text: The The Simpsons: Tapped Out wiki last edited by icytower38 on 02/18/14 07:39PM View full history PlotWhile working one day, Homer decides to play with his Mypad. This of course wreaks havoc causing a nuclear disaster destroying the city. It's up to you to rebuild the town and find all of the citizens of Springfield. The game features the entire cast of the show and features all new animated cut scenes.Release/ReceptionAn image of EA servers trying to cope with the demand.On the release of the game 1st March 2012, it went straight to number one on the iOS App Store chart. While the overall reception was positive, there was criticism about the connection issues to the server and cause the game to become "buggy." This caused EA to pull the game for the time being and even release a statement "To ensure current players have the best possible experience, we've temporarily removed The Simpsons: Tapped Out from the App Store to limit the game's server capacity to its current players and address connectivity and lag time issues."At Gamescom EA announced that the game will be re-released on the App Store in August and it will be stable for everyone to play. On 16th August the game was officially re-released onto the App Store to the public.On February 6, 2013, the game was released for Android devices through the Google Play Store. GameplayThe object of the game is to rebuild Springfield after it was destroyed by an explosion caused by a negligent Homer Simpson. This is done by adding homes, businesses, and decorations. The game start out with the rebuilding the Simpson's house. When enough XP is earned, a higher level is gained which allows for additional buildings and items. Each building placed earns XP and money at a certain time increment, which is gathered by tapping it. Some businesses such as the Kwik-E-Mart have special abilities, such as being able to buy scratch off tickets with a guaranteed prize.For houses and businesses to be built, they have to be unlocked at a certain level. Building takes up anywhere from a few minutes to multiple hours, and can be skipped by using a donut. A certain amount of donuts come free with the game, and they can be earned by leveling up, but besides that donuts have to be purchased with real money.As the player progresses, new characters are automatically unlocked. Each of these characters will have certain quests, signified by an exclamation mark over their head. Multiple quests are available, but only ones with yellow text will advance the story. Quests are completed by waiting a certain length of time, but can be also finished early by using a donut. Each quest gives XP and money, and most can be repeated.Certain items can only be obtained with donuts, and are simply impossible to unlock without spending real money.CurrencyThe main types of currency in Tapped Out are Cash and Donuts. Cash is earned from characters completing quests, receiving income from buildings and money from jobs. Donuts however are a premium currency in game and are extremely hard to find. There are also season currencies and items available.CurrencyDescriptionDateCashDefault currency in the game and needed to progressN/ADonutsPremium currency in the game, much harder to find. Easier to purchase with real money.N/ATreatsCould be used to get limited Halloween themed items.Halloween 2012Santa CoinsCould be used to get limited Christmas themed items.December 2012 - January 2013HeartsCould be used to get limited Valentines Day themed items.January 2013 - February 2013SnakesCould be used to get limited Whacking Day themed items.April 2013 - May 2013


text:
"Many Gamblers are Smokers!" Electronic Cigarettes Info !
Plus+ All pages now have Mobile Access!
15 Years Later - Our Main Goal is still to give YOU…
Please, don't gamble on who YOU Trust for advice on Safe, Fair, Fun places to play the Gambling Game of your choice! There are NO casinos that belong on the blacklist here!
Remember as we do…..Our Gambling Business is all about YOU!
Sadly, trust and honesty seems to be fading away in lieu of profits. So why then, should YOU trust us at "The Original" Online-Casino-Guide.com? We firmly believe that our being the Online Casinos and Online Gambling Games trusted source for thousands of satisfied folks, just like YOU, for the past 15 years.
Our record speaks for itself in our customer Testimonials. The feedback we receive from our loyal customers, awards we've earned, and the support help we have willingly given along with all the great friends we've made over the past 15 years is what keeps us motivated!
We sincerely believe YOU will become one of those loyal friends in our community of gambling game players as soon as you click YOUR very first … "Get Started" button!
Your editor Denny "Yoda" Lauritsen
Now go back to the ^TOP^ to see how easily YOU can find
EXACTLY what YOU came here to find!
World's Best Top 10 E-Cig Brands.com & Online-Casino-Guide.com
Denny Lauritsen editor

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Tag "government"Back to homepage
How Can Americans Feel Safe, When There Are No Rules?
Dave Hodges May 21, 2014 The Common Sense Show They always say that the husband is the last to know and that a devastating extramarital affair that can serve to undermine a marriage, can simply come outRead More
Proof that Most Politicians and CEO's Are Certifiably Insane
Dave Hodges May 13, 2014 The Common Sense Show After writing one of my most recent articles with regard to what typically happens when a currency collapse occurs, due to a currency devaluation, takes down a country's economy asRead More
This Mother's Day, Buy Your Mom a Three Day Bug-Out Bag
Dave Hodges May 11, 2014 The Common Sense Show The country is on the verge of economic collapse which will be followed by massive civil unrest. If you truly want to give your mom a worthwhile gift on this Mother'sRead More
Humanity Has Outlived Its Usefulness: GAME OVER!
Dave Hodges May 4, 2014 The Common Sense Show How is that Kool-Aid tasting? Congratulations America, you have twice elected an avowed communist who believes in eugenics and is totally committed to the takedown of this country as well asRead More
The Reason Why There Will Be a Second American Civil War
Dave Hodges May 1, 2014 The Common Sense Show Anyone knows, who has half of an eye open, that American citizens are soon to become an endangered species under our present lunatic President. Everyone should know that all ofRead More
Will Humanity Survive the Depopulation Agenda of the Global Elite?
Dave Hodges April 26, 2014 The Common Sense Show Do you remember when your mother asked you if you would jump off a cliff if everyone else was doing it? It turns out that all ofRead More
If You Won't Fight, You'd Better Start Running!
Dave Hodges April 24, 2014 The Common Sense Show Are you tired of living under relative tyranny where every email is read, every phone call is listened to and your every movement is tracked and dissident journalists are harassed andRead More
Nuclear Power Plants Will Become America's Extinction Level Event
Dave Hodges April 18, 2014 The Common Sense Show On April 11, 2014, I received a communication from a reader, who is a nuclear power plant employee, that warned me about an impending FEMA visit to the nuclear power plant atRead More
The Coming Constitutional Convention Contains the Tipping Point for Revolution
Dave Hodges April 7, 2014 The Common Sense Show Pursuant to Article 5 of the US Constitution, if 34 states call for a convention, the convention is required to take place. Last week the state legislature ofRead More
BARACK OBAMA: The Last American President
"If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face-forever." George Orwell I have reported on various aspects of Executive Order (EO) 13603 in the past. However, I have not reportedRead More
UNDER VALERIE JARRETT & OBAMA- WW III Defeat & FEMA CAMPS ARE PLANNED
In the picture above, Valerie Jarrett looks healthy, professional, poised and dignified. She has spent the better portion of her life projecting this image. This is not the typical "hit piece" on the President's chief advisor, Valerie Jarrett. ThisRead More
Our Children Have Been Sentenced to 12 Years In Re-Education Camps
Dave Hodges March 8, 2014 The Common Sense Show Your child has been sentenced and has served nearly a year of their 12 year sentence to a re-education camp. No, we are not talking about a FEMA camp,Read More
Steve Cook The Liberty Beacon A Special Presentation for The Common Sense Show Lucille Femine's great article on military suicides (http://www.thelibertybeacon.com/2014/02/15/military-suicides-more-onhow-come ) has highlighted another strand in the planned destruction of America and yet more glaring evidence that the governmentRead More
Attention Veterans: "We Want You On That Wall, We Need You On That Wall"
Dave Hodges February 21, 2014 The Common Sense Show Bankers are dropping like flies. There is a power struggle and there is also the beginning of a war behind the scenes which has monumental implications. This is a re-enactmentRead More
I Was Wrong
Roger Landry A Liberty Beacon presentation prepared for The Common Sense Show I have sailed through life, as so many of us have done, feeling that my decisions and the path that I have steered was a sound one. I sat here reflectingRead More


text:
An Albert Lea man whose hand was blown off in an explosion in his underground bunker has been charged with unlawful felony possession of an explosive device. 48-year-old Ronald Irvin Rofshus was making an explosive at his home in October when the blast occurred. He lost part of his left arm and suffered chemical and heat burns. He appeared in court Thursday, and his attorney entered a provisional not-guilty plea and requested 30 days to decide whether to challenge any of the evidence against him. Rofshus reportedly told authorities that he was mixing explosives to make targets that would explode when fired upon. Prosecutors say that he does not appear to be a threat to society.
Albert Lea Explosion Charges


text:
Sometimes I Hear God's Music
To play the media you will need to update yourFlash plugin.
Sometimes I Hear God's Music composed by Joseph M. Martin. For Choral (TTB). Harold Flammer. Octavo. 8 pages. Published by Shawnee Press (HL.35027619).
Uses: Music Appreciation, General, Festival, Easter
Scripture: I Samuel 16:23; I Corinthians 14:15
This classic J. Paul William's anthem is our first release in our Legacy series. This edition of the bestselling choral is presented with a newly engraved score complete with updates by the composer, a fresh orchestration by Stan Pethel, and offered for the first time in SSA and TTB voicings.


