bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Elastic compression treatment of chronic superficial venous insufficiency of the lower limbs based on Doppler venous pressure index measurements
Authors: Corcos Leonardo , Pontello Daniele , Spina Tommaso
Published: March 2015

Ineffectiveness or discomfort from graduated elastic compression stockings (GES) in patients with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) and/or varicose veins of the lower limbs (VVLL) can depend of inappropriate counter pressure applied. Counter pressure was calculated by Doppler venous pressure index (VPI). The aim of this study was to verify the value VPI in the choice of GES. A total of 1212 LL of 606 patients subjected to VPI measurements VPI correlated with the various sites of reflux (R) and C of Clinical-Etiology-Anatomy-Pathophysiology (CEAP) classification. The difference between standing VPI the and normal values=counter pressure to be applied by GES. Questionnaire to 96 patients with CVI/VVLL wearing GES. Mean VPI values: greater saphenous (GSV)>smaller saphenous; GSV with isolated venous reflux (R) at the leg>GSV at the thigh; additional R in perforators increases VPI in all the districts; superficial R increases VPI in PT. Relation between VPI/C of CEAP: P<0.05-0.0001; 81/83/96 (97.5%) patients improved; 0 complained. R in GSV at the leg and in perforators increases VPI in deep veins. Few discrepancies VPI/CEAP can be expected. Standing VPI is highly predictive. The best choice of GES can be based on the VPI measurement.
A novel device for non-invasive cerebral perfusion assessment
Authors: Tessari Mirko , Malagoni Anna Maria , Vannini Maria Elena , Zamboni Paolo
Published: March 2015

Currently brain perfusion can be assessed by the means of radio-invasive methods, such as single-photon emission computed tomography and positron emission tomography, or by hightech methods such as magnetic resonance imaging. These methods are known to be very expensive, with long examination time, and finally, cannot be used for assessing brain oxygen distribution in relation to exercise and/or cognition-tests. The near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-invasive diagnostic technique. In real time it is capable of measuring tissue oxygenation using portable instrumentation with a relative low cost. We and other groups previously adopted this instrument for investigation of the oxygen consumption in the muscles at rest and during exercise. NIRS can be now used to assess brain perfusion through the intact skull in human subjects by detecting changes in blood hemoglobin concentrations. Changes in perfusion can be related to both arterial and venous problems. This novel equipment features allow for a wide field of innovative applications where portability, wearability, and a small footprint are essential. The present review shows how to use it in relation to exercise protocols of the upper and lower extremities, measured in healthy people and in conditions of arterial and chronic cerebro-spinal venous insufficiency.
The European professional phlebologist
Authors: Frullini Alessandro
Published: March 2015

Not available
Acute dizziness in rural practice: Proposal of a diagnostic procedure
Authors: Eid Ehab , Dastan Sajed , Heckmann Josef G.
Published: March 2015

Acute dizziness is a frequent index symptom in the emergency department as well as in the rural practice office. Most acute dizziness, however, is not dangerous, but some types are highly dangerous. Clinical routine acute dizziness can be separated into frequent benign syndromes including benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), vestibular neuritis, Menière’s disease or vestibular migraine, and what is here referred to as the “white shark” of dizziness, i.e. a stroke in the posterior circulation or more rarely a tumor in the posterior fossa. A practical concept is presented to clarify most frequent acute dizziness syndromes using clinical and low budget methods.
Echocardiographic Predictors of Ventricular Tachycardia
Authors: Catanzaro John N. , Makaryus John N. , Makaryus Amgad N. , Sison Cristina , Vavasis Christos , Fan Dali , Jadonath Ram
Published: March 2015

Background

Patients with structural heart disease are prone to ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF), which account for the majority of sudden cardiac deaths (SCDs). We sought to examine echocardiographic parameters that can predict VT as documented by implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) appropriate discharge. We examine echocardiographic parameters other than ejection fraction that may predict VT as recorded via rates of ICD discharge.

Methods

Analysis of 586 patients (469 males; mean age = 68 ± 3 years; mean follow-up time of 11 ± 14 months) was undertaken. Echo parameters assessed included left ventricular (LV) internal end diastolic/systolic dimension (LVIDd, LVIDs), relative wall thickness (RWT), and left atrial (LA) size.

Results

The incidence of VT was 0.22 (114 VT episodes per 528 person-years of follow-up time). Median time-to-first VT was 3.8 years. VT was documented in 79 patients (59 first VT incidence, 20 multiple). The echocardiographic parameter associated with first VT was LVIDs >4 cm ( P = 0.02).

