Cost-effective utilization of a private facility to perform outpatient surgery in public hospital waiting list patients.

Background: Public hospitals' long waiting lists make outpatient surgery in private facilities very attractive provided a standardized protocol is applied. The aim of this study was to assess this kind of innovative collaboration in abdominal surgery from a clinical and economical perspective. Methods: All consecutive patients operated on in an outpatient basis in a private facility by a public hospital abdominal surgeon and an assistant over a 5-year period (2004-2009) were included. Clinical assessment was carried out from patients' charts and satisfaction questionnaire, and economic assessment from the comparison between the surgeons' charges paid by the private facility and the surgeons' hospital salaries during the days devoted to surgery at the private facility. Results: Over the 5 years, 602 operative procedures were carried out during 190 operative days. All patients could be discharged the same day and only 1% of minor complications occurred. The patients' satisfaction was 98%. The balance between the surgeons' charges paid by the private facility and their hospital salary costs was positive by 25.8% for the senior surgeon and 12.6% for the assistant or, on average, 21.9% for both. Conclusion: Collaboration between an overloaded university hospital surgery department and a private surgical facility was successful, effective, safe, and cost-effective. It could be extended to other surgical specialities. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel

Dense deformation field estimation for atlas-based segmentation of pathological MR brain images.

Atlas registration is a recognized paradigm for the automatic segmentation of normal MR brain images. Unfortunately, atlas-based segmentation has been of limited use in presence of large space-occupying lesions. In fact, brain deformations induced by such lesions are added to normal anatomical variability and they may dramatically shift and deform anatomically or functionally important brain structures. In this work, we chose to focus on the problem of inter-subject registration of MR images with large tumors, inducing a significant shift of surrounding anatomical structures. First, a brief survey of the existing methods that have been proposed to deal with this problem is presented. This introduces the discussion about the requirements and desirable properties that we consider necessary to be fulfilled by a registration method in this context: To have a dense and smooth deformation field and a model of lesion growth, to model different deformability for some structures, to introduce more prior knowledge, and to use voxel-based features with a similarity measure robust to intensity differences. In a second part of this work, we propose a new approach that overcomes some of the main limitations of the existing techniques while complying with most of the desired requirements above. Our algorithm combines the mathematical framework for computing a variational flow proposed by Hermosillo et al. [G. Hermosillo, C. Chefd'Hotel, O. Faugeras, A variational approach to multi-modal image matching, Tech. Rep., INRIA (February 2001).] with the radial lesion growth pattern presented by Bach et al. [M. Bach Cuadra, C. Pollo, A. Bardera, O. Cuisenaire, J.-G. Villemure, J.-Ph. Thiran, Atlas-based segmentation of pathological MR brain images using a model of lesion growth, IEEE Trans. Med. Imag. 23 (10) (2004) 1301-1314.]. Results on patients with a meningioma are visually assessed and compared to those obtained with the most similar method from the state-of-the-art.

Chemical labelling of oyster shells used for time-calibrated high-resolution Mg/Ca ratios: A tool for estimation of past seasonal temperature variations

The geochemical compositions of biogenic carbonates are increasingly used for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. The skeletal delta O-18 temperature relationship is dependent on water salinity, so many recent studies have focused on the Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios because those ratios in water do not change significantly on short time scales. Thus, those elemental ratios are considered to be good palaeotemperature proxies in many biominerals, although their use remains ambiguous in bivalve shells. Here, we present the high-resolution Mg/Ca ratios of two modern species of juvenile and adult oyster shells, Crassostrea gigas and Ostrea edulis. These specimens were grown in controlled conditions for over one year in two different locations. In situ monthly Mn-marking of the shells has been used for day calibration. The daily Mg/Ca.ratios in the shell have been measured with an electron microprobe. The high frequency Mg/Ca variation of all specimens displays good synchronism with lunar cycles, suggesting that tides strongly influence the incorporation of Mg/Ca into the shells. Highly significant correlation coefficients (0.70<R<0.83, p<0.0001) between the Mg/Ca ratios and the seawater temperature are obtained only for juvenile C. gigas samples, while metabolic control of Mg/Ca incorporation and lower shell growth rates preclude the use of the Mg/Ca ratio in adult shells as a palaeothermometer. Data from three juvenile C. gigas shells from the two study sites are selected to establish a relationship: T = 3.77Mg/Ca + 1.88, where T is in degrees C and Mg/Ca in mmol/mol. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Governor's Task Force on Efficiencies and Cost-Effectiveness in Iowa State Government,Final Report, December 1983

A special task force was formed and worked through its various committees to uncover and investigate possible areas for cutting costs and saving money in State Government operations. A total of 81 recommendations are made in this report, with potential savings of over $32 million during the next several years.

