Efficient storage of healthcare data in XML-based smart cards

In this paper we present storage structures for efficiently processing XML path queries on healthcare data stored in smart cards using XML format. In the design of the storage structures that we present, properties of healthcare data and fundamental types of queries on the healthcare data are taken into account as well as the constraints of the smart cards. We compare the space and time efficiency of the proposed storage structures for various types of queries.     

Experimental evaluation of intrinsic and nonstationary ultrasonic Doppler spectral broadening in steady and pulsatile flow loop models

Intrinsic and nonstationary Doppler spectral broadening, and the skewness of the spectral representation, were evaluated experimentally using porcine red cell suspensions as ultrasonic scatterers. Theoretically, the relative Doppler bandwidth, defined as the intrinsic bandwidth divided by the mean Doppler frequency shift, should be velocity independent. The relative Doppler bandwidth invariance theorem was experimentally verified with an in vitro steady laminar blood flow model. It is shown that the relative bandwidth is both independent of the flow velocity and blood hematocrit. Using a pulsatile laminar flow model, the authors demonstrated that the relative Doppler bandwidth invariance theorem did not hold during flow acceleration and deceleration. In addition, a positive skewness of the Doppler spectra was observed during acceleration while a negative skewness was measured during the deceleration of blood. The effect of the window duration used in the Fourier spectral computation, on nonstationary broadening, is characterized.     

A new adaptive mean frequency estimator: application to constant variance color flow mapping

A class of adapted mean frequency estimators is proposed for color flow mapping. These estimators can be fitted to the specific characteristics of a given Doppler signal to optimize the compromise between the range of analysable frequencies and the variance of mean frequency estimation. A sub-optimal estimator is derived for real-time applications, and an adaptive criterion based on the Doppler signal variance is developed for color flow mapping applications. Its performance is compared to that of the usual correlation phase estimator on simulated Doppler signals and on synthetic Doppler images. An improvement in image quality is achieved, mainly for low signal-to-noise ratio Doppler signals.     

ITALIAN MONEY TESTED FOR FORGERY BY MOSSBAUER SPECTROSCOPY

Italian money has been investigated by Mossbauer spectroscopy. The results indicated that the spectrum of a 10000 lire bank-note consisted of three magnetic sextets and two quadrupole doublets, the spectrum of a 50000 lire note consisted of two Zeeman sextets, but in the "false" money there are two quadrupole doublets only.