Deconvolution improves colocalization analysis of multiple fluorochromes in 3D confocal data sets more than filtering techniques

Background and noise impair image quality by affecting resolution and obscuring image detail in the low intensity range. Because background levels in unprocessed confocal images are frequently at about 30% maximum intensity, colocalization analysis, a typical segmentation process, is limited to high intensity signal and prone to noise‐induced, false‐positive events. This makes suppression or removal of background crucial for this kind of image analysis. This paper examines the effects of median filtering and deconvolution, two image‐processing techniques enhancing the signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR), on the results of colocalization analysis in confocal data sets of biological specimens. The data show that median filtering can improve the SNR by a factor of 2. The technique eliminates noise‐induced colocalization events successfully. However, because filtering recovers voxel values from the local neighbourhood false‐negative (‘dissipation’ of signal intensity below threshold value) as well as false‐positive (‘fusion’ of noise with low intensity signal resulting in above threshold intensities), results can be generated. In addition, filtering involves the convolution of an image with a kernel, a procedure that inherently impairs resolution. Image restoration by deconvolution avoids both of these disadvantages. Such routines calculate a model of the object considering various parameters that impair image formation and are able to suppress background down to very low levels (< 10% maximum intensity, resulting in a SNR improved by a factor 3 as compared to raw images). This makes additional objects in the low intensity but high frequency range available to analysis. In addition, removal of noise and distortions induced by the optical system results in improved resolution, which is of critical importance in cases involving objects of near resolution size. The technique is, however, sensitive to overestimation of the background level. In conclusion, colocalization analysis will be improved by deconvolution more than by filtering. This applies especially to specimens characterized by small object size and/or low intensities.     

基于中值滤波和形态学的去噪算法

提出了一种基于中值滤波和灰度形态学的去噪算法。首先利用中值滤波和形态学滤波的方法对原始图像进行去噪处理,而后叠加经过高帽变换的图像以增强边缘信息,改善了传统中值滤波算法易造成边缘模糊和对噪声强度敏感的不足。该算法简洁、耗时少。算法的实用性用计算机进行了仿真验证。     

基于空-频域映射与虚警抑制的弱小目标检测算法

为了有效控制红外弱小目标检测过程中的虚警率,提高复杂云背景下的目标检测准确度,提出了基于空域-频域映射与虚警抑制的弱小目标检测算法。根据红外中心像素不同方向上的强度值,构建了方向最大中值滤波器,有效消除噪声;并利用中心像素与其邻域像素的强度差异,形成背景抑制滤波,充分增强弱小目标;考虑云区域的特有属性,联合非线性滤波,定义了云区域识别机制,提取空域映射;引入Butterworth差异低通滤波器,对去噪图像中的显著目标完成初步识别;基于其幅度信息,进行显著目标的精细检测;再利用细显著性检测结果,计算阈值,利用二值分割方法来获取去噪红外图像的频域映射;联合空域映射与频域映射,提取红外图像中的候选目标;根据真实动目标与虚警之间的运动特征差异,利用多尺度改进的管道滤波来抑制虚警,准确识别出真实目标。实验数据表明,相对于已有的弱小目标识别方案,所提方案能够准确地识别出真实目标,拥有更好的ROC特性曲线。     

领导-部属交换对组织负面影响机制研究——印象管理的研究视角

在34个团队共688份问卷的基础上,从资源为导向的发展观出发,探讨领导-部属交换水平对员工职业成长的影响机制,并检验了领导-部属交换差异性在上述资源分配影响过程中的调节作用。通过跨层次的研究方法,研究发现领导-部属交换水平对员工职业成长有正向相关作用,并且对员工的迎合行为有正向影响,员工迎合行为在上述影响过程中起到中介作用。在探讨领导-部属交换差异性对上述影响机制的调节作用时,通过数据发现,领导-部属交换差异性在领导-部属交换水平对员工职业成长的影响中有调节作用。阐述了上述研究结论所产生的原因,探讨了领导-部属交换过程领导所面临的双重困境。     

Experiments on drawing 2-level hierarchical graphs

This paper studies different heuristics for drawing 2-level hierarchical graphs. Especially, we compare the barycenter and the median heuristics. We show that the barycenter heuristic clearly outperforms the median heuristic, although only the latter has a proved bound for the maximum error done when two vertices are ordered. Moreover, we improve a known heuristic, called the greedy switching, by introducing the barycenter heuristic as a preprocessing phase for it.     

