Selected Algorithms of Quantitative Image Analysis for Measurements of Properties Characterizing Interfacial Interactions at High Temperatures.

In the case of every quantitative image analysis system a very important issue is to improve the quality of images to be analyzed, in other words, their pre-processing. As a result of pre-processing, the significant part of the redundant information and disturbances (which could originate from imperfect vision system components) should be removed from the image. Another particularly important problem to be solved is the right choice of image segmentation procedures. Segmentation essence is to divide an image into disjoint subsets that meet certain criteria for homogeneity (e.g. color, brightness or texture). The result of segmentation should allow the most precise determination of geometrical features of objects present in a scene with a minimum of computing effort. The measurement of geometric properties of objects present in the scene is the subject of image analysis

Algebraic Comparison of Partial Lists in Bioinformatics

The outcome of a functional genomics pipeline is usually a partial list of genomic features, ranked by their relevance in modelling biological phenotype in terms of a classification or regression model. Due to resampling protocols or just within a meta-analysis comparison, instead of one list it is often the case that sets of alternative feature lists (possibly of different lengths) are obtained. Here we introduce a method, based on the algebraic theory of symmetric groups, for studying the variability between lists ("list stability") in the case of lists of unequal length. We provide algorithms evaluating stability for lists embedded in the full feature set or just limited to the features occurring in the partial lists. The method is demonstrated first on synthetic data in a gene filtering task and then for finding gene profiles on a recent prostate cancer dataset

Evaluation of Cartosat-1 Multi-Scale Digital Surface Modelling Over France

On 5 May 2005, the Indian Space Research Organization launched Cartosat-1, the eleventh satellite of its constellation, dedicated to the stereo viewing of the Earth's surface for terrain modeling and large-scale mapping, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (India). In early 2006, the Indian Space Research Organization started the Cartosat-1 Scientific Assessment Programme, jointly established with the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Within this framework, this study evaluated the capabilities of digital surface modeling from Cartosat-1 stereo data for the French test sites of Mausanne les Alpilles and Salon de Provence. The investigation pointed out that for hilly territories it is possible to produce high-resolution digital surface models with a root mean square error less than 7.1 m and a linear error at 90% confidence level less than 9.5 m. The accuracy of the generated digital surface models also fulfilled the requirements of the French Reference 3D®, so Cartosat-1 data may be used to produce or update such kinds of products

Measurements, Models, Systems and Design

531 s.

Podsumowanie rocznych wyników kontroli odtwarzalności napromieniania w świętokrzyskim centrum onkologii

PurposeTo study the accuracy of patients positioning treated with external beams in the Holycross Cancer Centre in Kielce.Material and methodsDisplacements between digitised reference-simulator film and portal film were measured with the Port-Pro and home made programme AutoPort. Based on the data obtained for patients treated in the Holycross Cancer Centre and those published reaction levels for every localisation were defined: 5 mm for patients treated in the pelvic region – and also 5 mm for lung, breast and brain cancer patients. If the reaction level was exceeded the analysis of the set-up procedure was performed and the portal control was repeated. All the results were presented to the radiotherapists during the check meeting once a week. Over one year 524 pairs of film were compared for in 307 patients.ResultsIn 42 patients the action levels were exceeded during the last year. Twenty-four of them were irradiated in the pelvic region, 11 were irradiated for the breast, 3 were treated for brain tumours and the remaining 4 for lung cancer. In all cases portal verification was repeated. In 10 cases the difference larger than the action level was also observed so the simulation was performed once again.ConclusionsThe results showed that of patient preparation and implementation of radiotherapy provides a clinically acceptable reproducibility of patient set-up. The results stress the continuous need for paying attention to every patient's positioning and to the need of for the analysis of portal verification data collected over a long period of time. The data of the analysis showed the need for the implementation of specific control procedures for breast irradiation in our hospital.CelPrezentacja wyników odtwarzalności napromieniania pacjentów leczonych radykalnie, przy pomocy napromieniania wiązkami zewnętrznymi w Świętokrzyskim Centrum Onkologii w okresie jednego roku.Materiał i metodyZastosowano technikę oceny przesunięcia pomiędzy cyfrowo przetworzonym zdjęciem z symulatora (zdjęcie odniesienia) a cyfrowo przetworzonymi zdjęciami sprawdzającymi, z wykorzystaniem programu PIPSpro oraz własnego programu AutoPort. Na podstawie wstępnej analizy i w oparciu o dane literaturowe wybrano poziomy reagowania dla poszczególnych lokalizacji: dla pacjentów napromienianych w rejonie miednicy mniejszej 5 mm, dla pacjentów z nowotworem płuc – 5 mm, dla pacjentów z nowotworem piersi 4 mm i nowotworem mózgu 4 mm. W przypadkach przekroczenia poziomu reagowania podejmowano działania wyjaśniające i powtarzano procedurę sprawdzenia. Wyniki uzyskane opisaną techniką prezentowano radioterapeutom w ramach cotygodniowych przeglądów zdjęć odniesienia i sprawdzających. W przeciągu jednego roku przebadano 524 pary filmów dla 307 pacjentów.WynikiDla 42 pacjentów został przekroczony poziom reagowania. W tym dla 24 pacjentów napromienianych w rejonie miednicy, 11 napromienianych z powodu nowotworu piersi, 3 z powodu nowotworu mózgu i dla 4 z nowotworem płuca. W 10 przypadkach ponownie stwierdzono przekroczenie poziomu reagowania. Dla 5 pacjentów napromienianych w rejonie miednicy wykryto błąd systematyczny.WnioskiProcedura przygotowania i realizacji teleradioterapii w Świętokrzyskim Centrum Onkologii jest realizowana prawidłowo. Otrzymane wyniki wskazują na ogromną wagę realizowania kontroli powtarzalności napromieniania dla każdego pacjenta, jak również gromadzenia danych i analizowania ich w dłuższym okresie czasu. Podjęto decyzję o opracowaniu odrębnego protokołu jej przeprowadzenia dla pacjentek napromienianych z powodu nowotworu piersi

