A Generative Model for Parts-based Object Segmentation

The Shape Boltzmann Machine (SBM) [1] has recently been introduced as a stateof-the-art model of foreground/background object shape. We extend the SBM to account for the foreground object’s parts. Our new model, the Multinomial SBM (MSBM), can capture both local and global statistics of part shapes accurately. We combine the MSBM with an appearance model to form a fully generative model of images of objects. Parts-based object segmentations are obtained simply by performing probabilistic inference in the model. We apply the model to two challenging datasets which exhibit significant shape and appearance variability, and find that it obtains results that are comparable to the state-of-the-art. There has been significant focus in computer vision on object recognition and detection e.g. [2], but a strong desire remains to obtain richer descriptions of objects than just their bounding boxes. One such description is a parts-based object segmentation, in which an image is partitioned into multiple sets of pixels, each belonging to either a part of the object of interest, or its background. The significance of parts in computer vision has been recognized since the earliest days of th

Geometric Phase, Bundle Classification, and Group Representation

The line bundles which arise in the holonomy interpretations of the geometric phase display curious similarities to those encountered in the statement of the Borel-Weil-Bott theorem of the representation theory. The remarkable relation of the geometric phase to the classification of complex line bundles provides the necessary tools for establishing the relevance of the Borel-Weil-Bott theorem to Berry's adiabatic phase. This enables one to define a set of topological charges for arbitrary compact connected semisimple dynamical Lie groups. In this paper, the problem of the determination of the parameter space of the Hamiltonian is also addressed. A simple topological argument is presented to indicate the relation between the Riemannian structure on the parameter space and Berry's connection. The results about the fibre bundles and group theory are used to introduce a procedure to reduce the problem of the non-adiabatic (geometric) phase to Berry's adiabatic phase for cranked Hamiltonians. Finally, the possible relevance of the topological charges of the geometric phase to those of the non-abelian monopoles is pointed out.Comment: 30 pages (LaTeX); UT-CR-12-9

The antimicrobial activity of oil-in-water microemulsions is predicted by their position within the microemulsion stability zone

It has been shown previously that thermodynamically stable oil-in-water microemulsions have significant antimicrobial activity against planktonic cells and biofilm cells over short periods of exposure. It was the aim of this study to identify whether the position of the microemulsion within the microemulsion stability zone of the pseudo-ternary phase structure predicts the efficiency of the antimicrobial action of the microemulsion. Microemulsions were formulated at different points within the microemulsion stability zone. Experiments were performed to observe the kinetics of killing of these microemulsions against selected test microorganisms (Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027, Candida albicans ATCC 10231, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538 and Aspergillus niger ATCC 16404). The results indicated that the antimicrobial activity of the microemulsion is dependant upon its position within the zone of stability and is greater nearer the centre of that zone. The results indicate that significant antimicrobial activity can be observed at all points within the zone of microemulsion stability, but that maximal activity is to be found at the centre of that area

Ultra-short of pico and femtosecond soliton laser pulse using microring resonator for cancer cells treatment

A system of microring resonators (MRRs) incorporating with an add/drop filter system is presented in which ultra-short single and multi temporal and spatial optical soliton pulses can be simulated and used to thermalbased killing of abnormal cells, tumor and cancer, applicable in nanomedical treatments. This proposed system uses chaotic signals generated by a bright soliton pulse within a nonlinear MRRs system. Interaction between gold nanoparticles and ultra-short femtosecond and picosecond laser pulses holds great interest in laser nanomedicine. By using the appropriate soliton input power and MRRs parameters, required spatial and temporal signals are generated spreading over the spectrum. Results obtained show that smallest single temporal and spatial soliton pulse with FWHM = 712 fs and FWHM = 17.5 pm could be generated respectively. The add/drop filter system is used to generate high capacity ultra-short soliton pulses in the range of nanometer/second and picometer/second

