Active Contour-Based Visual Tracking by Integrating Colors, Shapes, and Motions Using Level Sets

Using a camera,the visual object tracking is one of the most important process in searching the spot of moving object over the time. In the case of the object moves fast relative to the frame rate,the visual object tracking is difficult task. The active contour evolution algorithm which is used for the tracking of object in a given frame of an image sequence. Active contour based visual object tracking using the level sets is proposed which does not consider the camera either stationary or moving. We present a framework for active contour-based visual object tracking using the level sets. The main components of our framework consist of the contour-based tracking initialization, colour-based contour evolution, the adaptive shape-based contour evolution for the non-periodic motions, the dynamic shape-based contour evolution for the periodic motions and handling of the abrupt motions. For the contour-based tracking initialization, we use an optical flow-based algorithm for the automatically initializing contours at the first frame. In the color-based contour evolution, we use Markov random field theory to measure correlations between values of the neighboring pixels for the posterior probability estimation.In the adaptive shape-based contour evolution, we combined the global shape information and the local color information to hierarchically develop gradually the contour, and a flexible shape updating model is made. In the dynamic shape based contour evolution, a shape mode transition matrix is gain to characterize the temporal correlations of the object shapes. In the handling of abrupt motions, particle swarm optimization (PSO) is used to capture the global motion which is applied to the contour in the current frame to produce an initial contour in the next frame. DOI: 10.17762/ijritcc2321-8169.15013

Macrosonics in industry : 4. Chemical processing

Acoustic irradiation can result in increased inter-phase mass and heat transfer rates. The second-order acoustic effects of cavitation, interfacial instability, radiation pressure and acoustic streaming are responsible for the enhancement in these rate processes. The application of sonic and ultrasonic energy in industrial processing is reviewed. A number of units using acoustic energy to enhance rates of conventional unit processes, for example, drying, solid-liquid extraction, etc, are described. In addition, new applications in waste water treatment and oil-water emulsion fuels are described. The development of newer, more efficient generators should lead to a greater use of acoustic energy for large-scale industrial processing.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/22154/1/0000585.pd

The Sonoluminescence and Sonochemical Reactions of Aqueous Solutions.

The ultrasonic irradiation of a liquid leads to the periodic growth and collapse of cavitation bubbles. The rapid collapse results in the production of high local temperatures and pressures within the bubble and the production of free radicals, leading to the emission of a faint sonoluminescence and the synthesis of chemical compounds. This work is a comprehensive study of the sonoluminescence and sonochemistry of water and aqueous solutions of carbon tetrachloride at atmospheric and elevated static pressures and at liquid temperatures ranging from 284(DEGREES)K to 362(DEGREES)K. The sonoluminescence intensity was measured with a photomultiplier and its spectral distribution was determined with interference filters. One important finding of this work is that increasing liquid temperatures result in an exponential decrease in the sonoluminescence intensity from water. This significant result was explained by a model derived from first principles. The primary effect of liquid temperature is attributed to a change in the relative amounts of water vapor and gas in the cavitation bubble due to a change in the vapor pressure. Another important finding is the effect of carbon tetrachloride concentration on the sonoluminescence of aqueous solutions. The sonoluminescence intensity increases linearly with the amount of CCl(,4) in solution, while the spectral distribution of the luminescence shifts towards longer wavelengths. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that sonoluminescence is due to the recombination of free radicals (chemiluminescence) and not due to blackbody radiation. An extensive study of the effect of static pressure on sonoluminescence is reported for water and for water saturated with CCl(,4). For both liquids, the total sonoluminescence intensity changed significantly (600%) over the pressure range of 1 - 20 atmospheres. The spectral distribution of sonoluminescence, however, showed negligible dependence on the static pressure. These important findings are explained by a change in the number of cavitation bubbles due to a change in the nucleating conditions. Another finding is the linear relationship between the sonoluminescence intensity and sonochemical yields from water saturated with CCl(,4) over the pressure range of 1 - 20 atmospheres.Ph.D.Chemical engineeringUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/158968/1/8224925.pd