Conclusion

The main echocardiographic predictor associated with the first occurrence of VT was LVIDs >4 cm. Patients with an LVIDs >4 cm were 2.5 times more likely to have an episode of VT. Changes in these echocardiographic parameters may warrant aggressive pharmacologic therapy and implantation of an ICD.
IVisTMSA: Interactive Visual Tools for Multiple Sequence Alignments
Authors: Pervez Muhammad Tariq , Babar Masroor Ellahi , Nadeem Asif , Aslam Naeem , Naveed Nasir , Ahmad Sarfraz , Muhammad Shah , Qadri Salman , Shahid Muhammad , Hussain Tanveer , Javed Maryam
Published: March 2015

IVisTMSA is a software package of seven graphical tools for multiple sequence alignments. MSApad is an editing and analysis tool. It can load 409% more data than Jalview, STRAP, CINEMA, and Base-by-Base. MSA comparator allows the user to visualize consistent and inconsistent regions of reference and test alignments of more than 21-MB size in less than 12 seconds. MSA comparator is 5,200% efficient and more than 40% efficient as compared to BALiBASE c program and FastSP, respectively. MSA reconstruction tool provides graphical user interfaces for four popular aligners and allows the user to load several sequence files at a time. FASTA generator converts seven formats of alignments of unlimited size into FASTA format in a few seconds. MSA ID calculator calculates identity matrix of more than 11,000 sequences with a sequence length of 2,696 base pairs in less than 100 seconds. Tree and Distance Matrix calculation tools generate phylogenetic tree and distance matrix, respectively, using neighbor joining% identity and BLOSUM 62 matrix.
Strongly Incompressible Curves
Authors: Garcia-Armas Mario
Published: March 2015

LetGbe a finite group. A faithfulG-varietyXis called strongly incompressible if every dominantG-equivariant rationalmap ofXonto another faithfulG-varietyYis birational. We settle the problem of existence of strongly incompressibleG-curves for any finite groupGand any base fieldkof characteristic zero.
La maladie de Whipple
Authors: Roche Jean-François
Published: March 2015

Décrite il y a plus d’un siècle par l’anatomopathologiste américain qui allait lui donner son nom, la maladie de Whipple, de par sa gravité, car toujours létale en l’absence de traitement, est plus que jamais un sujet de préoccupation pour les médecins. Rare, polymorphe, en interface de nombreuses spécialités où les gastro-entérologues tiennent une place de choix, elle a bénéficié de progrès diagnostiques constants, notamment grâce à la généralisation de l’endoscopie et aux acquis récents de la capsule vidéo-endoscopique. Le dynamisme des chercheurs, notamment français, a permis l’identification et la culture de l’agent microbien causal à l’aube du 21 e  siècle.
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy: A Promise Detection of Metabolic Changes in the Brain of Intrauterine Growth Restriction Fetuses
Authors: Vladareanu Radu , Zamfirescu Vlad
Published: March 2015

Technical and therapeutic advances have driven the development of fetal MRI, which is likely to become an increasingly important modality in the evaluation of sonographically complex or occult anomalies of the fetal brain and body. All radiologists involved in prenatal imaging should be aware of the applications and limitations of this modality.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have consistently demonstrated brain structural changes on intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). There is a need to improve MRI characterization of the anatomical patterns of brain reorganization associated with IUGR and to develop specific imaging biomarkers. Contrary to acute perinatal events, IUGR is a chronic condition that induces brain reorganization and abnormal maturation rather than gross tissue destruction. Diffusion MRI offers a promising approach to assess abnormalities in brain maturation and develop biomarkers for clinical use. The association between IUGR and short- and long-term neurodevelopmental and cognitive dysfunctions has been extensively described. Preliminary clinical results suggest that diffusion MRI could also be suitable to detect maturational changes occurring in chronic fetal conditions, including fetal cardiac defects and IUGR.

How to cite this article

Zamfirescu V, Vladareanu R, Vladareanu S. Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy: A Promise for Detection of Metabolic Changes in the Brain of Intrauterine Growth Restriction Fetuses. Donald School J Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2015;9(1):40-43.
Educação de adultos: novas oportunidades de literacia
Authors: Dionísio Maria de Lourdes
Published: March 2015

Numa sociedade quase totalmente estruturada sobre textos escritos, as práticas de literacia com que os indivíduos têm de se envolver diariamente são diferentes ordens e complexidades. A crença de que a participação no mundo da escrita depende apenas do domínio de habilidades específicas de compreensão (principalmente) e de produção de textos tem vindo a ser teórica e empiricamente desconstruída, particularmente no contexto do que tem vindo a ser chamado Novos Estudos de Literacia, que advogam a literacia como um conjunto de práticas sociais, histórica e culturalmente situadas, onde têm lugar eventos mediados por textos. Esta mesma perspetiva coloca sob escrutínio o que conta como literacia e, ao fazê-lo, a relação entre literacias institucionais ou dominantes e as pessoais ou vernáculas. Dessa forma, neste texto apresentamos alguns resultados de um estudo realizado junto de adultos que frequentaram processos de Reconhecimento, Validação e Certificação de Competências (RVCC), cujo principal objetivo foi compreender de que modo este processo educacional contribui para a transformação de identidades letradas. Os dados foram obtidos por questionário junto de 113 adultos, por recolha de documentos, e por entrevista. Da análise e cruzamento da informação obtida pode-se concluir o alargamento dos repertórios de práticas de literacia, por parte destes adultos tidos como “iletrados”, mas também de outras transformações nas suas identidades letradas, nomeadamente os seus ‘novos’ posicionamentos face às suas práticas vernáculas.
A condicionalidade de educação dos programas de transferência de renda: uma análise crítica do programa Bolsa Família
Authors: Neves Carnelossi Bruna Cristina , Bernardes Maria Eliza Mattosinho
Published: March 2015

