This paper describes a method for detection, tracking and recognition of lower arm and hand movements from color video sequences using a linguistic approach driven by motion analysis and clustering techniques. The novelty of our method comes from (i) automatic arm detection, without any manual initialization, foreground or background modeling, (ii) gesture representation at different levels of ...

A 50 year old male with obstructive sleep apnea developed de novo, daily, intense, continuous, left side pounding headache with superimposed stabbing pains, fluctuating in severity. Headache was associated with ptosis of the left eye, left hypoglossal palsy and eventual tongue hemiatrophy, in the absence of papilledema. His Brain and neck imaging procedures (MRI, MRA, MRV) and a left temporal a...

Abstract This paper presents numerical simulations within the frame of project SERA—AIMS (Seismic Testing Adjacent Interacting Masonry Structures). The study includes blind pre-diction and post-diction stages. former was developed before performing shaking table tests at laboratory facilities LNEC (Lisbon), while latter carried out once test results were known. For both, three-dimensional finit...

Performance based seismic design (PBSD) is a cogent design approach that allows engineers to design structures with a predictable seismic performance for a specified level of hazard. In contrast to the conventional limit state or strength and serviceability based design in which a structure is designed to withstand severe load combinations and be functional under normal load conditions, PBSD go...

Seismic anisotropy is an efficient way to investigate the deformation field within the upper mantle. In the framework of rigid tectonic plates, we make use of recent tomographic models of azimuthal anisotropy for deriving the best rotation pole of the Pacific plate in the uppermost 200km of the mantle. It is found to be in good agreement with current plate motion (NUVEL1, HS3 and NNR). However,...

This paper reports on the damage of Wushi bridge in a recent Taiwan 921 earthquake. Damage to Wushi bridge appeared in the superstructure, the substructure and the approaches. Typical types of damage are discussed and illustrated in this paper. A review of the bridge design specifications in Taiwan is also presented to give the background on the seismic design of Taiwan highway bridges.

Pletser et al. performed a seismic-refraction survey on Devon Island with the goal of assessing the feasibility of astronauts carrying out such operations on Mars to detect subsurface water. We demonstrate that the seismic analysis is fundamentally flawed. The survey performed in this test will likely bear little resemblance to future crewed geophysical surface operations, and better methods ex...

Abstract The aim of this study is to investigate the effect soil type on buildings experiencing floor-to-column pounding during earthquakes. Five with 4-storeys, 6-storeys, and 7-storeys were considered. Three types 4-storey building different total heights taken into account which leads at 1/3, 1/2 2/3 height impacted column. Two scenarios considered, i.e. between 6-storey (three cases when co...

The period of vibration is a fundamental parameter in the force-based design of structures as this parameter defines the spectral acceleration and thus the base shear force to which the building should be designed. This paper takes a critical look at the way in which seismic design codes around the world have allowed the designer to estimate the period of vibration for use in both linear static...