79 research outputs found
Digital processing of images using local basis representation.
No full textThis paper introduces the Local Basis Representation (LBR) and considers the feasibility of using LBR in place of pixels in computer vision. This involves selection of a suitable LBR, and the formulation of algorithms for acquisition, linear processing and nonlinear processing of LBR images. Techniques for the various stages of image processing are discussed. In particular a direct method for producing images in LBR is presented. This uses a well-defined linear spatial filter whose characteristic depends on the LBR required. The LBR coefficients are given by the sampled output of the filter. -from Author
Digital processing of images using local basis representation.
No full textThis paper introduces the Local Basis Representation (LBR) and considers the feasibility of using LBR in place of pixels in computer vision. This involves selection of a suitable LBR, and the formulation of algorithms for acquisition, linear processing and nonlinear processing of LBR images. Techniques for the various stages of image processing are discussed. In particular a direct method for producing images in LBR is presented. This uses a well-defined linear spatial filter whose characteristic depends on the LBR required. The LBR coefficients are given by the sampled output of the filter. -from Author
Attractiveness of leg length: Report from 27 nations
No full textThe leg-to-body ratio (LBR) is a morphological index that has been shown to influence a person's attractiveness. In our research, 3,103 participants from 27 nations rated the physical attractiveness of seven male and seven female silhouettes varying in LBR. We found that male and female silhouettes with short and excessively long legs were perceived as less attractive across all nations. Hence, the LBR may significantly influence perceptions of physical attractiveness across nations. © The Author(s) 2011.link_to_subscribed_fulltex
Attractiveness of leg length: Report from 27 nations
No full textThe leg-to-body ratio (LBR) is a morphological index that has been shown to influence a person's attractiveness. In our research, 3,103 participants from 27 nations rated the physical attractiveness of seven male and seven female silhouettes varying in LBR. We found that male and female silhouettes with short and excessively long legs were perceived as less attractive across all nations. Hence, the LBR may significantly influence perceptions of physical attractiveness across nations. © The Author(s) 2011
Enhancement of liquid flow through a leach bed reactor for anaerobic digestion of high solids cattle manure
No full text2017 Fall.Includes bibliographical references.Due to animal production waste increases in Colorado, anaerobic digestion (AD) has become increasingly considered as a technology to convert organic solid waste (OSW) into renewable energy. The arid climate with water resource limitation in Colorado results in high solids cattle manure (HSCM) production, containing between 50% and 90% total solids (TS). Conventional AD for animal manure is best option to treat manure with less than 20% TS, but limited feasibility for conventional anaerobic digesters treats manure in Colorado. The multi-stage anaerobic digester (MSAD) investigated in this study can digest HSCM. An integral part of the MSAD is the Leach Bed Reactor (LBR), which is loaded with HSCM (up to 90% TS). A small quantity of water percolates into the LBR and is recirculated through the LBR where hydrolysis occurs until a large amount of organic material is solubilized into the leachate. A review of the literature has indicated that clogging can be an issue in operation of manure LBRs. Since sustaining liquid flow through LBRs can be a challenge, research was conducted to better understand how to use this technology to treat HSCM. The objectives of this research were to 1) assess the performance of the LBR component of the MSAD technology with different top layer materials and flow regimes to enhance duration of sustained flow, 2) assess the ability of varying top layer materials and flow regimes to enhance hydraulic conductivity of the manure bed in the LBR to maximize hydrolysis in the LBR. For this study, downward flow and upward flow LBR configuration experiments were conducted. The combination of a sand layer on top of the manure beds and an improved top filter for the LBR was added in the upward flow LBR configuration. HSCM samples from each stage of the experiment were analyzed for TS, fixed solids (FS), and volatile solids (VS), and the leachate samples were analyzed for chemical oxygen demand (COD). The leachate outflow rate and column pressure head were also measured daily. Due to failure of all downward flow experiments, the upward flow LBR configuration was evaluated. The clogging issues and leachate flow through the LBR improved by changing to the upward flow LBR configuration. The average operation time of the upward flow experiment was prolonged to 21 days comparing with downward flow experiment, which operated for an average of only 7 days. The percentage reduction of VS in upward flow experiments was on average above 40% indicating successful hydrolysis in the LBRs, comparable to VS reduction observed by other researchers (Uke and Stentiford, 2012). The COD concentration of the upward flow experiments started at an average of 45 g COD/ L and approached the LST's COD concentration of 10 g COD/L at day 10. This indicates that the MSAD was effectively degrading the HSCM throughout the batch digestion period. The constant pressure head of upward flow experiments indicated that no pressure built up inside the LBRs resulting in improved flow through the manure in these systems. In summary, this research showed that the upward flow LBR configuration with the combination of a sand layer on top of the manure bed and improved top cap filter can sustain leachate flow through the LBR for 21 days of operation