An Intelligent Tutoring System for Teaching Grammar English Tenses

The evolution of Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) is the result of the amount of research in the field of education and artificial intelligence in recent years. English is the third most common languages in the world and also is the internationally dominant in the telecommunications, science and trade, aviation, entertainment, radio and diplomatic language as most of the areas of work now taught in English. Therefore, the demand for learning English has increased. In this paper, we describe the design of an Intelligent Tutoring System for teaching English language grammar to help students learn English grammar easily and smoothly. The system provides all topics of English grammar and generates a series of questions automatically for each topic for the students to solve. The system adapts with all the individual differences of students and begins gradually with students from easier to harder level. The intelligent tutoring system was given to a group of students of all age groups to try it and to see the impact of the system on students. The results showed a good satisfaction of the students toward the system

Tunneling and Non-Universality in Continuum Percolation Systems

The values obtained experimentally for the conductivity critical exponent in numerous percolation systems, in which the interparticle conduction is by tunnelling, were found to be in the range of $t_0$ and about $t_0+10$, where $t_0$ is the universal conductivity exponent. These latter values are however considerably smaller than those predicted by the available ``one dimensional"-like theory of tunneling-percolation. In this letter we show that this long-standing discrepancy can be resolved by considering the more realistic "three dimensional" model and the limited proximity to the percolation threshold in all the many available experimental studiesComment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Squeezed States and Hermite polynomials in a Complex Variable

Following the lines of the recent paper of J.-P. Gazeau and F. H. Szafraniec [J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 44, 495201 (2011)], we construct here three types of coherent states, related to the Hermite polynomials in a complex variable which are orthogonal with respect to a non-rotationally invariant measure. We investigate relations between these coherent states and obtain the relationship between them and the squeezed states of quantum optics. We also obtain a second realization of the canonical coherent states in the Bargmann space of analytic functions, in terms of a squeezed basis. All this is done in the flavor of the classical approach of V. Bargmann [Commun. Pur. Appl. Math. 14, 187 (1961)].Comment: 15 page

CENP-C unwraps the human CENP-A nucleosome through the H2A C-terminal tail

Centromeres are defined epigenetically by nucleosomes containing the histone H3 variant CENP-A, upon which the constitutive centromere-associated network of proteins (CCAN) is built. CENP-C is considered to be a central organizer of the CCAN. We provide new molecular insights into the structure of human CENP-A nucleosomes, in isolation and in complex with the CENP-C central region (CENP-C-CR), the main CENP-A binding module of human CENP-C. We establish that the short alpha N helix of CENP-A promotes DNA flexibility at the nucleosome ends, independently of the sequence it wraps. Furthermore, we show that, in vitro, two regions of human CENP-C (CENP-C-CR and CENP-C-motif) both bind exclusively to the CENP-A nucleosome. We find CENP-C-CR to bind with high affinity due to an extended hydrophobic area made up of CENP-A(V)(532) and CENP-A(V)(533). Importantly, we identify two key conformational changes within the CENP-A nucleosome upon CENP-C binding. First, the loose DNA wrapping of CENP-A nucleosomes is further exacerbated, through destabilization of the H2A C-terminal tail. Second, CENP-C-CR rigidifies the N-terminal tail of H4 in the conformation favoring H4(K20) monomethylation, essential for a functional centromere

Polarized Deeply Inelastic Scattering (DIS) Structure Functions for Nucleons and Nuclei

We extract parton distribution functions (PDFs) and structure functions from recent experimental data of polarized lepton-DIS on nucleons at next-to-leading order (NLO) Quantum Chromodynamics. We apply the Jacobi polynomial method to the DGLAP evolution as this is numerically efficient. Having determined the polarized proton and neutron spin structure, we extend this analysis to describe 3He and 3H polarized structure functions, as well as various sum rules. We compare our results with other analyses from the literature.Comment: LaTeX, 12 pages, 11 figures, 6 tables. Update to match published versio