O presente artigo analisa a relação de dependência entre educação e transferência de renda objetivada no Programa Bolsa Família, sobretudo entre sua proposta central de redução da pobreza e a contrapartida exigida na área da educação. A tese da eficácia de tal condicionalidade é posta aqui em questão, a partir do desenvolvimento de um esquema interpretativo que faz crítica aos reais limites da condicionalidade da educação quanto à sua contribuição no enfrentamento à pobreza no Brasil. A educação na execução do programa é investigada a partir da exposição teórica que questiona sua função e importância, enquanto instrumento capaz de intervir efetivamente no enfrentamento à pobreza. Entende-se que programas de transferência de renda atrelados à educação devem se fundamentar em uma proposta mais consistente sobre seu papel na contribuição do processo educativo das famílias beneficiárias do Programa Bolsa Família, portanto, sobre sua real influência no enfrentamento massivo da pobreza que acercam milhões de brasileiros.
Letramento na EJA: o que revelam os diários de campo das práticas de docência do Curso de Pedagogia?
Authors: Haracemiv Sonia Maria Chaves , Branco Veronica
Published: March 2015

Este artigo tem como objetivo apresentar uma pesquisa das práticas de letramento observadas, diagnosticadas e registradas nos Diários de Campo pelos licenciandos do Curso de Pedagogia da Universidade Federal do Paraná das salas de aulas multisseriadas, Educação de Jovens e Adultos (EJA), nas escolas da rede municipal de Curitiba. Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo com orientações de pesquisa-ação, no qual vem sendo investigada a relação entre a concepção teórica de letramento dos acadêmicos e a concepção prática vivida nas salas de aula de na disciplina de Prática de Docência dos anos iniciais do Ensino Fundamental. Nesta pesquisa, os registros analisados indicam a necessidade de que os professores regentes de EJA e estagiários conheçam as práticas de letramento nas quais seus alunos se inserem, organizando a prática pedagógica interventiva, de forma que o letramento na EJA parta do letramento das relações sociais, com possibilidades de ampliação da participação e emancipação do jovem e adulto, pela compreensão das dimensões contextuais do mundo em que vive, sendo que o falar e o escrever sejam significativos para os sujeitos que as realizam.
Leitura na Educação de Jovens e Adultos e a formação de leitores
Authors: Freitas Marinaide Queiroz , Cavalcante Valéria Campos
Published: March 2015

Este artigo é um recorte de uma pesquisa realizada em 2009, que teve como objetivo analisar o processo de leitura nas situações de sala de aula das turmas de pós-alfabetização da Educação de Jovens e Adultos (EJA), em escolas públicas municipais e estaduais em Maceió, tendo como categorias de análise leitura, gêneros textuais e eventos e práticas de letramento. A natureza da investigação configurou-se como qualitativo-interpretativa, baseada em estudo de caso. Os resultados do estudo indicaram que nas escolas pesquisadas não se compreende a importância da leitura para a ampliação do letramento dos sujeitos, uma vez que ela permanece ocupando um lugar secundário nos projetos pedagógicos e, consequentemente, na prática de sala de aula. Na prática de uma professora, que foi objeto da pesquisa e que comentamos neste artigo, ficaram explícitas dificuldades no trato com a leitura e letramento dos educandos, sobretudo, no que disse respeito aos fundamentos linguísticos, necessários às atividades para trabalhar a leitura. Sendo assim, a profissional age muitas vezes baseada na intuição, ou transplanta para a modalidade práticas pedagógicas que vivenciou em seu período de escolarização.
From Gallipoli (1915) to the War of Independence (1919-1922): Modernisation of Turkish Womanhood
Authors: Cevik-Compiegne Burcu
Published: March 2015

In many countries, the services of nurses during the First World War have recently been given a commemorative space in an attempt to make the memory of the war more inclusive and less masculine.  In contrast, Turkish nurses’ experience has so far been studied only from a nursing education and practice perspective. This article aims to shed light on this forgotten story by taking a gender and war studies perspective and reflect upon the much-celebrated memory of women fighters in Turkey.
Coniston
Authors: Kelly Francis Jurpururla
Published: March 2015

