An Efficient and Cost Effective FPGA Based Implementation of the Viola-Jones Face Detection Algorithm

We present an field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) based implementation of the popular Viola-Jones face detection algorithm, which is an essential building block in many applications such as video surveillance and tracking. Our implementation is a complete system level hardware design described in a hardware description language and validated on the affordable DE2-115 evaluation board. Our primary objective is to study the achievable performance with a low-end FPGA chip based implementation. In addition, we release to the public domain the entire project. We hope that this will enable other researchers to easily replicate and compare their results to ours and that it will encourage and facilitate further research and educational ideas in the areas of image processing, computer vision, and advanced digital design and FPGA prototyping

Forum Non Conveniens Applied to Suit Under FELA

Cotton v. Louisville and Nashville R. Co., 14 Ill.2d 144, 152 N.E.2d 385 (1958)

Chlorinated Tyrosine Species as Markers of Inflammation: A Kinetic Study

Chronic inflammation is associated with numerous human diseases. During inflammation, leukocytes release the enzyme myeloperoxidase (MPO) which generates reactive oxygen species such as hypochlorous acid (HOCl). Additionally, MPO generates reactive nitrogen species. These reactive species can damage host fats, proteins, and DNA, contributing to disease pathology. Because of the reactivity and short half-lives of reactive species, measurement of surrogate markers is necessary to determine their extent and source. Chlorination of the tyrosine phenol ring by HOCl to produce 3-chlorotyrosine (3ClTyr) or nitration of the phenol ring by reactive nitrogen species to produce 3-nitrotyrosine (NO2Tyr) are two such markers. Both are stable byproducts of MPO activity and are readily measurable. Some studies, however, have called into question their use as biomarkers of inflammation. Concentrations of 3ClTyr or NO2Tyr reportedly decrease upon exposure to HOCl, suggesting that any measurement of these in vivo would be underestimated. These studies, however, failed to quantify the rate of degradation and did not identify the products. Furthermore, there is some evidence to suggest that, in vivo, chlorination of tyrosine by HOCl occurs through chloramine intermediates rather than directly. This is evidenced by the preferential chlorination of tyrosine residues that are nearby lysine or histidine, whose side-chain amines react with HOCl to become chloramines. This contradicts the relatively slow reactions kinetics of tyrosine chlorination by histidine or lysine chloramine and warrants further investigation. In these studies, we identify the product of 3ClTyr and NO2Tyr reacting with HOCl as 3,5-dichlorotyrosine (Cl2Tyr) and 3-chloro-5-nitrotyrosine (ClNO2Tyr), respectively. The second-order rate constants of the chlorination of tyrosine, 3ClTyr, and NO2Tyr by HOCl, histidine chloramine, and lysine chloramine are reported. The relevance of Cl2Tyr and ClNO2Tyr in vivo are discussed. Additionally, we investigate the kinetics of tyrosine chlorination in the context of a lysine- or histidine-containing peptide. The rate of chlorination of tyrosine within a peptide is dependent on the primary and secondary structure and is a first-order, intramolecular reaction. These studies further support the role of chloramines in the chlorination of protein-bound tyrosine and, to our knowledge, are the first to provide rate constants

Hydrogeologic Controls on Bioactive Zone Development in Biostimulated Aquifers

This study investigates the hydrogeological factors that control the feedback between bioactive zone formation and groundwater flow, as well as developing and assessing tools useful for making these investigations. The interaction between groundwater flow and bioactive zone development was investigated in both a subsurface biostimulation study and a laboratory experiments. Prior to the investigation, necessary advances were made in point velocity probe (PVP) technology to ensure successful observation in the field. Advances in these areas allowed for high resolution site characterization of an aquifer to undergo biostimulation for the removal of nitrate contamination. Heterotrophic denitrification was stimulated through daily pulses of acetate into the aquifer. With the onset of acetate delivery, decreases in groundwater velocity magnitude and flow redirection were correlated with permeable zones of relatively finer grain-size and poorer-sorting. In contrast, adjacent well-sorted and relatively coarse zones with initially high groundwater velocities indicated relatively little or no change in groundwater velocity after biostimulation. Superimposed onto these results, greater changes in groundwater velocity were noted where individual acetate pulses mixed through dispersive processes. In contrast, locations up-gradient of acetate pulse mixing indicated a higher variability in measured groundwater velocity. In total, changes in groundwater velocity in the biostimulated zone were in excess of those anticipated by analysis of the hydraulic gradient. Sediment-attached viable cell populations were interpreted to be partially responsible for the measured changes in velocity. Variables of grain-size and initial groundwater velocity were tested in controlled laboratory column experiments to evaluate the most favorable conditions for a bioactive zone to develop, subsequently leading to preferential bioclogging. Results from these experiments supported field observations that transition zones where relatively fine-grained, permeable sediments that lie adjacent to discontinuous coarser sediments - where the high velocities would lead to the highest flux of injected nutrients - represents the likely starting place for bioactive zone development, but may also be at greater risk for bioclogging. Further work was conducted to show that ground penetrating radar could noninvasively detect zones of relatively high bioactivity in granular material

