PEDESTRIAN DETECTION BY RANGE IMAGING

changing illumination Remote detection by camera offers a versatile means for recording people activities. Relying principally on changes in video images, the method tends to fail in presence of shadows and illumination changes. This paper explores a possible remedy to these problems by using range cameras instead of conventional video cameras. As range is an intrinsic measure of object geometry, it is basically not affected by illumination. The study described in this paper considers range detection by two state-of-the art cameras, namely a stereo and a time-of-flight camera. Performed investigations consider typical situations of pedestrian detection. The presented results are analyzed and compared in performance with conventional results. The study shows the effective potential of range camera to get rid of light change problems like shadow effects but also presents some current limitations of range cameras.

Pedestrian detection by range imaging

Remote detection by camera offers a versatile means for recording people activities. Relying principally on changes in video images, the method tends to fail in presence of shadows and illumination changes. This paper explores a possible remedy to these problems by using range cameras instead of conventional video cameras. As range is an intrinsic measure of object geometry, it is basically not affected by illumination. The study described in this paper considers range detection by two state-of-the art cameras, namely a stereo and a time-of-flight camera. Performed investigations consider typical situations of pedestrian detection. The presented results are analyzed and compared in performance with conventional results. The study shows the effective potential of range camera to get rid of light change problems like shadow effects but also presents some current limitations of range cameras

Structural organization of alpha-subunit from purified and microsomal toad kidney (Na+ + K+)-ATPase as assessed by controlled trypsinolysis

The membrane organization of the alpha-subunit of purified (Na+ + K+)-ATPase ((Na+ + K+)-dependent adenosine triphosphate phosphorylase, EC 3.6.1.3) and of the microsomal enzyme of the kidney of the toad Bufo marinus was compared by using controlled trypsinolysis. With both enzyme preparations, digestions performed in the presence of Na+ yielded a 73 kDa fragment and in the presence of K+ a 56 kDa, a 40 kDa and small amounts of a 83 kDa fragment from the 96 kDa alpha-subunit. In contrast to mammalian preparations (Jørgensen, P.L. (1975) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 401, 399-415), trypsinolysis of the purified amphibian enzyme led to a biphasic loss of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity in the presence of both Na+ and K+. These data could be correlated with an early rapid cleavage of 3 kDa from the alpha-subunit in both ionic conditions and a slower degradation of the remaining 93 kDa polypeptide. On the other hand, in the microsomal enzyme, a 3 kDa shift of the alpha-subunit could only be produced in the presence of Na+. Our data indicate that (1) purification of the amphibian enzyme with detergent does not influence the overall topology of the alpha-subunit but produces a distinct structural alteration of its N-terminus and (2) the amphibian kidney enzyme responds to cations with similar conformational transitions as the mammalian kidney enzyme. In addition, anti alpha-serum used on digested enzyme samples revealed on immunoblots that the 40 kDa fragment was better recognized than the 56 kDa fragment. It is concluded that the NH2-terminal of the alpha-subunit contains more antigenic sites than the COOH-terminal domain in agreement with the results of Farley et al. (Farley, R.A., Ochoa, G.T. and Kudrow, A. (1986) Am. J. Physiol. 250, C896-C906)

Inhibition of N-glycosylation affects transepithelial Na+ but not Na+-K+-ATPase transport

Tunicamycin (TM) was used in toad urinary bladder (TBM) cells to study the role of N-glycosylation of the beta-subunit of Na+-K+-ATPase. Inhibition of the beta-subunit core glycosylation was dose dependent and coincided with a specific 70% decrease in newly synthesized beta- and alpha-subunits. Na+-K+-ATPase activity paralleled the decrease in the cellular content of the alpha-subunit, although the cellular and cell surface-expressed Na+-K+-ATPase pool was progressively filled up with nonglycosylated beta-subunits. In addition, the decrease in maximal Na+ transport capacity of the Na+-K+-ATPase as assessed by short-circuit current (SCC) measurements in the presence of amphotericin B correlated with the decrease in the total cell surface-expressed beta-subunit population despite the fact that it was composed of 47% nonglycosylated beta-subunits after 42 h of TM treatment. These results are consistent with the interpretation that beta-subunit glycosylation is not important either for the enzyme's intracellular sorting to the plasma membrane or its hydrolytic and transport properties. Finally, TM produced effects on basal SCC and electrical resistance that differed in their times of onset and time periods needed for recovery. Thus, in addition to the Na+-K+-ATPase, other glycoproteins in the apical membrane and the tight junctions must be implicated in the maintenance of transepithelial Na+ transport