The impact of the image processing in the indexation system

This paper presents an efficient word spotting system applied to handwritten Arabic documents, where images are represented with bag-of-visual-SIFT descriptors and a sliding window approach is used to locate the regions that are most similar to the query by following the query-by-example paragon. First, a pre-processing step is used to produce a better representation of the most informative features. Secondly, a region-based framework is deployed to represent each local region by a bag-of-visual-SIFT descriptors. Afterward, some experiments are in order to demonstrate the codebook size influence on the efficiency of the system, by analyzing the curse of dimensionality curve. In the end, to measure the similarity score, a floating distance based on the descriptor’s number for each query is adopted. The experimental results prove the efficiency of the proposed processing steps in the word spotting system

Combined cosine-linear regression model similarity with application to handwritten word spotting

The similarity or the distance measure have been used widely to calculate the similarity or dissimilarity between vector sequences, where the document images similarity is known as the domain that dealing with image information and both similarity/distance has been an important role for matching and pattern recognition. There are several types of similarity measure, we cover in this paper the survey of various distance measures used in the images matching and we explain the limitations associated with the existing distances. Then, we introduce the concept of the floating distance which describes the variation of the threshold’s selection for each word in decision making process, based on a combination of Linear Regression and cosine distance. Experiments are carried out on a handwritten Arabic image documents of Gallica library. These experiments show that the proposed floating distance outperforms the traditional distance in word spotting system

Segmentation-free Word Spotting for Handwritten Arabic Documents

In this paper we present an unsupervised segmentation-free method for spotting and searching query, especially, for images documents in handwritten Arabic, for this, Histograms of Oriented Gradients (HOGs) are used as the feature vectors to represent the query and documents image. Then, we compress the descriptors with the product quantization method. Finally, a better representation of the query is obtained by using the Support Vector Machines (SVM)

Moral Hazard Reduction in Entrepreneurial Financing An application to Profit and Loss Sharing Contracts

In profit and loss sharing contracts, profits are shared according to a specific ratio while losses are shared according to each partner contribution ration in the project’s capital. We aim to reduce entrepreneurial effort shirking in a profit and loss sharing contract involving a VC and an entrepreneur. We use a game theoretic approach and try to find the profit-sharing ratio that would reduce the moral hazard risk of effort shirking. The game theoretic approach allows for the development of a profit-sharing ratio span of negotiation that fulfil both the incentive and participative constraints of the PLS participant

Insights from magnetic resonance imaging of left ventricular non-compaction in adults of North African descent

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC) is a recently recognized rare disorder. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may help to clarify the uncertainties related to this genetic cardiomyopathy. Despite the fact that many articles have been published concerning the use of MRI in the study of LVNC, there is a lack of data describing the disease in the North African population. The aim of our study is to clarify MRI findings of LVNC in North African patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In our retrospective cohort, twelve patients (7 male, mean age 53 ± 8 years) underwent MRI for suspected LVNC. Correlations were investigated between the number of non-compacted segments per patient and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), then between the number of non-compacted segments and left ventricular end diastolic diameter. The presence or absence of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was qualitatively determined for each left ventricular myocardial segment.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Non-compaction was more commonly observed at the apex, the anterior and the lateral walls, especially on their apical and mid-cavity segments. 83% of patients had impaired LVEF. There was no correlation between the number of non-compacted segments per patient and LVEF (r = -0.361; p = 0.263), nor between the number of non-compacted segments per patient and left ventricular end diastolic diameter (r = 0.280; p = 0.377). LGE was observed in 22 left ventricular segments. No association was found between the pattern of fibrosis and non-compaction distribution (OR = 2.2, CI [0.91-5.55], p = 0.076).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The distribution of LVNC in North African patients does not differ from other populations. Ventricular dysfunction is independent from the number of non-compacted segments. Myocardial fibrosis is not limited to non-compacted areas but can extend to compacted segments.</p

Use of magnetic resonance imaging in assessment of constrictive pericarditis: a Moroccan center experience

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis continues to be a clinical challenge. Magnetic resonance imaging provides excellent visualization of the pericardium. The aim of our study is to clarify the contribution of this non invasive exploration in the diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis in our center.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>we conducted a prospective study over a period of two years, since 2008, covering a series of patients (n = 11), mean age 44 ± 15 years, in whom constrictive pericarditis was suspected clinically and on transthoracic echocardiography. We studied its characteristics on magnetic resonance imaging.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the diagnosis showing pericardial thickening in all cases, measuring 8.2 +/- 2.6 mm on average, circumferential in 64%, and localized in 36%. The imaging data, particularly pericardial thickening and its topography, were confirmed by surgical exploration, and results were concordant in all cases.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Magnetic resonance imaging is a powerful tool to establish constrictive pericarditis diagnosis.</p

Segmentation-free Word Spotting for Handwritten Arabic Documents

In this paper we present an unsupervised segmentation-free method for spotting and searching query, especially, for images documents in handwritten Arabic, for this, Histograms of Oriented Gradients (HOGs) are used as the feature vectors to represent the query and documents image. Then, we compress the descriptors with the product quantization method. Finally, a better representation of the query is obtained by using the Support Vector Machines (SVM)