High dynamic range perception with spatially variant exposure

In this paper we present a method capable of perceiving high dynamic range scene. The special feature of the method is that it changes the integration time of the imager on the pixel level. Using CNN-UM we can calculate the integration time for the pixels, and hence low dynamic range integration type CMOS sensors will be able to perceive high dynamic range scenes. The method yields high contrast without introducing non-existing edges

A Biomimetic Model of the Outer Plexiform Layer by Incorporating Memristive Devices

In this paper we present a biorealistic model for the first part of the early vision processing by incorporating memristive nanodevices. The architecture of the proposed network is based on the organisation and functioning of the outer plexiform layer (OPL) in the vertebrate retina. We demonstrate that memristive devices are indeed a valuable building block for neuromorphic architectures, as their highly non-linear and adaptive response could be exploited for establishing ultra-dense networks with similar dynamics to their biological counterparts. We particularly show that hexagonal memristive grids can be employed for faithfully emulating the smoothing-effect occurring at the OPL for enhancing the dynamic range of the system. In addition, we employ a memristor-based thresholding scheme for detecting the edges of grayscale images, while the proposed system is also evaluated for its adaptation and fault tolerance capacity against different light or noise conditions as well as distinct device yields

Global Exponential Stability of Delayed Periodic Dynamical Systems

In this paper, we discuss delayed periodic dynamical systems, compare capability of criteria of global exponential stability in terms of various $L^{p}$ ($1\le p<\infty$) norms. A general approach to investigate global exponential stability in terms of various $L^{p}$ ($1\le p<\infty$) norms is given. Sufficient conditions ensuring global exponential stability are given, too. Comparisons of various stability criteria are given. More importantly, it is pointed out that sufficient conditions in terms of $L^{1}$ norm are enough and easy to implement in practice

Margaret Marty Mann\u27s Public Health Message: Transforming Drunkards into Deserving Patients, 1904-1980

This study is a biographical history of Margaret Marty Mann a unique historical figure who transformed the discussion in America about alcohol in a way that changed public perceptions of people who drank to excess. Mann did not direct the science that established alcoholism as disease, she constructed alcoholism as a democratic disease that could affect anyone, and normalized the alcoholic patient as a person deserving of care. Mann\u27s work contributed to passage of national legislation creating the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), the largest funder of alcohol research in the world, enacting her goal to increase knowledge and understanding of alcoholism and remove barriers to treatment for all afflicted. Mann\u27s groundbreaking contribution is a product of her life and her experience that brought attention to women with alcoholism and established sex and gender as important variables in alcohol research

Digital implementation of the cellular sensor-computers

Two different kinds of cellular sensor-processor architectures are used nowadays in various applications. The first is the traditional sensor-processor architecture, where the sensor and the processor arrays are mapped into each other. The second is the foveal architecture, in which a small active fovea is navigating in a large sensor array. This second architecture is introduced and compared here. Both of these architectures can be implemented with analog and digital processor arrays. The efficiency of the different implementation types, depending on the used CMOS technology, is analyzed. It turned out, that the finer the technology is, the better to use digital implementation rather than analog

Bio-inspired 0.35μm CMOS Time-to-Digital Converter with 29.3ps LSB

Time-to-digital converter (TDC) integrated circuit is introduced in this paper. It is based on chain of delay elements composing a regular scalable structure. The scheme is analogous to the sound direction sensitivity nerve system found in barn owl. The circuit occupies small silicon area, and its direct mapping from time to position-code makes conversion rates up to 500Msps possible. Specialty of the circuit is the structural and functional symmetry. Therefore the role of start and stop signals are interchangeable. In other words negative delay is acceptable: the circuit has no dead time problems. These are benefits of the biology model of the auditory scene representation in the bird's brain. The prototype chip is implemented in 0.35μm CMOS having less than 30ps single-shot resolution in the measurements.Hungarian National Research Foundation TS4085

VIENOTAS VIDES AIZSARDZĪBAS VADĪBAS SISTĒMAS IZVEIDE

Latvijā vides aizsardzības jomā ir izstrādāta virkne tiesību aktu un normatīvo dokumentu, tomēr joprojām nav izstrādāts vienots mehānisms šo dokumentu izpildes nodrošināšanai uz vietām un it sevišķi rūpniecības un lauksaimniecības uzņēmumos.Jau 1995.gadā tika izstrādāts un apstiprināts "Vides aizsardzības politikas plāns Latvijai", kurā formulēti mūsu vides aizsardzības politikas mērķi un uzskaitīti principi, uz kuriem šai politikai jābalstās, kā arī līdzekļi, ar kuriem tā ieviešama.Lai veiktu savas darbības saskaņā ar "Vides aizsardzības politikas plānu Latvijai" un īstenotu tajā izvirzītos uzdevumus, katram uzņēmumam ir jāizstrādā savs vides politikas plāns pietiekoši ilgam laika periodam, jānosprauž vadlīnijas izvirzīto vides aizsardzības mērķu sasniegšanai, kā arī jāizstrādā rīcības programma, ja ne vides stāvokļa uzlabošanai, tad vismaz tā saglabāšanai.Šo mērķi vislabāk varētu sasniegt, ieviešot starptautisko standartu ISO 14001, kā arī Eiropas Savienības akceptēto vides menedžmenta sistēmas aprakstu.ISO 14001 ir standarts par vides pārvaldību, ko Eiropas standartizācijas komiteja apstiprinājusi 1996.gada 21.augustā. Šim standartam kopš tā apstiprināšanas vienmēr ir bijusi nozīmīga loma, lai veicinātu rūpniecības uzņēmumus un citas organizācijas darboties un attīstīties videi draudzīgā veidā

Motion Detection: Neuronal Circuit Meets Theory

Motion detection in fly vision has been investigated experimentally and theoretically for half of a century, yet mechanistic insights into the neuronal computation have only started to emerge. In a recent issue of Nature, two studies provide major insights into how motion direction is extracted from the image flow projected onto the retina