Joint Blind Motion Deblurring and Depth Estimation of Light Field

Removing camera motion blur from a single light field is a challenging task since it is highly ill-posed inverse problem. The problem becomes even worse when blur kernel varies spatially due to scene depth variation and high-order camera motion. In this paper, we propose a novel algorithm to estimate all blur model variables jointly, including latent sub-aperture image, camera motion, and scene depth from the blurred 4D light field. Exploiting multi-view nature of a light field relieves the inverse property of the optimization by utilizing strong depth cues and multi-view blur observation. The proposed joint estimation achieves high quality light field deblurring and depth estimation simultaneously under arbitrary 6-DOF camera motion and unconstrained scene depth. Intensive experiment on real and synthetic blurred light field confirms that the proposed algorithm outperforms the state-of-the-art light field deblurring and depth estimation methods

Search for CP violation in D0 and D+ decays

A high statistics sample of photoproduced charm particles from the FOCUS (E831) experiment at Fermilab has been used to search for CP violation in the Cabibbo suppressed decay modes D+ to K-K+pi+, D0 to K-K+ and D0 to pi-pi+. We have measured the following CP asymmetry parameters: A_CP(K-K+pi+) = +0.006 +/- 0.011 +/- 0.005, A_CP(K-K+) = -0.001 +/- 0.022 +/- 0.015 and A_CP(pi-pi+) = +0.048 +/- 0.039 +/- 0.025 where the first error is statistical and the second error is systematic. These asymmetries are consistent with zero with smaller errors than previous measurements.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure

Academic Performance and Behavioral Patterns

Identifying the factors that influence academic performance is an essential part of educational research. Previous studies have documented the importance of personality traits, class attendance, and social network structure. Because most of these analyses were based on a single behavioral aspect and/or small sample sizes, there is currently no quantification of the interplay of these factors. Here, we study the academic performance among a cohort of 538 undergraduate students forming a single, densely connected social network. Our work is based on data collected using smartphones, which the students used as their primary phones for two years. The availability of multi-channel data from a single population allows us to directly compare the explanatory power of individual and social characteristics. We find that the most informative indicators of performance are based on social ties and that network indicators result in better model performance than individual characteristics (including both personality and class attendance). We confirm earlier findings that class attendance is the most important predictor among individual characteristics. Finally, our results suggest the presence of strong homophily and/or peer effects among university students

A Study of D0 --> K0(S) K0(S) X Decay Channels

Using data from the FOCUS experiment (FNAL-E831), we report on the decay of $D^0$ mesons into final states containing more than one $K^0_S$. We present evidence for two Cabibbo favored decay modes, $D^0\to K^0_SK^0_S K^- \pi^+$ and $D^0\to K^0_SK^0_S K^+ \pi^-$, and measure their combined branching fraction relative to $D^0\to \bar{K} ^0\pi^+\pi^-$ to be $\frac{\Gamma(D^0\to K^0_SK^0_SK^{\pm}\pi^{\mp})}{\Gamma(D^0\to \bar{K} ^0\pi^+\pi^-)}$ = 0.0106 $\pm$ 0.0019 $\pm$ 0.0010. Further, we report new measurements of $\frac{\Gamma(D^0\to K^0_SK^0_SK^0_S)}{\Gamma(D^0\to \bar{K} ^0\pi^+\pi^-)}$ = 0.0179 $\pm$ 0.0027 $\pm$ 0.0026, $\frac{\Gamma(D^0\to K^0\bar{K} ^0)}{\Gamma(D^0\to \bar{K} ^0\pi^+\pi^-)}$ = 0.0144 $\pm$ 0.0032 $\pm$ 0.0016, and $\frac{\Gamma(D^0\to K^0_SK^0_S\pi^+\pi^-)}{\Gamma(D^0\to \bar{K} ^0\pi^+\pi^-)}$ = 0.0208 $\pm$ 0.0035 $\pm$ 0.0021 where the first error is statistical and the second is systematic.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, typos correcte

An HR-MAS MR Metabolomics Study on Breast Tissues Obtained with Core Needle Biopsy

BACKGROUND: Much research has been devoted to the development of new breast cancer diagnostic measures, including those involving high-resolution magic angle spinning (HR-MAS) magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopic techniques. Previous HR-MAS MR results have been obtained from post-surgery samples, which limits their direct clinical applicability. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In the present study, we performed HR-MAS MR spectroscopic studies on 31 breast tissue samples (13 cancer and 18 non-cancer) obtained by percutaneous core needle biopsy. We showed that cancer and non-cancer samples can be discriminated very well with Orthogonal Projections to Latent Structure-Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA) multivariate model on the MR spectra. A subsequent blind test showed 69% sensitivity and 94% specificity in the prediction of the cancer status. A spectral analysis showed that in cancer cells, taurine- and choline-containing compounds are elevated. Our approach, additionally, could predict the progesterone receptor statuses of the cancer patients. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: HR-MAS MR metabolomics on intact breast tissues obtained by core needle biopsy may have a potential to be used as a complement to the current diagnostic and prognostic measures for breast cancers

