Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Information-Seeking Behaviour Of Nurses: Where Is Information Sought And What Processes Are Followed?, Denise O'Leary, Siobhan Ni Mhaolrunaigh

Articles

Aim This paper is a report of a study on how nurses inform their decision-making in the workplace

Background Despite the growing availability of research evidence, nurses have been slow to adopt it into their daily decision-making.

Method The study was undertaken in Ireland between 2006 and 2007 using a sequential mixed methods approach. In phase 1, the views of a quota sample of 29 nurses were explored using semi-structured interviews incorporating vignettes. Phase 2 involved the design and dissemination of a survey to a disproportionate stratified random sample of 1356 nurses. The response rate was 29%.

Findings In decision-making, …

An Optical Machine Vision System For Applications In Cytopathology, Jonathan Blackledge, Dmitry Dubovitskiy

Articles

This paper discusses a new approach to the processes of object detection, recognition and classification in a digital image focusing on problem in Cytopathology. A unique self learning procedure is presented in order to incorporate expert knowledge. The classification method is based on the application of a set of features which includes fractal parameters such as the Lacunarity and Fourier dimension. Thus, the approach includes the characterisation of an object in terms of its fractal properties and texture characteristics. The principal issues associated with object recognition are presented which include the basic model and segmentation algorithms. The self-learning procedure for …

Object Detection And Classification With Applications To Skin Cancer Screening, Jonathan Blackledge, Dmitryi Dubovitskiy

Articles

This paper discusses a new approach to the processes of object detection, recognition and classification in a digital image. The classification method is based on the application of a set of features which include fractal parameters such as the Lacunarity and Fractal Dimension. Thus, the approach used, incorporates the characterisation of an object in terms of its texture.

The principal issues associated with object recognition are presented which includes two novel fast segmentation algorithms for which C++ code is provided. The self-learning procedure for designing a decision making engine using fuzzy logic and membership function theory is also presented and …

A Surface Inspection Machine Vision System That Includes Fractal Texture Analysis, Jonathan Blackledge, Dmitry Dubovitskiy

Articles

The detection, recognition and classification of features in a digital image is an important component of quality control systems in production and process engineering and industrial systems monitoring, in general. In this paper, a new pattern recognition system is presented that has been designed for the specific task of monitoring the quality of sheet-steel production in a rolling mill. The system is based on using both the Euclidean and Fractal geometric properties of an imaged object to develop training data that is used in conjunction with a supervised learning procedure based on the application of a fuzzy inference engine. Thus, …