Distributed environmental monitoring

With increasingly ubiquitous use of web-based technologies in society today, autonomous sensor networks represent the future in large-scale information acquisition for applications ranging from environmental monitoring to in vivo sensing. This chapter presents a range of on-going projects with an emphasis on environmental sensing; relevant literature pertaining to sensor networks is reviewed, validated sensing applications are described and the contribution of high-resolution temporal data to better decision-making is discussed

Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Loci for Liver Enzyme Concentrations in Mexican Americans: The GUARDIAN Consortium.

ObjectivePopulations of Mexican American ancestry are at an increased risk for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The objective of this study was to determine whether loci in known and novel genes were associated with variation in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (n = 3,644), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (n = 3,595), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) (n = 1,577) levels by conducting the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) of liver enzymes, which commonly measure liver function, in individuals of Mexican American ancestry.MethodsLevels of AST, ALT, and GGT were determined by enzymatic colorimetric assays. A multi-cohort GWAS of individuals of Mexican American ancestry was performed. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) were tested for association with liver outcomes by multivariable linear regression using an additive genetic model. Association analyses were conducted separately in each cohort, followed by a nonparametric meta-analysis.ResultsIn the PNPLA3 gene, rs4823173 (P = 3.44 × 10-10 ), rs2896019 (P = 7.29 × 10-9 ), and rs2281135 (P = 8.73 × 10-9 ) were significantly associated with AST levels. Although not genome-wide significant, these same SNPs were the top hits for ALT (P = 7.12 × 10-8 , P = 1.98 × 10-7 , and P = 1.81 × 10-7 , respectively). The strong correlation (r2  = 1.0) for these SNPs indicated a single hit in the PNPLA3 gene. No genome-wide significant associations were found for GGT.ConclusionsPNPLA3, a locus previously identified with ALT, AST, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in European and Japanese GWAS, is also associated with liver enzymes in populations of Mexican American ancestry

ENZO: A Web Tool for Derivation and Evaluation of Kinetic Models of Enzyme Catalyzed Reactions

We describe a web tool ENZO (Enzyme Kinetics), a graphical interface for building kinetic models of enzyme catalyzed reactions. ENZO automatically generates the corresponding differential equations from a stipulated enzyme reaction scheme. These differential equations are processed by a numerical solver and a regression algorithm which fits the coefficients of differential equations to experimentally observed time course curves. ENZO allows rapid evaluation of rival reaction schemes and can be used for routine tests in enzyme kinetics. It is freely available as a web tool, at http://enzo.cmm.ki.si

Generation of a digital archive of heritage, with drones in rural areas

The enhancement of heritage, both cultural and natural, must be considered as a resource for revitalizing the territory. In this context, Aragon has a great landscape and cultural heritage that is scattered throughout the territory and is not very accessible. It needs to be properly documented and inventoried as a means of activating new processes of knowledge, enhancement and use of rural development. This work is devoted to the creation of the Digital 3D Inventory of the Aragonese Mudejar Architectural Heritage, which includes buildings that currently have little graphic and imprecise documentation, since many of them are located in small towns of less than 500 inhabitants, with urban fabric of narrow streets. To carry out the registration, the use of drones to capture images and later the construction of the point cloud with photogrammetry, it is an adequate technical and economically sustainable solution since it deals with populations plagued by depopulation and with few resources. A generalized methodology is proposed to collect, store and disseminate 2D/3D geometric and geospatial documentation of inventoried buildings, providing more graphic information than traditional architectural inventories. As a novelty, for the dissemination of information, the creation of a web platform composed of a cartographic viewer (WebGIS) and a point cloud manager based on WebGL technology is proposed as a valuable tool to relate buildings with their environment, characteristic of great importance in the case of heritage located in rural areas

Electronic Imaging & the Visual Arts. EVA 2012 Florence

The key aim of this Event is to provide a forum for the user, supplier and scientific research communities to meet and exchange experiences, ideas and plans in the wide area of Culture & Technology. Participants receive up to date news on new EC and international arts computing & telecommunications initiatives as well as on Projects in the visual arts field, in archaeology and history. Working Groups and new Projects are promoted. Scientific and technical demonstrations are presented

A semi-automatic 2D/3D annotation framework for the geometric analysis of heritage artefacts

International audienceDocumentation and monitoring of heritage objects involve many actors on multidisciplinary aspects. The progress made over the years in the field of digital technologies has enabled many tools for analysis, management and dissemination of information gathered around an object. These tools must allow users to semantically describe the object while allowing them to grasp its morphological complexity and the heterogeneity of the available analysis supports. This article introduces an approach for the semantic annotation of heritage objects by using the bijective relationship that can be established between a 3D representation of an object and the set of oriented images towards it, while maintaining a continuum of information between all phases of observation and description, from acquisition to visualization of semantically enriched representations. The main idea is to offer a versatile environment to help extraction of relevant information from images using geometric descriptors and semi-automatic point cloud processing methods

Test targets 5.0: A Collaborative effort exploring the use of scientific methods for color imaging and process control

Test Targets is about scholarship that intimately involves faculty and students in the process of writing and publishing. It is a collection if research papers that require collaborative effort over a time span of three academic quarters. Initially, students learned metrology, color management system, and the use of test targets for device optimization and process control. As time goes by, students are encouraged to identify research topics, formulate methodologies, and carry out experiments and data analyses in order to have specific findings. - p.

