Groupwise non-rigid image alignment is a difficult non-linear optimization problem involving many parameters and often large datasets. Previous methods have explored various metrics and optimization strategies. Good results have been previously achieved with simple metrics, requiring complex optimization, often with many unintuitive parameters that require careful tuning for each dataset. In this chapter, the problem is restructured to use a simpler, iterative optimization algorithm, with very few free parameters. The warps are refined using an iterative Levenberg-Marquardt minimization to the mean, based on updating the locations of a small number of points and incorporating a stiffness constraint. This optimization approach is eff

This paper analyzes a piled-raft foundation on non-homogeneous soils with variable layer depth percentages. The present work aims to perform a three-dimensional finite element analysis of a piled-raft foundation subjected to vertical load using the PLAXIS 3D software. Parametric analysis was carried out to determine the effect of soil type and initial layer thickness. The parametric study showed that increasing the relative density from 30 % to 80 % of the upper sand layer and the thickness of the first layer has led to an increase in the ultimate load and a decrease in the settlement of piled raft foundations for the cases of sand over weak soil.  In clay over weak soil, the ultimate load of the piled raft foundation w

This research aims at studying each of the cold and hot thermal wavelengths affecting
Iraq for a minimum climatic course of 11 years beginning from 1992 till 2002. Three stations
were selected including the parts of Iraq surface: Mosul, Baghdad and Basrah.
The wave days were also connected with the related climatic elements represented by
the wind direction and speeds and the relative humidity. It was shown that Iraq is affected by
the rates of hot thermal wave lengths greatly compared to the rates of cold wavelengths. The
results suggested that the highest rate of hot and cold wavelengths recorded over Basra station
was (3.5) days for the cold and (5) days for the hot. While the lowest rates was at Mosul
station

The Iraqi houses flattening the roof by a concrete panel, and because of the panels on the top directly exposed to the solar radiation become unbearably hot and cold during the summer and winter. The traditional concrete panel components are cement, sand, and aggregate, which have a poor thermal property. The usage of materials with low thermal conductivity with no negative reflects on its mechanical properties gives good improvements to the thermal properties of the concrete panel. The practical part of this work was built on a multi-stage mixing plan. In the first stage the mixing ratio based on the ratios of the sand to cement. The second stage mixing ratios based on replacing the coarse aggregate quantities with the

A theoretical analysis studied was performed to study the opacity broadening of spectral lines emitted from aluminum plasma produced by Nd-YLF laser. The plasma density was in the range 1028-1026 )) m-3 with length of plasma about ?300) m) , the opacity was studied as function of plasma density & principle quantum number. The results show that the opacity broadening increases as plasma density increases & decreases with the spacing between energy levels of emission spectral line.