Francis Jurpurula Kelly gave the three talks which follow around the time when the land known as Yurrkuru or Brookes Soak was handed back through a deed of grant under the Northern Territory Land Rights Act to the Yurrkuru Aboriginal Land Trust on 8 October 2014. The text of these three talks is presented here.
Exploiting the sensitivity of two satellite cloud height retrievals to cloud vertical distribution
Authors: Carbajal Henken C. K. , Doppler L. , Lindstrot R. , Preusker R. , Fischer J.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. This work presents a study on the sensitivity of two satellite cloud height retrievals to cloud vertical distribution. The difference in sensitivity is exploited by relating the difference in the retrieved cloud heights to cloud vertical extent. The two cloud height retrievals, performed within the Freie Universität Berlin AATSR MERIS Cloud (FAME-C) algorithm, are based on independent measurements and different retrieval techniques. First, cloud top temperature (CTT) is retrieved from Advanced Along Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR) measurements in the thermal infrared. Second, cloud top pressure (CTP) is retrieved from Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) measurements in the oxygen-A absorption band. Both CTT and CTP are converted to cloud top height (CTH) using atmospheric profiles from a numerical weather prediction model. A sensitivity study using radiative transfer simulations in the near-infrared and thermal infrared were performed to demonstrate the larger impact of the assumed cloud vertical extinction profile on MERIS than on AATSR top-of-atmosphere measurements. The difference in retrieved CTH (ΔCTH) from AATSR and MERIS are related to cloud vertical extent (CVE) as observed by ground-based lidar and radar at three ARM sites. To increase the impact of the cloud vertical extinction profile on the MERIS-CTP retrievals, single-layer and geometrically thin clouds are assumed in the forward model. The results of the comparison to the ground-based observations were separated into single-layer and multi-layer cloud cases. Analogous to previous findings, the MERIS-CTP retrievals appear to be close to pressure levels in the middle of the cloud. Assuming a linear relationship, the ΔCTH multiplied by 2.5 gives an estimate on the CVE for single-layer clouds. The relationship is weaker for multi-layer clouds. Due to large variations of cloud vertical extinction profiles occurring in nature, a quantitative estimate of the cloud vertical extent is accompanied with large uncertainties. Yet, estimates of the CVE can contribute to the characterization of a cloudy scene. To demonstrate the plausibility of the approach, an estimate of the CVE was applied to a case study. In light of the follow-up mission Sentinel-3 with AATSR and MERIS like instruments, Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer (SLSTR) and (Ocean and Land Colour Instrument) OLCI, respectively, for which the FAME-C algorithm can be easily adapted, a more accurate estimate of the CVE can be expected. OLCI will have three channels in the oxygen-A absorption band, thus providing more pieces of information on the cloud vertical extinction profile.
Quantifying sensitivity to droughts – an experimental modeling approach
Authors: Staudinger M. , Weiler M. , Seibert J.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. Meteorological droughts like those in summer 2003 or spring 2011 in Europe are expected to become more frequent in the future. Although the spatial extent of these drought events was large, not all regions were affected in the same way. Many catchments reacted strongly to the meteorological droughts showing low levels of streamflow and groundwater, while others hardly reacted. Also, the extent of the hydrological drought for specific catchments was different between these two historical events due to different initial conditions and drought propagation processes. This leads to the important question of how to detect and quantify the sensitivity of a catchment to meteorological droughts. To assess this question we designed hydrological model experiments using a conceptual rainfall-runoff model. Two drought scenarios were constructed by selecting precipitation and temperature observations based on certain criteria: one scenario was a modest but constant progression of drying based on sorting the years of observations according to annual precipitation amounts. The other scenario was a more extreme progression of drying based on selecting months from different years, forming a year with the wettest months through to a year with the driest months. Both scenarios retained the observed intra-annual seasonality for the region. We evaluated the sensitivity of 24 Swiss catchments to these scenarios by analyzing the simulated discharge time series and modeled storage. Mean catchment elevation, slope and area were the main controls on the sensitivity of catchment discharge to precipitation. Generally, catchments at higher elevation and with steeper slopes appeared less sensitive to meteorological droughts than catchments at lower elevations with less steep slopes.
DEEP NEURAL NETWORKS FOR ABOVE-GROUND DETECTION IN VERY HIGH SPATIAL RESOLUTION DIGITAL ELEVATION MODELS
Authors: Marmanis D. , Adam F. , Datcu M. , Esch T. , Stilla U.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. Deep Learning techniques have lately received increased attention for achieving state-of-the-art results in many classification problems, including various vision tasks. In this work, we implement a Deep Learning technique for classifying above-ground objects within urban environments by using a Multilayer Perceptron model and VHSR DEM data. In this context, we propose a novel method called M-ramp which significantly improves the classifier’s estimations by neglecting artefacts, minimizing convergence time and improving overall accuracy. We support the importance of using the M-ramp model in DEM classification by conducting a set of experiments with both quantitative and qualitative results. Precisely, we initially train our algorithm with random DEM tiles and their respective point-labels, considering less than 0.1% over the test area, depicting the city center of Munich (25 km2). Furthermore with no additional training, we classify two much larger unseen extents of the greater Munich area (424 km2) and Dongying city, China (257 km2) and evaluate their respective results for proving knowledge-transferability. Through the use of M-ramp, we were able to accelerate the convergence by a magnitude of 8 and achieve a decrease in above-ground relative error by 24.8% and 5.5% over the different datasets.
MEASUREMENT PRECISION AND ACCURACY OF THE CENTRE LOCATION OF AN ELLIPSE BY WEIGHTED CENTROID METHOD
Authors: Matsuoka R.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. Circular targets are often utilized in photogrammetry, and a circle on a plane is projected as an ellipse onto an oblique image. This paper reports an analysis conducted in order to investigate the measurement precision and accuracy of the centre location of an ellipse on a digital image by an intensity-weighted centroid method. An ellipse with a semi-major axis a, a semi-minor axis b, and a rotation angle θ of the major axis is investigated. In the study an equivalent radius r = (a2cos2θ + b2sin2θ)1/2 is adopted as a measure of the dimension of an ellipse. First an analytical expression representing a measurement error (ϵx, ϵy,) is obtained. Then variances Vx of ϵx are obtained at 1/256 pixel intervals from 0.5 to 100 pixels in r by numerical integration, because a formula representing Vx is unable to be obtained analytically when r > 0.5. The results of the numerical integration indicate that Vxwould oscillate in a 0.5 pixel cycle in r and Vx excluding the oscillation component would be inversely proportional to the cube of r. Finally an effective approximate formula of Vx from 0.5 to 100 pixels in r is obtained by least squares adjustment. The obtained formula is a fractional expression of which numerator is a fifth-degree polynomial of {r−0.5×int(2r)} expressing the oscillation component and denominator is the cube of r. Here int(x) is the function to return the integer part of the value x. Coefficients of the fifth-degree polynomial of the numerator can be expressed by a quadratic polynomial of {0.5×int(2r)+0.25}.
AUTOMATED DETECTION OF OIL DEPOTS FROM HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGES: A NEW PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Ok A. O. , Başeski E.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. This paper presents an original approach to identify oil depots from single high resolution aerial/satellite images in an automated manner. The new approach considers the symmetric nature of circular oil depots, and it computes the radial symmetry in a unique way. An automated thresholding method to focus on circular regions and a new measure to verify circles are proposed. Experiments are performed on six GeoEye-1 test images. Besides, we perform tests on 16 Google Earth images of an industrial test site acquired in a time series manner (between the years 1995 and 2012). The results reveal that our approach is capable of detecting circle objects in very different/difficult images. We computed an overall performance of 95.8% for the GeoEye-1 dataset. The time series investigation reveals that our approach is robust enough to locate oil depots in industrial environments under varying illumination and environmental conditions. The overall performance is computed as 89.4% for the Google Earth dataset, and this result secures the success of our approach compared to a state-of-the-art approach.
