MinMax Radon Barcodes for Medical Image Retrieval

Content-based medical image retrieval can support diagnostic decisions by clinical experts. Examining similar images may provide clues to the expert to remove uncertainties in his/her final diagnosis. Beyond conventional feature descriptors, binary features in different ways have been recently proposed to encode the image content. A recent proposal is "Radon barcodes" that employ binarized Radon projections to tag/annotate medical images with content-based binary vectors, called barcodes. In this paper, MinMax Radon barcodes are introduced which are superior to "local thresholding" scheme suggested in the literature. Using IRMA dataset with 14,410 x-ray images from 193 different classes, the advantage of using MinMax Radon barcodes over \emph{thresholded} Radon barcodes are demonstrated. The retrieval error for direct search drops by more than 15\%. As well, SURF, as a well-established non-binary approach, and BRISK, as a recent binary method are examined to compare their results with MinMax Radon barcodes when retrieving images from IRMA dataset. The results demonstrate that MinMax Radon barcodes are faster and more accurate when applied on IRMA images.Comment: To appear in proceedings of the 12th International Symposium on Visual Computing, December 12-14, 2016, Las Vegas, Nevada, US

Dealing with inaccurate face detection for automatic gender recognition with partially occluded faces

Gender recognition problem has not been extensively studied in situations where the face cannot be accurately detected and it also can be partially occluded. In this contribution, a comparison of several characterisation methods of the face is presented and they are evaluated in four different experiments that simulate the previous scenario. Two of the characterization techniques are based on histograms, LBP and local contrast values, and the other one is a new kind of features, called Ranking Labels, that provide spatial information. Experiments have proved Ranking Labels description is the most reliable in inaccurate situation

Transport coefficients in the early universe

We calculate numerically the electrical conductivity $\sigma$, heat conductivity $\kappa$ and shear viscosity $\eta$ of the hot plasma present in the early universe for the temperature interval 1\MeV\lsim T\lsim 10\GeV. We use the Boltzmann collision equation to compute all the scattering matrix elements and regulate them by the thermal masses of the $t$- and $u$-channel particles. No leading order approximation is needed because of the numerical integration routines used.Comment: LaTeX, 24 pages, 7 ps figure

Physioacoustic therapy: placebo effect on recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage

We evaluated claims that physioacoustic therapy can enhance muscle healing following damaging exercise. Untrained subjects were randomly assigned to control (C), placebo (P) or treatment (T) groups. All groups performed 70 eccentric triceps contractions followed by; no treatment (C), sham physioacoustic treatment (P), or actual physioacoustic therapy (T) on days 1–4 post-exercise. Muscle soreness and isometric and concentric triceps peak torque were determined pre-exerciseand on days 1–4 and 7 post-exercise. The T group received physioacoustic therapy for 30 min/day on the treatment days. The P group believed they received physioacoustic therapy, although the chairs were turned off. Peak torques were depressed (P < 0.05) on days 1–3 in all groups and returned to pre-exercise values by days 4–7 in both P and T groups. C group peak torques remained depressed (P < 0.05) through day 7. Soreness was elevated (P < 0.05) in all groups on days 1–2 post-exercise. P and T groups reported no soreness by day 3 while the C group remained sore (P < 0.05) through days 3–4. The T group recovered soreness and force faster than C but at a similar rate to the P group. The effectiveness of physioacoustic therapy in enhancing post-exercise muscle healing may be attributable to a placebo effect

Effect of site of lactate infusion on regional lactate exchange in pigs

Background The rate of extra-hepatic lactate production and the route of influx of lactate to the liver may influence both hepatic and extra-hepatic lactate exchange. We assessed the dose-response of hepatic and extra-hepatic lactate exchange during portal and central venous lactate infusion. Methods Eighteen pigs randomly received either portal (n=5) or central venous (n=7) lactate infusion or saline (n=6). Sodium lactate was infused at 33, 66, 99, and 133 µmol kg−1 min−1 for 20 min each. Systemic and regional abdominal blood flows and plasma lactate were measured at 20 min intervals until 1 h post-infusion, and regional lactate exchange was calculated (area under lactate uptake-time curve). Results Total hepatic lactate uptake [median (95% confidence interval)] during the experimental protocol (140 min) was higher during portal [8198 (5487-12 798) µmol kg−1] than during central venous lactate infusion [4530 (3903-5514) µmol kg−1, P<0.05]. At a similar hepatic lactate delivery (∼400 µmol kg−1 min−1), hepatic lactate uptake [mean and standard deviation (sd)] was higher during portal [118 (sd 55) µmol kg−1 min−1] than during central venous lactate infusion [44 (12) µmol kg−1 min−1, P<0.05]. Time courses of arterial lactate concentrations and lactate uptake at other measured regions were similar in both groups. Conclusions Higher hepatic lactate uptake during portal compared with central venous lactate infusion at a similar total hepatic lactate influx underlines the role of portal vein lactate concentration in total hepatic lactate uptake capacity. Arterial lactate concentration does not depend on the site of lactate infusion. At higher arterial lactate concentrations, all regions participated in lactate uptak

Children's health and parental socioeconomic factors: a population-based survey in Finland

