A 16-channel Digital TDC Chip with internal buffering and selective readout for the DIRC Cherenkov counter of the BABAR experiment

A 16-channel digital TDC chip has been built for the DIRC Cherenkov counter of the BaBar experiment at the SLAC B-factory (Stanford, USA). The binning is 0.5 ns, the conversion time 32 ns and the full-scale 32 mus. The data driven architecture integrates channel buffering and selective readout of data falling within a programmable time window. The time measuring scale is constantly locked to the phase of the (external) clock. The linearity is better than 80 ps rms. The dead time loss is less than 0.1% for incoherent random input at a rate of 100 khz on each channel. At such a rate the power dissipation is less than 100 mw. The die size is 36 mm2.Comment: Latex, 18 pages, 13 figures (14 .eps files), submitted to NIM

Fractal structure in the color distribution of natural images

The colorimetric organization of RGB color images is investigated through the computation of the correlation integral of their three-dimensional histogram. For natural color images, as a common behavior, the correlation integral is found to follow a power law, with a noninteger exponent characteristic of a given image. This behavior identifies a fractal or multiscale self-similar distribution of the colors contained in typical natural images. This finding of a possible fractal structure in the colorimetric organization of natural images complement other fractal properties previously observed in their spatial organization. Such fractal colorimetric properties may be helpful to the characterization and modeling of natural images, and may contribute to progress in vision

Conjugate Gradient Method Applied to Cortical Imaging in EEG/ERP

International audienc

Structural properties of GaAsN/GaAs quantum wells studied at the atomic scale by cross-sectional scanning tunnelling microscopy

The nitrogen distribution in GaAsNGaAs quantum wells _QWs_ grown by molecular beam epitaxy is studied on the atomic scale by cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy. No nitrogen clustering is observed in the range of N contents studied _between 1.0% and 2.5%, as measured by counting the individual N atoms inside the QW_. Nevertheless, the upper interface roughness increases with the amount of N. A residual N concentration in the GaAs barriers is found, which strongly increases with the amount of N in the QW

Differential selection pressures exerted by host resistance quantitative trait loci on a pathogen population: a case study in an apple × Venturia inaequalis pathosystem

Understanding how pathogens evolve according to pressures exerted by their plant hosts is essential for the derivation of strategies aimed at the durable management of resistant cultivars. The spectrum of action of the resistance factors in the partially resistant cultivars is thought to be an important determinant of resistance durability. However, it has not yet been demonstrated whether the pressures exerted by quantitative resistance are different according to their spectrum of action.To investigate selection pressures exerted by apple genotypes harbouring various resistance quantitative trait loci (QTLs) on a mixed inoculum of the scab disease agent, Venturia inaequalis, we monitored V. inaequalis isolate proportions on diseased apple leaves of an F1 progeny using quantitative pyrosequencing technology and QTL mapping. Broad-spectrum resistances did not exert any differential selection pressures on the mixed inoculum, whereas narrow-spectrum resistances decreased the frequencies of some isolates in the mixture relative to the susceptible host genotypes. Our results suggest that the management of resistant cultivars should be different according to the spectrum of action of their resistance factors. The pyramiding of broad-spectrum factors or the use of a mixture of apple genotypes that carry narrow-spectrum resistance factors are two possible strategies for the minimization of resistance erosion

Multifractal analysis of three-dimensional histogram from color images

Natural images, especially color or multicomponent images, are complex information-carrying signals. To contribute to the characterization of this complexity, we investigate the possibility of multiscale organization in the colorimetric structure of natural images. This is realized by means of a multifractal analysis applied to the three-dimensional histogram from natural color images. The observed behaviors are confronted to those of reference models with known multifractal properties. We use for this purpose synthetic random images with trivial monofractal behavior, and multidimensional multiplicative cascades known for their actual multifractal behavior. The behaviors observed on natural images exhibit similarities with those of the multifractal multiplicative cascades and display the signature of elaborate multiscale organizations stemming from the histograms of natural color images. This type of characterization of colorimetric properties can be helpful to various tasks of digital image processing, as for instance modeling, classification, indexing

Interacting Multiple Try Algorithms with Different Proposal Distributions

We propose a new class of interacting Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms designed for increasing the efficiency of a modified multiple-try Metropolis (MTM) algorithm. The extension with respect to the existing MCMC literature is twofold. The sampler proposed extends the basic MTM algorithm by allowing different proposal distributions in the multiple-try generation step. We exploit the structure of the MTM algorithm with different proposal distributions to naturally introduce an interacting MTM mechanism (IMTM) that expands the class of population Monte Carlo methods. We show the validity of the algorithm and discuss the choice of the selection weights and of the different proposals. We provide numerical studies which show that the new algorithm can perform better than the basic MTM algorithm and that the interaction mechanism allows the IMTM to efficiently explore the state space

Fractal analysis tools for characterizing the colorimetric organization of digital image

The colorimetric organization of RGB color images is analyzed through the computation of algorithms which can characterize fractal organizations in the support and population of their three-dimensional color histogram. These algorithms have shown that complex organizations across scales exist in the colorimetric domain for natural images with often non-integer fractal dimension over a certain range of scale. In this paper, we applythis method of colorimetric characterization to synthetic images produced by rendering techniques of increasing sophistication. We show that the fractal or scale invariant signatures are more pronounced when the realism of the synthetic images increases. Such results could have interesting applications to improve the colorimetric realism of synthetic images. This also may contribute to progress in classification and vision, in using fractal colorimetric properties to differentiate natural and synthetic images

Cleaved-facet violet laser diodes with lattice-matched Al0.82In0.18N/GaN multilayers as n-cladding

Electrically injected, edge-emitting cleaved-facet violet laser diodes were realized using a 480 nm thick lattice matched Si doped Al0.82In0.18N/GaN multilayer as the cladding on the n-side of the waveguide. Far-field measurements verify strong mode confinement to the waveguide. An extra voltage is measured and investigated using separate mesa structures with a single AlInN insertion. This showed that the electron current has a small thermally activated shunt resistance with a barrier of 0.135 eV and a current which scales according to V-n, where n similar to 3 at current densities appropriate to laser operation. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. (doi:10.1063/1.3589974