ADVANCED DTM GENERATION FROM VERY HIGH RESOLUTION SATELLITE STEREO IMAGES
Authors: Perko R. , Raggam H. , Gutjahr K. H. , Schardt M.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. This work proposes a simple filtering approach that can be applied to digital surface models in order to extract digital terrain models. The method focusses on robustness and computational efficiency and is in particular tailored to filter DSMs that are extracted from satellite stereo images. It represents an evolution of an existing DTM generation method and includes distinct advancement through the integration of multi-directional processing as well as slope dependent filtering, thus denoted “MSD filtering”. The DTM generation workflow is fully automatic and requires no user interaction. Exemplary results are presented for a DSM generated from a Pléiades tri-stereo image data set. Qualitative and quantitative evaluations with respect to highly accurate reference LiDAR data confirm the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF 3D RECONSTRUCTION USING FISHEYE AND PERSPECTIVE SENSORS
Authors: Strecha C. , Zoller R. , Rutishauser S. , Brot B. , Schneider-Zapp K. , Chovancova V. , Krull M. , Glassey L.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. Recent mathematical advances, growing alongside the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, have not only overcome the restriction of roll and pitch angles during flight but also enabled us to apply non-metric cameras in photogrammetric method, providing more flexibility for sensor selection. Fisheye cameras, for example, advantageously provide images with wide coverage; however, these images are extremely distorted and their non-uniform resolutions make them more difficult to use for mapping or terrestrial 3D modelling. In this paper, we compare the usability of different camera-lens combinations, using the complete workflow implemented in Pix4Dmapper to achieve the final terrestrial reconstruction result of a well-known historical site in Switzerland: the Chillon Castle. We assess the accuracy of the outcome acquired by consumer cameras with perspective and fisheye lenses, comparing the results to a laser scanner point cloud.
IMPROVING THE ACCURACY OF ESTIMATED 3D POSITIONS USING MULTI-TEMPORAL ALOS/PRISM TRIPLET IMAGES
Authors: Susaki J. , Kishimoto H.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. In this paper, we present a method to improve the accuracy of a digital surface model (DSM) by utilizing multi-temporal triplet images. The Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) / Panchromatic Remote-sensing Instrument for Stereo Mapping (PRISM) measures triplet images in the forward, nadir, and backward view directions, and a DSM is generated from the obtained set of triplet images. To generate a certain period of DSM, multiple DSMs generated from individual triplet images are compared, and outliers are removed. Our proposed method uses a traditional surveying approach to increase observations and solves multiple observation equations from all triplet images via the bias-corrected rational polynomial coefficient (RPC) model. Experimental results from using five sets of PRISM triplet images taken of the area around Saitama, north of Tokyo, Japan, showed that the average planimetric and height errors in the coordinates estimated from multi-temporal triplet images were 3.26 m and 2.71 m, respectively, and that they were smaller than those generated by using each set of triplet images individually. As a result, we conclude that the proposed method is effective for stably generating accurate DSMs from multi-temporal triplet images.
VALIDATION OF BIM COMPONENTS BY PHOTOGRAMMETRIC POINT CLOUDS FOR CONSTRUCTION SITE MONITORING
Authors: Tuttas S. , Braun A. , Borrmann A. , Stilla U.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. Construction progress monitoring is a primarily manual and time consuming process which is usually based on 2D plans and therefore has a need for an increased automation. In this paper an approach is introduced for comparing a planned state of a building (as-planned) derived from a Building Information Model (BIM) to a photogrammetric point cloud (as-built). In order to accomplish the comparison a triangle-based representation of the building model is used. The approach has two main processing steps. First, visibility checks are performed to determine whether or not elements of the building are potentially built. The remaining parts can be either categorized as free areas, which are definitely not built, or as unknown areas, which are not visible. In the second step it is determined if the potentially built parts can be confirmed by the surrounding points. This process begins by splitting each triangle into small raster cells. For each raster cell a measure is calculated using three criteria: the mean distance of the points, their standard deviation and the deviation from a local plane fit. A triangle is confirmed if a sufficient number of raster cells yield a high rating by the measure. The approach is tested based on a real case inner city scenario. Only triangles showing unambiguous results are labeled with their statuses, because it is intended to use these results to infer additional statements based on dependencies modeled in the BIM. It is shown that the label built is reliable and can be used for further analysis. As a drawback this comes with a high percentage of ambiguously classified elements, for which the acquired data is not sufficient (in terms of coverage and/or accuracy) for validation.
EXTRACTING MOBILE OBJECTS IN IMAGES USING A VELODYNE LIDAR POINT CLOUD
Authors: Vallet B. , Xiao W. , Brédif M.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. This paper presents a full pipeline to extract mobile objects in images based on a simultaneous laser acquisition with a Velodyne scanner. The point cloud is first analysed to extract mobile objects in 3D. This is done using Dempster-Shafer theory and it results in weights telling for each points if it corresponds to a mobile object, a fixed object or if no decision can be made based on the data (unknown). These weights are projected in an image acquired simultaneously and used to segment the image between the mobile and the static part of the scene.
CONTEXTUAL CLASSIFICATION OF POINT CLOUD DATA BY EXPLOITING INDIVIDUAL 3D NEIGBOURHOODS
Authors: Weinmann M. , Schmidt A. , Mallet C. , Hinz S. , Rottensteiner F. , Jutzi B.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. The fully automated analysis of 3D point clouds is of great importance in photogrammetry, remote sensing and computer vision. For reliably extracting objects such as buildings, road inventory or vegetation, many approaches rely on the results of a point cloud classification, where each 3D point is assigned a respective semantic class label. Such an assignment, in turn, typically involves statistical methods for feature extraction and machine learning. Whereas the different components in the processing workflow have extensively, but separately been investigated in recent years, the respective connection by sharing the results of crucial tasks across all components has not yet been addressed. This connection not only encapsulates the interrelated issues of neighborhood selection and feature extraction, but also the issue of how to involve spatial context in the classification step. In this paper, we present a novel and generic approach for 3D scene analysis which relies on (i) individually optimized 3D neighborhoods for (ii) the extraction of distinctive geometric features and (iii) the contextual classification of point cloud data. For a labeled benchmark dataset, we demonstrate the beneficial impact of involving contextual information in the classification process and that using individual 3D neighborhoods of optimal size significantly increases the quality of the results for both pointwise and contextual classification.
THE POTENTIAL OF SPECULAR REFLECTIONS FOR FAÇADE IMAGE ANALYSIS
Authors: Drauschke M. , Mayer H.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. Several approaches for window detection have been proposed in recent years, which all use the window size, shape or position within the façade as characteristics for the detection. In this paper another property of windows is proposed for their detection: Windows are made of glass, so they tend to specularly reflect sun light, while the surrounding wall diffusely reflects it. To this end, colour values in multiple views are analysed to detect specular reflections. In the experiments, walls often show a high homogeneity of small colour differences, and many windows are clearly visible in the form of colour differences. Nevertheless, it is difficult to segment windows from the façade if there is no prior knowledge about the intensity of the scene’s illumination. Promising results are obtained if the façade lies in the shadow, e.g., of another building or a tree.
A LOW COST ROKKAKU KITE SETUP FOR AERIAL PHOTOGRAMMETRIC SYSTEM
