Pre-filtering is a critical step in 3-D segmentation of the blood vessel and its display. This paper presents the local effect of window/level over the 3-D scale-space approach for filtering the white blood angiographic volumes and its implementation issues. The raw MR angiographic volume is first converted to an isotropic volume, and then the window/level is automatically adjusted slice by slice and a composite volume is generated. Then, 3-D edges are generated using the separable Gaussian derivative convolution with known scales. The edge volume is then run by the directional processor at each voxel where the eigenvalues of the 3-D ellipsoid are computed. The vessel score per voxel is then estimated based on these three eigenvalues which suppress the non-vasculature and background structures, yielding the filtered volume. The filtered volume is ray-cast to generate the maximum intensity projection images for display. The performance of the system is evaluated by computing the mean, variance, SNR and CNR images. We compare the filtering results with and without the usage of the local effect of window/level over 3-D scalespace ellipsoidal filtering. We show that the automatic window /level is effective in detecting small vessels which are otherwise difficult to extrapolate them. The system was run over 20 patient studies from different parts of the body such as: brain, abdomen, kidney and knee/ankle. The computer program takes around 150 seconds of processing time per study for a study for a data size of , which includes the complete performance evaluation.

The search for regular black hole solutions in classical gravity leads us to consider a core of Euclidean signature in the interior of a black hole. Solutions of Lorentzian and Euclidean general relativity match in such a way that energy densities and pressures of an isotropic perfect fluid form are everywhere finite and continuous. Although the weak energy condition cannot be satisfied for these solutions in general relativity, it can be when higher derivative terms are added. A numerical study shows how the transition becomes smoother in theories with more derivatives. As an alternative to the Euclidean core, we also discuss a closely related time dependent orbifold construction with a smooth space-like boundary inside the horizon. 1

ABSTRACT: Prior research shows that during the pre-1990 bust financially weak banks managed income upward by delaying provisions for losses on heterogeneous loans. In contrast, we predict and find that during the 1990s boom profitable banks managed income downward by accelerating provisions for losses on homogeneous loans. Prof-itable banks obscured their income smoothing by accelerating charge-offs of homo-geneous loans and by recording more gross charge-offs to offset recoveries of previ-ously charged-off loans. Over the three years subsequent to the acceleration of charge-offs, they had higher and more persistent income before provisions for loan losses than other banks, consistent with income smoothing over a prolonged horizon.

vSo tell me quick and tell me true or else I have no time for you! Not how this study came to be but what its news can do for me. And if it is not meant for me please tell me fast so I may flee!

An adaptive pumping station at the Afsluitdijk

Scanning probe recognition microscopy investigation of neural cell prosthetic properties