Use of Pattern Classification Algorithms to Interpret Passive and Active Data Streams from a Walking-Speed Robotic Sensor Platform

In order to perform useful tasks for us, robots must have the ability to notice, recognize, and respond to objects and events in their environment. This requires the acquisition and synthesis of information from a variety of sensors. Here we investigate the performance of a number of sensor modalities in an unstructured outdoor environment, including the Microsoft Kinect, thermal infrared camera, and coffee can radar. Special attention is given to acoustic echolocation measurements of approaching vehicles, where an acoustic parametric array propagates an audible signal to the oncoming target and the Kinect microphone array records the reflected backscattered signal. Although useful information about the target is hidden inside the noisy time domain measurements, the Dynamic Wavelet Fingerprint process (DWFP) is used to create a time-frequency representation of the data. A small-dimensional feature vector is created for each measurement using an intelligent feature selection process for use in statistical pattern classification routines. Using our experimentally measured data from real vehicles at 50 m, this process is able to correctly classify vehicles into one of five classes with 94% accuracy. Fully three-dimensional simulations allow us to study the nonlinear beam propagation and interaction with real-world targets to improve classification results

Perceptions on Aboutness of Documentary Films: Comparing FAST Headings to User-Created IMDb Plot Keywords

Many popular websites allow users to assign descriptive metadata to individual resources. Previous studies have analyzed user-created metadata with several comparing it to metadata created by information professionals. This study analyzed Faceted Application of Subject Terminology (FAST) headings and IMDb “plot keywords” for the same documentary films in order to determine how much of the aboutness identified by the former was covered by the latter. A randomized list of documentary films held at the Iowa State University Library, a large academic research library, was created. Records for titles without IMDb headings were excluded from analysis. The FAST headings were compared to each “plot keyword” used in the corresponding IMDb record to determine if they met one or more of the match types defined for this study: exact match, close match, closely-related match, broad match, and narrow match. In total, 604 FAST headings from 100 OCLC records were analyzed. This study found that relatively little of the aboutness expressed by FAST headings was represented by “plot keywords” in the corresponding IMDb records, with only 22.19% of FAST headings containing some type of match. By advancing our knowledge of the similarities and differences between subject metadata created by professionals and non-professionals for documentary films, this work supports the development of future innovations to increase the discoverability of motion pictures and other resources

Initial targeted investigation into key esters within the aroma profiles of barley and sorghum beers.

Analysis of beer aroma

Quantitative MRI Measurement of Binder Distributions in Green-State Ceramics

Development of reliable and improved structural ceramics for advanced heat engines and other applications requires process diagnostics and materials evaluation from powder preparation to green-body forming to final sintering. Injection molding is a promising processing method being developed for mass production of complex-shaped heat engine components such as turbochargers (rotors and stator vanes) and engine valves. Major processing steps in injection-molded ceramic manufacturing include preparation of ceramic powders and organic binders, mixing, molding, binder removal, sintering, and finishing [1]. While materials evaluation and diagnostics are needed throughout the process, it is particularly important to evaluate the distributions of binders/plasticizers in as-molded green bodies [2]. Poor distribution of these organics in a green body can lead to a final part that is defective or that has poor mechanical properties after it is sintered

Magnetic resonance imaging of gel-cast ceramic composites

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques are being employed to aid in the development of advanced near-net-shape gel-cast ceramic composites. MRI is a unique nondestructive evaluation tool that provides information on both the chemical and physical properties of materials. In this effort, MRI imaging was performed to monitor the drying of porous green-state alumina - methacrylamide-N.N`-methylene bisacrylamide (MAM-MBAM) polymerized composite specimens. Studies were performed on several specimens as a function of humidity and time. The mass and shrinkage of the specimens were also monitored and correlated with the water content

Effect of Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (bFGF) and Insulin-Like Growth Factors Type I (IGF-I) and Type II (IGF-II) on Adult Human Keratinocyte Growth and Fibronectin Secretion

Effects of growth factors on keratinocyte migration and proliferation are of interest as an indication of their potential use in acceleration of wound re-epithelialization. Various growth factors were examined for effects on normal adult human keratinocyte growth and fibronectin (Fn) secretion for cells cultured in serum-free medium. Accumulation of Fn in the medium of cells grown with H + I + EGF + BPE paralleled growth during the exponential phase and declined as the cells approached confluence. Cells maintained in low Ca++ (0.15 mM) post-confluence and fed daily to prevent cornification continued to accumulate Fn in the medium, while those grown continuously in 1.2 mM Ca++ ceased Fn secretion at confluence. EGF, bFGF, and transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) stimulated keratinocyte secretion in correlation with literature reports on the ability of these factors to stimulate the migration of these cells. In contrast, despite its marked effects on cell growth, BPE was found to consistently reduce the amount of Fn found in the medium when added to cultures containing either EGF or bFGF. Addition of BPE to cultures containing EGF or bFGF stimulated growth to the same extent, indicating that the effects of BPE on keratinocyte growth are not solely due to its content of bFGF

