A new stereo matching paradigm is introduced as an integrated process of highly discriminating steps, adopting congruously all the fundamental steps of the stereo vision problem. The central objective is the extraction of a disparity map from which the depth map will be derived. A unique representation of the two dimensional (2-D) stereo images into linear, orthogonal, and spatially-varying attributes serve as the mathematical foundation from which the proposed stereo matching method has evolved. The devised attributes contribute equally to the decision making process and provide information on the characterization of a potential match and its validation through a consistency check. A fundamental contribution of this thesis is in creating the possibility for the design of a dimensionally-augmented vision system (2½ -D representation) based on an effective stereo paradigm with realistic computational requirements. In this design configuration, the geometrical mappings between the 3-D real-world measurements with the measurements obtained using the proposed 2½ -D-D representation are established. Computer results for the intended objective of creating highly accurate disparity maps for various scenes with varying complexities clearly demonstrate the soundness of the proposed method both in terms of its matching effectiveness and its realistic computational power requirements. Future objectives point to the development of enhanced algorithms for scene interpretation and understanding based on this augmented representation.

The burgeoning field of nanotechnology motivates comprehensive elucidation of nanoscale materials. This thesis addresses transmission electron microscope characterisation of nanoparticle morphology, concerning specifically the crystal- lographic status of novel intermetallic GaPd2 nanocatalysts and advancement of electron tomographic methods for high-fidelity three-dimensional analysis. Going beyond preceding analyses, high-resolution annular dark-field imaging is used to verify successful nano-sizing of the intermetallic compound GaPd2. It also reveals catalytically significant and crystallographically intriguing deviations from the bulk crystal structure. So-called ‘non-crystallographic’ five-fold twinned nanoparticles are observed, adding a new perspective in the long standing debate over how such morphologies may be achieved. The morphological complexity of the GaPd2 nanocatalysts, and many cognate nanoparticle systems, demands fully three-dimensional analysis. It is illustrated how image processing techniques applied to electron tomography reconstructions can facilitate more facile and objective quantitative analysis (‘nano-metrology’). However, the fidelity of the analysis is limited ultimately by artefacts in the tomographic reconstruction. Compressed sensing, a new sampling theory, asserts that many signals can be recovered from far fewer measurements than traditional theories dictate are necessary. Compressed sensing is applied here to electron tomographic reconstruction, and is shown to yield far higher fidelity reconstructions than conventional algorithms. Reconstruction from extremely limited data, more robust quantitative analysis and novel three-dimensional imaging are demon- strated, including the first three-dimensional imaging of localised surface plasmon resonances. Many aspects of transmission electron microscopy characterisation may be enhanced using a compressed sensing approach.

As the most commonly diseased heart valve, the mitral valve (MV) has been the subject of extensive research for many years. Unfortunately, the only treatment options currently available are surgical repair and replacement. Although repair is almost always preferable to replacement, it is often underperformed due to the complexity of MV repair surgeries. Consequently, there is significant interest in generating patient-specific finite element models of the MV for the purpose of simulating mitral repairs. For practical purposes transesophageal echocardiographic (TEE) images are most commonly used to reconstruct the mitral apparatus. However, limitations in ultrasound technology have prevented the detection of leaflet thicknesses. In the current study, a method was developed to accurately model variations in leaflet thicknesses using TEE datasets. Nine healthy datasets were modeled and the leaflet thicknesses were found to closely match previously reported results. As anticipated, normal valve function was also observed over the entire cardiac cycle.

