Automatic fog detection and estimation of visibility distance through use of an onboard camera

In this paper, we will present a technique for measuring visibility distances under foggy weather conditions using a camera mounted onboard a moving vehicle. Our research has focused in particular on the problem of detecting daytime fog and estimating visibility distances; thanks to these efforts, an original method has been developed, tested and patented. The approach consists of dynamically implementing Koschmieder's law. Our method enables computing the meteorological visibility distance, a measure defined by the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) as the distance beyond which a black object of an appropriate dimension is perceived with a contrast of less than 5%. Our proposed solution is an original one, featuring the advantage of utilizing a single camera and necessitating the presence of just the road and sky in the scene. As opposed to other methods that require the explicit extraction of the road, this method offers fewer constraints by virtue of being applicable with no more than the extraction of a homogeneous surface containing a portion of the road and sky within the image. This image preprocessing also serves to identify the level of compatibility of the processed image with the set of Koschmieder's model hypotheses. Nicolas Hautiére graduated from the École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État, France (2002). He received his M.S. and Ph.D. degree in computer vision, respectively, in 2002 and 2005 from Saint-Étienne University (France). From 2002, he is a researcher in the Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chaussées (LCPC), Paris, France. His research interests include trafic engineering, computer vision, and pattern recognition. Jean-Philippe Tarel graduated from the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, Paris, France (1991). He received his Ph.D. degree in Applied Mathematics from Paris IX-Dauphine University in 1996 and he was with the Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et Automatique (INRIA) from 1991 to 1996. From 1997 to 1998, he was a research associate at Brown University, USA. From 1999, he is a researcher in the Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chaussées (LCPC), Paris, France, and from 2001 to 2003 in the INRIA. His research interests include computer vision, pattern recognition, and shape modeling. Jean Lavenant graduated from the École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État, Lyon, France (2001). He received the M.S. degree in Computer Vision from Jean Monnet university of Saint-Étienne in 2001. In 2001, he was a researcher in the Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chaussées (LCPC). In 2002, he was a system engineer in Chicago (USA). He is currently an engineer for the french ministry of transports. Didier Aubert received the M.S. and Ph.D. degree, respectively, in 1985 and 1989 from the National Polytechnical Institut of Grenoble (INPG). From 1989--1990, he worked as a research scientist on the development of an automatic road following system for the NAVLAB at Carnegie Mellon University. From 1990–1994, he worked in the research department of a private company (ITMI). During this period he was the project leader of several projects dealing with computer vision. He is currently a researcher at INRETS since 1995 and works on Road traffic measurements, crowd monitoring, automated highway systems, and driving assistance systems for vehicles. He is an image processing expert for several companies, teaches at Universities (Paris VI, Paris XI, ENPC, ENST) and is at the editorial board of RTS (Research - Transport - Safety).     

Influence of the counter-ion on the effective charge of polyacrylic acid in dilute condition

Osmotic pressure measurements were satisfactorily used to compute the effective charge of poly(acrylic) acid (PAA) at different pHs and with different monovalent and divalent counterions. This experimental method is sensitive to the osmotically active species (polymer and counterions). After correction for the polymer contribution to the total osmotic pressure (solvency and excluded volume), the remaining pressure can be attributed to the polyelectrolyte counterions and processed with Donnan and equation of state in order to compute the effective charge number per polymeric chain (Z^eff). The behavior of Z^eff against the chain concentration and pH was investigated after neutralization of PAA with LiOH, NaOH, and TMAOH. The results clearly indicate that the nature of the monovalent counterion has no effect on Z^eff leading to the conclusion that the interaction between monovalent counterions and the acrylate functionality is purely electrostatic in agreement with conductimetric and potentiometric results reported in the literature. The behavior of Z^eff against the degree of ionization of the polymer and its concentration is also in good agreement with the theoretical expectations of the theory of ionic condensation. Osmotic measurements were also used in order to understand the influence of divalent cations (Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Ba²⁺) on Z^eff of the sodium salt of PAA at pH 9 and at different divalent/acrylate molar ratio. All the divalent cations depress Z^eff each of one at different degrees, confirming a specific divalent/polymer interaction. The energy of hydration of cations can explain most of the observed results with divalents.     

The generation effect is no artifact: Generating makes words distinctive.

