Curve segmentation using directional information, relation to pattern detection

©2005 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. However, permission to reprint/republish this material for advertising or promotional purposes or for creating new collective works for resale or distribution to servers or lists, or to reuse any copyrighted component of this work in other works must be obtained from the IEEE. This material is presented to ensure timely dissemination of scholarly and technical work. Copyright and all rights therein are retained by authors or by other copyright holders. All persons copying this information are expected to adhere to the terms and constraints invoked by each author's copyright. In most cases, these works may not be reposted without the explicit permission of the copyright holder.Presented at the 2005 International Conference on Image Processing (ICIP)September 11-14, 2005, Genova, Italy.DOI: 10.1109/ICIP.2005.1530175We propose an extension of the conformal (or geodesic) active contour framework in which the conformal factor depends not only on the position of the curve but also on the direction of its tangent. We describe several properties for variational curve segmentation schemes that justify the construction of optimal conformal factors (i.e., learning) in strong connection with pattern matching. The determination of optimal curves (i.e., segmentation) can be performed using either the calculus of variations or dynamic programming. The technique is illustrated on a road detection problem for different signal to noise ratios

Systematic study of the Taylor method for production of cu-based shape memory alloy microwires : a master's thesis

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, 2012.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 39-40).The Taylor method is a proven way to produce Cu-based shape memory microwires that aren't plagued by problems typical in polycrystalline copper SMAs produced by other methods. Here we set out to expand and refine this processing method to take the first critical steps toward large-scale continuous production. Using a semi-automated processing route, we draw continuous, uniform fibers up to 5 meters in length with diameters in the range 10 - 35 microns. Particular attention is paid to microwires made from a Cu-Sn shape memory alloy. In addition, because the properties of shape memory microwires depend on their diameter, processing parameters were varied to understand their impact on the diameters of the resulting wires.by Eric Szablinski.S.M

It’s Not Brain Science… Or Is It? How Early Second Language Learning Can Impact Future Achievement

Capstone paper from 2015 spring MPA program. Instructed by Allen Zagoren.We live in a global economy, yet U.S. citizens lag far behind in the knowledge of other countries’ languages, cultures, customs, geographies and peoples. Equipping the next generation with foreign language skills as well as knowledge of other cultures and customs will not only provide increased career opportunities for individuals but also aid in the future success of the U.S. economy. The U.S. educational system does not stress the learning of language beyond English: K-12 curriculum is rigidly mandated, budgets are tight, class time and teacher training is limited, and language programs are often among the first to be cut during budget crises. There is a time period when a child’s brain is developing and most receptive to learning, and that is early childhood. If the seed were planted in a child before he/she enters kindergarten to learn the basics of a foreign language and culture, perhaps that knowledge could be nourished throughout the rest of their lives, preparing those children to embrace cultural differences, live and compete more successfully in an evolving and diverse world, and be better equipped for later education. Besides examining the current state of foreign language education in the U.S. and how learning occurs, the benefits of foreign language learning in relation to business and human relations are examined in this paper. Multiple solutions to solving the foreign language deficit are mentioned including a proposal for an early-learning language program

The Sigourney Mews project

This report describes a community organizing effort targetting the Asylum Hill neighborhood of Hartford, Ct. (Library-derived description)Allen, E. (1989). The Sigourney Mews project. Retrieved from http://academicarchive.snhu.eduMaster of Science (M.S.)School of Community Economic Developmen

A Delicate Balance: District Policies and Classroom Practices

This report examines why large reform initiatives often end in failure. "A Delicate Balance: District Policies and Classroom Practices", is based on three years of research and tracks policy initiatives in Chicago, Milwaukee, and Seattle as they wind their way from central office to the classroom

The propagator for a general form field in AdSd+1AdS_{d+1}

Using the known propagator equations for 0,1 and 2 forms in AdS_{d+1}, we find the p-form field propagator equations in dimensions where the forms are Poincare dual. Since the general equation obeyed by the propagators is linear in dimension, this gives us the equation obeyed by the propagators for any d. Furthermore, based on the Poincare duality formulas for 0,1,2 and 3 forms we conjecture the general form of the Poincare duality formulas, and check them against the previously found propagator equations. The whole structure is self-consistent. Once we have the equations, we can easily obtain all the p-form field propagators in AdS_{d+1}. The generalization to massive p-forms can also be easily done.Comment: Extra chapter added on massive p-forms. 10 pages, REVTE