This experiment investigated the effect of infill pattern shape on structural stiffness for 3D printed components made out of carbon fiber reinforced nylon. In order to determine the natural frequency of each specimen, nondestructive vibrational testing was conducted and processed using data acquisition software. After obtaining the acceleration information of each component, in response to ambient vibrational conditions and excitation, frequency response functions were generated. These functions provided the natural frequency of each component, making it possible to calculate their respective stiffness values. The four infill patterns investigated in this experiment were: Zig Zag, Tri-Hex, Triangle, and Concentric. Results of the experiment showed that changing the infill pattern of a 3D printed component, while maintaining a constant geometry and density, could increase mechanical stiffness properties by a factor of two. Comprehensively, the experiment showed that infill pattern geometry directly attributes to the mechanical stiffness of 3D printed components. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2020. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a medical imaging technique which distinguishes itself by acquiring microscopic resolution images in-vivo at millimeter scale fields of view. The resulting in images are not only high-resolution, but often multi-dimensional to capture 3-D biological structures or temporal processes. The nature of multi-dimensional data presents a unique set of challenges to the OCT user that include acquiring, storing, and handling very large datasets, visualizing and understanding the data, and processing and analyzing the data. In this dissertation, three of these challenges are explored in depth: sub-resolution temporal analysis, 3-D modeling of fiber structures, and compressed sensing of large, multi-dimensional datasets. Exploration of these problems is followed by proposed solutions and demonstrations which rely on tools from multiple research areas including digital image filtering, image de-noising, and sparse representation theory. Combining approaches from these fields, advanced solutions were developed to produce new and groundbreaking results. High-resolution video data showing cilia motion in unprecedented detail and scale was produced. An image processing method was used to create the first 3-D fiber model of uterine tissue from OCT images. Finally, a compressed sensing approach was developed which we show to guarantee high accuracy image recovery of more complicated, clinically relevant, samples than had been previously demonstrated. The culmination of these methods represents a step forward in OCT image analysis, showing that these cutting edge tools can also be applied to OCT data and in the future be employed in a clinical setting.

Realistic modeling, rendering, and animation of physical and virtual shapes have matured significantly over the last few decades. Yet, the creation and subsequent modeling of three-dimensional shapes remains a tedious task which requires not only artistic and creative talent, but also significant technical skill. The perfection witnessed in computer-generated feature films requires extensive manual processing and touch-ups. Every researcher working in graphics and related fields has likely experienced the difficulty of creating even a moderate-quality 3D model, whether based on a mental concept, a hand sketch, or inspirations from one or more photographs or existing 3D designs. This situation, frequently referred to as the content creation bottleneck, is arguably the major obstacle to making computer graphics as ubiquitous as it could be. Classical modeling techniques have primarily dealt with local or low-level geometric entities (e.g., points or triangles) and criteria (e.g., smoothness or detail preservation), lacking the freedom necessary to produce novel and creative content. A major unresolved challenge towards a new unhindered design paradigm is how to support the design process to create visually pleasing and yet functional objects by users who lack specialized skills and training. Most of the existing geometric modeling tools are intended either for use by experts (e.g., computer-aided design [CAD] systems) or for modeling objects whose visual aspects are the only consideration (e.g., computer graphics modeling systems). Furthermore, rapid prototyping, brought on by technological advances 3D printing has drastically altered production and consumption practices. These technologies empower individuals to design and produce original objects, customized according to their own needs. Thus, a new generation of design tools is needed to support both the creation of designs within the domain's constraints, that not only allows capturing the novice user's design intent but also meets the fabrication constraints such that the designs can be realized with minimal tweaking by experts. To fill this void, the premise of this thesis relies on the following two tenets: 1. users benefit from an interactive design environment that allows novice users to continuously explore a design space and immediately see the tradeoffs of their design choices. 2. the machine's processing power is used to assist and guide the user to maintain constraints imposed by the problem domain (e.g., fabrication/material constraints) as well as help the user in exploring feasible solutions close to their design intent. Finding the appropriate balance between interactive design tools and the computation needed for productive workflows is the problem addressed by this thesis. This thesis makes the following contributions: 1. We take a close look at thin shells--materials that have a thickness significantly smaller than other dimensions. Towards the goal of achieving interactive and controllable simulations we realize a particular geometric insight to develop an efficient bending model for the simulation of thin shells. Under isometric deformations (deformations that undergo little to no stretching), we can reduce the nonlinear bending energy into a cubic polynomial that has a linear Hessian. This linear Hessian can be further approximated with a constant one, providing significant speedups during simulation. We also build upon this simple bending model and show how orthotropic materials can be modeled and simulated efficiently. 2. We study the theory of Chebyshev nets--a geometric model of woven materials using a two-dimensional net composed of inextensible yarns. The theory of Chebyshev nets sheds some light on their limitations in globally covering a target surface. As it turns out, Chebyshev nets are a good geometric model for wire meshes, free-form surfaces composed of woven wires arranged in a regular grid. In the context of designing sculptures with wire mesh, we rely on the mathematical theory laid out by Hazzidakis~\cite{Hazzidakis1879} to determine an artistically driven workflow for approximately covering a target surface with a wire mesh, while globally maintaining material and fabrication constraints. This alleviates the user from worrying about feasibility and allows focus on design. 3. Finally, we present a practical design tool for the design and exploration of reconfigurables, defined as an object or collection of objects whose transformation between various states defines its functionality or aesthetic appeal (e.g., a mechanical assembly composed of interlocking pieces, a transforming folding bicycle, or a space-saving arrangement of apartment furniture). A novel space-time collision detection and response technique is presented that can be used to create an interactive workflow for managing and designing objects with various states. This work also considers a graph-based timeline during the design process instead of the traditional linear timeline and shows its many benefits as well as challenges for the design of reconfigurables.

