A Non-Parametric Texture Descriptor for Polarimetric SAR Data with Applications to Supervised Classification

The paper describes a novel representation of polarimetric SAR (PolSAR) data that is inherently non-parametric and therefore particularly suited for characterising data in which the commonly adopted hypothesis of Gaussian backscatter is not appropriate. The descriptor is also non-local and can capture image structure in terms of the arrangement of edge-, ridge- and point-like features, to yield a salient characerisation of semi-periodic spatial patterns. The basic approach is based closely on [1] and has been adapted for application to PolSAR data. As an example application, the descriptor is evaluated in the context of supervised classification. The performance is compared with conventional statistical approaches on both simulated and real PolSAR dat

Coding Strategies of Indirect Reported Speech in Typological Perspective

The purpose of this paper is to provide a cross-linguistic survey of the variation of coding strategies that are available for the grammatical distinction between direct and indirect speech representation with a particular focus on the expression of indirect reported speech. Cross-linguistic data from a sample of 42 languages will be provided to illustrate the range of available grammatical coding strategies

Lattice calculations of the leading hadronic contribution to (g-2)_mu

We report on our ongoing project to calculate the leading hadronic contribution to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon a_mu^HLO using two dynamical flavours of non-perturbatively O(a) improved Wilson fermions. In this study, we changed the vacuum polarisation tensor to a combination of local and point-split currents which significantly reduces the numerical effort. Partially twisted boundary conditions allow us to improve the momentum resolution of the vacuum polarisation tensor and therefore the determination of the leading hadronic contribution to (g-2)_mu. We also extended the range of ensembles to include a pion mass below 200 MeV which allows us to check the non-trivial chiral behaviour of a_mu^HLO.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, 1 table, talk presented at the 30th International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory (Lattice2012), Cairns, Australi

Computing the Adler function from the vacuum polarization function

We use a lattice determination of the hadronic vacuum polarization tensor to study the associated Ward identities and compute the Adler function. The vacuum polarization tensor is computed from a combination of point-split and local vector currents, using two flavours of O($a$)-improved Wilson fermions. Partially twisted boundary conditions are employed to obtain a fine momentum resolution. The modifications of the Ward identities by lattice artifacts and by the use of twisted boundary conditions are monitored. We determine the Adler function from the derivative of the vacuum polarization function over a large region of momentum transfer $q^2$. As a first account of systematic effects, a continuum limit scaling analysis is performed in the large $q^2$ regime.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, presented at the 31st International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory (Lattice 2013), 29 July - 3 August 2013, Mainz, German

Reliability of growth prediction with hand-wrist radiographs

The aim of this study was to investigate the validity of hand-wrist radiographic analysis in estimating the amount of remaining craniofacial growth. The material compromised cephalograms of 22 males and 27 females with a Class I malocclusion. The median age of the females at the beginning (T1) was 11 years 10 months and of the males 12 years 6 months and at the end (T2) of treatment 14 years 7 months and 15 years 3 months, respectively. Statural height was measured and a lateral cephalogram was obtained for every patient at T1 and T2. A hand-wrist radiograph was taken only at T1. The cephalograms were scanned and analyzed. Relative dimensional growth changes in statural height as well as of the length of the cranial base (N-S), the maxilla (Ptm-A), and the dimensions of the mandible (Co-Gn, Go-Gn, and Co-Gn) from T1 to T2 were determined and statistically compared (Pearson's correlation coefficients) with the growth prediction assessed with the help of hand-wrist radiographs according to Greulich and Pyle. The results showed a highly significant correlation between statural growth increases and growth prediction assessed from the hand-wrist radiographs (females: r = 0.68; males: r = 0.7). Concerning craniofacial structures, the increase in mandibular corpus showed the highest correlation with growth prediction (females: r = 0.21; males: r = 0.52), but this association would not allow a reliable growth prediction. There was no significant correlation between growth increases of the cranial base, the maxilla, the ramus, and the effective length of the mandible and growth prediction assessed with the help of hand-wrist radiographs. As each patient has an individual growth pattern and different craniofacial structures show individual growth potential, it is questionable if quantitative craniofacial growth prediction with the help of hand-wrist radiographs is reliable. However, in an individual case for the assessment of the timing of the growth process, a hand-wrist radiograph can contribute to treatment plannin

Measurement of indirect CP asymmetries in D0->K−K+ and D0->pi−pi+ decays with the LHCb experiment

This thesis presents a measurement of indirect CP asymmetries in the charm system. The indirect CP violation for the charm-meson system is expected to be small in the Standard Model and has not been observed experimentally so far. Effects of beyond Standard Model physics phenomena but as well perturbatively non-calculable processes can manifest themself in a potential non-zero CP violation. The knowledge of the size of CP violation makes a significant contribution for the understanding of the Standard Model and has a direct impact on the effective parameters in the charm system. The LHCb experiment has collected the world largest data samples of charm mesons. The proton-proton collisions data used in this thesis have been recorded in the first run period in 2011-2012. They correspond to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb−1 . The measurement uses the singly Cabibbo-suppressed D0->K−K+ and D0->pi−pi+ decays. The charm mesons exploited in this analysis are produced in semi-muonic B-meson decays. Thereby, the charge of the created muon determines the flavour of the charm meson at production time. To perform this measurement, a robust method is developed that reaches a sensitivity at sub-permille level. The indirect CP asymmetry manifests itself in the asymmetries of effective lifetimes, AGamma , of the D0 and D0bar decays and is measured for both decays AGamma(K−K+) = (−0.134 ± 0.077 +0.026 )% , AGamma(pi−pi+) = (−0.092 ± 0.145 +0.025 )% . where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The results are compatible with previous measurements and with the zero hypothesis of no CP violation. This analysis provides a significant contribution to the effective description of the charm meson system and to the world average. The results have been submitted for publication to the Journal of High Energy Physics (JHEP) [1]