text:
Caridad Pineiro
On Top Shelf
Advanced Search | Reviews Search
here is a non-JavaScript version of the image slideshow:
Follow Your Heart
She stole his heart when they were young, but he's back�
Will their mutual attraction get in the way of competition?
What happens when a single mom�s four-year-old daughter falls in love with Mr. Right and she doesn�t?
Six Sizzling Small Town Romances
Sometimes love is magic.
Follow Your Heart
She stole his heart when they were young, but he's back�
Will their mutual attraction get in the way of competition?
What happens when a single mom�s four-year-old daughter falls in love with Mr. Right and she doesn�t?
Six Sizzling Small Town Romances
Sometimes love is magic.
Four Nights with the Duke, April 2015
Three Weeks With Lady X, April 2014
Once Upon a Tower, June 2013
Mass Market Paperback
With This Kiss: Part Three, April 2013
As You Wish, April 2013
With This Kiss: Part Two, March 2013
With This Kiss: Part One, March 2013
The Lady Most Willing, January 2013
Seduced by a Pirate, November 2012
The Ugly Duchess, September 2012
Paris In Love, April 2012
The Duke is Mine, January 2012
Winning the Wallflower, December 2011
A Fool Again, May 2011
When Beauty Tamed The Beast, February 2011
Mass Market Paperback
The Lady Most Likely..., January 2011
Mass Market Paperback
A Kiss at Midnight, August 2010
Mass Market Paperback
Potent Pleasures: A Novel, October 2009
Mass Market Paperback
Midnight Pleasures, October 2009
Mass Market Paperback (reprint)
A Duke of Her Own, August 2009
This Duchess of Mine, June 2009
Mass Market Paperback
When The Duke Returns, December 2008
Mass Market Paperback
Duchess By Night, July 2008
Mass Market Paperback
An Affair Before Christmas, December 2007
Mass Market Paperback
Desperate Duchesses, June 2007
Pleasure for Pleasure, December 2006
The Taming of the Duke, April 2006
Kiss Me, Annabel, December 2005
Talk of the Ton, April 2005
Much Ado About You, January 2005
The One That Got Away, October 2004
Your Wicked Ways, March 2004
A Wild Pursuit, February 2004
Fool for Love, July 2003
Duchess in Love, December 2002
Enchanting Pleasures, April 2002
Midnight Pleasures, May 2001
Potent Pleasures, May 2000
Desperate Duchess #5
June 2009
On Sale: May 26, 2009
Featuring: Jemma and Elijah, the Duke and Duchess of Beaumon; Leopold, the Duke of Villier
384 pages ISBN: 0061626821EAN: 9780061626821Mass Market Paperback$7.99
Add to Wish List
Romance Historical
What will it take for a man to fall in love with his own wife?
Wedding bells celebrating the arranged marriage between
the lovely Duchess of Beaumont and her staid,
imperturbable duke had scarcely fallen silent when a
shocking discovery sent Jemma running from the ducal
mansion. For the next nine years she cavorted abroad,
creating one delicious scandal after another (if one is to
believe the rumors).
Elijah, Duke of Beaumont, did believe those rumors.
But the handsome duke needs an heir, so he summons his
seductive wife home. Jemma laughs at Elijah�s cool eyes
and icy heart�but to her secret shock, she doesn�t share
his feelings. In fact, she wants the impossible: her
husband�s heart at her feet.
But what manner of seduction will make a man fall
desperately in love�with his own wife?
2 comments posted.
Re: This Duchess of Mine
Sounds so good thanks love the cover too, I love your booksPenney(Penney Wilfort 11:04am May 19, 2009)
love the dress reminds me of Royal Doulton Dolls(Diane Sadler 8:10pm June 12, 2009)
Registered users may leave comments.
Log in or register now!
© 2003-2015 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved


text:
City Club members soundly favor excise bike tax
City Club of Portland members have resoundingly approved a recommendation that, if enacted by elected officials, would add a 4 percent statewide excise tax on new bike sales.
The idea is to use the money to fund safety and research. The group's advocacy committee will begin working on ways to take the proposal to elected officials.
Eighty-three percent of those voting supported the motion, with 254 backing it compared to 51 members against it.
Sales taxes of any type have garnered little public support in Oregon.
The City Club's study committee that worked on the proposal found that "bicycling is underfunded in Portland and recommend(ed) better infrastructure, enforcement of transportation laws and community-based bicycling to improve bicycling conditions.
City Club members rejected a motion to license and register bicycles.
Some 52 percent of Sustainable Business Oregon readers, in an informal poll late last month, indicated they're against the proposal. Another 38 percent favored the idea.
"As a society, we need to encourage biking, and a second tax on adults who ride a bike (second because 97 percent of them also drive a car) discourages it," wrote Cathy Konsella Hastie in response to the poll. "I do not support usage based taxes as the principal way of raising money, otherwise my daughter would owe the library about a million dollars by now."
"If we are ever going to move away from carbon based energy and change behavioral patterns we need to reward bikers, build an adequate — and safe — biking infrastructure and penalize automobile use," added reader Tom Breunig. "A penny-a-gallon gas tax could go a long way towards creating a better biking environment. Despite Portland's 'bike friendly' status, the biking environment here is still very dangerous."
Want Portland Logistics & Transportation news in your inbox?
Sign up for our free email newsletters.


text:
Upload Photo
PHOTOS: Funeral for former NYC Mayor Koch
Former NYC Mayor Ed Koch died Feb. 1 from congestive heart failure. The funeral was held at Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan.
49 LI dogs you can adopt right now X-Team: Fourth of July at Jones Beach Peek into Long Island's most lavish homes 15 secret spots to explore on LI Secrets of the Fire Island Lighthouse Your pet photos: Adorable dogs, cats and more Fourth of July sales going on this weekend 12 unique LI places to have a cocktail Long Island and New York City's top photos LI notable deaths Recent LI fires Stunning aerial shots of LI landmarks


text:
Original recipe yields 10 servings
Amount per serving ({{servings}} total)
Based on a 2,000 calorie diet
Ready In
I love this recipe! I first made it for Christmas, but it's so good I make it all the time now. The only thing I do different is to use frozen veggies rather than canned. Better flavour in my ...
Delicious, used black beans instead of kidney. Half cup miracle whip, half cup olive oil hellmann's. Yummy:)


text:
The Leading eBooks Store Online
for Kindle Fire, Apple, Android, Nook, Kobo, PC, Mac, BlackBerry...
New to eBooks.com?Learn more
- Bestsellers - This Week
- Foreign Language Study
- Pets
- Bestsellers - Last 6 months
- Games
- Philosophy
- Archaeology
- Gardening
- Photography
- Architecture
- Graphic Books
- Poetry
- Art
- Health & Fitness
- Political Science
- Biography & Autobiography
- History
- Psychology & Psychiatry
- Body Mind & Spirit
- House & Home
- Reference
- Business & Economics
- Humor
- Religion
- Children's & Young Adult Fiction
- Juvenile Nonfiction
- Romance
- Computers
- Language Arts & Disciplines
- Science
- Crafts & Hobbies
- Law
- Science Fiction
- Current Events
- Literary Collections
- Self-Help
- Drama
- Literary Criticism
- Sex
- Education
- Literary Fiction
- Social Science
- The Environment
- Mathematics
- Sports & Recreation
- Family & Relationships
- Media
- Study Aids
- Fantasy
- Medical
- Technology
- Fiction
- Music
- Transportation
- Folklore & Mythology
- Nature
- Travel
- Food and Wine
- Performing Arts
- True Crime
- Foreign Language Books
Most popular at the top
The Quotable ActorSanta Monica Press 2009; US$ 14.95
Collecting advice, quotes, essays, and observations from hundreds of famous actors and highly regarded acting teachers, The Quotable Actor covers a wide range of topics on the art and history of acting. Entertaining, instructive, and informative, it is organized into specific, easy-to-search categories, such as "On Why We Act"; "On Auditioning";... more...
The Actor's Art and CraftKnopf Doubleday Publishing Group 2008; US$ 16.00
William Esper is a graduate of Western Reserve University and the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre in New York City. Bill trained as both actor and teacher under Sanford Meisner. Bill and Sandy worked closely together for 17 years, during which time Bill served as Associate Director of the Playhouses's Acting Department (1973-1976). ... more...
Fat Kid Got FitLyons Press 2012; US$ 23.99
When Bill Baroni was just twenty years old,�he was convinced he was dying.�He thought he was having a heart attack because it felt like he had an elephant sitting on his chest. It turned out to be only indigestion, but more than that, it was the wake up call he needed to save his life. Bill weighed 320 pounds and was hooked on junk food. He set about... more...
The Actor's Guide to Creating a CharacterKnopf Doubleday Publishing Group 2014; US$ 16.00
William Esper, one of the most celebrated acting teachers of our time, takes us through his step-by-step approach to the central challenge�of�advanced�acting work: creating and playing a character. Esper?s first book, The Actor?s Art and Craft , earned praise for describing the basics taught in his famous first-year acting class. The Actor?s Guide... more...
- 1
- Page


text:
Mainland Mexico via Baja
View Single Post
Jick Magger
Exile on Main Street
Joined: Feb 2011
Location: Okanagan Valley BC, Canada/Scottsdale, Arizona
Oddometer: 861
Originally Posted by
Well, that was a long hiatus. I blame the girl.
I just had no time to write. Ain't love grand? During my extended stay in San Miguel de Allende, I had two girlfriends, the first of whom was kind enough to introduce me to the second, and the rest is history.
San Miguel de Allende at daybreak the day of my departure.
Dianna has a charity she runs that takes disadvantaged kids up in balloons, hoping to inspire them to dream bigger dreams, called
She took me out to a friends rancho for a Mexican rodeo, ( charriada). Chuck is an awesome guy and one of the few registered gringo Charros in the Mexican "rodeo" scene.
Alfonso is a gentleman and another team member of our home team.
Parade of the Locos in San Miguel. These guys and gals danced for hours on a hot day in costume.
I rode back to the US through Zacatecas, (one of my favorite towns in Mexico), and Hidalgo del Parral.
Then along the Rio Grande from Presidio to Alpine texas.
Where I spent the night with a friend. thanks Jesse.
I ended up returning to the US just as my visa was about to expire, and met Dianna in New Mexico for a 10 day ride through the Rocky Mountains, which then morphed into 35 days of riding 2-up on a Versys for about 5300 miles. I figure that's got to be at or near some kind of record for this bike.
We met advrider mundobravo and his lovely mujer in Santa Fe, and rode to Pagosa Springs, CO, and then on to Durango through some pretty big thunderstorms.
Mundo & Dianna`on Brazos Pass , NM
After Mundo & Gemma returned to Santa Fe, Dianna realized she had left her debit card at the C & W bar we'd been at the previous night. No problem. We called, but they had no answering machine. After riding by the bar, we saw that they don't open to 4 PM. When we returned, we saw that they are actually closed Sunday thru Wed. Sh#t! The 10 day trip was all ready being altered severely. We ended up abandoning the debit card, and striking out on our own.
We saw a balloon rally in Steamboat Springs.
Met up with another Versys rider, Hipshot, at our motel in Hot Sulphur Springs, and shared an evening drinking cerveza, swapping tales, and travel tips.
It's not easy riding two up for so long, but after a stressful moment or two, we worked out the glitches, and had a great ride. Unfortunately, I hadn't charged the camera before leaving, figuring I'd be Ok for 10 days or so. True to my estimate, the battery died after about 8 days, so no pics from the following ride that took us through Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and back thru Colorado to New Mexico.
I'm now back in Mexico with the cute girl, and settling into my other life where I write for a living. Anyone coming through San Miguel de Allende is welcome to PM me for info on the town, where to eat, stay, share a cerveza, etc. For those of you who followed along on this rambling report, thanks for hanging in there, and buen viaje. Cheers! - Miguelito
Nice ride report. I enjoyed following you along on your journey. Interesting that you chose San Miguel after all the travelling you did. Was there any particular reason you chose this town or did it just happen that way? Having read a little bit about SMA I am interested in your perspective on the city. Great Job on the report!!
"Blessed are the Cheesemakers"
RIde Report
Jick Magger
View Public Profile
Find More Posts by Jick Magger