Authors: Khan A. F. , Khurshid K. , Saleh N. , Yousuf A. A.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. Orthogonally Projected Area (OPA) of a geographical feature has primarily been studied utilizing rather time consuming field based sampling techniques. Remote sensing on the contrary provides the ability to acquire large scale data at a snapshot of time and lets the OPA to be calculated conveniently and with reasonable accuracy. Unfortunately satellite based remote sensing provides data at high cost and limited spatial resolution for scientific studies focused at small areas such as micro lakes micro ecosystems, etc. More importantly, recent satellite data may not be readily available for a particular location. This paper describes a low cost photogrammetric system to measure the OPA of a small scale geographic feature such as a plot of land, micro lake or an archaeological site, etc. Fitted with a consumer grade digital imaging system, a Rokkaku kite aerial platform with stable flight characteristics is designed and fabricated for image acquisition. The data processing procedure involves automatic Ground Control Point (GCP) detection, intelligent target area shape determination with minimal human input. A Graphical User Interface (GUI) is built from scratch in MATLAB to allow the user to conveniently process the acquired data, archive and retrieve the results. Extensive on-field experimentation consists of multiple geographic features including flat land surfaces, buildings, undulating rural areas, and an irregular shaped micro lake, etc. Our results show that the proposed system is not only low cost, but provides a framework that is easy and fast to setup while maintaining the required constraints on the accuracy.
TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING URBAN PATTERNS AND STRUCTURES
Authors: Michaelsen E. , Gabler R. , Scherer-Negenborn N.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. Intelligent urban design is a set of principles for desirable future urban structures. Existing urban structures can be analysed using remotely sensed images. In order to foster this analysis both in speed and objectivity automation is proposed in this work. Automatic Gestalt perception is distinguished from automatic knowledge-based analysis. Both will be required. For the Gestalt side an algebraic approach is utilized. This Gestalt algebra operates on a 6-D domain containing position, orientation, frequency, scale and assessment. It defines how to form aggregates from parts. Any Gestalt can be combined with arbitrary others, but good assessments are only achieved, if the parts are mutually in Gestalt-arrangements. There are operations for mirror-symmetry, good continuation in rows and rotational-symmetry. In this paper experiments are made only with mirror-symmetry and row-continuation. Example images of Thimphu, Bhutan and Phoenix, Arizona are obtained by use of Google Earth. The results are to a large degree in accordance with human perceptual grouping. Some illusory groupings not in accordance with human perception, as well as examples salient to humans which are not instantiated by the system, are discussed as well.
IMPROVING LINEAR SPECTRAL UNMIXING THROUGH LOCAL ENDMEMBER DETECTION
Authors: Ramak R. , Valadan Zouj M. J. , Mojaradi B.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. There are a considerable number of mixed pixels in remotely sensed images. Different sub-pixel analyses have been recently developed correspondingly. A well-known method is linear spectral unmixing which obtains an abundance of each endmember in a given pixel. This model assumes that each pixel is a linear combination of all endmembers in a scene. This assumption is not correct since each pixel can only be a composition of some surrounding endmembers. Even though, a fully mathematical technique is used for spectral analysis, the output of the model may not represent the physical nature of the objects over the pixel under test. In this regard, this paper proposes a Local Linear Spectral Unmixing which is based on neighbor pixels classes. Having classified the image, using a supervised classifier, it is scanned through a window of an appropriate size. For each pixel at the center of the window, the endmember matrix is formed only based on the majority classes existed in the window. Then the amount of each one is calculated. The LLSU method was evaluated on an AVIRIS data set collected from an agricultural area of northern Indiana. The results of the proposed method demonstrate a significant improvement in comparison with the LSU results. Moreover, due to the dimension reduction of the endmember matrix in this method, the computation time of the LLSU speeds up by three to eight times compared to the conventional Linear Spectral Unmixing method. As a result, the proposed method is efficient over the spectral unmixing tasks.
A NOVEL APPROACH FOR EDGE DETECTION OF LOW CONTRAST SATELLITE IMAGES
Authors: Singh K. K. , Bajpai M. K. , Pandey R. K.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. Discrimination between texture edges and geometrical edges is very difficult in low contrast images. Satellite images are low contrast images. It is important to extract the edges that are not clearly visible in case of Satellite images. The present work encompasses a new edge detection algorithm using newly constructed differentiator. Chebyshev polynomial based fractional order differentiator has been used for filtering operation on an image. High pass and Low pass filters are designed with the concept of Quadrature Mirror Filter (QMF). Pre-processing has been performed by using this filter. Sobel edge detection method has been applied on this pre-processed image. The algorithm has been tested with two different satellite images.
RELATIVE POSE ESTIMATION USING IMAGE FEATURE TRIPLETS
Authors: Chuang T. Y. , Rottensteiner F. , Heipke C.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. A fully automated reconstruction of the trajectory of image sequences using point correspondences is turning into a routine practice. However, there are cases in which point features are hardly detectable, cannot be localized in a stable distribution, and consequently lead to an insufficient pose estimation. This paper presents a triplet-wise scheme for calibrated relative pose estimation from image point and line triplets, and investigates the effectiveness of the feature integration upon the relative pose estimation. To this end, we employ an existing point matching technique and propose a method for line triplet matching in which the relative poses are resolved during the matching procedure. The line matching method aims at establishing hypotheses about potential minimal line matches that can be used for determining the parameters of relative orientation (pose estimation) of two images with respect to the reference one; then, quantifying the agreement using the estimated orientation parameters. Rather than randomly choosing the line candidates in the matching process, we generate an associated lookup table to guide the selection of potential line matches. In addition, we integrate the homologous point and line triplets into a common adjustment procedure. In order to be able to also work with image sequences the adjustment is formulated in an incremental manner. The proposed scheme is evaluated with both synthetic and real datasets, demonstrating its satisfactory performance and revealing the effectiveness of image feature integration.
Mesoscale variability in the Arabian Sea from HYCOM model results and observations: impact on the Persian Gulf Water path
Authors: L'Hégaret P. , Duarte R. , Carton X. , Vic C. , Ciani D. , Baraille R. , Corréard S.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. The Arabian Sea and Sea of Oman circulation and water masses, subject to the monsoon forcing, reveal a strong seasonal variability and intense mesoscale features. We describe and analyse this variability and these features, using both meteorological data (from ECMWF reanalyses), in-situ observations (from the ARGO float program and the GDEM climatology), satellite altimetry (from AVISO) and a regional simulation with a primitive equation model (HYCOM). The EOFs of the seasonal variability of the water masses quantify their main changes in thermohaline characteristics and in position. The model and observations display comparable variability, and the model is then used to analyse the three-dimensional structure of eddies and water masses with a higher resolution. The mesoscale eddies have a deep dynamical influence and strongly drive the water masses at depth. In particular, in the Sea of Oman, the Persian Gulf Water presents several offshore ejection sites and a complex recirculation, depending on the mesoscale eddies. This water mass is also captured inside the eddies via several mechanisms, keeping high thermohaline characteristics in the Arabian Sea. These characteristics are validated on the GOGP99 cruise data.
Pluripotent Cell Models of Fanconi Anemia Identify the Early Pathological Defect in Human Hemoangiogenic Progenitors
Authors: Suzuki Naoya M. , Niwa Akira , Yabe Miharu , Hira Asuka , Okada Chihiro , Amano Naoki , Watanabe Akira , Watanabe Ken-ichiro , Heike Toshio , Takata Minoru , Nakahata Tatsutoshi , Saito Megumu K.
Published: March 2015

