Side effect profile prediction - Tackling Big Pharma's worst nightmare at an early stage

This talk presents a method that predicts adverse side effects for molecules based on the chemical structure only. Also, targets for the compounds are predicted. Therefore it becomes possible to link a certain side effect to the interaction with a certain target through molecular space. Examples are given in the talk

Sentinel-1 Imaging Performance Verification with TerraSAR-X

This paper presents dedicated analyses of TerraSAR-X data with respect to the Sentinel-1 TOPS imaging mode. First, the analysis of Doppler centroid behaviour for high azimuth steering angles, as occurs in TOPS imaging, is investigated followed by the analysis and compensation of residual scalloping. Finally, the Flexible-Dynamic BAQ (FD-BAQ) raw data compression algorithm is investigated for the first time with real TerraSAR-X data and its performance is compared to state-of-the-art BAQ algorithms. The presented analyses demonstrate the improvements of the new TOPS imaging mode as well as the new FD-BAQ data compression algorithm for SAR image quality in general and in particular for Sentinel-1

Processing of Sliding Spotlight and TOPS SAR Data Using Baseband Azimuth Scaling

This paper presents an efficient phase preserving processor for the focusing of data acquired in sliding spotlight and TOPS (Terrain Observation by Progressive Scans) imaging modes. They share in common a linear variation of the Doppler centroid along the azimuth dimension, which is due to a steering of the antenna (either mechanically or electronically) throughout the data take. Existing approaches for the azimuth processing can become inefficient due to the additional processing to overcome the folding in the focused domain. In this paper a new azimuth scaling approach is presented to perform the azimuth processing, whose kernel is exactly the same for sliding spotlight and TOPS modes. The possibility to use the proposed approach to process ScanSAR data, as well as a discussion concerning staring spotlight, are also included. Simulations with point-targets and real data acquired by TerraSAR-X in sliding spotlight and TOPS modes are used to validate the developed algorithm

Scalloping Correction in TOPS Imaging Mode SAR Data

This paper presents an investigation on scalloping correction in the TOPS imaging mode for SAR systems with electronically steered phased array antennas. A theoretical simulation of the scalloping is performed and two correction methods are introduced. The simulation is based on a general cardinal sine (sinc) antenna model as well as on the TerraSAR-X antenna model. Real TerraSAR-X data acquired over rainforest are used for demonstration and verification of the scalloping simulation and correction. Furthermore a calibration approach taking into account the special TOPS imaging mode properties is introduced

Bistatic Experiment Using TerraSAR-X and DLR’s new F-SAR System

A bistatic X-band experiment was successfully performed early November 2007. TerraSAR-X was used as transmitter and DLR’s new airborne radar system F-SAR, which was programmed to acquire data in a quasi-continuous mode to avoid echo window synchronization issues, was used as bistatic receiver. Precise phase and time referencing between both systems, which is essential for obtaining high resolution SAR images, was derived during the bistatic processing. Hardware setup and performance analyses of the bistatic configuration are pre-sented together with first processing results that verify the predicted synchronization and imaging performance

Sentinel-1 FDBAQ Performance Validation Using TerraSAR-X Data

Two Block Adaptive Quantization (BAQ) algorithms considered for implementation on-board Sentinel-1, the Entropy Constrained BAQ (ECBAQ) and the Flexible Dynamic BAQ (FDBAQ) are investigated with real data acquired by TerraSAR-X. The two algorithms are compared with respect to the resulting signal-to-quantization-noise ratio (SQNR) and the compression rate. The results confirm the improved performance of FDBAQ to be expected for Sentinel-1 compared to the more conventional ECBAQ

TOPS Imaging with TerraSAR-X: Mode Design and Performance Analysis

This paper reports about the performed investigations for the implementation of the wide swath TOPS imaging mode with TerraSAR-X. The TOPS mode overcomes the limitations imposed by the ScanSAR mode by steering the antenna along-track during the acquisition of a burst. In this way, a uniform signal to noise ratio (SNR) is achieved, and consequently, scalloping and an azimuth-dependent distributed target ambiguity ratio (DTAR) are avoided. However, the use of electronically steered antennas leads to a quantization of the steering law and a non-ideal pattern for squinted angles (grating lobes and main lobe reduction). The former provokes spurious peaks, while the latter introduces a slight scalloping and DTAR deterioration. These effects are analyzed and quantified for TerraSAR-X and a TOPS system design approach is presented. Next, the requirements concerning interferometry are investigated. Finally, several results are shown with TerraSAR-X data, including a comparison between the TOPS and ScanSAR modes and the reporting of first TOPS interferometric results

Development, Validation and Application of an interpretable and alignment-free 4D-QSAR technique

Die vorliegende Arbeit beschreibt die Entwicklung, Validierung und erfolgreiche Anwendung der interpretierbaren 4D-QSAR Methodik xMaP. Die neue Methode benötigt weder die Auswahl des vermuteten bioaktiven Konformers noch eine Überlagerung der Moleküle im Raum, sie ist also alignment-frei. xMaP ist invariant gegenüber Rotation, Translation und kodiert die Flexibilität der Moleküle. Dadurch wird der Einfluss durch den Benutzer praktisch ausgeschaltet.This thesis describes the development, validation and successful application of the interpretable 4D-QSAR technique xMaP. The novel method does neither rely on the selection of a presumed bioactive conformer nor on a spatial superimposition of the molecules which means that it is so-called alignment-free. Put differently, xMaP is invariant to rotation and translation and encodes the flexibility of the molecules under scrutiny. By combining these features a possible user bias is almost completely eliminated

TerraSAR-X TOPSAR and ScanSAR comparison

TOPSAR is a recently proposed SAR mode for wide swath acquisition, which is intended to replace the conventional ScanSAR mode. TOPSAR will be used by the ESA Sentinel-1 SAR sensor in its main interferometric wide swath mode. TerraSAR-X has demonstrated the TOPSAR mode in space by acquiring and processing TOPSAR images for the first time. The paper reports the results of the image scalloping analysis performed on TOPSAR, inverse TOPSAR and ScanSAR images