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Socioeconomic inequalities in health are a global problem, not only among the adult population but also among children. However, studies concerning young children especially are rare. The aim of this study was to describe the health of Finnish children under 12 years of age, and the socioeconomic factors associated with health. The socioeconomic factors were parental education level, household net income, and working status.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A population-based survey among Finnish children aged under 12 years (n = 6,000) was conducted in spring 2007. A questionnaire was sent to parents, and a response rate of 67% was achieved. Each child's health was explored by asking a parent to report the child's health status on a 5-point Likert scale, current symptoms from a symptoms list, and current disease(s) diagnosed by a physician. The final three outcome measures were poor health, the prevalences of psychosomatic symptoms, and long-term diseases. Data were analysed using Pearson's Chi-Square tests, and logistic regression analysis with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). P-values ≤0.05 were considered as statistically significant.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In total, 3% of parents reported that their child's health status was poor. The prevalences of psychosomatic symptoms and long-term diseases were both 11%. The probability for poor health status was lowest among children aged 3-6 and 7-11 years, and for psychosomatic symptoms among 3-6-year-old children, whereas the odds ratios for long-term diseases was highest among children aged 7-11 years. Parental socioeconomic factors were not associated with the children's health.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Most of the children were reported by their parent to have good health status, and approximately one tenth had experienced some psychosomatic symptoms or long-term diseases. Our study suggests that parental socioeconomic factors are not associated with the health of children aged under 12 years in Finland.</p

Development of the electroweak phase transition and baryogenesis

We investigate the evolution of the electroweak phase transition, using a one-Higgs effective potential that can be regarded as an approximation for the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. The phase transition occurs in a small interval around a temperature T_t below the critical one. We calculate this temperature as a function of the parameters of the potential and of a damping coefficient related to the viscosity of the plasma. The parameters that are relevant for baryogenesis, such as the velocity and thickness of the walls of bubbles and the value of the Higgs field inside them, change significantly in the range of temperatures where the first-order phase transition can occur. However, we find that in the likely interval for T_t there is no significant variation of these parameters. Furthermore, the temperature T_t is in general not far below the temperature at which bubbles begin to nucleate.Comment: 26 pages, 7 figures; typos corrected, reference adde

Ammatillinen välittäminen opettaja-oppilassuhteessa:miesluokanopettajien kertomuksia välittämisestä

Tiivistelmä. Pro gradumme aiheena on miesopettajan välittäminen opettaja-oppilassuhteessa alakoulukontekstissa. Aiemmassa tutkimuksessa välittämistä on määritelty hyvin naisvaltaisesti ja stereotypisoivalla tavalla sukupuolta korostavaksi. Valitsimme tutkimuksemme osallistujiksi miesopettajat, koska heidän ääntään on kuultu vähän välittämisen tutkimuksessa. Tutkimuksemme pääkäsitteenä on välittäminen, jonka ajattelemme olevan yksi rakkauden ilmenemismuoto. Tutkimuskysymyksemme on 1. Mitä miesopettajat kertovat välittämisestä opettaja-oppilassuhteessa?. Tähän kysymykseen etsimme vastauksen narratiivisen tutkimuksen keinoin. Narratiivisuus ei pyri yleistettävään totuuteen, vaan tarjoaa tietoa. Tutkimusaineiston muodostaa kolme kerronnallista haastattelua, joista yksi pohjautuu ennakkoon tehtyyn kirjoitelmaan. Haastattelimme kolmea pohjoissuomalaista miesopettajaa, joiden haastatteluissa käytimme puolistrukturoitua haastattelumenetelmää. Analysoimme tutkimusaineistomme teoriaohjaavalla sisällönanalyysilla. Miesopettajien kertomuksista saimme tulokseksi, että välittäminen opettajan työssä on pakollinen valinta sekä osa ammattitaitoa. Lisäksi he kertoivat välittämisen ilmenemisestä käytännössä. Opettajat ajattelivat tehneensä valinnan välittävän suhteen rakentamisesta jo ammatin valitessaan. Kertomusten mukaan opettajalla on velvollisuus välittää oppilaistaan ja olla kiinnostunut heidän asioistaan. Hänen täytyy tuntea oppilaansa, jotta hän voi välittää oppilaistaan ja osoittaa välittämistään heidän tarpeidensa mukaan. Välittäminen ei synny itsestään vaan se vaatii pitkäjänteistä työtä. Opettajan työssä välittäminen ilmenee käytännössä oppilaiden yksilöllisenä kohtaamisena, keskusteluilla heidän kanssaan sekä arkisena huolenpitona. Opettajien kertomuksissa välittämiseen liittyy myös haasteita. Välittävässä opettaja-oppilassuhteessa myös oppilailla on aktiivinen rooli. Miesopettajat kertoivat välittämisen olevan osa heidän työtään. He kertoivat voivansa välittää omalla persoonallaan. Välittämisen määritteleminen naisellisena ominaisuutena ja toimintana rajoittaa välittämisen näkemistä osana opettajan ammattitaitoa. Sukupuolet erottelevasta välittämisen määritelmästä tulee pyrkiä kohti ammatillisen välittämisen käsitettä. Kasvatuksen mahdollistumiseksi jokaisen opettajan on tärkeä luoda ammatillinen välittävä suhde oppilaidensa kanssa, sillä se on perustana opettajan työlle. Ammatillista välittämistä raamittavat perusopetuslaki, valtakunnallinen perusopetuksen opetussuunnitelman perusteet sekä ammattieettiset ohjeet, mutta se ei kuitenkaan vaadi opettajalta tietynlaisia ominaisuuksia tai tapoja