Motion capture and human pose reconstruction from a single-view video sequence

Cataloged from PDF version of article.We propose a framework to reconstruct the 3D pose of a human for animation from a sequence of single-view video frames. The framework for pose construction starts with background estimation and the performer's silhouette is extracted using image subtraction for each frame. Then the body silhouettes are automatically labeled using a model-based approach. Finally, the 3D pose is constructed from the labeled human silhouette by assuming orthographic projection. The proposed approach does not require camera calibration. It assumes that the input video has a static background, it has no significant perspective effects, and the performer is in an upright position. The proposed approach requires minimal user interaction. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Peptide-Mediated Constructs of Quantum Dot Nanocomposites for Enzymatic Control of Nonradiative Energy Transfer

Cataloged from PDF version of article.A bottom-up approach for constructing colloidal semiconductor quantum dot (QDot) nanocomposites that facilitate nonradiative Forster-type resonance energy transfer (FRET) using polyelectrolyte peptides was proposed and realized. The electrostatic interaction of these polypeptides with altering chain lengths was probed for thermodynamic, structural, and morphological aspects. The resulting nanocomposite film was successfully cut with the protease by digesting the biomimetic peptide layer upon which the QDot assembly was constructed. The ability to control photoluminescence decay lifetime was demonstrated by proteolytic enzyme activity, opening up new possibilities for biosensor applications

Three Essays on Natural Rates

Chapter 1. Non-accelerating inflation rate of unemployment and Non-accelerating inflation rate of output We followed Ball and Mankiw (2002) to estimate the natural rates of output and unemployment. The primary purposes of this paper are to provide more accurate estimates of a varying non-accelerating inflation rate of unemployment (NAIRU) than currently exist and to nd a new measure for the nonaccelerating inflation rate of output so we can estimate the output gap more accurately. Our contributions are adding time-varying coefficients estimated with a break test and finding more accurate measurements for the natural rate of unemployment. We also estimated the time-varying natural rate of output and the output gap because of Okun\u27s law, which shows proportionality and a negative relationship between the output gap and unemployment. We showed that our measure of the output gap predicts all the loss criteria and all periods better than the CBO output gap and the Mankiw output gap. We also showed that our measure of the unemployment gap predicted all the loss criteria and all periods better than the CBO unemployment gap and the Mankiw unemployment gap. Chapter 2. Inflation Dynamics Unemployment, output, labor share (and other measures of slack), and inflation have been disconnected in recent years, especially after the global crisis. Some argued that the Phillips curve had disappeared. Estimating the output gap and the unemployment gap might not give accurate results because they are unobservable natural rates. We developed a structural model of inflation that allows for a fraction of firms that use a backward-looking rule to set prices, as Gali and Gertler (2000) did. The most crucial difference between their paper and ours is that they used measures of marginal cost as the relevant determinant of inflation, and we used the output gap, which we calculated with the new methodology we explained in Chapter 1. Gali and Gertler considered real marginal costs to be a significant and quantitatively important determinant of inflation, while they considered the output gap to be negative and insignificant. We have shown that an accurate measure of the output gap is significant and positive. We also used the CBO output gap as a check for robustness, but the coefficient is negative and insignificant, as the literature shows. Thus, we have concluded that the New Keynesian Phillips curve provides a good first approximation of the dynamics of inflation. Our results suggest that the hybrid new Keynesian Phillips curve may explain inflation dynamics. Chapter 3. Economics fundamentals and exchange rates, can machine learning help? Joint with Andi Cupallari For the final essay, we studied the relationship between economic fundamentals and nominal bilateral exchange rates. We built on previous studies and evaluated machine learning models to forecast exchange rates using economic fundamentals. The last chapter is part of a growing body of literature that, in recent years, has evaluated and called into question the ability of economic fundamentals to forecast exchange rates. We followed precisely the methodology used by Li et al. (2014) to extend the data. Moreover, we introduce a new method to estimate the output gap based on the Nonaccelerating inflation Rate of Output method we introduced in Chapter 1 as an alternative to the HP-filter approach used by Li et al. (2014). We confirm their finding that machine learning outperforms all the other models out of sample. However, unlike Li et al. (2014), our results show that there is no absolute winner among the elastic let, Lasso, and ridge regressions. We find that Lasso performs better than elastic net and ridge, resulting in positive R2OOS for more currencies compared to the other two methods. We find that calculating the output gap using a different approach than Li et al. (2014) improves the out of sample performance of the model

