biological fluids such as liquid-liquid extraction, solid-phase extraction, or protein precipitation are time-consuming, tedious, and can negatively affect target recovery and detection sensitivity. An alternative or complementary strategy is the use of an off-line or on-line in situ derivatization technique. In situ derivatization can be incorporated to directly derivatize target analytes in their native biological matrices, without any prior sample clean-up methods, to substitute or even enhance the extraction and preconcentration efficiency of these traditional sample preparation methods. Designed appropriately, it can reduce the number of sample preparation steps necessary prior to analysis. Moreover, in situ derivatization can be used to enhance the performance of the developed liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry-based bioanalysis methods regarding stability, chromatographic separation, selectivity, and ionization efficiency. This review presents an overview of the commonly used in situ derivatization techniques coupled to liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry-based bioanalysis to guide and to stimulate future research. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A Method for Transforming Existing Web Service Descriptions into an Enhanced Semantic Web Service Framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Xiaofeng; Song, William; Munro, Malcolm

Web Services as a new distributed system technology has been widely adopted by industries in the areas, such as enterprise application integration (EAI), business process management (BPM), and virtual organisation (VO). However, lack of semantics in the current Web Service standards has been a major barrier in service discovery and composition. In this chapter, we propose an enhanced context-based semantic service description framework (CbSSDF+) that tackles the problem and improves the flexibility of service discovery and the correctness of generated composite services. We also provide an agile transformation method to demonstrate how the various formats of Web Service descriptions on the Web can be managed and renovated step by step into CbSSDF+ based service description without large amount of engineering work. At the end of the chapter, we evaluate the applicability of the transformation method and the effectiveness of CbSSDF+ through a series of experiments.

Utility and potential of rapid epidemic intelligence from internet-based sources.

PubMed

Yan, S J; Chughtai, A A; Macintyre, C R

2017-10-01

Rapid epidemic detection is an important objective of surveillance to enable timely intervention, but traditional validated surveillance data may not be available in the required timeframe for acute epidemic control. Increasing volumes of data on the Internet have prompted interest in methods that could use unstructured sources to enhance traditional disease surveillance and gain rapid epidemic intelligence. We aimed to summarise Internet-based methods that use freely-accessible, unstructured data for epidemic surveillance and explore their timeliness and accuracy outcomes. Steps outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist were used to guide a systematic review of research related to the use of informal or unstructured data by Internet-based intelligence methods for surveillance. We identified 84 articles published between 2006-2016 relating to Internet-based public health surveillance methods. Studies used search queries, social media posts and approaches derived from existing Internet-based systems for early epidemic alerts and real-time monitoring. Most studies noted improved timeliness compared to official reporting, such as in the 2014 Ebola epidemic where epidemic alerts were generated first from ProMED-mail. Internet-based methods showed variable correlation strength with official datasets, with some methods showing reasonable accuracy. The proliferation of publicly available information on the Internet provided a new avenue for epidemic intelligence. Methodologies have been developed to collect Internet data and some systems are already used to enhance the timeliness of traditional surveillance systems. To improve the utility of Internet-based systems, the key attributes of timeliness and data accuracy should be included in future evaluations of surveillance systems. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

State-of-the-Art Model Driven Game Development: A Survey of Technological Solutions for Game-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tang, Stephen; Hanneghan, Martin

2011-01-01

Game-based learning harnesses the advantages of computer games technology to create a fun, motivating and interactive virtual learning environment that promotes problem-based experiential learning. Such an approach is advocated by many commentators to provide an enhanced learning experience than those based on traditional didactic methods.…

Optoelectrofluidic enhanced immunoreaction based on optically-induced dynamic AC electroosmosis.

PubMed

Han, Dongsik; Park, Je-Kyun

2016-04-07

We report a novel optoelectrofluidic immunoreaction system based on electroosmotic flow for enhancing antibody-analyte binding efficiency on a surface-based sensing system. Two conventional indium tin oxide glass slides are assembled to provide a reaction chamber for a tiny volume of sample droplet (∼5 μL), in which the top layer is employed as an antibody-immobilized substrate and the bottom layer acts as a photoconductive layer of an optoelectrofluidic device. Under the application of an AC voltage, an illuminated light pattern on the photoconductive layer causes strong counter-rotating vortices to transport analytes from the bulk solution to the vicinity of the assay spot on the glass substrate. This configuration overcomes the slow immunoreaction problem of a diffusion-based sensing system, resulting in the enhancement of binding efficiency via an optoelectrofluidic method. Furthermore, we investigate the effect of optically-induced dynamic AC electroosmotic flow on optoelectrofluidic enhancement for surface-based immunoreaction with a mathematical simulation study and real experiments using immunoglobulin G (IgG) and anti-IgG. As a result, dynamic light patterns provided better immunoreaction efficiency than static light patterns due to effective mass transport of the target analyte, resulting in an achievement of 2.18-fold enhancement under a growing circular light pattern compared to the passive mode.

Low dose CBCT reconstruction via prior contour based total variation (PCTV) regularization: a feasibility study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yingxuan; Yin, Fang-Fang; Zhang, Yawei; Zhang, You; Ren, Lei

2018-04-01

Purpose: compressed sensing reconstruction using total variation (TV) tends to over-smooth the edge information by uniformly penalizing the image gradient. The goal of this study is to develop a novel prior contour based TV (PCTV) method to enhance the edge information in compressed sensing reconstruction for CBCT. Methods: the edge information is extracted from prior planning-CT via edge detection. Prior CT is first registered with on-board CBCT reconstructed with TV method through rigid or deformable registration. The edge contours in prior-CT is then mapped to CBCT and used as the weight map for TV regularization to enhance edge information in CBCT reconstruction. The PCTV method was evaluated using extended-cardiac-torso (XCAT) phantom, physical CatPhan phantom and brain patient data. Results were compared with both TV and edge preserving TV (EPTV) methods which are commonly used for limited projection CBCT reconstruction. Relative error was used to calculate pixel value difference and edge cross correlation was defined as the similarity of edge information between reconstructed images and ground truth in the quantitative evaluation. Results: compared to TV and EPTV, PCTV enhanced the edge information of bone, lung vessels and tumor in XCAT reconstruction and complex bony structures in brain patient CBCT. In XCAT study using 45 half-fan CBCT projections, compared with ground truth, relative errors were 1.5%, 0.7% and 0.3% and edge cross correlations were 0.66, 0.72 and 0.78 for TV, EPTV and PCTV, respectively. PCTV is more robust to the projection number reduction. Edge enhancement was reduced slightly with noisy projections but PCTV was still superior to other methods. PCTV can maintain resolution while reducing the noise in the low mAs CatPhan reconstruction. Low contrast edges were preserved better with PCTV compared with TV and EPTV. Conclusion: PCTV preserved edge information as well as reduced streak artifacts and noise in low dose CBCT reconstruction. PCTV is superior to TV and EPTV methods in edge enhancement, which can potentially improve the localization accuracy in radiation therapy.

Enhancing conceptual change using argumentative essays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalman, Calvin S.; Rohar, Shelley; Wells, David

2004-05-01

We show the utility of following up collaborative group work with written exercises. In a previous paper we discussed promoting conceptual change using collaborative group exercises in a manner based on the notion of conceptual conflict developed by Hewson and Hewson in which representatives of differing viewpoints debate their outlook. In this paper, we describe an enhancement of this method based on Feyerabend's principle of counterinduction—the process by which one theory or idea is used to affect change in its rival. Students were required to follow up the conceptual conflict exercises with a written critique. Evaluations were done using the same enhanced version of the force concept inventory as administered to the students in the previous study.

Image enhancement and color constancy for a vehicle-mounted change detection system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tektonidis, Marco; Monnin, David

2016-10-01

Vehicle-mounted change detection systems allow to improve situational awareness on outdoor itineraries of inter- est. Since the visibility of acquired images is often affected by illumination effects (e.g., shadows) it is important to enhance local contrast. For the analysis and comparison of color images depicting the same scene at different time points it is required to compensate color and lightness inconsistencies caused by the different illumination conditions. We have developed an approach for image enhancement and color constancy based on the center/surround Retinex model and the Gray World hypothesis. The combination of the two methods using a color processing function improves color rendition, compared to both methods. The use of stacked integral images (SII) allows to efficiently perform local image processing. Our combined Retinex/Gray World approach has been successfully applied to image sequences acquired on outdoor itineraries at different time points and a comparison with previous Retinex-based approaches has been carried out.

Quantitative nanoimmunosensor based on dark-field illumination with enhanced sensitivity and on-off switching using scattering signals.

PubMed

Lee, Seungah; Nan, He; Yu, Hyunung; Kang, Seong Ho

2016-05-15

A nanoimmunosensor based on wavelength-dependent dark-field illumination with enhanced sensitivity was used to detect a disease-related protein molecule at zeptomolar (zM) concentrations. The assay platform of 100-nm gold nanospots could be selectively acquired using the wavelength-dependence of enhanced scattering signals from antibody-conjugated plasmonic silver nanoparticles (NPs) with on-off switching using optical filters. Detection of human thyroid-stimulating hormone (hTSH) at a sensitivity of 100 zM, which corresponds to 1-2 molecules per gold spot, was possible within a linear range of 100 zM-100 fM (R=0.9968). A significantly enhanced sensitivity (~4-fold) was achieved with enhanced dark-field illumination compared to using a total internal reflection fluorescence immunosensor. Immunoreactions were confirmed via optical axial-slicing based on the spectral characteristics of two plasmonic NPs. This method of using wavelength-dependent dark-field illumination had an enhanced sensitivity and a wide, linear dynamic range of 100 zM-100 fM, and was an effective tool for quantitatively detecting a single molecule on a nanobiochip for molecular diagnostics. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fabrication technology of CNT-Nickel Oxide based planar pseudocapacitor for MEMS and NEMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lebedev, E. A.; Kitsyuk, E. P.; Gavrilin, I. M.; Gromov, D. G.; Gruzdev, N. E.; Gavrilov, S. A.; Dronov, A. A.; Pavlov, A. A.

2015-11-01

Fabrication technology of planar pseudocapacitor (PsC) based on carbon nanotube (CNT) forest, synthesized using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method, covered with thin nickel oxide layer deposited by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method, is demonstrated. Dependences of deposited oxide layers thickness on device specific capacities is studied. It is shown that pseudocapacity of nickel oxide thin layer increases specific capacity of the CNT's based device up to 2.5 times.

Dangerous gas detection based on infrared video

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Kang; Hong, Hanyu; Huang, Likun

2018-03-01

As the gas leak infrared imaging detection technology has significant advantages of high efficiency and remote imaging detection, in order to enhance the detail perception of observers and equivalently improve the detection limit, we propose a new type of gas leak infrared image detection method, which combines background difference methods and multi-frame interval difference method. Compared to the traditional frame methods, the multi-frame interval difference method we proposed can extract a more complete target image. By fusing the background difference image and the multi-frame interval difference image, we can accumulate the information of infrared target image of the gas leak in many aspect. The experiment demonstrate that the completeness of the gas leakage trace information is enhanced significantly, and the real-time detection effect can be achieved.

Occupational physicians' perceived value of evidence-based medicine intervention in enhancing their professional performance.

PubMed

Hugenholtz, Nathalie I R; Schaafsma, Frederieke G; Schreinemakers, Jos F; van Dijk, Frank J H; Nieuwenhuijsen, Karen

2008-06-01

This study evaluated how physicians in a nonclinical setting perceive the value of an intervention with multifaceted evidence-based medicine with regard to enhancing their professional performance. A qualitative study was conducted using focus groups and face-to-face interviews with 14 of the 48 Dutch occupational physicians who participated in the intervention. The intervention combined a didactic course in evidence-based medicine with recurrent case-method learning sessions. During the sessions, the participants were challenged to discuss their cases and to give one another feedback on how to find information on cases. Five main themes and four subthemes were identified: professional behavior and quality of care (subtheme: transparency): occupational physicians associated being up-to-date with quality of care, and evidence-based medicine was associated with improvements in professional standards; critical attitude and improved recommendations: occupational physicians asked themselves more-profound questions and searched more for information; sharing knowledge: the peer-group sessions facilitated the sharing of knowledge; communication (subthemes: colleagues, clients and other specialists): the more soundly based recommendations enhanced self-confidence positively and therefore altered interaction with medical specialists in particular; and satisfaction and barriers: the occupational physicians were especially content with the structured discussion in the peer-group sessions. However, the intervention was very time consuming. The participants regarded the intervention as a useful method for enhancing their professional performance. They stated that they became more up-to-date and more self-confident by searching for and sharing knowledge. These actions resulted in more scientifically based recommendations and improved interaction with clients and other specialists. However, time constraints remain an important barrier.

Metamodel-based inverse method for parameter identification: elastic-plastic damage model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Changwu; El Hami, Abdelkhalak; Radi, Bouchaïb

2017-04-01

This article proposed a metamodel-based inverse method for material parameter identification and applies it to elastic-plastic damage model parameter identification. An elastic-plastic damage model is presented and implemented in numerical simulation. The metamodel-based inverse method is proposed in order to overcome the disadvantage in computational cost of the inverse method. In the metamodel-based inverse method, a Kriging metamodel is constructed based on the experimental design in order to model the relationship between material parameters and the objective function values in the inverse problem, and then the optimization procedure is executed by the use of a metamodel. The applications of the presented material model and proposed parameter identification method in the standard A 2017-T4 tensile test prove that the presented elastic-plastic damage model is adequate to describe the material's mechanical behaviour and that the proposed metamodel-based inverse method not only enhances the efficiency of parameter identification but also gives reliable results.

Mesoporous Silica Molecular Sieve based Nanocarriers: Transpiring Drug Dissolution Research.

PubMed

Pattnaik, Satyanarayan; Pathak, Kamla

2017-01-01

Improvement of oral bioavailability through enhancement of dissolution for poorly soluble drugs has been a very promising approach. Recently, mesoporous silica based molecular sieves have demonstrated excellent properties to enhance the dissolution velocity of poorly water-soluble drugs. Current research in this area is focused on investigating the factors influencing the drug release from these carriers, the kinetics of drug release and manufacturing approaches to scale-up production for commercial manufacture. This comprehensive review provides an overview of different methods adopted for synthesis of mesoporous materials, influence of processing factors on properties of these materials and drug loading methods. The drug release kinetics from mesoporous silica systems, the manufacturability and stability of these formulations are reviewed. Finally, the safety and biocompatibility issues related to these silica based materials are discussed. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Light-extraction efficiency and forward voltage in GaN-based light-emitting diodes with different patterns of V-shaped pits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Min-Shuai; Huang, Xiao-Jing

2013-08-01

We present a new method of making a textured V-pit surface for improving the light extraction efficiency in GaN-based light-emitting diodes and compare it with the usual low-temperature method for p-GaN V-pits. Three types of GaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with surface V-pits in different densities and regions were grown by metal—organic chemical vapor deposition. We achieved the highest output power and lowest forward voltage values with the p-InGaN V-pit LED. The V-pits enhanced the light output power values by 1.45 times the values of the conventional LED owing to an enhancement of the light scattering probability and an effective reduction of Mg-acceptor activation energy. Moreover, this new technique effectively solved the higher forward voltage problem of the usual V-pit LED.

Pyrosequencing®-Based Identification of Low-Frequency Mutations Enriched Through Enhanced-ice-COLD-PCR.

PubMed

How-Kit, Alexandre; Tost, Jörg

2015-01-01

A number of molecular diagnostic assays have been developed in the last years for mutation detection. Although these methods have become increasingly sensitive, most of them are incompatible with a sequencing-based readout and require prior knowledge of the mutation present in the sample. Consequently, coamplification at low denaturation (COLD)-PCR-based methods have been developed and combine a high analytical sensitivity due to mutation enrichment in the sample with the identification of known or unknown mutations by downstream sequencing experiments. Among these methods, the recently developed Enhanced-ice-COLD-PCR appeared as the most powerful method as it outperformed the other COLD-PCR-based methods in terms of the mutation enrichment and due to the simplicity of the experimental setup of the assay. Indeed, E-ice-COLD-PCR is very versatile as it can be used on all types of PCR platforms and is applicable to different types of samples including fresh frozen, FFPE, and plasma samples. The technique relies on the incorporation of an LNA containing blocker probe in the PCR reaction followed by selective heteroduplex denaturation enabling amplification of the mutant allele while amplification of the wild-type allele is prevented. Combined with Pyrosequencing(®), which is a very quantitative high-resolution sequencing technology, E-ice-COLD-PCR can detect and identify mutations with a limit of detection down to 0.01 %.

TH-EF-207A-04: A Dynamic Contrast Enhanced Cone Beam CT Technique for Evaluation of Renal Functions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Z; Shi, J; Yang, Y

Purpose: To develop a simple but robust method for the early detection and evaluation of renal functions using dynamic contrast enhanced cone beam CT technique. Methods: Experiments were performed on an integrated imaging and radiation research platform developed by our lab. Animals (n=3) were anesthetized with 20uL Ketamine/Xylazine cocktail, and then received 200uL injection of iodinated contrast agent Iopamidol via tail vein. Cone beam CT was acquired following contrast injection once per minute and up to 25 minutes. The cone beam CT was reconstructed with a dimension of 300×300×800 voxels of 130×130×130um voxel resolution. The middle kidney slices in themore » transvers and coronal planes were selected for image analysis. A double exponential function was used to fit the contrast enhanced signal intensity versus the time after contrast injection. Both pixel-based and region of interest (ROI)-based curve fitting were performed. Four parameters obtained from the curve fitting, namely the amplitude and flow constant for both contrast wash in and wash out phases, were investigated for further analysis. Results: Robust curve fitting was demonstrated for both pixel based (with R{sup 2}>0.8 for >85% pixels within the kidney contour) and ROI based (R{sup 2}>0.9 for all regions) analysis. Three different functional regions: renal pelvis, medulla and cortex, were clearly differentiated in the functional parameter map in the pixel based analysis. ROI based analysis showed the half-life T1/2 for contrast wash in and wash out phases were 0.98±0.15 and 17.04±7.16, 0.63±0.07 and 17.88±4.51, and 1.48±0.40 and 10.79±3.88 minutes for the renal pelvis, medulla and cortex, respectively. Conclusion: A robust method based on dynamic contrast enhanced cone beam CT and double exponential curve fitting has been developed to analyze the renal functions for different functional regions. Future study will be performed to investigate the sensitivity of this technique in the detection of radiation induced kidney dysfunction.« less

An Analysis of Performance-Based Funding Policies and Recommendations for the Florida College System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balog, Scott E.

2016-01-01

Nearly 30 states have adopted or are transitioning to performance-based funding programs for community colleges that allocate funding based on institutional performance according to defined metrics. While embraced by state lawmakers and promoted by outside advocacy groups as a method to improve student outcomes, enhance accountability and ensure…

Exploiting Sub-threshold and above-threshold characteristics in a silver-enhanced gold nanoparticle based biochip.

PubMed

Liu, Yang; Alocilja, Evangelyn; Chakrabartty, Shantanu

2009-01-01

Silver-enhanced labeling is a technique used in immunochromatographic assays for improving the sensitivity of pathogen detection. In this paper, we employ the silver enhancement approach for constructing a biomolecular transistor that uses a high-density interdigitated electrode to detect rabbit IgG. We show that the response of the biomolecular transistor comprises of: (a) a sub-threshold region where the conductance change is an exponential function of the enhancement time and; (b) an above-threshold region where the conductance change is a linear function with respect to the enhancement time. By exploiting both these regions of operation, it is shown that the silver enhancing time is a reliable indicator of the IgG concentration. The method provides a relatively straightforward alternative to biomolecular signal amplification techniques. The measured results using a biochip prototype fabricated in silicon show that 240 pg/mL rabbit IgG can be detected at the silver enhancing time of 42 min. Also, the biomolecular transistor is compatible with silicon based processing making it ideal for designing integrated CMOS biosensors.

Airway extraction from 3D chest CT volumes based on iterative extension of VOI enhanced by cavity enhancement filter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Qier; Kitasaka, Takayuki; Oda, Masahiro; Mori, Kensaku

2017-03-01

Airway segmentation is an important step in analyzing chest CT volumes for computerized lung cancer detection, emphysema diagnosis, asthma diagnosis, and pre- and intra-operative bronchoscope navigation. However, obtaining an integrated 3-D airway tree structure from a CT volume is a quite challenging task. This paper presents a novel airway segmentation method based on intensity structure analysis and bronchi shape structure analysis in volume of interest (VOI). This method segments the bronchial regions by applying the cavity enhancement filter (CEF) to trace the bronchial tree structure from the trachea. It uses the CEF in each VOI to segment each branch and to predict the positions of VOIs which envelope the bronchial regions in next level. At the same time, a leakage detection is performed to avoid the leakage by analysing the pixel information and the shape information of airway candidate regions extracted in the VOI. Bronchial regions are finally obtained by unifying the extracted airway regions. The experiments results showed that the proposed method can extract most of the bronchial region in each VOI and led good results of the airway segmentation.

Determination of fluoxetine in pharmaceutical and biological samples based on the silver nanoparticle enhanced fluorescence of fluoxetine-terbium complex.

PubMed

Lotfi, Ali; Manzoori, Jamshid L

2016-11-01

In this study, a simple and sensitive spectrofluorimetric method is presented for the determination of fluoxetine based on the enhancing effect of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on the terbium-fluoxetine fluorescence emission. The AgNPs were prepared by a simple reduction method and characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. It was indicated that these AgNPs have a remarkable amplifying effect on the terbium-sensitized fluorescence of fluoxetine. The effects of various parameters such as AgNP and Tb 3+ concentration and the pH of the media were investigated. Under obtained optimal conditions, the fluorescence intensity of the terbium-fluoxetine-AgNP system was enhanced linearly by increasing the concentration of fluoxetine in the range of 0.008 to 19 mg/L. The limit of detection (b + 3s) was 8.3 × 10 -4 mg/L. The interference effects of common species found in real samples were also studied. The method had good linearity, recovery, reproducibility and sensitivity, and was satisfactorily applied for the determination of fluoxetine in tablet formulations, human urine and plasma samples. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Impedimetric detection of bacteria by using a microfluidic chip and silver nanoparticle based signal enhancement.

PubMed

Wang, Renjie; Xu, Yi; Sors, Thomas; Irudayaraj, Joseph; Ren, Wen; Wang, Rong

2018-02-19

The authors describe a method that can significantly improve the performance of impedimetric detection of bacteria. A multifunctional microfluidic chip was designed consisting of interdigitated microelectrodes and a micro-mixing zone with a Tesla structure. This maximizes the coating of bacterial surfaces with nanoparticles and results in improved impedimetric detection. The method was applied to the detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli). Silver enhancement was accomplished by coating E.coli with the cationic polymer diallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDDA) to form positively charged E. coli/PDDA complexes. Then, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were added, and the resulting E. coli/PDDA/AuNPs complexes were collected at interdigitated electrodes via positive dielectrophoresis (pDEP). A silver adduct was then formed on the E. coli/PDDA/AuNP complexes by using silver enhancement solutions and by using the AuNPs as catalysts. The combination of pDEP based capture and of using silver adducts reduces impedance by increasing the conductivity of the solution and the double layer capacitance around the microelectrodes. Impedance decreases linearly in the 2 × 10 3 -2 × 10 5  cfu·mL -1 E. coli concentration range, with a 500 cfu·mL -1 detection limit. Egg shell wash samples and tap water spiked with E. coli were successfully used for validation, and this demonstrates the practical application of this method. Graphical abstract Schematic representation of the AuNP@Ag enhancement method integrated with multifunctional microfluidic chip platform for impedimetric quantitation of bacteria. The method significantly improves the performance of impedimetric detection of bacteria.

Spatio-Temporal Super-Resolution Reconstruction of Remote-Sensing Images Based on Adaptive Multi-Scale Detail Enhancement

PubMed Central

Zhu, Hong; Tang, Xinming; Xie, Junfeng; Song, Weidong; Mo, Fan; Gao, Xiaoming

2018-01-01

There are many problems in existing reconstruction-based super-resolution algorithms, such as the lack of texture-feature representation and of high-frequency details. Multi-scale detail enhancement can produce more texture information and high-frequency information. Therefore, super-resolution reconstruction of remote-sensing images based on adaptive multi-scale detail enhancement (AMDE-SR) is proposed in this paper. First, the information entropy of each remote-sensing image is calculated, and the image with the maximum entropy value is regarded as the reference image. Subsequently, spatio-temporal remote-sensing images are processed using phase normalization, which is to reduce the time phase difference of image data and enhance the complementarity of information. The multi-scale image information is then decomposed using the L0 gradient minimization model, and the non-redundant information is processed by difference calculation and expanding non-redundant layers and the redundant layer by the iterative back-projection (IBP) technique. The different-scale non-redundant information is adaptive-weighted and fused using cross-entropy. Finally, a nonlinear texture-detail-enhancement function is built to improve the scope of small details, and the peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) is used as an iterative constraint. Ultimately, high-resolution remote-sensing images with abundant texture information are obtained by iterative optimization. Real results show an average gain in entropy of up to 0.42 dB for an up-scaling of 2 and a significant promotion gain in enhancement measure evaluation for an up-scaling of 2. The experimental results show that the performance of the AMED-SR method is better than existing super-resolution reconstruction methods in terms of visual and accuracy improvements. PMID:29414893

Spatio-Temporal Super-Resolution Reconstruction of Remote-Sensing Images Based on Adaptive Multi-Scale Detail Enhancement.

PubMed

Zhu, Hong; Tang, Xinming; Xie, Junfeng; Song, Weidong; Mo, Fan; Gao, Xiaoming

2018-02-07

There are many problems in existing reconstruction-based super-resolution algorithms, such as the lack of texture-feature representation and of high-frequency details. Multi-scale detail enhancement can produce more texture information and high-frequency information. Therefore, super-resolution reconstruction of remote-sensing images based on adaptive multi-scale detail enhancement (AMDE-SR) is proposed in this paper. First, the information entropy of each remote-sensing image is calculated, and the image with the maximum entropy value is regarded as the reference image. Subsequently, spatio-temporal remote-sensing images are processed using phase normalization, which is to reduce the time phase difference of image data and enhance the complementarity of information. The multi-scale image information is then decomposed using the L ₀ gradient minimization model, and the non-redundant information is processed by difference calculation and expanding non-redundant layers and the redundant layer by the iterative back-projection (IBP) technique. The different-scale non-redundant information is adaptive-weighted and fused using cross-entropy. Finally, a nonlinear texture-detail-enhancement function is built to improve the scope of small details, and the peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) is used as an iterative constraint. Ultimately, high-resolution remote-sensing images with abundant texture information are obtained by iterative optimization. Real results show an average gain in entropy of up to 0.42 dB for an up-scaling of 2 and a significant promotion gain in enhancement measure evaluation for an up-scaling of 2. The experimental results show that the performance of the AMED-SR method is better than existing super-resolution reconstruction methods in terms of visual and accuracy improvements.

