Reflection-Aware Sound Source Localization

We present a novel, reflection-aware method for 3D sound localization in indoor environments. Unlike prior approaches, which are mainly based on continuous sound signals from a stationary source, our formulation is designed to localize the position instantaneously from signals within a single frame. We consider direct sound and indirect sound signals that reach the microphones after reflecting off surfaces such as ceilings or walls. We then generate and trace direct and reflected acoustic paths using inverse acoustic ray tracing and utilize these paths with Monte Carlo localization to estimate a 3D sound source position. We have implemented our method on a robot with a cube-shaped microphone array and tested it against different settings with continuous and intermittent sound signals with a stationary or a mobile source. Across different settings, our approach can localize the sound with an average distance error of 0.8m tested in a room of 7m by 7m area with 3m height, including a mobile and non-line-of-sight sound source. We also reveal that the modeling of indirect rays increases the localization accuracy by 40% compared to only using direct acoustic rays.Comment: Submitted to ICRA 2018. The working video is available at (https://youtu.be/TkQ36lMEC-M

Topological RANSAC for instance verification and retrieval without fine-tuning

This paper presents an innovative approach to enhancing explainable image retrieval, particularly in situations where a fine-tuning set is unavailable. The widely-used SPatial verification (SP) method, despite its efficacy, relies on a spatial model and the hypothesis-testing strategy for instance recognition, leading to inherent limitations, including the assumption of planar structures and neglect of topological relations among features. To address these shortcomings, we introduce a pioneering technique that replaces the spatial model with a topological one within the RANSAC process. We propose bio-inspired saccade and fovea functions to verify the topological consistency among features, effectively circumventing the issues associated with SP's spatial model. Our experimental results demonstrate that our method significantly outperforms SP, achieving state-of-the-art performance in non-fine-tuning retrieval. Furthermore, our approach can enhance performance when used in conjunction with fine-tuned features. Importantly, our method retains high explainability and is lightweight, offering a practical and adaptable solution for a variety of real-world applications

Evaluating Indoor Air Phthalates and Volatile Organic Compounds in Nail Salons in the Greater New York City Area: A Pilot Study

The Greater New York City area ranks highest in the United States in the number of nail salon technicians, primarily Asian immigrant women. Nail salon technicians are exposed to toxic phthalates and volatile organic compounds daily in nail salons. The purpose of this pilot study was to measure a mixture of phthalates and volatile organic compounds in nail salons in the Greater New York City area, and to characterize work-related determinants of indoor air quality in these nail salons. Working with four Asian nail salon organizations in the Greater New York City area, we measured indoor air phthalates and volatile organic compounds at 20 nail salons from February to May 2021 using silicone wristbands and passive samplers, respectively. Nail salon characteristics were also examined. We measured six phthalates and 31 volatile organic compounds. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and Diethyl phthalate had the highest concentrations among the six phthalates measured. Concentrations of toluene, d -limonene, methyl methacrylate, and ethyl methacrylate were higher than that of the rest. Manicure/pedicure tables, the number of customers per day, and application of artificial nail (acrylic) services were positively associated with the levels of phthalates and volatile organic compounds. Given the large number of people employed in the nail industry and the even larger number of customers visiting such establishments, exposures to these toxic chemicals are likely to be widespread

Search for new particles in events with energetic jets and large missing transverse momentum in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV

A search is presented for new particles produced at the LHC in proton-proton collisions at root s = 13 TeV, using events with energetic jets and large missing transverse momentum. The analysis is based on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 101 fb(-1), collected in 2017-2018 with the CMS detector. Machine learning techniques are used to define separate categories for events with narrow jets from initial-state radiation and events with large-radius jets consistent with a hadronic decay of a W or Z boson. A statistical combination is made with an earlier search based on a data sample of 36 fb(-1), collected in 2016. No significant excess of events is observed with respect to the standard model background expectation determined from control samples in data. The results are interpreted in terms of limits on the branching fraction of an invisible decay of the Higgs boson, as well as constraints on simplified models of dark matter, on first-generation scalar leptoquarks decaying to quarks and neutrinos, and on models with large extra dimensions. Several of the new limits, specifically for spin-1 dark matter mediators, pseudoscalar mediators, colored mediators, and leptoquarks, are the most restrictive to date.Peer reviewe

Combined searches for the production of supersymmetric top quark partners in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV

A combination of searches for top squark pair production using proton-proton collision data at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV at the CERN LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb(-1) collected by the CMS experiment, is presented. Signatures with at least 2 jets and large missing transverse momentum are categorized into events with 0, 1, or 2 leptons. New results for regions of parameter space where the kinematical properties of top squark pair production and top quark pair production are very similar are presented. Depending on themodel, the combined result excludes a top squarkmass up to 1325 GeV for amassless neutralino, and a neutralinomass up to 700 GeV for a top squarkmass of 1150 GeV. Top squarks with masses from 145 to 295 GeV, for neutralino masses from 0 to 100 GeV, with a mass difference between the top squark and the neutralino in a window of 30 GeV around the mass of the top quark, are excluded for the first time with CMS data. The results of theses searches are also interpreted in an alternative signal model of dark matter production via a spin-0 mediator in association with a top quark pair. Upper limits are set on the cross section for mediator particle masses of up to 420 GeV

Probing effective field theory operators in the associated production of top quarks with a Z boson in multilepton final states at root s=13 TeV

Peer reviewe

Observation of tW production in the single-lepton channel in pp collisions at root s=13 TeV

A measurement of the cross section of the associated production of a single top quark and a W boson in final states with a muon or electron and jets in proton-proton collisions at root s = 13 TeV is presented. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 36 fb(-1) collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC in 2016. A boosted decision tree is used to separate the tW signal from the dominant t (t) over bar background, whilst the subleading W+jets and multijet backgrounds are constrained using data-based estimates. This result is the first observation of the tW process in final states containing a muon or electron and jets, with a significance exceeding 5 standard deviations. The cross section is determined to be 89 +/- 4 (stat) +/- 12 (syst) pb, consistent with the standard model.Peer reviewe

Measurement of the top quark mass using events with a single reconstructed top quark in pp collisions at root s=13 TeV

Abstract:A measurement of the top quark mass is performed using a data sample en-riched with single top quark events produced in thetchannel. The study is based on proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb−1, recorded at√s= 13TeV by the CMS experiment at the LHC in 2016. Candidate events are selectedby requiring an isolated high-momentum lepton (muon or electron) and exactly two jets,of which one is identified as originating from a bottom quark. Multivariate discriminantsare designed to separate the signal from the background. Optimized thresholds are placedon the discriminant outputs to obtain an event sample with high signal purity. The topquark mass is found to be172.13+0.76−0.77GeV, where the uncertainty includes both the sta-tistical and systematic components, reaching sub-GeV precision for the first time in thisevent topology. The masses of the top quark and antiquark are also determined separatelyusing the lepton charge in the final state, from which the mass ratio and difference aredetermined to be0.9952+0.0079−0.0104and0.83+1.79−1.35GeV, respectively. The results are consistentwithCPTinvariance