Microbial Activity during Biodegradation and its Effects on Groundwater Velocity in a Contaminated Aquifer

A petroleum hydrocarbon plume was introduced into a controlled flow gate within the relatively homogenous Borden aquifer, Canada. Down-gradient of the release, O2 was added to stimulate microbial activity and biodegradation in the aquifer. Changes in groundwater velocity associated with biological activity, were measured with point velocity probes (PVPs) arranged into multilevel standpipes and installed into the flow gate. PVP results were compared with electromagnetic wave velocity measurements from a ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey conducted in the same flow gate. Following the addition of O2, PVP and GPR measured velocities nearest the O2 source changed in a consistent manner throughout the experiment. GPR velocities measured outside the influence of the added O2 did not indicate the same trend. Results from flow modeling combined with gas and biomass measurements, show that PVP and GPR velocity changes were likely caused by factors related to elevated levels biological activity in the aquifer

Ultrastructure and localization of Neorickettsia in adult digenean trematodes provides novel insights into helminth-endobacteria interaction

Abstract Background Neorickettsia are a group of intracellular α proteobacteria transmitted by digeneans (Platyhelminthes, Trematoda). These endobacteria can also infect vertebrate hosts of the helminths and cause serious diseases in animals and humans. Neorickettsia have been isolated from infected animals and maintained in cell cultures, and their morphology in mammalian cells has been described. However, limited information is available on the morphology and localization of Neorickettsia in the trematode host. Methods We used a Neorickettsia-infected strain of the model trematode Plagiorchis elegans to infect Syrian Golden hamsters to produce adult worms. Ultrastructure of Neorickettsia was assessed by transmission electron microscopy of high pressure freezing/freeze substitution fixed specimens. A Neorickettsia surface protein from P. elegans (PeNsp-3) was cloned and antibodies against the recombinant protein were used to localize Neorickettsia by immunohistochemistry. Results Ultrastructural analysis revealed moderate numbers of pleomorphic endobacteria with a median size of 600 × 400 nm and characteristic double membranes in various tissue types. Endobacteria showed tubular membrane invaginations and secretion of polymorphic vesicles. Endobacteria were unevenly localized as single cells, or less frequently as small morula-like clusters in the ovary, Mehlis’ gland, vitelline follicles, uterus, intrauterine eggs, testis, cirrus-sac, tegument, intestine and the oral and ventral sucker. Examination of hamster small intestine infected with P. elegans showed many endobacteria at the host-parasite interface such as the oral and ventral sucker, the tegument and the excretory pore. Conclusions We conclude that adult P. elegans trematodes carry Neorickettsia endobacteria in varying numbers in many tissue types that support vertical transmission, trematode to trematode transmission via seminal fluid, and possibly horizontal transmission from trematodes to vertebrate hosts. These means appear to be novel mechanisms of pathogen transmission by endoparasitic worms

Exclusion Confusion? A Defense of the Federal Circuit\u27s Specific Exclusion Jurisprudence

Specific exclusion has become a controversial limitation on the doctrine of equivalents, which is itself an essential and controversial area of patent law. The doctrine of equivalents allows a patentee to successfully claim infringement against devices that are outside of the literal reach of the language used by the patentee in her patent to describe what she claims as her invention. The Supreme Court has prescribed some of the outer limits of the doctrine of equivalents and articulated the underlying policy concerns that inform its analysis-noting that courts should balance protection of the patentee\u27s intellectual property with the public\u27s reasonable expectations of the bounds of the patent-but has entrusted most of the doctrine\u27s development to the Federal Circuit. Critics argue that the Federal Circuit has applied specific exclusion, which precludes the doctrine of equivalents from reaching subject matter that is specifically excluded by the language used in the patent to describe the invention, in a way that does not adhere to the Supreme Court\u27s guidance on the doctrine of equivalents. The critics assert that the Federal Circuit has unduly narrowed the doctrine of equivalents by applying specific exclusion too aggressively. This Note demonstrates that the critics\u27 extreme characterization of Federal Circuit specific exclusion case law is unwarranted. The Federal Circuit has consistently and conscientiously applied specific exclusion, and their decisions conform to the Supreme Court\u27s guidance on the public notice function of patent claims. At the same time, the Federal Circuit has protected patentees by not allowing specific exclusion to reduce the doctrine of equivalents to another test for literal infringement

Relative Invariants, Ideal Classes and Quasi-Canonical Modules of Modular Rings of Invariants

We describe "quasi canonical modules" for modular invariant rings $R$ of finite group actions on factorial Gorenstein domains. From this we derive a general "quasi Gorenstein criterion" in terms of certain 1-cocycles. This generalizes a recent result of A. Braun for linear group actions on polynomial rings, which itself generalizes a classical result of Watanabe for non-modular invariant rings. We use an explicit classification of all reflexive rank one $R$-modules, which is given in terms of the class group of $R$, or in terms of $R$-semi-invariants. This result is implicitly contained in a paper of Nakajima (\cite{Nakajima:rel_inv}).Comment: 16 page