Comparison of the eye's wave-front aberration measured psychophysically and with the Shack-Hartmann wave-front sensor

The Shack-Hartmann wave-front sensor offers many theoretical advantages over other methods for measuring aberrations of the eye; therefore it is essential that its accuracy be thoroughly tested. We assessed the accuracy of a Shack-Hartmann sensor by directly comparing its measured wave-front aberration function with that obtained by the Smirnov psychophysical method for the same eyes. Wave-front profiles measured by the two methods agreed closely in terms of shape and magnitude with rms differences of approximately lambda/2 and approximately lambda/6 (5.6-mm pupil) for two eyes. Primary spherical aberration was dominant in these profiles, and, in one subject, secondary coma was opposite in sign to primary coma, thereby canceling its effect. Discovery of an unusual, subtle wave-front anomaly in one individual further demonstrated the accuracy and sensitivity of the Shack-Hartmann wave-front sensor for measuring the optical quality of the human eye.     

Microcirculatory bed of the rat ovary in health and under laser irradiation

Personal clinical observations during the recent years allow the authors to confirm the indisputable value of surgical experience got during the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) and in particular, the "fourfold" scheme proposed by V. I. Voiachek for the diagnosis and treatment of blind gunshot wounds to the skull base. Computed tomography considerably increases the probability of detection of the exact localization of foreign bodies in complex anatomical structures of the skull and thus facilitates choosing the most rational surgical management. The use of the electro-optical transducer for the extraction of foreign bodies from almost inaccessible areas of the skull base decreases the risk of operation.     

Problem-solving models and search strategies for pattern recognition

Noting the major limitations of multivariate statistical classification and syntactic pattern recognition models, this paper presents an overview of some recent work using alternate representations for multistage and nearest neighbor multiclass classification, and for structural analysis and feature extraction. These alternate representations are based on generalizations of state-space and AND/OR graph models and search strategies developed in artificial intelligence (AI). The paper also briefly touches on other current interactions and differences between artificial intelligence and pattern recognition.     

Parallel algorithm on inversion for adjacent pentadiagonal matrices with MPI

In this work, the method based on the work of Huang and McColl on analytical inversion of general tridiagonal matrices is parallelized with MPI. The proposed method is not only capable of finding inverses of full pentadiagonal matrices, but also of those with pentadiagonal envelope, such as tridiagonal matrices. The method is modified to generate an MPI algorithm. The speed-up performance of the parallelized algorithm is also analyzed on different cases.     

A study of postoperative wound management in nursing

Wound management has changed considerably over the past decade. The change from dry to moist healing is the result of new scientific evidence. The number and variety of wound care products available on the market have increased, along with the importance of the acceptability of a particular type of product to individual patients' lifestyles. Annual worldwide expenditure on wound care is estimated to be in the region of $7 billion (US). The implications of efficient and effective wound healing for both the patient and the economy, therefore, are massive. This article presents the results of a study of postoperative wound management. The need for consistent and regular wound assessment is demonstrated and linked with length of hospital stay.