Measure Of Performance Index Research Articles

A Robust Edge Preserving Bilateral Filter for Ultrasound Kidney Image

Objective: The speckle noise reduction is an important preprocessing step, normally performed to improve the segmentation of kidney images for the diagnosis of stones' presence or its size. The bilateral filter is a robust method for noise reduction with edge preservation. An attempt is made in this work to analyze the effectiveness of the bilateral filter for speckle reduction in ultrasound kidney images. Methods/Statistical Analysis: An open source software Fiji is used to develop the filtering algorithms for ultrasound kidney image. The bilateral filter performance is compared with familiar speckle filters named median filter, Speckle Reducing Anisotropic Diffusion (SRAD) filter and Non-Local Mean (NLM) filter. The authors have selected mainly Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) for image quality analysis, Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) for comparison of noise with useful signal strength, Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) for maximum amplitude of signal, Mean Absolute Error (MAE) for overall performance and Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM) for testing bilateral filter on kidney images. The statistical measures also calculated to distinguish the filter performances. Findings: The bilateral filter performance is proven as an effective method for speckle reduction in ultrasound kidney stone detection applications than the existing methods through quantitative and statistical analysis. Application/Improvement: The bilateral filter can offer better segmentation of kidney stone due to its effective speckle reduction.

Synthesis of hydrometallurgical processes for valorization of secondary raw materials using ant colony optimization and key performance indicators

An algorithm-based method for synthesis of hydrometallurgical processes using limited amounts of experimental data is presented. The method enables simultaneous selection and sequencing of unit operations and optimization of operating parameters. An ant colony optimization (ACO) based algorithm is used to identify the most economic process alternative in an iterative manner. Key performance indicators are used for comparison of candidate processes: a purification performance index measures purity improvement and a separation cost indicator is used as an objective function in process optimization. Computational times were reduced significantly with the suggested method compared to an algorithm which evaluates all the possible process options. The practical applicability of the method to hydrometallurgy is demonstrated by investigating zinc recovery from argon oxygen decarburization dust with two alternative leaching methods and recovery of lanthanides from nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. In the first zinc recovery process, 150min normal batch leaching with 0.5M H2SO4 is used, and in the other one 270min batch leaching with H2SO4 is done by controlling the pH (>3.0). In both cases the leachate is extracted with D2EHPA at pH4.27, and stripped with circulating solution from zinc electrolysis. For lanthanides recovery the algorithm suggested a process in which the raw material is leached with 1.3M HCl, the leachate is extracted with D2EHPA at pH2.2, organic phase is stripped with 2.0M HCl and 99% pure Ln-oxalates are precipitated with oxalic acid at pH0.6. Compared to previously suggested process for the same raw material, the algorithm suggests operating the leaching step such that higher selectivity is achieved by sacrificing some yield.

Impact of adrenaline and levosimendan guided by the left ventricle myocardial performance index measure on outcome of patients undergoing on-pump coronary artery bypass: a randomized controlled clinical trial

Impact of adrenaline and levosimendan guided by the left ventricle myocardial performance index measure on outcome of patients undergoing on-pump coronary artery bypass: a randomized controlled clinical trial

Website performance and behavioral consequences: A formative measurement approach

Increasing internet use to access information and book trips significantly impacts the tourism industry and calls attention to learn more about website performance and evaluation. Specifically, how do tourists interact with websites? Which websites transform travelers into repeat visitors? Most research in this field employs multi-item measures conceptualized as reflective models. This paper suggests a theory-based alternative, formative measurement approach for website performance. The construct comprises eight dimensions: system availability, ease of use, usefulness, navigational challenge, website design, content quality, trust, and enjoyment. Website users identify dimensional indicators using evaluation surveys. Structural equation modeling examines linkages between the website performance index and outcome measures (satisfaction, value, and loyalty). Data provided by 455 travelers show the formative index works well. A second sample of 316 respondents cross-validates the findings. The study develops a sound and parsimonious measure allowing the monitoring and benchmarking of traveler perceptions over time.

3차원 영상을 위한 다초점 방식 영상획득장치

In this paper, we suggest a new camera capturing and synthesizing algorithm with the multi-captured left and right images for the better comfortable feeling of 3D depth and also propose 3D image capturing hardware system based on the this new algorithm. We also suggest the simple control algorithm for the calibration of camera capture system with zooming function based on a performance index measure which is used as feedback information for the stabilization of focusing control problem. We also comment on the theoretical mapping theory concerning projection under the assumption that human is sitting 50cm in front of and watching the 3D LCD screen for the captured image based on the modeling of pinhole Camera. We choose 9 segmentations and propose the method to find optimal alignment and focusing based on the measure of alignment and sharpness and propose the synthesizing fusion with the optimized 9 segmentation images for the best 3D depth feeling.

