Automated Multi-Modal Search and Rescue using Boosted Histogram of Oriented Gradients

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) provides a platform for many automated tasks and with an ever increasing advances in computing, these tasks can be more complex. The use of UAVs is expanded in this thesis with the goal of Search and Rescue (SAR), where a UAV can assist fast responders to search for a lost person and relay possible search areas back to SAR teams. To identify a person from an aerial perspective, low-level Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG) feature descriptors are used over a segmented region, provided from thermal data, to increase classification speed. This thesis also introduces a dataset to support a Bird’s-Eye-View (BEV) perspective and tests the viability of low level HOG feature descriptors on this dataset. The low-level feature descriptors are known as Boosted Histogram of Oriented Gradients (BHOG) features, which discretizes gradients over varying sized cells and blocks that are trained with a Cascaded Gentle AdaBoost Classifier using our compiled BEV dataset. The classification is supported by multiple sensing modes with color and thermal videos to increase classification speed. The thermal video is segmented to indicate any Region of Interest (ROI) that are mapped to the color video where classification occurs. The ROI decreases classification time needed for the aerial platform by eliminating a per-frame sliding window. Testing reveals that with the use of only color data iv and a classifier trained for a profile of a person, there is an average recall of 78%, while the thermal detection results with an average recall of 76%. However, there is a speed up of 2 with a video of 240x320 resolution. The BEV testing reveals that higher resolutions are favored with a recall rate of 71% using BHOG features, and 92% using Haar-Features. In the lower resolution BEV testing, the recall rates are 42% and 55%, for BHOG and Haar-Features, respectively

Effects of Sub-toxic Heavy Metals on Dopamine Transporter Function

The results from the LDH assays determined there was a significant effect of time, concentration, and time X concentration interaction on cell viability when SK-N-SH cells were treated for 24-96 hours with HgCl2 (0.1-50M) or MnCl2 (1-10 M). Caspase-3/7 activity and [3H]GBR-12,935 binding was not different in either the HgCl2 or MnCl2 groups compared to controls. [3H]GBR-12,935 saturation curves revealed there was no difference in Bmax or KD values following 48 or 96 hour HgCl2 or MnCl2 exposure. However, a trend for increased Bmax after 48 hour HgCl2 exposure was observed. [3H]DA uptake assays determined there was a significant difference between HgCl2 (decreased uptake) and MnCl2 (increased uptake) compared to controls after 48 hours. Uptake values were not different between treatment and controls at 96 hours. From these studies, it is concluded that DAT functionality is affected by 1.0M HgCl2 or 10.0M MnCl2 treatment in SK-N-SH cells.Chemistry Departmen

Pro-tobacco marketing and anti-tobacco campaigns aimed at vulnerable populations: A review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION:We reviewed research literature on pro-tobacco marketing and anti-tobacco campaigns targeting eight vulnerable populations to determine key findings and research gaps. Results can inform tobacco policy and control efforts and the design of public education campaigns for these groups. METHODS:Five journal databases in medicine, communication, and science, were used to identify 8875 peer-reviewed, original articles in English, published in the period 2004-2018. There were 144 articles that met inclusion criteria on pro-tobacco marketing or anti-tobacco campaigns aimed at eight US groups: women of reproductive age, racial/ethnic minority groups (African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaska Native), Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender (LGBT) populations, groups with low socioeconomic status, rural/inner city residents, military/veterans, and people with mental health or medical co-morbidities. We summarized the number of articles for each population, type of tobacco, and pro-tobacco or anti-tobacco focus. Narrative summaries were organized by population and by pro-tobacco or anti-tobacco focus, with key strategies and gaps by group. RESULTS:There were more studies on pro-tobacco marketing rather than anti-tobacco campaigns, and on cigarettes rather than other tobacco products. Major gaps included studies on Asian Americans, American Indian/Alaska Natives, pregnant women, LGBT populations, and those with mental health or medical co-morbidities. Gaps related to tobacco products were found for hookah, snus, and pipe/roll-your-own tobacco in the pro-tobacco studies, and for all products except cigarettes in anti-tobacco studies. Common tobacco industry methods used were tailoring of product and package design and messages that were used to reach and appeal to different sociodemographic groups. Studies varied by research design making it difficult to compare results. CONCLUSIONS:We found major research gaps for specific groups and tobacco products. Public education campaigns need a stronger foundation in empirical studies focused on these populations. Research and practice would benefit from studies that permit comparisons across studies

