Shading Curves: Vector-Based Drawing With Explicit Gradient Control

A challenge in vector graphics is to define primitives that offer flexible manipulation of colour gradients. We propose a new primitive, called a shading curve, that supports explicit and local gradient control. This is achieved by associating shading profiles to each side of the curve. These shading profiles, which can be manually manipulated, represent the colour gradient out from their associated curves. Such explicit and local gradient control is challenging to achieve via the diffusion curve process, introduced in 2008, because it offers only implicit control of the colour gradient. We resolve this problem by using subdivision surfaces that are constructed from shading curves and their shading profiles.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Wiley via http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/cgf.1253

School-Based Telemedicine Interventions for Asthma: A Systematic Review.

BackgroundSchool health systems are increasingly investing in telemedicine platforms to address acute and chronic illnesses. Asthma, the most common chronic illness in childhood, is of particular interest given its high burden on school absenteeism.ObjectiveConduct a systematic review evaluating impact of school-based telemedicine programs on improving asthma-related outcomes.Data sourcesPubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL, CINAHL, ERIC, PsycINFO, Embase, and Google Scholar.Study eligibility criteriaOriginal research, including quasi-experimental studies, without restriction on the type of telemedicine.ParticipantsSchool-aged pediatric patients with asthma and their families.InterventionsSchool-based telemedicine.Study appraisal and synthesis methodsTwo authors independently screened each abstract, conducted full-text review, assessed study quality, and extracted information. A third author resolved disagreements.ResultsOf 371 articles identified, 7 were included for the review. Outcomes of interest were asthma symptom-free days, asthma symptom frequency, quality of life, health care utilization, school absences, and spirometry. Four of 7 studies reported significant increases in symptom-free days and/or decrease in symptom frequency. Five of 6 reported increases in at least one quality-of-life metric, 2 of 7 reported a decrease in at least 1 health care utilization metric, 1 of 3 showed reductions in school absences, and 1 of 2 reported improvements in spirometry measures.LimitationsVariability in intervention designs and outcome measures make comparisons and quantitative analyses across studies difficult. Only 2 of 7 studies were randomized controlled trials.Conclusions and implications of key findingsHigh-quality evidence supporting the use of school-based telemedicine programs to improve patient outcomes is limited. While available evidence suggests benefit, only 2 comparative trials were identified, and the contribution of telemedicine to these studies' results is unclear

Cornsweet surfaces for selective contrast enhancement

A typical goal when enhancing the contrast of images is to increase the perceived contrast without altering the original feel of the image. Such contrast enhancement can be achieved by modelling Cornsweet profiles into the image. We demonstrate that previous methods aiming to model Cornsweet profiles for contrast enhancement, often employing the unsharp mask operator, are not robust to image content. To achieve robustness, we propose a fundamentally di erent vector-centric approach with Cornsweet surfaces. Cornsweet surfaces are parametrised 3D surfaces (2D in space, 1D in luminance enhancement) that are extruded or depressed in the luminance dimension to create countershading that respects image structure. In contrast to previous methods, our method is robust against the topology of the edges to be enhanced and the relative luminance across those edges. In user trials, our solution was significantly preferred over the most related contrast enhancement method.Kosinka was funded by EPSRC grant EP/H024816/1. Lieng was funded by a scholarship from the Norwegian Government.This is the accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0097849314000405

Opposite-side flavour tagging of B mesons at the LHCb experiment

The calibration and performance of the oppositeside flavour tagging algorithms used for the measurements of time-dependent asymmetries at the LHCb experiment are described. The algorithms have been developed using simulated events and optimized and calibrated with B + →J/ψK +, B0 →J/ψK ∗0 and B0 →D ∗− μ + νμ decay modes with 0.37 fb−1 of data collected in pp collisions at √ s = 7 TeV during the 2011 physics run. The oppositeside tagging power is determined in the B + → J/ψK + channel to be (2.10 ± 0.08 ± 0.24) %, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic

Strong constraints on the rare decays Bs -> mu+ mu- and B0 -> mu+ mu-

A search for Bs -> mu+ mu- and B0 -> mu+ mu- decays is performed using 1.0 fb^-1 of pp collision data collected at \sqrt{s}=7 TeV with the LHCb experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. For both decays the number of observed events is consistent with expectation from background and Standard Model signal predictions. Upper limits on the branching fractions are determined to be BR(Bs -> mu+ mu-) mu+ mu-) < 1.0 (0.81) x 10^-9 at 95% (90%) confidence level.Comment: 2+6 pages; 4 figures; Accepted for publication in Physical Review Letter

