Search results for " Graphics"
showing 10 items of 594 documents
Organization and evolution of synthetic idiotypic networks
2012
We introduce a class of weighted graphs whose properties are meant to mimic the topological features of idiotypic networks, namely the interaction networks involving the B-core of the immune system. Each node is endowed with a bit-string representing the idiotypic specificity of the corresponding B cell and a proper distance between any couple of bit-strings provides the coupling strength between the two nodes. We show that a biased distribution of the entries in bit-strings can yield fringes in the (weighted) degree distribution, small-worlds features, and scaling laws, in agreement with experimental findings. We also investigate the role of ageing, thought of as a progressive increase in …
Alignment of cone beam computed tomography data using intra-oral fiducial markers.
2009
This article illustrates a new method to align and merge two partially overlapping volumes each of them generated by cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). The aggregate volume covers a larger area of investigation and is determined by localizing one fixed LEGO brick in both of the primal volumes. Based on the LEGO brick an approximate registration of the volumes is determined. Afterwards we improve the transformation by minimizing the difference in overlapping space. In this paper we present a method which automates these two steps and provides an aligned volume.
Accelerating orthodontic tooth movement: a new, minimally-invasive corticotomy technique using a 3D-printed surgical template
2015
Background A reduction in orthodontic treatment time can be attained using corticotomies. The aggressive nature of corticotomy due to the elevation of muco-periosteal flaps and to the duration of the surgery raised reluctance for its employ among patients and dental community. This study aims to provide detailed information on the design and manufacture of a 3D-printed CAD-CAM (computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing) surgical guide which can aid the clinician in achieving a minimally-invasive, flapless corticotomy. Material and Methods An impression of dental arches was created; the models were digitally-acquired using a 3D scanner and saved as STereoLithography ( STL ) file…
Chebyshev’s Method on Projective Fluids
2020
We demonstrate the acceleration potential of the Chebyshev semi-iterative approach for fluid simulations in Projective Dynamics. The Chebyshev approach has been successfully tested for deformable bodies, where the dynamical system behaves relatively linearly, even though Projective Dynamics, in general, is fundamentally nonlinear. The results for more complex constraints, like fluids, with a particular nonlinear dynamical system, remained unknown so far. We follow a method describing particle-based fluids in Projective Dynamics while replacing the Conjugate Gradient solver with Chebyshev’s method. Our results show that Chebyshev’s method can be successfully applied to fluids and potentially…
Graph cut-based method for segmenting the left ventricle from MRI or echocardiographic images
2017
International audience; In this paper, we present a fast and interactive graph cut method for 3D segmentation of the endocardial wall of the left ventricle (LV) adapted to work on two of the most widely used modalities: magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and echocardiography. Our method accounts for the fundamentally different nature of both modalities: 3D echocardiographic images have a low contrast, a poor signal-to-noise ratio and frequent signal drop, while MR images are more detailed but also cluttered and contain highly anisotropic voxels. The main characteristic of our method is to work in a 3D Bezier coordinate system instead of the original Euclidean space. This comes with several ad…
A systematic comparison of kinetic modelling methods generating parametric maps for [11C]-(R)-PK11195
2006
[(11)C]-(R)-PK11195 is presently the most widely used radiotracer for the monitoring of microglia activity in the central nervous system (CNS). Microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain, play a critical role in acute and chronic diseases of the central nervous system and in host defence against neoplasia. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the reliability and sensitivity of five kinetic modelling methods for the formation of parametric maps from dynamic [(11)C]-(R)-PK11195 studies. The methods we tested were the simplified reference tissue model (SRTM), basis pursuit, a simple target-to-reference ratio, the Logan plot and a wavelet based Logan plot. For the reliabilit…
Coupling Mechanics of Antikythera Gearwheels
2012
This paper discusses the gear coupling mechanics of the ancient Antikythera mechanism, among whose distinctive characteristics was the triangular shaping of the teeth. The engagement of the tooth pairs is analyzed in detail, estimating the temporal variation of the speed ratio due to the back and forth shifting of the relative instant center. The admissibility of the theoretical contact points is carefully checked, and the magnitude of the successive tooth collisions is calculated together with the energy losses arising from the particular nature of the coupling. Some interesting results are that only one tooth pair turns out to be active at each time instant and the real path may belong on…
A GPU-Based Multi-agent System for Real-Time Simulations
2010
The huge number of cores existing in current Graphics Processor Units (GPUs) provides these devices with computing capabilities that can be exploited by distributed applications. In particular, these capabilites have been used in crowd simulations for enhancing the crowd rendering, and even for simulating continuum crowds. However, GPUs have not been used for simulating large crowds of complex agents, since these simulations require distributed architectures that can support huge amounts of agents. In this paper, we propose a GPU-based multi-agent system for crowd simulation. Concretely, we propose the use of an on-board GPU to implement one of the main tasks that a distributed server for c…
The Mathematical Table of the Palazzina Cinese in Palermo. Animation and Virtual Reality Techniques for an Edutainment Project
2023
The Palazzina Cinese of Palermo was built on a project by Venanzio Marvuglia in 1799 on behalf of Ferdinand IV of Borbone, when the royal family, fleeing from Naples following the establishment of the Parthenopean Republic, moved to Sicily. The building, known as “Chinese” due to its style, is full of particular architectural and decorative solutions. An element of particular interest is theMathematical Table, designed to avoid any contact between the living room and the kitchen below, isolating it from smells and servants. Thanks to a complex system of winches and pulleys, in fact, the dishes could be served by letting the central portion of the table and small circular areas fall into the…
Old Gibellina: the map, the world, the Aleph
2019
The present contribution intends to propose an epistemological reflection on the links and relationships that interweave the map, cultural heritage, landscape and places. I have identified an interpretative horizon that intersects the scientific geographic debate with the literary subject and proposed a specific reading of the site of Old Gibellina in Sicily, Italy, where reality and representation seem to converge. In 1968, Gibellina was razed to the ground by an earthquake. Then the site of Old Gibellina was covered by the ‘Grande Cretto’: the work of Land Art made by the artist Alberto Burri. In my perspective, the Cretto represents a unique place: it is a full-size map, it is landscape…