Abstract: A process for pre-processing recorded and digitized heart sounds and corresponding digitized ECG signals is provided. The pre-processed signals (203) are suitable for input into an automatic decision support system implemented by means of a diagnostic decision network (205), used for diagnosing and differentiation between normal/functional (206) and pathological (207) heart murmurs, particularly in pediatric patients. The process includes identifying or predicting locations of individual heart beats within the heart sound signal, identifying the positions of the S1 and S2 heart pulses within the respective heart beats, predicting and identifying the locations and durations of the systole and diastole segments of the heart beats (302), determining if segmentation of the heart sound signal is possible based on the selected and isolated heart beats (305), and the segmentation of the respective heart beats into segments for allowing better feature extraction.

Abstract: A method and system for electronically classifying a pre-processed heart sound signal of a patient as functional (normal) or pathological is provided. The pre-processed patient heart sound signal is segmentised and features are extracted therefrom (104) to build up a feature vector which is representative of the heart sound signal. The feature vector is then fed to a diagnostic decision support network (105) comprising a plurality of artificial neural networks, each relating to a known heart pathology, which is in turn used to conduct the classification.

Abstract: A method and system for electronically classifying a pre-processed heart sound signal of a patient as functional (normal) or pathological is provided. The pre-processed patient heart sound signal is segmentised and features are extracted therefrom (104) to build up a feature vector which is representative of the heart sound signal. The feature vector is then fed to a diagnostic decision support network (105) comprising a plurality of artificial neural networks, each relating to a known heart pathology, which is in turn used to conduct the classification.

Abstract: A method and system for electronically classifying a pre-processed heart sound signal of a patient as functional (normal) or pathological is provided. The pre-processed patient heart sound signal is segmentised and features are extracted therefrom (104) to build up a feature vector which is representative of the heart sound signal. The feature vector is then fed to a diagnostic decision support network (105) comprising a plurality of artificial neural networks, each relating to a known heart pathology, which is in turn used to conduct the classification.

Abstract: A method and system for electronically classifying a pre-processed heart sound signal of a patient as functional (normal) or pathological is provided. The pre-processed patient heart sound signal is segmentised and features are extracted therefrom (104) to build up a feature vector which is representative of the heart sound signal. The feature vector is then fed to a diagnostic decision support network (105) comprising a plurality of artificial neural networks, each relating to a known heart pathology, which is in turn used to conduct the classification.

Abstract: A process for pre-processing recorded and digitised heart sounds and corresponding digitised ECG signals is provided. The pre-processed signals (203) are suitable for input into an automatic decision support system implemented by means of a diagnostic decision network (205), used for diagnosing and differentiation between normal/functional (206) and pathological (207) heart murmurs, particularly in paediatric patients. The process includes identifying or predicting locations of individual heart beats within the heart sound signal, identifying the positions of the S1 and S2 heart pulses within the respective heart beats, predicting and identifying the locations and durations of the systole and diastole segments of the heart beats (302), determining if segmentation of the heart sound signal is possible based on the selected and isolated heart beats (305), and the segmentation of the respective heart beats into segments for allowing better feature extraction.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for continuous casting of thin cast strip including removing oxides from the casting surface of each casting roll by contacting the casting surface of each casting roll with a rotating brush between the nip and the casting area, determining the temperature in segments along the casting roll surfaces or across the cast strip adjacent the nip, and delivering gas adjacent the casting surface between the rotating cleaning brush and the casting area regulated in segments corresponding to the determined temperature in the segment to control the quality of the strip produced. The gas delivery adjacent the casting surface between the rotating brush and the casting area may be done in at least five segments along the casting roll, and the temperature determination step may be done in a continuum such as by a scanning pyrometer. The temperature determination of the cast strip may be done between 0.2 and 1 meter from the nip.

Abstract: A cast low carbon steel formed by a method of forming and refining molten silicon-bearing steel by addition of a calcium-containing silicon additive. Determine when the amount of calcium in the calcium-containing silicon additive is more or less than the amount of calcium desired in the finished steel. When it is more than the amount of calcium desired in the finished steel, add the amount of calcium-containing silicon additive corresponding to the excess calcium early during steel deoxidation or in refining to combine with oxygen, sulfur and other impurities in refining, and add the calcium-containing silicon additive containing the total amount of calcium desired in the finished steel after the desulfurization of the molten steel and before casting.