Method to Select Metropolitan Areas of Epidemiologic Interest for Enhanced Air Quality Monitoring

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s current Speciation Trends Network (STN) covers most major U.S. metropolitan areas and a wide range of particulate matter (PM) constituents and gaseous co-pollutants. However, using filter-based methods, most PM constituents are measured ...

Enhancement of multispectral thermal infrared images - Decorrelation contrast stretching

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gillespie, Alan R.

1992-01-01

Decorrelation contrast stretching is an effective method for displaying information from multispectral thermal infrared (TIR) images. The technique involves transformation of the data to principle components ('decorrelation'), independent contrast 'stretching' of data from the new 'decorrelated' image bands, and retransformation of the stretched data back to the approximate original axes, based on the inverse of the principle component rotation. The enhancement is robust in that colors of the same scene components are similar in enhanced images of similar scenes, or the same scene imaged at different times. Decorrelation contrast stretching is reviewed in the context of other enhancements applied to TIR images.

Virtual screening of mandelate racemase mutants with enhanced activity based on binding energy in the transition state.

PubMed

Gu, Jiali; Liu, Min; Guo, Fei; Xie, Wenping; Lu, Wenqiang; Ye, Lidan; Chen, Zhirong; Yuan, Shenfeng; Yu, Hongwei

2014-02-05

Mandelate racemase (MR) is a promising candidate for the dynamic kinetic resolution of racemates. However, the poor activity of MR towards most of its non-natural substrates limits its widespread application. In this work, a virtual screening method based on the binding energy in the transition state was established to assist in the screening of MR mutants with enhanced catalytic efficiency. Using R-3-chloromandelic acid as a model substrate, a total of 53 mutants were constructed based on rational design in the two rounds of screening. The number of mutants for experimental validation was brought down to 17 by the virtual screening method, among which 14 variants turned out to possess improved catalytic efficiency. The variant V26I/Y54V showed 5.2-fold higher catalytic efficiency (k(cat)/K(m)) towards R-3-chloromandelic acid than that observed for the wild-type enzyme. Using this strategy, mutants were successfully obtained for two other substrates, R-mandelamide and R-2-naphthylglycolate (V26I and V29L, respectively), both with a 2-fold improvement in catalytic efficiency. These results demonstrated that this method could effectively predict the trend of mutational effects on catalysis. Analysis from the energetic and structural assays indicated that the enhanced interactions between the active sites and the substrate in the transition state led to improved catalytic efficiency. It was concluded that this virtual screening method based on the binding energy in the transition state was beneficial in enzyme rational redesign and helped to better understand the catalytic properties of the enzyme. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Enhancing the Empathic Connection: Using Action Methods to Understand Conflicts in End-of-Life Care

PubMed Central

Tanzi, Silvia; Biasco, Guido; Baile, Walter F.

2014-01-01

Empathy is a core feature of patient-centered care. It enables practitioners to better understand the patient and family concerns that are key to patient and family satisfaction, prevention of anxiety and depression, and provider empowerment. Current methods of teaching communication skills do not specifically focus on enhancing the ability to “stand in the patient's shoes” as a way of connecting with the patient and/or family experience and understanding feelings that may be a source of conflict with providers. In this paper, we present a model for deepening empathic understanding based upon action methods (role-reversal and doubling) derived from psychodrama and sociodrama. We describe these techniques and illustrate how they can be used to identify hidden emotions and attitudes and reveal that which the patient and family member may be thinking or feeling but be afraid to say. Finally, we present data showing that these methods were valuable to participants in enhancing their professional experience and skills. PMID:28725796

Enhancing the Empathic Connection: Using Action Methods to Understand Conflicts in End-of-Life Care.

PubMed

Tanzi, Silvia; Biasco, Guido; Baile, Walter F

2014-05-01

Empathy is a core feature of patient-centered care. It enables practitioners to better understand the patient and family concerns that are key to patient and family satisfaction, prevention of anxiety and depression, and provider empowerment. Current methods of teaching communication skills do not specifically focus on enhancing the ability to "stand in the patient's shoes" as a way of connecting with the patient and/or family experience and understanding feelings that may be a source of conflict with providers. In this paper, we present a model for deepening empathic understanding based upon action methods (role-reversal and doubling) derived from psychodrama and sociodrama. We describe these techniques and illustrate how they can be used to identify hidden emotions and attitudes and reveal that which the patient and family member may be thinking or feeling but be afraid to say. Finally, we present data showing that these methods were valuable to participants in enhancing their professional experience and skills.

Morphological rational operator for contrast enhancement.

PubMed

Peregrina-Barreto, Hayde; Herrera-Navarro, Ana M; Morales-Hernández, Luis A; Terol-Villalobos, Iván R

2011-03-01

Contrast enhancement is an important task in image processing that is commonly used as a preprocessing step to improve the images for other tasks such as segmentation. However, some methods for contrast improvement that work well in low-contrast regions affect good contrast regions as well. This occurs due to the fact that some elements may vanish. A method focused on images with different luminance conditions is introduced in the present work. The proposed method is based on morphological transformations by reconstruction and rational operations, which, altogether, allow a more accurate contrast enhancement resulting in regions that are in harmony with their environment. Furthermore, due to the properties of these morphological transformations, the creation of new elements on the image is avoided. The processing is carried out on luminance values in the u'v'Y color space, which avoids the creation of new colors. As a result of the previous considerations, the proposed method keeps the natural color appearance of the image.

Adaptive sigmoid function bihistogram equalization for image contrast enhancement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arriaga-Garcia, Edgar F.; Sanchez-Yanez, Raul E.; Ruiz-Pinales, Jose; Garcia-Hernandez, Ma. de Guadalupe

2015-09-01

Contrast enhancement plays a key role in a wide range of applications including consumer electronic applications, such as video surveillance, digital cameras, and televisions. The main goal of contrast enhancement is to increase the quality of images. However, most state-of-the-art methods induce different types of distortion such as intensity shift, wash-out, noise, intensity burn-out, and intensity saturation. In addition, in consumer electronics, simple and fast methods are required in order to be implemented in real time. A bihistogram equalization method based on adaptive sigmoid functions is proposed. It consists of splitting the image histogram into two parts that are equalized independently by using adaptive sigmoid functions. In order to preserve the mean brightness of the input image, the parameter of the sigmoid functions is chosen to minimize the absolute mean brightness metric. Experiments on the Berkeley database have shown that the proposed method improves the quality of images and preserves their mean brightness. An application to improve the colorfulness of images is also presented.

Enhancing Coping and Supporting Protective Factors after a Disaster: Findings From a Quasi-Experimental Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powell, Tara; Thompson, Sanna J.

2016-01-01

Objective: This article presents the Journey of Hope (JoH), a school-based intervention for children who have experienced a collective trauma such as a natural disaster. Through the use of group work, the JoH focuses on building coping skills and enhancing protective factors to help children recover. Method: This quasi-experimental research…

Developing a Framework for Effective Audio Feedback: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hennessy, Claire; Forrester, Gillian

2014-01-01

The increase in the use of technology-enhanced learning in higher education has included a growing interest in new approaches to enhance the quality of feedback given to students. Audio feedback is one method that has become more popular, yet evaluating its role in feedback delivery is still an emerging area for research. This paper is based on a…

E-Learning Optimization: The Relative and Combined Effects of Mental Practice and Modeling on Enhanced Podcast-Based Learning--A Randomized Controlled Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alam, Fahad; Boet, Sylvain; Piquette, Dominique; Lai, Anita; Perkes, Christopher P.; LeBlanc, Vicki R.

2016-01-01

Enhanced podcasts increase learning, but evidence is lacking on how they should be designed to optimize their effectiveness. This study assessed the impact two learning instructional design methods (mental practice and modeling), either on their own or in combination, for teaching complex cognitive medical content when incorporated into enhanced…

Recovery of Background Structures in Nanoscale Helium Ion Microscope Imaging.

PubMed

Carasso, Alfred S; Vladár, András E

2014-01-01

This paper discusses a two step enhancement technique applicable to noisy Helium Ion Microscope images in which background structures are not easily discernible due to a weak signal. The method is based on a preliminary adaptive histogram equalization, followed by 'slow motion' low-exponent Lévy fractional diffusion smoothing. This combined approach is unexpectedly effective, resulting in a companion enhanced image in which background structures are rendered much more visible, and noise is significantly reduced, all with minimal loss of image sharpness. The method also provides useful enhancements of scanning charged-particle microscopy images obtained by composing multiple drift-corrected 'fast scan' frames. The paper includes software routines, written in Interactive Data Language (IDL),(1) that can perform the above image processing tasks.

Performance Enhancement of Pharmacokinetic Diffuse Fluorescence Tomography by Use of Adaptive Extended Kalman Filtering.

PubMed

Wang, Xin; Wu, Linhui; Yi, Xi; Zhang, Yanqi; Zhang, Limin; Zhao, Huijuan; Gao, Feng

2015-01-01

Due to both the physiological and morphological differences in the vascularization between healthy and diseased tissues, pharmacokinetic diffuse fluorescence tomography (DFT) can provide contrast-enhanced and comprehensive information for tumor diagnosis and staging. In this regime, the extended Kalman filtering (EKF) based method shows numerous advantages including accurate modeling, online estimation of multiparameters, and universal applicability to any optical fluorophore. Nevertheless the performance of the conventional EKF highly hinges on the exact and inaccessible prior knowledge about the initial values. To address the above issues, an adaptive-EKF scheme is proposed based on a two-compartmental model for the enhancement, which utilizes a variable forgetting-factor to compensate the inaccuracy of the initial states and emphasize the effect of the current data. It is demonstrated using two-dimensional simulative investigations on a circular domain that the proposed adaptive-EKF can obtain preferable estimation of the pharmacokinetic-rates to the conventional-EKF and the enhanced-EKF in terms of quantitativeness, noise robustness, and initialization independence. Further three-dimensional numerical experiments on a digital mouse model validate the efficacy of the method as applied in realistic biological systems.

Enhanced light extraction from free-standing InGaN/GaN light emitters using bio-inspired backside surface structuring.

PubMed

Pynn, Christopher D; Chan, Lesley; Lora Gonzalez, Federico; Berry, Alex; Hwang, David; Wu, Haoyang; Margalith, Tal; Morse, Daniel E; DenBaars, Steven P; Gordon, Michael J

2017-07-10

Light extraction from InGaN/GaN-based multiple-quantum-well (MQW) light emitters is enhanced using a simple, scalable, and reproducible method to create hexagonally close-packed conical nano- and micro-scale features on the backside outcoupling surface. Colloidal lithography via Langmuir-Blodgett dip-coating using silica masks (d = 170-2530 nm) and Cl 2 /N 2 -based plasma etching produced features with aspect ratios of 3:1 on devices grown on semipolar GaN substrates. InGaN/GaN MQW structures were optically pumped at 266 nm and light extraction enhancement was quantified using angle-resolved photoluminescence. A 4.8-fold overall enhancement in light extraction (9-fold at normal incidence) relative to a flat outcoupling surface was achieved using a feature pitch of 2530 nm. This performance is on par with current photoelectrochemical (PEC) nitrogen-face roughening methods, which positions the technique as a strong alternative for backside structuring of c-plane devices. Also, because colloidal lithography functions independently of GaN crystal orientation, it is applicable to semipolar and nonpolar GaN devices, for which PEC roughening is ineffective.

The morphological changes of optically cleared cochlea using optical coherence tomography (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jaeyul; Song, Jaewon; Jeon, Mansik; Kim, Jeehyun

2017-02-01

In this study, we monitored the optical clearing effects by immersing ex vivo guinea pig cochlea samples in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) to study the internal microstructures in the morphology of guinea pig cochlea. The imaging limitations due to the guinea pig cochlea structures were overcome by optical clearing technique. Subsequently, the study was carried out to confirm the required approximate immersing duration of cochlea in EDTA-based optical clearing to obtain the best optimal depth visibility for guinea pig cochlea samples. Thus, we implemented a decalcification-based optical clearing effect to guinea pig cochlea samples to enhance the depth visualization of internal microstructures using swept source optical coherence tomography (OCT). The obtained nondestructive two-dimensional OCT images successfully illustrated the feasibility of the proposed method by providing clearly visible microstructures in the depth direction as a result of decalcification. The most optimal clearing outcomes for the guinea pig cochlea were obtained after 14 consecutive days. The quantitative assessment results verified the increase of the intensity as well as the thickness measurements of the internal microstructures. Following this method, difficulties in imaging of internal cochlea microstructures of guinea pigs could be avoided. The obtained results verified that the depth visibility of the decalcified ex vivo guinea pig cochlea samples was enhanced. Therefore, the proposed EDTA-based optical clearing method for guinea pig can be considered as a potential application for depth-enhanced OCT visualization.

APPLICATION OF VARIOUS POLYMERS AND POLYMERS BASED TECHNIQUES USED TO IMPROVE SOLUBILITY OF POORLY WATER SOLUBLE DRUGS: A REVIEW.

PubMed

Muhammad Sarfraz, Rai; Bashir, Sajid; Mahmood, Asif; Ahsan, Haseeb; Riaz, Humayun; Raza, Hina; Rashid, Zermina; Atif Raza, Syed; Asad Abrar, Muhammad; Abbas, Khawar; Yasmeen, Tahira

2017-03-01

Solubility is concerned with solute and solvent to form a homogenous mixture. If solubility of a drug is low, then usually it is difficult to achieve desired therapeutic level of drug. Most of the newly developed entities have solubility problems and encounter difficulty in dissolution. Basic aim of solubility enhancement is to achieve desired therapeutic'level of drug to produce required pharmacological response. Different techniques are being used to enhance the solubility of water insoluble drugs. These techniques include particle size reduction, spray drying, kneading method, solvent evaporation method, salt formation, microemulsions, co-solven- cy, hydrosols, prodrug approach, supercritical fluid process, hydrogel micro particles etc. Selection of solubility improving method depends on drug properties, site of absorption, and required dosage form characteristics. Variety of polymers are also used to enhance solubility of these drugs like polyethylene glycol 300, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, chitosan, β-cyclodextrins etc.

CdS nanoparticles-enhanced chemiluminescence and determination of baicalin in pharmaceutical preparations.

PubMed

Chen, Xiaolan; Tan, Xinmei; Wang, Jianxiu

2013-01-01

CdS nanoparticles (CdS NPs) of different sizes were synthesized by the citrate reduction method. It was found that CdS NPs could enhance the chemiluminescence (CL) of the luminol-potassium ferricyanide system and baicalin could inhibit CdS NPs-enhanced luminol-potassium ferricyanide CL signals in alkaline solution. Based on this inhibition, a flow-injection CL method was established for determination of baicalin in pharmaceutical preparations and human urine samples. Under optimized conditions, the linear range for determination of baicalin was 5.0 x 10(-6) to 1.0 x 10(-3) g/L. The detection limit at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 was 1.7 x 10(-6) g/L. CL spectra, UV-visible spectra and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to investigate the CL mechanism. The method described is simple, selective and obviates the need of extensive sample pretreatment. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Gaussian process inference for estimating pharmacokinetic parameters of dynamic contrast-enhanced MR images.

PubMed

Wang, Shijun; Liu, Peter; Turkbey, Baris; Choyke, Peter; Pinto, Peter; Summers, Ronald M

2012-01-01

In this paper, we propose a new pharmacokinetic model for parameter estimation of dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI by using Gaussian process inference. Our model is based on the Tofts dual-compartment model for the description of tracer kinetics and the observed time series from DCE-MRI is treated as a Gaussian stochastic process. The parameter estimation is done through a maximum likelihood approach and we propose a variant of the coordinate descent method to solve this likelihood maximization problem. The new model was shown to outperform a baseline method on simulated data. Parametric maps generated on prostate DCE data with the new model also provided better enhancement of tumors, lower intensity on false positives, and better boundary delineation when compared with the baseline method. New statistical parameter maps from the process model were also found to be informative, particularly when paired with the PK parameter maps.

Coupling and power transfer efficiency enhancement of modular and array of planar coils using in-plane ring-shaped inner ferrites for inductive heating applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kilic, V. T.; Unal, E.; Demir, H. V.

2017-07-01

We propose and demonstrate a highly effective method of enhancing coupling and power transfer efficiency in inductive heating systems composed of planar coils. The proposed method is based on locating ring-shaped ferrites in the inner side of the coils in the same plane. Measurement results of simple inductive heating systems constructed with either a single or a pair of conventional circular coils show that, with the in-plane inner ferrites, the total dissipated power of the system is increased by over 65%. Also, with three-dimensional full electromagnetic solutions, it is found that power transfer efficiency of the system is increased up to 92% with the inner ferrite placement. The proposed method is promising to be used for efficiency enhancement in inductive heating applications, especially in all-surface induction hobs.

Comparison of field-enhanced and pressure-assisted field-enhanced sample injection techniques for the analysis of water-soluble vitamins using CZE.

PubMed

Liu, Qingqing; Liu, Yaling; Guan, Yu; Jia, Li

2009-04-01

A new online concentration method, namely pressure-assisted field-enhanced sample injection (PA-FESI), was developed and compared with FESI for the analysis of water-soluble vitamins by CZE with UV detection. In PA-FESI, negative voltage and positive pressure were simultaneously applied to initialize PA-FESI. PA-FESI uses the hydrodynamic flow generated by the positive pressure to counterbalance the reverse EOF in the capillary column during electrokinetic sample injection, which allowed a longer injection time than usual FESI mode without compromising the separation efficiency. Using the PA-FESI method, the LODs of the vitamins were at ng/mL level based on the S/N of 3 and the RSDs of migration time and peak area for each vitamin (1 microg/mL) were less than 5.1%. The developed method was applied to the analysis of water-soluble vitamins in corns.

Liver DCE-MRI Registration in Manifold Space Based on Robust Principal Component Analysis.

PubMed

Feng, Qianjin; Zhou, Yujia; Li, Xueli; Mei, Yingjie; Lu, Zhentai; Zhang, Yu; Feng, Yanqiu; Liu, Yaqin; Yang, Wei; Chen, Wufan

2016-09-29

A technical challenge in the registration of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (DCE-MR) imaging in the liver is intensity variations caused by contrast agents. Such variations lead to the failure of the traditional intensity-based registration method. To address this problem, a manifold-based registration framework for liver DCE-MR time series is proposed. We assume that liver DCE-MR time series are located on a low-dimensional manifold and determine intrinsic similarities between frames. Based on the obtained manifold, the large deformation of two dissimilar images can be decomposed into a series of small deformations between adjacent images on the manifold through gradual deformation of each frame to the template image along the geodesic path. Furthermore, manifold construction is important in automating the selection of the template image, which is an approximation of the geodesic mean. Robust principal component analysis is performed to separate motion components from intensity changes induced by contrast agents; the components caused by motion are used to guide registration in eliminating the effect of contrast enhancement. Visual inspection and quantitative assessment are further performed on clinical dataset registration. Experiments show that the proposed method effectively reduces movements while preserving the topology of contrast-enhancing structures and provides improved registration performance.

A diagnostic prototype of the potable water subsystem of the Space Station Freedom ECLSS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lukefahr, Brenda D.; Rochowiak, Daniel M.; Benson, Brian L.; Rogers, John S.; Mckee, James W.

1989-01-01

In analyzing the baseline Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) command and control architecture, various processes are found which would be enhanced by the use of knowledge based system methods of implementation. The most suitable process for prototyping using rule based methods are documented, while domain knowledge resources and other practical considerations are examined. Requirements for a prototype rule based software system are documented. These requirements reflect Space Station Freedom ECLSS software and hardware development efforts, and knowledge based system requirements. A quick prototype knowledge based system environment is researched and developed.

A Novel Segmentation Approach Combining Region- and Edge-Based Information for Ultrasound Images

PubMed Central

Luo, Yaozhong; Liu, Longzhong; Li, Xuelong

2017-01-01

Ultrasound imaging has become one of the most popular medical imaging modalities with numerous diagnostic applications. However, ultrasound (US) image segmentation, which is the essential process for further analysis, is a challenging task due to the poor image quality. In this paper, we propose a new segmentation scheme to combine both region- and edge-based information into the robust graph-based (RGB) segmentation method. The only interaction required is to select two diagonal points to determine a region of interest (ROI) on the original image. The ROI image is smoothed by a bilateral filter and then contrast-enhanced by histogram equalization. Then, the enhanced image is filtered by pyramid mean shift to improve homogeneity. With the optimization of particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, the RGB segmentation method is performed to segment the filtered image. The segmentation results of our method have been compared with the corresponding results obtained by three existing approaches, and four metrics have been used to measure the segmentation performance. The experimental results show that the method achieves the best overall performance and gets the lowest ARE (10.77%), the second highest TPVF (85.34%), and the second lowest FPVF (4.48%). PMID:28536703

Mapping functional connectivity

Treesearch

Peter Vogt; Joseph R. Ferrari; Todd R. Lookingbill; Robert H. Gardner; Kurt H. Riitters; Katarzyna Ostapowicz

2009-01-01

An objective and reliable assessment of wildlife movement is important in theoretical and applied ecology. The identification and mapping of landscape elements that may enhance functional connectivity is usually a subjective process based on visual interpretations of species movement patterns. New methods based on mathematical morphology provide a generic, flexible,...

EP-DNN: A Deep Neural Network-Based Global Enhancer Prediction Algorithm.

PubMed

Kim, Seong Gon; Harwani, Mrudul; Grama, Ananth; Chaterji, Somali

2016-12-08

We present EP-DNN, a protocol for predicting enhancers based on chromatin features, in different cell types. Specifically, we use a deep neural network (DNN)-based architecture to extract enhancer signatures in a representative human embryonic stem cell type (H1) and a differentiated lung cell type (IMR90). We train EP-DNN using p300 binding sites, as enhancers, and TSS and random non-DHS sites, as non-enhancers. We perform same-cell and cross-cell predictions to quantify the validation rate and compare against two state-of-the-art methods, DEEP-ENCODE and RFECS. We find that EP-DNN has superior accuracy with a validation rate of 91.6%, relative to 85.3% for DEEP-ENCODE and 85.5% for RFECS, for a given number of enhancer predictions and also scales better for a larger number of enhancer predictions. Moreover, our H1 → IMR90 predictions turn out to be more accurate than IMR90 → IMR90, potentially because H1 exhibits a richer signature set and our EP-DNN model is expressive enough to extract these subtleties. Our work shows how to leverage the full expressivity of deep learning models, using multiple hidden layers, while avoiding overfitting on the training data. We also lay the foundation for exploration of cross-cell enhancer predictions, potentially reducing the need for expensive experimentation.

EP-DNN: A Deep Neural Network-Based Global Enhancer Prediction Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Seong Gon; Harwani, Mrudul; Grama, Ananth; Chaterji, Somali

2016-12-01

We present EP-DNN, a protocol for predicting enhancers based on chromatin features, in different cell types. Specifically, we use a deep neural network (DNN)-based architecture to extract enhancer signatures in a representative human embryonic stem cell type (H1) and a differentiated lung cell type (IMR90). We train EP-DNN using p300 binding sites, as enhancers, and TSS and random non-DHS sites, as non-enhancers. We perform same-cell and cross-cell predictions to quantify the validation rate and compare against two state-of-the-art methods, DEEP-ENCODE and RFECS. We find that EP-DNN has superior accuracy with a validation rate of 91.6%, relative to 85.3% for DEEP-ENCODE and 85.5% for RFECS, for a given number of enhancer predictions and also scales better for a larger number of enhancer predictions. Moreover, our H1 → IMR90 predictions turn out to be more accurate than IMR90 → IMR90, potentially because H1 exhibits a richer signature set and our EP-DNN model is expressive enough to extract these subtleties. Our work shows how to leverage the full expressivity of deep learning models, using multiple hidden layers, while avoiding overfitting on the training data. We also lay the foundation for exploration of cross-cell enhancer predictions, potentially reducing the need for expensive experimentation.

A Stability Enhancement Method for Centrifugal Compressors using Active Control Casing Treatment System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yuanyang; Xiao, Jun; Li, Liansheng; Yang, Qichao; Liu, Guangbin; Wang, Le

2015-08-01

The centrifugal compressors are widely used in many fields. When the centrifugal compressors operate at the edge of the surge line, the compressor will be unstable. In addition, if the centrifugal compressor runs at this situation long time, the damage will be occurred on compressor. There are some kinds of method to improve and enlarge the range of the centrifugal compressors, such as inlet guide vane, and casing treatment. For casing treatment method, some structures have been researched, such as holed recirculation, basic slot casing treatment and groove casing treatment. All these researches are the passive methods. This paper present a new stability enhancement method based Active Control Casing Treatment (ACCT). All parts of this new method are introduced in detail. The control strategy of the system is mentioned in the paper. As a research sample, a centrifugal compressor having this system is researched using CFD method. The study focuses on the effect of the active control system on the impeller flow. The vortex in impeller is changed by the active control system. And this leads to the suppression of the extension of vortex blockage in impeller and to contribute to the enhancement of the compressor operating range.

Spatial and Angular Resolution Enhancement of Light Fields Using Convolutional Neural Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gul, M. Shahzeb Khan; Gunturk, Bahadir K.

2018-05-01

Light field imaging extends the traditional photography by capturing both spatial and angular distribution of light, which enables new capabilities, including post-capture refocusing, post-capture aperture control, and depth estimation from a single shot. Micro-lens array (MLA) based light field cameras offer a cost-effective approach to capture light field. A major drawback of MLA based light field cameras is low spatial resolution, which is due to the fact that a single image sensor is shared to capture both spatial and angular information. In this paper, we present a learning based light field enhancement approach. Both spatial and angular resolution of captured light field is enhanced using convolutional neural networks. The proposed method is tested with real light field data captured with a Lytro light field camera, clearly demonstrating spatial and angular resolution improvement.

Spatial and Angular Resolution Enhancement of Light Fields Using Convolutional Neural Networks.