Heterodimeric nitrate reductase (NapAB) from Cupriavidus necator H16: purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis

Acta Cryst. (2007). F63, 516–519The periplasmic nitrate reductase from Cupriavidus necator (also known as Ralstonia eutropha) is a heterodimer that is able to reduce nitrate to nitrite. It comprises a 91 kDa catalytic subunit (NapA) and a 17 kDa subunit (NapB) that is involved in electron transfer. The larger subunit contains a molybdenum active site with a bis-molybdopterin guanine dinucleotide cofactor as well as one [4Fe–4S] cluster, while the small subunit is a di-haem c-type cytochrome. Crystals of the oxidized form of this enzyme were obtained using polyethylene glycol 3350 as precipitant. A single crystal grown at the High Throughput Crystallization Laboratory of the EMBL in Grenoble diffracted to beyond 1.5 A ° at the ESRF (ID14-1), which is the highest resolution reported to date for a nitrate reductase. The unit-cell parameters are a = 142.2, b = 82.4, c = 96.8 A ° , ß = 100.7°, space group C2, and one heterodimer is present per asymmetric unit

Development of Nondestructive Evaluation Methods and Prediction of Effects of Flaws on the Fracture Behavior of Structural Ceramics

Work emphasized continuous-fiber ceramic matrix composites (CFCCs) with 2-D lay-ups composed of chemical-vapor-infiltrated (CVI) SiC/SiC materials, mostly made of Nicalon plain weave with 16 {times} 16 tows/in. One sample examined comprised a 3-D SiC/SiC braid made by Techniweave. Using a new 1024{times}1024{times}14 bit detector, images from 3-D X-ray CT data with pixel sizes of <140 {mu}m and 2-D fast-Fourier transform (FFT) image processing, we have shown that fiber orientations can be measured to {plus_minus}2-1/2{degree}. 3-D FFT analysis was used to determine 3-D braid/weave fiber spacing. Multinuclear ({sup l}H, {sup 13}C, and {sup 29}Si) NMR spectroscopy, is being studied. Surface chemistry of fibers and chemistry of interfacial regions in composites are being studied. We are also conducting initial studies to investigate the bulk composition of matrix materials ({alpha}, {beta}, amorphous phase, silica, and oxynitride concentration) and surface chemistry of Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} and SiC fibers. Fracture mechanics work to correlate with NDE data focused on strength distribution of as-fabricated Nicalon fibers obtained from bundle tests. Strength distribution of fractured Nicalon fibers in composites was assessed from fracture mirror radii. SEM was used to determine distribution of fiber pullout length distribution for fibers in composites, for their strength distribution. From the strength distribution plots, scale parameters were determined to be 3.45 GPa for as-fabricated fibers and 1.31 GPa for fibers in processed composites. However, the Weibull moduli for the two distributions were similar. Reduction in strength of the fibers in processed composites is believed to be due to surface flaws and defects. Effects of fiber misorientation on mechanical properties of NDE-tested CVI continuous-fiber composites are currently being investigated. 8 figs, 11 refs

In-situ real time monitoring of the polymerization in gel-cast ceramic processes

Gelcasting requires making a mixture of a slurry of ceramic powder in a solution of organic monomers and casting it in a mold. Gelcasting is different from injection molding in that it separates mold filling from setting during conversion of the ceramic slurry to a formed green part. In this work, NMR spectroscopy and imaging were used for in-situ monitoring of the gelation process and gelcasting of alumina. {sup 1}H NMR spectra and images are obtained during polymerization of a mixture of soluble reactive acrylamide monomers. Polymerization was initiated by adding an initiator and an accelerator to form long- chain, crosslinked polymers. Multidimensional NMR imaging was used for in-situ monitoring of the process and for verification of homogeneous polymerization. Comparison of the modeled intensities with acquired images shows a direction extraction of T{sub 1} data from the images

Attaining atomic resolution from in situ data collection at room temperature using counter-diffusion-based low-cost microchips

Sample handling and manipulation for cryoprotection currently remain critical factors in X-ray structural determination. While several microchips for macromolecular crystallization have been proposed during the last two decades to partially overcome crystal-manipulation issues, increased background noise originating from the scattering of chip-fabrication materials has so far limited the attainable resolution of diffraction data. Here, the conception and use of low-cost, X-ray-transparent microchips for in situ crystallization and direct data collection, and structure determination at atomic resolution close to 1.0 Å , is presented. The chips are fabricated by a combination of either OSTEMER and Kapton or OSTEMER and Mylar materials for the implementation of counter-diffusion crystallization experiments. Both materials produce a sufficiently low scattering background to permit atomic resolution diffraction data collection at room temperature and the generation of 3D structural models of the tested model proteins lysozyme, thaumatin and glucose isomerase. Although the high symmetry of the three model protein crystals produced almost complete data sets at high resolution, the potential of in-line data merging and scaling of the multiple crystals grown along the microfluidic channels is also presented and discussed