Automatic People Counting and Matching

This thesis explores software algorithm for implementing a people counting and matching system to be used on a bus. A special camera is used, known as a texel camera, that generates depth and color information for a scene. This added information greatly facilitates both the tasks of matching and counting. Although people counting is a relatively mature field, there are several situations in which current technologies are not able to count correctly. Several of these difficult situations are tested with 82% counting accuracy. The idea of matching people on a bus is also developed. The goal is not to identify a specific person on a bus, but to find the time that a specific person is on the bus, and what bus stops were used. There are several aspects of this matching problem that differentiate it from other classification tasks that have been researched. In this thesis, multiple measurements are used to classify a person and sequence estimation techniques explored. The techniques developed classify with 92% accuracy, even with a relatively large number of people on a bus

Low levels of urinary epidermal growth factor predict chronic kidney disease progression in children

Urinary epidermal growth factor (uEGF) has recently been identified as a promising biomarker of chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression in adults with glomerular disease. Low levels of uEGF predict CKD progression and appear to reflect the extent of tubulointerstitial damage. We investigated the relevance of uEGF in pediatric CKD. We performed a post hoc analysis of the Cardiovascular Comorbidity in Children with CKD (4C) study, which prospectively follows children aged 6\u201317 years with baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 10\u201360 ml/min/1.73 m2. uEGF levels were measured in archived urine collected within 6 months of enrollment. Congenital abnormalities of the kidney and urinary tract were the most common cause of CKD, with glomerular diseases accounting for <10% of cases. Median eGFR at baseline was 28 ml/min/1.73 m2, and 288 of 623 participants (46.3%) reached the composite endpoint of CKD progression (50% eGFR loss, eGFR < 10 ml/min/1.73 m2, or initiation of renal replacement therapy). In a Cox proportional hazards model, higher uEGF/Cr was associated with a decreased risk of CKD progression (HR 0.76; 95% CI 0.69\u20130.84) independent of age, sex, baseline eGFR, primary kidney disease, proteinuria, and systolic blood pressure. The addition of uEGF/Cr to a model containing these variables resulted in a significant improvement in C-statistics, indicating better prediction of the 1-, 2- and 3-year risk of CKD progression. External validation in a prospective cohort of 222 children with CKD demonstrated comparable results. Thus, uEGF may be a useful biomarker to predict CKD progression in children with CKD

Estimating Time to ESRD in Children With CKD

Rationale & Objective: The KDIGO (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes) guideline for chronic kidney disease (CKD) presented an international classification system that ranks patients\u2019 risk for CKD progression. Few data for children informed guideline development. Study Design: Observational cohort study. Settings & Participants: Children aged 1 to 18 years enrolled in the North American Chronic Kidney Disease in Children (CKiD) cohort study and the European Effect of Strict Blood Pressure Control and ACE Inhibition on the Progression of CRF in Pediatric Patients (ESCAPE) trial. Predictor: Level of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and proteinuria (urine protein-creatinine ratio [UPCR]) at study entry. Outcome: A composite event of renal replacement therapy, 50% reduction in eGFR, or eGFR 2.0 mg/mg at study entry. 6 ordered stages with varying combinations of eGFR categories (60-89, 45-59, 30-44, and 15-29 mL/min/1.73 m2) and UPCR categories (2.0 mg/mg) described the risk continuum. Median times to event ranged from longer than 10 years for eGFRs of 45 to 90 mL/min/1.73 m2 and UPCRs 2 mg/mg. Children with glomerular disease were estimated to have a 43% shorter time to event than children with nonglomerular disease. Cross-validation demonstrated risk patterns that were consistent across the 10 subsample validation models. Limitations: Observational study, used cross-validation rather than external validation. Conclusions: CKD staged by level of eGFR and proteinuria characterizes the timeline of progression and can guide management strategies in children

Low levels of urinary epidermal growth factor predict chronic kidney disease progression in children

Urinary epidermal growth factor (uEGF) has recently been identified as a promising biomarker of chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression in adults with glomerular disease. Low levels of uEGF predict CKD progression and appear to reflect the extent of tubulointerstitial damage. We investigated the relevance of uEGF in pediatric CKD. We performed a post hoc analysis of the Cardiovascular Comorbidity in Children with CKD (4C) study, which prospectively follows children aged 6-17 years with baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 10-60 ml/min/1.73 m(2). uEGF levels were measured in archived urine collected within 6 months of enrollment. Congenital abnormalities of the kidney and urinary tract were the most common cause of CKD, with glomerular diseases accounting for <10% of cases. Median eGFR at baseline was 28 ml/min/1.73 m(2), and 288 of 623 participants (46.3%) reached the composite endpoint of CKD progression (50% eGFR loss, eGFR < 10 ml/min/1.73 m(2), or initiation of renal replacement therapy). In a Cox proportional hazards model, higher uEGF/Cr was associated with a decreased risk of CKD progression (HR 0.76; 95% CI 0.69-0.84) independent of age, sex, baseline eGFR, primary kidney disease, proteinuria, and systolic blood pressure. The addition of uEGF/Cr to a model containing these variables resulted in a significant improvement in C-statistics, indicating better prediction of the 1-, 2- and 3-year risk of CKD progression. External validation in a prospective cohort of 222 children with CKD demonstrated comparable results. Thus, uEGF may be a useful biomarker to predict CKD progression in children with CKD

GNU Radio

GNU Radio is a free &amp; open-source software development toolkit that provides signal processing blocks to implement software radios. It can be used with readily-available, low-cost external RF hardware to create software-defined radios, or without hardware in a simulation-like environment. It is widely used in hobbyist, academic, and commercial environments to support both wireless communications research and real-world radio systems