The Church of S. Maria Delle Palate in Tusa (Messina, Italy): Digitization and Diagnostics for a New Model of Enjoyment

Cultural places represent the tangible part of the identity and historical heritage of a civilization as well as an extraordinary driving force for the economic development of a country. Within its huge asset, Italy counts a wide number of archaeological sites and monuments which, despite their cultural value, are totally cut off from the most important cultural routes. This paper aims to demonstrate how specific actions of digitization can contribute to valorize (restoring a cultural value) ‘marginal’ landmarks, promoting their knowledge and inclusion. The case study described is represented by the Church of “Santa Maria delle Palate”, located inside the well-known Archaeological Park of Halaesa Arconidea (Tusa, ME). The church, built in 1551 and subject to several renovations throughout the centuries, has been investigated as part of an interdisciplinary training and skill transfer project carried out by a CNR-IPCF research team. During the activities, the group of trainees approached a multi-analytic method for the study of many Sicilian places using different techniques such as laser scanning, photogrammetry, thermography and spectroscopy and collecting a large amount of information and data. In 2019, the building in question was the object of a complete architectural survey in order to obtain an accurate digital replica; moreover, the wall painting representing St. Francis, preserved in the southern nave, was investigated through non-invasive investigations (IR-imaging, XRF and Raman spectrometry) with the intention of collecting information about its state of preservation and nature of pigments used and help the restoration work, which would have been carried out in the following months. The result of the work is a combined “digital archive” useful not only for the purposes of conservation, monitoring and dissemination, but as a container of information enjoyable at different levels of depth. In addition to the scientific outcomes achieved for the study of the painting, relevant from the historical and artistic point of view, we must underline the importance of the work for the implementation of a web-based platform where expert and inexpert users can virtually access the church virtual tour and search for specialized contents (e.g., measures, analyzes results). Media such as this are finally demonstrated to be able to promote the inclusion (e.g., for people unable to reach the place or with reducing mobility) and accessibility to cultural places during ordinary (maintenance, closure) or extraordinary events (pandemic)

2014 Conference Abstracts: Annual Undergraduate Research Conference at the Interface of Biology and Mathematics

Conference schedule and abstract book for the Sixth Annual Undergraduate Research Conference at the Interface of Biology and Mathematics Date: November 1-2, 2014Plenary Speakers: Joseph Tien, Associate Professor of Mathematics at The Ohio State University; and Jeremy Smith, Governor\u27s Chair at the University of Tennessee and Director of the University of Tennessee/Oak Ridge National Lab Center for Molecular Biophysic

Experimental Investigations of Fused Filament Fabrication for Applications to Affordable Scientific Hardware

This research aims to make science more accessible through the use of open source 3-D printers. A new control system for CNC machines in general and 3-D printers specifically, is developed and presented that enables web-based control of 3-D tools from any Internet connected device. The system can be set up and controlled entirely from a web interface. A tool was designed to help apply science to the developing world. The developing world remains plagued by lack of access to safe drinking water. A methodology is provided for the design, development, and technical validation of a low-cost open-source water testing platform. A case study is presented where the platform is developed to provide both colorimetry and nephelometry. This approach resulted in equipment that costs between 7.5 and 15 times less than current commercially available tools. A syringe pump was designed and manufactured using an open-source hardware and software. The design, bill of materials and assembly instructions are available. The cost of the entire system, including the controller and web-based control interface, is on the order of 5% or less of a commercial syringe pump having similar performance. The design should suit the needs of almost any research activity requiring a syringe pump. A low-cost, open source 3-D microscope stage is presented. A RepRap 3-D printer was converted into an optical microscope equipped with a customized holder for a USB microscope. The machine is able to operate with USB or conventional microscopes. The repeatibility is below 2-D microscope stages, but it is adequate for the majority of scientific applications. The stage costs less than 3% to 9% of the closest proprietary commercial stages. A deformation model for PLA was expanded to use a physics based temperature gradient. This generalized the model to 3-D printing in a room temperature environment. Tests confirm that this is a valid model for predicting warpage of thin vertical walls of PLA. Additionally, the effect of annealing was examined. It was found that at a temperature of 50°C, no shrinkage or crystallization takes place, but at 90°C the plastic rapidly crystallizes to around 20% crystallinity