An implementation of a versatile camera calibration technique for high-accuracy 3D machine vision metrology using off-the-shelf TV camera and lenses

This thesis studies and implements a new versatile camera calibration technique for high-accuracy 3D machine vision metrology using off-the-shelf TV camera and lenses developed by Roger Tsai [1]. This technique builds up a unique relationship from the world coordinate system to the computer image coordinate system of calibration points by using a radial alignment constraint. The technique has advantage in terms of accuracy, speed, and versatility over existing techniques. The fundamental knowledge for using this technique is presented in this thesis first, followed by an overview of the existing calibration techniques, and a detailed description of the new technique. The implementation is then presented step by step and is algorithm-oriented. Finally, the experimental results using real data are reported. A precise calibration pattern, a CCD camera with zoom lens and a DADACUBE image acquisition system are used for the implementation of the calibration technique. This thesis supplies the calibrated parameters for researchers who will use the CCD camera in their research, and may pave the way for future research in camera calibration

Lossless Compression of Data Tables in Mobile Devices by Using Co-clustering

Data tables have been widely used for storage of a collection of related records in a structured format in many mobile applications. The lossless compression of data tables not only brings benefits for storage, but also reduces network transmission latencies and energy costs in batteries. In this paper, we propose a novel lossless compression approach by combining co-clustering and information coding theory. It reorders table columns and rows simultaneously for shaping homogeneous blocks and further optimizes alignment within a block to expose redundancy, such that standard lossless encoders can significantly improve compression ratios. We tested the approach on a synthetic dataset and ten UCI real-life datasets by using a standard compressor 7Z. The extensive experimental results suggest that compared with the direct table compression without co-clustering and within-block alignment, our approach can boost compression rates at least 21% and up to 68%. The results also show that the compression time cost of the co-clustering approach is linearly proportional to a data table size. In addition, since the inverse transform of co-clustering is just exchange of rows and columns according to recorded indexes, the decompression procedure runs very fast and the decompression time cost is similar to the counterpart without using co-clustering. Thereby, our approach is suitable for lossless compression of data tables in mobile devices with constrained resources

Landscape of enhancer disruption and functional screen in melanoma cells

Abstract Background The high mutation rate throughout the entire melanoma genome presents a major challenge in stratifying true driver events from the background mutations. Numerous recurrent non-coding alterations, such as those in enhancers, can shape tumor evolution, thereby emphasizing the importance in systematically deciphering enhancer disruptions in melanoma. Results Here, we leveraged 297 melanoma whole-genome sequencing samples to prioritize highly recurrent regions. By performing a genome-scale CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) screen on highly recurrent region-associated enhancers in melanoma cells, we identified 66 significant hits which could have tumor-suppressive roles. These functional enhancers show unique mutational patterns independent of classical significantly mutated genes in melanoma. Target gene analysis for the essential enhancers reveal many known and hidden mechanisms underlying melanoma growth. Utilizing extensive functional validation experiments, we demonstrate that a super enhancer element could modulate melanoma cell proliferation by targeting MEF2A, and another distal enhancer is able to sustain PTEN tumor-suppressive potential via long-range interactions. Conclusions Our study establishes a catalogue of crucial enhancers and their target genes in melanoma growth and progression, and illuminates the identification of novel mechanisms of dysregulation for melanoma driver genes and new therapeutic targeting strategies