生物Reichardt运动检测器和感受域模板的 FPGA设计与实现

为了在图像处理中快速地实现运动检测和相机自身运动方式估算,引入了基于生物视觉机制的Reichardt运动检测器模型(EMD)和感受域模板.分析了Reichardt运动检测器模型的基本特性及其缺陷.为了克服模型上的主要缺陷,在应用中选择了一种优化模型,应用该模型可以得到较好的运动检测结果.同时,提出了基于苍蝇视觉系统的6个感受域模板,用以实现简单自身运动方式的估算,如相机自身的平移、旋转等.最后,在FPGA(FieldProgrammable Gate Array)平台上实现了相关的算法.实验结果表明,优化后的运动检测器可以快速地判断局部运动方向,感受域模板可实现在特定背景下的简单运动方式估算;对分辨率为256×256像素的输入图片,本设计中的FPGA系统可达到每秒350帧的处理速率,所产生的延时仅为0.25μs,达到了快速处理的要求.此模型可应用于实时的机器视觉系统,如进行障碍物检测、整体运动方式估算、UAV/MAV的稳定控制等.     

Temperature and pump power dependent photoluminescence characterization of MBE grown GaAsBi on GaAs

Bulk and quantum well GaAs_1?xBi_x/GaAs layers with Bi mole fractions from 0.02 to 0.10 are grown by molecular-beam epitaxy at temperatures ranging from 280 to 320?°C. The samples are characterized using temperature and pump-power dependent photoluminescence measurements covering 8–300?K and 1–250?mW (7–1,800?W/cm²), respectively. The results indicate that there is strong reduction in bandgap energy with the incorporation of small amounts of Bi and that GaAsBi most likely forms a weak type-I band alignment with GaAs.     

Predictors and correlates of taste preferences in European children: The IDEFICS study

The present study investigated taste preferences in a sample of 1705 children aged 6 to 9 years from survey centres in Italy, Estonia, Cyprus, Belgium, Sweden, Germany, Hungary, and Spain and aimed to identify factors correlated with taste preference. Children’s preferences for varying levels of sucrose (sweet) in apple juice and fat, sodium chloride (salt) and monosodium glutamate (umami) in crackers were assessed using paired-comparison tests. Socio-demographics (age, sex, parental education), early feeding practises (breastfeeding, introduction of fruits), parenting behaviour (TV viewing, using food as a reward) and taste threshold sensitivity for sucrose (sweet), sodium chloride (salt), caffeine (bitter) and monosodium glutamate (umami) were investigated as possible correlates of taste preferences. Parents reported on socio-demographics, early feeding and parenting behaviour. Taste thresholds were determined via a paired-comparison staircase method. Country of residence was the strongest factor related to preferences for all four tastes. Taste preferences also differed by age. Preference for sugar and salt increased between 6 and 9 years of age while preference for monosodium glutamate decreased. The age differences remained significant even after adjustment for sex, country of residence, parental education and early feeding habits. Sex, parental education, early feeding habits, TV viewing, using food as a reward and taste thresholds were not consistently related to taste preferences among the survey centres. In summary, the results highlight the importance of culture and age in taste preferences in children younger than 10 years of age.     

Effects of charge state and cationizing agent on the electron capture dissociation of a peptide

Electron capture dissociation (ECD) is a promising method for de novo sequencing proteins and peptides and for locating the positions of labile posttranslational modifications and binding sites of noncovalently bound species. We report the ECD of a synthetic peptide containing 10 alanine residues and 6 lysine residues uniformly distributed across the sequence. ECD of the (M + 2H)(2+) produces a limited range of c (c(7)-c(15)) and z (z(9)-z(15)) fragment ions, but ECD of higher charge states produces a wider range of c (c(2)-c(15)) and z (z(2)-z(6), z(9)-z(15)) ions. Fragmentation efficiency increases with increasing precursor charge state, and efficiencies up to 88% are achieved. Heating the (M + 2H)(2+) to 150 degrees C does not increase the observed range of ECD fragment ions, indicating that the limited products are due to backbone cleavages occurring near charges and not due to effects of tertiary structure. ECD of the (M + 2Li)(2+) and (M + 2Cs)(2+) produces di- and monometalated analogues of the same c and z ions observed from the (M + 2H)(2+), with the abundance of dimetalated fragment ions increasing with fragment ion mass, a result consistent with the metal cations being located near the peptide termini to minimize Coulombic repulsion. In stark contrast to the ECD results, collisional activation of cesiated dications overwhelmingly results in ejection of Cs(+). The abundance of cesiated fragment ions formed from ECD of the (M + Cs + Li)(2+) exceeds that of lithiated fragment ions by 10:1. ECD of the (M + H + Li)(2+) results in exclusively lithiated c and z ions, indicating an overwhelming preference for neutralization and cleavage at protonated sites over metalated sites. These results are consistent with preferential neutralization of the cation with the highest recombination energy.     

Dynamically refining animated triangle meshes for rendering

We present a method to dynamically apply local refinements to an irregular triangle mesh as it deforms in real time. The method increases surface smoothness in regions of high deformation by splitting triangles in a fashion similar to one or two steps of Loop subdivision. The refinement is computed for an arbitrary triangle mesh, and the subdivided triangles are simply passed to the rendering engine, leaving the mesh itself unchanged. The algorithm can thus be easily plugged into existing systems to enhance the visual appearance of animated meshes. The refinement step has very low computational overhead and is easy to implement. We demonstrate the use of the algorithm in a physics-based facial animation system.     

Essential ingredients for radical innovations? The role of (un-)related variety and external linkages in Germany

The role of radical innovations for the economy has received increasing attention by German policy-makers. This paper investigates how (un-)related variety and external linkages influence these innovations in German labour market regions. Evidence is found that related and unrelated knowledge capabilities both support the emergence of radical innovations, although strong related capabilities are especially important. External linkages have an inverted u-shape relation to radically new ideas and can act as substitute for missing unrelated competences in a region. The results shed new light on the emergence of radical innovations and thus have interesting scientific and practical implications.