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.
In this study, low cost biosorbent ̶inactive biomass (IB) granules (dp=0.433mm) taken from drying beds of Al-Rustomia Wastewater Treatment Plant, Baghdad-Iraq were used for investigating the optimum conditions of Pb(II), Cu(II), and Ni(II) biosorption from aqueous solutions. Various physico-chemical parameters such as initial metal ion concentration (50 to 200 mg/l), equilibrium time (0-180 min), pH (2-9), agitation speed (50-200 rpm), particles size (0.433 mm), and adsorbent dosage (0.05-1 g/100 ml) were studied. Six mathematical models describing the biosorption equilibrium and isotherm constants were tested to find the maximum uptake capacities: Langmuir, Freundlich, Redlich–Peterson, Sips, Khan, and Toth models. The best fit to the P
... Show MoreInformation security in data storage and transmission is increasingly important. On the other hand, images are used in many procedures. Therefore, preventing unauthorized access to image data is crucial by encrypting images to protect sensitive data or privacy. The methods and algorithms for masking or encoding images vary from simple spatial-domain methods to frequency-domain methods, which are the most complex and reliable. In this paper, a new cryptographic system based on the random key generator hybridization methodology by taking advantage of the properties of Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) to generate an indefinite set of random keys and taking advantage of the low-frequency region coefficients after the DCT stage to pass them to
... Show MoreBackground: Energy drinks are non alcoholic beverages which contain stimulant drugs chiefly caffeine and marketed as mental and physical stimulators. Consumption of energy drinks is popular practice among college students as they are exposed to academic stress. Caffeine which is the main constituent of energy drinks could become an addictive substance or cause intoxication. Objectives: This study aims to assess the prevalence of energy drinks consumption among medical students of alkindy college of Medicine.Type of the study: A cross sectional study.Methods: It was performed at alkindy medical college on March 2016. A total number of 600 students were contacted to participate in this study. A self administered questionnaire was used to c
... Show MoreBackground: The strategy for eliminating measles from Iraq includes conducting mass immunization campaign against measles, within the framework of the national strategic plan for the elimination of this disease. Awareness about this campaign is fundamental for their success.Objective: The study aims at finding out the knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding vaccination against measles among two groups of students in two different colleges ( medical and engineering) .To report uptake of Measles vaccine and reasons for declining the vaccine among medical and non-medical students in the campaignMethod: Across sectional study has been conducted at Al-Kindy College of Medicine/ Baghdad University and University of Technology for the peri
... Show MoreBackground: Pregnancy is considered a major risk factor for development and progression of periodontal disease. There are hormonal changes in both estrogen and progesterone hormones in addition to bacterial effect and poor oral hygiene that will enhance development of periodontal disease in pregnant women. Materials and methods: Seventy subjects were enrolled in the study, the subjects with an age range (20-35) years old without any history of systemic disease. The subjects were divided into 20 non-pregnant women they represent the control group (G I), 30 pregnant women with gingivitis (GII) and 20 pregnant women with periodontitis (GIII).All periodontal parameters (plaque index, gingival index, bleeding on probing, probing pocket depth an
... Show MoreSAGD is a thermal recovery process in which steam oil ratio, SOR, is a key parameter that can affect the economic outcome of the process. Reservoirs with underlying or overlying lean bitumen present challenges for SAGD as they can act as a heat sink. Water has higher heat capacity than the bitumen and thus requires more steam to heat up the reservoir leading to higher SOR. The potential outcome of operating SAGD in these conditions may be lower bitumen rate and higher steam injection rate, both of which affect plant throughput and thus the economic matrix of SAGD. This paper looks at the performance of SAGD process in the presence of top lean bitumen. It will examine the theoretical CSOR that is needed to produce the bitumen with different
... Show MoreThe advent of UNHCR reports has given rise to the uniqueness of its distinctive way of image representation and using semiotic features. So, there are a lot of researches that have investigated UNHCR reports, but no research has examined images in UNHCR reports of displaced Iraqis from a multimodal discourse perspective. The present study suggests that the images are, like language, rich in many potential meanings and are governed by clearly visual grammar structures that can be employed to decode these multiple meanings. Seven images are examined in terms of their representational, interactional and compositional aspects. Depending on the results, this study concludes that the findings support the visual grammar theory and highlight the va
... Show MoreObjective: The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the effectiveness of the instructional intervention
about medical and health knowledge of patients with diabetes mellitus type II.
Methodology: A Quasi- experimental study was carried out in National Center for Diabetes Mellitus/ Almustansria
University, started from 4th January 2012, to 1st April 2012. Non-probability (purposive sample) of (50) diabetes
mellitus type II, who visit National Center for Diabetes Mellitus/ Almustansria University. The study sample is
divided equally into (25) study and (25) control groups. The study group received the instructional intervention.
While the control not exposed to the instructional intervention. The data are coll
Our research comes to shed light on Iraqi literature as literature that arose in special circumstances alongside foreign literature. Using comparative research methods, we chose to highlight two distinguished writers, who have their mark in the world of literature. The first is the Iraqi writer Maysaloun Hadi, who is considered an icon of Iraqi feminist literature, and the second is the French writer Le Clézieu, who won the Nobel in 2008. We will see through the research how the two authors expressed their views of modernity and urbanism. And how each of them separately portrayed the psychological and moral projections that formed the essence of man today.
Résumé
Notre recherche abord un des points inc
... Show MoreThe importance of this study stems from the importance of preserving the environment and creating a clean sustainable environment from waste and emissions and all the operations of industrial companies in general and cement companies in particular by activating sustainability accounting standards. The research aims to identify and diagnose deviations in violation of sustainability standards by employing the non-renewable resources standard (NR0401) For the construction industries to create a sustainable audit environment, the deductive approach was followed in the theoretical side and the inductive and descriptive approach to the practical side. The most important results of the research were the possibility of applying sustainab
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