Separating true range measurements from multi-path and scattering interference in commercial range cameras

Time-of-flight range cameras acquire a three-dimensional image of a scene simultaneously for all pixels from a single viewing location. Attempts to use range cameras for metrology applications have been hampered by the multi-path problem, which causes range distortions when stray light interferes with the range measurement in a given pixel. Correcting multi-path distortions by post-processing the three-dimensional measurement data has been investigated, but enjoys limited success because the interference is highly scene dependent. An alternative approach based on separating the strongest and weaker sources of light returned to each pixel, prior to range decoding, is more successful, but has only been demonstrated on custom built range cameras, and has not been suitable for general metrology applications. In this paper we demonstrate an algorithm applied to both the Mesa Imaging SR-4000 and Canesta Inc. XZ-422 Demonstrator unmodified off-the-shelf range cameras. Additional raw images are acquired and processed using an optimization approach, rather than relying on the processing provided by the manufacturer, to determine the individual component returns in each pixel. Substantial improvements in accuracy are observed, especially in the darker regions of the scene

Useful applications of earth-oriented satellites - Systems for remote-sensing information and distribution, panel 8

Problems and potential use of data gathered by remote sensing from satellites or aircraf

Discovering Valuable Items from Massive Data

Suppose there is a large collection of items, each with an associated cost and an inherent utility that is revealed only once we commit to selecting it. Given a budget on the cumulative cost of the selected items, how can we pick a subset of maximal value? This task generalizes several important problems such as multi-arm bandits, active search and the knapsack problem. We present an algorithm, GP-Select, which utilizes prior knowledge about similarity be- tween items, expressed as a kernel function. GP-Select uses Gaussian process prediction to balance exploration (estimating the unknown value of items) and exploitation (selecting items of high value). We extend GP-Select to be able to discover sets that simultaneously have high utility and are diverse. Our preference for diversity can be specified as an arbitrary monotone submodular function that quantifies the diminishing returns obtained when selecting similar items. Furthermore, we exploit the structure of the model updates to achieve an order of magnitude (up to 40X) speedup in our experiments without resorting to approximations. We provide strong guarantees on the performance of GP-Select and apply it to three real-world case studies of industrial relevance: (1) Refreshing a repository of prices in a Global Distribution System for the travel industry, (2) Identifying diverse, binding-affine peptides in a vaccine de- sign task and (3) Maximizing clicks in a web-scale recommender system by recommending items to users

Structural analysis of DNA binding by C.Csp231I, a member of a novel class of R-M controller proteins regulating gene expression

In a wide variety of bacterial restriction–modification systems, a regulatory `controller' protein (or C-protein) is required for effective transcription of its own gene and for transcription of the endonuclease gene found on the same operon. We have recently turned our attention to a new class of controller proteins (exemplified by C.Csp231I) that have quite novel features, including a much larger DNA-binding site with an 18 bp (∼60 Å) spacer between the two palindromic DNA-binding sequences and a very different recognition sequence from the canonical GACT/AGTC. Using X-ray crystallography, the structure of the protein in complex with its 21 bp DNA-recognition sequence was solved to 1.8 Å resolution, and the molecular basis of sequence recognition in this class of proteins was elucidated. An unusual aspect of the promoter sequence is the extended spacer between the dimer binding sites, suggesting a novel interaction between the two C-protein dimers when bound to both recognition sites correctly spaced on the DNA. A U-bend model is proposed for this tetrameric complex, based on the results of gel-mobility assays, hydrodynamic analysis and the observation of key contacts at the interface between dimers in the crystal.</jats:p

Pilot, Rollout and Monte Carlo Tree Search Methods for Job Shop Scheduling

Greedy heuristics may be attuned by looking ahead for each possible choice, in an approach called the rollout or Pilot method. These methods may be seen as meta-heuristics that can enhance (any) heuristic solution, by repetitively modifying a master solution: similarly to what is done in game tree search, better choices are identified using lookahead, based on solutions obtained by repeatedly using a greedy heuristic. This paper first illustrates how the Pilot method improves upon some simple well known dispatch heuristics for the job-shop scheduling problem. The Pilot method is then shown to be a special case of the more recent Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) methods: Unlike the Pilot method, MCTS methods use random completion of partial solutions to identify promising branches of the tree. The Pilot method and a simple version of MCTS, using the $\varepsilon$-greedy exploration paradigms, are then compared within the same framework, consisting of 300 scheduling problems of varying sizes with fixed-budget of rollouts. Results demonstrate that MCTS reaches better or same results as the Pilot methods in this context.Comment: Learning and Intelligent OptimizatioN (LION'6) 7219 (2012