Determination of the X(3872) meson quantum numbers

The quantum numbers of the X(3872) meson are determined to be JPC=1++ based on angular correlations in B+→X(3872)K+ decays, where X(3872)→π+π-J/ψ and J/ψ→μ+μ-. The data correspond to 1.0  fb-1 of pp collisions collected by the LHCb detector. The only alternative assignment allowed by previous measurements JPC=2-+ is rejected with a confidence level equivalent to more than 8 Gaussian standard deviations using a likelihood-ratio test in the full angular phase space. This result favors exotic explanations of the X(3872) stat

An Experimental Study of the Embedment of a Dynamically Installed Anchor in Sand

This paper presents a novel dynamically installed anchor concept suitable for sand. The anchor, referred to as the DPAIII, uses a thin ‘blade-like’ design to reduce bearing resistance during penetration, and comprises a lower plate attached to an upper removable follower. The anchor is installed through the kinetic energy it gains during free-fall in water. After embedment, the upper follower is removed leaving the lower plate an-chor vertically embedded in the sand. This paper examines the embedment potential of the DPAIII through centrifuge tests conducted at 100 g in both loose and dense sand, using a model DPA III with different fol-lower masses, impacting the model sand bed at two different velocities. The centrifuge tests show promising results, with anchor tip embedment in the range of 0.9 to 2.2 times the lower plate length. The tip embed-ment is found to be a function of the soil relative density, anchor mass and impact velocity

First evidence of direct CP violation in charmless two-body decays of Bs0 mesons

Using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 0.35 fb(-1) collected by LHCb in 2011, we report the first evidence of CP violation in the decays of B-s(0) mesons to K-+/-pi(-/+)pairs, A(CP)(B-s(0) -> K pi) = 0.27 +/- 0.08(stat) +/- 0.02(syst), with a significance of 3.3 sigma. Furthermore, we report the most precise measurement of CP violation in the decays of B-0 mesons to K-+/-pi(-/+) pairs, A(CP)(B-0 -> K pi) = -0.088 +/- 0.011(stat) +/- 0.008(syst), with a significance exceeding 6 sigma. RI Galli, Domenico/A-1606-2012; Coca, Cornelia/B-6015-2012; Petrolini, Alessandro/H-3782-2011; Sarti, Alessio/I-2833-2012; Carbone, Angelo/C-8289-2012; manca, giulia/I-9264-2012; de Paula, Leandro/I-9278-2012; Patrignani, Claudia/C-5223-2009; Marconi, Umberto/J-2263-2012; de Simone, Patrizia/J-3549-2012; Cardini, Alessandro/J-5736-2012; Teodorescu, Eliza/K-3044-201

Measurement of V 0 production ratios in pp collisions at s=0.9 \sqrt {s} = 0.9 and 7 TeV

The $\bar{\Lambda} / \Lambda$ and $\bar{\Lambda} / K^0_\mathrm{S}$ production ratios are measured by the LHCb detector from $0.3\,\mathrm{nb}^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions delivered by the LHC at $\sqrt{s} = 0.9$\,TeV and $1.8\,\mathrm{nb}^{-1}$ at $\sqrt{s} = 7$\,TeV. Both ratios are presented as a function of transverse momentum, $p_\mathrm{T}$, and rapidity, $y$, in the ranges {$0.15 < p_\mathrm{T} < 2.50\,\mathrm{GeV}/c$} and {$2.0<y<4.5$}. Results at the two energies are in good agreement as a function of rapidity loss, $\Delta y = y_\mathrm{beam} - y$, and are consistent with previous measurements. The ratio $\bar{\Lambda} / \Lambda$, measuring the transport of baryon number from the collision into the detector, is smaller in data than predicted in simulation, particularly at high rapidity. The ratio $\bar{\Lambda} / K^0_\mathrm{S}$, measuring the baryon-to-meson suppression in strange quark hadronisation, is significantly larger than expected.The $\bar{\Lambda} / \Lambda$ and $\bar{\Lambda} / K^0_\mathrm{S}$ production ratios are measured by the LHCb detector from $0.3\,\mathrm{nb}^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions delivered by the LHC at $\sqrt{s} = 0.9$\,TeV and $1.8\,\mathrm{nb}^{-1}$ at $\sqrt{s} = 7$\,TeV. Both ratios are presented as a function of transverse momentum, $p_\mathrm{T}$, and rapidity, $y$, in the ranges {$0.15 < p_\mathrm{T} < 2.50\,\mathrm{GeV}/c$} and {$2.0<y<4.5$}. Results at the two energies are in good agreement as a function of rapidity loss, $\Delta y = y_\mathrm{beam} - y$, and are consistent with previous measurements. The ratio $\bar{\Lambda} / \Lambda$, measuring the transport of baryon number from the collision into the detector, is smaller in data than predicted in simulation, particularly at high rapidity. The ratio $\bar{\Lambda} / K^0_\mathrm{S}$, measuring the baryon-to-meson suppression in strange quark hadronisation, is significantly larger than expected