Structured Illumination Microscopy and a Quantitative Image Analysis for the Detection of Positive Margins in a Pre-Clinical Genetically Engineered Mouse Model of Sarcoma.

Intraoperative assessment of surgical margins is critical to ensuring residual tumor does not remain in a patient. Previously, we developed a fluorescence structured illumination microscope (SIM) system with a single-shot field of view (FOV) of 2.1 × 1.6 mm (3.4 mm2) and sub-cellular resolution (4.4 μm). The goal of this study was to test the utility of this technology for the detection of residual disease in a genetically engineered mouse model of sarcoma. Primary soft tissue sarcomas were generated in the hindlimb and after the tumor was surgically removed, the relevant margin was stained with acridine orange (AO), a vital stain that brightly stains cell nuclei and fibrous tissues. The tissues were imaged with the SIM system with the primary goal of visualizing fluorescent features from tumor nuclei. Given the heterogeneity of the background tissue (presence of adipose tissue and muscle), an algorithm known as maximally stable extremal regions (MSER) was optimized and applied to the images to specifically segment nuclear features. A logistic regression model was used to classify a tissue site as positive or negative by calculating area fraction and shape of the segmented features that were present and the resulting receiver operator curve (ROC) was generated by varying the probability threshold. Based on the ROC curves, the model was able to classify tumor and normal tissue with 77% sensitivity and 81% specificity (Youden's index). For an unbiased measure of the model performance, it was applied to a separate validation dataset that resulted in 73% sensitivity and 80% specificity. When this approach was applied to representative whole margins, for a tumor probability threshold of 50%, only 1.2% of all regions from the negative margin exceeded this threshold, while over 14.8% of all regions from the positive margin exceeded this threshold.

On the problems of object restoration and image extrapolation in optics

In this paper we consider the problems of object restoration and image extrapolation, according to the regularization theory of improperly posed problems. In order to take into account the stochastic nature of the noise and to introduce the main concepts of information theory, great attention is devoted to the probabilistic methods of regularization. The kind of the restored continuity is investigated in detail; in particular we prove that, while the image extrapolation presents a Hölder type stability, the object restoration has only a logarithmic continuity. © 1979 American Institute of Physics.

Social tourism today: Stakeholders, and supply and demand factors

As highlighted in the previous chapter, the definitions and consequently the expression of social tourism have developed and changed since its inception in the 19th century. In post-modern times there has been a significant evolution of the needs, the expectations and the possibilities (or opportunities) for holidaymaking and travel in general for the majority of people in Europe. Socio-political, economic and technological developments have forged a new context for tourism and created new travel opportunities (see Chapter 6). While the numbers of tourism trips have grown steadily over time, tourism participation levels in Europe have largely stabilised: there are still a number of groups in contemporary society who are excluded from tourism. Social tourism has adapted to societal changes and has changed its focus from factory workers and manual labourers towards the current main four target groups.

[Book review] Iterations: The New Image

Tony Mann provides a review of the book: Timothy Druckrey (ed.) Iterations: The New Image. MIT Press, (1994), 199pp. ISBN: 0-2620-4143-X. £35.95

A verification system for cinematographer image generation tools

The Production Workstation developed at the University of Greenwich is evaluated as a tool for assisting all those concerned with production. It enables the producer, director, and cinematographer to explore the quality of the images obtainable when using a plethora of tools. Users are free to explore many possible choices, ranging from 35mm to DV, and combine them with the many image manipulation tools of the cinematographer. The validation required for the system is explicitly examined, concerning the accuracy of the resulting imagery. Copyright © 1999 by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, Inc.

Image denoise by fourth-order PDE based on the changes of laplacian

Fourth-order partial differential equation (PDE) proposed by You and Kaveh (You-Kaveh fourth-order PDE), which replaces the gradient operator in classical second-order nonlinear diffusion methods with a Laplacian operator, is able to avoid blocky effects often caused by second-order nonlinear PDEs. However, the equation brought forward by You and Kaveh tends to leave the processed images with isolated black and white speckles. Although You and Kaveh use median filters to filter these speckles, median filters can blur the processed images to some extent, which weakens the result of You-Kaveh fourth-order PDE. In this paper, the reason why You-Kaveh fourth-order PDE can leave the processed images with isolated black and white speckles is analyzed, and a new fourth-order PDE based on the changes of Laplacian (LC fourth-order PDE) is proposed and tested. The new fourth-order PDE preserves the advantage of You-Kaveh fourth-order PDE and avoids leaving isolated black and white speckles. Moreover, the new fourth-order PDE keeps the boundary from being blurred and preserves the nuance in the processed images, so, the processed images look very natural.

Concise introduction to image processing using C++

A Concise Intro to Image Processing using C++ presents state-of-the-art image processing methodology, including current industrial practices for image compression, image de-noising methods based on partial differential equations, and new image compression methods such as fractal image compression and wavelet compression. It includes elementary concepts of image processing and related fundamental tools with coding examples as well as exercises. With a particular emphasis on illustrating fractal and wavelet compression algorithms, the text covers image segmentation, object recognition, and morphology. An accompanying CD-ROM contains code for all algorithms.

Tourism is it the ‘new’ driver for regeneration?

Article explores how tourism might be the key driver to urban regeneration in towns and cities as economic crisis deepens.

Sustainability and local tourism branding in England's South Downs

This paper reports on a stakeholder consultation exercise that examined the tourism industry's perception of developing a local tourism branding scheme within the South Downs' protected areas in south-east England. The research shows that such schemes could offer potential benefits that are recognisable by the tourism industry, while helping to meet the statutory aims of the protected area. The paper records the perceptions of small tourism businesses, their fears, awareness of tourism impacts, perceptions of sustainable tourism and of local branding, and key criteria connected to the future organisation of a local tourism branding scheme. The conclusion lists the recommendations for the implementation of a local branding scheme, including grassroots stakeholder consultation that encourages ownership and participation, institutional frameworks that support capacity-building and the importance of developing core values within a local brand.

Drawing the net: internet identification, internet use, and the image of internet users

Theory and research suggest that Internet identification may account for some of the gender divide in Internet use. Internet identification is a type of domain identification, and is inherently bound with images of those who use the Internet, a domain traditionally conceived as masculine. Combining the “draw an Internet user” test with an Internet identification scale, this study tests two hypotheses: participants drawing gender-concordant images will (i) identify with and (ii) use the Internet more than those drawing gender-discordant images. Participants were 371 students (121 males, 250 females) from three universities in the United Kingdom and Australia. The need to challenge masculinized images of the Internet is discussed.