PubMed

Gul, M Shahzeb Khan; Gunturk, Bahadir K

2018-05-01

Light field imaging extends the traditional photography by capturing both spatial and angular distribution of light, which enables new capabilities, including post-capture refocusing, post-capture aperture control, and depth estimation from a single shot. Micro-lens array (MLA) based light field cameras offer a cost-effective approach to capture light field. A major drawback of MLA based light field cameras is low spatial resolution, which is due to the fact that a single image sensor is shared to capture both spatial and angular information. In this paper, we present a learning based light field enhancement approach. Both spatial and angular resolution of captured light field is enhanced using convolutional neural networks. The proposed method is tested with real light field data captured with a Lytro light field camera, clearly demonstrating spatial and angular resolution improvement.

Enhanced nonlinear interactions in quantum optomechanics via mechanical amplification

PubMed Central

Lemonde, Marc-Antoine; Didier, Nicolas; Clerk, Aashish A.

2016-01-01

The quantum nonlinear regime of optomechanics is reached when nonlinear effects of the radiation pressure interaction are observed at the single-photon level. This requires couplings larger than the mechanical frequency and cavity-damping rate, and is difficult to achieve experimentally. Here we show how to exponentially enhance the single-photon optomechanical coupling strength using only additional linear resources. Our method is based on using a large-amplitude, strongly detuned mechanical parametric drive to amplify mechanical zero-point fluctuations and hence enhance the radiation pressure interaction. It has the further benefit of allowing time-dependent control, enabling pulsed schemes. For a two-cavity optomechanical set-up, we show that our scheme generates photon blockade for experimentally accessible parameters, and even makes the production of photonic states with negative Wigner functions possible. We discuss how our method is an example of a more general strategy for enhancing boson-mediated two-particle interactions and nonlinearities. PMID:27108814

Application of Composite Mechanics to Composites Enhanced Concrete Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chamis, Christos C.; Gotsis, Pascal K.

2006-01-01

A new and effective method is described to design composites to repair damage or enhance the overload strength of concrete infrastructures. The method is based on composite mechanics which is available in computer codes. It is used to simulate structural sections made from reinforced concrete which are typical in infrastructure as well as select reinforced concrete structures. The structural sections are represented by a number of layers through the thickness where different layers are used in concrete, and for the composite. The reinforced concrete structures are represented with finite elements where the element stiffness parameters are from the structural sections which are represented by composite mechanics. The load carrying capability of the structure is determined by progressive structural fracture. Results show up to 40 percent improvements for damage and for overload enhancement with relatively small laminate thickness for the structural sections and up to three times for the composite enhanced select structures (arches and domes).

Enhanced performance of a structured cyclo olefin copolymer-based amorphous silicon solar cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhan, Xinghua; Chen, Fei; Gao, Mengyu; Tie, Shengnian; Gao, Wei

2017-07-01

The submicron array was fabricated onto a cyclo olefin copolymer (COC) film by a hot embossing method. An amorphous silicon p-i-n junction and transparent conductive layers were then deposited onto it through a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and magnetron sputtering. The efficiency of the fabricated COC-based solar cell was measured and the result demonstrated 18.6% increase of the solar cell efficiency when compared to the sample without array structure. The imprinted polymer solar cells with submicron array indeed increase their efficiency.

Bio-sensing with butterfly wings: naturally occurring nano-structures for SERS-based malaria parasite detection.

PubMed

Garrett, Natalie L; Sekine, Ryo; Dixon, Matthew W A; Tilley, Leann; Bambery, Keith R; Wood, Bayden R

2015-09-07

Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a powerful tool with great potential to provide improved bio-sensing capabilities. The current 'gold-standard' method for diagnosis of malaria involves visual inspection of blood smears using light microscopy, which is time consuming and can prevent early diagnosis of the disease. We present a novel surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy substrate based on gold-coated butterfly wings, which enabled detection of malarial hemozoin pigment within lysed blood samples containing 0.005% and 0.0005% infected red blood cells.

Enhanced capillary electrophoretic screening of Alzheimer based on direct apolipoprotein E genotyping and one-step multiplex PCR.

PubMed

Woo, Nain; Kim, Su-Kang; Sun, Yucheng; Kang, Seong Ho

2018-01-01

Human apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is associated with high cholesterol levels, coronary artery disease, and especially Alzheimer's disease. In this study, we developed an ApoE genotyping and one-step multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based-capillary electrophoresis (CE) method for the enhanced diagnosis of Alzheimer's. The primer mixture of ApoE genes enabled the performance of direct one-step multiplex PCR from whole blood without DNA purification. The combination of direct ApoE genotyping and one-step multiplex PCR minimized the risk of DNA loss or contamination due to the process of DNA purification. All amplified PCR products with different DNA lengths (112-, 253-, 308-, 444-, and 514-bp DNA) of the ApoE genes were analyzed within 2min by an extended voltage programming (VP)-based CE under the optimal conditions. The extended VP-based CE method was at least 120-180 times faster than conventional slab gel electrophoresis methods In particular, all amplified DNA fragments were detected in less than 10 PCR cycles using a laser-induced fluorescence detector. The detection limits of the ApoE genes were 6.4-62.0pM, which were approximately 100-100,000 times more sensitive than previous Alzheimer's diagnosis methods In addition, the combined one-step multiplex PCR and extended VP-based CE method was also successfully applied to the analysis of ApoE genotypes in Alzheimer's patients and normal samples and confirmed the distribution probability of allele frequencies. This combination of direct one-step multiplex PCR and an extended VP-based CE method should increase the diagnostic reliability of Alzheimer's with high sensitivity and short analysis time even with direct use of whole blood. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Project Loon based augmentation for global ionospheric modeling over Southern Hemisphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Cheng; Shi, Chuang; Zhang, Hongping

2017-04-01

Global ionospheric products of vertical total electron content (VTEC) derived from GNSS measurements may have low accuracy over oceans and southern latitudes where there are not rich observations. Project Loon provides a great opportunity to enhance the measurements over those areas. In this contribution, a simulation of Project Loon based augmentation for global ionospheric modeling is performed by using the international reference ionosphere (IRI) which could simulate VTEC measurements for the balloons. The performance of the enhanced method based on simulation of Project Loon is investigated by comparing with VTEC maps from Ionosphere Associate Analysis Centers (IAACs) as well as IGS final GIMs. The comparison indicates that there is a better consistency between the VTEC maps by the enhanced method and IGS final GIMs. Also, obvious improvements of RMS maps in GIMs for the middle latitudes and southern latitudes are enabled by the augmentation of Project Loon. Additionally, JASON data are used to validate the specific improvement of the VTEC maps. The results show that the performance of VTEC maps is improved slightly, especially in southern latitudes. It is possible that the VTEC maps could be improved significantly by using real GPS measurements from balloons of Project Loon in the near future.

Project Loon based augmentation for global ionospheric modeling over Southern Hemisphere.

PubMed

Wang, Cheng; Shi, Chuang; Zhang, Hongping

2017-04-06

Global ionospheric products of vertical total electron content (VTEC) derived from GNSS measurements may have low accuracy over oceans and southern latitudes where there are not rich observations. Project Loon provides a great opportunity to enhance the measurements over those areas. In this contribution, a simulation of Project Loon based augmentation for global ionospheric modeling is performed by using the international reference ionosphere (IRI) which could simulate VTEC measurements for the balloons. The performance of the enhanced method based on simulation of Project Loon is investigated by comparing with VTEC maps from Ionosphere Associate Analysis Centers (IAACs) as well as IGS final GIMs. The comparison indicates that there is a better consistency between the VTEC maps by the enhanced method and IGS final GIMs. Also, obvious improvements of RMS maps in GIMs for the middle latitudes and southern latitudes are enabled by the augmentation of Project Loon. Additionally, JASON data are used to validate the specific improvement of the VTEC maps. The results show that the performance of VTEC maps is improved slightly, especially in southern latitudes. It is possible that the VTEC maps could be improved significantly by using real GPS measurements from balloons of Project Loon in the near future.

Project Loon based augmentation for global ionospheric modeling over Southern Hemisphere

PubMed Central

Wang, Cheng; Shi, Chuang; Zhang, Hongping

2017-01-01

Global ionospheric products of vertical total electron content (VTEC) derived from GNSS measurements may have low accuracy over oceans and southern latitudes where there are not rich observations. Project Loon provides a great opportunity to enhance the measurements over those areas. In this contribution, a simulation of Project Loon based augmentation for global ionospheric modeling is performed by using the international reference ionosphere (IRI) which could simulate VTEC measurements for the balloons. The performance of the enhanced method based on simulation of Project Loon is investigated by comparing with VTEC maps from Ionosphere Associate Analysis Centers (IAACs) as well as IGS final GIMs. The comparison indicates that there is a better consistency between the VTEC maps by the enhanced method and IGS final GIMs. Also, obvious improvements of RMS maps in GIMs for the middle latitudes and southern latitudes are enabled by the augmentation of Project Loon. Additionally, JASON data are used to validate the specific improvement of the VTEC maps. The results show that the performance of VTEC maps is improved slightly, especially in southern latitudes. It is possible that the VTEC maps could be improved significantly by using real GPS measurements from balloons of Project Loon in the near future. PMID:28383058

Evaluating Ethanol-based Sample Preservation to Facilitate Use of DNA Barcoding in Routine Freshwater Biomonitoring Programs Using Benthic Macroinvertebrates

EPA Science Inventory

Molecular methods, such as DNA barcoding, have the potential in enhance biomonitoring programs worldwide. Altering routinely used sample preservation methods to protect DNA from degradation may pose a potential impediment to application of DNA barcoding and metagenomics for biom...

The Payout Method: A Spending Policy That Enhances Return.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrell, Louis R.

1991-01-01

College and university business officers are encouraged to implement an endowment distribution method that increases the amount distributed by a fixed annual percentage based on asset mix, inflation, and expected return. Such a payout system provides a predictable, steadily increasing level of endowment income yet maintains the purchasing power of…

Future Teachers' Dispositions toward Teaching with Geospatial Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jo, Injeong

2016-01-01

This study examined the effect of a minimal Web-based GIS experience within a semester-long methods course on enhancing preservice teachers' dispositions regarding the use of geospatial technologies for teaching. Fourteen preservice teachers enrolled in a senior-level methods course offered in geography and focused exclusively on how to teach…

Enhanced Ultrasound Visualization of Brachytherapy Seeds by a Novel Magnetically Induced Motion Imaging Method

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-04-01

We report our progress in developing Magnetically Induced Motion Imaging (MIMI) for unambiguous identification and localization brachytherapy seeds ...tail artifacts in segmented seed images. The second is a method for joining ends of seeds in segmented seed images based on the phase of the detected

Vertical Enhancement of Second-Year Psychology Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morys-Carter, Wakefield L.; Paltoglou, Aspasia E.; Davies, Emma L.

2015-01-01

Statistics and Research Methods modules are often unpopular with psychology students; however, at Oxford Brookes University the seminar component of the second-year research methods module tends to get very positive feedback. Over half of the seminars work towards the submission of a research-based experimental lab report. This article introduces…

Promoting "Social and Emotional Learning" through Service-Learning Art Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, Robert L.; Hutzel, Karen

2007-01-01

This article intends to encourage teachers to explore ways "social and emotional learning" (SEL) and art education can enhance each other. Service-learning art projects were presented as one example, employing collaborate-and-create, asset-based methods integrated with SEL instruction. Advantages anticipated from combining these methods result…

Reform of the Method for Evaluating the Teaching of Medical Linguistics to Medical Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Hongkui; Wang, Bo; Zhang, Longlu

2014-01-01

Explorating reform of the teaching evaluation method for vocational competency-based education (CBE) curricula for medical students is a very important process in following international medical education standards, intensify ing education and teaching reforms, enhancing teaching management, and improving the quality of medical education. This…

Design of virtual simulation experiment based on key events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Zheng; Zhou, Dongbo; Song, Lingxiu

2018-06-01

Considering complex content and lacking of guidance in virtual simulation experiments, the key event technology in VR narrative theory was introduced for virtual simulation experiment to enhance fidelity and vividness process. Based on the VR narrative technology, an event transition structure was designed to meet the need of experimental operation process, and an interactive event processing model was used to generate key events in interactive scene. The experiment of" margin value of bees foraging" based on Biologic morphology was taken as an example, many objects, behaviors and other contents were reorganized. The result shows that this method can enhance the user's experience and ensure experimental process complete and effectively.

Enhancement of NH3 Gas Sensitivity at Room Temperature by Carbon Nanotube-Based Sensor Coated with Co Nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Nguyen, Lich Quang; Phan, Pho Quoc; Duong, Huyen Ngoc; Nguyen, Chien Duc; Nguyen, Lam Huu

2013-01-01

Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) film has been fabricated onto Pt-patterned alumina substrates using the chemical vapor deposition method for NH3 gas sensing applications. The MWCNT-based sensor is sensitive to NH3 gas at room temperature. Nanoclusters of Co catalysts have been sputtered on the surface of the MWCNT film to enhance gas sensitivity with respect to unfunctionalized CNT films. The gas sensitivity of Co-functionalized MWCNT-based gas sensors is thus significantly improved. The sensor exhibits good repeatability and high selectivity towards NH3, compared with alcohol and LPG. PMID:23364198

A new background distribution-based active contour model for three-dimensional lesion segmentation in breast DCE-MRI

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Hui; Liu, Yiping; Qiu, Tianshuang

2014-08-15

Purpose: To develop and evaluate a computerized semiautomatic segmentation method for accurate extraction of three-dimensional lesions from dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance images (DCE-MRIs) of the breast. Methods: The authors propose a new background distribution-based active contour model using level set (BDACMLS) to segment lesions in breast DCE-MRIs. The method starts with manual selection of a region of interest (ROI) that contains the entire lesion in a single slice where the lesion is enhanced. Then the lesion volume from the volume data of interest, which is captured automatically, is separated. The core idea of BDACMLS is a new signed pressure functionmore » which is based solely on the intensity distribution combined with pathophysiological basis. To compare the algorithm results, two experienced radiologists delineated all lesions jointly to obtain the ground truth. In addition, results generated by other different methods based on level set (LS) are also compared with the authors’ method. Finally, the performance of the proposed method is evaluated by several region-based metrics such as the overlap ratio. Results: Forty-two studies with 46 lesions that contain 29 benign and 17 malignant lesions are evaluated. The dataset includes various typical pathologies of the breast such as invasive ductal carcinoma, ductal carcinomain situ, scar carcinoma, phyllodes tumor, breast cysts, fibroadenoma, etc. The overlap ratio for BDACMLS with respect to manual segmentation is 79.55% ± 12.60% (mean ± s.d.). Conclusions: A new active contour model method has been developed and shown to successfully segment breast DCE-MRI three-dimensional lesions. The results from this model correspond more closely to manual segmentation, solve the weak-edge-passed problem, and improve the robustness in segmenting different lesions.« less

An Effective Neurofeedback Intervention to Improve Social Interactions in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

PubMed

Friedrich, Elisabeth V C; Sivanathan, Aparajithan; Lim, Theodore; Suttie, Neil; Louchart, Sandy; Pillen, Steven; Pineda, Jaime A

2015-12-01

Neurofeedback training (NFT) approaches were investigated to improve behavior, cognition and emotion regulation in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Thirteen children with ASD completed pre-/post-assessments and 16 NFT-sessions. The NFT was based on a game that encouraged social interactions and provided feedback based on imitation and emotional responsiveness. Bidirectional training of EEG mu suppression and enhancement (8-12 Hz over somatosensory cortex) was compared to the standard method of enhancing mu. Children learned to control mu rhythm with both methods and showed improvements in (1) electrophysiology: increased mu suppression, (2) emotional responsiveness: improved emotion recognition and spontaneous imitation, and (3) behavior: significantly better behavior in every-day life. Thus, these NFT paradigms improve aspects of behavior necessary for successful social interactions.

Paper-based surfaced enhanced Raman spectroscopy for drug level testing with tear fluid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamada, Kenji; Yokoyama, Moe; Jeong, Hieyong; Kido, Michiko; Ohno, Yuko

2015-07-01

The purpose of this study was to show the effectiveness of therapeutic drug level testing by Paper-based Surfaced Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (PSERS) for artificial lacrimal fluid. We have been used substrates which consist of a common filter paper and gold nano-rods. The targets were Phenobarbital (PB) which dissolved in artificial lacrimal fluid. We measured them using PSERS which the wavelength was 785nm, the power was 30mW. It was found that there were the strong peaks of PB at 997cm-1 and 1026cm-1 which corresponded with solid PB spectral peak for 1mM artificial lacrimal fluid. The results demonstrated the usefulness of this method. It is concluded that our method for therapeutic drug level testing is very efficient.

A Colloidal Route to Detection of Organic Molecules Based on Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Using Nanostructured Substrate Derived from Aerosols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gen, Masao; Kakuta, Hideo; Kamimoto, Yoshihito; Wuled Lenggoro, I.

2011-06-01

A detection method based on the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-active substrate derived from aerosol nanoparticles and a colloidal suspension for detecting organic molecules of a model analyte (a pesticide) is proposed. This approach can detect the molecules of the derived from its solution with the concentration levels of ppb. For substrate fabrication, a gas-phase method is used to directly deposit Ag nanoparticles on to a silicon substrate having pyramidal structures. By mixing the target analyte with a suspension of Ag colloids purchased in advance, clotianidin analyte on Ag colloid can exist in junctions of co-aggregated Ag colloids. Using (i) a nanostructured substrate made from aerosol nanoparticles and (ii) colloidal suspension can increase the number of activity spots.

Confirming Pseudomonas putida as a reliable bioassay for demonstrating biocompatibility enhancement by solar photo-oxidative processes of a biorecalcitrant effluent.

PubMed

García-Ripoll, A; Amat, A M; Arques, A; Vicente, R; Ballesteros Martín, M M; Pérez, J A Sánchez; Oller, I; Malato, S

2009-03-15

Experiments based on Vibrio fischeri, activated sludge and Pseudomonas putida have been employed to check variation in the biocompatibility of an aqueous solution of a commercial pesticide, along solar photo-oxidative process (TiO(2) and Fenton reagent). Activated sludge-based experiments have demonstrated a complete detoxification of the solution, although important toxicity is still detected according to the more sensitive V. fischeri assays. In parallel, the biodegradability of organic matter is strongly enhanced, with BOD(5)/COD ratio above 0.8. Bioassays run with P. putida have given similar trends, remarking the convenience of using P. putida culture as a reliable and reproducible method for assessing both toxicity and biodegradability, as a substitute to other more time consuming methods.

Fuzzy based finger vein recognition with rotation invariant feature matching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ezhilmaran, D.; Joseph, Rose Bindu

2017-11-01

Finger vein recognition is a promising biometric with commercial applications which is explored widely in the recent years. In this paper, a finger vein recognition system is proposed using rotation invariant feature descriptors for matching after enhancing the finger vein images with an interval type-2 fuzzy method. SIFT features are extracted and matched using a matching score based on Euclidian distance. Rotation invariance of the proposed method is verified in the experiment and the results are compared with SURF matching and minutiae matching. It is seen that rotation invariance is verified and the poor quality issues are solved efficiently with the designed system of finger vein recognition during the analysis. The experiments underlines the robustness and reliability of the interval type-2 fuzzy enhancement and SIFT feature matching.

Practice-based learning and improvement: a dream that can become a reality.

PubMed

Manning, Phil R

2003-01-01

Systematically enhancing learning from experience (practice-based learning) dominates the teachings of Sir William Osler and adult learning theorists such as Eduard Lindeman, Malcolm Knowles, and Cyril Houle. Because of time constraints, most physicians have not implemented methods that systematically facilitate learning from day-to-day work, but improvements in information technology offer the promise of making systematic practice-based learning practical. At least four ingredients need to be incorporated to significantly enhance learning from experience: a database that makes it possible to study individual practices; methods for supplying short, quick answers to questions while seeing patients; a reminder system to avoid errors of omission; and the opportunity to discuss practice data with colleagues. Great progress has been made, but significant barriers still must be overcome before a majority of physicians will participate. In particular, methods of data collection must be simplified, the delivery of point-of-care information and reminders must become more automatic, and physicians must develop skills to make the discussion of practice data acceptable, stimulating, and not unduly punitive.

Application of nanomaterials in the bioanalytical detection of disease-related genes.

PubMed

Zhu, Xiaoqian; Li, Jiao; He, Hanping; Huang, Min; Zhang, Xiuhua; Wang, Shengfu

2015-12-15

In the diagnosis of genetic diseases and disorders, nanomaterials-based gene detection systems have significant advantages over conventional diagnostic systems in terms of simplicity, sensitivity, specificity, and portability. In this review, we describe the application of nanomaterials for disease-related genes detection in different methods excluding PCR-related method, such as colorimetry, fluorescence-based methods, electrochemistry, microarray methods, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) methods, and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The most commonly used nanomaterials are gold, silver, carbon and semiconducting nanoparticles. Various nanomaterials-based gene detection methods are introduced, their respective advantages are discussed, and selected examples are provided to illustrate the properties of these nanomaterials and their emerging applications for the detection of specific nucleic acid sequences. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Science Teaching Orientations and Technology-Enhanced Tools for Student Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, Todd; Longhurst, Max; Duffy, Aaron M.; Wolf, Paul G.; Shelton, Brett E.

2013-10-01

This qualitative study examines teacher orientations and technology-enhanced tools for student learning within a science literacy framework. Data for this study came from a group of 10 eighth grade science teachers. Each of these teachers was a participant in a professional development (PD) project focused on reformed and technology-enhanced science instruction shaped by national standards documents. The research is focused on identifying teacher orientations and use of technology-enhanced tools prior to or unaffected by PD. The primary data sources for this study are drawn from learning journals and classroom observations. Qualitative methods were used to analyze learning journals, while descriptive statistics were used from classroom observations to further explore and triangulate the emergent qualitative findings. Two teacher orientation teacher profiles were developed to reveal the emergent teacher orientation dimensions and technology-enhanced tool categories found: "more traditional teacher orientation profile" and "toward a reformed-based teacher orientation profile." Both profiles were founded on "knowledge of" beliefs about the goals and purposes for science education, while neither profile revealed sophisticated beliefs about the nature of science. The "traditional" profile revealed more teacher-centered beliefs about science teaching and learning, and the "towards reformed-based" profile revealed student-centered beliefs. Finally, only technology-enhanced tools supportive of collaborative construction of science knowledge were found connected to the "towards reformed-based" profile. This research is concluded with a proposed "reformed-based teacher orientation profile" as a future target for science teaching and learning with technology-enhanced tools in a science literacy framework.

Infrared image enhancement based on the edge detection and mathematical morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Linlin; Zhao, Yuejin; Dong, Liquan; Liu, Xiaohua; Yu, Xiaomei; Hui, Mei; Chu, Xuhong; Gong, Cheng

2010-11-01

The development of the un-cooled infrared imaging technology from military necessity. At present, It is widely applied in industrial, medicine, scientific and technological research and so on. The infrared radiation temperature distribution of the measured object's surface can be observed visually. The collection of infrared images from our laboratory has following characteristics: Strong spatial correlation, Low contrast , Poor visual effect; Without color or shadows because of gray image , and has low resolution; Low definition compare to the visible light image; Many kinds of noise are brought by the random disturbances of the external environment. Digital image processing are widely applied in many areas, it can now be studied up close and in detail in many research field. It has become one kind of important means of the human visual continuation. Traditional methods for image enhancement cannot capture the geometric information of images and tend to amplify noise. In order to remove noise and improve visual effect. Meanwhile, To overcome the above enhancement issues. The mathematical model of FPA unit was constructed based on matrix transformation theory. According to characteristics of FPA, Image enhancement algorithm which combined with mathematical morphology and edge detection are established. First of all, Image profile is obtained by using the edge detection combine with mathematical morphological operators. And then, through filling the template profile by original image to get the ideal background image, The image noise can be removed on the base of the above method. The experiments show that utilizing the proposed algorithm can enhance image detail and the signal to noise ratio.

Underwater video enhancement using multi-camera super-resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quevedo, E.; Delory, E.; Callicó, G. M.; Tobajas, F.; Sarmiento, R.

2017-12-01

Image spatial resolution is critical in several fields such as medicine, communications or satellite, and underwater applications. While a large variety of techniques for image restoration and enhancement has been proposed in the literature, this paper focuses on a novel Super-Resolution fusion algorithm based on a Multi-Camera environment that permits to enhance the quality of underwater video sequences without significantly increasing computation. In order to compare the quality enhancement, two objective quality metrics have been used: PSNR (Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio) and the SSIM (Structural SIMilarity) index. Results have shown that the proposed method enhances the objective quality of several underwater sequences, avoiding the appearance of undesirable artifacts, with respect to basic fusion Super-Resolution algorithms.

An analytical optimization model for infrared image enhancement via local context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Yongjian; Liang, Kun; Xiong, Yiru; Wang, Hui

2017-12-01

The requirement for high-quality infrared images is constantly increasing in both military and civilian areas, and it is always associated with little distortion and appropriate contrast, while infrared images commonly have some shortcomings such as low contrast. In this paper, we propose a novel infrared image histogram enhancement algorithm based on local context. By constraining the enhanced image to have high local contrast, a regularized analytical optimization model is proposed to enhance infrared images. The local contrast is determined by evaluating whether two intensities are neighbors and calculating their differences. The comparison on 8-bit images shows that the proposed method can enhance the infrared images with more details and lower noise.

Highly efficient preparation of sphingoid bases from glucosylceramides by chemoenzymatic method[S

PubMed Central

Gowda, Siddabasave Gowda B.; Usuki, Seigo; Hammam, Mostafa A. S.; Murai, Yuta; Igarashi, Yasuyuki; Monde, Kenji

2016-01-01

Sphingoid base derivatives have attracted increasing attention as promising chemotherapeutic candidates against lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and cancer. Natural sphingoid bases can be a potential resource instead of those derived by time-consuming total organic synthesis. In particular, glucosylceramides (GlcCers) in food plants are enriched sources of sphingoid bases, differing from those of animals. Several chemical methodologies to transform GlcCers to sphingoid bases have already investigated; however, these conventional methods using acid or alkaline hydrolysis are not efficient due to poor reaction yield, producing complex by-products and resulting in separation problems. In this study, an extremely efficient and practical chemoenzymatic transformation method has been developed using microwave-enhanced butanolysis of GlcCers and a large amount of readily available almond β-glucosidase for its deglycosylation reaction of lysoGlcCers. The method is superior to conventional acid/base hydrolysis methods in its rapidity and its reaction cleanness (no isomerization, no rearrangement) with excellent overall yield. PMID:26667669

Resolution-enhancement and sampling error correction based on molecular absorption line in frequency scanning interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Hao; Qu, Xinghua; Shi, Chunzhao; Zhang, Fumin; Li, Yating

2018-06-01

The non-uniform interval resampling method has been widely used in frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) laser ranging. In the large-bandwidth and long-distance measurements, the range peak is deteriorated due to the fiber dispersion mismatch. In this study, we analyze the frequency-sampling error caused by the mismatch and measure it using the spectroscopy of molecular frequency references line. By using the adjacent points' replacement and spline interpolation technique, the sampling errors could be eliminated. The results demonstrated that proposed method is suitable for resolution-enhancement and high-precision measurement. Moreover, using the proposed method, we achieved the precision of absolute distance less than 45 μm within 8 m.

