Thesis (Ph. D.)--RAND Graduate School, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 95-99).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2006. / Description based on contents viewed Jan. 29, 2007; title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references (p. 51-54).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri--Columbia, 2005. / "May, 2005." Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 217-243). Also issued on the Internet.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 57-59).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 161-174).

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-03, Section: B, page: 1627. Adviser: Sally W. Vernon. Includes bibliographical references.

In the field of computer vision, face detection concerns the positive identification of the faces of people within still images or video streams, which is extremely useful for applications such as counting, tracking, and recognition. When applied in large-scale environments, such as lecture theatres, we have found that existing technology can struggle greatly in detecting faces due primarily to the indiscernibility of their features, caused by partial occlusion, problematic orientation, and a lack of focus or resolution. We attempt to overcome this issue by proposing an adaptive framework, capable of collating the results of numerous existing detection systems in order to significantly improve recall rates. This approach uses supplementary modalities, invariant to the issues posed to features, to eliminate false detections from collated sets and allow us to produce results with extremely high confidence. The properties we have selected as the bases of detection classification are size and colour, as we believe that filters that consider them can be constructed adaptively, on a per-image basis, ensuring that the variabilities inherent to large-scale imagery can be fully accounted for, and that false detections and actual faces can be accurately distinguished between on a consistent basis. The application of principal component analysis to precise face detection results yields planar size distribution models that we can use to discard results that are either too large or too small to realistically represent faces within given images. Classifying a detection according to the correspondence of its general colour tone to the expected colour of skin is a more complex matter, however, as the apparent colour of skin is highly dependent upon incident illumination, and existing techniques are neither specific nor flexible enough to model it as accurately as we believe possible. Therefore, we propose another system, which will be able to adaptively model skin colour distributions according to the Gaussian probability densities exhibited by the colours of precise face detections. Furthermore, it will be suitable for independent application to real-time skin segmentation tasks as a result of considerable optimisation. This thesis details the design, the development, and the implementation of our systems, and thoroughly evaluates them with regards to the accuracy of their results and the efficiency of their performances, thereby establishing fully the suitability of them for solving certain types of presented problems.

The purpose of this thesis was two-fold: first, to develop a Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire which reflects patient satisfaction with dressings used in the care of ulcerating metastatic skin lesions; and second, to evaluate patient satisfaction and patient preference with two types of dressings: Mesalt dressings and continuous wet saline dressings. The Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire was developed to measure patient satisfaction with dressing performance. Patients with ulcerating metastatic skin lesions were asked to identify important characteristics for evaluating patient satisfaction with dressings. These questions were validated and reviewed for clarity by the patients. A visual analogue scale was used as the response scale. Testing for reliability was limited. Mesalt dressings were compared to continuous wet saline dressings by evaluating patient satisfaction with pre-defined criteria. The criteria for evaluation included ease of application and removal, discomfort during and between dressing changes, control of odor, and patient preference. The study used a cross-over design in which each patient used one dressing for a month and the other dressing for the next month. Although 14 patients were involved in the study, only 10 were statistically analyzed. The remaining four patients were excluded because they were unable to complete a portion of each treatment. Two major findings were identified. First, regarding the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire, patients with ulcerating metastatic skin lesions had numerous ideas about what should be asked to evaluate patient satisfaction with dressings. They considered the questionnaire to be an appropriate format and the questions generated by the investigator to be both important and understandable. Second, the findings of the study indicated that the Mesalt dressings received significantly more positive ratings when compared with continuous wet saline dressings for ease of application and odor control. Mesalt dressings were also significantly preferred to continuous wet saline dressings. The knowledge gained through this study is useful when helping patients decide which dressings to use in the care of ulcerating metastatic skin lesions. The Mesalt dressing appears to be a favorable choice, particularly when ease of application and odor control is important. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Nursing, School of / Graduate

Charles University Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové Department of pharmeceutical technology Candidate: Oksana Yanok Supervisor: Pharm.Dr. Andrej Kováčik, Ph.D. Title of Diploma Thesis: The effects of glucosyl sphingosine on barrier function of skin and complex skin model. The skin barrier, which provides protection from water loss and harmful environmental influences is located in the stratum corneum. The dominant group of lipids within the stratum corneum are ceramides (Cer), which also have the most important role in ensuring the barrier properties of the skin. The enzymes sphingomyelin deacylase and glucosylceramide deacylase hydrolyze the amide bond of Cer precursors, which leads to highly polar metabolites, called lysolipids. The increased activity of these enzymes is considered to be one of the major factors leading to the development of a number of skin diseases characterized by a skin barrier disorder (for example atopic dermatitis). In this study we prepared model membranes mimicking a healthy skin barrier as an equimolar mixtures of human Cer, cholesterol, free fatty acids with the addition of 5 % cholesterol sulfate. We also prepared models in which the amount of Cer was gradually reduced and replaced by the hydrophilic lysolipid glucosylsphingosine. The permeability was measured...

Breastmilk feeding at birth demonstrates short- and long-term medical and neurodevelopmental advantages. Infants who are exclusively breastfed demonstrate less nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, and they experience less upper respiratory and ear infections than do infants who are not breastfed. One strategy that supports breastfeeding initiation is providing skin-to-skin contact (STS) with mothers and newborns immediately upon birth. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the impact of a second session of STS on the postpartum unit on exclusive breastfeeding rates at discharge. A retrospective comparison design using Swanson's caring model was used to guide the evaluation study that examined and compared the rate of exclusive breastfeeding before and after the new model of care was implemented. The historical controls rate included all delivered women in a 3-month period who expressed a desire to exclusively breastfeed and who had one session of STS. In this group, the exclusive breastfeeding rates were 46% at discharge. After the practice change, the 75 women who expressed a desire to exclusively breastfeed and who had the second session of STS demonstrated exclusive breastfeeding rates of 72% at discharge. The increased rate of exclusive breastfeeding and the promotion of newborn health represent a major contribution to positive social change through the introduction of a second session of STS. The extension of the STS practice from only the immediate postdelivery setting to the postpartum setting provides a contribution to nursing practice that can be shared in any birth or similar practice setting.