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A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2017. / Numerous pharmaceutical solid dosage form manufacturing techniques have emerged over the years and among them, 3D-Printing (3DP) has emerged as a highly attractive and versatile approach. 3DP is a cutting edge technology set to expand and revolutionize tablet manufacturing among various other applications in industry. The study reported in this thesis focuses on developing a humic acid-polyquaternium-10 (HA-PQ10) 3D-Printable ink for the delivery of three anti-HIV bioactives, efavirenz (EFV), tenofovir (TDF) and emtricitabine (FTC). HA was strategically employed based on its capability of entrapping both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs. PQ10 contributed towards the system’s swellability in aqueous media. The HA-PQ10 PEC was responsible for retarding drug release therefore it behaved as a drug reservoir. Validation of HA-PQ10 complexation was carried out by synthesizing the HA-PQ10 polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) in aqueous media at pH 6, 7 and 8. The complexation yielded fibrilla and porous PECs. The PEC formation was attributed to ionic interactions between the quaternary ammonium centres (PQ10) and carboxylic groups (HA). The PECs were determined to be amorphous in nature and exhibited good biocompatibility when tested for cytotoxicity in human adenocarcinoma cell line (Caco2). The model drug, efavirenz (EFV) was loaded into HA-PQ10 using the complexation-precipitation (C-P) technique. The resultant EFV-loaded HA-PQ10 was compared to benchtop extrudates manufactured using the extrusion-spheronization (E-S) process. Assessment of the EFV saturation solubility and intestinal permeability showed EFV solubility and permeability enhancement of 14.14±2.81% and 61.24±6.92% respectively. The properties were compared to those of a marketed comparator product. Loading RTV into the optimized HA-PQ10 further validated the solubility and permeability enhancing properties in the BCS class IV drug as well. The extrudates performed superiorly compared to the formulation synthesized by C-P. The E-S technique was utilized to optimize HA-PQ10 based on drug release and intestinal permeation enhancement. The optimal HA-PQ10 was employed for 3DP of EFV-loaded HA-PQ10 into an oral tablet formulation. It was imperative to add cellulose acetate phthalate (CAP) to enhance the 3D-Printability of the HA-PQ10. CAP made the synthesized delivery system pH responsive and drug release results showed that most of the release occurred under intestinal conditions. The EFV-loaded 3DP tablet was compared to a tablet synthesized by direct compression. 3DP was more porous, less dense and more swellable than the direct compression tablet. These remarkable differences were attributed to the tableting method. 3DP leads to the formation of solid bridges between particles as the sludge (ink) undergoes extrusion and drying process. The direct compression technique involves axial powder compaction at high pressures which force particles to interact through Van der Waals forces or hydrogen bond formation. High drug loading of EFV was achieved and the tablet was further optimized to manufacture the ‘controlled release tritherapeutic tablet’, CRTT, a fixed dose combination (FDC) consisting of EFV, TDF and FTC. In vivo studies were conducted in large white pigs and CRTT absorption was compared to a marketed FDC, Atripla®. There was sustained release of EFV, TDF and FTC from CRTT and this was validated by the long residence times determined from pharmacokinetic analysis. EFV was maintained within the therapeutic index of the drug during the 24 hour study. Through this study, 3DP proved to be a technology with potential for manufacturing novel formulations. As more research is underway in the 3DP field, it can only be appreciated that its scope of use will continue to grow and restructure pharmaceutical manufacturing processes. / LG2018

