Thesis (Ph. D.)--Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1990. / Funding was provided by the Office of Naval Research. References: p. 210-213.

The research was conducted to investigate the claims made by certain alternative medicine practitioners, namely iridologists, that the majority of systemic diseases are accompanied by changes in the colour and/or structure of discrete regions of the anterior surface of the iris. Colour photographic slides of the left and right irides of between 22 and 30 patients' clinically diagnosed as suffering from one of 5 named disease states; asthma (30 patients), coronary heart disease (25), diabetes mellitus (22), psoriasis (30) and ulcerative colitis (30), were analysed and subsequently compared with slides obtained from an equal number of control subjects. Computer software, designed to map the position of defined iridic features types, relative to a standard reference point, was executed for each of the iris images digitised onto an image processing system. The resulting data, expressed as 360 x 100-bit binary words, for the left and right irides of patients representing each of the five experimental groups was compared with that for the corresponding control group by means of four differing methodologies. Comparison of the data based on the discrete regions of the iris which, for each of the five diseases under study, should, according to practitioners of iridology undergo changes as a result of the onset of the disease, failed to demonstrate significant differences between each of the experimental and associated control groups. Further, comparison of the data based on regions of the iris, for which either the size or position varied from that specified by iridology practitioners, also failed to demonstrate any significant differences between experimental and control groups. A detailed visual comparison of iris images obtained from patients with those from control subjects, on the basis of lesions within the regions of the iris designated by iridology practitioners as being of primary importance, did not illustrate any significant differences. This study demonstrated that iridology is not a useful tool for the diagnosis of asthma, coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus, psoriasis or ulcerative colitis.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Bremen, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 94-100).

Power spectral analysis using the maximum entropy method is applied to the estimation of depth to the source of magnetic anomalies. The method assumes that the source is two-dimensional and has a magnetization with random intensity. The predictive ability of the maximum entropy technique permits analysis of short segments of data in order to resolve short wavelength variations in source depth. The method does not require knowledge of susceptibilities or the magnetic declination and inclination. An application of the method to theoretical data and observed marine anomalies over the Peru-Chile trench yields encouraging results. Specifically, for the eastern margin of the Nazca plate, analyses generally indicate a continuous magnetic basement extending into the subduction zone. The basement is shallow seaward of the trench axis and deepens as the plate approaches the convergent margin. This apparent deepening is postulated to be due to the thickening of the oceanic crust and the deterioration of its magnetization, possibly caused by the compressional disruption of the basaltic layer. Landward of the trench axis, the depth estimates indicate possible uplift of the oceanic material into the lower slope of the continental margin. / Graduation date: 1976

Yes / The possibility of separating the topographical and chemical information in a polymer nano-composite using low-voltage SEM imaging is demonstrated, when images are acquired with a Concentric Backscattered (CBS) detector. This separation of chemical and topographical information is based on the different angular distribution of electron scattering which were calculated using a Monte Carlo simulation. The simulation based on angular restricted detection was applied to a semi-branched PNIPAM/PEGDA interpenetration network for which a linear relationship of topography SEM contrast and feature height data was observed. / EPSRC

Univ., Diss.--Bremen.

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