Brain tumor segmentation based on local independent projection-based classification.

PubMed

Huang, Meiyan; Yang, Wei; Wu, Yao; Jiang, Jun; Chen, Wufan; Feng, Qianjin

2014-10-01

Brain tumor segmentation is an important procedure for early tumor diagnosis and radiotherapy planning. Although numerous brain tumor segmentation methods have been presented, enhancing tumor segmentation methods is still challenging because brain tumor MRI images exhibit complex characteristics, such as high diversity in tumor appearance and ambiguous tumor boundaries. To address this problem, we propose a novel automatic tumor segmentation method for MRI images. This method treats tumor segmentation as a classification problem. Additionally, the local independent projection-based classification (LIPC) method is used to classify each voxel into different classes. A novel classification framework is derived by introducing the local independent projection into the classical classification model. Locality is important in the calculation of local independent projections for LIPC. Locality is also considered in determining whether local anchor embedding is more applicable in solving linear projection weights compared with other coding methods. Moreover, LIPC considers the data distribution of different classes by learning a softmax regression model, which can further improve classification performance. In this study, 80 brain tumor MRI images with ground truth data are used as training data and 40 images without ground truth data are used as testing data. The segmentation results of testing data are evaluated by an online evaluation tool. The average dice similarities of the proposed method for segmenting complete tumor, tumor core, and contrast-enhancing tumor on real patient data are 0.84, 0.685, and 0.585, respectively. These results are comparable to other state-of-the-art methods.

Brain vascular image segmentation based on fuzzy local information C-means clustering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Chaoen; Liu, Xia; Liang, Xiao; Hui, Hui; Yang, Xin; Tian, Jie

2017-02-01

Light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) is a powerful optical resolution fluorescence microscopy technique which enables to observe the mouse brain vascular network in cellular resolution. However, micro-vessel structures are intensity inhomogeneity in LSFM images, which make an inconvenience for extracting line structures. In this work, we developed a vascular image segmentation method by enhancing vessel details which should be useful for estimating statistics like micro-vessel density. Since the eigenvalues of hessian matrix and its sign describes different geometric structure in images, which enable to construct vascular similarity function and enhance line signals, the main idea of our method is to cluster the pixel values of the enhanced image. Our method contained three steps: 1) calculate the multiscale gradients and the differences between eigenvalues of Hessian matrix. 2) In order to generate the enhanced microvessels structures, a feed forward neural network was trained by 2.26 million pixels for dealing with the correlations between multi-scale gradients and the differences between eigenvalues. 3) The fuzzy local information c-means clustering (FLICM) was used to cluster the pixel values in enhance line signals. To verify the feasibility and effectiveness of this method, mouse brain vascular images have been acquired by a commercial light-sheet microscope in our lab. The experiment of the segmentation method showed that dice similarity coefficient can reach up to 85%. The results illustrated that our approach extracting line structures of blood vessels dramatically improves the vascular image and enable to accurately extract blood vessels in LSFM images.

Problem-Based Learning in Accounting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dockter, DuWayne L.

2012-01-01

Seasoned educators use an assortment of student-centered methods and tools to enhance their student's learning environment. In respects to methodologies used in accounting, educators have utilized and created new forms of problem-based learning exercises, including case studies, simulations, and other projects, to help students become more active…

Team-Based Learning Enhances Performance in Introductory Biology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carmichael, Jeffrey

2009-01-01

Given the problems associated with the traditional lecture method, the constraints associated with large classes, and the effectiveness of active learning, continued development and testing of efficient student-centered learning approaches are needed. This study explores the effectiveness of team-based learning (TBL) in a large-enrollment…

Contrast-enhanced CT- and MRI-based perfusion assessment for pulmonary diseases: basics and clinical applications

PubMed Central

Ohno, Yoshiharu; Koyama, Hisanobu; Lee, Ho Yun; Miura, Sachiko; Yoshikawa, Takeshi; Sugimura, Kazuro

2016-01-01

Assessment of regional pulmonary perfusion as well as nodule and tumor perfusions in various pulmonary diseases are currently performed by means of nuclear medicine studies requiring radioactive macroaggregates, dual-energy computed tomography (CT), and dynamic first-pass contrast-enhanced perfusion CT techniques and unenhanced and dynamic first-pass contrast enhanced perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as well as time-resolved three-dimensional or four-dimensional contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). Perfusion scintigraphy, single-photon emission tomography (SPECT) and SPECT fused with CT have been established as clinically available scintigraphic methods; however, they are limited by perfusion information with poor spatial resolution and other shortcomings. Although positron emission tomography with 15O water can measure absolute pulmonary perfusion, it requires a cyclotron for generation of a tracer with an extremely short half-life (2 min), and can only be performed for academic purposes. Therefore, clinicians are concentrating their efforts on the application of CT-based and MRI-based quantitative and qualitative perfusion assessment to various pulmonary diseases. This review article covers 1) the basics of dual-energy CT and dynamic first-pass contrast-enhanced perfusion CT techniques, 2) the basics of time-resolved contrast-enhanced MRA and dynamic first-pass contrast-enhanced perfusion MRI, and 3) clinical applications of contrast-enhanced CT- and MRI-based perfusion assessment for patients with pulmonary nodule, lung cancer, and pulmonary vascular diseases. We believe that these new techniques can be useful in routine clinical practice for not only thoracic oncology patients, but also patients with different pulmonary vascular diseases. PMID:27523813

Novel methods for Solving Economic Dispatch of Security-Constrained Unit Commitment Based on Linear Programming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Sangang

2017-09-01

There are two stages in solving security-constrained unit commitment problems (SCUC) within Lagrangian framework: one is to obtain feasible units’ states (UC), the other is power economic dispatch (ED) for each unit. The accurate solution of ED is more important for enhancing the efficiency of the solution to SCUC for the fixed feasible units’ statues. Two novel methods named after Convex Combinatorial Coefficient Method and Power Increment Method respectively based on linear programming problem for solving ED are proposed by the piecewise linear approximation to the nonlinear convex fuel cost functions. Numerical testing results show that the methods are effective and efficient.

Three-dimensional photoacoustic tomography based on graphics-processing-unit-accelerated finite element method.

PubMed

Peng, Kuan; He, Ling; Zhu, Ziqiang; Tang, Jingtian; Xiao, Jiaying

2013-12-01

Compared with commonly used analytical reconstruction methods, the frequency-domain finite element method (FEM) based approach has proven to be an accurate and flexible algorithm for photoacoustic tomography. However, the FEM-based algorithm is computationally demanding, especially for three-dimensional cases. To enhance the algorithm's efficiency, in this work a parallel computational strategy is implemented in the framework of the FEM-based reconstruction algorithm using a graphic-processing-unit parallel frame named the "compute unified device architecture." A series of simulation experiments is carried out to test the accuracy and accelerating effect of the improved method. The results obtained indicate that the parallel calculation does not change the accuracy of the reconstruction algorithm, while its computational cost is significantly reduced by a factor of 38.9 with a GTX 580 graphics card using the improved method.

[Development of selective determination methods for quinones with fluorescence and chemiluminescence detection and their application to environmental and biological samples].

PubMed

Kishikawa, Naoya

2010-10-01

Quinones are compounds that have various characteristics such as a biological electron transporter, an industrial product and a harmful environmental pollutant. Therefore, an effective determination method for quinones is required in many fields. This review describes the development of sensitive and selective determination methods for quinones based on some detection principles and their application to analyses in environmental, pharmaceutical and biological samples. Firstly, a fluorescence method was developed based on fluorogenic derivatization of quinones and applied to environmental analysis. Secondly, a luminol chemiluminescence method was developed based on generation of reactive oxygen species through the redox cycle of quinone and applied to pharmaceutical analysis. Thirdly, a photo-induced chemiluminescence method was developed based on formation of reactive oxygen species and fluorophore or chemiluminescence enhancer by the photoreaction of quinones and applied to biological and environmental analyses.

Description of a Standardized Treatment Center that Utilizes Evidence-Based Clinic Operations to Facilitate Implementation of an Evidence-Based Treatment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donohue, Brad; Allen, Daniel N.; Romero, Valerie; Hill, Heather H.; Vasaeli, Kathryn; Lapota, Holly; Tracy, Kendra; Gorney, Suzanne; Abdel-al, Ruweida; Caldas, Diana; Herdzik, Karen; Bradshaw, Kelsey; Valdez, Robby; Van Hasselt, Vincent B.

2009-01-01

Developers of evidence-based therapies are enhancing methods of teaching therapists to implement "best practices" with integrity. However, there is a relative dearth of information available as to clinic operations and related contextual factors necessary to sustain successful implementation of these treatments. This article describes various…

INFARCT DENSITY DISTRIBUTION BY MRI IN THE PORCINE MODEL OF ACUTE AND CHRONIC MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION AS A POTENTIAL METHOD TRANSFERABLE TO THE CLINIC

PubMed Central

Varga-Szemes, Akos; Simor, Tamas; Lenkey, Zsofia; van der Geest, Rob J; Kirschner, Robert; Toth, Levente; Brott, Brigitta C.; Ada, Elgavish; Elgavish, Gabriel A.

2014-01-01

Purpose To study the feasibility of a myocardial infarct (MI) quantification method (Signal Intensity-based Percent Infarct Mapping, SI-PIM) that is able to evaluate not only the size, but also the density distribution of the MI. Methods In 14 male swine, MI was generated by 90 minutes of closed-chest balloon occlusion followed by reperfusion. Seven (n=7) or 56 (n=7) days after reperfusion, Gd-DTPA-bolus and continuous-infusion enhanced Late Gadolinium Enhancement (LGE) MRI, and R1-mapping were carried out and post mortem triphenyl-tetrazolium-chloride (TTC) staining was performed. MI was quantified using binary (2 or 5 standard deviations, SD), SI-PIM and R1-PIM methods. Infarct Fraction (IF), and Infarct-Involved Voxel Fraction (IIVF) were determined by each MRI method. Bias of each method was compared to the TTC technique. Results The accuracy of MI quantification did not depend on the method of contrast administration or the age of the MI. IFs obtained by either of the two PIM methods were statistically not different from the IFs derived from the TTC measurements at either MI age. IFs obtained from the binary 2SD method overestimated IF obtained from TTC. IIVF among the three different PIM methods did not vary, but with the binary methods the IIVF gradually decreased with increasing the threshold limit. Conclusions The advantage of SI-PIM over the conventional binary method is the ability to represent not only IF but also the density distribution of the MI. Since the SI-PIM methods are based on a single LGE acquisition, the bolus-data-based SI-PIM method can effortlessly be incorporated into the clinical image post-processing procedure. PMID:24718787

Receptivity of African American Adolescents to an HIV-Prevention Curriculum Enhanced by Text Messaging

PubMed Central

Cornelius, Judith B.; St Lawrence, Janet S.

2013-01-01

PURPOSE This study assessed African American adolescents’ receptivity to an HIV-prevention curriculum enhanced by text messaging. DESIGN AND METHODS Two focus groups were conducted with 14 African American adolescents regarding how an HIV-prevention curriculum could be enhanced for text messaging delivery. RESULTS The adolescents were receptive to the idea of text messaging HIV-prevention information but wanted to receive a maximum of three messages per day during the hours of 4:00–6:00 p.m. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS By taking the findings of this study, nurses, other healthcare providers, and community-based organizations can adapt evidence-based interventions for text messaging delivery to individuals at high risk for HIV infection. PMID:19356206

Underwater image enhancement through depth estimation based on random forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tai, Shen-Chuan; Tsai, Ting-Chou; Huang, Jyun-Han

2017-11-01

Light absorption and scattering in underwater environments can result in low-contrast images with a distinct color cast. This paper proposes a systematic framework for the enhancement of underwater images. Light transmission is estimated using the random forest algorithm. RGB values, luminance, color difference, blurriness, and the dark channel are treated as features in training and estimation. Transmission is calculated using an ensemble machine learning algorithm to deal with a variety of conditions encountered in underwater environments. A color compensation and contrast enhancement algorithm based on depth information was also developed with the aim of improving the visual quality of underwater images. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed scheme outperforms existing methods with regard to subjective visual quality as well as objective measurements.

Three-dimensional compound comparison methods and their application in drug discovery.

PubMed

Shin, Woong-Hee; Zhu, Xiaolei; Bures, Mark Gregory; Kihara, Daisuke

2015-07-16

Virtual screening has been widely used in the drug discovery process. Ligand-based virtual screening (LBVS) methods compare a library of compounds with a known active ligand. Two notable advantages of LBVS methods are that they do not require structural information of a target receptor and that they are faster than structure-based methods. LBVS methods can be classified based on the complexity of ligand structure information utilized: one-dimensional (1D), two-dimensional (2D), and three-dimensional (3D). Unlike 1D and 2D methods, 3D methods can have enhanced performance since they treat the conformational flexibility of compounds. In this paper, a number of 3D methods will be reviewed. In addition, four representative 3D methods were benchmarked to understand their performance in virtual screening. Specifically, we tested overall performance in key aspects including the ability to find dissimilar active compounds, and computational speed.

A promising limited angular computed tomography reconstruction via segmentation based regional enhancement and total variation minimization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Wenkun; Zhang, Hanming; Li, Lei

2016-08-15

X-ray computed tomography (CT) is a powerful and common inspection technique used for the industrial non-destructive testing. However, large-sized and heavily absorbing objects cause the formation of artifacts because of either the lack of specimen penetration in specific directions or the acquisition of data from only a limited angular range of views. Although the sparse optimization-based methods, such as the total variation (TV) minimization method, can suppress artifacts to some extent, reconstructing the images such that they converge to accurate values remains difficult because of the deficiency in continuous angular data and inconsistency in the projections. To address this problem,more » we use the idea of regional enhancement of the true values and suppression of the illusory artifacts outside the region to develop an efficient iterative algorithm. This algorithm is based on the combination of regional enhancement of the true values and TV minimization for the limited angular reconstruction. In this algorithm, the segmentation approach is introduced to distinguish the regions of different image knowledge and generate the support mask of the image. A new regularization term, which contains the support knowledge to enhance the true values of the image, is incorporated into the objective function. Then, the proposed optimization model is solved by variable splitting and the alternating direction method efficiently. A compensation approach is also designed to extract useful information from the initial projections and thus reduce false segmentation result and correct the segmentation support and the segmented image. The results obtained from comparing both simulation studies and real CT data set reconstructions indicate that the proposed algorithm generates a more accurate image than do the other reconstruction methods. The experimental results show that this algorithm can produce high-quality reconstructed images for the limited angular reconstruction and suppress the illusory artifacts caused by the deficiency in valid data.« less

Illuminant-adaptive color reproduction for mobile display

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jong-Man; Park, Kee-Hyon; Kwon, Oh-Seol; Cho, Yang-Ho; Ha, Yeong-Ho

2006-01-01

This paper proposes an illuminant-adaptive reproduction method using light adaptation and flare conditions for a mobile display. Mobile displays, such as PDAs and cellular phones, are viewed under various lighting conditions. In particular, images displayed in daylight are perceived as quite dark due to the light adaptation of the human visual system, as the luminance of a mobile display is considerably lower than that of an outdoor environment. In addition, flare phenomena decrease the color gamut of a mobile display by increasing the luminance of dark areas and de-saturating the chroma. Therefore, this paper presents an enhancement method composed of lightness enhancement and chroma compensation. First, the ambient light intensity is measured using a lux-sensor, then the flare is calculated based on the reflection ratio of the display device and the ambient light intensity. The relative cone response is nonlinear to the input luminance. This is also changed by the ambient light intensity. Thus, to improve the perceived image, the displayed luminance is enhanced by lightness linearization. In this paper, the image's luminance is transformed by linearization of the response to the input luminance according to the ambient light intensity. Next, the displayed image is compensated according to the physically reduced chroma, resulting from flare phenomena. The reduced chroma value is calculated according to the flare for each intensity. The chroma compensation method to maintain the original image's chroma is applied differently for each hue plane, as the flare affects each hue plane differently. At this time, the enhanced chroma also considers the gamut boundary. Based on experimental observations, the outer luminance-intensity generally ranges from 1,000 lux to 30,000 lux. Thus, in the case of an outdoor environment, i.e. greater than 1,000 lux, this study presents a color reproduction method based on an inverse cone response curve and flare condition. Consequently, the proposed algorithm improves the quality of the perceived image adaptive to an outdoor environment.

A promising limited angular computed tomography reconstruction via segmentation based regional enhancement and total variation minimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wenkun; Zhang, Hanming; Li, Lei; Wang, Linyuan; Cai, Ailong; Li, Zhongguo; Yan, Bin

2016-08-01

X-ray computed tomography (CT) is a powerful and common inspection technique used for the industrial non-destructive testing. However, large-sized and heavily absorbing objects cause the formation of artifacts because of either the lack of specimen penetration in specific directions or the acquisition of data from only a limited angular range of views. Although the sparse optimization-based methods, such as the total variation (TV) minimization method, can suppress artifacts to some extent, reconstructing the images such that they converge to accurate values remains difficult because of the deficiency in continuous angular data and inconsistency in the projections. To address this problem, we use the idea of regional enhancement of the true values and suppression of the illusory artifacts outside the region to develop an efficient iterative algorithm. This algorithm is based on the combination of regional enhancement of the true values and TV minimization for the limited angular reconstruction. In this algorithm, the segmentation approach is introduced to distinguish the regions of different image knowledge and generate the support mask of the image. A new regularization term, which contains the support knowledge to enhance the true values of the image, is incorporated into the objective function. Then, the proposed optimization model is solved by variable splitting and the alternating direction method efficiently. A compensation approach is also designed to extract useful information from the initial projections and thus reduce false segmentation result and correct the segmentation support and the segmented image. The results obtained from comparing both simulation studies and real CT data set reconstructions indicate that the proposed algorithm generates a more accurate image than do the other reconstruction methods. The experimental results show that this algorithm can produce high-quality reconstructed images for the limited angular reconstruction and suppress the illusory artifacts caused by the deficiency in valid data.

A Metric for Reducing False Positives in the Computer-Aided Detection of Breast Cancer from Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging Based Screening Examinations of High-Risk Women.

PubMed

Levman, Jacob E D; Gallego-Ortiz, Cristina; Warner, Ellen; Causer, Petrina; Martel, Anne L

2016-02-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-enabled cancer screening has been shown to be a highly sensitive method for the early detection of breast cancer. Computer-aided detection systems have the potential to improve the screening process by standardizing radiologists to a high level of diagnostic accuracy. This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. This study compares the performance of a proposed method for computer-aided detection (based on the second-order spatial derivative of the relative signal intensity) with the signal enhancement ratio (SER) on MRI-based breast screening examinations. Comparison is performed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis as well as free-response receiver operating characteristic (FROC) curve analysis. A modified computer-aided detection system combining the proposed approach with the SER method is also presented. The proposed method provides improvements in the rates of false positive markings over the SER method in the detection of breast cancer (as assessed by FROC analysis). The modified computer-aided detection system that incorporates both the proposed method and the SER method yields ROC results equal to that produced by SER while simultaneously providing improvements over the SER method in terms of false positives per noncancerous exam. The proposed method for identifying malignancies outperforms the SER method in terms of false positives on a challenging dataset containing many small lesions and may play a useful role in breast cancer screening by MRI as part of a computer-aided detection system.

Dynamic cone beam CT angiography of carotid and cerebral arteries using canine model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cai Weixing; Zhao Binghui; Conover, David

2012-01-15

Purpose: This research is designed to develop and evaluate a flat-panel detector-based dynamic cone beam CT system for dynamic angiography imaging, which is able to provide both dynamic functional information and dynamic anatomic information from one multirevolution cone beam CT scan. Methods: A dynamic cone beam CT scan acquired projections over four revolutions within a time window of 40 s after contrast agent injection through a femoral vein to cover the entire wash-in and wash-out phases. A dynamic cone beam CT reconstruction algorithm was utilized and a novel recovery method was developed to correct the time-enhancement curve of contrast flow.more » From the same data set, both projection-based subtraction and reconstruction-based subtraction approaches were utilized and compared to remove the background tissues and visualize the 3D vascular structure to provide the dynamic anatomic information. Results: Through computer simulations, the new recovery algorithm for dynamic time-enhancement curves was optimized and showed excellent accuracy to recover the actual contrast flow. Canine model experiments also indicated that the recovered time-enhancement curves from dynamic cone beam CT imaging agreed well with that of an IV-digital subtraction angiography (DSA) study. The dynamic vascular structures reconstructed using both projection-based subtraction and reconstruction-based subtraction were almost identical as the differences between them were comparable to the background noise level. At the enhancement peak, all the major carotid and cerebral arteries and the Circle of Willis could be clearly observed. Conclusions: The proposed dynamic cone beam CT approach can accurately recover the actual contrast flow, and dynamic anatomic imaging can be obtained with high isotropic 3D resolution. This approach is promising for diagnosis and treatment planning of vascular diseases and strokes.« less

Temperature-enhanced alumina HPLC method for the analysis of wax esters, sterol esters, and methyl esters.

PubMed

Moreau, Robert A; Kohout, Karen; Singh, Vijay

2002-12-01

Previous attempts at separating nonpolar lipid esters (including wax esters, sterol esters, and methyl esters) have achieved only limited success. Among the several normal-phase methods tested, a single recent report of a method employing an alumina column at 30 degrees C with a binary gradient system was the most promising. In the current study, modification of the alumina method by increasing the column temperature to 75 degrees C improved the separation of standards of wax esters and sterol esters. Elevated column temperature also enhanced the separation of FAME with differing degrees of unsaturation. Evidence was also presented to indicate that the method similarly separated phytosterol esters, based on their levels of unsaturation. With the increased interest in phytosterol- and phytostanol-ester enriched functional foods, this method should provide a technique to characterize and compare these products.

Acquiring and refining CBT skills and competencies: which training methods are perceived to be most effective?

PubMed

Bennett-Levy, James; McManus, Freda; Westling, Bengt E; Fennell, Melanie

2009-10-01

A theoretical and empirical base for CBT training and supervision has started to emerge. Increasingly sophisticated maps of CBT therapist competencies have recently been developed, and there is evidence that CBT training and supervision can produce enhancement of CBT skills. However, the evidence base suggesting which specific training techniques are most effective for the development of CBT competencies is lacking. This paper addresses the question: What training or supervision methods are perceived by experienced therapists to be most effective for training CBT competencies? 120 experienced CBT therapists rated which training or supervision methods in their experience had been most effective in enhancing different types of therapy-relevant knowledge or skills. In line with the main prediction, it was found that different training methods were perceived to be differentially effective. For instance, reading, lectures/talks and modelling were perceived to be most useful for the acquisition of declarative knowledge, while enactive learning strategies (role-play, self-experiential work), together with modelling and reflective practice, were perceived to be most effective in enhancing procedural skills. Self-experiential work and reflective practice were seen as particularly helpful in improving reflective capability and interpersonal skills. The study provides a framework for thinking about the acquisition and refinement of therapist skills that may help trainers, supervisors and clinicians target their learning objectives with the most effective training strategies.

Enhanced chondrogenesis of human bone marrow mesenchymal Stem Cell (BMSC) on nanofiber-based polyethersulfone (PES) scaffold.

PubMed

Mahboudi, Hossein; Kazemi, Bahram; Soleimani, Masoud; Hanaee-Ahvaz, Hana; Ghanbarian, Hossein; Bandehpour, Mojgan; Enderami, Seyed Ehsan; Kehtari, Mousa; Barati, Ghasem

2018-02-15

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) from bone marrow hold great potential as a cell source for cartilage repair. The objective of our study was differentiation of MSC toward chondrocyte by using Nanofiber-based polyethersulfone (PES) scaffold and also enhanced chondrogenic differentiation of BMSC in vitro. MSCs were harvested from bone marrow of human and PES scaffold was fabricated via Electrospinning. The isolated cells were cultured on the PES scaffold and scaffold free method. After 21days, Real-time PCR was performed to evaluate the cartilage-specific genes in the mRNA levels. Also, in order to confirm our results, we have done immunocytochemistry and SEM imaging. Flowcytometry confirmed the nature of the isolated adherent cells. Immunocytochemistry and SEM imaging confirmed the differentiation of MSC toward chondrocyte. Also, real time PCR showed a significant increased gene expression of collagen type II and aggrecan on the PES scaffold method when compared to the mRNA levels measured in scaffold free method. Down regulation of Collagen type I was observed in PES scaffold compared to scaffold free at day 21. Also, both methods showed a similar pattern of expression of SOX9. Our results showed that PES scaffold maintains BMSC proliferation and differentiation, and can significantly enhance chondrogenic differentiation of BMSC. PES scaffold seeded BMSC showed the highest capacity for differentiation into chondrocyte-like cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automatic medical image annotation and keyword-based image retrieval using relevance feedback.

PubMed

Ko, Byoung Chul; Lee, JiHyeon; Nam, Jae-Yeal

2012-08-01

This paper presents novel multiple keywords annotation for medical images, keyword-based medical image retrieval, and relevance feedback method for image retrieval for enhancing image retrieval performance. For semantic keyword annotation, this study proposes a novel medical image classification method combining local wavelet-based center symmetric-local binary patterns with random forests. For keyword-based image retrieval, our retrieval system use the confidence score that is assigned to each annotated keyword by combining probabilities of random forests with predefined body relation graph. To overcome the limitation of keyword-based image retrieval, we combine our image retrieval system with relevance feedback mechanism based on visual feature and pattern classifier. Compared with other annotation and relevance feedback algorithms, the proposed method shows both improved annotation performance and accurate retrieval results.

