Groupwise non-rigid image alignment is a difficult non-linear optimization problem involving many parameters and often large datasets. Previous methods have explored various metrics and optimization strategies. Good results have been previously achieved with simple metrics, requiring complex optimization, often with many unintuitive parameters that require careful tuning for each dataset. In this chapter, the problem is restructured to use a simpler, iterative optimization algorithm, with very few free parameters. The warps are refined using an iterative Levenberg-Marquardt minimization to the mean, based on updating the locations of a small number of points and incorporating a stiffness constraint. This optimization approach is efficient, has very few free parameters to tune, and the authors show how to tune the few remaining parameters. Results show that the method reliably aligns various datasets including two facial datasets and two medical datasets of prostate and brain MRI images and demonstrates efficiency in terms of performance and a reduction of the computational cost.
The military presence in the Gulf region after the British withdrawal from it in 1971 was one of the most important pillars of the American strategy to climb the ladder of global leadership, as the geostrategic features that the region enjoyed provided factors of controlling energy sources and global trade routes. The United States of America guarantees Western Europe and Japan the process of access to energy sources and the exclusion of its opponents from the region, especially the Soviet Union, and the growing American military presence in the Gulf after the invasion of Iraq in 2003. On the other hand, the region experiences many contradictions, some of which threaten its security, such as the exacerbation of disputes between its count
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Objectives: the study aims to findout the effectiveness of educational program concerning infection control guideline on nurses, and to find out the relationship between effectiveness of program and types of hospital unit, age, level of education, and years of experience of nurses. Methodology: A quasi-experimental design study was carried out in Baghdad teaching hospital in the wards, for the period of December, 20th 2013 to September, 30th of July 2014, The study samples is composed of (60) nurses who have been actually working in the medical ward, blood disease, psychiatric ward, and neurological war
Abstract
Objective: To assess pregnant women Knowledge toward Urinary Tract Infection at Kirkuk City.
Methodology: A descriptive and analytical study was conducted from 1st of November 2013 and up to the 19 th of August 2014 in five typical primary health care centers at Kirkuk City. A Probability (randomly sample) was used to select the sample of 180 women aged (15-44) years. A questionnaire format was used as a tool for data collection , content validity of the questionnaire achieved through reviewing it by (24) experts in numerous scientific fields and reliability of the questionnaire was determined through a pilot study. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data.
Resul
... Show MoreA particle swarm optimization algorithm and neural network like self-tuning PID controller for CSTR system is presented. The scheme of the discrete-time PID control structure is based on neural network and tuned the parameters of the PID controller by using a particle swarm optimization PSO technique as a simple and fast training algorithm. The proposed method has advantage that it is not necessary to use a combined structure of identification and decision because it used PSO. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed adaptive PID neural control algorithm in terms of minimum tracking error and smoothness control signal obtained for non-linear dynamical CSTR system.
Oil pollution of the soil due to a leakage in oil tubes, transportation of products, or during oil excavations can change the soil physical and mechanical, chemical, and biological properties. Consequently, the soil may or may not be eligible for engineering construction projects and it may need a significant treatment. Therefore, it is required to have a better understanding of the general behavior and the corresponding geotechnical properties upon pollution particularly for those areas associated with oil explorations and industry like Thi-Qar Governorate. Fine and coarse soils from two sites at the University of Thi-Qar are artificially contaminated with oil products ranging from 0% to 10% of their dry weight. Testing programs have been
... Show MoreThe current research aims to identify the impact of ambidextrous leadership behaviors on organizational energy in Al-Faris Company. The descriptive analytical method was used as a research approach. Adept leadership includes two dimensions (open leadership behaviors and closed leadership behaviors), and organizational energy includes three dimensions (emotional energy, physical energy, and cognitive energy ). The research sample included all the administrative leaders (General Manager, Associate General manager, Department Manager, Division Official ) in AL-Faris Company / the Iraqi Ministry of Industry. The researcher distributed (74) valid questionna
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This research investigates manganese (Mn) extraction from Electric Arc Furnace Steel Slag (EAFS) by using the Liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) method. The chemical analysis was done on the slag using X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, and atomic absorption spectroscopy. This work consisted of two parts: the first was an extensive study of the effect of variables that can affect the leaching process rate for Mn element from slag (reaction time, nitric acid concentration, solid to liquid ratio, and stirring speed), and the second part evaluates the extraction of Mn element from leached solution. The results showed the possibility of leaching 83.5 % of Mn element from the slag at a temperature of 25°C, nitric acid co
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Chilled ceilings systems offer potential for overall capital savings. The main aim of the present research is to investigate the thermal performance of the indirect contact closed circuit cooling tower, ICCCCT used with chilled ceiling, to gain a deeper knowledge in this important field of engineering which has been traditionally used in various industrial & HVAC systems. To achieve this study, experimental work were implemented for the ICCCCT use with chilled ceiling. In this study the thermal performances of closed wet cooling tower use with chilled ceiling is experimentally and theoretically investigated. Different experimental tests were conducted by varying the controlling parameters to investigate their effects
... Show MoreAbstract: Background: High percentage of diabetes patients complain from post extraction hemorrhage. Many types of hemostatic materials are used to stop bleeding after teeth extraction: diode lasers are good hemostatic agents owing to their highly absorption by hemoglobin therefore they are used in soft tissue procedures with relatively no effects on dental hard tissues due to their poorly absorption by water and hydroxyapatite. Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of diode laser to assist the clot formation after tooth extraction for type II diabetes patients with minimum temperature elevation to prevent periodontal destruction. Materials and methods: From 12 type II diabetes patients (7 males and 5 females wi
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