Quantitative sampling and analysis of trace elements in atmospheric aerosols: impactor characterization and Synchrotron-XRF mass calibration.

he presented work is partly funded by theSwiss Federal Roads Office (ASTRA), the Swiss Federal Office forthe Environment (BAFU) and a post-doc contract sponsored by theSpanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN). Parts ofthe work were performed at the Swiss Light Source, Paul ScherrerInstitut, Villigen, Switzerland.We thank Andreas Jaggi fortechnical support at the beamline X05DA. Portions of this researchwere carried out at the light source facility DORIS III at HASY-LAB/DESY. DESY is a member of the Helmholtz Association(HGF)

Source apportionment of size and time resolved trace elements and organic aerosols from an urban courtyard site in Switzerland

Time and size resolved data of trace elements were obtained from measurements with a rotating drum impactor (RDI) and subsequent X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Trace elements can act as indicators for the identification of sources of particulate matter <10 μm (PM10) in ambient air. Receptor modeling was performed with positive matrix factorization (PMF) for trace element data from an urban background site in Zürich, Switzerland. Eight different sources were identified for the three examined size ranges (PM1-0.1, PM2.5-1 and PM 10-2.5): secondary sulfate, wood combustion, fire works, road traffic, mineral dust, de-icing salt, industrial and local anthropogenic activities. The major component was secondary sulfate for the smallest size range; the road traffic factor was found in all three size ranges. This trace element analysis is complemented with data from an Aerodyne high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS), assessing the PM1 fraction of organic aerosols. A separate PMF analysis revealed three factors related to three of the sources found with the RDI: oxygenated organic aerosol (OOA, related to inorganic secondary sulfate), hydrocarbon-like organic aerosol (HOA, related to road traffic) and biomass burning organic aerosol (BBOA), explaining 60 %, 22 % and 17 % of total measured organics, respectively. Since different compounds are used for the source classification, a higher percentage of the ambient PM10 mass concentration can be apportioned to sources by the combination of both methods. © 2011 Author(s)

Epigenetic Engineering of Ribosomal RNA Genes Enhances Protein Production

Selection of mammalian high-producer cell lines remains a major challenge for the biopharmaceutical manufacturing industry. Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes encode the major component of the ribosome but many rRNA gene copies are not transcribed [1]–[5] due to epigenetic silencing by the nucleolar remodelling complex (NoRC) [6], which may limit the cell's full production capacity. Here we show that the knockdown of TIP5, a subunit of NoRC, decreases the number of silent rRNA genes, upregulates rRNA transcription, enhances ribosome synthesis and increases production of recombinant proteins. However, general enhancement of rRNA transcription rate did not stimulate protein synthesis. Our data demonstrates that the number of transcriptionally competent rRNA genes limits efficient ribosome synthesis. Epigenetic engineering of ribosomal RNA genes offers new possibilities for improving biopharmaceutical manufacturing and provides novel insights into the complex regulatory network which governs the translation machinery in normal cellular processes as well as in pathological conditions like cancer

Perineal descent and patients’ symptoms of anorectal dysfunction, pelvic organ prolapse, and urinary incontinence

Contains fulltext : 89793.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The aim of this dynamic magnetic resonance (MR) imaging study was to assess the relation between the position and mobility of the perineum and patients' symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction. METHODS: Patients' symptoms were measured with the use of validated questionnaires. Univariate logistic regression analyses were used to study the relationship between the questionnaires domain scores and the perineal position on dynamic MR imaging, as well as baseline characteristics (age, body mass index, and parity). RESULTS: Sixty-nine women were included in the analysis. Only the domain score genital prolapse was associated with the perineal position on dynamic MR imaging. This association was strongest at rest. CONCLUSIONS: Pelvic organ prolapse symptoms were associated with the degree of descent of the perineum on dynamic MR imaging. Perineal descent was not related to anorectal and/or urinary incontinence symptoms.1 juni 201