Magnetic resonance angiography: current status and future directions

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

With recent improvement in hardware and software techniques, magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) has undergone significant changes in technique and approach. The advent of 3.0 T magnets has allowed reduction in exogenous contrast dose without compromising overall image quality. The use of novel intravascular contrast agents substantially increases the image windows and decreases contrast dose. Additionally, the lower risk and cost in non-contrast enhanced (NCE) MRA has sparked renewed interest in these methods. This article discusses the current state of both contrast-enhanced (CE) and NCE-MRA. New CE-MRA methods take advantage of dose reduction at 3.0 T, novel contrast agents, and parallel imaging methods. The risks of gadolinium-based contrast media, and the NCE-MRA methods of time-of-flight, steady-state free precession, and phase contrast are discussed. PMID:21388544

A sparsity-based simplification method for segmentation of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meiniel, William; Gan, Yu; Olivo-Marin, Jean-Christophe; Angelini, Elsa

2017-08-01

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has emerged as a promising image modality to characterize biological tissues. With axio-lateral resolutions at the micron-level, OCT images provide detailed morphological information and enable applications such as optical biopsy and virtual histology for clinical needs. Image enhancement is typically required for morphological segmentation, to improve boundary localization, rather than enrich detailed tissue information. We propose to formulate image enhancement as an image simplification task such that tissue layers are smoothed while contours are enhanced. For this purpose, we exploit a Total Variation sparsity-based image reconstruction, inspired by the Compressed Sensing (CS) theory, but specialized for images with structures arranged in layers. We demonstrate the potential of our approach on OCT human heart and retinal images for layers segmentation. We also compare our image enhancement capabilities to the state-of-the-art denoising techniques.

Enhanced performance and interfacial investigation of mineral-based composite phase change materials for thermal energy storage.

PubMed

Li, Chuanchang; Fu, Liangjie; Ouyang, Jing; Yang, Huaming

2013-01-01

A novel mineral-based composite phase change materials (PCMs) was prepared via vacuum impregnation method assisted with microwave-acid treatment of the graphite (G) and bentonite (B) mixture. Graphite and microwave-acid treated bentonite mixture (GBm) had more loading capacity and higher crystallinity of stearic acid (SA) in the SA/GBm composite. The SA/GBm composite showed an enhanced thermal storage capacity, latent heats for melting and freezing (84.64 and 84.14 J/g) was higher than those of SA/B sample (48.43 and 47.13 J/g, respectively). Addition of graphite was beneficial to the enhancement in thermal conductivity of the SA/GBm composite, which could reach 0.77 W/m K, 31% higher than SA/B and 196% than pure SA. Furthermore, atomic-level interfaces between SA and support surfaces were depicted, and the mechanism of enhanced thermal storage properties was in detail investigated.

Line-scan hyperspectral imaging platform for agro-food safety and quality evaluation: System enhancement and characterization

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Line-scan-based hyperspectral imaging techniques have often served as a research tool to develop rapid multispectral methods based on only a few spectral bands for rapid online applications. With continuing technological advances and greater accessibility to and availability of optoelectronic imagin...

An Interoperable Electronic Medical Record-Based Platform for Personalized Predictive Analytics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abedtash, Hamed

2017-01-01

Precision medicine refers to the delivering of customized treatment to patients based on their individual characteristics, and aims to reduce adverse events, improve diagnostic methods, and enhance the efficacy of therapies. Among efforts to achieve the goals of precision medicine, researchers have used observational data for developing predictive…

EEG Based Analysis of Cognitive Load Enhance Instructional Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dan, Alex; Reiner, Miriam

2017-01-01

One of the recommended approaches in instructional design methods is to optimize the value of working memory capacity and avoid cognitive overload. Educational neuroscience offers novel processes and methodologies to analyze cognitive load based on physiological measures. Observing psychophysiological changes when they occur in response to the…

Lights, Camera, Lesson: Teaching Literacy through Film

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lipiner, Michael

2011-01-01

This in-depth case study explores a modern approach to education: the benefits of using film, technology and other creative, non-conventional pedagogical methods in the classroom to enhance students' understanding of literature. The study explores the positive effects of introducing a variety of visual-based (and auditory-based) teaching methods…

Enhancing Teacher Education Students' Generic Skills through Problem-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murray-Harvey, Rosalind; Curtis, David D.; Cattley, Georgina; Slee, Phillip T.

2005-01-01

Claims made for the value of problem-based learning (PBL) as an effective method for professional education programmes draw on constructivist principles of teaching and learning to achieve essential content knowledge, higher order thinking skills, and a team approach to problem-solving through the interdisciplinary, student-directed study of…

Enhanced Detection of Bacteria in Environmental Waters: an RNA-based Approach

EPA Science Inventory

Molecular assays (i.e., PCR and qPCR) used in microbial water quality studies often target ribosomal RNA genes (rDNA). However, using DNA as the PCR template does not discriminate between active and dead cells. The use of RNA-based detection methods has recently been proposed as ...

Hybrid Filtering in Semantic Query Processing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jeong, Hanjo

2011-01-01

This dissertation presents a hybrid filtering method and a case-based reasoning framework for enhancing the effectiveness of Web search. Web search may not reflect user needs, intent, context, and preferences, because today's keyword-based search is lacking semantic information to capture the user's context and intent in posing the search query.…

Conceptual Change through Changing the Process of Comparison

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wasmann-Frahm, Astrid

2009-01-01

Classification can serve as a tool for conceptualising ideas about vertebrates. Training enhances classification skills as well as sharpening concepts. The method described in this paper is based on the "hybrid-model" of comparison that proposes two independently working processes: associative and theory-based. The two interact during a…

Hyperspectral interventional imaging for enhanced tissue visualization and discrimination combining band selection methods.

PubMed

Nouri, Dorra; Lucas, Yves; Treuillet, Sylvie

2016-12-01

Hyperspectral imaging is an emerging technology recently introduced in medical applications inasmuch as it provides a powerful tool for noninvasive tissue characterization. In this context, a new system was designed to be easily integrated in the operating room in order to detect anatomical tissues hardly noticed by the surgeon's naked eye. Our LCTF-based spectral imaging system is operative over visible, near- and middle-infrared spectral ranges (400-1700 nm). It is dedicated to enhance critical biological tissues such as the ureter and the facial nerve. We aim to find the best three relevant bands to create a RGB image to display during the intervention with maximal contrast between the target tissue and its surroundings. A comparative study is carried out between band selection methods and band transformation methods. Combined band selection methods are proposed. All methods are compared using different evaluation criteria. Experimental results show that the proposed combined band selection methods provide the best performance with rich information, high tissue separability and short computational time. These methods yield a significant discrimination between biological tissues. We developed a hyperspectral imaging system in order to enhance some biological tissue visualization. The proposed methods provided an acceptable trade-off between the evaluation criteria especially in SWIR spectral band that outperforms the naked eye's capacities.

Novel and remarkable enhanced-fluorescence system based on gold nanoclusters for detection of tetracycline.

PubMed

Yang, Xiaoming; Zhu, Shanshan; Dou, Yao; Zhuo, Yan; Luo, Yawen; Feng, Yuanjiao

2014-05-01

Tetracycline and Eu(3+), while coexisting, usually appear as a complex by chelating. This complex shows low fluorescence intensity, leading to its limitation of analytical goals. Gold nanoclusters (AuNCs), emerging as novel nano-material, are attracting increasing attentions in multiple fields. Herein, gold nanoclusters first function as a fluorescence-enhanced reagent rather than a conventional fluorescent-probe, and a dramatic enhanced-fluorescence system was built based on Eu(3+)-Tetracycline complex (EuTC) by introducing gold nanoclusters. Simultaneously, three types of gold nanoclusters were employed for exploring various conditions likely affecting the system, which demonstrate that no other gold nanoclusters than DNA-templated gold nanoclusters enormously caused fluorescence-enhancement of EuTC. Moreover, this enhanced-fluorescence system permitted available detection of tetracycline (TC) in a linear range of 0.01-5 μM, with a detection limit of 4 nM at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. Significantly, the practicality of this method for detection of TC in human urine and milk samples was validated, demonstrating its advantages of simplicity, sensitivity and low cost. Interestingly, this system described here is probably promising for kinds of applications based on its dramatically enhanced-fluorescence. © 2013 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Recovery of Background Structures in Nanoscale Helium Ion Microscope Imaging

PubMed Central

Carasso, Alfred S; Vladár, András E

2014-01-01

This paper discusses a two step enhancement technique applicable to noisy Helium Ion Microscope images in which background structures are not easily discernible due to a weak signal. The method is based on a preliminary adaptive histogram equalization, followed by ‘slow motion’ low-exponent Lévy fractional diffusion smoothing. This combined approach is unexpectedly effective, resulting in a companion enhanced image in which background structures are rendered much more visible, and noise is significantly reduced, all with minimal loss of image sharpness. The method also provides useful enhancements of scanning charged-particle microscopy images obtained by composing multiple drift-corrected ‘fast scan’ frames. The paper includes software routines, written in Interactive Data Language (IDL),1 that can perform the above image processing tasks. PMID:26601050

Correlation dynamics and enhanced signals for the identification of serial biomolecules and DNA bases.

PubMed

Ahmed, Towfiq; Haraldsen, Jason T; Rehr, John J; Di Ventra, Massimiliano; Schuller, Ivan; Balatsky, Alexander V

2014-03-28

Nanopore-based sequencing has demonstrated a significant potential for the development of fast, accurate, and cost-efficient fingerprinting techniques for next generation molecular detection and sequencing. We propose a specific multilayered graphene-based nanopore device architecture for the recognition of single biomolecules. Molecular detection and analysis can be accomplished through the detection of transverse currents as the molecule or DNA base translocates through the nanopore. To increase the overall signal-to-noise ratio and the accuracy, we implement a new 'multi-point cross-correlation' technique for identification of DNA bases or other molecules on the single molecular level. We demonstrate that the cross-correlations between each nanopore will greatly enhance the transverse current signal for each molecule. We implement first-principles transport calculations for DNA bases surveyed across a multilayered graphene nanopore system to illustrate the advantages of the proposed geometry. A time-series analysis of the cross-correlation functions illustrates the potential of this method for enhancing the signal-to-noise ratio. This work constitutes a significant step forward in facilitating fingerprinting of single biomolecules using solid state technology.

A facile method to prepare "green" nano-phosphors with a large Stokes-shift and solid-state enhanced photophysical properties based on surface-modified gold nanoclusters.

PubMed

Cheng, C H; Huang, H Y; Talite, M J; Chou, W C; Yeh, J M; Yuan, C T

2017-12-15

Colloidal nano-materials, such as quantum dots (QDs) have been applied to light-conversion nano-phosphors due to their unique tunable emission. However, most of the QDs involve toxic elements and are synthesized in a hazardous solvent. In addition, conventional QD nano-phosphors with a small Stokes shift suffered from reabsorption losses and aggregation-induced quenching in the solid state. Here, we demonstrate a facile, matrix-free method to prepare eco-friendly nano-phosphors with a large Stokes shift based on aqueous thiolate-stabilized gold nanoclusters (GSH-AuNCs) with simple surface modifications. Our method is just to drop GSH-AuNCs solution on the aluminum foil and then surface-modified AuNCs (Al-GSH-AuNCs) can be spontaneously precipitated out of the aqueous solution. Compared with pristine GSH-AuNCs in solution, the Al-GSH-AuNCs exhibit enhanced solid-state PL quantum yields, lengthened PL lifetime, and spectral blue shift, which can be attributed to the aggregation-induced emission enhancement facilitated by surface modifications. Such surface-treatment induced aggregation of AuNCs can restrict the surface-ligand motion, leading to the enhancement of PL properties in the solid state. In addition, the Al-GSH-AuNCs nano-phosphors with a large Stokes shift can mitigate the aggregation-induced PL quenching and reabsorption losses, which would be potential candidates for "green" nano-phosphors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Enhancement of temporal contrast of high-power laser pulses in an anisotropic medium with cubic nonlinearity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuz'mina, M. S.; Khazanov, E. A.

2015-05-01

We consider the methods for enhancing the temporal contrast of super-high-power laser pulses, based on the conversion of radiation polarisation in a medium with cubic nonlinearity. For a medium with weak birefringence and isotropic nonlinearity, we propose a new scheme to enhance the temporal contrast. For a medium with anisotropic nonlinearity, the efficiency of the temporal contrast optimisation is shown to depend not only on the spatial orientation of the crystal and B-integral, but also on the type of the crystal lattice symmetry.

Nanoshell-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy on a Microplate for Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B Sensing.

PubMed

Wang, Wenbin; Wang, Weiwei; Liu, Liqiang; Xu, Liguang; Kuang, Hua; Zhu, Jianping; Xu, Chuanlai

2016-06-22

A sensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) immunosensor based on the Au nanoparticle (Au NP) shell structure was developed to detect staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) on a microplate. Au NPs modified with 4-nitrothiophenol (4-NTP) and coated with Ag shell of controlled thickness at 6.6 nm exhibited excellent SERS intensity and were used as signal reporters in the detection of SEB. The engaged 4-NTP allowed the significant electromagnetic enhancement between Au NPs and the Ag shell and prevented the dissociation of the Raman reporter. More importantly, 4-NTP-differentiated SERS signals between the sample and microplate. The SERS-based immunosensor had a limit of detection of 1.3 pg/mL SEB. Analysis of SEB-spiked milk samples revealed that the developed method had high accuracy. Therefore, the SERS-encoded Au@Ag core-shell structure-based immunosensor is promising for the detection of biotoxins, pathogens, and environmental pollutants.

Efficient image enhancement using sparse source separation in the Retinex theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Jongsu; Choi, Jangwon; Choe, Yoonsik

2017-11-01

Color constancy is the feature of the human vision system (HVS) that ensures the relative constancy of the perceived color of objects under varying illumination conditions. The Retinex theory of machine vision systems is based on the HVS. Among Retinex algorithms, the physics-based algorithms are efficient; however, they generally do not satisfy the local characteristics of the original Retinex theory because they eliminate global illumination from their optimization. We apply the sparse source separation technique to the Retinex theory to present a physics-based algorithm that satisfies the locality characteristic of the original Retinex theory. Previous Retinex algorithms have limited use in image enhancement because the total variation Retinex results in an overly enhanced image and the sparse source separation Retinex cannot completely restore the original image. In contrast, our proposed method preserves the image edge and can very nearly replicate the original image without any special operation.

[Spectral scatter correction of coal samples based on quasi-linear local weighted method].

PubMed

Lei, Meng; Li, Ming; Ma, Xiao-Ping; Miao, Yan-Zi; Wang, Jian-Sheng

2014-07-01

The present paper puts forth a new spectral correction method based on quasi-linear expression and local weighted function. The first stage of the method is to search 3 quasi-linear expressions to replace the original linear expression in MSC method, such as quadratic, cubic and growth curve expression. Then the local weighted function is constructed by introducing 4 kernel functions, such as Gaussian, Epanechnikov, Biweight and Triweight kernel function. After adding the function in the basic estimation equation, the dependency between the original and ideal spectra is described more accurately and meticulously at each wavelength point. Furthermore, two analytical models were established respectively based on PLS and PCA-BP neural network method, which can be used for estimating the accuracy of corrected spectra. At last, the optimal correction mode was determined by the analytical results with different combination of quasi-linear expression and local weighted function. The spectra of the same coal sample have different noise ratios while the coal sample was prepared under different particle sizes. To validate the effectiveness of this method, the experiment analyzed the correction results of 3 spectral data sets with the particle sizes of 0.2, 1 and 3 mm. The results show that the proposed method can eliminate the scattering influence, and also can enhance the information of spectral peaks. This paper proves a more efficient way to enhance the correlation between corrected spectra and coal qualities significantly, and improve the accuracy and stability of the analytical model substantially.

A method for enhancing gunshot residue patterns on dark and multicolored fabrics compared with the modified Griess test.

PubMed

Bailey, James A; Casanova, Ruby S; Bufkin, Kim

2006-07-01

In using infrared or infrared-enhanced photography to examine gunshot residue (GSR) on dark-colored clothing, the GSR particles are microscopically examined directly on the fabric followed by the modified Griess test (MGT) for nitrites. In conducting the MGT, the GSR is transferred to treated photographic paper for visualization. A positive reaction yields an orange color on specially treated photographic paper. The examiner also evaluates the size of the powder pattern based on the distribution of nitrite reaction sites or density. A false-positive reaction can occur using the MGT due to contaminants or dyes that produce an orange cloud reaction as well. A method for enhancing visualization of the pattern produced by burned and partially unburned powder is by treatment of the fabric with a solution of sodium hypochlorite. In order to evaluate the results of sodium hypochlorite treatment for GSR visualization, the MGT was used as a reference pattern. Enhancing GSR patterns on dark or multicolored clothing was performed by treating the fabric with an application of 5.25% solution of sodium hypochlorite. Bleaching the dyes in the fabric enhances visualization of the GSR pattern by eliminating the background color. Some dyes are not affected by sodium hypochlorite; therefore, bleaching may not enhance the GSR patterns in some fabrics. Sodium hypochlorite provides the investigator with a method for enhancing GSR patterns directly on the fabric. However, this study is not intended to act as a substitute for the MGT or Sodium Rhodizonate test.

Enhanced external quantum efficiency in GaN-based vertical-type light-emitting diodes by localized surface plasmons

PubMed Central

Yao, Yung-Chi; Hwang, Jung-Min; Yang, Zu-Po; Haung, Jing-Yu; Lin, Chia-Ching; Shen, Wei-Chen; Chou, Chun-Yang; Wang, Mei-Tan; Huang, Chun-Ying; Chen, Ching-Yu; Tsai, Meng-Tsan; Lin, Tzu-Neng; Shen, Ji-Lin; Lee, Ya-Ju

2016-01-01

Enhancement of the external quantum efficiency of a GaN-based vertical-type light emitting diode (VLED) through the coupling of localized surface plasmon (LSP) resonance with the wave-guided mode light is studied. To achieve this experimentally, Ag nanoparticles (NPs), as the LSP resonant source, are drop-casted on the most top layer of waveguide channel, which is composed of hydrothermally synthesized ZnO nanorods capped on the top of GaN-based VLED. Enhanced light-output power and external quantum efficiency are observed, and the amount of enhancement remains steady with the increase of the injected currents. To understand the observations theoretically, the absorption spectra and the electric field distributions of the VLED with and without Ag NPs decorated on ZnO NRs are determined using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The results prove that the observation of enhancement of the external quantum efficiency can be attributed to the creation of an extra escape channel for trapped light due to the coupling of the LSP with wave-guided mode light, by which the energy of wave-guided mode light can be transferred to the efficient light scattering center of the LSP. PMID:26935648

Preliminary evaluation of a coping strategy enhancement method of preparation for labour.

PubMed

Escott, Diane; Slade, Pauline; Spiby, Helen; Fraser, Robert B

2005-09-01

To compare the use and effects of enhanced pre-existing coping strategies with the use and effects of coping strategies usually taught in National Health Service (NHS) antenatal education on women's experience of pain and emotions during labour. A between-group comparison of women who chose to attend NHS antenatal education where courses of preparation were randomly assigned to include either a new method of coping strategy enhancement (CSE) or standard taught coping strategies. Two large maternity units in one city in the North of England. 20 women participated in antenatal classes incorporating the CSE method and 21 women participated in antenatal classes incorporating the standard approach to developing coping strategies for labour. Women who attended CSE classes used enhanced coping strategies for a larger proportion of their labour than women who attended standard classes who used taught coping strategies. Birth companions were more involved in women's use of enhanced than taught strategies. Self-efficacy for use of coping strategies and subsequent experiences of pain and emotions during labour were equivalent between groups. An approach based on enhancing pre-existing coping strategies was associated with greater coping strategy use and involvement from the birth companion, and provided benefits to women's overall experience of labour at least equivalent to that associated with standard preparation. Further research should explore this novel approach in larger groups, and for women who may choose not to attend group antenatal preparation.

New method of extracting information of arterial oxygen saturation based on ∑ | 𝚫 |

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Wenting; Lin, Ling; Li, Gang

2017-04-01

Noninvasive detection of oxygen saturation with near-infrared spectroscopy has been widely used in clinics. In order to further enhance its detection precision and reliability, this paper proposes a method of time domain absolute difference summation (∑|Δ|) based on a dynamic spectrum. In this method, the ratio of absolute differences between intervals of two differential sampling points at the same moment on logarithm photoplethysmography signals of red and infrared light was obtained in turn, and then they obtained a ratio sequence which was screened with a statistical method. Finally, use the summation of the screened ratio sequence as the oxygen saturation coefficient Q. We collected 120 reference samples of SpO2 and then compared the result of two methods, which are ∑|Δ| and peak-peak. Average root-mean-square errors of the two methods were 3.02% and 6.80%, respectively, in the 20 cases which were selected randomly. In addition, the average variance of Q of the 10 samples, which were obtained by the new method, reduced to 22.77% of that obtained by the peak-peak method. Comparing with the commercial product, the new method makes the results more accurate. Theoretical and experimental analysis indicates that the application of the ∑|Δ| method could enhance the precision and reliability of oxygen saturation detection in real time.

New method of extracting information of arterial oxygen saturation based on ∑|𝚫 |

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wenting, Dai; Ling, Lin; Gang, Li

2017-04-01

Noninvasive detection of oxygen saturation with near-infrared spectroscopy has been widely used in clinics. In order to further enhance its detection precision and reliability, this paper proposes a method of time domain absolute difference summation (∑|Δ|) based on a dynamic spectrum. In this method, the ratio of absolute differences between intervals of two differential sampling points at the same moment on logarithm photoplethysmography signals of red and infrared light was obtained in turn, and then they obtained a ratio sequence which was screened with a statistical method. Finally, use the summation of the screened ratio sequence as the oxygen saturation coefficient Q. We collected 120 reference samples of SpO2 and then compared the result of two methods, which are ∑|Δ| and peak-peak. Average root-mean-square errors of the two methods were 3.02% and 6.80%, respectively, in the 20 cases which were selected randomly. In addition, the average variance of Q of the 10 samples, which were obtained by the new method, reduced to 22.77% of that obtained by the peak-peak method. Comparing with the commercial product, the new method makes the results more accurate. Theoretical and experimental analysis indicates that the application of the ∑|Δ| method could enhance the precision and reliability of oxygen saturation detection in real time.

Focus Group Meets Nominal Group Technique: An Effective Combination for Student Evaluation?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Varga-Atkins, Tünde; McIsaac, Jaye; Willis, Ian

2017-01-01

In Higher Education Focus Groups and Nominal Group Technique are two well-established methods for obtaining student feedback about their learning experience. These methods are regularly used for the enhancement and quality assurance. Based on small-scale research of educational developers' practice in curriculum development, this study presents…

Evaluating Design Enhancements to the Tablet Arm Chair in Language Instruction Classes at UNC Chapel Hill

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henshaw, Robert Griffith; Reubens, Andrea

2014-01-01

Higher education institutions are increasingly interested in cost-effective classroom furniture solutions that support diverse teaching methods by facilitating movement between lecture and interactive instructional methods such as small group work. Several furniture manufacturers are exploring designs based on the traditional tablet arm chair. A…

Does Project-Based Learning Enhance Iranian EFL Learners' Vocabulary Recall and Retention?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shafaei, Azadeh; Rahim, Hajar Abdul

2015-01-01

Vocabulary knowledge is an integral part of second/foreign language learning. Thus, using teaching methods that can help learners retain and expand their vocabulary knowledge is necessary to facilitate the language learning process. The current research investigated the effectiveness of an interactive classroom method, known as Project-Based…

Using Loss Functions for DIF Detection: An Empirical Bayes Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zwick, Rebecca; Thayer, Dorothy; Lewis, Charles

2000-01-01

Studied a method for flagging differential item functioning (DIF) based on loss functions. Builds on earlier research that led to the development of an empirical Bayes enhancement to the Mantel-Haenszel DIF analysis. Tested the method through simulation and found its performance better than some commonly used DIF classification systems. (SLD)

Food, Fun and Fitness Internet program for girls: influencing log-on rate

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Internet-based interventions hold promise as an effective channel for reaching large numbers of youth. However, log-on rates, a measure of program dose, have been highly variable. Methods to enhance log-on rate are needed. Incentives may be an effective method. This paper reports the effect of reinf...

Image dehazing based on non-local saturation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Linlin; Zhang, Qian; Yang, Deyun; Hou, Yingkun; He, Xiaoting

2018-04-01

In this paper, a method based on non-local saturation algorithm is proposed to avoid block and halo effect for single image dehazing with dark channel prior. First we convert original image from RGB color space into HSV color space with the idea of non-local method. Image saturation is weighted equally by the size of fixed window according to image resolution. Second we utilize the saturation to estimate the atmospheric light value and transmission rate. Then through the function of saturation and transmission, the haze-free image is obtained based on the atmospheric scattering model. Comparing the results of existing methods, our method can restore image color and enhance contrast. We guarantee the proposed method with quantitative and qualitative evaluation respectively. Experiments show the better visual effect with high efficiency.

Aircraft Flight Envelope Determination using Upset Detection and Physical Modeling Methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keller, Jeffrey D.; McKillip, Robert M. Jr.; Kim, Singwan

2009-01-01

The development of flight control systems to enhance aircraft safety during periods of vehicle impairment or degraded operations has been the focus of extensive work in recent years. Conditions adversely affecting aircraft flight operations and safety may result from a number of causes, including environmental disturbances, degraded flight operations, and aerodynamic upsets. To enhance the effectiveness of adaptive and envelope limiting controls systems, it is desirable to examine methods for identifying the occurrence of anomalous conditions and for assessing the impact of these conditions on the aircraft operational limits. This paper describes initial work performed toward this end, examining the use of fault detection methods applied to the aircraft for aerodynamic performance degradation identification and model-based methods for envelope prediction. Results are presented in which a model-based fault detection filter is applied to the identification of aircraft control surface and stall departure failures/upsets. This application is supported by a distributed loading aerodynamics formulation for the flight dynamics system reference model. Extensions for estimating the flight envelope due to generalized aerodynamic performance degradation are also described.

Vortex-assisted surfactant-enhanced emulsification microextraction combined with LC-MS/MS for the determination of glucocorticoids in water with the aid of experimental design.