text:
Rays hang loss on Red Sox
- Sections:
- Boston Red Sox
You didn't really expect the Red Sox to put their foot on the neck of the always-competitive Rays with 10 days still remaining in June, did you?
Because, in essence, that's what would have happened if the Sox had beaten the Rays for a third time in about 34 hours. In addition to sweeping the truncated series at Fenway Park, the Red Sox would've seized an eight-game lead over their AL East rival. And with the teams not meeting again until September, that would've been a steep hill for the Rays to climb.
But it's never that easy. The AL East is "a jumble," in the words of Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington, with all five teams in the race and likely to stay there through the summer. There isn't a patsy in the AL East, and the Rays, in particular, have both the pitching and the experience to stick around before the division is decided.
And just in case anyone forgot, the Rays hung a 6-2 loss on the Red Sox, who, having already won the series by sweeping Tuesday's day-night doubleheader, packed their AL-best record and went to Detroit for yet another test, a four-game showdown with the AL Central-leading Tigers that begins Thursday night.
The Rays grabbed 2-0 and 3-2 leads against Sox starter Ryan Dempster before breaking open the game in the seventh inning against the bullpen. They tagged lefty reliever Craig Breslow for three runs, the biggest hit coming when touted outfielder Wil Myers lined a two-run double against reliever Alex Wilson for the first career RBI in only his third major league game.
Both Red Sox runs scored on infield singles by Jonny Gomes, whose two-run homer in Tuesday night's doubleheader finale capped the sixth walkoff win in 37 games at Fenway this season. But the Rays didn't allow for more late-inning dramatics. After Jacoby Ellsbury's one-out single in the fifth inning, the Sox finished the game by going 0-for-14 with one walk.


text:
Photo courtesy of the American Visionary Art Museum
Rebecca Alban Hoffberger is the founder and director of the internationally renowned American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, which displays the work of self-taught artists who have unconventional visions of art. At the age of 16, she became the first American to work as an apprentice to mime Marcel Marceau in Paris. She was inducted into the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame in 2006.
Search This Weekend's Events
CTnow.com, 285 Broad St., Hartford, CT 06115
A Hartford Courant website


text:
Functional filter elements are linked in a multi-pass filter framework that forms part of an MRI system. The filter framework is configured by a set of parameters selected by the operator to perform smoothing and edge sharpening functions on acquired MR images. The functional filter elements used during each pass through the filter framework and the number of passes through it are configurable to obtain a wide variety of visual effects on medical images.
1. In a medical imaging system, the combination comprising:
means for acquiring image data from a patient;
means for reconstructing an image data set from the acquired image data; and
a filter framework for receiving the image data set and in response to a set of parameters selected by an operator, producing a filtered image data set; wherein the filter framework comprises:
a) a smoothing filter;
b) a sharpening filter;
c) means responsive to the set of parameters for processing the image data set a plurality of passes through the filter framework to produce the filtered image data set, the means for processing being operable to determine the filters to be employed during each pass through the framework and the number of passes through the framework.
2. The medical imaging system as recited in claim 1 in which the filter framework includes means for combining a portion of the filtered image data with a portion of the image data to form the filtered image data set.
3. The medical imaging system as recited in claim 2 in which the portion of the filtered image data is determined by a scaling factor parameter α and the portion of the image data is determined by the value 1-α.
4. The medical imaging system as recited in claim 1 in which the filter framework includes: segmentation means for separating the filtered image data into first region containing edge information and second regions containing substantially no edge information; and means for combining the image data and the filtered image data in a manner determined by the first and second regions identified by the segmentation means.
5. The medical imaging system as recited in claim 1 in which the filters employ a 3�1 filter kernel.
6. A method for producing a medical image, the steps comprising:
a) acquiring image data from a patient;
b) reconstructing an image data set from the acquired image data;
c) producing an intermediate image by filtering the image data set;
d) blending the intermediate image with the image data set to produce a filtered image data set; by:
i) multiplying the intermediate image by a factor α;
ii) multiplying the image data set by a factor (1-α); and
iii) combining the results of steps i) and ii) to form the filtered image data set;
e) repeating steps c) and d) a set number of times using the filtered image data set in place of the image data set; and
f) producing the medical image from the filtered image data set.
7. The method as recited in claim 6 in which the blending in step d) is performed by:
multiplying the intermediate image by a scaling factor α; and
multiplying the image data set by a factor (1-α).
8. The method as recited in claim 7 in which the scaling factor α is changed during each pass through step d).
9. The method as recited in claim 7 in which the scaling factor α is a manually selected value.
10. The method as recited in claim 6 in which step e) is performed a plurality of times.
11. The method as recited in claim 6 in which the filtering in step c) includes using a smoothing filter during one pass.
12. The method as recited in claim 6 in which the filtering in step c) includes using a sharpening filter during one pass.
13. The method as recited in claim 6 in which the filtering in step c) includes using a directional sharpening and segmentation process during the last process.
14. The method as recited in claim 6 in which the filtering in step c) includes using a smoothing filter during one pass and a sharpening filter during another pass.
15. The method as recited in claim 6 which includes combining the filtered image data set with the image data set before producing the medical image therefrom in step f).
16. The method as recited in claim 15 which includes segmenting the filtered image data set into a first set of regions having strong edges and a second set of regions having weak edges, and the image data set is combined with the second set of regions.
17. The method as recited in claim 15 in which the data in the image data set corresponding to the second set of regions replaces the data in the filtered image data set corresponding to the second set of regions.
The field of the invention is medical imaging, and particularly, the filtering and enhancement of medical images to improve their visual quality.
The quality of medical images is a function of the imaging modality used and the particular method used to acquire the image data. As a general matter, regardless of the imaging modality used, the quality of medical images can be improved by acquiring redundant data which can be averaged to reduce the effects of random noise. Unfortunately, this solution results in an increased scan time that inconveniences the patient and is expensive. Another approach is to increase the power of the imaging system. In MRI this may take the form of a stronger polarizing field (e.g. 1.5 Tesla instead of 0.5 Tesla), in x-ray systems this can take the form of a higher power x-ray beam, and in ultrasound this may take the form of a more powerful rf amplifier and transducer. These measures drive up the cost of the equipment, and in the case of x-ray, increase the dose of ionizing radiation to the patient.
Attempts have been made to improve the imagability of the subject by injecting contrast agents into the patient. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,964 of Rosen. However, injected contrast agents only improve a limited range of image characteristics, and because it is as an invasive technique, it is sometimes inappropriate for medical reasons.
Acquired medical images can also be processed to enhance their clinical value by modifying with the histogram or distribution of signal values on a global or local basis as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,063,607. In other enhancement techniques, the gray scale range of each subimage region is stretched such that it covers the entire display range as, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,092. However, histogram modifications which expand the dynamic range of the data, also increase the noise in the image. Local histogram modifications cause a blocking effect that results in a lack of uniformity over the entire image.
Images may be enhanced using convolution or filtering techniques. Such techniques include the amplification of selected frequency bands as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,314 of Chang. Others have used a combination of high and low pass filtering to enhance images as illustrated for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,081,692 to Kwon or U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,256 to Hirosawa. However, global filtering techniques tend to blur the images and eliminate the lower frequency regions. This makes clinical evaluation of the images difficult.
To eliminate some of the drawbacks of global filtering or convolution, locally adjusted filtering may be used. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,761,819 of Denison, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,092 of Swon; U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,227 of Furusawa and "Adaptive Smoothing: A General Tool For Early Vision", IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, Vol. 13, No. 6, June 1991, Saint-Marc, et al. However, the local filtering techniques have difficulty distinguishing between sudden image variations attributable to edges and sudden image variations attributable to noise. These techniques also fail to account for differences in edge direction and regional variance, producing an image which is overly smooth without consideration of the edges.
Restoration approaches may also be used in which the acquisition process is modeled and the degradation of the imaging process described mathematically. These techniques then attempt to invert the degradations using restoration techniques such as least squares, Bayesian, or Kalman filtering. However, the restoration methods require an accurate model for the acquisition process. Complicated acquisition processes, such as MRI imaging are too difficult to model accurately, and the parameters of a complicated model for a given image can require lengthy iterative computations.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,366 of Fenster, et al. uses filters which are adjusted to enhance long edges and attenuate noise and points. However, this technique requires an analysis of the imaging system in order to produce the appropriate filters. Such analysis is computationally intensive, time consuming, and prone to errors.
The present invention is a multi-pass filter framework which is employed to improve the quality of medical images. More particularly, the multi-pass filter framework includes storage means for storing the acquired image data, a plurality of separate filter functions for receiving the acquired image data in a pass therethrough to produce corresponding filtered image data, scaling means for multiplying the filtered image data by a constant (α), summing means for combining filtered and original image data by appropriate scaling to produce an output image; and iteration means for passing the image data through selected filter functions a plurality of times. The filter functions can take many different forms to tailor the multi-pass filter to many different imaging modalities and clinical applications.
A general object of the invention is to enhance the quality of medical images without the addition of special hardware or significantly increasing the image processing time. By using the multi-pass filtering of the image data, the separate filtering functions may be considerably simplified. For example, rather than filtering with 15�15 element filter kernels, the same result can be accomplished in three passes through the framework which uses a 3�1 element filter kernel. This translates into simplified and faster processing. Also, by using the multi-pass technique the filter can be changed for each pass to provide a much greater range of image effects.
A more specific object of the invention is to improve the quality of images acquired with an MRI system. Noise may be filtered from the image data using a directional smoothing filter that is sensitive to edges in the image. The edges are smoothed along them, but their sharpness is not reduced. Segmentation may be used to differentially filter regions with strong and weak edges. These different filter functions may be employed in different combinations during the multiple passes through the filter framework.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which there is shown by way of illustration a preferred embodiment of the invention. Such embodiment does not necessarily represent the full scope of the invention, however, and reference is made therefore to the claims herein for interpreting the scope of the invention.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an MRI system which employs the present invention; and
FIG. 2 is a flow chart of the functions performed by the MRI system of FIG. 1 to filter acquired images according to the preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a one-pass filter according to the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a multi-pass first order filter using the one-pass filter of FIG. 3; and
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a multi-pass second order filter using the filter of FIG. 4.
The present invention is a filter framework which can be configured by the user to implement a wide range of filtering operations on medical images. Referring particularly to FIG. 3, the framework is formed around a basic filter block F11 which is comprised of a filter F1 that operates on input image data input at 10. The output of filter F1 is scaled by a factor C1 and is combined at summer 12 with scaled input image data. The scaling factor for the input image data is (1-C). The output 14 of the filter block F11 is intermediate image data that has undergone one pass of first degree filtering. The filter F1 may be relatively simple in construction such as a smoothing or sharpening filter using a 3�1 filter kernel, or it may be a combination of different filters that can be selectively employed during each pass.
The filter framework uses the filter block in FIG. 3 to form a multi-pass filter F21 such as that shown in FIG. 4. The intermediate image data is fed back into the filter block for another pass, and the particular filter function and the scaling factor C used may be different during each pass. Any number (n) of passes may be performed, as illustrated in FIG. 4, and after the last pass, the filtered output image data is scaled by a scaling factor (d) and combined with scaled original input image data at summer point 16. The filtered image data is output at 18. As will be described in detail below, the preferred embodiment of the invention is a three-pass (i.e. n=3) filter for use with image data acquired with an MRI system.
With particularly noisy images it may be necessary to provide a second degree filter. Referring particularly to FIG. 5, this can be achieved with the filter framework of the present invention by concatenating multi-pass filter blocks such as filter F21 in FIG. 4. The output 18 of each multi-pass filter block F21, F22 . . . F2m is fed back through the framework to provide the input to the next filter block in the chain. The output 18 of the last filter block F2m is scaled by a scaling factor (e) and combined with scaled original input image data at summing point 20. The filtered image data is output at 22. It should be apparent that the second order filter F31 can itself be concatenated to form still higher order filters as needed to provide the desired image effects.
While the summing points 12, 16 and 20 may be as simple as the arithmetic sum of the scaled pixel intensities, it is also possible to segment the image into different regions and combine the regions with the original image. Regions with strong edges, for example, may not be combined, whereas regions with weak edges may be combined with corresponding data in the original image.
Another aspect of the present invention is the ability to configure the filter framework to provide the desired filter functions. A set of parameters control the filter framework to provide the filter blocks and concatenate them as described above. These parameters select the particular filter function to be performed during each pass, and select the value of the scaling factors c1-cn, d1-dn, etc. Stored sets of parameters may be used to configure the filter framework for particular medical applications.
Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown the major components of a preferred MRI system which incorporates the present invention. The operation of the system is controlled from an operator console 100 which includes a keyboard and control panel 102 and a display 104. The console 100 communicates through a link 116 with a separate computer system 107 that enables an operator to control the production and display of images on the screen 104. The computer system 107 includes a number of modules which communicate with each other through a backplane. These include an image processor module 106, a CPU module 108 and a memory module 113, known in the art as a frame buffer for storing image data arrays. The computer system 107 is linked to a disk storage 111 and a tape drive 112 for storage of image data and programs, and it communicates with a separate system control 122 through a high speed serial link 115.
The system control 122 includes a set of modules connected together by a backplane. These include a CPU module 119 and a pulse generator module 121 which connects to the operator console 100 through a serial link 125. It is through this link 125 that the system control 122 receives commands from the operator which indicate the scan sequence that is to be performed. The pulse generator module 121 operates the system components to carry out the desired scan sequence. It produces data which indicates the timing, strength and shape of the RF pulses which are to be produced, and the timing of and length of the data acquisition window. The pulse generator module 121 connects to a set of gradient amplifiers 127, to indicate the timing and shape of the gradient pulses to be produced during the scan. The pulse generator module 121 also receives patient data from a physiological acquisition controller 129 that receives signals from a number of different sensors connected to the patient, such as ECG signals from electrodes or respiratory signals from a bellows. And finally, the pulse generator module 121 connects to a scan room interface circuit 133 which receives signals from various sensors associated with the condition of the patient and the magnet system. It is also through the scan room interface circuit 133 that a patient positioning system 134 receives commands to move the patient to the desired position for the scan.
The gradient waveforms produced by the pulse generator module 121 are applied to a gradient amplifier system 127 comprised of Gx, Gy and Gz, amplifiers. Each gradient amplifier excites a corresponding gradient coil in an assembly generally designated 139 to produce the magnetic field gradients used for position encoding acquired signals. The gradient coil assembly 139 forms part of a magnet assembly 141 which includes a polarizing magnet 140 and a whole-body RF coil 152. A transceiver module 150 in the system control 122 produces pulses which are amplified by an RF amplifier 151 and coupled to the RF coil 152 by a transmit/receive switch 154. The resulting signals radiated by the excited nuclei in the patient may be sensed by the same RF coil 152 and coupled through the transmit/receive switch 154 to a preamplifier 153. The amplified NMR signals are demodulated, filtered, and digitized in the receiver section of the transceiver 150. The transmit/receive switch 154 is controlled by a signal from the pulse generator module 121 to electrically connect the RF amplifier 151 to the coil 152 during the transmit mode and to connect the preamplifier 153 during the receive mode. The transmit/receive switch 154 also enables a separate RF coil (for example, a head coil or surface coil) to be used in either the transmit or receive mode.
The NMR signals picked up by the RF coil 152 are digitized by the transceiver module 150 and transferred to a memory module 160 in the system control 122. When the scan is completed and an entire array of data has been acquired in the memory module 160, an array processor 161 operates to Fourier transform the data into an array of image data. This image data is conveyed through the serial link 115 to the computer system 107 where it is stored in the disk memory 111. In response to commands received from the operator console 100, this image data may be archived on the tape drive 112, or it may be further processed by the image processor 106 in accordance with the present invention and conveyed to the operator console 100 and presented on the display 104.
For a more detailed description of the transceiver 150, reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,952,877 and 4,922,736 which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention is implemented in the image processor 106 shown in FIG. 1 by carrying out the sequence of steps indicated by the flow chart in FIG. 2 on an image stored in digital form. The filtering process provides a multi-pass (iterative) framework with options for changing the parameters used during each pass. As shown by process block 200, eighteen parameters that control the filter process are input by the operator for the particular application. As will be described in more detail below, these parameters control the filtering effect which can range from complete smoothing of the image to complete sharpening of image features, as well as segmentation-based adaptive smoothing and sharpening. In research settings, the separate parameters may be specified by the operator, whereas in clinical settings, a group of stored parameters may be selected by the operator depending on the particular application.
As indicated at process block 202, the next step is to initialize the system for the multi-pass filter operation to be performed, and to scale the input image data. The main reason for scaling is to make the filtering functions independent of the dynamic range of the image data or its DC offset value. More specifically, the following steps are performed:
1) Internal parameters which will be discussed in the next section are initialized and the iteration counter is set to 1;
2) Maximum (MAX_ORIGINAL)and minimum (MIN_ORIGINAL) image intensity values are determined;
3) If the iteration number is 1, the original data is save as I2;
4) scale=4095.0/MAX_ORIGINAL;
5) Scaled image I is obtained using the relation: I=(I-MIN_ORIGINAL)* scale;
6) Save the prefilteration image as I1=I;
7) Compute the average image intensity value (MEAN_BEFORE) of I before filtering.
Because the MR image data has 12-bit precision, 4095/MAX_ORIGINAL is used for scaling. The image I1 is used in an intermediate blending operation described below, while the stored image I2 is used for a final blending operation also to be described below.
As indicated by decision block 204, either of two directional smoothing functions is performed on the image data. The choice is one of the 18 control parameters described above. One choice ("1") is a directional smoothing function indicated by process block 206 in which a simultaneous direction smoothing operation is applied to the image I. This simultaneous smoothing operation is described in L. S. Davis, "A Survey of Edge-Detection Techniques," Computer Graphics and Image Processing, volume 4, pp. 248-270, 1975. It employs the following steps:
1) Scan the image in the raster format one time.
2) At each image pixel, consider four 1-dimensional 3�1 filters in all the four directions (45�, 135�, 90�, 0�).
3) At each direction, compute the mean value and the variance of the 3 corresponding pixels.
4) Determine the direction which gives the minimum variance and choose the corresponding mean value for the subsequent calculations.
5) This new pixel value at the given location (x,y) is thus modified according to the equation:
By design, this process smooths along the line structures and edges but not across them. The border pixels in a given image have to be treated differently and are set to zero in the processed image.
The other choice ("2") at decision block 204 is a sequential smoothing function indicated by process block 208. The smoothing function is applied to the image I and its function is described in P. Chan and J. S. Lim, "One-Dimensional Processing for Adaptive Image Restoration," IEEE Transactions In Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing, volume 33, pp. 117-126, Feb. 1985. This sequential smoothing function employs the following steps:
1) Scan the image in the raster format four times.
2) At each pixel, consider four 1-dimensional 3�1 filters in all the four directions (45�, 135�, 90�, 0�) sequentially.
3) For one direction, compute the mean value and the variance of the 3 corresponding pixels and use these for the subsequent calculations.
4) If the variance (var) is greater than a preselected noise variance (nvar), then set var=var−nvar, otherwise, set var=0.
5) The new pixel value at the given location (x,y) is thus modified according to the equation:
where 0 (x,y) is a temporary image. After all the points in the image are processed, set I(x,y)=0(x,y) at every point (x,y).
6) Repeat steps 3-5 for all the remaining direction angles.
With this filter function the amount of smoothing can be controlled using a single parameter, nvar. Since this is a sequential direction filtering, it is not cumulative. However, this approach has been found to produce minimal smoothing across edges while producing an overall stronger smoothing effect while preserving edges. The border pixels in a given image have to be treated differently and are set equal to zero in the processed image.
Regardless of which smoothing function is performed, the next step in the filter framework is to determine if the image edges are to be sharpened as indicated at process block 210. If they are, a directional sharpening and segmentation function is performed at process block 212. The functions performed by this filter function include the following:
1) The 1-D Laplacian of the image at every pixel in each of the 4 directions (0�, 45�, 90�, 135�) is obtained using the equation:
where the index x refers to the current location along a given direction, E(k) is the edge strength and I(k) is the intensity value at the pixel.
2) After computing all the four edge strengths at a given pixel, determine the maximum directional edge strength and use it in the subsequent steps as the edge strength E(x,y) at that location.
3) Continue this process for all the pixels in the image. Border pixels in a given image have to be treated differently and are set equal to zero for the subsequent steps.
4) Smooth the edges of image E(x,y) to produce a smoothed edge strength image ES(x,y) by performing the following steps:
a) Scan the image E(x,y) in the raster format one time.
b) At each pixel, consider four 1-dimensional 3�1 filters in all the four directions (45�; 135�, 90�, 0�).
c) At each direction, compute the mean value and the variance of the 3 corresponding pixels.
d) Determine the direction which gives the minimum variance and choose the corresponding mean value for the subsequent calculations.
e) The new pixel value at the given location (x,y) is thus modified according to the equation:
5) Determine the maximum and the minimum values of ES(x,y). Select the greater of the absolute value of the maximum and the minimum as parameter MAX.
6) Compute the threshold value using the equation:
where threshold_parameter is one of the eighteen selectable parameters.
7) In this step computations are performed based on decisions made using another one of the eighteen selectable parameters called segment13 parameter. The decision logic also creates a mask called mask(x,y). The parameters HPF_attenuated_parameter and HPF_unattenuated_parameter are also user selectable. These are used to essentially control the amount of edge strength image ES(x,y) added back to the smoothed image I(x,y) based on the segmentation criterion as determined in the following:
a) If segment13 parameter=1, perform the following:
if (ES(x,y)≧=threshold)
set mask(x,y)=1; and
set I(x,y)=I(x,y)+ES(x,y)*HPF_attenuated_parameter; or
if ES(x,y)>threshold)
set mask(x,y)=0; and
set I(x,y)=I(x,y)+ES(x,y)*HPF_unattenuated_parameter;
b) If segment_parameter=2, perform the following:
if (ES(x,y))>=-threshold)
set mask(x,y)=1; and
set I(x,y)=I(x,y)+ES(x,y)*HPF_attenuated_parameter; or
if (ES (x,y)<-threshold)
set mask(x,y)=0; and
set I(x,y)=I(x,y)+ES(x,y)*HPF_unattenuated_parameter;
c) If segment_parameter=3, perform the following:
set mask(x,y)=1; and
set I(x,y)=I(x,y)+ES(x,y)*HPF_attenuated_parameter; or
if(abs ES(x,y))=threshold)
set mask(x,y)=0; and
set I(x,y)=I(x,y)+ES(x,y)*HPF_unattenuated_parameter.
At the completion of the sharpening and segmentation process 212 we have differentially enhanced strong edges and weak edges and the image is separated into strong edge regions and weak edge regions.
As indicated by process block 214, the next function to be performed is a blending and rescaling operation in which the filtered imaged I(x,y) is combined with the stored prefiltered image I1(x,y) and the combined image is rescaled. This operation includes the following steps.
1) The filtered image I(x,y) and the prefilteration image I1(x,y) are blended using the equation:
where alpha is one of the selectable parameters such that 0<alpha<1.
2) Compute the average pixel intensity (MEAN_AFTER) in the blended image I(x,y).
3) Compute the normalization factor NORM_FACTOR=MEAN_BEFORE/MEAN_AFTER.
4) Compute the normalized image using: I(x,y)=(I(x,y)*NORM_FACTOR)+MIN_ORIGINAL, where MIN_ORIGINAL is the minimum intensity of the original image.
5) Set the value of image I1(x,y) to be equal to image I(x,y).
At the completion of process 214, a test is made at decision block 216 to determine if all the passes through the filter framework are complete. In the preferred embodiment three passes are performed by branching back to process block 202 to repeat all the selected filter functions on the image I(x,y). The filter functions performed need not be the same during each pass. For example, it has been found that the best results are achieved when the simultaneous directional smoothing function 202 is performed during the first pass and the directional sharpening function 212 is performed during the final pass. Other than these, the operator can choose any functions during each iteration to achieve the desired effects.
The final function performed by the filter framework is a segmentation-based blending as indicated at process block 218. The purpose of this function is to maintain the texture of the original image in regions where there are no edges (i.e. low edge strength). The final image If(x,y) is obtained by blending the filtered image I(x,y) and the prefilteration image I2(x,y) using the equation:
where alpha_f is the scaling factor, and alpha_f, and beta_f are two of the eighteen selectable parameters and mask (x,y) is produced by process block 212 described above. Depending upon the selection of the parameters alpha_f and beta_f used in this process, one can obtain adaptive grey level compression and expansion. Various visual effects can thus be obtained as follows:
if (alpha_f+beta_f)=1, no grey scale compression or expansion is performed, (i.e. beta_f=1−alpha_f);
if (alpha_f+beta_f)>1, grey scale compression occurs to provide an overall smoothing effect.
If (alpha_f+beta_f)<1, contrast enhancement occurs to provide improved contrast.
There are 18 user selectable parameters for use in the preferred embodiment of the filter framework. Various visual effects are produced by different combinations of these parameters. In the following description the parameters are indicated as P[i], where i indicates the parameter number.
Description: Sets the upper limit for the sharpening process. This can be set equal to 4095 for 12-bit images.
Range: 4000-6000;
Description: Dampening factor to prevent weak edge amplification. This is set to 0.1 in the preferred embodiment.
Range: 0<P[2]<1.
P[3] and P[4]:
Description: Fractional texture blended from original image to weak edge regions of filtered image in the final stage of processing as determined by the segmentation mask. Set P[3 ] and P[4] appropriately to avoid "smushiness" while providing overall smoothness.
Range: 0<=P[3]<=10, 0<=P[4]<=10, where "=" stands for "less than or equal to."
Description: Multiplication factor (HPF_unattenuated_factor) to the edge image for adding edges back to the filtered image in the final pass. Select this parameter high (>0.2) to increase overall sharpness of strong edges. Never set this parameter equal to zero to avoid missing out on the segmentation step.
Range: 0.00001 <=P[5]<=5.
Description: Multiplication factor (HPF_unattenuated_factor) to the edge image for adding edges back to the filtered image in the penultimate iteration (pass number 2 in the preferred embodiment). Use this parameter if additional edge enhancement boost is needed for tasks such as making the dark structures darker and white edges whiter. This parameter can also be used to put some texture back in images while providing higher overall smoothness to the image.
Range: 0.0 <=P[6]<=5.
Description: Variance threshold for the first, the second and the third passes to control the amount of smoothing. These values are useful if and only if directional smoothing 2 is used. Setting these values too high tends to blur the image.
Range: 0.1<=P[7]<=10000000, 0.1<=P[8]<=10000000, 0.l<=P[9]<=10000000.
Description: These parameters represent the fractional post-pass filtered image blended in with pre-pass filtered image for each of the three passes.
Range: Range: 0<=P[10]<=1, 0<=P[11]<=1, 0<=P[12]<=1.
Description: Dampening factors (HPF_attenuated_factors) to prevent weak edges amplification in each of three iterations;
Range: Range: 0<=P[10]<−1, 0<=P[11]<=1, 0<=P[12]<=1.
Description: Control parameter to decide during which iteration directional smoothing 2 (block E) should be done instead of directional smoothing 1 (block D). Always use directional smoothing 1 for the first pass and use either of the smoothing schemes for the remaining passes.
Range: 1<=P[16]<=4.
Description: Reciprocal of this parameter (threshold_parameter) is multiplied to the maximum edge strength to determine the threshold for segmentation of the image into strong and weak edge regions.
Range 1<=P[17]<=200.
Description: This parameter (segment_parameter) determines which of the three segmentation modes is to be applied for filtering. The parameter is set equal to 1 when the user needs the white edges but not the black edges to be emphasized. The parameter is set to 2 when the black edges but not the white edges have to be emphasized. The parameter is set to 3 when all edges have to be emphasized.
Range: 1<=P[18]<=3.
While there are millions of possible parameter combinations, all of them are not useful. Therefore, it is important to tune parameters to get the desired filtering effects. In order to achieve these effects, the following guidelines can be used:
Strong edge regions: In general, for noisy images, the strong edges must be emphasized or kept the same as in the original. Smoothing can be performed along a strong edge, but should never be performed across it. This is important to avoid blurring of details in the image which is undesirable in medical images.
Weak edge region: As a rule of thumb, weak edge regions must be attenuated. Sharpening the weak edge regions in general increases the chance of noise amplification and the appearance of "worms" in MR images. The texture in these regions must be maintained to have natural appearance in order to avoid "smudging" and "smushing" of pixel intensities.
The following are exemplary parameter sets for use in the preferred embodiment of the invention to achieve specific visual effects.
Short description: Sharpen with very little smoothing.
Detailed description: This is an overall filter with very little smoothing to enhance structural edges.
Suggested usage: High signal, very low noise 256�256 pixel images such as head, abdomens and extremities.
Parameter Combination
Short description: Sharpen with smoothing.
Detailed Description: This is an overall sharpening filter with smoothing to enhance structural edges and suppress noise.
Suggested usage: Extremities.
Parameter Combination
Short description: High smooth and very little sharpen.
Detailed description: Overall this filter produces smoothing and very little sharpening to suppress noise and provides smoother structural edges.
Suggested usage: High resolution, low signal images.
Parameter Combination
The invented filter provides a framework of selectable functions which when used in a multi-pass manner provide a variety of filtering functions that are performed in an efficient manner using 3=1 one-dimensional computations. This framework is capable of producing smoothing and sharpening depending upon edge strength of the region and it therefore produces varying filtration effects which are considered useful by radiologists. Since the weak edge regions are attenuated but never completely removed and strong edges are always smoothed along but never across, visually pleasing results can be obtained. Furthermore, the framework provides multilevel control to obtain sharpness and smoothness. Examples of the parameter combinations illustrate various visual effects that can be achieved using the present invention with high field MR images. Results indicate the proposed framework will also work well for all MRI systems with different strengths, but the parameter values should be separately tuned to obtain optimal results.
Patent Citations
Non-Patent Citations
Referenced by
Legal Events
Original Image


text:
Additional Categories:
Mfg.: H&D
Model: H&D Commercial Seating 760R
This table is brand new and ships direct from the supplier. 23.5in Round Aluminum Outdoor TableModel: 760R Features:
This item weighs 27 lbs. but we have added 5 lbs. to the weight for packing and shipping.
There are currently no reviews for this item. Be the first to write one.


text:
"Live It Local" Spring 2013 Mailer
This digital advertising supplement is a marketing tool for members of the Lawrence (Kansas) Chamber of Commerce
Live It Local! Spring 2013 Mailer LIVE IT LOCAL The Lawrence Chamber of Commerce encourages its members to do business with each other. By living it local and doing business locally, we help each other succeed!


text:
It's Obama: President powers to re-election
November 6, 2012 at 6:00 pm in The Dickinson Press
WASHINGTON President Barack Obama rolled to re-election Tuesday night, vanquishing former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and winning four more years in office despite a weak economy that plagued his first term and put a crimp in the middle class dreams of millions. Continue Reading


text:
browse markets
help your farmers' market win
contest updates
rules & prizes
Love Your Farmer's Market Contest
4 votes
Lakes Region Farmers' Market
Windham, ME
more about Lakes Region Farmers' Market
top recruiters for
Lakes Region Farmers' Market
There are no top recruiters for this market yet. Spread the word today to help your market win!
most recent votes for
Lakes Region Farmers' Market
Debra McKeown
2141 days, 4 hours ago
I love all the raw, local dairy, the natural meats, the unique and high quality hand-crafted goods, fresh veggies and herbs, flowers, and of course, bakery. It's like a one-stop shopping experience in outdoor markets. And they always have entertainment on top of it all!
Anita Higgins
2204 days, 2 hours ago
Like fresh vegtables and fruits.
2205 days, 19 hours ago
To help them win!
Sandy Barry
2206 days, 18 hours ago
Outstanding products, knowledgeable vendors, great location!
ads keep care2 free
Select a service:
sender info:
your name:
your email:
recipient info:
recipient's address(es):
Separate multiple e-mail addresses by a comma. You can send up to 100 recipients.
personal message
Hello, I saw this on Care2 and thought you'd like it as well. Care2 is the largest and most trusted information and action site for people who care to make a difference in their lives and the world.
We hate spam. We do not sell or share the email addresses you provide.
About Care2
About LocalHarvest


text:
Join Now
Join ePHOTOzine, the friendliest photography community.
Upload photos, chat with photographers, win prizes and much more for free!
I was interested in the contrast between the hard shape of the sundial and the softness of the garden beyond. I wonder if an out of focus background would have made the contrast more obvious and if there is anyway of creating this in PS7 ?
|Recording media:
|JPEG (digital)
|Date Taken:
|17 May 2010 - 2:27 PM
|Focal Length:
|Lens Max Aperture:
|Shutter Speed:
|Exposure Comp:
|Exposure Mode:
|Aperture-priority AE
|Metering Mode:
|Off, Did not fire
|White Balance:
|10 Jan 2013 - 11:35 AM
|Focus, General, Sundial
|VS Mode Rating
98 (0% won)
These stats show the percentage of wins and the rating score that your photo has achieved. You can go to the VS Mode by clicking on this icon.
Signup to PlusBecome a plus member to see which photo this has won or lost against in the vs mode
|Voting Disabled
|Unique Views:
|Critique Wanted
|Modifications Welcome (Upload a Modification)
Best to make the background out of focus by using a larger aperture, in this case, full, aperture. If full aperture is insufficient, try a longer FL as well as full aperture. You also need to look at the point of critical sharpness and how the dial is positioned, here it does not appear to be sharp and at the angle you have used it does not appear at its optimum. Also being slightly back-lit you would be better having a positive compensation rather than negative as you have done here.
The overall picture to me smacks of snapshot. Nothing wrong with that, but maybe a close up of the dial face at various positions with the sun shining and showing the time. If you have one of the posh models which have luminous numerals for telling the time at night, show those as well
Nominating Constructive Critique
I have done a mod for you but I dont think it is what you wanted from your description.......... I have done very little just a few tweeks to the colour, saturation increased a bit, a little more contrast and a sharpen. Adding a bit of contrast gives a bit more depth I feel, to such bright sunlight.
You say you might want an out of focus garden........... but I think you will have to get a shallower dof and focus on the sundial..........
Hope you like the mod
Nominating Constructive Critique
Nominating Constructive Critique
I can't help you with this picture. I shall say something that may help the ones you take next.
Adjust your picture to an orientation.
Reading horizontally from left top you have trees, sky space, tree, just a bit sky space. Left top space is closed, right top space is open.
Reading horizontally the bottom zone, bush, filled space, the sun clock, space, bush. Lower line horizontally, lots of flowers and grass, the limestone and grass, some flowers and grass ...
Below, a skewed limestone pathway and a bit of a shadow to one side then some flowers on the right side.
Vertically rule of thirds is fine with the sunclock on the right place, but in line with the tree right above it, offers less impact.
Look where the right corner of the sunclock base is and see if the ange matches the corner of the picture frame.
I think you should have shot from a point more to the right and allow the sunclock to be in between the vertical lines of the trees.
Your digital camera should have an orientation assistance giude, use it to get to see what your picture consists of, when you train yourself to understand how to compose your following pictures would improve.
Apologies if I sounded rough.
Nominating Constructive Critique
Appears as a pictorial record and, you are right, background is too sharp. Rarely looks right to blur thd background in software. Can be very artificial. Best to go back further and use a wide aperture and your longest focal length for the same composition. The combination of focal length and aperture will have a better chance of blurring the background.
You can even use the laws of depth of field and manully focus slightly in front of the sundial. Depth of field, if you get it right, will then give a sharp subject but blur the background even further.
Nominating Constructive Critique
Thanks for all the sound advice folks. I can see now that I should have used a wider aperture to achieve the softer background and used manual focus to concentrate on the sundial. Your comments are not at all rough Pablo, they remind me of what I should have thought of at the time, ie spend more time in composing the scene before pressing the button!
I like the mods - definite improvements - how did you get the sky so blue Robert?
Thanks again,
Nominating Constructive Critique
Nominating Constructive Critique
Add a Comment
ePHOTOzine, the web's friendliest photography community.
Upload photos, chat with photographers, win prizes and much more.


text:
Viewers: in countries Watching now:
Renowned artist Bert Monroy is known for his hyperrealistic style of extremely large format Photoshop illustrations. As an early adopter of digital imaging tools, he has been working with Photoshop since before it was released as a product by Adobe. He is the author of several books that showcase his illustrations and digital paintings, co-authored the very first book about Photoshop, and has authored numerous courses on photorealism for lynda.com. He is the former host of the long-running podcast Pixel Perfect with Bert Monroy, and an inductee of the Photoshop Hall of Fame. This installment of Creative Inspirations takes viewers inside the home studio and the personal world of this modern-day master. Watch as Bert adds the finishing touches to his largest digital image yet, a 25-foot wide digital illustration of New York's Times Square.
In Bonus Features, Bert talks about the differences between digital and traditional art and how he chooses reference material for his paintings.
(Music playing.) So nowadays, with these color printers, you can print on a variety of materials, like a glossy paper or a nice matte paper, various sizes from a little thing like this to a better size, or you can even get really big, like this guy here. This is printed on the Epson GS6000. It's printed on a semi gloss canvas, 74 inches.
74 inches. The Times Square piece: same height, except it's 300 inches. Size is a consideration, okay? If you're shooting, say, 35mm size, you shouldn't expect to print something this big. I remember, pre-computer, I used to do a lot of catalogs and stuff, and I remember we shot this model. It was Cristina Ferrare, and we shot these shots of her, and the client says, "I want her face on the cover." Well, everything we had shot was shot in 35mm. Now we had to blow something up to 8 and 3/4 x 11 and 1/4 the size of that catalog.
It wasn't holding up. It was very grainy. Because of the fact that you're shooting such tiny things, you can't expect to blow it up this big and have it look good. Like you say, well billboards, are they shot really big? A billboard, if you get up close to a billboard, you'll be astonished at how low the quality is. It's really low quality. I remember the first billboard I ever did. I started getting worried. I said, "Oh, my God! What kind of file am I gonna -" I said, "What do you want?" They said, "Well, we want it to be 22 inches wide at 72dpi." I said, "22 inches wide at 72dpi. That's it?" "Yeah." You look at a billboard from a block away, it looks great! If you get up close, you'll see that it is really heavily pixelated. It's really bad! But you're looking at it from far away.
Now, what makes my work unique is that it's not a photograph, so I am creating these things very sharp, very large, so I can get all the detail I want. Epson loves my stuff because of that. No matter how big they make it, it's going to look sharp. Nothing is out of focus because everything in my painting is in focus. Whether you're far away down here or real close over here, it's the same focus wherever you're looking. So, for instance, the fact that the little edges of the paper here are torn and buckled over, the pepper flakes inside the pepper shaker here have all the little rough edges and all the little details that pepper would have, the little stains on the edges of the glasses; these are things that are hard to see on a little tiny print.
These are the things that are hard to see if you're looking at the image full-size on the screen. So, it's important to be able to see all those details, so when you print something this big, the overall piece looks real.
There are currently no FAQs about Creative Inspirations: Bert Monroy, Digital Painter and Illustrator.
Access exercise files from a button right under the course name.
Search within course videos and transcripts, and jump right to the results.
Remove icons showing you already watched videos if you want to start over.
Make the video wide, narrow, full-screen, or pop the player out of the page into its own window.
Click on text in the transcript to jump to that spot in the video. As the video plays, the relevant spot in the transcript will be highlighted.


text:
Help: Cant start X under RH8 New kernel
View Single Post
Wolfman [TWP]
Geforce 8800 GTS 512
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Australia
Posts: 396
Originally posted by JakeOne
No.. I am currently on the first REDHAT kernel. And I was trying to update to 18, and it isn't working. So what should I do? Never update
this sucks,
If your using the original RH kernel, then I do recommend you update it, as it fixes some security issues. If your getting them by downloading them from the RH site manually, then follow the exact proceedure for installing them. (read the info on that site)
Using their Up2date utility is a much better way to do that. (I have and there have been no problems so far. And I've been using that utility for 2 or more years now..)
Also make sure that you also install the kernel source for that version and the Lib*. and development files that are required by most programs that need to be recompiled.
(I did that from the original clean install, so when I use up2date, it will automatically download those updates as well... Etc)
Based on what I mentioned above, I have had no problems in recompiling these drivers or any other programs. (Unless it asks for dependancies)
Wolfman [TWP]
View Public Profile
Find More Posts by Wolfman [TWP]


text:
Moist chlorine-free baby wipes
A homeopathic combination for the temporary relief of symptoms of simple restlessness and wakeful irritability due to cutting teeth. Formula: Calcarea Phosphorica 3X HPUS - supports dentition Chamomilla 3X HPUS - for irritability &nb … see full wiki
What did you think of this review?
Moist chlorine-free baby wipes
An herbal supplement for babies used to ease occasional gas …
Cloth diaper brand


text:
""Come 'ere Timmy. Come sit on papa Mario's lap."
""Come 'ere Timmy. Come sit on papa Mario's lap."
Mario die will never die, even after Nintendo dies, Mario will live on.
Wait . . . how are there posts from 10 months ago here!?!
Good job.
*grabs gun*
"Mario is already dead."Yeah, the ending of Mario Galaxy more or less confirmed that Mario is in Hell, doomed to suffer through the same quest and the hardships therein for all eternity. Whenever he thinks he gets some respite, it all resets and he has to go through the same torture again only harder.


