ß We develop an application to identify and characterize polygonal features in SAR images, based on a watershed algorithm, modified for a good robustness to radar noise. ß Our system performs a multi-scale analysis of the image. Oversegmentation is prevented by a selection of outstanding contours; regions with less prominent contours are merged ß This analysis is applied to Venus images from th...

References 1. Livermore DM. Acquired carbapenemases. J Antimicrob Chemother 1997;39:673-6. 2. Rasmussen BA, Bush K. Carbapenem-hydrolyzing ßlactamases. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1997;41:223-32. 3. Lauretti L, Riccio ML, Mazzariol A, Cornaglia G, Amicosante G, Fontana R, et al. Cloning and characterization of blaVIM, a new integron-borne metallo-ß-lactamase gene from a Pseudomonas aeruginosa c...

This study aims to analyse antibiotic treatment of respiratory tract infections in ambulatory care in Belgium by: a) mapping antibiotic consumption over time and breaking down antibiotic consumption by infection type; b) discussing antibiotic treatment as recommended by Belgian guidelines; and c) reviewing the current evidence on the costeffectiveness of antibiotic treatment. IMS Health data sh...

BACKGROUND Extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-PE) are increasingly reported as pathogens in urinary tract infections (UTIs). However, in Sri Lanka, the clinical and molecular epidemiology of ESBL-PE implicated in UTIs has not been well described. MATERIALS AND METHODS We conducted prospective, laboratory-based surveillance from October to December 2013 at a terti...

BACKGROUND The study aimed to identify the most burdensome functioning domains in depression and their differential impact on the quality of life (QoL) of individuals from nine countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data from two multi-country projects-the World Health Organization's Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE) and the Collaborative Rese...

BACKGROUND Clostridium botulinum C2 toxin and Clostridium perfringens iota toxin are binary exotoxins, which ADP-ribosylate actin in the cytosol of mammalian cells and thereby destroy the cytoskeleton. C2 and iota toxin consists of two individual proteins, an enzymatic active (A-) component and a separate receptor binding and translocation (B-) component. The latter forms a complex with the A-c...

For X > 0 and k > 0 we present a method which permits us to obtain inequalities of the type (it + a)x_l < T(k + \)/T(k + 1) < (k + ß)x'x, with the usual notation for the gamma function, where a and ß are independent of k. Some examples are also given which improve well-known inequalities. Finally, we are also able to show in some cases that the values a and ß in the inequalities that we obtain ...