Evaluation of skin dose associated with different frequencies of bolus applications in post-mastectomy three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The study aimed to calculate chest-wall skin dose associated with different frequencies of bolus applications in post-mastectomy three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) and to provide detailed information in the selection of an appropriate bolus regimen in this clinical setting.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>CT-Simulation scans of 22 post-mastectomy patients were used. Chest wall for clinical target volume (CTV) and a volume including 2-mm surface thickness of the chest wall for skin structures were delineated. Precise PLAN 2.11 treatment planning system (TPS) was used for 3D-CRT planning. 50 Gy in 25 fractions were prescribed using tangential fields and 6-MV photons. Six different frequencies of bolus applications (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25) were administered. Cumulative dose-volume histograms were generated for each bolus regimen. The minimum, maximum and mean skin doses associated with the bolus regimens were compared. To test the accuracy of TPS dose calculations, experimental measurements were performed using EBT gafchromic films.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The mean, minimum and maximum skin doses were significantly increased with increasing days of bolus applications (p < 0.001). The minimum skin doses for 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 days of bolus applications were 73.0% ± 2.0%, 78.2% ± 2.0%, 83.3% ± 1.7%, 88.3% ± 1.6%, 92.2% ± 1.7%, and 93.8% ± 1.8%, respectively. The minimum skin dose increments between 20 and 25 (1.6% ± 1.0%), and 15 and 20 (4.0% ± 1.0%) days of bolus applications were significantly lower than the dose increments between 0 and 5 (5.2% ± 0.6%), 5 and 10 (5.1% ± 0.8%), and 10 and 15 (4.9% ± 0.8%) days of bolus applications (p < 0.001). The maximum skin doses for 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 days of bolus applications were 110.1% ± 1.1%, 110.3% ± 1.1%, 110.5% ± 1.2%, 110.8% ± 1.3%, 111.2% ± 1.5%, and 112.2% ± 1.7%, respectively. The maximum skin dose increments between 20 and 25 (1.0% ± 0.6%), and 15 and 20 (0.4% ± 0.3%) days of bolus applications were significantly higher than the dose increments between 0 and 5 (0.2% ± 0.2%), 5 and 10 (0.2% ± 0.2%), and 10 and 15 (0.2% ± 0.2%) days of bolus applications (p ≤ 0.003). The TPS overestimated the near-surface dose 10.8% at 2-mm below the skin surface.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In post-mastectomy 3D-CRT, using a 1-cm thick bolus in up to 15 of the total 25 fractions increased minimum skin doses with a tolerable increase in maximum doses.</p

Measurement of the Bottom-Strange Meson Mixing Phase in the Full CDF Data Set

We report a measurement of the bottom-strange meson mixing phase \beta_s using the time evolution of B0_s -> J/\psi (->\mu+\mu-) \phi (-> K+ K-) decays in which the quark-flavor content of the bottom-strange meson is identified at production. This measurement uses the full data set of proton-antiproton collisions at sqrt(s)= 1.96 TeV collected by the Collider Detector experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron, corresponding to 9.6 fb-1 of integrated luminosity. We report confidence regions in the two-dimensional space of \beta_s and the B0_s decay-width difference \Delta\Gamma_s, and measure \beta_s in [-\pi/2, -1.51] U [-0.06, 0.30] U [1.26, \pi/2] at the 68% confidence level, in agreement with the standard model expectation. Assuming the standard model value of \beta_s, we also determine \Delta\Gamma_s = 0.068 +- 0.026 (stat) +- 0.009 (syst) ps-1 and the mean B0_s lifetime, \tau_s = 1.528 +- 0.019 (stat) +- 0.009 (syst) ps, which are consistent and competitive with determinations by other experiments.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, Phys. Rev. Lett 109, 171802 (2012

Identification of differentially expressed microRNAs in human male breast cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The discovery of small non-coding RNAs and the subsequent analysis of microRNA expression patterns in human cancer specimens have provided completely new insights into cancer biology. Genetic and epigenetic data indicate oncogenic or tumor suppressor function of these pleiotropic regulators. Therefore, many studies analyzed the expression and function of microRNA in human breast cancer, the most frequent malignancy in females. However, nothing is known so far about microRNA expression in male breast cancer, accounting for approximately 1% of all breast cancer cases.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The expression of 319 microRNAs was analyzed in 9 primary human male breast tumors and in epithelial cells from 15 male gynecomastia specimens using fluorescence-labeled bead technology. For identification of differentially expressed microRNAs data were analyzed by cluster analysis and selected statistical methods.</p> <p>Expression levels were validated for the most up- or down-regulated microRNAs in this training cohort using real-time PCR methodology as well as in an independent test cohort comprising 12 cases of human male breast cancer.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Unsupervised cluster analysis separated very well male breast cancer samples and control specimens according to their microRNA expression pattern indicating cancer-specific alterations of microRNA expression in human male breast cancer. miR-21, miR519d, miR-183, miR-197, and miR-493-5p were identified as most prominently up-regulated, miR-145 and miR-497 as most prominently down-regulated in male breast cancer.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Male breast cancer displays several differentially expressed microRNAs. Not all of them are shared with breast cancer biopsies from female patients indicating male breast cancer specific alterations of microRNA expression.</p