The generation effect occurs if people remember items they complete from fragments better than complete items they read. Four experiments investigate two questions. When does the effect occur, and why does it do so? Targets generated in related contexts are recognized better than read targets, and they are recalled better with the contexts as cues; the contexts are recognized equally well, and the relation between the context and target is not enhanced by generation. Furthermore, generated items exceed items read in pure lists even when read ones from the mixed list are no worse than the controls. The generation effect is real; it is not an artifact. However, there is nothing special about generation. Generating is a type of encoding, and like any other type of encoding, its effects are maximal on tests that require subjects to do again whatever they did at study. Generating makes targets distinctive by contrasting them with other relatives of the context, and, as a result, the targets enjoy benefits in later discriminations within their family. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Integrative Cognitive Therapy for Depression: A Preliminary Investigation.

This study is a preliminary investigation of an integrative treatment aimed at improving the efficacy of cognitive therapy (CT) for depression. The development of the treatment protocol was based on process findings, which suggested that strategies used in CT to resolve alliance ruptures may actually exacerbate problems in the therapeutic relationship. The protocol integrates, within the traditional CT treatment manual, procedures to repair alliance ruptures that are derived from or consistent with humanistic and interpersonal therapies. Although conducted by inexperienced therapists, the integrative treatment led to greater improvement than a waiting-list condition. The results also compare favorably to previous findings for CT. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Contributing authors

Contributing authors     

Orthotopic heart transplantation in a transgenic pig-to-primate model

BACKGROUND: Previous studies demonstrated that hearts from transgenic pigs expressing human decay-accelerating factor (hDAF) were not hyperacutely rejected when transplanted heterotopically into the abdomen of cynomolgus monkeys. This study examines orthotopic transplantation of hDAF transgenic pig hearts into baboon recipients. METHODS: Orthotopic xenogeneic heart transplantation was performed using piglets, transgenic for hDAF, as donors. Ten baboons were used as recipients and were immunosuppressed with a combination of cyclophosphamide, cyclosporine, and steroids. RESULTS: Five grafts failed within 18 hr without any histological signs of hyperacute rejection. Pulmonary artery thrombosis induced by a size mismatch was observed in two of these animals. The other three recipients died because of failure to produce even a low cardiac output and/or dysrhythmia. The remaining five animals survived between four and nine days. One animal died of bronchopneumonia on day 4. Three xenografts stopped beating on day 5 due to acute vascular rejection. The longest survivor was killed on day 9 with a beating, histologically normal xenograft, because of pancytopenia. CONCLUSIONS: The results reported here demonstrate that hDAF transgenic pig hearts are not hyperacutely rejected when transplanted into baboon recipients. Orthotopically transplanted transgenic pig hearts are capable of maintaining cardiac output in baboons. An optimum immunosuppressive regimen is the subject of ongoing research.     

Combined Ozone Pretreatment and Anaerobic Digestion for the Reduction of Biological Sludge Production in Wastewater Treatment

The ever-increasing amount of solid waste generated by wastewater treatment plants highlights emerging economic and environmental issues. In order to develop new processes producing less sludge, the use of ozone combined with anaerobic digestion was investigated for waste activated sludge treatment. This paper was aimed at evaluating the impact of ozone pretreatment on anaerobic digestion and particularly the enhancement of biogas production. Sludge solubilization was estimated in terms of modification of chemical oxygen demand, solids and nitrogen. Batch anaerobic digestion highlighted the enhancement of ozonated sludge biodegradability. Ozonation led to an increase in biogas production. The ozone dose of 0.15 g O₃/g total solids resulted in a considerable increase in the soluble COD ratio from 4% to 37%. This ozone dose achieved the highest increase in biogas production: 2.4 times greater than without chemical pretreatment.     

Polymer/surfactant interaction—Its relevance to detergent systems

The field of polymer/surfactant interaction is reviewed in this work. Results from two investigative methods,viz., dialysis and surface tension, are discussed, illustrating the main behavioral patterns and outlining the principles of the interactions. Next, aspects of the interaction phenomena that appear to have relevance to detergent formulation are presented. These include solution rheology, solubility control and surface conditioning. Lastly, the importance of surface activity of the polymer itself is stressed, culminating in a discussion of the properties of hydrophobically modified water-soluble polymers (“polymeric surfactants”), both alone and in the presence of conventional surfactants. Based on the Samuel Rosen Memorial Award lecture, given at the AOCS Annual Meeting, Anaheim, CA, April 1993.     

Note: a high transmission Faraday optical isolator in the 9.2 μm range

We have fabricated and characterized an n-doped InSb Faraday isolator in the mid-IR range (9.2 μm). A high isolation ratio (31(2) dB) and low insertion loss (1.9(3) dB) are obtained. Temperature dependance is analyzed. Further possible improvements are discussed, including the realization of a two-stage isolator. A similar design can be used to cover a wide wavelength range (λ ~ 7.5-30 μm).