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a disorder of genomic instability characterized by progressive bone marrow failure (BMF), developmental abnormalities, and an increased susceptibility to cancer. Although various consequences in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells have been attributed to FA-BMF, the quest to identify the initial pathological event is still ongoing. To address this issue, we established induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from fibroblasts of six patients with FA and FANCA mutations. An improved reprogramming method yielded iPSC-like colonies from all patients, and iPSC clones were propagated from two patients. Quantitative evaluation of the differentiation ability demonstrated that the differentiation propensity toward the hematopoietic and endothelial lineages is already defective in early hemoangiogenic progenitors. The expression levels of critical transcription factors were significantly downregulated in these progenitors. These data indicate that the hematopoietic consequences in FA patients originate from the early hematopoietic stage and highlight the potential usefulness of iPSC technology for elucidating the pathogenesis of FA-BMF.
Actin foci facilitate activation of the phospholipase C-γ in primary T lymphocytes via the WASP pathway
Authors: Kumari Sudha , Depoil David , Martinelli Roberta , Judokusumo Edward , Carmona Guillaume , Gertler Frank B , Kam Lance C , Carman Christopher V , Burkhardt Janis K , Irvine Darrell J , Dustin Michael L
Published: March 2015

Wiscott Aldrich Syndrome protein (WASP) deficiency results in defects in calcium ion signaling, cytoskeletal regulation, gene transcription and overall T cell activation. The activation of WASP constitutes a key pathway for actin filament nucleation. Yet, when WASP function is eliminated there is negligible effect on actin polymerization at the immunological synapse, leading to gaps in our understanding of the events connecting WASP and calcium ion signaling. Here, we identify a fraction of total synaptic F-actin selectively generated by WASP in the form of distinct F-actin ‘foci’. These foci are polymerized de novo as a result of the T cell receptor (TCR) proximal tyrosine kinase cascade, and facilitate distal signaling events including PLCγ1 activation and subsequent cytoplasmic calcium ion elevation. We conclude that WASP generates a dynamic F-actin architecture in the context of the immunological synapse, which then amplifies the downstream signals required for an optimal immune response.
New ways to make a blood cell
Authors: Anderl Ines , Hultmark Dan
Published: March 2015

