Pattern recognition and image processing of infrared astronomical satellite images

The Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) images with wavelengths of 60 [mu] m and 100 [mu] m contain mainly information on both extra-galactic sources and low-temperature interstellar media. The low-temperature interstellar media in the Milky Way impose a cirrus screen of IRAS images, especially in images with 100 [mu] m wavelength. This dissertation deals with the techniques of removing the cirrus clouds from the 100 [mu] m band in order to achieve accurate determinations of point sources and their intensities (fluxes). We employ an image filtering process which utilizes mathematical morphology and wavelet analysis as the key tools in removing the cirrus foreground emission. The filtering process consists of extraction and classification of the size information, and then using the classification results in removal of the cirrus component from each pixel of the image. Extraction of size information is the most important step in this process. It is achieved by either mathematical morphology or wavelet analysis. In the mathematical morphological method, extraction of size information is done using the sieving process. In the wavelet method, multi-resolution techniques are employed instead;The classification of size information distinguishes extra-galactic sources from cirrus using their averaged size information. The cirrus component for each pixel is then removed by using the averaged cirrus size information. The filtered image contains much less cirrus. Intensity alteration for extra-galactic sources in the filtered image are discussed. It is possible to retain the fluxes of the point sources when we weigh the cirrus component differently pixel by pixel. The importance of the uni-directional size information extractions are addressed in this dissertation. Such uni-directional extractions are achieved by constraining the structuring elements, or by constraining the sieving process to be sequential;The generalizations of mathematical morphology operations based on the dynamic hit-or-miss transform are presented in this dissertation. The generalized erosion ([gamma]-erosion) bridges traditional erosion and dilation. It also enriches the morphological operators available in the field of signal and image processing. Traditional closing is generalized into [gamma]-closing, which bridges traditional closing and opening. Properties of [gamma]-erosion and [gamma]-closing are discussed. The sieving process is generalized based on [gamma]-closing, and is bi-directional, with the polarity directly related to the parameter [gamma]. The size information extractors of morphological methods and wavelet methods are justified quantitatively using a prototype peak with fixed slope. The non-linearity of the sieving process is analyzed. It is shown that the sieving process can approach an approximate linearity at positions where the input signal has sharp peaks (i.e., the slopes are large). The spatial discriminating properties of the size information extractors are also very important

Genetic Polymorphisms in CYP2E1: Association with Schizophrenia Susceptibility and Risperidone Response in the Chinese Han Population

CYP2E1 is a member of the cytochrome P450 superfamily, which is involved in the metabolism and activation of both endobiotics and xenobiotics. The genetic polymorphisms of CYP2E1 gene (Chromosome 10q26.3, Accession Number NC_000010.10) are reported to be related to the development of several mental diseases and to be involved in the clinical efficacy of some psychiatric medications. We investigated the possible association of CYP2E1 polymorphisms with susceptibility to schizophrenia in the Chinese Han Population as well as the relationship with response to risperidone in schizophrenia patients.In a case-control study, we identified 11 polymorphisms in the 5' flanking region of CYP2E1 in 228 schizophrenia patients and 384 healthy controls of Chinese Han origin. From among the cases, we chose 130 patients who had undergone 8 weeks of risperidone monotherapy to examine the relationship between their response to risperidone and CYP2E1 polymorphisms. Clinical efficacy was assessed using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS).Statistically significant differences in allele or genotype frequencies were found between cases and controls at rs8192766 (genotype p = 0.0048, permutation p = 0.0483) and rs2070673 (allele: p = 0.0018, permutation p = 0.0199, OR = 1.4528 95%CI = 1.1487-1.8374; genotype: p = 0.0020, permutation p = 0.0225). In addition, a GTCAC haplotype containing 5 SNPs (rs3813867, rs2031920, rs2031921, rs3813870 and rs2031922) was observed to be significantly associated with schizophrenia (p = 7.47E-12, permutation p<0.0001). However, no association was found between CYP2E1 polymorphisms/haplotypes and risperidone response.Our results suggest that CYP2E1 may be a potential risk gene for schizophrenia in the Chinese Han population. However, polymorphisms of the CYP2E1 gene may not contribute significantly to individual differences in the therapeutic efficacy of risperidone. Further studies in larger groups are warranted to confirm our results

Effect of pressure on the structural properties of Li[Li0.1Ni0.35Mn0.55]O2

Li-rich cathode material Li[Li0.1Ni0.35Mn0.55]O2 was synthesized by a sol-gel method. The morphology and a-NaFeO2 type structure of the material at ambient conditions were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The high-pressure behavior of the material was studied at pressure up to 19.7 GPa by using angle dispersive synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction (ADXD). The studies affirmed that the a-NaFeO2 type structure existed up to at least 19.7 GPa. Rietveld refinement analysis indicated that the c/a lattice parameter ratio decreased and the Li-O bond length shrunk with the increasing pressure, however, the Li+/Ni2+ ions exchange increased under elevated pressure. The pressure-volume data of the material were fitted to the third-order Birch-Murnaghan equation of state and bulk modulus obtained upon compression from the fitting was 117 (1) GPa