Bright X-ray radiation from plasma bubbles in an evolving laser wakefield accelerator

We show that the properties of the electron beam and bright x-rays produced by a laser wakefield accelerator can be predicted if the distance over which the laser self-focuses and compresses prior to self-injection is taken into account. A model based on oscillations of the beam inside a plasma bubble shows that performance is optimised when the plasma length is matched to the laser depletion length. With a 200~TW laser pulse this results in an x-ray beam with median photon energy of \unit[20]{keV}, $> 6\times 10^{8}$ photons above \unit[1]{keV} per shot and a peak brightness of \unit[3 \times 10^{22}]{photons~s^{-1}mrad^{-2}mm^{-2} (0.1\% BW)^{-1}}.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Oblique Confinement and Phase Transitions in Chern-Simons Gauge Theories

We investigate non-perturbative features of a planar Chern-Simons gauge theory modeling the long distance physics of quantum Hall systems, including a finite gap M for excitations. By formulating the model on a lattice, we identify the relevant topological configurations and their interactions. For M bigger than a critical value, the model exhibits an oblique confinement phase, which we identify with Lauglin's incompressible quantum fluid. For M smaller than the critical value, we obtain a phase transition to a Coulomb phase or a confinement phase, depending on the value of the electromagnetic coupling.Comment: 8 pages, harvmac, DFUPG 91/94 and MPI-PhT/94-9

Creating a Protocol for Patient Outreach at a Primary Care Clinic

Purpose. The way that patient care is being delivered is evolving. One way in which this is happening is through patient centered medical homes (PCMH). PCMH represent a model of care that is accountable for meeting a patient’s care needs, including prevention and wellness, acute care and chronic care. To obtain status as a recognized PCMH, practices must fulfill specific quality care initiatives including patient outreach. Another way in which patient care is changing is through MACRA. This government initiative changes the way that practices are reimbursed for their services from fee-for-service to outcomes based measurements. Practices are now responsible for reporting on 4 different measures, with this project focusing on the quality improvement and meaningful use. This protocol is meant to fulfill these requirements. This project outlines specific guidelines for 12 different patient outreach topics including: pap smears, hypertension, colorectal cancer screening, pneumonia vaccinations, depression screening, smoking cessation in patients with COPD, hepatitis vaccination, Tdap vaccination, INR in patients on coumadin, mammograms, HgA1C, and influenza vaccination. These guidelines determine the criteria for creating lists of patients via the electronic health record (EHR), that need to be contacted for each of the 12 topics. Methods. It was planned to use reporting tools and data mining capabilities from the EHR in use at the clinic to develop lists of patients who met specific criteria pertaining to each topic and its associated guideline and to contact patients electronically via MyHealthOnline (a profile used to securely communicate from provider to patient and vice versa). The goal was to encourage them to contact the office to make an appointment to address that specific health maintenance topic. Outcome measures were determined to be the number of patients who needed to perform each of these activities at the beginning of implementation, versus those who have them completed after patient outreach within a 4-month period. Results. Electronic communication was not feasible as many of the patients at the practice were not signed up for MyHealthOnline. Instead, a smaller sample size of 64 patients was contacted across 4 selected health maintenance topics: colonoscopies, pneumococcal vaccines, Hemoglobin A1C’s \u3e8%, and hypertension. Twenty patients were contacted about colonoscopies, 6 for pneumococcal vaccines, 18 for HgbA1C \u3e8% and 20 for hypertension. Of those contacted, 34 answered their phone and 30 were left voicemails – 2 of whom immediately called back. Average time spent per phone call was 2 minutes, with outliers of 17 seconds and 20 minutes. Currently, 2 months have passed since the intervention was implemented. Outcomes will be calculated once 4 months have passed since implementation. Conclusion. Reliable methods of communication between care providers and patients are vital to patient outreach. Organization of clinical data and protocols for doing such activities are vital for ease of submission of required data for clinics wishing to maintain their status as a patient centered medical home and to achieve maximum reimbursement from Medicare/Medicaid. Patient outreach has other benefits including presenting a unique opportunity for education and motivation