Abstract: An image comprising varying illumination is selected. Patches of pixels from among the plurality of pixels with the image are identified. Similarities between pairs of patches of pixels based on pixel intensities associated with the pairs of patches of pixels are calculated. Illumination values for the plurality of pixels within the image based on the calculated similarities between the pairs of patches of pixels is calculated. The illumination variation from the image is removed based on the calculated illumination values for the plurality of pixels within the image.

Abstract: The invention provides small molecule compounds capable of accelerating proliferation of stem cells and uses thereof. The compounds play an important role in the research of stem cell proliferation mechanism. The invention further relates to the uses of the compounds and relevant compounds thereof in the preparation of stem cell proliferation accelerators and the preparation of medicines accelerating stem cell proliferation. The invention also relates to the uses of the compounds in the preparation of medicines for the treatment of various diseases arising from functional cells loss or damage. The diseases arising from stem cell trauma comprise diseases related to the degeneration or damage of nervous system cells, blood system diseases, diseases related to the loss or damage of cardiovascular cells, skin burn and the like.

Abstract: A method of gasification burner online feeding for a coal-water slurry gasifier, where a coal-water slurry line and an oxidizer line are both protected by shield gas. The method may realize online, pressurized and continuous feeding of the gasification burners which are fixed after they stalled for other reasons than their own, thus greatly reducing the probability of accidental shutdown of gasifiers and improving the reliability of long-term service of the multi-nozzle opposed gasifier.

Abstract: A computer implemented technique for producing super resolution images from ordinary images or videos containing a number of images wherein a number of non-smooth low resolution patches comprising an image are found using edge detection methodologies. The low resolution patches are then transformed using selected basis of a Radial Basis Function (RBF) and Gaussian process regression is used to generate high resolution patches using a trained model. The high resolution patches are then combined into a high resolution image or video.

Abstract: A video is resized while preserving salient regions within the video. The dimensions of the video are reduced by selectively removing unimportant, or less salient, pixels from the video in a manner that diminishes any resulting spatial and temporal artifacts. More specifically, “seams” of pixels are selectively removed from frames of the video, where a “seam” is a horizontal or vertical chain of pixels through a frame. A seam can be selected from among all possible pixels in a row or column, thereby allowing discontinuous seams. Seams are selected using a technique that encourages the seam to pass through less-salient regions of the frame, and that reduces spatial artifacts when the video is played.

Abstract: A method for measuring the conducting fluid saturation and the resistivity of a porous medium have application to development of underground geological formations. A solid sample is extracted from the medium and placed in a centrifugation cell, beside a second sample for limiting the capillary end effect in the first sample. The two samples are partly desaturated by subjecting them to centrifugation. The resistivity of the sample is measured by placing it in a radial-electrode resistivity measurement cell. The saturation of the sample is then determined by measuring its nuclear magnetization by means of an NMR device. Repeating this procedure for different centrifugation velocities provides resistivity and saturation pairs allowing a relationship between saturation and resistivity to be estimated.

Abstract: A computer implemented technique for producing super resolution images from ordinary images or videos containing a number of images wherein a number of non-smooth low resolution patches comprising an image are found using edge detection methodologies. The low resolution patches are then transformed using selected basis of a Radial Basis Function (RBF) and Gaussian process regression is used to generate high resolution patches using a trained model. The high resolution patches are then combined into a high resolution image or video.

Abstract: A method of expanding double negative T cells in culture is described. The method comprises (a) providing a starting sample comprising DN T cells or precursors thereof; (b) substantially depleting CD8+ and CD4+ T cells from the starting sample; (c) culturing the sample from step (b) with an immobilized T cell mitogen in a culture medium comprising an agent that can stimulate DN T cell growth; (d) washing the cells obtained in step (c) and resuspending in a culture medium comprising the agent without the T cell mitogen; and (e) washing the cells obtained in step (d) and resuspending in a culture medium comprising the agent and a soluble T cell mitogen. The DN T cells obtained by the method are useful in a variety of applications including the treatment of cancer, infectious diseases, graft versus host disease and autoimmune disease.

Abstract: An outward turning motor rotor for a ceiling fan includes a stator and a rotor positioned around the outer circumference of the stator. The rotor contains a circular-case base having its circumference disposed with a circumferential wall having plural permanent magnets equidistantly and annularly secured thereon. Each permanent magnet has one side facing the stator tapered gradually from an intermediate portion toward a left end and a right end, letting the opposite ends of each permanent magnet respectively formed with a comparatively thin pole portion and lengthening a distance between the pole portions of each permanent magnet and the stator. In change-over motion, a comparatively small magnetic force produced by the pole portions of the rotor will stabilize vibration produced, greatly lowering noises caused by rotation of the rotor.

