Analysis of multispectral signatures and investigation of multi-aspect remote sensing techniques

Two major aspects of remote sensing with multispectral scanners (MSS) are investigated. The first, multispectral signature analysis, includes the effects on classification performance of systematic variations found in the average signals received from various ground covers as well as the prediction of these variations with theoretical models of physical processes. The foremost effects studied are those associated with the time of day airborne MSS data are collected. Six data collection runs made over the same flight line in a period of five hours are analyzed, it is found that the time span significantly affects classification performance. Variations associated with scan angle also are studied. The second major topic of discussion is multi-aspect remote sensing, a new concept in remote sensing with scanners. Here, data are collected on multiple passes by a scanner that can be tilted to scan forward of the aircraft at different angles on different passes. The use of such spatially registered data to achieve improved classification of agricultural scenes is investigated and found promising. Also considered are the possibilities of extracting from multi-aspect data, information on the condition of corn canopies and the stand characteristics of forests

Studies of recognition with multitemporal remote sensor data

Characteristics of multitemporal data and their use in recognition processing were investigated. Principal emphasis was on satellite data collected by the LANDSAT multispectral scanner and on temporal changes throughout a growing season. The effects of spatial misregistration on recognition performance with multitemporal data were examined. A capability to compute probabilities of detection and false alarm was developed and used with simulated distributions for misregistered pixels. Wheat detection was found to be degraded and false alarms increased by misregistration effects. Multitemporal signature characteristics and multitemporal recognition processing were studied to gain insights into problems associated with this approach and possible improvements. Recognition performance with one multitemporal data set displayed marked improvements over results from single-time data

Target-Dependent Regulation of Retinal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor and Tubulin RNAs During Optic Nerve Regeneration in Goldfish

A fundamental issue in central nervous system development regards the effect of target tissue on the differentiation of innervating neurons. We address this issue by characterizing the role the retinal ganglion cell target, i.e., the optic tectum, plays in regulating expression of tubulin and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor genes in regenerating retinal ganglion cells. Tubulins are involved in axonal growth, whereas nicotinic acetylcholine receptors mediate communication across synapses. Retinal ganglion cell axons were induced to regenerate by crushing the optic nerve. Following crush, there was a rapid increase in a-tubulin RNAs (3 days),-which preceded the increase in nicotinic acetylcholine receptor RNAs (10-15 days). Both classes of RNAs approached control levels by the time retinotectal synapses and functional recovery were restored (4-6 weeks). If the optic nerve was repeatedly crushed or its target ablated, tubulin RNAs remained elevated, and the increase in receptor RNAs that would otherwise be seen 2 weeks after a single nerve crush did not occur. The interaction of retinal ganglion cell axons with their targets in the optic tectum appears, then, to exert a suppressive effect on the RNA encoding a cytoskeletal protein, tubulin, and an inductive effect on RNAs encoding nicotinic acetylcholine receptors involved in synaptic communication.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66269/1/j.1471-4159.1992.tb09355.x.pd

The role of glycosidically bound mannose in the assimilation of [beta]-galactosidase by generalized gangliosidosis fibroblasts

Bovine testicular [beta]-galactosidase is rapidly assimilated by generalized gangliosidosis skin fibroblasts. The enzyme contains equimolar amounts of mannose and glucosamine and strongly binds to concanavalin A-Sepharose. Pretreatment of [beta]-galactosidase with a mannosidase preparation from reduced the rate of assimilation of the enzyme 97%. These data indicate that mannosyl residues play a role in assimilation of the enzyme. This conclusion is supported by observed inhibition of [beta]-galactosidase assimilation by mannose, methyl [alpha]- and [beta]-mannopyranosides, and mannose-containing testicular glycoproteins.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/21625/1/0000004.pd

