Online Context-based Object Recognition for Mobile Robots

This work proposes a robotic object recognition system that takes advantage of the contextual information latent in human-like environments in an online fashion. To fully leverage context, it is needed perceptual information from (at least) a portion of the scene containing the objects of interest, which could not be entirely covered by just an one-shot sensor observation. Information from a larger portion of the scenario could still be considered by progressively registering observations, but this approach experiences difficulties under some circumstances, e.g. limited and heavily demanded computational resources, dynamic environments, etc. Instead of this, the proposed recognition system relies on an anchoring process for the fast registration and propagation of objects’ features and locations beyond the current sensor frustum. In this way, the system builds a graphbased world model containing the objects in the scenario (both in the current and previously perceived shots), which is exploited by a Probabilistic Graphical Model (PGM) in order to leverage contextual information during recognition. We also propose a novel way to include the outcome of local object recognition methods in the PGM, which results in a decrease in the usually high CRF learning complexity. A demonstration of our proposal has been conducted employing a dataset captured by a mobile robot from restaurant-like settings, showing promising results.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Phasemeter core for intersatellite laser heterodyne interferometry: modelling, simulations and experiments

Inter satellite laser interferometry is a central component of future space-borne gravity instruments like LISA, eLISA, NGO and future geodesy missions. The inherently small laser wavelength allows to measure distance variations with extremely high precision by interfering a reference beam with a measurement beam. The readout of such interferometers is often based on tracking phasemeters, able to measure the phase of an incoming beatnote with high precision over a wide range of frequencies. The implementation of such phasemeters is based on all digital phase-locked loops, hosted in FPGAs. Here we present a precise model of an all digital phase locked loop that allows to design such a readout algorithm and we support our analysis by numerical performance measurements and experiments with analog signals.Comment: 17 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in CQ

An Updated View on an Emerging Target: Selected Papers from the 8th International Conference on Protein Kinase CK2

The 8th International Conference on Protein Kinase CK2 took place in Homburg, Germany, from 6 September to 9 September 2016. Over 80 scientists from Australia, China, Japan, USA, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, Poland and Germany participated. After the opening lecture by Lorenzo A. Pinna, Padova, Italy, entitled Exploring the CK2 Paradox: Restless, Dangerous, Dispensable, the scientists reported their latest research on the structural characterization of CK2, hence leading directly to the development of CK2 inhibitors. The driving force behind the development of inhibitors is their use in the treatment of various diseases, which was the next topic of the conference. New findings on protein kinase CK2 were addressed in the following session. The final topic of the conference addressed the role of CK2 in differentiation and development

Inhibition of Shiga toxin-converting bacteriophage development by novel antioxidant compounds

Oxidative stress may be the major cause of induction of Shiga toxin-converting (Stx) prophages from chromosomes of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in human intestine. Thus, we aimed to test a series of novel antioxidant compounds for their activities against prophage induction, thus, preventing pathogenicity of STEC. Forty-six compounds (derivatives of carbazole, indazole, triazole, quinolone, ninhydrine, and indenoindole) were tested. Fifteen of them gave promising results and were further characterized. Eleven compounds had acceptable profiles in cytotoxicity tests with human HEK-293 and HDFa cell lines. Three of them (selected for molecular studies) prevent the prophage induction at the level of expression of specific phage genes. In bacterial cells treated with hydrogen peroxide, expression of genes involved in the oxidative stress response was significantly less efficient in the presence of the tested compounds. Therefore, they apparently reduce the oxidative stress, which prevents induction of Stx prophage in E. coli

Rapid phenotyping of different maize varieties under drought stress by using thermal images

The development of maize genotypes with high yields under drought is of pivotal relevance for the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT). Thermal images of the canopy of different 92 maize genotypes were acquired in the time interval between anthesis and blister stage with each picture containing five plots of different genotypes. Mean temperature differences of more than 2°C between different genotypes under water stress were then detected using thermal images. Genotypes better adapted to drought exhibiting lower temperatures. A canopy thermal image is a potential promising method to accelerate the screening process and thereby enhance phenotyping for drought adaptation in maize

A post-placement side-effect removal algorithm

Side-effects are widely believed to impede program comprehension and have a detrimental effect upon software maintenance. This paper introduces an algorithm for side-effect removal which splits the side-effects into their pure expression meaning and their state-changing meaning. Symbolic execution is used to determine the expression meaning, while transformation is used to place the state-changing part in a suitable location in a transformed version of the program. This creates a program which is semantically equivalent to the original but guaranteed to be free from side-effects. The paper also reports the results of an empirical study which demonstrates that the application of the algorithm causes a significant improvement in program comprehension

Proof of concept for the simplified breakdown of cellulose by combining Pseudomonas putida strains with surface displayed thermophilic endocellulase, exocellulase and β-glucosidase

BACKGROUND: The production and employment of cellulases still represents an economic bottleneck in the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to biofuels and other biocommodities. This process could be simplified by displaying the necessary enzymes on a microbial cell surface. Such an approach, however, requires an appropriate host organism which on the one hand can withstand the rough environment coming along with lignocellulose hydrolysis, and on the other hand does not consume the generated glucose so that it remains available for subsequent fermentation steps. RESULTS: The robust soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida showed a strongly reduced uptake of glucose above a temperature of 50 °C, while remaining structurally intact hence recyclable, which makes it suitable for cellulose hydrolysis at elevated temperatures. Consequently, three complementary, thermophilic cellulases from Ruminiclostridium thermocellum were displayed on the surface of the bacterium. All three enzymes retained their activity on the cell surface. A mixture of three strains displaying each one of these enzymes was able to synergistically hydrolyze filter paper at 55 °C, producing 20 μg glucose per mL cell suspension in 24 h. CONCLUSION: We could establish Pseudomonas putida as host for the surface display of cellulases, and provided proof-of-concept for a fast and simple cellulose breakdown process at elevated temperatures. This study opens up new perspectives for the application of P. putida in the production of biofuels and other biotechnological products.<br

Controlled oxygen vacancy induced p-type conductivity in HfO{2-x} thin films

We have synthesized highly oxygen deficient HfO$_{2-x}$ thin films by controlled oxygen engineering using reactive molecular beam epitaxy. Above a threshold value of oxygen vacancies, p-type conductivity sets in with up to 6 times 10^{21} charge carriers per cm3. At the same time, the band-gap is reduced continuously by more than 1 eV. We suggest an oxygen vacancy induced p-type defect band as origin of the observed behavior.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure