Most previous soft shadow algorithms have either suffered from aliasing, been too slow, or could only use a limited set of shadow casters and/or receivers. Therefore, we present a strengthened soft shadow volume algorithm that deals with these problems. Our critical improvements include robust penumbra wedge construction, geometry-based visibility computation, and also simplified computation throu

BACKGROUND: Oxygen free radicals (OFRs), platelet activating factor (PAF), cell adhesion molecules, and transmigration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes through the gut barrier are probably all essential in the development of gut barrier dysfunction following intestinal ischemia and reperfusion (I/R). Pretreatment and early treatment of I/R with the OFRs-scavenger (NAC), the PAF inhibitor lexipafant

Smooth muscle is a slow and economical muscle with a large variability in contractile properties. This review describes results regarding the relation between expression of myosin isoforms and the contraction of smooth muscle. The focus of the review is on studies of the organised contractile system in the smooth muscle tissue. The role of the myosin heavy chain variants formed by alternative spli

Linear time-invariant models are widely used in the control community. They often serve as approximations of nonlinear systems. For control purposes linear approximations are often good enough since feedback control systems are inherently robust to model errors. In this thesis some of the possibilities for linear time-varying modeling are studied. In the thesis it is shown that the balanced trunca

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PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of intraocular pressure (IOP)-reducing treatment on the development of disc hemorrhages in patients with glaucoma. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study of patients in the Early Manifest Glaucoma Trial, followed up to 11 years (median = 8 years). PARTICIPANTS: Patients with newly detected glaucoma randomized to argon laser trabeculoplasty plus betaxolol (n = 129) or no i

Results from extensive lidar measurements on atmospheric atomic mercury in Italian geothermal fields are reported. A mobile differential absorption lidar system operating on the 254-nm mercury resonance line with a measuring range of about 1 km was used in mineralized as well as nonmineralized areas. Measurements were performed at geothermal power stations and in an unexploited field with natural

The aim of this thesis was to empirically and methodologically investigate health related quality of life (HRQoL) among persons 65 years or older with chronic heart failure. The design was cross-sectional and the sample was recruited from a southeast region of Sweden. The sample included 357 respondents in Paper I, II and IV and 349 respondents in Paper III. For all respondents the mean age was 79

Pelvic pain (acute or chronic) is a common symptom in women of all ages. Ultrasonography is the least invasive investigative tool available to the clinician. Transvaginal probes produce high-resolution images of the pelvic organs, providing reliable and reproducible information without the need for a full bladder. Common gynaecological pathology involving the uterus, Fallopian tube and/or the ovar

Abstract is not available

The effect of the extent of electron conjugation on the primary photophysics in semiconducting polymers is reported. A rapid depolarization of photoluminescence and transient absorption, which indicates a reorientation of the transition dipole moment by ~30° on a sub-100 fs time scale, is observed in the fully conjugated polymer poly[2-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)-5-methoxy-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV).

Gonococci that bind the coinhibitory receptor CEACAM1 appear to down-regulate the activation and proliferation of CD4+ T cells. Such infection-induced immunosuppression helps explain why there is little specific immune response associated with gonococcal disease.

It is common to use activities of daily living (ADL) rating scales to identify the impact of health problems such as diseases, impaired eyesight or hearing on daily life. However, for various reasons people with health problems might feel hindered in daily life before limitations in ability to perform ADL have occurred. In addition, there is sparse knowledge of what makes people feel hindered by h

Objective Skewed gender distribution and falsely assigned gestational age lead to unnecessary or late obstetric intervention in prolonged pregnancy. The aim of this study was to examine the consequences of a fetal gender-dependent systematic 1.5-day dating error at ultrasound fetometry. Material and methods A total of 82484 singleton deliveries greater than or equal to 37 weeks at 11 hospitals in

Recent advances in magnetic resonance imaging have made it possible to visualize and quantify flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain. The net flow of CSF through the cerebral aqueduct was used to measure CSF production in six normal volunteers at different times during a 24-h period. CSF production varied greatly both intra- and interindividually. The average CSF production in each time in

We propose a novel method for completely characterizing ultrashort pulses at extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) wavelengths by adapting the technique of spectral phase interferometry for direct electric-field reconstruction to this spectral region. Two-electron wave packets are coherently produced by photoionizing atoms with two time-delayed replicas of the XUV pulse. For one of the XUV pulses, photoioniza

Om olika spelfilmer om Titanicförlisningen 1912 med fokus på den tyska versionen 1943.