text:
OSU Ext. 'Sustainable Living Field Day'
August 25, 2014 Are you concerned about the rising cost of energy or food? The Ohio State University Extension will hold a free event entitled, "Sustainable Living Field Day," on September 13, 2014 at Irish Ridge... more »»
Sweet ride
August 25, 2014 more »»
Ebert wins scholarship
August 25, 2014 WHEELING - Progressive Bank was proud to present Alyssa L. Ebert with the 2014 Progressive Bank College Scholarship Award. more »»
Harrison Hills City School District bus schedules
August 25, 2014 THE FOLLOWING list represents the approximate bus times on roads traveled by the Harrison Hills City School District Transportation Department. more »»
St. C dancer wins consecutive titles
August 25, 2014 ST. CLAIRSVILLE - Over the summer, St. Clairsville resident Gianna Swan captured her second National Title at the VIP Dance National Championship. LDT Dance Centre of St. more »»
RTA scholarships announced
August 17, 2014 The Belmont County Retired Teachers Association has awarded Maclaine Murad and Brian Clark with the Carlton-Dew Scholarship. more »»
Heritage Girls to host Carnival Night
August 17, 2014 Leaders of American Heritage Girls Troop #OH7777, a Christian-based scouting organization, are planning the 2014-2015 troop year (the tenth for the group). more »»
VanDyne graduates
August 17, 2014 more »»
BSWCD announces Big Tree Contest
August 17, 2014 Belmont Soil and Water Conservation District announces the 2014 Big Tree Contest. The Big Tree Contest will give recognition to the largest white oak within Belmont County. more »»
Stallions well-represented on Junior Fair Board
August 17, 2014 COLERAIN - Stallions 4-H club is well represented on the Belmont County Fair Board by members Mattie Zvatsky, Becca Theaker and Cole Roberts. more »»
Science in the Park
August 17, 2014 more »»
Bus routes for Bridgeport Schools
August 10, 2014 ? BUS #11 ROBERT HODGES- AM RUN — 7:05 Leave school. Go east on Rt. #40 to Lincoln Ave. to Howard St. more »»
Parking at library to be temporarily limited
August 10, 2014 WHEELING - Beginning August 11, the Ohio County Public Library, located at 52 16th Street, Wheeling, will undergo a resealing and water protection for the foundation on the 17th Street side of the... more »»
Union Local announces bus routes for upcoming school year
August 10, 2014 ? BUS #1 Driver: Rich Woollard AM HIGH SCHOOL/JUNIOR HIGH ROUTE — 6:03 Leave Bus Garage, 6:10 Pogue Road, 6:16 Ridge Line Road, 6:22 Warnock, 6:28 Lamire, 6:30 Loomis, 6:35 South Street- Belmont,... more »»
Martins Ferry 2014 school bus routes
August 3, 2014 *ALL ROUTES & BUS NUMBERS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. YOU CAN CONTACT RANDALL AT THE BUS GARAGE 633-2965 STARTING MONDAY, AUG. 11 FROM 8:00AM TO 3:00 PM. more »»
Wheeling Civil Air Patrol Squadron members attend Cadet training
July 27, 2014 WHEELING - Three members of the Wheeling Civil Air Patrol Squadron recently returned from a week of Cadet training at Camp Dawson West Virginia. Cadets Luke K. Knollinger, Joseph . more »»
Summer Reading: Final week at BCDL
July 27, 2014 The final week of the Belmont County District Library's Summer Reading events kicks off with its biggest event yet. more »»
Stealers win Ben Taylor Championship
July 27, 2014 more »»


text:
Originally written on Fox Sports | Last updated 12/31/12
Georgia Tech needed a waiver from the NCAA to play in the postseason, and it made the most of its second consecutive trip to the Sun Bowl. Tevin Washington threw a touchdown pass and ran for another score to help the Yellow Jackets beat Southern California 21-7 on Monday. Washington's 1-yard touchdown run in the third made it 14-7, and he found Orwin Smith for a 17-yard touchdown pass in the fourth in front of a crowd of 47,922 at Sun Bowl Stadium. ''I'm really proud of our football team,'' Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said. ''I thought that they showed up and played with a lot of heart and a lot of determination, and I know Southern California has some really good football players. It was a hard-fought game.'' The Yellow Jackets rushed for 294 yards on 63 carries while stopping a seven-bowl losing streak. They also erased some of the sting from last season's Sun Bowl, when they squandered a 24-10 fourth-quarter lead in an overtime loss to Utah. They also could have won the g...
Comments are closed.
What do you think?To leave a comment, you can:
College Football News
Delivered to your inbox
You'll also receive Yardbarker's daily Top 10, featuring the best sports stories from around the web. Customize your newsletter to get articles on your favorite sports and teams. And the best part? It's free!
Follow us on Twitter
|Best of Yardbarker
|NFL News
|MLB News
Today's Best Stuff
For Bloggers
Join the Yardbarker Network for more promotion, traffic, and money.
Company Info
What is Yardbarker?
Yardbarker is the largest network of sports blogs and pro athlete blogs on the web. This site is the hub of the Yardbarker Network, where our editors and algorithms curate the best sports content from our network and beyond.
|© 2015 Yardbarker, Inc. All rights reserved. Use of this website (including any and all parts and components) constitutes your acceptance of these Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. (What's New?)


text:
Thanks for redeeming.{{else}}
Success! Thanks for repurchasing.{{/if}} {{else}} {{#if Expired}}
Increase my visibility!{{else}} {{#if IsMultiPack}}
{{#if HasMultiPack}} You have {{MultiPackCount}} top spot(s) left. Now loading you into the search listings... {{else}} You have used all top spots. Now loading you into the search listings... {{/if}}{{else}}
We are loading you into the search listing pages...{{/if}} {{/if}} {{/if}} {{/if}}
{{Current}} just saw you!{{/if}} {{#if LastTopSpotPurchaseIsMulti }} {{#if HasAnyTopSpot}}
{{#if HasFreeTopSpot }} {{ UnclaimedTopSpotFree }} Free {{/if}} {{#if HasPaidTopSpot }} {{#if HasFreeTopSpot }} & {{/if}} {{ MultiPackCount }} {{/if}} Top Spot{{#if Plural}}s{{/if}} Left{{else}}
0 Top Spot{{#if Plural}}s{{/if}} Left{{/if}} {{else}} {{#if HasFreeTopSpot }}
{{ UnclaimedTopSpotFree }} Top Spot{{#if Plural}}s{{/if}} Left{{/if}} {{/if}} {{else}} {{#if HasResults}}
{{Current}} see you now!{{else}} {{/if}} {{/if}}
You can now invite anyone to meet at your favorite Starbucks.
Limited-time feature
32 year old woman | New York, NY, USA | Seeking men 29-39 within 15 miles
A little Midwest, a little NYC.
I'm originally from Minnesota, but love being in the city, a little over 5 years now. I came to the city for grad school in Art History and decided to stay. I work hard and have a fairly sarcastic sense of humor, which helps me deal with the general craziness at work. In my free time I'm heading out for a run in the park, baking something chocolatey and delicious, hanging out with friends, or just relaxing with a book. I love exploring the city and finding great new bars, restaurants, stores, parks, but also enjoy getting out of the city and visiting friends around the country. Being from the Midwest I do miss 'the great outdoors', though, and also driving, which I only do about 5 or 6 times a year now. Sigh. I love going abroad as well, although it's been a few years. I lived in Germany for a year and other favorite trips include Brughes and Prague. I'm pretty much up for going anywhere, especially if there's great art to be found.
Book club , Coffee and conversation , Cooking , Dining out , Movies/Videos , Museums and art , Exploring new areas , Performing arts , Travel/Sightseeing
Other types of exercise, Running
I exercise 3-4 times per week.
I love dogs, but want to wait until I have more space/time before I get one. Luckily several friends have dogs I watch occasionally to get my fix.
I've got some favorite bars in the East Village/LES and I'm actually in Brooklyn a lot since several of my best friends live there. The Met is great (especially on the nights they're open late and it's deserted), and the Morgan
New York University, New York, NY
True Blood, Downton Abbey, Damages, White Collar, 30 Rock. Food-wise pretty much anything. I love trying new things.
Exploring the city, reading, art museums, running, brunch, spending time with friends, whether that's in the city, upstate, or farther afield.
I recently went through a classics phase, so I'm taking a breather with some more modern fiction. Currently reading the new Barbara Kingsolver book Flight Behavior,
Z{{Cta}} {{#if HasMoreInfo}} ?{{CtaSecondary}} {{/if}}
|What she is looking for
|5'5" (165cms)
|5'7" (170cms) to 6'10" (208cms)
|Body type:
|Athletic and toned
|Slender, About average, Athletic and toned, A few extra pounds
|No preference
|Dark brown
|No preference
|No Way
|No Way
|Social Drinker
|No preference
|Other profession
|No preference
Academic Administration
|I'll tell you later
|No preference
|Never Married
|No preference
|Have kids:
|No preference
|Wants kids:
|No preference
|White / Caucasian
|No preference
|I'll tell you later
|No preference
|English, German
|Graduate degree
|Some college, Bachelors degree, Graduate degree, PhD / Post Doctoral
New York University


