3D soft-tissue tracking using spatial-color joint probability distribution and thin-plate spline model

Visual tracking techniques based on stereo endoscope are developed to measure tissue motion in robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery. However, accurate 3D tracking of tissue surfaces remains challenging due to complicated deformation, poor imaging conditions, specular reflections and other dynamic effects during surgery. This study employs a robust and efficient 3D tracking scheme with two independent recursive processes, namely kernel-based inter-frame motion estimation and model-based intra-frame 3D matching. In the first process, target region is represented in joint spatial-color space for robust estimation. By defining a probabilistic similarity measure, a mean-shift-based iterative algorithm is derived for location of the target region in a new image. In the second process, the thin-plate spline model is used to fit the 3D shape of tissue surfaces around the target region. An iterative algorithm based on an efficient second-order minimization technique is derived to compute optimal model parameters. The two processes can be computed in parallel. Their outputs are combined to recover 3D information about the target region. The performance of the proposed method is validated using phantom heart videos and in vivo videos acquired by the daVinci^®${\mathrm{daVinci}}^{\circledR }$ surgical robotic platform and a synthesized data set with known ground truth.     

Gas/liquid dispersions with a SMX static mixer in the laminar regime

A Sulzer SMX mixer was used to disperse gas into viscous, Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids. The investigation covered the effect of the dispersed phase volume fraction, the viscosity of the continuous phase, the mixer length and the power draw. The flow regime was kept laminar in all the experiments. The dispersion of gas was carried out with gas concentrations between 1% and 7% in volume. Using the “process viscosity” concept, it was possible to collapse all the measured sizes on a single master curve by using the energy consumption in the mixer as the common variable between the experiments. Comparison was made with a Kenics mixer. The SMX mixer was found to be better adapted to the dispersion task due to its internal structure.     

Structure and functional complementation of engineered fragments from yeast phosphoglycerate kinase

Previous studies have shown that, although the isolated structuraldomains of yeast phosphoglycerate kinase recover a quasi-nativestructure in vitro as well as in vivo, they do not reassociatenor generate a functional enzyme. The aim of this work was firstto study the folding of complementary fragments different fromstructural domains and second to determine the requirementsfor their reassociation and functional complementation. Themethod used for producing rigorously defined fragments consistsof the introduction of a unique cysteinyl residue in the proteinfollowed by a specific cleavage by 5'5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoate)/potassiumcyanide at this residue. Two pairs of complementary fragmentswere thus obtained, 1–96/97–415 and 1–248/249–415.The structure and stabilities of the different fragments werestudied. The short fragments, i.e. 1–96 and 249–415were found to contain some secondary structure, but to havea low stability. Each large fragment has a high structural contentand a stability close to that of the corresponding domain. Incontrast to that observed with the isolated domains, a weakbut significant complementation was observed for the two pairsof fragments; the pair of fragments 1–248/249–415recovered 8% of the activity of the native enzyme upon complementation.An independent refolding of the complementary fragments beforereassociation decreased the yield of complementation for thepair of fragments 1–96/97–415, but did not affectthe complementation for the other pair (1–248/249–415).From the present data and previous work on the isolated domains,it appears that the correct folding of the isolated fragmentsis not a prerequisite for their complementation.     

Microstructure transformation and stress-strain behavior of isotactic polypropylene under large plastic deformation

The macroscopic stress-strain behavior of monoclinic polypropylene samples was investigated at 70°C under uniaxial tension and simple shear by means of a special videometric testing system that gives access to the constitutive equation of plastic behavior at constant strain rate up to large deformation. At several levels of plastic strain, the microstructural evolution of the material was characterized by means of X-ray scattering, densitometry and viscoelastic analysis. It appears that the strain hardening is high in tension, whereas it is nearly zero in shear. This behavior is associated with the development of a fiber texture in tension, which differs drastically from the planar crystalline texture developed in shear. Furthermore, it is shown that structural damage takes place as the plastic deformation proceeds in tension, while only little damage is recorded in shear. A viscoplastic model has been developed that specifically tales into account the various slip systems activated in the polypropylene crystallites and the elastic interactions of the lamellae through a self-consistent scheme. Simulations based on this model reproduce correctly the contrasting strain-hardening in tension and in shear and the different crystalline textures induced for these two loading paths.     

