Editorial: Special Issue on “Texture Analysis and Synthesi”

International Journal of Computer Vision -     

UNION: underwater intelligent operation and navigation

The main goal of the UNION ESPRIT Basic Research Action is to develop methods for increasing the autonomy and intelligence of underwater remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). The project focuses mainly on the development of coordinated control and sensing strategies for combined manipulator and vehicle systems. Both fundamental theories and methods for the design of these heterogeneous systems are investigated. A complex canonical mission in the field of offshore inspection maintenance and repair tasks was chosen as an integration guideline of all the results     

Comparison of three rough surface classifiers

Texture analysis techniques are used to segment rough surfaces into regions of homogeneous texture. The performance of three rough surface classifiers was assessed and compared. The classifiers differ in their discrimination as well as in their input and computational requirements. Simulation and experiment were used to identify the limitations of the classifiers and to identify which classifier is best suited to a particular task. A series of guidelines for the choice of classifier is presented and justified.     

DNA and a CpG oligonucleotide derived from Babesia bovis are mitogenic for bovine B cells

DNAs from bacteria and variety of nonvertebrate organisms, including nematodes, mollusks, yeasts, and insects, cause polyclonal activation of murine B lymphocytes. Similar studies have not been reported for bovine B cells, and to date no studies have reported mitogenic properties of protozoal DNA for any species. However, we and others have observed that protozoal parasite antigens can induce the proliferation of lymphocytes from nonexposed donors. Extending these studies, we now show that the mitogenic property of protozoal antigen preparations is in part attributable to parasite DNA and that Babesia bovis DNA is directly mitogenic for bovine B cells. DNase treatment of B. bovis extracts abrogated B. bovis-induced proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from nonexposed cattle. Like DNAs from other organisms that were mitogenic for murine B cells, B. bovis DNA is largely nonmethylated and induced a dose-dependent proliferation of bovine B cells, which was reduced upon methylation. Furthermore, B. bovis and E. coli DNAs enhanced immunoglobulin secretion by cultured B cells, inducing moderate increases in immunoglobulin G1 and stronger increases in immunoglobulin G2. Because certain nonmethylated CpG motifs present in bacterial DNA are known to stimulate proliferation of murine and human B cells, an 11-kb fragment of B. bovis DNA was analyzed for CG dinucleotide content and for the presence of known immunostimulatory sequences (ISS) centered on a CG motif. The frequency of CG dinucleotides was approximately one-half of the expected frequency, and several CpG hexameric sequences with known activity for murine B cells were identified. An oligodeoxynucleotide containing one of these ISS (AACGTT), which is present within the rhoptry-associated protein-1 (rap-1) open reading frame, was shown to stimulate B-cell proliferation. These ISS may be involved in host immune modulation during protozoal infection and may be useful as vaccine adjuvants.     

Prospects and Problems in the Dyeing and Finishing of Differential-dyeing Nylon 6.6 Yarns

In the first section of the paper, the various types of differcntial-dyeing nylon 6.6 yarns are described, together with recommended dyes and the colour effects attainable. The effect of dyebath pH and the degree of sulphonation of acid dyes and the use of buffer systems, antiprccipitants, levelling agents and syntans are then dealt with. Finally, the main end-uses—warp- and weft-knitted and woven fabrics, and carpets—are discussed, with special reference to dyeing techniques.     

Optimal illumination for three-image photometric stereo using sensitivity analysis

The optimal placement of the illumination for three-image photometric stereo acquisition of smooth and rough surface textures with respect to camera noise is derived and verified experimentally. The sensitivities of the scaled surface normal elements are derived and used to provide expressions for the noise variances. An overall figure of merit is developed by considering the image-based rendering (i.e. relighting) of Lambertian surfaces. This metric is optimised numerically with respect to the illumination angles. An orthogonal configuration was found to be optimal. With regard to constant slant, the optimal separation between the tilt angles of successive illumination vectors was found to be 120/spl deg/. The optimal slant angle was found to be 90/spl deg/ for smooth surface textures and 55/spl deg/ for rough surface textures.     

The psychological evaluation of child sexual abuse using the Louisville Behavior Checklist and Human Figure Drawing

Accurately detecting victims of child sexual abuse when physical evidence is lacking is a problem frequently faced by clinicians. This study investigated whether Human Figure Drawings and the Louisville Behavior Checklist could be used to accurately identify sexually abused children, mental health clinic-referred children, and community children. Discriminant function analysis indicated that the groups differed significantly on the measures. There was some misclassification of individual children on the basis of their checklist and drawing scores. Results suggested limited support for the Louisville Behavior Checklist but caution in using Human Figure Drawings in the assessment of sexual abuse.