3D building change detection using high resolution stereo images and a GIS database

In this paper, a workflow is proposed to detect 3D building changes in urban and sub-urban areas using high-resolution stereoscopic satellite images of different epochs and a GIS database. Semi-global matching (SGM) is used to derive Digital Surface Models (DSM) and subsequently normalised digital surface models (nDSM, the difference of a DSM and a digital elevation model (DEM)), from the stereo pairs at each epoch. Large differences between the two DSMs are assumed to represent height changes. In order to reduce the effect of matching errors, heights in the nDSM of at least one epoch must also lie above a certain threshold in order to be considered as candidates for building change. A GIS database is used to check the existence of buildings at epoch 1. As a result of geometric discrepancies during data acquisition caused by different view directions and illumination conditions, the outlines of existing buildings do not necessarily match even in non-changed areas. Consequently, in the change map, there are streaking-shaped structures along the building outlines which do not correspond to actual changes. To eliminate these effects morphologic filtering is applied. The mask we use operates as a threshold on the shape and size of detected new blobs and effectively removes small objects such as cars, small trees and salt and pepper noise. The results of the proposed algorithm using IKONOS and GeoEye images demonstrate its performance for detecting 3D building changes and to extract building boundaries.DAA

IAQ in Hospitals - Better Health through Indoor Air Quality Awareness

Quality air is fundamental to people's health and well-being. Indoor air quality is an important issue from both a social and economic point of view. Continual advances in medicine and technology necessitate constant reevaluation of the air-conditioning needs of hospital and medical facilities. The application of air conditioning to health facilities presents many problems not encountered in the usual comfort air conditioning design. Hospital air conditioning assumes a more important role than just the promotion of comfort. Studies show that patients in controlled environment generally have more rapid physical improvement than do those in uncontrolled environment. Air quality at hospitals needs special precautions during design and maintenance stage to prevent infections from spreading. 50% of all illnesses are either caused by, or aggravated by, polluted indoor air. The main objective of this paper is to critically review and summarize the available information about IAQ particularly in health care industries. Symptoms of poor IAQ in a building, contaminants causing poor IAQ, features of HVAC systems for a hospital for better IAQ are briefly discussed in this paper. Strategies to improve indoor air quality in hospitals and the current international research to improve indoor air quality are reported in this paper. Based on the extensive interactions with different stake holders of a hospital it is concluded that maintenance of proper indoor quality in a hospital needs meticulous team work among the various members of the hospital at various stages

Angiodysplasies des maxillaires de l’enfant

Les angiodysplasies des maxillaires sont des affections rares et graves. Leur mauvais pronostic est surtout lié aux complications hémorragiques redoutables, dues le plus souvent à des extractions dentaires abusives sans examens radiologiques préalables. L’angio-IRM a permis d’une manière non invasive une meilleure connaissance de ces lésions en étudiant leur angio-architecture et leur hémodynamique. Jadis, le seul traitement efficace consistait en une exérèse chirurgicale mutilante entraînant des complications esthétiques et fonctionnelles sévères avec une morbidité importante. Actuellement, la radiologie interventionnelle a révolutionné la prise en charge grâce à l’artériographie hypersélective et àla découverte de nouveaux matériaux d’obturation plus faciles à manier. L’embolisation hypersélective est devenue l’arme de première intention en raison de son caractère conservateur et de son faible taux de  complications. Le but de ce travail est de rappeler les différents aspects étiopathogéniques, cliniques et para cliniques des angiodysplasieset de définir l’attitude thérapeutique.Mots clefs : angiodysplasie, embolisation, chirurgie

Characteristics of oxyfuel and air fuel combustion in an industrial water tube boiler

Paper presented at the 9th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, Malta, 16-18 July, 2012.dc201

Brachytherapy of stage II mobile tongue carcinoma. Prediction of local control and QOL

BACKGROUND: There is no consensus as to the prognostic model for brachytherapy of tongue carcinoma. This study was designed to evaluate the prognostic factors for local control based on a large population under a unified treatment policy. RESULTS: Between 1970 and 1998, 433 patients with stage II tongue squamous cell carcinoma were treated by low-dose-rate brachytherapy. This series included 277 patients treated with a linear source with a minimum follow-up of 3 years. A spacer was introduced in 1987. The primary local control rates were 85.6%. CONCLUSION: In the multivariate analysis, an invasive growth pattern was a significant factor for local recurrence. The disease-related survival was influenced by old age and an invasive growth pattern. A spacer lowered mandibular bone complications. The growth pattern was the most important factor for recurrence. Brachytherapy was associated with a high cure rate and the use of spacers brought about good quality of life (QOL)

Career mobility in a global era: advances in managing expatriation and repatriation

The surge of interest in expatriation and repatriation within the broader discourse on labor mobility of professionals and high-skilled labor, human capital development and the theory and practice of people management, serves as the backdrop to this paper. We propose that expatriation and repatriation be framed in the context of global careers and embedded in the wider social-economic environment of globalization through the lens of a career ecosystem theory. We chart the evolution of scholarly publications on career mobility over the past four decades and highlight current trends, in particular the emergence of self-initiated expatriation as a pivotal change in the direction of expatriation studies and derived practice. We assess the rigor of empirical findings, weigh theoretical underpinnings, offer a research agenda for future research and outline managerial implications