Sterols,methyl sterols,triterpene alcohols and fatty acids of the kernel fat of different malagasy mango(Mangifera indica) varieties

The kernel fat content of 16 different mango varieties collected from the Northwestern part of Madagascar island were examined. The fat content (22–54%) was determined by chloroform/methanol extraction. Investigation by gas liquid chromatography (GLC) revealed 15 fatty acids, mainly palmitic (7–12%), stearic (22–40%), oleic (41–48%) and linoleic (7–17%). Significant correlations were observed among the main fatty acids. Testing for the sterol fraction in 15 mango varieties allowed us to separate and quantitatively analyze 7 sterols by GLC. The main sterols wereβ-sitosterol (47–76%), stigmasterol (12–23%) and campesterol (7–12%). The stigmasterol/campesterol ratio (1.2:2.3) was lower in mango kernel fat than in cocoa butter. Among the 4-methyl sterol fractions, gramisterol, lophenol, obtusifoliol and citrostadienol were tentatively identified by GLC. Lupeol, cycloartenol,α- andβ-amyrins and friedelinol were tentatively identified by GLC in the triterpene alcohols fractions.     

Application of the percolation model to gelation of an epoxy resin

The percolation model has been applied to the study of gelation of the TGDDM-DDS system (tetraglycidyldiaminodiphenylmethane–diaminodiphenylsulfone) at a mass concentration of 100–30. For each temperature the experimental viscosity curves are satisfactorily described by a percolation law. Using the degree of chemical reactions, X, as a variable, a very clear change in the reaction mechanism with temperature can be shown. Then a rate of advancement of effective reactions, Y, is defined. This value only takes intermolecular-type reactions into account, and is probably the only variable on which viscosity depends in a percolation law: η = B(1 ? Y/Y_c)^?p. We obtain Y_c= 0.45 and p= 2.0. Comparing X_c and Y_c at the gel point, we obtain information on the proportion of intramolecular reactions with temperature. It is also demonstrated that the critical percolation threshold agrees closely with the gel point determined experimentally on log G″= f(t) curves.     

Efficiency of mineral admixtures in mortars: Quantification of the physical and chemical effects of fine admixtures in relation with compressive strength

This work is the fourth part of an overall project the aim of which was the development of general mix design rules for concrete containing different kinds of mineral admixtures. The two first parts presented the separation and quantification, by means of an empirical model based on semi-adiabatic calorimetry measurements, of the different physical effects responsible for changes in cement hydration (short terms) when chemically inert quartz powders were used in mortars. Part three dealt with an intensive experimental program, presenting and commenting more than 2000 compressive strength measurements. This program concerned 1 day to 6 months old mortars containing up to 75% of inert and pozzolanic admixtures. All these compressive strength results are analyzed in this fourth part and the influence of three effects, namely dilution, heterogeneous nucleation and the pozzolanic effect, are discriminated and quantitatively evaluated. An efficiency concept is proposed in order to take into account the effect of mineral admixture in mortars from both the physical and chemical points of view. It uses an efficiency function ξ(p) that has notable properties: it is independent of time, independent of fineness and independent of the type of mineral admixture.     

Team cognition in a cyber defense context: focus on social support behaviors

In the face of increasingly prominent cyber security issues, the organization of cyber team analysts has become crucial to thwart cyber threats. Few studies have examined the functioning of the team and the interaction between individuals in a cyber defense context and how the context influences team adaptation. The present study investigates team cognition in a cyber defense context and in particular the nature of task- or team-centered communication among analysts during a cyber defense simulation exercise. Results indicate that markers of situation assessment and shared mental models are both strategically present and linked. Nevertheless, the frequency of these markers varies depending on the quantity and quality of problems encountered; in particular, variations in social support behaviors are observed. Decreasing social support behaviors during high level activities suggests the adaptation of social behaviors depending on the threats and attacks on the system. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in terms of theories and potential consequences for strategic adaptation and team resilience.

     

Upcycling by grafting onto semi-crystalline polymers using supercritical CO2

The creation of graft copolymers by selectively grafting a second polymer to the amorphous fraction of a semi-crystalline polymer in supercritical CO₂ is demonstrated herein. The graft copolymer is synthesized by free radical polymerization of a vinyl monomer within the semi-crystalline polymer below its melt temperature. Such conditions afford selective grafting on the amorphous regions (block “B”) while leaving the crystalline domains (block “A”) unmodified. Accordingly, unique A-B, A-B-A, A-B-A-B-A, and so forth. block structures are formed. In this work, styrene is polymerized within polyamide 6, polyethylene terephthalate, and isotactic polypropylene. Purification of these material is performed to remove the un-grafted homopolymer, allowing for determination of the graft yield, the portion of polymer which covalently bonds to the semi-crystalline matrix. Grafting yields achieved in polyamide 6, polyethylene terephthalate, and isotactic polypropylene were 98%, 59%, and 15%, respectively. Property enhancements were observed upon further characterization of polystyrene-polyamide 6 copolymers, including high glass transition temperatures, the ability to be remelted, and tunable grafting molecular weight. Additionally, hydrophobicity is controlled by varying polystyrene composition. The remarkable range of accessed properties demonstrates this as a potential route to upcycling plastics.