We present a method for matching feature points robustly across widely separated images. In general, it is difficult to match feature points correctly by using only the similarity between local ...descriptors. In our approach, the correspondence problem is formulated as an optimization problem with one-to-one correspondence constraints. A novel objective function is defined to preserve local image-to-image affine transformations across correspondences. This objective function enables our method to cope with significant viewpoint or scale changes between images, unlike previous methods that relied on the assumption that the distance or orientation between neighboring feature points are preserved across images. A relaxation algorithm is proposed for maximizing the objective function, which imposes one-to-one correspondence constraints, unlike conventional relaxation labeling algorithms that impose many-to-one correspondence constraints. Experimental evaluation shows that our method is robust with respect to significant viewpoint changes, scale changes, and nonrigid deformations between images, in the presence of repeated textures that make feature point matching more ambiguous. Our method is also applied to object recognition in cluttered environments, giving some promising results.
Abstract
Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) is used to treat some articular cartilage defects. However, the fate of the cultured chondrocytes after in-vivo transplantation and their role in ...cartilage regeneration remains unclear. To monitor the survival and fate of such cells in vivo, the chondrocytes were labelled with a lipophilic dye and the resultant regenerated tissue in dogs examined. It was found that, 4 weeks after implantation, the osteochondral defects were filled with regenerative tissue that resembled hyaline cartilage. Fluorescence microscopy of frozen sections of the regenerated tissue revealed that the majority of cells were derived from the DiI-labelled implanted chondrocytes. From these results, it was concluded that a large population of implanted autologous chondrocytes can survive at least 4 weeks after implantation and play a direct role in cartilage regeneration. However, it remains unknown whether other cells, such as periosteal cells or bone marrow stromal stem cells, are involved in the regeneration of cartilage after ACI.
•Rao-Blackwellized particle filtering with Gaussian mixture models.•Incremental learning approaches to update the appearance models.•Evaluations on a number of publicly available datasets for visual ...tracking.
In this paper, we formulate an adaptive Rao-Blackwellized particle filtering method with Gaussian mixture models to cope with significant variations of the target appearance during object tracking. By modeling target appearance as Gaussian mixture models, we introduce an efficient method for computing particle weights. We incrementally update the appearance models using an on-line Expectation–Maximization algorithm. To achieve robustness to outliers caused by tracking error or partial occlusion in updating the appearance models, we divide the target area into sub-regions and estimate the appearance models independently for each of those sub-regions. We demonstrate the robustness of the proposed method for object tracking using a number of publicly available datasets.
Advanced BEOL process integration for logic technology nodes Park, Chanhoo; Choi, Minkwon; Kim, ChangHyun ...
2023 IEEE International Interconnect Technology Conference (IITC) and IEEE Materials for Advanced Metallization Conference (MAM)(IITC/MAM)
Conference Proceeding
This paper describes two advanced technologies recently adopted in back-end-of-line (BEOL) process for our logic products: self-aligned-universal-patterning (SAUP) and sacrificial oxide layer (SOL). ...Advantages of SAUP include improved extreme ultraviolet (EUV) throughput, reduced pinch-off type patterning defects, improved reliability, and lower power rail resistance. SOL is found to be an effective means to avoid dielectric damage and resulting RC degradation occurred by multiple etch processes.
Background
: Activation of hepatic stellate cells is the earliest step in fibrogenesis. Alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), expressed by activated hepatic stellate cells, and C-terminal procollagen ...α1(III) propeptide (PIIICP) are early markers of fibrogenesis and should precede fibrosis.
Aim
: Determine if suppression of hepatitis B virus replication with lamivudine would decrease fibrogenesis as measured by immunohistochemical markers.
Methods
: Paired liver biopsies from patients with hepatitis B before and after therapy with lamivudine (
n=47) or placebo (
n=33) were studied. α-SMA and PIIICP were detected in paraffin-embedded tissue by immunohistochemistry and quantified in a blinded manner by video imaging analysis.
Results
: Liver biopsies from patients treated with lamivudine showed a significant decrease in α-SMA expression (1.06±0.23 vs. 0.58±0.11, pre vs. post,
P<0.05). Placebo recipients had increased levels of α-SMA (0.82±0.14 vs. 1.32±0.21,
P<0.05). PIIICP was similarly decreased after lamivudine. Among subjects whose Histologic Activity Index fibrosis score was unchanged or worsened, the mean change in α-SMA expression was significantly decreased in the lamivudine group compared with placebo.
Conclusions
: Lamivudine decreased markers of hepatic stellate cell activation and collagen synthesis. Immunohistochemical techniques are sensitive for assessing fibrogenesis and will be useful in trials of antiviral and antifibrotic agents.
Abstract Background/goals Gastric dysplasia is believed to be the penultimate stage of gastric carcinogenesis. Few studies have evaluated whether there is a relationship between such risk factors and ...gastric dysplasia. This case–control study was conducted to investigate the associations between obesity, serum glucose, lipids and gastric dysplasia. Study Endoscopic findings and pathology specimens were reviewed from 1 July 1997 to 31 December 2006 in the Health Promotion Center. One hundred thirty patients have the dysplasia in the stomach during screening endoscopy. The same number of controls was evaluated and matched to the gastric dysplasia group for age and gender. Result The univariate analysis showed that the dysplasia risk was slightly increased among persons with a higher low-density lipoprotein, lower high-density lipoprotein, impaired fasting glucose and higher total cholesterol. However, a higher body mass index and higher triglyceride level were not associated with the diagnosis of gastric dysplasia. In the multivariate-adjusted model, a higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and glucose were strongly associated with an increased risk of dysplasia compared to the controls. However, the body mass index, triglyceride and total cholesterol were not associated with the risk for dysplasia. Conclusion Hyperglycaemia and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol appear to be associated with the risk for gastric dysplasia. Further epidemiologic studies including a large cohort of patients with gastric dysplasia and adenocarcinoma are needed to clarify the association of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, serum glucose and gastric carcinogenesis.
Large crystals zeolite NaX with a uniform size of 50
μm were grown by a continuous crystallization method from seed crystals (10
μm) formed in a mother solution with the 3.5Na
2O:Al
2O
3:2.1SiO
...2:1000H
2O composition. In order to grow zeolite NaX crystals to an appropriate size by the continuous method, the mother solution was fed into an autoclave a solution with various seed contents (3–20
wt.%); the autoclave has at 90
°C and the solution was added after 7, 12, 16, 19 and 24 days or at 100
°C after 7 and 9 days. The morphology of NaX zeolite crystals when viewed from the top shows an octahedron that is formed from eight equilateral triangles. These triangular faces intersect all three crystallographic axes at the same distance having an average lattice constant
a
=
24.9911
Å and a SiO
2/Al
2O
3 molar ratio of 2.1–2.4. The activation energy for growth of NaX zeolite crystals was found to be 43.2
kJ/mol.
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