PubMed

Asati, Ankita; Satyanarayana, G N V; Patel, Devendra K

2017-04-01

An efficient and inexpensive method using vortex-assisted surfactant-enhanced emulsification microextraction (VASEME) based on solidification of floating organic droplet coupled with ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry is proposed for the analysis of glucocorticoids in water samples (river water and hospital wastewater). VASEME was optimized by the experimental validation of Plackett-Burman design and central composite design, which has been co-related to experimental design. Plackett-Burman design showed that factors such as vortex time, surfactant concentration, and pH significantly affect the extraction efficiency of the method. Method validation was characterized by an acceptable calibration range of 1-1000 ng L -1 , and the limit of detection was in the range from 2.20 to 8.12 ng L -1 for glucocorticoids. The proposed method was applied to determine glucocorticoids in river water and hospital wastewater in Lucknow, India. It is reliable and rapid and has potential application for analysis of glucocorticoids in environmental aqueous samples. Graphical Abstract Low density based extraction of gluococorticoids by using design of experiment.

A cloud-based framework for large-scale traditional Chinese medical record retrieval.

PubMed

Liu, Lijun; Liu, Li; Fu, Xiaodong; Huang, Qingsong; Zhang, Xianwen; Zhang, Yin

2018-01-01

Electronic medical records are increasingly common in medical practice. The secondary use of medical records has become increasingly important. It relies on the ability to retrieve the complete information about desired patient populations. How to effectively and accurately retrieve relevant medical records from large- scale medical big data is becoming a big challenge. Therefore, we propose an efficient and robust framework based on cloud for large-scale Traditional Chinese Medical Records (TCMRs) retrieval. We propose a parallel index building method and build a distributed search cluster, the former is used to improve the performance of index building, and the latter is used to provide high concurrent online TCMRs retrieval. Then, a real-time multi-indexing model is proposed to ensure the latest relevant TCMRs are indexed and retrieved in real-time, and a semantics-based query expansion method and a multi- factor ranking model are proposed to improve retrieval quality. Third, we implement a template-based visualization method for displaying medical reports. The proposed parallel indexing method and distributed search cluster can improve the performance of index building and provide high concurrent online TCMRs retrieval. The multi-indexing model can ensure the latest relevant TCMRs are indexed and retrieved in real-time. The semantics expansion method and the multi-factor ranking model can enhance retrieval quality. The template-based visualization method can enhance the availability and universality, where the medical reports are displayed via friendly web interface. In conclusion, compared with the current medical record retrieval systems, our system provides some advantages that are useful in improving the secondary use of large-scale traditional Chinese medical records in cloud environment. The proposed system is more easily integrated with existing clinical systems and be used in various scenarios. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Adaptive step-size algorithm for Fourier beam-propagation method with absorbing boundary layer of auto-determined width.

PubMed

Learn, R; Feigenbaum, E

2016-06-01

Two algorithms that enhance the utility of the absorbing boundary layer are presented, mainly in the framework of the Fourier beam-propagation method. One is an automated boundary layer width selector that chooses a near-optimal boundary size based on the initial beam shape. The second algorithm adjusts the propagation step sizes based on the beam shape at the beginning of each step in order to reduce aliasing artifacts.

Adaptive step-size algorithm for Fourier beam-propagation method with absorbing boundary layer of auto-determined width

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Learn, R.; Feigenbaum, E.

Two algorithms that enhance the utility of the absorbing boundary layer are presented, mainly in the framework of the Fourier beam-propagation method. One is an automated boundary layer width selector that chooses a near-optimal boundary size based on the initial beam shape. Furthermore, the second algorithm adjusts the propagation step sizes based on the beam shape at the beginning of each step in order to reduce aliasing artifacts.

Adaptive step-size algorithm for Fourier beam-propagation method with absorbing boundary layer of auto-determined width

DOE PAGES

Learn, R.; Feigenbaum, E.

2016-05-27

Two algorithms that enhance the utility of the absorbing boundary layer are presented, mainly in the framework of the Fourier beam-propagation method. One is an automated boundary layer width selector that chooses a near-optimal boundary size based on the initial beam shape. Furthermore, the second algorithm adjusts the propagation step sizes based on the beam shape at the beginning of each step in order to reduce aliasing artifacts.

Technology-based self-care methods of improving antiretroviral adherence: a systematic review.

PubMed

Saberi, Parya; Johnson, Mallory O

2011-01-01

As HIV infection has shifted to a chronic condition, self-care practices have emerged as an important topic for HIV-positive individuals in maintaining an optimal level of health. Self-care refers to activities that patients undertake to maintain and improve health, such as strategies to achieve and maintain high levels of antiretroviral adherence. Technology-based methods are increasingly used to enhance antiretroviral adherence; therefore, we systematically reviewed the literature to examine technology-based self-care methods that HIV-positive individuals utilize to improve adherence. Seven electronic databases were searched from 1/1/1980 through 12/31/2010. We included quantitative and qualitative studies. Among quantitative studies, the primary outcomes included ARV adherence, viral load, and CD4+ cell count and secondary outcomes consisted of quality of life, adverse effects, and feasibility/acceptability data. For qualitative/descriptive studies, interview themes, reports of use, and perceptions of use were summarized. Thirty-six publications were included (24 quantitative and 12 qualitative/descriptive). Studies with exclusive utilization of medication reminder devices demonstrated less evidence of enhancing adherence in comparison to multi-component methods. This systematic review offers support for self-care technology-based approaches that may result in improved antiretroviral adherence. There was a clear pattern of results that favored individually-tailored, multi-function technologies, which allowed for periodic communication with health care providers rather than sole reliance on electronic reminder devices.

TU-AB-BRA-11: Evaluation of Fully Automatic Volumetric GBM Segmentation in the TCGA-GBM Dataset: Prognosis and Correlation with VASARI Features

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rios Velazquez, E; Meier, R; Dunn, W

Purpose: Reproducible definition and quantification of imaging biomarkers is essential. We evaluated a fully automatic MR-based segmentation method by comparing it to manually defined sub-volumes by experienced radiologists in the TCGA-GBM dataset, in terms of sub-volume prognosis and association with VASARI features. Methods: MRI sets of 67 GBM patients were downloaded from the Cancer Imaging archive. GBM sub-compartments were defined manually and automatically using the Brain Tumor Image Analysis (BraTumIA), including necrosis, edema, contrast enhancing and non-enhancing tumor. Spearman’s correlation was used to evaluate the agreement with VASARI features. Prognostic significance was assessed using the C-index. Results: Auto-segmented sub-volumes showedmore » high agreement with manually delineated volumes (range (r): 0.65 – 0.91). Also showed higher correlation with VASARI features (auto r = 0.35, 0.60 and 0.59; manual r = 0.29, 0.50, 0.43, for contrast-enhancing, necrosis and edema, respectively). The contrast-enhancing volume and post-contrast abnormal volume showed the highest C-index (0.73 and 0.72), comparable to manually defined volumes (p = 0.22 and p = 0.07, respectively). The non-enhancing region defined by BraTumIA showed a significantly higher prognostic value (CI = 0.71) than the edema (CI = 0.60), both of which could not be distinguished by manual delineation. Conclusion: BraTumIA tumor sub-compartments showed higher correlation with VASARI data, and equivalent performance in terms of prognosis compared to manual sub-volumes. This method can enable more reproducible definition and quantification of imaging based biomarkers and has a large potential in high-throughput medical imaging research.« less

Opening up the blackbox: an interpretable deep neural network-based classifier for cell-type specific enhancer predictions.

PubMed

Kim, Seong Gon; Theera-Ampornpunt, Nawanol; Fang, Chih-Hao; Harwani, Mrudul; Grama, Ananth; Chaterji, Somali

2016-08-01

Gene expression is mediated by specialized cis-regulatory modules (CRMs), the most prominent of which are called enhancers. Early experiments indicated that enhancers located far from the gene promoters are often responsible for mediating gene transcription. Knowing their properties, regulatory activity, and genomic targets is crucial to the functional understanding of cellular events, ranging from cellular homeostasis to differentiation. Recent genome-wide investigation of epigenomic marks has indicated that enhancer elements could be enriched for certain epigenomic marks, such as, combinatorial patterns of histone modifications. Our efforts in this paper are motivated by these recent advances in epigenomic profiling methods, which have uncovered enhancer-associated chromatin features in different cell types and organisms. Specifically, in this paper, we use recent state-of-the-art Deep Learning methods and develop a deep neural network (DNN)-based architecture, called EP-DNN, to predict the presence and types of enhancers in the human genome. It uses as features, the expression levels of the histone modifications at the peaks of the functional sites as well as in its adjacent regions. We apply EP-DNN to four different cell types: H1, IMR90, HepG2, and HeLa S3. We train EP-DNN using p300 binding sites as enhancers, and TSS and random non-DHS sites as non-enhancers. We perform EP-DNN predictions to quantify the validation rate for different levels of confidence in the predictions and also perform comparisons against two state-of-the-art computational models for enhancer predictions, DEEP-ENCODE and RFECS. We find that EP-DNN has superior accuracy and takes less time to make predictions. Next, we develop methods to make EP-DNN interpretable by computing the importance of each input feature in the classification task. This analysis indicates that the important histone modifications were distinct for different cell types, with some overlaps, e.g., H3K27ac was important in cell type H1 but less so in HeLa S3, while H3K4me1 was relatively important in all four cell types. We finally use the feature importance analysis to reduce the number of input features needed to train the DNN, thus reducing training time, which is often the computational bottleneck in the use of a DNN. In this paper, we developed EP-DNN, which has high accuracy of prediction, with validation rates above 90 % for the operational region of enhancer prediction for all four cell lines that we studied, outperforming DEEP-ENCODE and RFECS. Then, we developed a method to analyze a trained DNN and determine which histone modifications are important, and within that, which features proximal or distal to the enhancer site, are important.

Adenosine Triphosphate-Encapsulated Liposomes with Plasmonic Nanoparticles for Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering-Based Immunoassays.

PubMed

Pham, Xuan-Hung; Hahm, Eunil; Kim, Tae Han; Kim, Hyung-Mo; Lee, Sang Hun; Lee, Yoon-Sik; Jeong, Dae Hong; Jun, Bong-Hyun

2017-06-23

In this study, we prepared adenosine triphosphate (ATP) encapsulated liposomes, and assessed their applicability for the surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based assays with gold-silver alloy (Au@Ag)-assembled silica nanoparticles (NPs; SiO₂@Au@Ag). The liposomes were prepared by the thin film hydration method from a mixture of l-α-phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol, and PE-PEG2000 in chloroform; evaporating the solvent, followed by hydration of the resulting thin film with ATP in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Upon lysis of the liposome, the SERS intensity of the SiO₂@Au@Ag NPs increased with the logarithm of number of ATP-encapsulated liposomes after lysis in the range of 8 × 10⁶ to 8 × 10 10 . The detection limit of liposome was calculated to be 1.3 × 10 -17 mol. The successful application of ATP-encapsulated liposomes to SiO₂@Au@Ag NPs based SERS analysis has opened a new avenue for Raman label chemical (RCL)-encapsulated liposome-enhanced SERS-based immunoassays.

Particle Swarm-Based Translation Control for Immersed Tunnel Element in the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jun-jun; Yang, Xiao-jun; Xiao, Ying-jie; Xu, Bo-wei; Wu, Hua-feng

2018-03-01

Immersed tunnel is an important part of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) project. In immersed tunnel floating, translation which includes straight and transverse movements is the main working mode. To decide the magnitude and direction of the towing force for each tug, a particle swarm-based translation control method is presented for non-power immersed tunnel element. A sort of linear weighted logarithmic function is exploited to avoid weak subgoals. In simulation, the particle swarm-based control method is evaluated and compared with traditional empirical method in the case of the HZMB project. Simulation results show that the presented method delivers performance improvement in terms of the enhanced surplus towing force.

Visualizing dispersive features in 2D image via minimum gradient method

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

He, Yu; Wang, Yan; Shen, Zhi -Xun

Here, we developed a minimum gradient based method to track ridge features in a 2D image plot, which is a typical data representation in many momentum resolved spectroscopy experiments. Through both analytic formulation and numerical simulation, we compare this new method with existing DC (distribution curve) based and higher order derivative based analyses. We find that the new method has good noise resilience and enhanced contrast especially for weak intensity features and meanwhile preserves the quantitative local maxima information from the raw image. An algorithm is proposed to extract 1D ridge dispersion from the 2D image plot, whose quantitative applicationmore » to angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements on high temperature superconductors is demonstrated.« less

Visualizing dispersive features in 2D image via minimum gradient method

DOE PAGES

He, Yu; Wang, Yan; Shen, Zhi -Xun

2017-07-24

Here, we developed a minimum gradient based method to track ridge features in a 2D image plot, which is a typical data representation in many momentum resolved spectroscopy experiments. Through both analytic formulation and numerical simulation, we compare this new method with existing DC (distribution curve) based and higher order derivative based analyses. We find that the new method has good noise resilience and enhanced contrast especially for weak intensity features and meanwhile preserves the quantitative local maxima information from the raw image. An algorithm is proposed to extract 1D ridge dispersion from the 2D image plot, whose quantitative applicationmore » to angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements on high temperature superconductors is demonstrated.« less

Flow-injection chemiluminescence determination of acetylsalicylic acid based on its enhancing effect on the lucigenin–hydrogen peroxide system.

PubMed

Wabaidur, S M; Alam, S M; Alothmana, Z A; Eldesokya, Gaber

2014-09-01

A sensitive flow-injection chemiluminescence method for the determination of acetylsalicylic acid is described. It is based on the enhanced chemiluminescent emission of the alkaline lucigenin–H2O2 system by acetylsalicylic acid. The difference in chemiluminescent intensity of alkaline lucigenin–H2O2 in the presence of acetylsalicylic acid from that in the absence of acetylsalicylic acid was linear at acetylsalicylic acid concentrations in the range of 0.0029–47.37 μg/mL, with detection and quantification limits of 0.0011 and 0.0029 μg/mL, respectively. The correlation coefficient of the working curve was 0.9983. The relative standard deviation (n = 10) for 25 μg/mL acetylsalicylic acid is 1.95%. All experimental parameters were optimized. The method was successfully applied to the determination of acetylsalicylic acid in pharmaceutical preparations. The recovery results obtained by the method were satisfactory.

Super-Resolution Reconstruction of Remote Sensing Images Using Multifractal Analysis

PubMed Central

Hu, Mao-Gui; Wang, Jin-Feng; Ge, Yong

2009-01-01

Satellite remote sensing (RS) is an important contributor to Earth observation, providing various kinds of imagery every day, but low spatial resolution remains a critical bottleneck in a lot of applications, restricting higher spatial resolution analysis (e.g., intra-urban). In this study, a multifractal-based super-resolution reconstruction method is proposed to alleviate this problem. The multifractal characteristic is common in Nature. The self-similarity or self-affinity presented in the image is useful to estimate details at larger and smaller scales than the original. We first look for the presence of multifractal characteristics in the images. Then we estimate parameters of the information transfer function and noise of the low resolution image. Finally, a noise-free, spatial resolution-enhanced image is generated by a fractal coding-based denoising and downscaling method. The empirical case shows that the reconstructed super-resolution image performs well in detail enhancement. This method is not only useful for remote sensing in investigating Earth, but also for other images with multifractal characteristics. PMID:22291530

Indirect glyphosate detection based on ninhydrin reaction and surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Meng-Lei; Gao, Yu; Li, Yali; Li, Xueliang; Zhang, Huanjie; Han, Xiao Xia; Zhao, Bing; Su, Liang

2018-05-01

Glyphosate is one of the most commonly-used and non-selective herbicides in agriculture, which may directly pollute the environment and threaten human health. A simple and effective approach to assessment of its damage to the natural environment is thus quite necessary. However, traditional chromatography-based detection methods usually suffer from complex pretreatment procedures. Herein, we propose a simple and sensitive method for the determination of glyphosate by combining ninhydrin reaction and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy. The product (purple color dye, PD) of the ninhydrin reaction is found to SERS-active and directly correlate with the glyphosate concentration. The limit of detection of the proposed method for glyphosate is as low as 1.43 × 10- 8 mol·L- 1 with a relatively wider linear concentration range (1.0 × 10- 7-1.0 × 10- 4 mol·L- 1), which demonstrates its great potential in rapid, highly sensitive concentration determination of glyphosate in practical applications for safety assessment of food and environment.

New perspectives in face correlation: discrimination enhancement in face recognition based on iterative algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Q.; Alfalou, A.; Brosseau, C.

2016-04-01

Here, we report a brief review on the recent developments of correlation algorithms. Several implementation schemes and specific applications proposed in recent years are also given to illustrate powerful applications of these methods. Following a discussion and comparison of the implementation of these schemes, we believe that all-numerical implementation is the most practical choice for application of the correlation method because the advantages of optical processing cannot compensate the technical and/or financial cost needed for an optical implementation platform. We also present a simple iterative algorithm to optimize the training images of composite correlation filters. By making use of three or four iterations, the peak-to-correlation energy (PCE) value of correlation plane can be significantly enhanced. A simulation test using the Pointing Head Pose Image Database (PHPID) illustrates the effectiveness of this statement. Our method can be applied in many composite filters based on linear composition of training images as an optimization means.

A comprehensive evaluation of three microfluidic chemiluminescence methods for the determination of the total phenolic contents in fruit juices.

PubMed

Al Haddabi, Buthaina; Al Lawati, Haider A J; Suliman, FakhrEldin O

2017-01-01

Three recently reported microfluidic chemiluminescence (MF-CL) methods (based on reactions with acidic permanganate enhanced by formaldehyde (KMnO4-COH), acidic cerium (IV) and rhodamine B (Ce-RB), and acidic cerium (IV) and rhodamine 6G (Ce-R6G) enhanced by SDS) for the determination of the total phenolic content (TPC) in juices were critically evaluated in terms of their selectivity. The evaluation was carried out using 86 analytes, including 22 phenolic compounds (phenolic acids and polyphenols), 6 known non-phenolic antioxidants, 9 amino acids and a number of proteins, carbohydrates, nucleotide bases, inorganic salts and other compounds. Each method was sensitive toward phenolic compounds (PCs). However, the KMnO4-COH CL system showed a higher sensitivity toward phenolic acids and also responded to non-phenolic antioxidants. The other two systems showed higher sensitivity toward polyphenolic compounds than to phenolic acids and did not responded to all other compounds including non-phenolic antioxidants. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhanced light extraction from a GaN-based green light-emitting diode with hemicylindrical linear grating structure.

PubMed

Jin, Yuanhao; Yang, Fenglei; Li, Qunqing; Zhu, Zhendong; Zhu, Jun; Fan, Shoushan

2012-07-02

Significant enhancement in the light output from GaN-based green light-emitting diodes (LEDs) was achieved with a hemicylindrical grating structure on the top layer of the diodes. The grating structure was first optimized by the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method, which showed that the profile of the grating structure was critical for light extraction efficiency. It was found that the transmission efficiency of the 530 nm light emitted from the inside of the GaN LED increased for incidence angles between 23.58° and 60°. Such a structure was fabricated by electron-beam lithography and an etching method. The light output power from the LED was increased approximately 4.7 times compared with that from a conventional LED. The structure optimization is the key to the great increase in transmission efficiency. Furthermore, the light emitted from the edge of the LED units could be collected and extracted by the grating structures in adjacent LED units, thus enhancing the performance of the whole LED chip.

A novel ship CFAR detection algorithm based on adaptive parameter enhancement and wake-aided detection in SAR images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Siqi; Ren, Kan; Lu, Dongming; Gu, Guohua; Chen, Qian; Lu, Guojun

2018-03-01

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is an indispensable and useful method for marine monitoring. With the increase of SAR sensors, high resolution images can be acquired and contain more target structure information, such as more spatial details etc. This paper presents a novel adaptive parameter transform (APT) domain constant false alarm rate (CFAR) to highlight targets. The whole method is based on the APT domain value. Firstly, the image is mapped to the new transform domain by the algorithm. Secondly, the false candidate target pixels are screened out by the CFAR detector to highlight the target ships. Thirdly, the ship pixels are replaced by the homogeneous sea pixels. And then, the enhanced image is processed by Niblack algorithm to obtain the wake binary image. Finally, normalized Hough transform (NHT) is used to detect wakes in the binary image, as a verification of the presence of the ships. Experiments on real SAR images validate that the proposed transform does enhance the target structure and improve the contrast of the image. The algorithm has a good performance in the ship and ship wake detection.

Visual improvement for bad handwriting based on Monte-Carlo method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Cao; Xiao, Jianguo; Xu, Canhui; Jia, Wenhua

2014-03-01

A visual improvement algorithm based on Monte Carlo simulation is proposed in this paper, in order to enhance visual effects for bad handwriting. The whole improvement process is to use well designed typeface so as to optimize bad handwriting image. In this process, a series of linear operators for image transformation are defined for transforming typeface image to approach handwriting image. And specific parameters of linear operators are estimated by Monte Carlo method. Visual improvement experiments illustrate that the proposed algorithm can effectively enhance visual effect for handwriting image as well as maintain the original handwriting features, such as tilt, stroke order and drawing direction etc. The proposed visual improvement algorithm, in this paper, has a huge potential to be applied in tablet computer and Mobile Internet, in order to improve user experience on handwriting.

Detection of small surface defects using DCT based enhancement approach in machine vision systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Fuqiang; Wang, Wen; Chen, Zichen

2005-12-01

Utilizing DCT based enhancement approach, an improved small defect detection algorithm for real-time leather surface inspection was developed. A two-stage decomposition procedure was proposed to extract an odd-odd frequency matrix after a digital image has been transformed to DCT domain. Then, the reverse cumulative sum algorithm was proposed to detect the transition points of the gentle curves plotted from the odd-odd frequency matrix. The best radius of the cutting sector was computed in terms of the transition points and the high-pass filtering operation was implemented. The filtered image was then inversed and transformed back to the spatial domain. Finally, the restored image was segmented by an entropy method and some defect features are calculated. Experimental results show the proposed small defect detection method can reach the small defect detection rate by 94%.

Machine learning based brain tumour segmentation on limited data using local texture and abnormality.

PubMed

Bonte, Stijn; Goethals, Ingeborg; Van Holen, Roel

2018-05-07

Brain tumour segmentation in medical images is a very challenging task due to the large variety in tumour shape, position, appearance, scanning modalities and scanning parameters. Most existing segmentation algorithms use information from four different MRI-sequences, but since this is often not available, there is need for a method able to delineate the different tumour tissues based on a minimal amount of data. We present a novel approach using a Random Forests model combining voxelwise texture and abnormality features on a contrast-enhanced T1 and FLAIR MRI. We transform the two scans into 275 feature maps. A random forest model next calculates the probability to belong to 4 tumour classes or 5 normal classes. Afterwards, a dedicated voxel clustering algorithm provides the final tumour segmentation. We trained our method on the BraTS 2013 database and validated it on the larger BraTS 2017 dataset. We achieve median Dice scores of 40.9% (low-grade glioma) and 75.0% (high-grade glioma) to delineate the active tumour, and 68.4%/80.1% for the total abnormal region including edema. Our fully automated brain tumour segmentation algorithm is able to delineate contrast enhancing tissue and oedema with high accuracy based only on post-contrast T1-weighted and FLAIR MRI, whereas for non-enhancing tumour tissue and necrosis only moderate results are obtained. This makes the method especially suitable for high-grade glioma. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differentiation of pre-ablation and post-ablation late gadolinium-enhanced cardiac MRI scans of longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation patients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Guang; Zhuang, Xiahai; Khan, Habib; Haldar, Shouvik; Nyktari, Eva; Li, Lei; Ye, Xujiong; Slabaugh, Greg; Wong, Tom; Mohiaddin, Raad; Keegan, Jennifer; Firmin, David

2017-03-01

Late Gadolinium-Enhanced Cardiac MRI (LGE CMRI) is an emerging non-invasive technique to image and quantify preablation native and post-ablation atrial scarring. Previous studies have reported that enhanced image intensities of the atrial scarring in the LGE CMRI inversely correlate with the left atrial endocardial voltage invasively obtained by electro-anatomical mapping. However, the reported reproducibility of using LGE CMRI to identify and quantify atrial scarring is variable. This may be due to two reasons: first, delineation of the left atrium (LA) and pulmonary veins (PVs) anatomy generally relies on manual operation that is highly subjective, and this could substantially affect the subsequent atrial scarring segmentation; second, simple intensity based image features may not be good enough to detect subtle changes in atrial scarring. In this study, we hypothesized that texture analysis can provide reliable image features for the LGE CMRI images subject to accurate and objective delineation of the heart anatomy based on a fully-automated whole heart segmentation (WHS) method. We tested the extracted texture features to differentiate between pre-ablation and post-ablation LGE CMRI studies in longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation patients. These patients often have extensive native scarring and differentiation from post-ablation scarring can be difficult. Quantification results showed that our method is capable of solving this classification task, and we can envisage further deployment of this texture analysis based method for other clinical problems using LGE CMRI.

A stable downward continuation of airborne magnetic data: A case study for mineral prospectivity mapping in Central Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abedi, Maysam; Gholami, Ali; Norouzi, Gholam-Hossain

2013-03-01

Previous studies have shown that a well-known multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) technique called Preference Ranking Organization METHod for Enrichment Evaluation (PROMETHEE II) to explore porphyry copper deposits can prioritize the ground-based exploratory evidential layers effectively. In this paper, the PROMETHEE II method is applied to airborne geophysical (potassium radiometry and magnetometry) data, geological layers (fault and host rock zones), and various extracted alteration layers from remote sensing images. The central Iranian volcanic-sedimentary belt is chosen for this study. A stable downward continuation method as an inverse problem in the Fourier domain using Tikhonov and edge-preserving regularizations is proposed to enhance magnetic data. Numerical analysis of synthetic models show that the reconstructed magnetic data at the ground surface exhibits significant enhancement compared to the airborne data. The reduced-to-pole (RTP) and the analytic signal filters are applied to the magnetic data to show better maps of the magnetic anomalies. Four remote sensing evidential layers including argillic, phyllic, propylitic and hydroxyl alterations are extracted from Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) images in order to map the altered areas associated with porphyry copper deposits. Principal component analysis (PCA) based on six Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) images is implemented to map iron oxide layer. The final mineral prospectivity map based on desired geo-data set indicates adequately matching of high potential zones with previous working mines and copper deposits.

Contrast Gradient-Based Blood Velocimetry With Computed Tomography: Theory, Simulations, and Proof of Principle in a Dynamic Flow Phantom.