Dans cette thèse, nous explorons des structures intermédiaires ainsi que le rapport entre eux et des algorithmes utilisés dans le contexte du rendu photoréaliste (RP) et non photoréaliste (RNP). Nous présentons des nouvelles structures pour le rendu et l'utilisation alternative des structures existantes. Nous présentons trois contributions principales dans les domaines RP et RNP: Nous montrons une méthode pour la génération des images stylisées noir et blanc. Notre approche est inspirée par des bandes dessinées, utilisant l'apparence et la géometrie dans une formulation d'énérgie basée sur un graphe 2D. En contrôlant les énérgies, l'utilisateur peut générer des images de differents styles et représentations. Dans le deuxième travail, nous proposons une nouvelle méthode pour la paramétrisation temporellement cohérente des lignes animées pour la texturisation. Nous introduisons une structure spatiotemporelle et une formulation d'énérgie permettant une paramétrisation globalement optimale. La formulation par une énérgie donne un contrôle important et simple sur le résultat. Finalement, nous présentons une extension sur une méthode de l'illumination globale (PBGI) utilisée dans la production de films au cours des dernières années. Notre extension effectue une compression par quantification de données générées par l'algorithme original. Le coût ni de memoire ni de temps excède considérablement celui de la méthode d'origin et permet ainsi le rendu des scènes plus grande. L'utilisateur a un contrôle facile du facteur et de la qualité de compression. Nous proposons un nombre d'extensions ainsi que des augmentations potentielles pour les méthodes présentées. / In this thesis, we explore intermediary structures and their relationship to the employed algorithms in the context of photorealistic (PR) and non-photorealistic (NPR) rendering. We present new structures for rendering as well as new uses for existing structures. We present three original contributions in the NPR and PR domain: First, we present binary shading, a method to generate stylized black and white images, inspired by comic artists, using appearance and geometry in a graph-based energy formulation. The user can control the algorithm to generate images of different styles and representations. The second work allows the temporally coherent parameterization of line animations for texturing purposes. We introduce a spatio-temporal structure over the input data and an energy formulation for a globally optimal parameterization. Similar to the work on binary shading, the energy formulation provides a an important and simple control over the output. Finally, we present an extension to Point-based Global Illumination, a method used extensively in movie production during the last years. Our work allows compressing the data generated by the original algorithm using quantification. It is memory-efficient and has only a neglegible time overhead while enabling the rendering of larger scenes. The user can easily control the strength and quality of the compression. We also propose a number of possible extensions and improvements to the methods presented in the thesis.

The geometry and mineralization features of small left-lateral strike-slip faults and associated fractures in Lake Edison Granodiorite of the central Sierra Nevada, California, were examined in order to model the three-dimensional structure of strike-slip faults. These faults, which are reactivated joints, were also examined to determine fault sizes, starting joint size, and evidence for fluid flow. The associated secondary fractures are usually found in the dilational quadrants of fault-tip regions. The longest fault-segment trace is 32.14 m; the longest joint trace is 22 m. The joint population length (l) is represented by a power-law distribution (l-n) and it is l-1.22. The fault-segment distributions are l-0.23~0.79, and the compiled fault-segment distribution is l-1.18. The data on fracture and fault spacing, along with the joint power-law distribution, will aid in the simulation and analysis of fault evolution. The splay-fracture traced in the faults are linear at depth and the average splay-fracture angle is 39° ± 13°. The dihedral angle of the splay plane and fault plane ranges from 20° to 65°. There is a high concentration of splay fractures near the fault. As distance increases perpendicular form the fault, the splay-fracture spacing increases and splay-fracture frequency decreases. The splay tracelength distributions have a high short tracelength concentration with a rapid decrease of long tracelengths. The maximum tracelength of multiple splay-fracture groups is restricted by their distance orthogonal to the fault trace. The three-dimensional relationship between the splay-fracture plane and fault plane can be inferred from these data. When present, mineralized quartz appears largely as lenses and few as single continuous veins along the faults. No consistent pattern exists between fault displacement and the locations and dimensions of quartz cavities. There is no visible damage zone near the fault termination or around the faults. Microstructures in the fault zone consist of cataclasites and patchy gouges, and zones of dynamically recrystallized fault walls. The three-dimensional geometry, along with quartz cavity distribution and thin section analysis, has led to the conclusion that fluid migrates vertically among the faults and fractures.