Object Matching in Distributed Video Surveillance Systems by LDA-Based Appearance Descriptors

Establishing correspondences among object instances is still challenging in multi-camera surveillance systems, especially when the cameras’ fields of view are non-overlapping. Spatiotemporal constraints can help in solving the correspondence problem but still leave a wide margin of uncertainty. One way to reduce this uncertainty is to use appearance information about the moving objects in the site. In this paper we present the preliminary results of a new method that can capture salient appearance characteristics at each camera node in the network. A Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) model is created and maintained at each node in the camera network. Each object is encoded in terms of the LDA bag-of-words model for appearance. The encoded appearance is then used to establish probable matching across cameras. Preliminary experiments are conducted on a dataset of 20 individuals and comparison against Madden’s I-MCHR is reported

Effects of cosmic rays on single event upsets

Assistance was provided to the Brookhaven Single Event Upset (SEU) Test Facility. Computer codes were developed for fragmentation and secondary radiation affecting Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) in space. A computer controlled CV (HP4192) test was developed for Terman analysis. Also developed were high speed parametric tests which are independent of operator judgment and a charge pumping technique for measurement of D(sub it) (E). The X-ray secondary effects, and parametric degradation as a function of dose rate were simulated. The SPICE simulation of static RAMs with various resistor filters was tested

Face Detection with Effective Feature Extraction

There is an abundant literature on face detection due to its important role in many vision applications. Since Viola and Jones proposed the first real-time AdaBoost based face detector, Haar-like features have been adopted as the method of choice for frontal face detection. In this work, we show that simple features other than Haar-like features can also be applied for training an effective face detector. Since, single feature is not discriminative enough to separate faces from difficult non-faces, we further improve the generalization performance of our simple features by introducing feature co-occurrences. We demonstrate that our proposed features yield a performance improvement compared to Haar-like features. In addition, our findings indicate that features play a crucial role in the ability of the system to generalize.Comment: 7 pages. Conference version published in Asian Conf. Comp. Vision 201

Hydrogen slush density reference system

A hydrogen slush density reference system was designed for calibration of field-type instruments and/or transfer standards. The device is based on the buoyancy principle of Archimedes. The solids are weighed in a low-mass container so arranged that solids and container are buoyed by triple-point liquid hydrogen during the weighing process. Several types of hydrogen slush density transducers were developed and tested for possible use as transfer standards. The most successful transducers found were those which depend on change in dielectric constant, after which the Clausius-Mossotti function is used to relate dielectric constant and density

The Importance of Heating System Transient Response in Domestic Energy Labelling

European National Calculation Methods (NCM), such as the UK Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP), are used to make standardised and simplified assessments of building energy performance. These NCMs contain simplifications to aid ease of use and comparability of resulting Energy Performance Certificates (EPC). By comparing SAP with a modern, dynamic modelling system, this study quantifies internal temperatures and thereby heating energy consumption. Results show that for the considered test house SAP results correspond closely to a dynamic model using an idealistic heating system, with perfect control and instant responsiveness. However, the introduction of a dynamic, physically realistic gas fired boiler and water based heating system to the model results in a consistent increase in internal temperature (0.5 °C) and energy demand (by ca. 1000 kWh/a). Variation of further parameters within the dynamic model, controls and heat source size, are presented and compared to SAP results and assumptions. The inclusion of more realistic dynamics in building energy modelling for NCMs may provide a better basis for effective decision making with respect to a wide range of heating systems

Nonsingular Black Hole Evaporation and ``Stable'' Remnants

We examine the evaporation of two--dimensional black holes, the classical space--times of which are extended geometries, like for example the two--dimensional section of the extremal Reissner--Nordstrom black hole. We find that the evaporation in two particular models proceeds to a stable end--point. This should represent the generic behavior of a certain class of two--dimensional dilaton--gravity models. There are two distinct regimes depending on whether the back--reaction is weak or strong in a certain sense. When the back--reaction is weak, evaporation proceeds via an adiabatic evolution, whereas for strong back--reaction, the decay proceeds in a somewhat surprising manner. Although information loss is inevitable in these models at the semi--classical level, it is rather benign, in that the information is stored in another asymptotic region.Comment: 23 pages, 6 figures, harvmac and epsf, RU-93-12, PUPT-1399, NSF-ITP-93-5

Serum placental-type alkaline phosphatase activity in women with squamous and glandular malignancies of the reproductive tract