PubMed

Korporaal, Johannes G; Benz, Matthias R; Schindera, Sebastian T; Flohr, Thomas G; Schmidt, Bernhard

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to introduce a new theoretical framework describing the relationship between the blood velocity, computed tomography (CT) acquisition velocity, and iodine contrast enhancement in CT images, and give a proof of principle of contrast gradient-based blood velocimetry with CT. The time-averaged blood velocity (v(blood)) inside an artery along the axis of rotation (z axis) is described as the mathematical division of a temporal (Hounsfield unit/second) and spatial (Hounsfield unit/centimeter) iodine contrast gradient. From this new theoretical framework, multiple strategies for calculating the time-averaged blood velocity from existing clinical CT scan protocols are derived, and contrast gradient-based blood velocimetry was introduced as a new method that can calculate v(blood) directly from contrast agent gradients and the changes therein. Exemplarily, the behavior of this new method was simulated for image acquisition with an adaptive 4-dimensional spiral mode consisting of repeated spiral acquisitions with alternating scan direction. In a dynamic flow phantom with flow velocities between 5.1 and 21.2 cm/s, the same acquisition mode was used to validate the simulations and give a proof of principle of contrast gradient-based blood velocimetry in a straight cylinder of 2.5 cm diameter, representing the aorta. In general, scanning with the direction of blood flow results in decreased and scanning against the flow in increased temporal contrast agent gradients. Velocity quantification becomes better for low blood and high acquisition speeds because the deviation of the measured contrast agent gradient from the temporal gradient will increase. In the dynamic flow phantom, a modulation of the enhancement curve, and thus alternation of the contrast agent gradients, can be observed for the adaptive 4-dimensional spiral mode and is in agreement with the simulations. The measured flow velocities in the downslopes of the enhancement curves were in good agreement with the expected values, although the accuracy and precision worsened with increasing flow velocities. The new theoretical framework increases the understanding of the relationship between the blood velocity, CT acquisition velocity, and iodine contrast enhancement in CT images, and it interconnects existing blood velocimetry methods with research on transluminary attenuation gradients. With these new insights, novel strategies for CT blood velocimetry, such as the contrast gradient-based method presented in this article, may be developed.

A novel method for automated grid generation of ice shapes for local-flow analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogretim, Egemen; Huebsch, Wade W.

2004-02-01

Modelling a complex geometry, such as ice roughness, plays a key role for the computational flow analysis over rough surfaces. This paper presents two enhancement ideas in modelling roughness geometry for local flow analysis over an aerodynamic surface. The first enhancement is use of the leading-edge region of an airfoil as a perturbation to the parabola surface. The reasons for using a parabola as the base geometry are: it resembles the airfoil leading edge in the vicinity of its apex and it allows the use of a lower apparent Reynolds number. The second enhancement makes use of the Fourier analysis for modelling complex ice roughness on the leading edge of airfoils. This method of modelling provides an analytical expression, which describes the roughness geometry and the corresponding derivatives. The factors affecting the performance of the Fourier analysis were also investigated. It was shown that the number of sine-cosine terms and the number of control points are of importance. Finally, these enhancements are incorporated into an automated grid generation method over the airfoil ice accretion surface. The validations for both enhancements demonstrate that they can improve the current capability of grid generation and computational flow field analysis around airfoils with ice roughness.

Finger Vein Segmentation from Infrared Images Based on a Modified Separable Mumford Shah Model and Local Entropy Thresholding

PubMed Central

Dermatas, Evangelos

2015-01-01

A novel method for finger vein pattern extraction from infrared images is presented. This method involves four steps: preprocessing which performs local normalization of the image intensity, image enhancement, image segmentation, and finally postprocessing for image cleaning. In the image enhancement step, an image which will be both smooth and similar to the original is sought. The enhanced image is obtained by minimizing the objective function of a modified separable Mumford Shah Model. Since, this minimization procedure is computationally intensive for large images, a local application of the Mumford Shah Model in small window neighborhoods is proposed. The finger veins are located in concave nonsmooth regions and, so, in order to distinct them from the other tissue parts, all the differences between the smooth neighborhoods, obtained by the local application of the model, and the corresponding windows of the original image are added. After that, veins in the enhanced image have been sufficiently emphasized. Thus, after image enhancement, an accurate segmentation can be obtained readily by a local entropy thresholding method. Finally, the resulted binary image may suffer from some misclassifications and, so, a postprocessing step is performed in order to extract a robust finger vein pattern. PMID:26120357

Orthodontic extrusion for pre-implant site enhancement: Principles and clinical guidelines.

PubMed

Alsahhaf, Abdulaziz; Att, Wael

2016-07-01

The aim of this paper is to provide a concise overview about the principles of pre-implant orthodontic extrusion, describe methods and techniques available and provide the clinicians with guidelines about its application. A number of reports describe orthodontic extrusion as a reliable method for pre-implant site enhancement. However, no standard protocols have been provided about the application of this technique. The literature database was searched for studies involving implant site enhancement by means of orthodontic extrusion. Information about the principles, indications and contraindications of this method, type of anchorage, force and time were obtained from the literature. Despite that the scarce data is largely limited to case reports and case series, implant site enhancement by means of orthodontic extrusion seems to be a promising option to improve soft and hard tissue conditions prior to implant placement. Orthodontic extrusion is being implemented as a treatment alternative to enhance hard and soft tissue prior to implant placement. While the current literature does not provide clear guidelines, the decision making for a specific approach seems to be based on the clinician's preferences. Clinical studies are needed to verify the validity of this treatment option. Copyright © 2016 Japan Prosthodontic Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Low-temperature solid-state preparation of ternary CdS/g-C3N4/CuS nanocomposites for enhanced visible-light photocatalytic H2-production activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Feiyue; Yin, Hui; Xiang, Quanjun

2017-01-01

Low-temperature solid-state method were gradually demonstrated as a high efficiency, energy saving and environmental protection strategy to fabricate composite semiconductor materials. CdS-based multiple composite photocatalytic materials have attracted increasing concern owning to the heterostructure constituents with tunable band gaps. In this study, the ternary CdS/g-C3N4/CuS composite photocatalysts were prepared by a facile and novel low-temperature solid-state strategy. The optimal ternary CdS/g-C3N4/CuS composite exhibits a high visible-light photocatalytic H2-production rate of 57.56 μmol h-1 with the corresponding apparent quantum efficiency reaches 16.5% at 420 nm with Na2S/Na2SO3 mixed aqueous solution as sacrificial agent. The ternary CdS/g-C3N4/CuS composites show the enhanced visible-light photocatalytic H2-evolution activity comparing with the binary CdS-based composites or simplex CdS. The enhanced photocatalytic activity is ascribed to the heterojunctions and the synergistic effect of CuS and g-C3N4 in promotion of the charge separation and charge mobility. This work shows that the low-temperature solid-state method is efficient and environmentally benign for the preparation of CdS-based multiple composite photocatalytic materials with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic H2-production activity.

Enhanced Performance and Flexibility of Perovskite Solar Cells Based on Microstructured Multilayer Transparent Electrodes.

PubMed

Liu, Xue; Guo, Xiaoyang; Lv, Ying; Hu, Yongsheng; Lin, Jie; Fan, Yi; Zhang, Nan; Liu, Xingyuan

2018-05-30

The performance and flexibility of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have been enhanced by introducing microstructured WO 3 /Ag/WO 3 (WAW) multilayer transparent electrodes, which can be fabricated through glancing angle deposition (GLAD) method. The structure and morphology of the second WO 3 layers in WAW films can be altered significantly by changing the deposition angles. A film with porous, oriented WO 3 nanocolumns was obtained at the deposition angle of 75°. The rigid and flexible devices based on this microstructured electrodes show enhanced power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 14.91 and 13.79%, respectively, which are increasing by 10.36 and 10.14% in comparison with the devices based on the WAW electrodes with planar structure, respectively. Simultaneously, the bending stability of the flexible PSCs based on the microstructured WAW electrode has been improved significantly, which retains 90.97% of its initial PCE after 1000 times bending under the maximum strain of 1.3%, compared with the 78.39% of the reference device with the planar WAW electrode. This can be attributed to the unique microstructure of WAW electrodes fabricated by GLAD methods, releasing the mechanical stresses under repeated bending; moreover, the smaller grains induced by this electrode can disperse the stress, which decrease the damage on the perovskite layer; we believe that this work will pave for the way to improve the performance and flexibility of PSCs.

Multiple resource evaluation of region 2 US forest service lands utilizing LANDSAT MSS data. [San Juan Mountains, Colorado

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krebs, P. V.; Hoffer, R. M. (Principal Investigator)

1976-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. LANDSAT MSS imagery provided an excellent overview which put a geomorphic study into a regional perspective, using scale 1:250,000 or smaller. It was used for deriving a data base for land use planning for southern San Juan Mountains. Stereo pairing of adjacent images was the best method for all geomorphic mapping. Combining this with snow enhancement, seasonal enhancement, and reversal aided in interpretation of geomorphic features. Drainage patterns were mapped in much greater detail from LANDSAT than from a two deg quadrangle base.

Fluctuation-Enhanced Sensing for Biological Agent Detection and Identification

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

method for bacterium detection published earlier; sensing and evaluating the odors of microbes ; and spectral and amplitude distribution analysis of noise...REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-2009 to 00-00-2009 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Fluctuation-Enhanced Sensing for Biological Agent Detection and...evaluating the odors of microbes ; and spectral and amplitude distribution analysis of noise in light scattering to identify spores based on their

EDMC: An enhanced distributed multi-channel anti-collision algorithm for RFID reader system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, YuJing; Cui, Yinghua

2017-05-01

In this paper, we proposes an enhanced distributed multi-channel reader anti-collision algorithm for RFID environments which is based on the distributed multi-channel reader anti-collision algorithm for RFID environments (called DiMCA). We proposes a monitor method to decide whether reader receive the latest control news after it selected the data channel. The simulation result shows that it improves interrogation delay.

Residual translation compensations in radar target narrowband imaging based on trajectory information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yue, Wenjue; Peng, Bo; Wei, Xizhang; Li, Xiang; Liao, Dongping

2018-05-01

High velocity translation will result in defocusing scattering centers in radar imaging. In this paper, we propose a Residual Translation Compensations (RTC) method based on target trajectory information to eliminate the translation effects in radar imaging. Translation could not be simply regarded as a uniformly accelerated motion in reality. So the prior knowledge of the target trajectory is introduced to enhance compensation precision. First we use the two-body orbit model to figure out the radial distance. Then, stepwise compensations are applied to eliminate residual propagation delay based on conjugate multiplication method. Finally, tomography is used to confirm the validity of the method. Compare with translation parameters estimation method based on the spectral peak of the conjugate multiplied signal, RTC method in this paper enjoys a better tomography result. When the Signal Noise Ratio (SNR) of the radar echo signal is 4dB, the scattering centers can also be extracted clearly.

Automated segmentation of hepatic vessel trees in non-contrast x-ray CT images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawajiri, Suguru; Zhou, Xiangrong; Zhang, Xuejin; Hara, Takeshi; Fujita, Hiroshi; Yokoyama, Ryujiro; Kondo, Hiroshi; Kanematsu, Masayuki; Hoshi, Hiroaki

2007-03-01

Hepatic vessel trees are the key structures in the liver. Knowledge of the hepatic vessel trees is important for liver surgery planning and hepatic disease diagnosis such as portal hypertension. However, hepatic vessels cannot be easily distinguished from other liver tissues in non-contrast CT images. Automated segmentation of hepatic vessels in non-contrast CT images is a challenging issue. In this paper, an approach for automated segmentation of hepatic vessels trees in non-contrast X-ray CT images is proposed. Enhancement of hepatic vessels is performed using two techniques: (1) histogram transformation based on a Gaussian window function; (2) multi-scale line filtering based on eigenvalues of Hessian matrix. After the enhancement of hepatic vessels, candidate of hepatic vessels are extracted by thresholding. Small connected regions of size less than 100 voxels are considered as false-positives and are removed from the process. This approach is applied to 20 cases of non-contrast CT images. Hepatic vessel trees segmented from the contrast-enhanced CT images of the same patient are used as the ground truth in evaluating the performance of the proposed segmentation method. Results show that the proposed method can enhance and segment the hepatic vessel regions in non-contrast CT images correctly.

Improved reading performance using individualized compensation filters for observers with losses in central vision

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawton, Teri B.

1989-01-01

A method to improve the reading performance of subjects with losses in central vision is proposed in which the amplitudes of the intermediate spatial frequencies are boosted relative to the lower spatial frequencies. In the method, words are filtered using an image enhancement function which is based on a subject's losses in visual function relative to a normal subject. It was found that 30-70 percent less magnification was necessary, and that reading rates were improved 2-3 times, using the method. The individualized compensation filters improved the clarity and visibility of words. The shape of the enhancement function was shown to be important in determining the optimum compensation filter for improving reading performance.

A postprocessing method in the HMC framework for predicting gene function based on biological instrumental data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Shou; Fu, Ping; Zheng, Wenbin

2018-03-01

Predicting gene function based on biological instrumental data is a complicated and challenging hierarchical multi-label classification (HMC) problem. When using local approach methods to solve this problem, a preliminary results processing method is usually needed. This paper proposed a novel preliminary results processing method called the nodes interaction method. The nodes interaction method revises the preliminary results and guarantees that the predictions are consistent with the hierarchy constraint. This method exploits the label dependency and considers the hierarchical interaction between nodes when making decisions based on the Bayesian network in its first phase. In the second phase, this method further adjusts the results according to the hierarchy constraint. Implementing the nodes interaction method in the HMC framework also enhances the HMC performance for solving the gene function prediction problem based on the Gene Ontology (GO), the hierarchy of which is a directed acyclic graph that is more difficult to tackle. The experimental results validate the promising performance of the proposed method compared to state-of-the-art methods on eight benchmark yeast data sets annotated by the GO.

Comparative study of protoporphyrin IX fluorescence image enhancement methods to improve an optical imaging system for oral cancer detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Ching-Fen; Wang, Chih-Yu; Chiang, Chun-Ping

2011-07-01

Optoelectronics techniques to induce protoporphyrin IX fluorescence with topically applied 5-aminolevulinic acid on the oral mucosa have been developed to noninvasively detect oral cancer. Fluorescence imaging enables wide-area screening for oral premalignancy, but the lack of an adequate fluorescence enhancement method restricts the clinical imaging application of these techniques. This study aimed to develop a reliable fluorescence enhancement method to improve PpIX fluorescence imaging systems for oral cancer detection. Three contrast features, red-green-blue reflectance difference, R/B ratio, and R/G ratio, were developed first based on the optical properties of the fluorescence images. A comparative study was then carried out with one negative control and four biopsy confirmed clinical cases to validate the optimal image processing method for the detection of the distribution of malignancy. The results showed the superiority of the R/G ratio in terms of yielding a better contrast between normal and neoplastic tissue, and this method was less prone to errors in detection. Quantitative comparison with the clinical diagnoses in the four neoplastic cases showed that the regions of premalignancy obtained using the proposed method accorded with the expert's determination, suggesting the potential clinical application of this method for the detection of oral cancer.

Transcranial Electrical Stimulation to Enhance Cognitive Performance of Healthy Minors: A Complex Governance Challenge

PubMed Central

Schuijer, Jantien W.; de Jong, Irja M.; Kupper, Frank; van Atteveldt, Nienke M.

2017-01-01

An increasing number of healthy adolescents are consuming products that can enhance their cognitive performance in educational settings. Currently, the use of pharmaceuticals is the most widely discussed enhancement method in the literature, but new evidence suggests that other methods based on Transcranial Electrical Stimulation (tES) also have potential as cognitive enhancer. Just like pharmaceutical enhancers, the availability and education-related use of tES-devices raise a broad range of ethical, legal, and societal issues that need to be addressed by policy-makers. Few studies, however, have specifically explored these issues in relation to child wellbeing. In this narrative review with systematic search, we describe the issues for child wellbeing that could arise from the availability and education-related use of tES-based enhancers by healthy minors. We demonstrate that the issues form a complex web of uncertainties and concerns, which are mainly incited by two factors. First is the high level of factual uncertainty due to gaps in empirical evidence about the exact working mechanisms and efficacy of tES. Moreover, a lack of insight into the technique’s (long-term) effects on healthy developing brains, and uncertainties about potential cognitive trade-offs have fueled concerns about the technique’s safety and impact. The second factor that contributes to the complexity of issues is the presence of moral diversity in our society. Different opinions exist on whether a certain enhancement effect would be desirable and whether potential risks would be acceptable. These opinions depend on one’s moral perspective, and the way one interprets and weights values such as the child’s autonomy and authenticity. The challenge for proper governance resides in the design of an appropriate framework that is capable of balancing the different moral perspectives in society, while recognizing the uncertainties that still exist. We therefore argue for a responsible innovation approach, which encourages an adaptive attitude toward emerging knowledge and dynamic societal values, to deal with the identified issues regarding tES-based enhancement appropriately. PMID:28396631

Development of Electrospun Nanomaterials and their Applications in Separation Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newsome, Toni Elwell

In separations, efficiency is inversely related to the diameter of the sorbent particles of the stationary phase. Thus, materials research in separation science has primarily been directed towards reducing the diameter of the sorbent particle used in the stationary phase. In this dissertation, innovative methods designed for the fabrication and application of electrospun sorbent nanomaterials for separation science are described. Electrospinning is a facile, cost-effective technique that relies on repulsive electrostatic forces to produce nanofibers from a viscoelastic solution. Here, electrospinning is used to generate polymer, carbon, and silica-based nanofibers which are employed as sorbent nanomaterials in extractions and separations. Electrospun carbon nanofibers have proven to be ideal extractive phases for solid-phase microextraction (SPME) when coupled to gas chromatography (GC) for headspace sampling of volatile analytes. Herein, these carbon nanofibers were employed in the direct extraction of nonvolatile analytes and coupled to liquid chromatography (LC) for the first time. The high surface area of the coatings led to enhanced extraction efficiencies; they offered a 3-33 fold increase in efficiency relative to a commercial SPME phase. Carbon nanofibers proved to be stable when immersed in liquids common to LC demonstrating the enhanced stability of these coatings in SPME coupled to LC relative to conventional SPME fibers. The enhanced chemical and mechanical stability of the carbon SPME coatings considerably expanded the range of compounds applicable to SPME and extended the lifetimes of the fibers. Electrospun nanofibers have also proven to be ideal stationary phases in ultra-thin layer chromatography (UTLC). Nanofibers provide faster separations and enhanced separation efficiencies compared to commercial particle-based stationary phases in a relatively short distance. Here, the electrospun-UTLC technology was extended for the first time to nanofibers composed of silica, the most commonly used surface for TLC. An electrospinning method was optimized to produce silica-based nanofibers with the smallest diameter possible (300-380 nm) while maintaining homogenous nanofiber morphology. Highly efficient separations were performed in 15 mm with observed plate heights as low as 8.6 mum. Silica-based nanofibers proved to be chemically stable with a wide variety of TLC reagents demonstrating the enhanced compatibility of these phases with common TLC methods relative to polymer and carbon nanofiber UTLC plates. The extension of electrospun UTLC to silica-based nanofibers vastly expanded the range of analytes and TLC methods which can be used with this technology. The main disadvantage of conventional TLC development methods is that the mobile phase velocity decreases with increasing separation distance. Here, the chromatographic performance of electrospun polymer stationary phases was further improved by using a forced-flow mobile phase in planar electrochromatography (PEC) in which mobile phase velocity does not diminish with increasing distance. Separations were performed on polymer nanofiber UTLC plates in 1-2 min. Compared to UTLC, PEC offered unique selectivity, decreased analysis times (> 4 times faster), and enhanced efficiency (2-3 times lower plate height). In addition, two-dimensional (2D) separations of a complex analyte mixture using UTLC followed by PEC required only 11 min and exhibited a significant increase in separation number (70-77).

Temporal subtraction contrast-enhanced dedicated breast CT

PubMed Central

Gazi, Peymon M.; Aminololama-Shakeri, Shadi; Yang, Kai; Boone, John M.

2016-01-01

Purpose To develop a framework of deformable image registration and segmentation for the purpose of temporal subtraction contrast-enhanced breast CT is described. Methods An iterative histogram-based two-means clustering method was used for the segmentation. Dedicated breast CT images were segmented into background (air), adipose, fibroglandular and skin components. Fibroglandular tissue was classified as either normal or contrast-enhanced then divided into tiers for the purpose of categorizing degrees of contrast enhancement. A variant of the Demons deformable registration algorithm, Intensity Difference Adaptive Demons (IDAD), was developed to correct for the large deformation forces that stemmed from contrast enhancement. In this application, the accuracy of the proposed method was evaluated in both mathematically-simulated and physically-acquired phantom images. Clinical usage and accuracy of the temporal subtraction framework was demonstrated using contrast-enhanced breast CT datasets from five patients. Registration performance was quantified using Normalized Cross Correlation (NCC), Symmetric Uncertainty Coefficient (SUC), Normalized Mutual Information (NMI), Mean Square Error (MSE) and Target Registration Error (TRE). Results The proposed method outperformed conventional affine and other Demons variations in contrast enhanced breast CT image registration. In simulation studies, IDAD exhibited improvement in MSE(0–16%), NCC (0–6%), NMI (0–13%) and TRE (0–34%) compared to the conventional Demons approaches, depending on the size and intensity of the enhancing lesion. As lesion size and contrast enhancement levels increased, so did the improvement. The drop in the correlation between the pre- and post-contrast images for the largest enhancement levels in phantom studies is less than 1.2% (150 Hounsfield units). Registration error, measured by TRE, shows only submillimeter mismatches between the concordant anatomical target points in all patient studies. The algorithm was implemented using a parallel processing architecture resulting in rapid execution time for the iterative segmentation and intensity-adaptive registration techniques. Conclusion Characterization of contrast-enhanced lesions is improved using temporal subtraction contrast-enhanced dedicated breast CT. Adaptation of Demons registration forces as a function of contrast-enhancement levels provided a means to accurately align breast tissue in pre- and post-contrast image acquisitions, improving subtraction results. Spatial subtraction of the aligned images yields useful diagnostic information with respect to enhanced lesion morphology and uptake. PMID:27494376

Layered double hydroxide-enhanced luminescence in a Fenton-like system for selective sensing of cobalt in Hela cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Mei; Yuan, Zhiqin; Lu, Chao

2017-09-01

This work presented a facile and eco-friendly method for the determination of cobalt ions (Co(II)) in living cells based on layered double hydroxides (Mg-Al CO3-LDHs) enhanced chemiluminescence (CL) emission of a Co(II)-hydrogen peroxide-sodium hydroxide system. The enhanced CL emission was attributed to the large specific surface area of Mg-Al CO3-LDHs, which facilitates the generation of an excited-stated intermediate. The proposed method displayed high selectivity toward Co(II) over other metal ions. Under the optimal conditions, the increased CL intensity showed a linear response versus Co(II) concentration in the range of 5.0-1000 nM with a detection limit of 3.7 nM (S/N = 3). The relative standard deviation for nine repeated measurements of 100 nM Co(II) was 3.2%. Furthermore, the proposed method was successfully applied to detect Co(II) in living cell samples, and the results were agreed with those obtained by the standard ICP-MS method.

Enhanced learning through design problems - teaching a components-based course through design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jensen, Bogi Bech; Högberg, Stig; Fløtum Jensen, Frida av; Mijatovic, Nenad

2012-08-01

This paper describes a teaching method used in an electrical machines course, where the students learn about electrical machines by designing them. The aim of the course is not to teach design, albeit this is a side product, but rather to teach the fundamentals and the function of electrical machines through design. The teaching method is evaluated by a student questionnaire, designed to measure the quality and effectiveness of the teaching method. The results of the questionnaire conclusively show that this method labelled 'learning through design' is a very effective way of teaching a components-based course. This teaching method can easily be generalised and used in other courses.

Usefulness of the advanced neuroimaging protocol based on plain and gadolinium-enhanced constructive interference in steady state images for gamma knife radiosurgery and planning microsurgical procedures for skull base tumors.

PubMed

Hayashi, Motohiro; Chernov, Mikhail F; Tamura, Noriko; Yomo, Shoji; Tamura, Manabu; Horiba, Ayako; Izawa, Masahiro; Muragaki, Yoshihiro; Iseki, Hiroshi; Okada, Yoshikazu; Ivanov, Pavel; Régis, Jean; Takakura, Kintomo

2013-01-01

Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKS) is currently performed with 0.1 mm preciseness, which can be designated microradiosurgery. It requires advanced methods for visualizing the target, which can be effectively attained by a neuroimaging protocol based on plain and gadolinium-enhanced constructive interference in steady state (CISS) images. Since 2003, the following thin-sliced images are routinely obtained before GKS of skull base lesions in our practice: axial CISS, gadolinium-enhanced axial CISS, gadolinium-enhanced axial modified time-of-flight (TOF), and axial computed tomography (CT). Fusion of "bone window" CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and detailed three-dimensional (3D) delineation of the anatomical structures are performed with the Leksell GammaPlan (Elekta Instruments AB). Recently, a similar technique has been also applied to evaluate neuroanatomy before open microsurgical procedures. Plain CISS images permit clear visualization of the cranial nerves in the subarachnoid space. Gadolinium-enhanced CISS images make the tumor "lucid" but do not affect the signal intensity of the cranial nerves, so they can be clearly delineated in the vicinity to the lesion. Gadolinium-enhanced TOF images are useful for 3D evaluation of the interrelations between the neoplasm and adjacent vessels. Fusion of "bone window" CT and MRI scans permits simultaneous assessment of both soft tissue and bone structures and allows 3D estimation and correction of MRI distortion artifacts. Detailed understanding of the neuroanatomy based on application of the advanced neuroimaging protocol permits performance of highly conformal and selective radiosurgical treatment. It also allows precise planning of the microsurgical procedures for skull base tumors.

