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

Theoretical predictions for the direct detection of neutralino dark matter in the NMSSM

We analyse the direct detection of neutralino dark matter in the framework of the Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. After performing a detailed analysis of the parameter space, taking into account all the available constraints from LEPII, we compute the neutralino-nucleon cross section, and compare the results with the sensitivity of detectors. We find that sizable values for the detection cross section, within the reach of dark matter detectors, are attainable in this framework. For example, neutralino-proton cross sections compatible with the sensitivity of present experiments can be obtained due to the exchange of very light Higgses with m_{h_1^0}\lsim 70 GeV. Such Higgses have a significant singlet composition, thus escaping detection and being in agreement with accelerator data. The lightest neutralino in these cases exhibits a large singlino-Higgsino composition, and a mass in the range 50\lsim m_{\tilde\chi_1^0}\lsim 100 GeV.Comment: Final version to appear in JHEP. References added. LaTeX, 53 pages, 23 figure

Environment and harvest time affects the combustion qualities of Miscanthus genotypes

Miscanthus spp. are high-yielding perennial C4 grasses, native to Asia, that are being investigated in Europe as potential biofuels. Production of economically viable solid biofuel must combine high biomass yields with good combustion qualities. Good biomass combustion quality depends on minimizing moisture, ash, K, chloride, N, and S. To this end, field trials at five sites in Europe from Sweden to Portugal were planted with 15 different genotypes including M. x giganteus, M. sacchariflorus, M. sinensis, and newly bred M. sinensis hybrids. Yield and combustion quality at an autumn and a late winter/ early spring harvest were determined in the third year after planting when the stands had reached maturity. As expected, delaying the harvest by three to four months improved the combustion quality of all genotypes by reducing ash (from 40 to 25 g kg-1 dry matter), K (from 9 to 4 g kg-1 dry matter), chloride (from 4 to 1 g kg-1 dry matter), N (from 5 to 4 g kg-1 dry matter), and moisture (from 564 to 291 g kg-1 fresh matter). However, the delayed harvest also decreased mean biomass yields from 17 to 14 t ha-1. There is a strong interaction among yield, quality, and site growing conditions. Results show that in northern regions of Europe, M. sinensis hybrids can be recommended for high yields (yielding up to 25 t ha-1), but M. sinensis (nonhybrid) genotypes have higher combustion qualities. In mid- and south Europe, M. giganteus (yielding up to 38 t ha-1) or specific high-yielding M. sinensis hybrids (yielding up to 41 t ha-1) are more suitable for biofuel production

Thermal analysis in oxidative and pyrolysis conditions of alkaline earth metals picolinates using the techniques:TG-DSC, DSC, MWTA, HSM and EGA (TG-DSC-FTIR and HSM-MS)

Made available in DSpace on 2019-10-06T15:58:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2018-10-01Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)University of HuddersfieldSynthesis, characterization, thermal stability and pyrolysis of some alkaline earth picolinates M(C6H5NO2)2⋅nH2O (where M = Mg(II), Ca(II), Sr(II) and Ba(II) and n = di (Mg), mono (Ca), hemi three (Sr) hydrated) were investigated using a range of techniques including simultaneous thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry (TG–DSC), evolved gas analysis (EGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Hot-Stage microscopy (HSM), powder X-ray diffractometry (PXRD), complexometry with EDTA and elemental analysis (EA). The TG-DSC curves show that the hydrated compounds dehydrate in a single step of mass loss and the thermal stability of the anhydrous compound is little influenced from the atmosphere used. On the other hand, the mechanisms of thermal decomposition are profoundly influenced by the atmosphere used, as can also be observed in the EGA data. In addition, a comparison between two calorimetric techniques, Microwave Thermal Analysis (MWTA) and DSC, was made which showed similar profiles. Two evolved gas analysis (EGA) techniques: TG-DSC coupled to FTIR and HSM coupled to a quadrupole mass spectrometer (MS) were also used to provide additional information about the pyrolysis mechanism.Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Instituto de QuímicaThermal Methods Research Unit Department of Chemistry University of Huddersfield, HuddersfieldInstituto Federal de Educação Ciência e Tecnologia do Paraná (IFPR)Instituto Federal de Educação Ciência e Tecnologia de Rondônia (IFRO)Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Faculdade de Ciências Departamento de QuímicaUniversidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Instituto de QuímicaUniversidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Faculdade de Ciências Departamento de Químic

μ−e\mu-e conversion in nuclei within the CMSSM seesaw: universality versus non-universality

In this paper we study $\mu-e$ conversion in nuclei within the context of the Constrained Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model, enlarged by three right handed neutrinos and their supersymmetric partners, and where the neutrino masses are generated via a seesaw mechanism. Two different scenarios with either universal or non-universal soft supersymmetry breaking Higgs masses at the gauge coupling unification scale are considered. In the first part we present a complete one-loop computation of the conversion rate for this process that includes the photon-, $Z$-boson, and Higgs-boson penguins, as well as box diagrams, and compare their size in the two considered scenarios. Then, in these two scenarios we analyse the relevance of the various parameters on the conversion rates, particularly emphasising the role played by the heavy neutrino masses, $\tan \beta$, and especially $\theta_{13}$. In the case of hierachical heavy neutrinos, an extremely high sensitivity of the rates to $\theta_{13}$ is indeed found. The last part of this work is devoted to the study of the interesting loss of correlation between the $\mu-e$ conversion and $\mu \to e \gamma$ rates that occurs in the non-universal scenario. In the case of large $\tan \beta$ and light $H^0$ Higgs boson an enhanced ratio of the $\mu-e$ to $\mu \to e \gamma$ rates, with respect to the universal case is found, and this could be tested with the future experimental sensitivities.Comment: 48 pages, 15 figures. Minor typos corrected and some references adde

