Large-scale simulation studies in image pattern recognition

Many obstacles to progress in image pattern recognition result from the fact that per-class distributions are often too irregular to be well-approximated by simple analytical functions. Simulation studies offer one way to circumvent these obstacles. We present three closely related studies of machine-printed character recognition that rely on synthetic data generated pseudo-randomly in accordance with an explicit stochastic model of document image degradations. The unusually large scale of experiments - involving several million samples that makes this methodology possible have allowed us to compute sharp estimates of the intrinsic difficulty (Bayes risk) of concrete image recognition problems, as well as the asymptotic accuracy and domain of competency of classifiers     

A simple handling technique for mammalian oocytes and embryos during preparation for transmission electron microscopy

Due to their small size, mammalian oocytes and embryos pose unique problems during preparation for transmission electron microscopy. This paper outlines a method which combines protein embedding with centrifugation to locate the specimens on the face of a Beem capsule mould. This method facilitates both the processing of oocytes with minimal loss and rapid location of the specimens within the block for simultaneous sectioning, staining and examination.     

乙烯氧化制环氧乙烷固定床反应器的模拟及稳定性分析

在筛选出合适的乙烯氧化制环氧乙烷动力学方程的基础上,对工业固定床氧化反应器进行一维和二维模型的模拟计算。考察操作工艺参数对反应器稳定性、转化率影响的敏感性以及N_2和CH_4做致稳气时反应温度和转化率的轴向、径向分布。     

Investigation of texture effect on visual colour difference evaluation

The texture effect on visual colour difference evaluation was investigated in this study. Five colour centers were selected and textured colour pairs were generated using scanned textile woven fabrics and colour‐mapping technique. The textured and solid colour pairs were then displayed on a characterized cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor for colour difference evaluation. The colour difference values for the pairs with texture patterns are equal to 5.0 CIELAB units in lightness direction. The texture level was represented by the half‐width of histogram, which is called texture strength in this study. High correlation was found between texture strength and visual colour difference for textured colour pairs, which indicates that an increasing of 10 units of texture strength in luminance would cause a decreasing of 0.25 units visual difference for the five colour centers. The ratio of visual difference between textured and solid colour pairs also indicates a high parametric effect of texture. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 30, 341–347, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/col.     

Laser scattering instrument for real time in-vivo measurement of ciliary activity in human fallopian tubes

Based on a laser light scattering technique and fibre optic probe, we have developed and tested a simple and practical device for real time measurements of ciliary activity in human Fallopian tubes during laparoscopy and laparotomy. A further aim was to investigate the relationship between the ciliary beat frequency (CBF) and the morphology of the ciliary epithelium. The mean +/- SE of CBF in the fimbria and in the ampulla were 5.4 +/- 0.3 Hz and 5.0 +/- 0.1 Hz respectively. Small pieces of fimbria and ampulla epithelium were taken from the same sites at which the CBF was measured, and the percentage of ciliary cells was determined by scanning electron microscopy. A high positive correlation was found between CBF and the percentage of ciliary cells in the fimbria (r = 0.84) and in the ampulla (r = 0.88). The instrument presented in this study provided, for the first time, a quantitative examination of the CBF in intact human Fallopian tubes and may be used for the investigation of ciliary activity in patients with infertility.     

Curvilinear fatigue crack reliability analysis by stochastic boundary element method

In this paper, the stochastic boundary element method, which combines the mixed boundary integral equations method explored in Reference 1 with the first-order reliability method, is developed to study probabilistic fatigue crack growth. Due to the high degree of complexity and non-linearity of the response, direct differentiation coupied with the response-surface method is employed to determine the response gradient. Three random processes, the mode I and mode II. stress intensity factors and the crack direction angle, are included in the expression of the response gradient. The sensitivity of these random processes is determined using a first-order response model. An iteration scheme based on the HL-RF method² is applied to locate the most probable failure point on the limit-state surface. The accuracy and efficiency of the stochastic boundary element method are evaluated by comparing the cumulative distribution function of the fatigue life obtained with Monte Carlo simulation. The reliability index and the corresponding probability of failure are calculated for a fatigue crack growth problem with randomness in the crack geometry, defect geometry, fatigue parameters and external loads. The response sensitivity of each primary random variable at the design point is determined to show its role in the fatigue failure. The variation of each primary random variable at the design point with the change of probability of failure is also presented in numerical examples.     

Urban radiowave propagation: a 3-D path-integral wave analysis

A discussion concerning the need for three-dimensional (3-D) urban radiowave propagation models is presented and followed by a review of previously published work on this topic using the asymptotic path-integral technique. The limitations and advantages of this technique are explained and it is applied to study diffraction by a small number of canonical geometries. The validity of this technique is verified by comparison with controlled laboratory measurements taken at millimetric wave frequencies. Finally, its ability to classify field components according to their distribution in space is employed in order to analyze the observed field strength distributions in the model environments     

Comparison of the glucose-lowering properties of vanadyl sulfate and bis(maltolato)oxovanadium(IV) following acute and chronic administration

The possibility that progesterone or estradiol may regulate expression of G protein in the rat myometrium during the course of pregnancy has been investigated using 1) immunoblot analysis of Gi2 alpha, Gi3 alpha, and Gq alpha subunits and 2) hybridization blot analysis of subunit mRNA. Eighteen hours after administration, estradiol had significantly increased the levels of both Gi2 alpha subunit and Gi2 alpha mRNA (by 40% and 32%, respectively). In control pregnant rats, we observed similar changes at the end of pregnancy, when myometrial concentrations of estradiol had increased, i.e., a 41% increase in immunoreactive Gi2 alpha subunit that correlated with a parallel 45% increase in mRNA levels. In contrast, levels of immunoreactive Gi3 alpha subunit and mRNA, which decreased with advancing gestation, were not influenced by estradiol or progesterone administration. Progesterone administration resulted 30 h later in a significantly decreased level of Gq alpha immunoreactivity (32%) and Gq alpha mRNA (30%). In control rats, Gq alpha protein and mRNA were also significantly lower at midpregnancy under progesterone dominance vs. term. At this stage, a twofold increase in Gq alpha subunit correlated with a 40% increase in mRNA levels. These results demonstrate that myometrial Gi2 alpha and Gq alpha subunits are physiological targets for estradiol and progesterone, respectively, in vivo. Alterations of these G protein levels are discussed in relation to their mediating effects on adenylyl cyclase activity or the phospholipase C pathway during the course of pregnancy.     

Tight bounds on Rician-type error probabilities and someapplications

Consider the classic problem of evaluating the probability that one Rician random variable exceeds another, possibly correlated, Rician random variable. This probability is given by Stein (1964) in terms of the Marcum's Q-function, which requires numerical integration on the computer for its evaluation. To facilitate application in many digital communication problems, we derive here tight upper and lower bounds on this probability. The bounds are motivated by a classic result in communication theory, namely, the error probability performance of binary orthogonal signaling over the Gaussian channel with unknown carrier phase. Various applications of the bounds are reported, including the evaluation of the bit error probabilities of MDPSK and MPSK with differential detection and generalized differential detection, respectively. The bounds prove to be tight in all cases. Further applications will be reported in the future