Maintaining leachate flow through a leach bed reactor during anaerobic digestion of high-solids cattle manure
No full text2018 Fall.Includes bibliographical references.To address the accumulation of high-solids cattle manure (HSCM) found at many of the state's Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs), researchers at CSU have developed a Multi-Stage Anaerobic Digester (MSAD). The MSAD system consists of a leach bed reactor (LBR), a compositing tank, and a fixed-film methanogenic reactor. The LBR is a critical part of the MSAD system since hydrolysis can be a rate-limiting step in the anaerobic digestion of HSCM (Hinds 2015; Veeken and Hamelers 1999). To ensure that hydrolysis is occurring properly within the reactor, leachate injection and reactor operation must proceed in a manner that facilitates uniform distribution of leachate through the manure waste bed. Since the leachate must be recirculated through the LBR for the entirety of the batch digestion time, any phenomena that disrupt the duration or uniformity of leachate distribution must be addressed. The overarching goal of this thesis project was to improve the hydraulic performance of the LBR stage of the MSAD. This research included a multi-criterion decision analysis (MCDA) to assess unique design aspects of the MSAD relative to other technologies, construction and operation of a prototype LBR, and the development of an experimentation strategy to assess mechanism of hydraulic failure in the LBR. The MSAD system was compared to four other high-solids anaerobic digester technologies using a MCDA. The purpose of this comparison was to identify unique design features of the MSAD technology compared to other high-solids anaerobic digestion technologies to inform the focus of future design and research activities. The technologies were rated and evaluated for the following criteria: operational requirements, impact of hydraulic failure, capital requirements, operational control, feedstock technology fit, and process efficiency. The scores ranged from 2.9 to 3.7 out of 5 possible points. Under equal criteria weighting, the MSAD system received the highest rating with a score of 3.7. The MSAD system received high ratings due to its strong hydraulic performance, operational control, and process efficiency. Knowledge gained through laboratory and prototype-scale LBR experimentation was used to establish possible improvements to LBR design. The primary improvement to the LBR was the modification from a downflow to an upflow configuration. A prototype LBR was operated in the upflow configuration to facilitate longer durations of undisrupted leachate permeation. In addition, it was determined that leachate injection spacing should be studied further as results from operation of the prototype LBR suggested that higher volatile solids reduction occurred closer to the leachate influent manifold. Column experiments and prototype operation showed some successful operation of LBRs for treating HSCM. However, hydraulic failures due to clogging and preferential pathway formation were observed. Due to the continued risk of hydraulic failure, further research was needed to understand mechanisms for hydraulic failure and to determine approaches to overcome these issues. At commercial scale, hydraulic failure of LBRs would result in decreased energy and agricultural product output and increased operating costs. Since commercial processes rely on reproducible results, a high degree of LBR reliability is required to achieve technical and economic feasibility. Therefore, control over the hydraulic performance of LBRs is critical for commercialization of the MSAD system. To this end, an experimentation strategy was developed, with the goal to elucidate the mechanisms behind hydraulic failures occurring in the LBR. To evaluate these mechanisms, the experimentation strategy recommends the use of electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) to render visualizations of leachate distribution throughout the waste bed. Further characterization of the pore space network geometry at the microscale using either Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) or X-ray Computed Tomography (X-ray CT) is recommended
Lamin B receptor plays a role in stimulating nuclear envelope production and targeting membrane vesicles to chromatin during nuclear envelope assembly through direct interaction with importin beta
No full textLamin B receptor (LBR), a chromatin and lamin binding protein in the inner nuclear membrane, has been proposed to play a vital role in nuclear envelope (NE) assembly. But the specific role for LBR in NE assembly remains unknown. In the present study, we show that overexpression of LBR causes membrane overproduction, inducing NE invagination and membrane stack formation, and that these processes require the transmembrane domain of LBR. Biochemical analysis shows that the N-terminal domain of LBR directly interacts with importin beta in a Ran sensitive and importin alpha independent manner. Using an in vitro NE assembly assay, we also demonstrate that blocking full length LBR binding sites on importin beta, by the addition of the LBR N-terminal domain inhibits the recruitment of LBR-containing vesicles to importin beta- or Ran-coated beads to form NE structure. Our results suggest that LBR is recruited to chromatin through direct interaction with importin beta to contribute to the fusion of membrane vesicles and formation of the NE.Cell BiologySCI(E)PubMed37ARTICLE3520-53012
Requirement for Lamin B Receptor and Its Regulation by Importin beta and Phosphorylation in Nuclear Envelope Assembly during Mitotic Exit
No full textLamin B receptor (LBR), a chromatin and lamin B-binding protein in the inner nuclear membrane, has been proposed to target the membrane precursor vesicles to chromatin mediated by importin beta during the nuclear envelope (NE) assembly. However, the mechanisms for the binding of LBR with importin beta and the membrane targeting by LBR in NE assembly remain largely unknown. In this report, we show that the amino acids (aa) 69-90 of LBR sequences are required to bind with importin beta at aa 45-462, and the binding is essential for the NE membrane precursor vesicle targeting to the chromatin during the NE assembly at the end of mitosis. We also show that this binding is cell cycle-regulated and dependent on the phosphorylation of LBR Ser-71 by p34(cdc2) kinase. RNAi knockdown of LBR causes the NE assembly failure and abnormal chromatin decondensation of the daughter cell nuclei, leading to the daughter cell death at early G(1) phase by apoptosis. Perturbation of the interaction of LBR with importin beta by deleting the LBR N-terminal spanning region or aa 69-73 also induces the NE assembly failure, the abnormal chromatin decondensation, and the daughter cell death. The first transmembrane domain of LBR promotes the NE production and expansion, because overexpressing this domain is sufficient to induce membrane overproduction of the NE. Thus, these results demonstrate that LBR targets the membrane precursor vesicles to chromatin by interacting with importin beta in a LBR phosphorylation-dependent manner during the NE assembly at the end of mitosis and that the first transmembrane domain of LBR promotes the LBR-bearing membrane production and the NE expansion in interphase.Biochemistry & Molecular BiologySCI(E)EIPubMed11ARTICLE4333281-3329328
The Prognosis of IVF in Poor Responders Depending on the Bologna Criteria: A Large Sample Retrospective Study from China
No full textObjective. To analyze the treatment outcomes of patients who accepted IVF/ICSI-ET, diagnosed POR according to Bologna criteria. Study Design. Retrospective cohort study of one reproductive medical center, from 1st Jan., 2009, to 31st Dec., 2014. All patients fulfilled the Bologna criteria and accept IVF/ICSI-ET treatment with stimulation cycle. The main outcome measures were clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and live birth rate (LBR). Results. There were 5770 eligible cycles included in this study. The incidence of POR was 10.3% (6286/62194). The overall CPR was 18.7%, IR was 11.6%, LBR/ET was 11.5%, and LBR/OPU was 8.3%. The cycle cancellation for no available oocyte or embryo was 4.9% and 18.6%, respectively. The subgroup of younger POR patients got highest CPR and LBR/ET, which decreased while increasing maternal age. Within three attempts, the patients got similar CPR and LBR. Conclusion. In conclusion, our study supports the Bologna criteria that defined women with poor IVF outcomes. But those younger than 42 years old with the first 3 attempts of IVF could got acceptable CPR and LBR.National Key Technology Research and Development Program in the Twelfth Five-Year Plan Grant [2012BAI32B01]; Research on the Application of Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation in Reproductive Medicine [201302013]SCI(E)[email protected]
The 1938 ALA Code of Ethics: Understanding its History and Significance
No full textLibrary and information scholars have largely ignored researching, the American Library Association (ALA) Code of Ethics, especially from a critical historical perspective. However in today's digital post 9/11 environment, library ethics is even more important for library practitioners and researchers alike. This paper explores the history of the Code of Ethics which was formally adopted in December 1938 by ALA Council. In addition the author compares the Code of Ethics with the Library Bill of Rights (LBR) adopted in 1939. Although the two documents were approved only a year apart, this paper finds a major difference between the thinking behind them. In summary, we can call the LBR a forward-thinking plan for a new model of librarianship, whereas the Code of Ethics was built on an earlier model of professional expectations. Perhaps because of this frame, the 1938 Code of Ethics has been nearly forgotten compared to the attention lavished on the LBR
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