3,682 research outputs found
Convolutional Deblurring for Natural Imaging
In this paper, we propose a novel design of image deblurring in the form of
one-shot convolution filtering that can directly convolve with naturally
blurred images for restoration. The problem of optical blurring is a common
disadvantage to many imaging applications that suffer from optical
imperfections. Despite numerous deconvolution methods that blindly estimate
blurring in either inclusive or exclusive forms, they are practically
challenging due to high computational cost and low image reconstruction
quality. Both conditions of high accuracy and high speed are prerequisites for
high-throughput imaging platforms in digital archiving. In such platforms,
deblurring is required after image acquisition before being stored, previewed,
or processed for high-level interpretation. Therefore, on-the-fly correction of
such images is important to avoid possible time delays, mitigate computational
expenses, and increase image perception quality. We bridge this gap by
synthesizing a deconvolution kernel as a linear combination of Finite Impulse
Response (FIR) even-derivative filters that can be directly convolved with
blurry input images to boost the frequency fall-off of the Point Spread
Function (PSF) associated with the optical blur. We employ a Gaussian low-pass
filter to decouple the image denoising problem for image edge deblurring.
Furthermore, we propose a blind approach to estimate the PSF statistics for two
Gaussian and Laplacian models that are common in many imaging pipelines.
Thorough experiments are designed to test and validate the efficiency of the
proposed method using 2054 naturally blurred images across six imaging
applications and seven state-of-the-art deconvolution methods.Comment: 15 pages, for publication in IEEE Transaction Image Processin
Pigment Melanin: Pattern for Iris Recognition
Recognition of iris based on Visible Light (VL) imaging is a difficult
problem because of the light reflection from the cornea. Nonetheless, pigment
melanin provides a rich feature source in VL, unavailable in Near-Infrared
(NIR) imaging. This is due to biological spectroscopy of eumelanin, a chemical
not stimulated in NIR. In this case, a plausible solution to observe such
patterns may be provided by an adaptive procedure using a variational technique
on the image histogram. To describe the patterns, a shape analysis method is
used to derive feature-code for each subject. An important question is how much
the melanin patterns, extracted from VL, are independent of iris texture in
NIR. With this question in mind, the present investigation proposes fusion of
features extracted from NIR and VL to boost the recognition performance. We
have collected our own database (UTIRIS) consisting of both NIR and VL images
of 158 eyes of 79 individuals. This investigation demonstrates that the
proposed algorithm is highly sensitive to the patterns of cromophores and
improves the iris recognition rate.Comment: To be Published on Special Issue on Biometrics, IEEE Transaction on
Instruments and Measurements, Volume 59, Issue number 4, April 201
Facilitating and inhibiting factors related to treatment adherence in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a qualitative study
Background: Adherence issues in PCOS patients have not been examined thoroughly. Patients report prolonged periods of treatment and side effects of drug as the most common reason for withdrawal from treatment. To improve the effective management of PCOS patients, it is fundamental to understand facilitating and inhibiting factors to treatment adherence.
Objective: to explore facilitating /inhibiting factors related to treatment adherence among PCOS patients.
Material and Methods: This was a qualitative study with a purposive sample of women with confirmed diagnosis of PCOS. The data were collected via 20 in-depth semi-structured interviews with women aged between 21 to 34. A qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data.
Results: Five themes were identified which described different types of facilitating /inhibiting factors to treatment adherence. Inhibiting factors included financial issues, patient-related, disease-related, health care provider-related factors; social factors were found to be both facilitating and inhibiting.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that successful adherence to PCOS treatment is highly dependent on patients recognizing and adapting to financial, social, and health care related inhibiting factors. It is also crucial for clinicians and policy makers to recognize these key inhibiting factors in order to improve treatment outcomes
Keywords: polycystic ovarian syndrome, adherence, qualitative researc
Effects of dietary physical form and dietary inclusion of probiotic and enzyme on growth performance, cellular and humoral immunity, and relative weights of lymphoid organs at early period of broiler chickens fed triticale-based diets
The aim of the present study was to investigate interactions between feed form and dietary inclusion of probiotics (live organisms) and enzymes on growth performance, cellular and humoral immunity, and relative weights of lymphoid organs of broiler chicks fed a triticale-based diet. A total of 640 broiler chicks were allocated to eight treatments when they were one day old, with four replicates (n = 20 chicks in each). The dietary treatments consisted of feed form (pellets or mash) and dietary supplementation with or without a Bacillus-based probiotic (0.03% diet) and enzyme (carbohydrase, 0.05% diet) in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was calculated based on feed intake (FI) and weight gain (WG). The WG of the broiler chicks fed the pelleted diets containing the enzyme and probiotic (alone or in combination) was greater than that of the birds fed the mash diets without these additives. Significant interaction effects of the enzyme and probiotic on FCR and FI were observed in the starter period. The heterophil : lymphocyte (H : L) ratio of the chicks fed the pelleted diet containing the enzyme and probiotic was lower than that of the birds fed the other diets. The cellular immunity of the birds fed this diet increased after 24 hours, as shown by the results of a challenge experiment with dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) or an injection of phytohemagglutinin (PHA). In conclusion, feed form and supplementation of a triticale-based diet with feed enzymes and probiotics can greatly improve the growth performance and immunity of broiler chicks. Keywords: Dinitrochlorobenzene, Di-Pro probiotic, phytohemagglutinin, Rovabio enzyme, spleen, viscosit
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