A genetically encoded reporter of synaptic activity in vivo

To image synaptic activity within neural circuits, we tethered the genetically encoded calcium indicator (GECI) GCaMP2 to synaptic vesicles by fusion to synaptophysin. The resulting reporter, SyGCaMP2, detected the electrical activity of neurons with two advantages over existing cytoplasmic GECIs: it identified the locations of synapses and had a linear response over a wider range of spike frequencies. Simulations and experimental measurements indicated that linearity arises because SyGCaMP2 samples the brief calcium transient passing through the presynaptic compartment close to voltage-sensitive calcium channels rather than changes in bulk calcium concentration. In vivo imaging in zebrafish demonstrated that SyGCaMP2 can assess electrical activity in conventional synapses of spiking neurons in the optic tectum and graded voltage signals transmitted by ribbon synapses of retinal bipolar cells. Localizing a GECI to synaptic terminals provides a strategy for monitoring activity across large groups of neurons at the level of individual synapses

A regularity class for the roots of nonnegative functions

We investigate the regularity of the positive roots of a non-negative function of one-variable. A modified H\"older space $\mathcal{F}^\beta$ is introduced such that if $f\in \mathcal{F}^\beta$ then $f^\alpha \in C^{\alpha \beta}$. This provides sufficient conditions to overcome the usual limitation in the square root case ($\alpha = 1/2$) for H\"older functions that $f^{1/2}$ need be no more than $C^1$ in general. We also derive bounds on the wavelet coefficients of $f^\alpha$, which provide a finer understanding of its local regularity.Comment: 12 page

a randomized, open, multicenter phase III trial of lenalidomide/dexamethasone versus lenalidomide/dexamethasone plus subsequent autologous stem cell transplantation and lenalidomide maintenance in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma

Background Despite novel therapeutic agents, most multiple myeloma (MM) patients eventually relapse. Two large phase III trials have shown significantly improved response rates (RR) of lenalidomide/dexamethasone compared with placebo/dexamethasone in relapsed MM (RMM) patients. These results have led to the approval of lenalidomide for RMM patients and lenalidomide/dexamethasone has since become a widely accepted second-line treatment. Furthermore, in RMM patients consolidation with high-dose chemotherapy plus autologous stem cell transplantation has been shown to significantly increase progression free survival (PFS) as compared to cyclophosphamide in a phase III trial. The randomized prospective ReLApsE trial is designed to evaluate PFS after lenalidomide/dexamethasone induction, high-dose chemotherapy consolidation plus autologous stem cell transplantation and lenalidomide maintenance compared with the well-established lenalidomide/dexamethasone regimen in RMM patients. Methods/Design ReLApsE is a randomized, open, multicenter phase III trial in a planned study population of 282 RMM patients. All patients receive three lenalidomide/dexamethasone cycles and - in absence of available stem cells from earlier harvesting - undergo peripheral blood stem cell mobilization and harvesting. Subsequently, patients in arm A continue on consecutive lenalidomide/dexamethasone cycles, patients in arm B undergo high dose chemotherapy plus autologous stem cell transplantation followed by lenalidomide maintenance until discontinuation criteria are met. Therapeutic response is evaluated after the 3rd (arm A + B) and the 5th lenalidomide/dexamethasone cycle (arm A) or 2 months after autologous stem cell transplantation (arm B) and every 3 months thereafter (arm A + B). After finishing the study treatment, patients are followed up for survival and subsequent myeloma therapies. The expected trial duration is 6.25 years from first patient in to last patient out. The primary endpoint is PFS, secondary endpoints include overall survival (OS), RR, time to best response and the influence of early versus late salvage high dose chemotherapy plus autologous stem cell transplantation on OS. Discussion This phase III trial is designed to evaluate whether high dose chemotherapy plus autologous stem cell transplantation and lenalidomide maintenance after lenalidomide/dexamethasone induction improves PFS compared with the well-established continued lenalidomide/dexamethasone regimen in RMM patients. Trial registration: ISRCTN16345835 (date of registration 2010-08-24)