Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-05T13:53:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Este trabalho apresenta um modelo para síntese de texturas a partir de amostras, mais especificamente para síntese de texturas com elementos que variam progressivamente ao longo da textura, conhecidas como Progressively-Variant Textures (PVT). Este tipo de textura é comum na Natureza, particularmente na pelagem de animais como leopardos. Os algoritmos de síntese existentes, na grande maioria, não permitem qualquer controle sobre o resultado final, ou então, os que permitem, são limitados ou tem problemas de performance inerente ao método de síntese utilizado (pixel-a-pixel). Para resolvermos estes problemas, propomos um algoritmo baseado numa nova unidade de síntese: o texel. O nosso algoritmo sintetiza uma nova textura agrupando texels que satisfazem um critério de similaridade numa vizinhança. As características de uma PVT são obtidas com transformações afim e operações morfológicas aplicadas sobre os texels e definidas pelo usuário. Os resultados obtidos apresentam uma ótima qualidade visual para uma / We present a model for texture synthesis from samples, particularly for synthesis of textures with smooth variation of the texture elements, known as Progressively-Variant Textures (PVT). This type of textures is common in Nature, specially in animal coat markings such as leopards. Current solutions, for the most part, do not allow much control by the user or the ones which do allow control are limited or have problems due to the pixel-at-a-time nature of synthesis. We address these problems with the introduction of an algorithm based on a new building block for synthesis: the texel. Our solution builds a new texture grouping texels which satisfy a neighborhood similarity criterion. The PVT features are introduced with affine transformations and morphological operators defined by the user and applied to the texels. The results show a good visual quality for a large number of sample textures, including cases where current solutions for natural textures fail. Besides, the many possibilities for variation of te

ABSTRACT Hospice and Dementia Special Care Units (DSCUs) have been shown to be gold standards of care for individuals who are dying and for those with dementia in nursing homes. Using a retrospective administrator and family survey, this study investigated whether the processes of care used in hospice and DSCUs are associated with increased quality of end of life (EOL) care for individuals with dementia. A convenience sample of 17 facilities in four states (FL, PA, MD and MA) was included in the study. Nursing home administrators were surveyed between September 2008 and October 2009. The administrators identified 116 family members of decedents with dementia who were surveyed with the End-of-Life Dementia (EOLD) scale as the outcome. The Donabedian Structure-Process-Outcome theory was used to test the hypothesis that the process characteristics of hospice and DSCU will be associated with higher EOLD scores. Hierarchical regression models were conducted for two of the three subscales of the EOLD. The resident risk characteristics (decedent length of stay and resident immobility), the structure characteristics (profit status, percent Medicaid and presence of other palliation), and the process characteristics (hospice, DSCU, dual, and traditional enrolled, and strength of inter-disciplinary team (IDT)] were entered into the model to determine their association with Satisfaction With Care and Comfort At Death. Strength of the IDT was included as a moderating factor of this association. Only DSCU enrollment was associated with increased Satisfaction With Care (SWC; DSCU: b = .31, p < .01). The moderation analysis showed that strength of IDT did significantly moderate the association between DSCU enrollment and increased SWC (DSCU: b = -.09, p < .05). Study implications include the need for more research into DSCUs and Strength of IDT as best practices in EOL care. This study contributes to an expanding body of research on the extra value of enrollment in a DSCU and the role of IDT in quality of EOL care for individuals with dementia in nursing homes.

Reinforced concrete buildings built prior to the enactment of modern seismic codes are often seismically deficient. These buildings may have inadequate strength and ductility to withstand strong earthquakes. Conventional retrofit techniques for such frame buildings involve adding reinforced concrete shear walls or structural bracing systems to the existing bays. These techniques can be intrusive and result in lengthy down times and expensive structural interventions. An alternative to conventional techniques is the use of high-strength prestressing strands or cables, diagonally placed as tension elements. This technique was researched and used in a limited manner after the 1985 Mexico City Earthquake. It has since been further investigated at the University of Ottawa through experimental and analytical research (Shalouf and Saatcioglu (2006), Carrière (2008), Molaei (2014)). While the use of steel strands as tension bracing elements proves to be an effective technique, the resulting stiffening effects on the frames lead to increased seismic force demands and higher based shear, as well as increased axial forces on the attached columns, potentially generating net tension, foundation uplift and excessive compression. Relatively low elongation characteristics of high-strength cables and slack caused by yielding strands and associated pinching of hysteresis curves reduce potential energy dissipation capacity. The current research aims to improve the previously observed deficiencies of the system. One of the improvements involve the use of shape memory alloys (SMA) in the middle of the cables, which reduce/eliminate residual deformations upon yielding and associated pinching of the hysteresis curves. SMA allows energy dissipation in the system while forcing the structure to recover from its inelastic deformations because of the flag-shape hysteretic characteristics of the material. The feasibility of the cable-SMA assembly as tension brace elements is illustrated through dynamic analyses of selected prototype buildings. The other improvement is the development of progressively engaging, initially loose multiple strands as tension cables. These cables are placed loosely to engage in seismic resistance at pre-determined drift levels, thereby eliminating premature increase in seismic force demands until their participation is required as the frame capacity is reached. Tests of a large-scale reinforced concrete frame, designed following the requirements of the 1965 National Building Code of Canada NRC (1965) as representative of existing older frame buildings in Canada, are conducted under simulated seismic loading to assess the effectiveness of the proposed system. The verification of the concept is extended analytically to prototype buildings and the effectiveness of the system is demonstrated for mid-rise and low-rise frame buildings.

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