Estimation of surface roughness in a semiarid region from C-band ERS-1 synthetic aperture radar data

In this study, we investigated the feasibility of using the C-band European Remote Sensing Satellite (ERS-1) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data to estimate surface soil roughness in a semiarid rangeland. Radar backscattering coefficients were extracted from a dry and a wet season SAR image and were compared with 47 in situ soil roughness measurements obtained in the rocky soils of the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed, southeastern Arizona, USA. Both the dry and the wet season SAR data showed exponential relationships with root mean square (RMS) height measurements. The dry C-band ERS-1 SAR data were strongly correlated (R² = 0.80), while the wet season SAR data have somewhat higher secondary variation (R² = 0.59). This lower correlation was probably provoked by the stronger influence of soil moisture, which may not be negligible in the wet season SAR data. We concluded that the single configuration C-band SAR data is useful to estimate surface roughness of rocky soils in a semiarid rangeland.

Maximum-likelihood estimation of specific differential phase and attenuation in rain

Precise estimation of propagation parameters inprecipitation media is of interest to improve the performanceof communications systems and in remote sensing applications.In this paper, we present maximum-likelihood estimators ofspecific attenuation and specific differential phase in rain. Themodel used for obtaining the cited estimators assumes coherentpropagation, reflection symmetry of the medium, and Gaussianstatistics of the scattering matrix measurements. No assumptionsabout the microphysical properties of the medium are needed.The performance of the estimators is evaluated through simulateddata. Results show negligible estimators bias and variances closeto Cramer–Rao bounds.

Estimation of percentage body fat in 6- to 13-year-old children by skinfold thickness, body mass index and waist circumference.

We evaluated the accuracy of skinfold thicknesses, BMI and waist circumference for the prediction of percentage body fat (PBF) in a representative sample of 372 Swiss children aged 6-13 years. PBF was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. On the basis of a preliminary bootstrap selection of predictors, seven regression models were evaluated. All models included sex, age and pubertal stage plus one of the following predictors: (1) log-transformed triceps skinfold (logTSF); (2) logTSF and waist circumference; (3) log-transformed sum of triceps and subscapular skinfolds (logSF2); (4) log-transformed sum of triceps, biceps, subscapular and supra-iliac skinfolds (logSF4); (5) BMI; (6) waist circumference; (7) BMI and waist circumference. The adjusted determination coefficient (R² adj) and the root mean squared error (RMSE; kg) were calculated for each model. LogSF4 (R² adj 0.85; RMSE 2.35) and logSF2 (R² adj 0.82; RMSE 2.54) were similarly accurate at predicting PBF and superior to logTSF (R² adj 0.75; RMSE 3.02), logTSF combined with waist circumference (R² adj 0.78; RMSE 2.85), BMI (R² adj 0.62; RMSE 3.73), waist circumference (R² adj 0.58; RMSE 3.89), and BMI combined with waist circumference (R² adj 0.63; RMSE 3.66) (P < 0.001 for all values of R² adj). The finding that logSF4 was only modestly superior to logSF2 and that logTSF was better than BMI and waist circumference at predicting PBF has important implications for paediatric epidemiological studies aimed at disentangling the effect of body fat on health outcomes.

Nets: Network estimation for time series

This work proposes novel network analysis techniques for multivariate time series.We define the network of a multivariate time series as a graph where verticesdenote the components of the process and edges denote non zero long run partialcorrelations. We then introduce a two step LASSO procedure, called NETS, toestimate high dimensional sparse Long Run Partial Correlation networks. This approachis based on a VAR approximation of the process and allows to decomposethe long run linkages into the contribution of the dynamic and contemporaneousdependence relations of the system. The large sample properties of the estimatorare analysed and we establish conditions for consistent selection and estimation ofthe non zero long run partial correlations. The methodology is illustrated with anapplication to a panel of U.S. bluechips.