Arthroscopic treatment of lateral epicondylitis: comparison of the outcome of ECRB release with and without decortication

The purpose of this study was to compare the early clinical results of arthroscopic extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) release with and without bone decortication in the treatment of lateral epicondylitis. Thirty-eight patients who were surgically treated for lateral epicondylitis between 2004 and 2008 were included in this retrospective review. Among these 38 patients, 19 underwent arthroscopic ECRB release and 19 patients underwent both ECRB release with decortication of the lateral epicondyle. Outcome measures included pain assessment measured by visual analog scale (VAS) preoperatively, on postoperative day one, at two and 4 weeks postoperatively, and at the final follow-up visit. Functional evaluation was made with the Mayo Elbow Performance Index and grip strength measurement. Patients who underwent simple ECRB release had significantly less pain than patients who underwent ECRB release and decortication immediately postoperatively (p < 0.05). This group also showed a lower VAS score on exertion 2 weeks and 4 weeks after simple ECRB release (p < 0.05). The mean time taken to return to work was 24.2 ± 18.3 days in the group that underwent simple ECRB release and 39 ± 22.7 days in the group that underwent ECRB release with decortication (p < 0.05). Arthroscopic release of the ECRB is an effective method of treatment in patients with recalcitrant lateral epicondylitis. Decortication of the lateral epicondyle leads to increased pain postoperatively and did not improve clinical results.

Robust Prewhitening for ICA by Minimizing β-Divergence and Its Application to FastICA

Many estimation methods for independent component analysis (ICA) requires prewhitening of observed signals. This paper proposes a new method of prewhitening named β-prewhitening by minimizing the empirical β-divergence over the space of all the Gaussian distributions. The value of the tuning parameter β plays the key role in the performance of our current proposal. An attempt is made to propose an adaptive selection procedure for the tuning parameter β for this algorithm. At last, a measure of performance index is proposed for assessing prewhitening procedures. Simulation results show that β-prewhitening efficiently improves the performance over the standard prewhitening when outliers exist; it keeps equal performance otherwise. Performance of the proposed method is compared with the standard prewhitening by both FastICA and our proposed performance index.

Efficiency Measurement of Factories Via Data Envelopment Analysis

The aim of this paper is to illustrate how a mathematical programming technique called Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) can be used to measure the efficiency of factories of a multinational company, given the existence of multiple inputs and outputs in the transformation process with no a priori weightings. Productivity measures encompass measures of technical change, technical efficiency, scale efficiency and allocation efficiency. In a competitive environment, industrial enterprises must continuously improve their productivity to sustain long-term growth and profitability. Productivity measurement and analysis can therefore play an important role in strategic planning. In contrast to conventional performance index measures, DEA assessment incorporates all the relevant factors (classified as either inputs or outputs) into a single model. In this sense, it is non-biased, as no single factor is given preference over another. Moreover, DEA measures the relative efficiency with respect to the best observed performance, as opposed to other techniques based on the observed average values or some predetermined performance. To show the DEA potentiality, an analysis on 12 factories in the paper industry is presented. Besides identifying the inefficient units, DEA yields valuable assessments by factories that can be used to determine a suitable course of action for improving the performance of the inefficient units.

The Relationship of the General Educational Performance Index Measure to Other Indicators of Educational Development in Each of Three Samples From an United States Army Population

For each of three samples of 223, 124, and 54 individuals (enlisted personnel) representing military populations of different ability levels, relationships were found between total (mean) scores on achievement examination batteries or on their subtests and corresponding scores on a relatively new test battery entitled General Education Performance Index (GEPI), a comparatively short examination with five subtests essentially parallel in content to five subtests of the General Education Development (GED) test battery that requires about 10 hours to administer. Although composite (mean) scores on the GED test battery could be predicted with a relatively high degree of accuracy from those on the GEPI composite (the correlations varying between .52 and .70), scores on one subtest in either battery could be forecast from those in a corresponding subtest in the other battery with somewhat limited accuracy (the correlations ranging from .28 to .57). Subtests in Reading and Language of the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS) provided coefficients falling between .40 and .68 in relation to composite scores on the GED and GETI test batteries, whereas the Nelson Reading Test (NRT) and the General Technical (GT) Composite Score of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) furnished, respectively, corresponding coefficients ranging between .01 and .30 and between .12 and .36. Demographic variables pertaining to grade level and age of examinees yielded for the most part no signficant relationships with the several test measures.

Stability of Peak-Holding Control Systems

The adaptive response of peak-holding control systems is investigated using Liapunov's second stability method. The control loop is simplified by neglecting the dynamic elements associated with performance index measurement and a Liapunov function based on the plant and controller nonlinearities is derived. Stability criteria are obtained for the situation where control parameter bounds exist and for two different cases of variation of plant operating conditions (viz., drift and periodic disturbance of optimum operating point). Expeximental results are given that indicate the validity of the technique used, even in situations where the dynamic measurement elements present in the control loop cannot be neglected. The aim of the paper is to improve the understanding of the performance of peak-holding control systems, of the optimalizing type under time varying operating conditions and to present simple stability criteria that are directly applicable to the practical case.