AIM -To investigate serum placental-type alkaline phosphatase (PLAP-type) activities in women with squamous and glandular malignancies of the reproductive tract using an immunoradiometric assay. METHODS--PLAP-type immunoreactivity was measured in 180 women with non-ovarian malignancies of the reproductive tract and the values were compared with those from 334 controls. The cases comprised 18 vulval, nine vaginal, 103 cervical, 46 endometrial, and five fallopian tube cancers. RESULTS - Serum PLAP-type activities were no different from controls in patients with squamous cell tumours. Women with adenocarcinoma of the cervix, endometrium, and fallopian tube had increased values: women with endometrial cancer had a median value nearly four times greater than that of controls. There was no direct correlation between PLAP-type activities and stage of disease in patients with endometrial cancer, but values reverted to normal after treatment. CONCLUSIONS -Serum PLAP-type measurements are of no value in the management of patients with squamous cell tumours of the female reproductive tract. Raised activities can, however, be found in glandular tumours, in particular endometrial cancer where serum PLAP-type measurements may be of value in predicting remission

Modifying the Einstein Equations off the Constraint Hypersuface

A new technique is presented for modifying the Einstein evolution equations off the constraint hypersurface. With this approach the evolution equations for the constraints can be specified freely. The equations of motion for the gravitational field variables are modified by the addition of terms that are linear and nonlocal in the constraints. These terms are obtained from solutions of the linearized Einstein constraints.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, uses REVTe

Prognostic significance of the bcl-2 apoptotic family of proteins in primary and recurrent cervical cancer

bcl-2 is one of a family of genes that control the apoptotic threshold of a cell. bcl-2 protein and its anti-apoptotic homologue, mcl-1, with the pro-apoptotic protein, bax, are thought to function by forming homo- and heterotypic dimers that then control the progression to apoptosis. p53 is also involved as a down-regulator of bcl-2 and a promoter of bax. To determine the effect of these apoptotic mechanisms, we used immunohistochemistry to determine the prognostic significance of the expression of bcl-2, mcl-1, bax and p53 in primary and recurrent cervical cancer. Tissues from 46 patients with primary cervical cancer and 28 women with recurrent carcinoma were stained for bcl-2, mcl-1, bax and p53. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed using the log-rank test for differences between groups. In the primary disease group, positive staining for bcl-2 was associated with a better 5-year survival (bcl-2 +ve, 84% vs bcl-2 -ve, 53%, P = 0.03). Positive staining for p53 was associated with a survival disadvantage (p53 +ve, 4-year survival 38% vs p53 -ve, 4-year survival 78%, P = 0.02). mcl-1 and bax staining were not useful as prognostic indicators in primary disease. No marker was prognostic in recurrent disease. Positive bcl-2 staining defines a group of patients with primary disease with a good prognosis. p53, an activator of the bax promoter, identifies a group with a worse outcome. In recurrent disease, none of the markers reflected prognosis

Stratigraphy and chronology of a 15ka sequence of multi-sourced silicic tephras in a montane peat bog, eastern North Island, New Zealand.

We document the stratigraphy, composition, and chronology of a succession of 16 distal, silicic tephra layers interbedded with lateglacial and Holocene peats and muds up to c. 15 000 radiocarbon years (c. 18 000 calendar years) old at a montane site (Kaipo Bog) in eastern North Island, New Zealand. Aged from 665 +/- 15 to 14 700 +/- 95 14C yr BP, the tephras are derived from six volcanic centres in North Island, three of which are rhyolitic (Okataina, Taupo, Maroa), one peralkaline (Tuhua), and two andesitic (Tongariro, Egmont). Correlations are based on multiple criteria: field properties and stratigraphic interrelationships, ferromagnesian silicate mineral assemblages, glass-shard major element composition (from electron microprobe analysis), and radiocarbon dating. We extend the known distribution of tephras in eastern North Island and provide compositional data that add to their potential usefulness as isochronous markers. The chronostratigraphic framework established for the Kaipo sequence, based on both site-specific and independently derived tephra-based radiocarbon ages, provides the basis for fine-resolution paleoenvironmental studies at a climatically sensitive terrestrial site from the mid latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere. Tephras identified as especially useful paleoenvironmental markers include Rerewhakaaitu and Waiohau (lateglacial), Konini (lateglacial-early Holocene), Tuhua (middle Holocene), and Taupo and Kaharoa (late Holocene)