Detecció de matrícules amb sistemes de baix cost

En aquest projecte s'avaluen els mètodes utilitzats per els mecanismes de detecció de matrícules, i es proposarà un algorisme de detecció de matrícules dissenyat específicament per a sistemes de baix cost com ara els ordinadors actuals. Utilitzarem eines al nostre abast, com càmeres fotogràfiques domèstiques o de mòbil per analitzar el rendiment de l'algorisme

Trinocular System for 3D motion and Dense Stucture Estimation

The relief of the seafloor is an important source of data for many scientists. In this paper we present an optical system to deal with underwater 3D reconstruction. This system is formed by three cameras that take images synchronously in a constant frame rate scheme. We use the images taken by these cameras to compute dense 3D reconstructions. We use Bundle Adjustment to estimate the motion ofthe trinocular rig. Given the path followed by the system, we get a dense map of the observed scene by registering the different dense local reconstructions in a unique and bigger one

An approach to costs and energy consumption in private urban Spanish Mediterranean landscapes from a simplified model in sprinkle irrigation

The number of private gardens has increased in recent years, creating a more pleasant urban model, but not without having an environmental impact, including increased energy consumption, which is the focus of this study. The estimation of costs and energy consumption for the generic typology of private urban gardens is based on two simplifying assumptions: square geometry with surface areas from 25 to 500 m2 and hydraulic design with a single pipe. In total, eight sprinkler models have been considered, along with their possible working pressures, and 31 pumping units grouped into 5 series that adequately cover the range of required flow rates and pressures, resultin in 495 hydraulic designs repeated for two climatically different locations in the Spanish Mediterranean area (Girona and Elche). Mean total irrigation costs for the locality with lower water needs (Girona) and greater needs (Elche) were € 2,974 ha-¹ yr-¹ and € 3,383 ha-¹ yr-¹, respectively. Energy costs accounted for 11.4% of the total cost for the first location, and 23.0% for the second. While a suitable choice of the hydraulic elements of the setup is essential, as it may provide average energy savings of 77%, due to the low energy cost in relation to the cost of installation, the potential energy savings do not constitute a significant incentive for the irrigation system design. The low efficiency of the pumping units used in this type of garden is the biggest obstacle and constraint to achieving a high quality energy solution

Estimation of the extreme flash flood evolution in Barcelona county from 1351 to 2005

Every year, flash floods cause economic losses and major problems for undertaking daily activity in the Catalonia region (NE Spain). Sometimes catastrophic damage and casualties occur. When a long term analysis of floods is undertaken, a question arises regarding the changing role of the vulnerability and the hazard in risk evolution. This paper sets out to give some information to deal with this question, on the basis of analysis of all the floods that have occurred in Barcelona county (Catalonia) since the 14th century, as well as the flooded area, urban evolution, impacts and the weather conditions for any of most severe events. With this objective, the identification and classification of historical floods, and characterisation of flash-floods among these, have been undertaken. Besides this, the main meteorological factors associated with recent flash floods in this city and neighbouring regions are well-known. On the other hand, the identification of rainfall trends that could explain the historical evolution of flood hazard occurrence in this city has been analysed. Finally, identification of the influence of urban development on the vulnerability to floods has been carried out. Barcelona city has been selected thanks to its long continuous data series (daily rainfall data series, since 1854; one of the longest rainfall rate series of Europe, since 1921) and for the accurate historical archive information that is available (since the Roman Empire for the urban evolution). The evolution of flood occurrence shows the existence of oscillations in the earlier and later modern-age periods that can be attributed to climatic variability, evolution of the perception threshold and changes in vulnerability. A great increase of vulnerability can be assumed for the period 1850¿1900. The analysis of the time evolution for the Barcelona rainfall series (1854¿2000) shows that no trend exists, although, due to changes in urban planning, flash-floods impact has altered over this time. The number of catastrophic flash floods has diminished, although the extraordinary ones have increased.