In a niche under the skin in Drosophila larvae, blood cells called plasmatocytes can transform into other classes of blood cell.
Erratum to: Understanding nitrile-degrading enzymes: classification, biocatalytic nature and current applications
Authors: Rodríguez Jorge Ricaño
Published: March 2015

Nitrile-degrading enzymes commonly known as nitrilase enzymes are able to metabolize nitrile-substituent compounds and they have several industrial applications, for example: in drugs synthesis. It is also common to observe their exploitation for obtaining chemical compounds with commercial interests related to cosmetics production, paints and additives. In addition, these are frequently used in the active metabolites synthesis of pesticides. Due to the catalytic nature of such proteins, it is possible to take advantage of their biotechnological potential to be applied in various scientific fields including synthetic biocatalysis and environmental remediation, since they have been successfully used for soils nitrile-wastes decontamination such as cyanide, bromoxynil and benzonitrile. On the other hand, these enzymes are considered very important intermediaries of metabolic pathways related to indolic compounds that are produced by bacteria, plants and superior fungi, acting in most cases as vegetal growth hormones. Given the fact that indole-derivative molecules play an important role in physiological responses in superior organisms, nitrilase enzymes may be considered as important part of unknown multi-enzymatic secondary metabolites pathways. In light of the above considerations, this review attempts to summarize the current status of nitrilase research and describing in detail the main characteristics of nitrile-converting enzymes with emphasis on fungal proteins, including their function and catalytic selectivity. Likewise, their relationship with plant metabolism and biotechnological importance in bioremediation processes is discussed.