A layout algorithm for undirected compound graphs

Cataloged from PDF version of article.We present an algorithm for the layout of undirected compound graphs, relaxing restrictions of previously known algorithms in regards to topology and geometry. The algorithm is based on the traditional force-directed layout scheme with extensions to handle multi-level nesting, edges between nodes of arbitrary nesting levels, varying node sizes, and other possible application-specific constraints. Experimental results show that the execution time and quality of the produced drawings with respect to commonly accepted layout criteria are quite satisfactory. The algorithm has also been successfully implemented as part of a pathway integration and analysis toolkit named PATIKA, for drawing complicated biological pathways with compartmental constraints and arbitrary nesting relations to represent molecular complexes and various types of pathway abstractions. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

The double outlet right ventricle with additional cardiac malformations: an anatomic and echocardiographic study

Double outlet right ventricle (DORV) is a complex group of abnormal ventriculoarterial connections where both the aorta and pulmonary artery rise from the right ventricle morphologically. It is a rare condition affecting 1–1.5% of patients with congenital heart disease. The patient’s cardiac measurements were taken by two-dimensional echocardiography. The pathological findings of the defined case are illustrated in the figures. A 20-year-old male patient with palpitations, tachypnea, and tiredness with weak exercise capacity and back pain was diagnosed with heart murmur in different degrees; slight cyanosis, cachexia, and developmental retardation were found clinically. Echocardiography showed: DORV, perimembranous ventricular septal defect, pulmonary stenosis, dilatated right ventricle, and dilatated left atrium. However, the left ventricle was normal. In addition, the septum interatriale filled the left atrium like an aneurysm. DORV is an important and rare congenital cardiac malformation. This complex condition may result in different clinical findings and require different therapeutic approaches

On the origin of high quality white light emission from a hybrid organic/inorganic light emitting diode using azide functionalized polyfluorene

High quality white light generation with high colour rendering index (CRI) was achieved by integrating a cross-linkable azide functionalized polyfluorene derivative, namely poly[(9,9-dihexylfluorene)-co-alt-(9,9-bis(6-azidohexyl) fluorene)] (PFA), as a down-converting fluorescent material on the inorganic n-UV InGaN/GaN LED platform. For comparison, two other polyfluorene based polymers, namely poly[(9,9-dihexylfluorene)-co-alt-(9,9-bis(6-bromohexyl) fluorene)] (PFB) and poly[9,9-dihexyl-9H-fluorene] (PF), were tested for white light generation. While PFA and PF both led to white light generation, PFB fell out of the white region on the chromaticity diagram. Compared to PFA, both of the control groups (PF and PFB) exhibited much lower CRI. To gain a better insight into the mechanisms playing a key role for the generation of such high quality white light in PFA, all of these polymers were further subjected to a series of experiments such as controlled exposure to heat at 220 °C for 2 h under Ar and in air. The polymers PFA and PFB, which include cross-linkable groups, produced broad emission spectra in the region of 430-650 nm upon annealing in the absence of oxygen under Ar atmosphere while almost no change was observed in the emission spectrum of PF without any cross-linkable groups. PFA undergoes cross-linking through the decomposition of azide leading to reactive nitrene species, whereas in PFB cross-linking probably occurs via debromination. This result clearly proved that the broadening can not be attributed only to photo or thermal oxidation, but it is also due to cross-linking. PFA was also exposed to n-UV light from the InGaN/GaN LED to investigate its photostability. In these experiments, the spectral changes in absorbance and emission properties and thermal transitions of these polymers were monitored by FT-IR, UV-Vis and fluorescent spectrometry, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). These experiments indicated that PFA provides high quality white light opportunely via cross-linking and remains stable once cross-linking is formed in a solid film. © 2008 The Royal Society of Chemistry

Engineered Peptides for Nanohybrid Assemblies

Cataloged from PDF version of article.Inspired by biological material synthesis, synthetic biomineralization peptides have been screened through a laboratory evolution using biocombinatorial techniques. In this study, using the fine examples in nature, silica binding peptides and gold binding peptides were fused together to form a hybrid peptide. We designed fusion peptides with different gold binding and silica binding parts. First, we have tested the binding capability of the fusion peptides using quartz crystal microbalance on gold surface and silica surface. Second, S1G1 hybrid peptide enabled assembly of gold nanoparticles on a silica surface was achieved. Finally, nanomaterial synthesis ability of the S1G1 peptide was presented by the formation of a silica film on a gold surface. In this study, we are presenting a hybrid peptide tool for nanohybrid assembly as a promising route for nanotechnology applications