Textural classification of land cover using support vector machines : an empirical comparison with parametric, non parametric and hybrid classifiers in the Bolivian Amazon

Land cover classification is a key research field in remote sensing and land change science as thematic maps derived from remotely sensed data have become the basis for analyzing many socio-ecological issues. However, land cover classification remains a difficult task and it is especially challenging in heterogeneous tropical landscapes where nonetheless such maps are of great importance. The present study aims to establish an efficient classification approach to accurately map all broad land cover classes in a large, heterogeneous tropical area of Bolivia, as a basis for further studies (e.g., land cover-land use change). Specifically, we compare the performance of parametric (maximum likelihood), non-parametric (k-nearest neighbour and four different support vector machines - SVM), and hybrid classifiers, using both hard and soft (fuzzy) accuracy assessments. In addition, we test whether the inclusion of a textural index (homogeneity) in the classifications improves their performance. We classified Landsat imagery for two dates corresponding to dry and wet seasons and found that non-parametric, and particularly SVM classifiers, outperformed both parametric and hybrid classifiers. We also found that the use of the homogeneity index along with reflectance bands significantly increased the overall accuracy of all the classifications, but particularly of SVM algorithms. We observed that improvements in producer's and user's accuracies through the inclusion of the homogeneity index were different depending on land cover classes. Earlygrowth/degraded forests, pastures, grasslands and savanna were the classes most improved, especially with the SVM radial basis function and SVM sigmoid classifiers, though with both classifiers all land cover classes were mapped with producer's and user's accuracies of around 90%. Our approach seems very well suited to accurately map land cover in tropical regions, thus having the potential to contribute to conservation initiatives, climate change mitigation schemes such as REDD+, and rural development policies

Peace as complex legitimacy: Politics, space and discourse in Tajkistan's peacebuilding process, 2000-2005.

This dissertation explores the process of building peace in terms of the making of complex legitimacy in post-Soviet, post-conflict Tajikistan. Since 2000, Tajikistan's citizens have seen major political violence end, order across the country return and the peace agreement between the parties of the 1990s civil war hold. Superficially, Tajikistan appears to be a case of successful international interventions based on neoliberal internationalist assumptions. Yet, puzzlingly, the inter-Tajik peace is interpreted in a variety of often contradictory ways and correlates with authoritarian government and the tenure of a new oligarchy. On closer inspection it is evident that neoliberal international interventions in Tajikistan have largely failed to achieve the aims of peacebuilding. However, I argue they have served to facilitate an increasingly authoritarian peace and have indirectly fostered popular accommodation and avoidance strategies, as well as localised resistance. Moreover, this peace is founded upon complex relations of legitimacy. It is the product of discourse (the formation of community through communication), politics (the acquisition of power and authority in that community), and space (the differentiation of that community from other communities). I study the political relations between three discourse/spaces ('selves') of Tajikistan from 2000 to 2005: those of subordinates, elites, and the international community. In addition to the discourse and spaces of neoliberal international peacebuilding, are those of popular tinji (Tajik: 'peacefulness'/ 'wellness') and elite mirostroitelstvo (Russian: 'peacebuilding'). In studying the relationships between subordinate, elite and international actors I show how they both accommodate one another via discursive re-interpretation, and avoid each other by retreating into their own 'hidden' spaces and transcripts. These intrinsically political practices have specific material impacts on people's lives. Moreover, I show how they have constituted new forms of authority, livelihoods and sovereignty. In each of these cases, subordinates resign themselves to power and 'peacefulness' and get on with their lives. These practices constitute peace as complex legitimacy