Modulating the local microenvironment around type 1 diabetes implants

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease characterized by destroying insulin-producing beta cells within the pancreas, leading to high blood glucose levels and various complications. Cell encapsulation devices offer a promising approach to treating T1D by protecting insulin-producing cells from immune attack while restoring endogenous insulin production. However, their effectiveness is limited by inadequate cell survival due to the foreign body response that results in insufficient vasculature and inflammation at the implantation site. This thesis aims to improve the performance of cell encapsulation devices by addressing these challenges.Chapter 1 discusses the foreign body response and fibrosis in response to implantable devices for diabetes treatment, providing insights into molecular mechanisms, cellular interactions, and strategies for long-term success. The thesis then examines techniques to optimize cell encapsulation devices for T1D. Chapter 2 focuses on developing an innovative encapsulation device designed to improve the survival of encapsulated stem cell-derived insulin-producing cells within the poorly vascularized subcutaneous space. The device features an internal compartment that steadily releases the essential nutrients alanine and glutamine over several weeks, increasing post-transplantation cell survival by 30% in the subcutaneous space.Chapter 3 presents a novel, replenishable, pre-vascularized implantation methodology (RPVIM) aimed at promoting vascular integration around the implant and enhancing nutrient supply to encapsulated cells. The findings reveal that over 75% of RPVIM devices containing insulin-producing cells survive after 28 days of implantation in the subcutaneous space. Importantly, RPVIM devices outperform other implantation methodologies in terms of survivability and maintain the functionality of encapsulated insulin-producing beta cell clusters, which is a critical factor in successful T1D management.Lastly, Chapter 4 explores the impact of surface topography on macrophage polarization in response to biomaterials used for cell encapsulation in T1D. Adjusting the surface topography of polycaprolactone (PCL)-based biomaterials can polarize macrophages towards the reparative phenotype, thus modulating the immune response and accelerating device engraftment. This study evaluates gene expression of the M1 inflammatory phenotype and M2 reparative phenotype in macrophages cultured on mineralized PCL thin films with nanoscale topography and micron-scaled topographic PCL thin films. These results offer valuable insights into tailoring biomaterial properties to improve cell encapsulation device success in treating T1D.In conclusion, this thesis delves into the challenges cell encapsulation devices face for T1D treatment due to the foreign body response. Through the development of nutrient-supplementing devices, pre-vascularization techniques, and tailoring of biomaterial properties, this body of work aims to enhance the performance and long-term success of cell encapsulation devices in treating T1D

Modulating the foreign body response of implants for diabetes treatment.

Diabetes Mellitus is a group of diseases characterized by high blood glucose levels due to patients inability to produce sufficient insulin. Current interventions often require implants that can detect and correct high blood glucose levels with minimal patient intervention. However, these implantable technologies have not reached their full potential in vivo due to the foreign body response and subsequent development of fibrosis. Therefore, for long-term function of implants, modulating the initial immune response is crucial in preventing the activation and progression of the immune cascade. This review discusses the different molecular mechanisms and cellular interactions involved in the activation and progression of foreign body response (FBR) and fibrosis, specifically for implants used in diabetes. We also highlight the various strategies and techniques that have been used for immunomodulation and prevention of fibrosis. We investigate how these general strategies have been applied to implants used for the treatment of diabetes, offering insights on how these devices can be further modified to circumvent FBR and fibrosis

Second-order sonochemical phenomena--extensions of previous work and applications in industrial processing

The first-order properties of acoustic waves (i.e., the to and fro particle displacement and velocity) can produce a number of second-order phenomena: cavitation, acoustic streaming, surface instability and radiation pressure. The dependence of cavitation induced phenomena (erosion, luminescense, chemical reactions) on the physical and acoustical parameters of a system are discussed. Some of the past work carried out in this field is analyzed and reinterpreted. In the light of this, it appears that the extent of the solubility of a gas has a pronounced effect on cavitation related phenomena in addition to the effect of other variables such as the ambient liquid temperature, the hydrostatic pressure, the specific heat ratio, the thermal conductivity of dissolved gas and the intensity and frequency of acoustic field. A summary of the application of sonic and ultrasonic energy to industrial processing operations is also provided. This discussion includes how the other second-order effects (e.g., interfacial instability) are related to the enhancement of these operations. The wide variety of processes in which the applications of acoustic energy has a beneficial effect suggests the versatility and broad commercial potential of sonochemical engineering.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/22447/1/0000899.pd

Supporting Survival of Transplanted Stem‐Cell‐Derived Insulin‐Producing Cells in an Encapsulation Device Augmented with Controlled Release of Amino Acids

Pancreatic islet transplantation is a promising treatment for type I diabetes, which is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the host immune cells attack insulin-producing beta cells. The impact of this therapy is limited due to tissue availability and dependence on immunosuppressive drugs that prevent immune rejection of the transplanted cells. These issues can be solved by encapsulating stem cell-derived insulin-producing cells in an immunoprotective device. However, encapsulation exacerbates ischemia, and the lack of vasculature at the implantation site post-transplantation worsens graft survival. Here, an encapsulation device that supplements nutrients to the cells is developed to improve the survival of encapsulated stem cell-derived insulin-producing cells in the poorly vascularized subcutaneous space. An internal compartment in the device is fabricated to provide zero-order release of alanine and glutamine for several weeks. The amino acid reservoir sustains viability of insulin-producing cells in nutrient limiting conditions in vitro. Moreover, the reservoir also increases cell survival by 30% after transplanting the graft in the subcutaneous space