Abstract: A method for measuring the conducting fluid saturation and the resistivity of a porous medium have application to development of underground geological formations. A solid sample is extracted from the medium and placed in a centrifugation cell, beside a second sample for limiting the capillary in the first sample. The two samples are partly desaturated by subjecting them to centrifugation. The resistivity of the sample is measured by placing it in a radial-electrode resistivity measurement cell. The saturation of the sample is then determined by measuring its nuclear magnetization by means of an NMR device. Repeating this procedure for different centrifugation velocities provide resistivity and saturation pairs allowing a relationship between saturation and resistivity to be estimated.

Abstract: A video surveillance system uses rule-based reasoning and multiple-hypothesis scoring to detect predefined behaviors based on movement through zone patterns. Trajectory hypothesis spawning allows for trajectory splitting and/or merging and includes local pruning to managed hypothesis growth. Hypotheses are scored based on a number of criteria, illustratively including at least one non-spatial parameter. Connection probabilities computed during the hypothesis spawning process are based on a number of criteria, illustratively including object size. Object detection and probability scoring is illustratively based on object class.

Abstract: An integrated DC circuit for a ceiling fan combined with a lamp is composed of a control circuit connected with a motor and a lamp, and a rectifying-filtering circuit connected with the control circuit. The rectifying-filtering circuit can alter an exterior AC power into a DC power for the motor and the lamp to use. As the motor and the lamp use the same DC power, electric leakage can be minimized to upgrade security and only a simplified structure with less material is needed, posing a reduction of cost.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for processing a low resolution image by performing a high resolution edge segment extraction on the low resolution image; performing an image super resolution on each edge segment; performing reconstruction constraint reinforcement; and generating a high quality image from the low quality image.

Abstract: A fully automatic, computationally efficient segmentation method of video employing sequential clustering of sparse image features. Both edge and corner features of a video scene are employed to capture an outline of foreground objects and the feature clustering is built on motion models which work on any type of object and moving/static camera in which two motion layers are assumed due to camera and/or foreground and the depth difference between the foreground and background. Sequential linear regression is applied to the sequences and the instantaneous replacements of image features in order to compute affine motion parameters for foreground and background layers and consider temporal smoothness simultaneously. The Foreground layer is then extracted based upon sparse feature clustering which is time efficient and refined incrementally using Kalman filtering.

Abstract: A method of gasification burner online feeding for a coal-water slurry gasifier, where a coal-water slurry line and an oxidizer line are both protected by shield gas. The method may realize online, pressurized and continuous feeding of the gasification burners which are fixed after they stalled for other reasons than their own, thus greatly reducing the probability of accidental shutdown of gasifiers and improving the reliability of long-term service of the multi-nozzle opposed gasifier.

Abstract: A fully automatic, computationally efficient segmentation method of video employing sequential clustering of sparse image features. Both edge and corner features of a video scene are employed to capture an outline of foreground objects and the feature clustering is built on motion models which work on any type of object and moving/static camera in which two motion layers are assumed due to camera and/or foreground and the depth difference between the foreground and background. Sequential linear regression is applied to the sequences and the instantaneous replacements of image features in order to compute affine motion parameters for foreground and background layers and consider temporal smoothness simultaneously. The Foreground layer is then extracted based upon sparse feature clustering which is time efficient and refined incrementally using Kalman filtering.

Abstract: A video super-resolution method that combines information from different spatial-temporal resolution cameras by constructing a personalized dictionary from a high resolution image of a scene resulting in a domain specific prior that performs better than a general dictionary built from images.

Abstract: A process for the separation and recovery of minor components from vegetable oil such as palm oil. Esterified palm oil is subjected to molecular distillation giving a concentrate rich in minor components. The concentrate is then adsorbed to adsorbents such as normal phase silica gel, reversed phase (particularly C18) silica gel or neutral alumina as well as polymer absorbents such as polyethylene glycol and polyacrylate polyalcohol. Minor components such as squalene, carotenes, tocols and sterols are then selectively desorbed, separated and recovered using solvents operating at isocratic conditions. The desorption of the said minor components are sped up by applying pressure of between 0.2 to 50 bar. By the same method, individual tocols isomers from palm oil can also be separated and recovered.

Abstract: A video surveillance system uses rule-based reasoning and multiple-hypothesis scoring to detect predefined behaviors based on movement through zone patterns. Trajectory hypothesis spawning allows for trajectory splitting and/or merging and includes local pruning to managed hypothesis growth. Hypotheses are scored based on a number of criteria, illustratively including at least one non-spatial parameter. Connection probabilities computed during the hypothesis spawning process are based on a number of criteria, illustratively including object size. Object detection and probability scoring is illustratively based on object class.

Abstract: A video surveillance system uses rule-based reasoning and multiple-hypothesis scoring to detect predefined behaviors based on movement through zone patterns. Trajectory hypothesis spawning allows for trajectory splitting and/or merging and includes local pruning to managed hypothesis growth. Hypotheses are scored based on a number of criteria, illustratively including at least one non-spatial parameter. Connection probabilities computed during the hypothesis spawning process are based on a number of criteria, illustratively including object size. Object detection and probability scoring is illustratively based on object class.