Depth Discontinuities by Pixel-to-Pixel Stereo

An algorithm to detect depth discontinuities from a stereo pair of images is presented. The algorithm matches individual pixels in corresponding scanline pairs, while allowing occluded pixels to remain unmatched, then propagates the information between scanlines by means of a fast postprocessor. The algorithm handles large untextured regions, uses a measure of pixel dissimilarity that is insensitive to image sampling, and prunes bad search nodes to increase the speed of dynamic programming. The computation is relatively fast, taking about 600 nanoseconds per pixel per disparity on a personal computer. Approximate disparity maps and precise depth discontinuities (along both horizontal and vertical boundaries) are shown for several stereo image pairs containing textured, untextured, fronto-parallel, and slanted objects in indoor and outdoor scenes.     

Li4SiO4 pebbles reduction in He + 0.1% H2 purge gas and effects on tritium release properties

Lithium orthosilicate reduction was examined by Temperature Programmed Reaction (TPR) and Temperature Programmed Desorption (TPD) methods performed in He (or Ar) + H₂ purge gas flowing through pebble bed specimens. The parameters governing the kinetics and the steady-state of the reduction process to Li₄SiO_4−x were determined at 800°C. The level x of the O-vacancy concentration at steady-state (of the order of 1.5×10⁻³ mole fraction) was found to be compatible with the impurities content in the specimens. Pebble pre-annealing treatments were found to affect the microstructure and the reduction mechanism. Post-irradiation tritium release by TPD tests were performed on both stoichiometric and reduced pebbles with similar results. Tritium release properties of this breeder system seem to be independent from the material reduction state (x).     

BETaaS: A Platform for Development and Execution of Machine-to-Machine Applications in the Internet of Things

Wireless Personal Communications - The integration of everyday objects into the Internet represents the foundation of the forthcoming Internet of Things (IoT). Smart objects will be the building...     

NSCLC as the Paradigm of Precision Medicine at Its Finest: The Rise of New Druggable Molecular Targets for Advanced Disease

Standard treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) historically consisted of systemic cytotoxic chemotherapy until the early 2000s, when precision medicine led to a revolutionary change in the therapeutic scenario. The identification of oncogenic driver mutations in EGFR, ALK and ROS1 rearrangements identified a subset of patients who largely benefit from targeted agents. However, since the proportion of patients with druggable alterations represents a minority, the discovery of new potential driver mutations is still an urgent clinical need. We provide a comprehensive review of the emerging molecular targets in NSCLC and their applications in the advanced setting.     

Chronic Hyperkaliemia in Chronic Kidney Disease: An Old Concern with New Answers

Increasing potassium intake ameliorates blood pressure (BP) and cardiovascular (CV) prognoses in the general population; therefore the World Health Organization recommends a high-potassium diet (90–120 mEq/day). Hyperkalaemia is a rare condition in healthy individuals due to the ability of the kidneys to effectively excrete dietary potassium load in urine, while an increase in serum K⁺ is prevalent in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Hyperkalaemia prevalence increases in more advanced CKD stages, and is associated with a poor prognosis. This scenario generates controversy on the correct nutritional approach to hyperkalaemia in CKD patients, considering the unproven link between potassium intake and serum K⁺ levels. Another concern is that drug-induced hyperkalaemia leads to the down-titration or withdrawal of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RASI) and mineralocorticoids receptors antagonists (MRA) in patients with CKD, depriving these patients of central therapeutic interventions aimed at delaying CKD progression and decreasing CV mortality. The new K⁺-binder drugs (Patiromer and Sodium-Zirconium Cyclosilicate) have proven to be adequate and safe therapeutic options to control serum K⁺ in CKD patients, enabling RASI and MRA therapy, and possibly, a more liberal intake of fruit and vegetables.     

达涅利薄板坯连铸连轧设备最新技术成果

给出达涅利薄板坯连铸连轧技术的最新应用成果.这些成果表明,达涅利技术不仅用于生产普通钢种,还可用于生产质量要求严格的优质钢种和高附加值产品.由达涅利在尼兹尼.诺夫戈罗德区Vyksa建设1套CRC(连铸连轧)设备.这是在俄罗斯建设的第1套薄板坯连铸连轧设备,也是世界上第1套利用薄板坯连铸连轧工艺路线生产北极高寒地区用API管线钢的生产设备.另外2套设备已在中国唐山钢铁集团有限公司和本溪钢铁集团有限公司进入满负荷生产阶段,前者一直保持着设备生产能力世界纪录,后者则成为中国第一家利用薄板坯连铸连轧工艺生产硅钢的厂家.     

达涅利厚板坯连铸新技术和样板生产厂

达涅利戴维·迪斯汀顿是达涅利集团中负责板坯连铸机设备设计和供货的一家专业公司,通过与用户密切合作,开发了许多创新设备,如获得专利的INMO结晶器和OPTIMUM最优化扇形段,推出许多先进的连铸技术,如动态轻压下等,极大地促进了连铸技术的发展.正是由于这些先进技术,才有可能使达涅利在近些年来为世界上最先进的连铸板坯生产厂家提供连铸设备,其中包括韩国浦项、德国蒂森克虏伯、中国宝钢和法国阿赛洛米塔尔.介绍了达涅利的这些创新设备和它们在2006年12月份几乎同时试车投产的两家著名钢厂,宝钢(中国)和阿赛洛米塔尔(法国敦克尔克)的使用情况.     

Tungsten Lamps as an Affordable Light Source for Testing of Photovoltaic Cells

An improved Tungsten light source system for photovoltaic cell testing made from low-cost, commercially available materials is presented as an alternative to standard expensive testing equipment. In this work, spectral correction of the Tungsten light source is achieved by increasing the color temperature to ??5200 K using inexpensive commercially available filters. Spectral measurements of the enhanced light source reveal that a better spectrum match towards the solar spectrum is achieved than what has been previously demonstrated. Specifically, the improved solar spectrum match is achieved by substantial filtering of the infrared range. The proposed setup is used to evaluate the performance of both silicon and organic based photovoltaic cells.     

A fully automatic one-scan adaptive zooming algorithm for color images

We present an interpolation algorithm for adaptive color image zooming. The algorithm produces the magnified image in one scan of the input image, and is fully automatic since does not involve any a priori fixed threshold. Given any integer zooming factor n, each pixel of the input image generates an n×n block of pixels in the zoomed image. For the currently visited pixel of the input image, the pixels of its associated block are first assigned tentative values, which are then adaptively updated before building the next block. The method is suggested for RGB images, but can equally be employed in other color spaces. Peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR) and Structural SIMilarity (SSIM) are used to evaluate the performance of the algorithm.