Phenomenology of the constrained NMSSM

We discuss several phenomenological aspects of the fully constrained version of the next-to-minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard model (cNMSSM). Assuming universal boundary conditions at a high energy scale for the soft supersymmetry-breaking gaugino, sfermion and Higgs masses as well as for the trilinear interactions, we find that the model can satisfy all present constraints from colliders and cosmological data on dark matter, B- and muon-physics. The phenomenologically viable region of the parameter space of the cNMSSM can be described by essentially one single parameter as the universal gaugino mass parameter M_{1/2}, and corresponds to small values for the universal scalar mass m_0. The lightest supersymmetric particle is always a singlino-like neutralino that is almost degenerate with the lightest tau slepton. We study the particle spectrum of the model and its signatures at the LHC, such as possibly long-lived tau sleptons at the end of decay chains, that would distinguish the cNMSSM from the constrained MSSM.Comment: 30 pages, 14 figures, references and comments adde

Gelatin-based microspheres crosslinked with glutaraldehyde and rutin oriented to cosmetics

ABSTRACT Glutaraldehyde (GTA) has been extensively used as a gelatin crosslinking agent, however, new natural ones have been suggested as more biocompatible. Polyphenols are possible candidates and the flavonols, such as rutin (RUT), also exhibit potential synergism with sunscreens and antioxidant agents used in cosmetics. In this work, gelatin microspheres (M0) were obtained and crosslinked with GTA 10 mM (MG) or RUT 10 mM (MR), dissolved in acetone:NaOH 0,01M (70:30 v/v). MG exhibited crosslinking extent of 54.4%. Gelatin, M0, MG and MR did not elicit any signs of skin damage, regarding the formation of erythema, the barrier function disruption and negative interference in the stratum corneum hydration. Oily dispersions containing M0, MG or MR, isolated or combined with benzophenone-3 or octyl methoxycinnamate, suggested that the microspheres, at a 5.0% w/w, had no additional chemical or physical photoprotective effect in vitro. Crosslinking with RUT had occurred, but in a lower degree than GTA. Microspheres had not improved sun protection parameters, although, non-treated gelatin interfered positively with the SPF for both UV filters. The in vivo studies demonstrated that these materials had very good skin compatibility

Search for direct production of charginos and neutralinos in events with three leptons and missing transverse momentum in √s = 7 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for the direct production of charginos and neutralinos in final states with three electrons or muons and missing transverse momentum is presented. The analysis is based on 4.7 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data delivered by the Large Hadron Collider and recorded with the ATLAS detector. Observations are consistent with Standard Model expectations in three signal regions that are either depleted or enriched in Z-boson decays. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set in R-parity conserving phenomenological minimal supersymmetric models and in simplified models, significantly extending previous results

Search for displaced vertices arising from decays of new heavy particles in 7 TeV pp collisions at ATLAS

We present the results of a search for new, heavy particles that decay at a significant distance from their production point into a final state containing charged hadrons in association with a high-momentum muon. The search is conducted in a pp-collision data sample with a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV and an integrated luminosity of 33 pb^-1 collected in 2010 by the ATLAS detector operating at the Large Hadron Collider. Production of such particles is expected in various scenarios of physics beyond the standard model. We observe no signal and place limits on the production cross-section of supersymmetric particles in an R-parity-violating scenario as a function of the neutralino lifetime. Limits are presented for different squark and neutralino masses, enabling extension of the limits to a variety of other models.Comment: 8 pages plus author list (20 pages total), 8 figures, 1 table, final version to appear in Physics Letters

Jet size dependence of single jet suppression in lead-lead collisions at sqrt(s(NN)) = 2.76 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

Measurements of inclusive jet suppression in heavy ion collisions at the LHC provide direct sensitivity to the physics of jet quenching. In a sample of lead-lead collisions at sqrt(s) = 2.76 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of approximately 7 inverse microbarns, ATLAS has measured jets with a calorimeter over the pseudorapidity interval |eta| < 2.1 and over the transverse momentum range 38 < pT < 210 GeV. Jets were reconstructed using the anti-kt algorithm with values for the distance parameter that determines the nominal jet radius of R = 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5. The centrality dependence of the jet yield is characterized by the jet "central-to-peripheral ratio," Rcp. Jet production is found to be suppressed by approximately a factor of two in the 10% most central collisions relative to peripheral collisions. Rcp varies smoothly with centrality as characterized by the number of participating nucleons. The observed suppression is only weakly dependent on jet radius and transverse momentum. These results provide the first direct measurement of inclusive jet suppression in heavy ion collisions and complement previous measurements of dijet transverse energy imbalance at the LHC.Comment: 15 pages plus author list (30 pages total), 8 figures, 2 tables, submitted to Physics Letters B. All figures including auxiliary figures are available at http://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/HION-2011-02