text:
Wawa Makes Donation to Henrico PAL
Pennsylvania-based convenience store retailer Wawa Inc. celebrated the Sept. 30 grand opening of its new Innsbrook store, the 20th in the Richmond area, with donations to the Henrico Police Athletic League (pictured) and to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). The event featured a ceremonial ribbon-cutting and a "Hoagies for Heroes" contest pitting two teams of police officers and PAL staff members and board members against each other in a race to see who could build the most hoagies in three minutes. Both teams designated their winnings (a total of $1,500) to Henrico PAL. Wawa also donated $72,000 to JDRF, raised with the help of sneaker sales at area stores.
Pictured, at left, is Wawa's Chief Operations Officer David Johnston, with Wawa mascot Wally Goose in the foreground and Henrico Police Chief Col. Henry Stanley (holding check) and Sgt. Kenny Ragland of Henrico PAL (far right).
'Proof of Heaven' coming to Glen Allen
Dr. Even Alexander, a New York Times best-selling author who has been featured on Oprah and Dr. Oz, was in town last week to promote his June 27 talk, "Proof of Heaven," at Glen Allen High School.
Alexander (pictured, at right, while Unity of Bon Air church member Harry Simmons interviews him) has written about what he considers to be his journey through the afterlife.
Tickets to this month's event are $25 and will support the new Bon Secours Hospice House being built later this year. > Read more.
Innsbrook Rotary celebrates 25 years
The Innsbrook Rotary Club, which is celebrating its 25th year in 2015, has completed a number of volunteer projects this year and raised thousands of dollars for various organizations through three events.
The club's annual rose sale, benefit for youth live auction and Virginia Fire Games competition, combined with individual and corporate donations, have raised nearly $70,000 – money that the club contributes back to the community.
FeedMore is the beneficiary of the club's 25th anniversary project, which provides refrigerated trailers to be used for the distribution of food throughout Central Virginia. > Read more.
Weekend Top 10
For our Top 10 calendar events this weekend, click here! > Read more.
No one injured during fiery morning wreck on I-295
Va. Guard soldiers, airmen eligible for Va. Veterans ID card
Land Lovers, Clean Businesses honored
Henrico Schools holding job fair to recruit bus drivers
Fairfield MS band wins 5 awards
- More News
Print Edition
Jul. 2, 2015Click here to read the print edition.
Weekend Top 10
Voltaggio to host three-course dinners at Family Meal July 21-22
Fan favorite shines in new West End home
Weekend Top 10
Weekend Top 10
- More Entertainment
Obituary – Ruby White
Obituary – Thomas Stewart Gammon
Obituaries – Frances Inthavong
- More Obituaries
'Proof of Heaven' coming to Glen Allen
Innsbrook Rotary celebrates 25 years
Holman student named Miss Va. Coed Junior Teen
- More Community
My daughters' other dads
All hail to mothers and the hardest job of all
Cabin fever cures - and blessings
- More Opinions
Athlete of the Week – July 3: Kayla Sell
Athlete of the Week – June 19: Sydney Whitaker
Steward School's Enright drafted by NY Mets
- More Sports
Reader Survey | Advertising | Email updates
ClassifiedsWaterbed frame with six-drawer base for storage, bookcase headboard (regular queen size mattress included). Antique-style, handmade, three-drawer dresser with mirror goes well with waterbed frame. All for just $500. Call 804-389-8516.
Full text
Place an Ad | More Classifieds
CalendarThe Short Pump Ruritan Club is seeking crafters for its 25th annual Short Pump Ruritan Craft Show on October 17 at Short Pump Middle School, 4701 Pouncey Tract Rd. For… Full text


text:
Does Particles 3/PZ work with Poser Pro 2012? and is the version available here the latest which I believe is 3.1?
Particles 3/PZ
Poser 8 and 9 both update the python scripting that Particle utility uses
so after Poser 7 no it doesn't work
although I think you can open and render files saved from earlier versions of Poser in more recent versions
Xeon X5680 whatta hoot yeeeehaaaaa
A word is not the same with one writer as with another. One tears it from his guts. The other pulls it out of his overcoat pocket
Charles Péguy
Heat and animosity, contest and conflict, may sharpen the wits, although they rarely do; they never strengthen the understanding, clear the perspicacity, guide the judgment, or improve the heart
Walter Savage Landor


text:
Product 20/36
To be notified when this product is back in stock please click here.
Current Reviews: 2
This product was added to our catalog on Thursday 18 March, 2010.
Simply enter your details below and we will send you an e-mail when "ACOG Type TA01NSN 4x32 Cross Sight Scope w/OP Red Dot Sight" is back in stock!
We will not send you any other e-mails or add you to our newsletter, you will only be e-mailed about this product!


text:
25% OFF! - Out of This World Cardstock
By Trixie Scraps Designs
Related Products
More By This Designer
|(1 Total Votes) | Rate It
Please sign in to rate this product! Log In
Product Categories
Boys Entertainment Family Kid Fun Memories Vacations - Travel
Product Information
- Type: Paper Pack
- Designer: Trixie Scraps Designs
- Download Size: 51.2 MB (approximate)
Design Elements
- Digital Papers: 14
Designer Notes
Take a trip across this universe with "Out of This World" from Trixie Scraps Designs! Perfect for all your Space Rangers and so much more! This collection is great for everything from Halloween photos to trips to the planetarium and "Magical" vacations, too! Cute for everyday layouts, as well - you'll love this collection to the moon and back! This coordinating paper pack contains fourteen 12x12 cardstock papers (two unique designs, 7 different colors), 300 dpi, JPG format. Approved for personal use, Scrap4Hire/Scrap4Others, too.
Make sure to check out the coordinating pieces from the whole collection!


text:
IT Workplace
IT Workplace News
The IoT is pulling IT and engineering skills together in a highly-sought after combination2 days ago
More Tech Videos
IT Workplace Videos
What's it like to be Oracle's CIO? You can't tell by watching Oracle's CIOIt's hard to imagine the kind of challenges someone like Mark Sunday would have in a given week, let alone the last number of years he's worked for the world's largest maker of business software. Unfortunately, imagining may be the closest his IT management peers may ever get to learning...
IT Workplace Blogs
The daily mindset of great salespeople1 day ago - Brian Clendenin
We need a new breed of CEOs4 days ago - IT World Canada
From BYOD to BYOW: Bringing wearable devices to work2 weeks ago - Tamer Marzouk
Start innovation from the user3 weeks ago - Kevin Pashuk
More IT Workplace News
Improve customer care to build strong relationships
Sponsored By: Cisco
Enhance employee productivity while leveraging your existing investments
Sponsored By: Cisco
Stop DDoS attacks, CISOs urged4 weeks ago
Engaging Employees to Drive the Business: How IBM Uses Workforce Science, Analytics and Collaboration Tools to Build its Smarter Workforce
Sponsored By: IBM


text:
Boston, MA Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found that primary care visits reduce hospital utilization among Medicare beneficiaries at the end of life. The recently published study appears in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
According to researchers, medical treatments for the six percent of Medicare beneficiaries who die each year comprise almost 30 percent of Medicare expenditures. In addition, the quality of end-of-life care is often poor. Problems include late referrals to hospice, undertreatment of pain, overtreatment with unwanted or ineffective procedures, poor communications regarding prognosis and treatment preferences, and in-hospital deaths that are inconsistent with stated preferences.
Researchers measured hospital utilization during the final six months of life and the number of primary care physician visits in the 12 preceding months for 78,356 Medicare beneficiaries age 66 +. Hospital days, costs, in-hospital death, and presence of two types of preventable hospital admissions also were studied.
Thirty-eight percent of adults did not have any primary care visits during their final six months of life, 22 percent had one to two primary care visits, 19 percent had three to five visits, 10 percent had six to eight visits and 11 percent had nine or more visits. More primary care visits in the preceding year were associated with fewer hospital days (15.3 days for those with no primary care visits vs. 13.4 days for those with nine or more visits) lower costs ($24,400 vs. $23,400) less in-hospital death (44 percent vs. 40 percent) and fewer preventable hospitalizations for those with congestive heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
"Primary care visits in the preceding year of life are associated with less, and less costly, end of life hospital utilization," said senior author Andrea Kronman, M.D., an attending physician in the Section of General Internal Med
|Contact: Michelle Roberts
Boston University


text:
Current Students
Go into the draw to win an iPad2
All problems or requests logged by Staff or students via the Information Technology Resources (ITR) Service Desk web portal from now to 31 March 2012 are in the running to win an iPad2.
The Service Desk is keen to encourage staff and students to log requests for support on the Web Portal
Requests logged this way immediately receive a 'ticket' number. Requests are then able to be processed more quickly by ITR.
By using the portal, requests and problem reports are directly entered into the incident tracking software, this also allows users to see the status of any open or previously resolved tickets.
The Web Portal has been available for more than a year now and during this time more than 2,500 tickets have been logged through the portal.
With the system tried and tested, the Service Desk is now keen to encourage staff and students to use the Web Portal to make requests or report problems.
The vendor of UTAS' 'LANDesk' Incident tracking software, 'Help Desk Solutions' (helpdesksolutions.com.au), have generously provided an iPad 2 (WiFi/3G 16GB) to help promote the use of the Web Portal via this competition.
Staff and Students are still very welcome to continue to contact ITR on (03) 6226 1818 or via email to email@example.com however tickets logged this way will not go into the running for the iPad.
The winner will be drawn the first week of April.
Published on: 22 Feb 2012 4:38pm


text:
JPMorgan Chase reports record quarterly profit, higher revenue
JPMorgan Chase on Friday reported a third-quarter profit of $5.7 billion, up 34 percent from a year ago, as the bank showed signs of strength in consumer and corporate lending.
The bank surpassed expectations with earnings of $1.40 a share, compared with $1.02 a year earlier. JPMorgan's revenues rose to $25.9 billion, up 6 percent from 2011.
As the nation's largest bank, JPMorgan is often considered a barometer of how rival institutions and the greater economy will fare. With growth across virtually all the bank's core businesses, the earnings could bode well for the rest of the industry.
In particular, JPMorgan's earnings were buoyed by the mortgage business, which is benefiting from a variety of government initiatives. The company originated $47 billion of new home loans and refinancing, up 29 percent from the same period a year earlier. Earnings in the mortgage unit increased by 57 percent.
"We believe the housing market has turned the corner," said Jamie Dimon, the bank's chief executive, in a release.
Still, Dimon tempered expectations for the market. While emphasizing the growth in the bank's mortgage business, he warned that defaults could continue, along with foreclosures. Dimon, who has been an outspoken critic of overreaching regulation from Washington, also noted that the housing market could rebound more quickly if lawmakers made certain moves.
Throughout its core lending businesses, JPMorgan showed signs of strength. The commercial banking group reported record revenue. The volume of credit card sales jumped 11 percent over the previous year, bolstering the broader unit. The card services and auto business posted profits of $954 million, up 12 percent.
With the improving credit environment, JPMorgan also set aside less money to cover potential losses. JPMorgan is also cleaning up a bungled trade that has been the focus of investors and regulators for months.
In the second quarter, the bank transferred the remaining credit bets in the chief investment office to its investment banking unit. On Friday, JPMorgan said it "effectively closed" out its derivative position, which was made by a trader nicknamed the London Whale. With its $449 million loss on the portfolio, the total tally of losses on the trade are around $6.25 billion.
During the conference call, Dimon played down the prospect of continued losses on its bad bets. "Synthetic credit is a sideshow," Dimon said.
Subscribe to The Commercial Appeal
Need Help? Call us at 1-888-789-0831.
Monday-Friday: 6am-5pm / Saturday: 6:30am-11:30am / Sunday: 6am-1pm


text: Featured comments + Add comment Comments (28) Featured jujubee88 "If you are going to do remote play, do it right. Just buy a PS4 and a VITA. :\ " 857d ago matgrowcott "@Classic200 @WarThunder Do either of you understand how cloud gaming works? It's nothing to do with remote play necessarily. Remote play has the processing done by the PS4 and then shown on another screen. Cloud gaming has the processing done thousands..." 857d ago RyuCloudStrife "well said bubbles for you. " 857d ago