Abstract: A method of forming and refining molten silicon-bearing steel by addition of a calcium-containing silicon additive. Determine if the amount of calcium in the calcium-containing silicon additive is more or less than the amount of calcium desired in the finished steel. If it is more than the amount of calcium desired in the finished steel, add the amount of calcium-containing silicon additive corresponding to the excess calcium early during steel deoxidation or in refining to combine with oxygen, sulfur and other impurities in refining, and add the calcium-containing silicon additive containing the total amount of calcium desired in the finished steel after the desulfurization of the molten steel and before casting. If the amount of calcium in the calcium-containing silicon additive does not provide the total amount of calcium desired in the finished steel, adding an additional amount of calcium after desulfurization of the molten steel and before casting to the molten steel during refining.

Abstract: A method of forming and refining molten silicon-bearing steel by addition of a calcium-containing silicon additive. Determine if the amount of calcium in the calcium-containing silicon additive is more or less than the amount of calcium desired in the finished steel. If it is more than the amount of calcium desired in the finished steel, add the amount of calcium-containing silicon additive corresponding to the excess calcium early during steel deoxidation or in refining to combine with oxygen, sulfur and other impurities in refining, and add the calcium-containing silicon additive containing the total amount of calcium desired in the finished steel after the desulfurization of the molten steel and before casting. If the amount of calcium in the calcium-containing silicon additive does not provide the total amount of calcium desired in the finished steel, adding an additional amount of calcium after desulfurization of the molten steel and before casting to the molten steel during refining.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for continuous casting of thin cast strip including removing oxides from the casting surface of each casting roll by contacting the casting surface of each casting roll with a rotating brush between the nip and the casting area, determining the temperature in segments along the casting roll surfaces or across the cast strip adjacent the nip, and delivering gas adjacent the casting surface between the rotating cleaning brush and the casting area regulated in segments corresponding to the determined temperature in the segment to control the quality of the strip produced. The gas delivery adjacent the casting surface between the rotating brush and the casting area may be done in at least five segments along the casting roll, and the temperature determination step may be done in a continuum such as by a scanning pyrometer. The temperature determination of the cast strip may be done between 0.2 and 1 meter from the nip.

Abstract: A method of casting steel strip by introducing molten plain carbon steel on casting surfaces at least one casting roll with the molten steel having a free nitrogen content below 120 ppm and a free hydrogen content below about 6.9 ppm. The free nitrogen content maybe below about 100 ppm or below about 85 ppm. The free hydrogen content maybe between 1.0 and 6.5 ppm at atmospheric pressure. Novel cast strip of plain carbon steel is produced having a strip thickness less than 5 mm or less than 2 mm by use of the method.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for localized control of heat flux in continuous casting of thin cast strip comprising removing oxides from the casting surface of each casting roll by contacting the casting surface of each casting roll with the rotating brush in advance of the casting area, and delivering gas at the casting surface between the rotating brush and entry to the casting area to form a gas layer on the casting surface of each casting roll where the oxides have been removed. The delivering of gas at the casting surface between the rotating brush and entry to the casting area is preferably done in at least three zones along the casting roll axes to form a gas layer on the casting surface of each casting roll where the oxides have been removed, where the gas projected in the respective zones can be of different composition, mixture, pressure, or combination thereof.

Abstract: A method of casting steel strip by introducing molten plain carbon steel on casting surfaces at least one casting roll with the molten steel having a free nitrogen content below 120 ppm and a free hydrogen content below about 6.5 ppm measured at atmospheric pressure. The free nitrogen content maybe below about 100 ppm or below about 85 ppm. The free hydrogen content maybe between 1.0 and 6.5 ppm at atmospheric pressure. Novel cast strip of plain carbon steel is produced having a strip thickness less than 5 mm or less than 2 mm by use of the method.