WE-G-BRE-03: Dose Painting by Numbers Using Targeted Gold Nanoparticles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Altundal, Y; Sajo, E; Korideck, H

Purpose: Homogeneous dose enhancement in tumor cells of lung cancer patients treated with conventional dose of 60–66 Gy in five fractions is limited due to increased risk of toxicity to normal structures. Dose painting by numbers (DPBN) is the prescription of a non-uniform radiation dose distribution in the tumor for each voxel based on the intensity level of that voxel obtained from the tumor image. The purpose of this study is to show that DPBN using targeted gold nanoparticles (GNPs) could enhance conventional doses in the more resistant tumor areas. Methods: Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images of GNPs aftermore » intratumoral injection into human tumor were taken at 0, 48, 144 and 160 hours. The dose enhancement in the tumor voxels by secondary electrons from the GNPs was calculated based on analytical microdosimetry methods. The dose enhancement factor (DEF) is the ratio of the doses to the tumor with and without the presence of GNPs. The DEF was calculated for each voxel of the images based on the GNP concentration in the tumor sub-volumes using 6-MV photon spectra obtained using Monte Carlo simulations at 5 cm depth (10×10 cm2 field). Results: The results revealed DEF values of 1.05–2.38 for GNPs concentrations of 1–30 mg/g which corresponds to 12.60 – 28.56 Gy per fraction for delivering 12 Gy per fraction homogenously to lung tumor region. Conclusion: Our preliminary results verify that DPBN could be achieved using GNPs to enhance conventional doses to high risk tumor sub-volumes. In practice, DPBN using GNPs could be achieved due to diffusion of targeted GNPs sustainably released in-situ from radiotherapy biomaterials (e.g. fiducials) coated with polymer film containing the GNPs.« less

Resilience-based Diabetes Self-management Education: Perspectives From African American Participants, Community Leaders, and Healthcare Providers.

PubMed

Lehrer, H Matthew; Dubois, Susan K; Brown, Sharon A; Steinhardt, Mary A

2017-08-01

Purpose The purpose of this qualitative, focus group study was to further refine the Resilience-based Diabetes Self-management Education (RB-DSME) recruitment process and intervention, build greater trust in the community, and identify strategies to enhance its sustainability as a community-based intervention in African American church settings. Methods Six 2-hour focus groups (N = 55; 10 men and 45 women) were led by a trained moderator with a written guide to facilitate discussion. Two sessions were conducted with individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who participated in previous RB-DSME pilot interventions and their family members, two sessions with local church leaders, and two sessions with community healthcare providers who care for patients with T2DM. Two independent reviewers performed content analysis to identify major themes using a grounded theory approach. The validity of core themes was enhanced by external review and subsequent discussions with two qualitative methods consultants. Results There was expressed interest and acceptability of the RB-DSME program. Church connection and pastor support were noted as key factors in building trust and enhancing recruitment, retention, and sustainability of the program. Core themes across all groups included the value of incentives, the need for foundational knowledge shared with genuine concern, teaching with visuals, dealing with denial, balancing the reality of adverse consequences with hope, the importance of social support, and addressing healthcare delivery barriers. Conclusion Focus groups documented the feasibility and potential effectiveness of RB-DSME interventions to enhance diabetes care in the African American community. In clinical practice, inclusion of these core themes may enhance T2DM self-care and treatment outcomes.

Denoising by coupled partial differential equations and extracting phase by backpropagation neural networks for electronic speckle pattern interferometry.

PubMed

Tang, Chen; Lu, Wenjing; Chen, Song; Zhang, Zhen; Li, Botao; Wang, Wenping; Han, Lin

2007-10-20

We extend and refine previous work [Appl. Opt. 46, 2907 (2007)]. Combining the coupled nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs) denoising model with the ordinary differential equations enhancement method, we propose the new denoising and enhancing model for electronic speckle pattern interferometry (ESPI) fringe patterns. Meanwhile, we propose the backpropagation neural networks (BPNN) method to obtain unwrapped phase values based on a skeleton map instead of traditional interpolations. We test the introduced methods on the computer-simulated speckle ESPI fringe patterns and experimentally obtained fringe pattern, respectively. The experimental results show that the coupled nonlinear PDEs denoising model is capable of effectively removing noise, and the unwrapped phase values obtained by the BPNN method are much more accurate than those obtained by the well-known traditional interpolation. In addition, the accuracy of the BPNN method is adjustable by changing the parameters of networks such as the number of neurons.

Drawing in nursing PBL.

PubMed

Chan, Zenobia C Y

2013-08-01

The implementation of art education in nursing is said to have positive effects on nursing students. Most studies applied visual art dialogues or object design, whereas the effectiveness of drawing as a teaching and learning method is rarely examined and discussed. This paper aimed to discuss the potential and effectiveness of drawing as a learning and teaching method. Four drawings which were created by Hong Kong nursing students are demonstrated and the students' perspectives of how drawing enhanced learning are shown in this paper. Topics on drawing as a fun teaching and learning method and the way it can enhance critical thinking and creativity are also discussed. In conclusion, the activity was a great success, and students enjoyed the learning process and reflected positive comments. However, we cannot conclude that drawing is an effective teaching and learning method based on a single paper, therefore more similar studies should be conducted to investigate this method. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Technological Advances in Interventions to Enhance Post-Stroke Gait

PubMed Central

Sheffler, Lynne R.; Chae, John

2012-01-01

Synopsis This article provides a comprehensive review of specific rehabilitation interventions used to enhance hemiparetic gait following stroke. Neurologic rehabilitation interventions may be either therapeutic resulting in enhanced motor recovery or compensatory whereby assistance or substitution for neurological deficits results in improved functional performance. Included in this review are lower extremity functional electrical stimulation (FES), body-weight supported treadmill training (BWSTT), and lower extremity robotic-assisted gait training. These post-stroke gait training therapies are predicated on activity-dependent neuroplasticity which is the concept that cortical reorganization following central nervous system injury may be induced by repetitive, skilled, and cognitively engaging active movement. All three interventions have been trialed extensively in both research and clinical settings to demonstrate a positive effect on various gait parameters and measures of walking performance. However, more evidence is necessary to determine if specific technology-enhanced gait training methods are superior to conventional gait training methods. This review provides an overview of evidence-based research which supports the efficacy of these three interventions to improve gait, as well as provide perspective on future developments to enhance post-stroke gait in neurologic rehabilitation. PMID:23598265

Robust nanogenerators based on graft copolymers via control of dielectrics for remarkable output power enhancement

PubMed Central

Lee, Jae Won; Cho, Hye Jin; Chun, Jinsung; Kim, Kyeong Nam; Kim, Seongsu; Ahn, Chang Won; Kim, Ill Won; Kim, Ju-Young; Kim, Sang-Woo; Yang, Changduk; Baik, Jeong Min

2017-01-01

A robust nanogenerator based on poly(tert-butyl acrylate) (PtBA)–grafted polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) copolymers via dielectric constant control through an atom-transfer radical polymerization technique, which can markedly increase the output power, is demonstrated. The copolymer is mainly composed of α phases with enhanced dipole moments due to the π-bonding and polar characteristics of the ester functional groups in the PtBA, resulting in the increase of dielectric constant values by approximately twice, supported by Kelvin probe force microscopy measurements. This increase in the dielectric constant significantly increased the density of the charges that can be accumulated on the copolymer during physical contact. The nanogenerator generates output signals of 105 V and 25 μA/cm2, a 20-fold enhancement in output power, compared to pristine PVDF–based nanogenerator after tuning the surface potential using a poling method. The markedly enhanced output performance is quite stable and reliable in harsh mechanical environments due to the high flexibility of the films. On the basis of these results, a much faster charging characteristic is demonstrated in this study. PMID:28560339

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, L; Shen, C; Wang, J

Purpose: To reduce cone beam CT (CBCT) imaging dose, we previously proposed a progressive dose control (PDC) scheme to employ temporal correlation between CBCT images at different fractions for image quality enhancement. A temporal non-local means (TNLM) method was developed to enhance quality of a new low-dose CBCT using existing high-quality CBCT. To enhance a voxel value, the TNLM method searches for similar voxels in a window. Due to patient deformation among the two CBCTs, a large searching window was required, reducing image quality and computational efficiency. This abstract proposes a deformation-assisted TNLM (DA-TNLM) method to solve this problem. Methods:more » For a low-dose CBCT to be enhanced using a high-quality CBCT, we first performed deformable image registration between the low-dose CBCT and the high-quality CBCT to approximately establish voxel correspondence between the two. A searching window for a voxel was then set based on the deformation vector field. Specifically, the search window for each voxel was shifted by the deformation vector. A TNLM step was then applied using only voxels within this determined window to correct image intensity at the low-dose CBCT. Results: We have tested the proposed scheme on simulated CIRS phantom data and real patient data. The CITS phantom was scanned on Varian onboard imaging CBCT system with coach shifting and dose reducing for each time. The real patient data was acquired in four fractions with dose reduced from standard CBCT dose to 12.5% of standard dose. It was found that the DA-TNLM method can reduce total dose by over 75% on average in the first four fractions. Conclusion: We have developed a PDC scheme which can enhance the quality of image scanned at low dose using a DA-TNLM method. Tests in phantom and patient studies demonstrated promising results.« less

A new simple technique for improving the random properties of chaos-based cryptosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia-Bosque, M.; Pérez-Resa, A.; Sánchez-Azqueta, C.; Celma, S.

2018-03-01

A new technique for improving the security of chaos-based stream ciphers has been proposed and tested experimentally. This technique manages to improve the randomness properties of the generated keystream by preventing the system to fall into short period cycles due to digitation. In order to test this technique, a stream cipher based on a Skew Tent Map algorithm has been implemented on a Virtex 7 FPGA. The randomness of the keystream generated by this system has been compared to the randomness of the keystream generated by the same system with the proposed randomness-enhancement technique. By subjecting both keystreams to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) tests, we have proved that our method can considerably improve the randomness of the generated keystreams. In order to incorporate our randomness-enhancement technique, only 41 extra slices have been needed, proving that, apart from effective, this method is also efficient in terms of area and hardware resources.

Enhancement of DRPE performance with a novel scheme based on new RAC: Principle, security analysis and FPGA implementation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neji, N.; Jridi, M.; Alfalou, A.; Masmoudi, N.

2016-02-01

The double random phase encryption (DRPE) method is a well-known all-optical architecture which has many advantages especially in terms of encryption efficiency. However, the method presents some vulnerabilities against attacks and requires a large quantity of information to encode the complex output plane. In this paper, we present an innovative hybrid technique to enhance the performance of DRPE method in terms of compression and encryption. An optimized simultaneous compression and encryption method is applied simultaneously on the real and imaginary components of the DRPE output plane. The compression and encryption technique consists in using an innovative randomized arithmetic coder (RAC) that can well compress the DRPE output planes and at the same time enhance the encryption. The RAC is obtained by an appropriate selection of some conditions in the binary arithmetic coding (BAC) process and by using a pseudo-random number to encrypt the corresponding outputs. The proposed technique has the capabilities to process video content and to be standard compliant with modern video coding standards such as H264 and HEVC. Simulations demonstrate that the proposed crypto-compression system has presented the drawbacks of the DRPE method. The cryptographic properties of DRPE have been enhanced while a compression rate of one-sixth can be achieved. FPGA implementation results show the high performance of the proposed method in terms of maximum operating frequency, hardware occupation, and dynamic power consumption.

Image contrast enhancement based on a local standard deviation model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chang, Dah-Chung; Wu, Wen-Rong

1996-12-31

The adaptive contrast enhancement (ACE) algorithm is a widely used image enhancement method, which needs a contrast gain to adjust high frequency components of an image. In the literature, the gain is usually inversely proportional to the local standard deviation (LSD) or is a constant. But these cause two problems in practical applications, i.e., noise overenhancement and ringing artifact. In this paper a new gain is developed based on Hunt`s Gaussian image model to prevent the two defects. The new gain is a nonlinear function of LSD and has the desired characteristic emphasizing the LSD regions in which details aremore » concentrated. We have applied the new ACE algorithm to chest x-ray images and the simulations show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.« less

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy based nanoparticle assays for rapid, point-of-care diagnostics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Driscoll, Ashley J.

Nucleotide and immunoassays are important tools for disease diagnostics. Many of the current laboratory-based analytical diagnostic techniques require multiple assay steps and long incubation times before results are acquired. In the development of bioassays designed for detecting the emergence and spread of diseases in point-of-care (POC) and remote settings, more rapid and portable analytical methods are necessary. Nanoparticles provide simple and reproducible synthetic methods for the preparation of substrates that can be applied in colloidal assays, providing gains in kinetics due to miniaturization and plasmonic substrates for surface enhanced spectroscopies. Specifically, surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is finding broad application as a signal transduction method in immunological and nucleotide assays due to the production of narrow spectral peaks from the scattering molecules and the potential for simultaneous multiple analyte detection. The application of SERS to a no-wash, magnetic capture assay for the detection of West Nile Virus Envelope and Rift Valley Fever Virus N antigens is described. The platform utilizes colloid based capture of the target antigen in solution, magnetic collection of the immunocomplexes and acquisition of SERS spectra by a handheld Raman spectrometer. The reagents for a core-shell nanoparticle, SERS based assay designed for the capture of target microRNA implicated in acute myocardial infarction are also characterized. Several new, small molecule Raman scatterers are introduced and used to analyze the enhancing properties of the synthesized gold coated-magnetic nanoparticles. Nucleotide and immunoassay platforms have shown improvements in speed and analyte capture through the miniaturization of the capture surface and particle-based capture systems can provide a route to further surface miniaturization. A reaction-diffusion model of the colloidal assay platform is presented to understand the interplay of system parameters such as particle diameter, initial analyte concentration and dissociation constants. The projected sensitivities over a broad range of assay conditions are examined and the governing regime of particle systems reported. The results provide metrics in the design of more robust analytics that are of particular interest for POC diagnostics.

Comparative Effectiveness of Context-Based and Traditional Approaches in Teaching Genetics: Student Views and Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kazeni, Monde; Onwu, Gilbert

2013-01-01

The study aimed to determine the comparative effectiveness of context-based and traditional teaching approaches in enhancing student achievement in genetics, problem-solving, science inquiry and decision-making skills, and attitude towards the study of life sciences. A mixed method but essentially quantitative research approach involving a…

The Problem of Constructive Misalignment in International Business Education: A Three-Stage Integrated Approach to Enhancing Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhao, Shasha

2016-01-01

Past evidence suggests that constructive misalignment is particularly problematic in International Business (IB) education, though this paradigm has received limited research attention. Building on the literature of three independent teaching methods (threshold concept, problem-based learning, and technology-based learning), this study contributes…

Inquiry Based Teaching in Turkey: A Content Analysis of Research Reports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kizilaslan, Aydin; Sozbilir, Mustafa; Yasar, M. Diyaddin

2012-01-01

Inquiry-based learning [IBL] enhances students' critical thinking abilities and help students to act as a scientist through using scientific method while learning. Specifically, inquiry as a teaching approach has been defined in many ways, the most important one is referred to nature of constructing knowledge while the individuals possess a…

Practice-Based Learning and Improvement: A Dream that Can Become a Reality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manning, Phil R.

2003-01-01

Systematically enhancing learning from experience (practice-based learning) dominates the teachings of Sir Willian Osler and adult learning theorists such as Eduard Lindeman, Malcolm Knowles, and Cyril Houle. Because of time constraints, most physicians have not implemented methods that systematically facilitate learning from day-to-day work, but…

Preliminary results in large bone segmentation from 3D freehand ultrasound

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fanti, Zian; Torres, Fabian; Arámbula Cosío, Fernando

2013-11-01

Computer Assisted Orthopedic Surgery (CAOS) requires a correct registration between the patient in the operating room and the virtual models representing the patient in the computer. In order to increase the precision and accuracy of the registration a set of new techniques that eliminated the need to use fiducial markers have been developed. The majority of these newly developed registration systems are based on costly intraoperative imaging systems like Computed Tomography (CT scan) or Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). An alternative to these methods is the use of an Ultrasound (US) imaging system for the implementation of a more cost efficient intraoperative registration solution. In order to develop the registration solution with the US imaging system, the bone surface is segmented in both preoperative and intraoperative images, and the registration is done using the acquire surface. In this paper, we present the a preliminary results of a new approach to segment bone surface from ultrasound volumes acquired by means 3D freehand ultrasound. The method is based on the enhancement of the voxels that belongs to surface and its posterior segmentation. The enhancement process is based on the information provided by eigenanalisis of the multiscale 3D Hessian matrix. The preliminary results shows that from the enhance volume the final bone surfaces can be extracted using a singular value thresholding.

Particle Swarm Optimization Based Feature Enhancement and Feature Selection for Improved Emotion Recognition in Speech and Glottal Signals

PubMed Central

Muthusamy, Hariharan; Polat, Kemal; Yaacob, Sazali

2015-01-01

In the recent years, many research works have been published using speech related features for speech emotion recognition, however, recent studies show that there is a strong correlation between emotional states and glottal features. In this work, Mel-frequency cepstralcoefficients (MFCCs), linear predictive cepstral coefficients (LPCCs), perceptual linear predictive (PLP) features, gammatone filter outputs, timbral texture features, stationary wavelet transform based timbral texture features and relative wavelet packet energy and entropy features were extracted from the emotional speech (ES) signals and its glottal waveforms(GW). Particle swarm optimization based clustering (PSOC) and wrapper based particle swarm optimization (WPSO) were proposed to enhance the discerning ability of the features and to select the discriminating features respectively. Three different emotional speech databases were utilized to gauge the proposed method. Extreme learning machine (ELM) was employed to classify the different types of emotions. Different experiments were conducted and the results show that the proposed method significantly improves the speech emotion recognition performance compared to previous works published in the literature. PMID:25799141

A convergent diffusion and social marketing approach for disseminating proven approaches to physical activity promotion.

PubMed

Dearing, James W; Maibach, Edward W; Buller, David B

2006-10-01

Approaches from diffusion of innovations and social marketing are used here to propose efficient means to promote and enhance the dissemination of evidence-based physical activity programs. While both approaches have traditionally been conceptualized as top-down, center-to-periphery, centralized efforts at social change, their operational methods have usually differed. The operational methods of diffusion theory have a strong relational emphasis, while the operational methods of social marketing have a strong transactional emphasis. Here, we argue for a convergence of diffusion of innovation and social marketing principles to stimulate the efficient dissemination of proven-effective programs. In general terms, we are encouraging a focus on societal sectors as a logical and efficient means for enhancing the impact of dissemination efforts. This requires an understanding of complex organizations and the functional roles played by different individuals in such organizations. In specific terms, ten principles are provided for working effectively within societal sectors and enhancing user involvement in the processes of adoption and implementation.

Enhanced light extraction of plastic scintillator using large-area photonic crystal structures fabricated by hot embossing.

PubMed

Chen, Xueye; Liu, Bo; Wu, Qiang; Zhu, Zhichao; Zhu, Jingtao; Gu, Mu; Chen, Hong; Liu, Jinliang; Chen, Liang; Ouyang, Xiaoping

2018-04-30

Plastic scintillators are widely used in various radiation measurement systems. However, detection efficiency and signal-to-noise are limited due to the total internal reflection, especially for weak signal detection situations. In the present investigation, large-area photonic crystals consisting of an array of periodic truncated cone holes were prepared based on hot embossing technology aiming at coupling with the surface of plastic scintillator to improve the light extraction efficiency and directionality control. The experimental results show that a maximum enhancement of 64% at 25° emergence angle along Γ-M orientation and a maximum enhancement of 58% at 20° emergence angle along Γ-K orientation were obtained. The proposed fabrication method of photonic crystal scintillator can avoid complicated pattern transfer processes used in most traditional methods, leading to a simple, economical method for large-area preparation. The photonic crystal scintillator demonstrated in this work is of great value for practical applications of nuclear radiation detection.

Molecular structure, natural bond analysis, vibrational and electronic spectra, surface enhanced Raman scattering and Mulliken atomic charges of the normal modes of [Mn(DDTC)2] complex.

PubMed

Téllez S, Claudio A; Costa, Anilton C; Mondragón, M A; Ferreira, Glaucio B; Versiane, O; Rangel, J L; Lima, G Müller; Martin, A A

2016-12-05

Theoretical and experimental bands have been assigned for the Fourier Transform Infrared and Raman spectra of the bis(diethyldithiocarbamate)Mn(II) complex, [Mn(DDTC)2]. The calculations have been based on the DFT/B3LYP method, second derivative spectra and band deconvolution analysis. The UV-vis experimental spectra were measured in acetonitrile solution, and the calculated electronic spectrum was obtained using the TD/B3LYP method with 6-311G(d, p) basis set for all atoms. Charge transfer bands and those d-d spin forbidden were assigned in the UV-vis spectrum. The natural bond orbital analysis was carried out using the DFT/B3LYP method and the Mn(II) hybridization leading to the planar geometry of the framework was discussed. Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) was also performed. Mulliken charges of the normal modes were obtained and related to the SERS enhanced bands. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enhanced differential evolution to combine optical mouse sensor with image structural patches for robust endoscopic navigation.

PubMed

Luo, Xiongbiao; Jayarathne, Uditha L; McLeod, A Jonathan; Mori, Kensaku

2014-01-01

Endoscopic navigation generally integrates different modalities of sensory information in order to continuously locate an endoscope relative to suspicious tissues in the body during interventions. Current electromagnetic tracking techniques for endoscopic navigation have limited accuracy due to tissue deformation and magnetic field distortion. To avoid these limitations and improve the endoscopic localization accuracy, this paper proposes a new endoscopic navigation framework that uses an optical mouse sensor to measure the endoscope movements along its viewing direction. We then enhance the differential evolution algorithm by modifying its mutation operation. Based on the enhanced differential evolution method, these movement measurements and image structural patches in endoscopic videos are fused to accurately determine the endoscope position. An evaluation on a dynamic phantom demonstrated that our method provides a more accurate navigation framework. Compared to state-of-the-art methods, it improved the navigation accuracy from 2.4 to 1.6 mm and reduced the processing time from 2.8 to 0.9 seconds.

Effects of reconstructed magnetic field from sparse noisy boundary measurements on localization of active neural source.

PubMed

Shen, Hui-min; Lee, Kok-Meng; Hu, Liang; Foong, Shaohui; Fu, Xin

2016-01-01

Localization of active neural source (ANS) from measurements on head surface is vital in magnetoencephalography. As neuron-generated magnetic fields are extremely weak, significant uncertainties caused by stochastic measurement interference complicate its localization. This paper presents a novel computational method based on reconstructed magnetic field from sparse noisy measurements for enhanced ANS localization by suppressing effects of unrelated noise. In this approach, the magnetic flux density (MFD) in the nearby current-free space outside the head is reconstructed from measurements through formulating the infinite series solution of the Laplace's equation, where boundary condition (BC) integrals over the entire measurements provide "smooth" reconstructed MFD with the decrease in unrelated noise. Using a gradient-based method, reconstructed MFDs with good fidelity are selected for enhanced ANS localization. The reconstruction model, spatial interpolation of BC, parametric equivalent current dipole-based inverse estimation algorithm using reconstruction, and gradient-based selection are detailed and validated. The influences of various source depths and measurement signal-to-noise ratio levels on the estimated ANS location are analyzed numerically and compared with a traditional method (where measurements are directly used), and it was demonstrated that gradient-selected high-fidelity reconstructed data can effectively improve the accuracy of ANS localization.

Enhancement of dynamic myocardial perfusion PET images based on low-rank plus sparse decomposition.

PubMed

Lu, Lijun; Ma, Xiaomian; Mohy-Ud-Din, Hassan; Ma, Jianhua; Feng, Qianjin; Rahmim, Arman; Chen, Wufan

2018-02-01

The absolute quantification of dynamic myocardial perfusion (MP) PET imaging is challenged by the limited spatial resolution of individual frame images due to division of the data into shorter frames. This study aims to develop a method for restoration and enhancement of dynamic PET images. We propose that the image restoration model should be based on multiple constraints rather than a single constraint, given the fact that the image characteristic is hardly described by a single constraint alone. At the same time, it may be possible, but not optimal, to regularize the image with multiple constraints simultaneously. Fortunately, MP PET images can be decomposed into a superposition of background vs. dynamic components via low-rank plus sparse (L + S) decomposition. Thus, we propose an L + S decomposition based MP PET image restoration model and express it as a convex optimization problem. An iterative soft thresholding algorithm was developed to solve the problem. Using realistic dynamic 82 Rb MP PET scan data, we optimized and compared its performance with other restoration methods. The proposed method resulted in substantial visual as well as quantitative accuracy improvements in terms of noise versus bias performance, as demonstrated in extensive 82 Rb MP PET simulations. In particular, the myocardium defect in the MP PET images had improved visual as well as contrast versus noise tradeoff. The proposed algorithm was also applied on an 8-min clinical cardiac 82 Rb MP PET study performed on the GE Discovery PET/CT, and demonstrated improved quantitative accuracy (CNR and SNR) compared to other algorithms. The proposed method is effective for restoration and enhancement of dynamic PET images. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Oil Spill AISA+ Hyperspectral Data Detection Based on Different Sea Surface Glint Suppression Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, J.; Ren, G.; Ma, Y.; Dong, L.; Wan, J.

2018-04-01

The marine oil spill is a sudden event, and the airborne hyperspectral means to detect the oil spill is an important part of the rapid response. Sun glint, the specular reflection of sun light from water surface to sensor, is inevitable due to the limitation of observation geometry, which makes so much bright glint in image that it is difficult to extract oil spill feature information from the remote sensing data. This paper takes AISA+ airborne hyperspectral oil spill image as data source, using multi-scale wavelet transform, enhanced Lee filter, enhanced Frost filter and mean filter method for sea surface glint suppression of images. And then the classical SVM method is used for the oil spill information detection, and oil spill information distribution map obtained by human-computer interactive interpretation is used to verify the accuracy of oil spill detection. The results show that the above methods can effectively suppress the sea surface glints and improve the accuracy of oil spill detection. The enhanced Lee filter method has the highest detection accuracy of 88.28 %, which is 12.2 % higher than that of the original image.

A method which can enhance the optical-centering accuracy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xue-min; Zhang, Xue-jun; Dai, Yi-dan; Yu, Tao; Duan, Jia-you; Li, Hua

2014-09-01

Optical alignment machining is an effective method to ensure the co-axiality of optical system. The co-axiality accuracy is determined by optical-centering accuracy of single optical unit, which is determined by the rotating accuracy of lathe and the optical-centering judgment accuracy. When the rotating accuracy of 0.2um can be achieved, the leading error can be ignored. An axis-determination tool which is based on the principle of auto-collimation can be used to determine the only position of centerscope is designed. The only position is the position where the optical axis of centerscope is coincided with the rotating axis of the lathe. Also a new optical-centering judgment method is presented. A system which includes the axis-determination tool and the new optical-centering judgment method can enhance the optical-centering accuracy to 0.003mm.