Assessing the influence of repeated exposures and mental stress on human wayfinding performance in indoor environments using virtual reality technology

This study aimed to examine the effect of repeated exposures to indoor environments on people’s indoor wayfinding performance, both under normal condition and during fire emergency which could induce significant mental stress. Indoor wayfinding experiments were conducted in an immersive virtual museum developed using virtual reality technologies. Participants of the experiments were divided into three groups, who participated in one, two and three trials, respectively. Those who participated in more than one trial were given an interval of two weeks between two consecutive trials. Each trial of the experiment included a treasure hunting task and an egress task. Participants were presented with a virtual fire emergency during the egress task of their last trial. Data of wayfinding performance measures of the participants, as well as their physiological and emotional responses, sense of direction, wayfinding anxiety and simulator sickness were collected and analyzed. The results revealed significant positive impact of repeated exposure on participants’ wayfinding performance, which resulted in a decrease in the time needed to complete the treasure hunting task. The results also revealed significant negative impact of mental stressed caused by the fire emergency on participants’ wayfinding performance, which led to increased travel time and distance during egress. Such negative impact of stress, however, could be noticeably diminished by the repeated exposures, showing significant interaction effect between these two factors.     

Effect of working position and cold environment on muscle activation level and fatigue in the upper limb during manual work tasks

Several occupational groups are exposed to periods of low ambient temperatures while performing manual work tasks outdoors. Work tasks typically include heavy lifting, tool handling, and overhead work. This study evaluated the effect of working position and cold environment on muscle activation level (%RMS_max) and fatigue in the upper limb during manual work tasks. Fourteen male participants (25 ± 3 years, 80.9 ± 6.4 kg, 182 ± 5 cm) completed a 2-h test protocol consisting of five test periods alternating with four work periods, wearing identical sets of clothing, under cold (−15 °C) and control (5 °C) conditions. The work periods consisted of manual work at the hip level, manual overhead work, and a lifting exercise. The test periods consisted of isometric maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) and seated rest. Skin temperatures decreased during cold exposure, especially in the extremities. %RMS_max in the forearm was higher in the cold condition both during overhead work and work at the hip level than that for the same work in the control condition, especially at the end of the test when the difference was approximately 25% (equating to 2–3 %RMS_max). For the middle deltoid muscle, the %RMS_max was approximately three times (or 10 %RMS_max) higher during overhead work than work at the hip level, but there was no additional cost of working in the cold. Signs of deltoid muscle fatigue (decrease in electromyography median power frequency and an increase in %RMS_max) were observed during the overhead work periods in both temperature conditions. No decrease in MVC, as a sign of overall muscle fatigue, was observed in either condition.Relevance to industryThis study demonstrated that when wearing suitable cold-weather protective clothing, the adverse effect of work posture is much higher than that of cold on muscle demand and physical strain.     

Scale effect on the behaviour of geogrid-reinforced soil under repeated loads

One of the most useful geosynthetics in soil reinforcement is geogrid due to its high tensile strength, having a great influence on soil skeleton reinforcement and eventually, increasing bearing capacity of the foundation. In this research, a series of 36 repeated plate load tests have been carried out to investigate the scale effect on geogrid-reinforced soil, tending to further understanding of the behaviour of geogrid-reinforced soil system. Four different soil grains sizes, two different geogrid's aperture sizes (with roughly the same tensile strength) and three different loading plate sizes are the variables considered. During the tests, the applied loading and soil surface settlements were recorded to evaluate the systems' response. As it was expected, the reinforced soil exhibited higher bearing capacity than the unreinforced status, up to 635%. The results show that increasing loading plate size and soils' particle size fortify the response of foundation, especially in reinforced status, against the loading plate penetration. The results further focused on the important role of scale effect on the response of reinforced foundation. It was understood that the optimum nominal aperture size of geogrids should be about 4 times of medium grain size of soil. Also, it was found out that in order to acquisition of highest reinforcement benefits, the footing's width should be in the range 13–25 (20 in average) times of medium grain size of the backfill. Finally, to achieve the best results, it is recommended that the aperture size of geogrids should be selected roughly 0.2 times of footing width.     

Guide to Quality Control,Second Revised English Edition

We introduce a very general “forward” method of data analysis that starts from a small, robustly chosen subset of the data and shows the effect of adding observations by a forward search. Powerful diagnostic procedures result: The observations are ordered by their agreement with the proposed transformation, masking is overcome, and the inferential effect of each observation is clear. We apply the resulting method to the transformation of both univariate and multivariate data. Other applications of the forward search are mentioned.     

结合局域均值分解的多尺度中值滤波

针对中值滤波性能受滤波窗口长度影响的问题,提出了一种结合局域均值分解(Local Mean Decomposition,LMD)的多尺度中值滤波方法,并对其在遥测信号脉冲噪声抑制中的应用进行了分析.利用LMD将待分析信号分解为不同尺度的乘积函数(Product Function,简称PF),按PF的阶次设定中值滤波窗口长度对PF分别进行中值滤波,用滤波后PF重构获的脉冲噪声抑制后信号.这一方法在抑制脉冲噪声干扰的同时,可最大程度保护信号的细节信息不受损失.仿真信号和实测信号处理证明了方法的有效性.