Depth buffer performance is crucial to modern graphics hardware. This has led to a large number of algorithms for reducing the depth buffer bandwidth. Unfortunately, these have mostly remained documented only in the form of patents. Therefore, we present a survey on the design space of efficient depth buffer implementations. In addition, we describe our novel depth buffer compression algorithm, wh

Human script culture is not limited to texts of learning and entertainment. By the use of script and print technology to communicate and preserve, societies have grown. Graphic messages pervade cities as commercial and communal signs, and the long dependance on print in society is shown as well by all the ephemeral products of job printing as by the symbolic position of the book in religions. This

P-Microseminoprotein (MSP) and cysteine-rich secretory protein 3 (CRISP-3) are abundant constituents of human seminal plasma. Immunoprecipitation and gel filtration of seminal plasma proteins combined with examination of the proteins in their pure form showed that MSP and CRISP-3 form stable, non-covalent complexes. CRISP-3 binds MSP with very high affinity, as evidenced by surface plasmon resonan

We report on the formation of an attractive potential around buried metal wires in a novel design for the Hot Electron Transistor (HET). In this device, the doped base layer in the HET is replaced by an embedded metal grating, which is forward biased beyond flat band conditions in order to efficiently extract carriers from the emitter into the active region. These carriers are collected in a Schot

We explore here, through three complementary experiments on virtual objects, how intimate active relations with multisensory audio-visual and haptics perceptions allow to the cognitive creation of new believable and plausible objects that can be different of the virtual ones objectively implemented. The three experiments are based on "Pebble Boxes" and consist in the exploration and the manipulati

System Thinking is the mindset of defining and confining a problem and its symptoms as well as a method for communicating system understanding. System Analysis is taking that problem apart to understand its causalities and structural arrangement. System Dynamics is the use of the results of System Analysis in order to reconstruct the system of causalities. Modelling is used for understanding comp

Neuropeptide Y is a sympathetic co-neurotransmitter released with noradrenaline upon sympathetic nerve stimulation. This study describes the ability of a synthetic inositol phosphate, alpha-trinositol(D-myo-inositol 1,2,6-triphosphate; PP 56) to antagonize vasoconstrictor responses to neuropeptide Y in-vitro as well as in-vivo. In human and guinea-pig isolated arteries alpha-trinositol potently (1

We investigated the role of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region in the specificity of autoimmunity by analysing specifically the development of sialadenitis, but also insulitis, nephritis and autoantibody production in autoimmune-prone nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice where the MHC H2g7 haplotype had been exchanged for the H2q (NOD.Q) or H2p (NOD.P) haplotype. The exchange of H2 haplotyp

Purpose: To study the appearance of bile in clinical MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) with special reference to its chemical and physical properties. Material and Methods: Gallbladder bile was collected during surgery from 38 patients and studied with respect to chemical constituents. The relaxation rates 1/T1 and 1/T2 of bile were also determined in vitro . In 16 of these 38 patients, abdominal

An efficient and modular synthesis of a chiral, amphiphilic, and fluorescent macrocycle is described. A bis-acetylene was prepared by coupling the amino group of a sugar delta-amino acid with a glutamic acid propargylic amide derivative, followed by coupling of the sugar delta-amino acid carboxy group with a glutamic acid propiolyl amide. The bis-acetylene was reacted with 9,10-bis(azidomethyl)ant

High-resolution, angle-resolved resonant Auger electron spectra of the NO molecule in the regions of both N and O 1s --> 2pi core electron excitations are presented. A large number of vibrational final states are resolved due to high energy resolution. Calculations based on lifetime vibrational interference (LVI) theory neglecting interference between different electronic intermediate states and b

In this paper, we describe the commutant of an arbitrary subalgebra A of the algebra of functions on a set X in a crossed product of A with the integers, where the latter act on A by a composition automorphism defined via a bijection of X. The resulting conditions which are necessary and sufficient for A to be maximal abelian in the crossed product are subsequently applied to situations where thes

PURPOSE: To analyze the morphology of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) and to study the usefulness of spiral computed tomography (CT) versus digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in the evaluation of patients for endovascular repair. METHODS: Of 133 AAA patients (120 men, mean age 67 years, range 52 to 84) evaluated preoperatively with CT imaging, 77 endograft candidates (68 men) were also assess

We compared the efficacy of the Medoff sliding plate (MSP) with 3 other screw-plate systems for fixation of unstable intertrochanteric fractures in a randomized multicenter trial of 569 elderly patients. The MSP has biaxial dynamic capacity along both the neck and the shaft of the femur unlike the other systems, which lack dynamic capacity along the shaft. 268 fractures were operated on with the M

HCCI combustion is well known and much results regarding its special properties have been published. Publications comparing the performance of different HCCI engines and comparing HCCI engines to conventional engines have indicated special features of HCCI engines regarding, among other things, emissions, efficiency and special feedback-control requirements. This paper attempts to contribute to th