Electronic Camera Research Articles

Fog Computing: A Conceptual and Practical Overview

Electronic gadgets, appliances, medical equipment, cameras, sensors, and cars are all part of the Internet of Things (IoT), which enables smart cities and infrastructure. It is predicted based on evidences that a minimum of forty nine billion IoT devices shall definitely be linked or connected with the Internet by or before 2020. Those devices will generate a huge and unprecedented amount of information, which conventional systems and cloud systems may find challenging to handle. Fog computing was created to address the shortcomings of existing technologies. Fog offers storage, computation, data, and application services at the network's edge, comparable to cloud computing. This article discusses the features that generally makes fog or edge computing a good stage for the recently evolved technology “IoT”, as well as application, characterization and interrelated research in the trending fields including IoT and Fog. Edge computing is a suitable platform for IoT because of its heterogeneous nature, mobility support, very low latency, and huge number of nodes. Rather of transmitting data to the cloud, data will be processed at the network edge.

"Weather Monitoring System Using the Raspberry Pi Based Internet of Things (IoT)"

A serious method to track the climatic conditions at a certain area and make the data accessible from across the world is the technique provided in this research. The Internet of Objects (IoT) is the invention behind this solution, which provides a serious and able solution to connect things with the internet and the full world of things through a network. Could be used here for things like electronic contraptions, cameras, and electronic automobile gear. The system uses sensors to monitor and regulate environmental variables, such as temperature, relative humidity and carbon dioxide, then sends the data to the site and graphically measures the sensor data. The updated system data may be viewed from anywhere in the world via the internet. This approach also allows the monitoring of urban and mechanical regions to be utilized for climate change control. In order to safeguard public health from emissions, this model provides a clear and reliable way to continuous weather observation.

Гістоструктура великого чепця людини в нормі і перитоніті

The purpose of the work was to study the histological structure of the greater omentum in the people of second mature and elderly age in normal condition and in peritonitis. Materials and methods. The materials of the study were 40 greater omenta of deceased people (20 males and 20 females) of the second mature and elderly age without pathology in the abdominal cavity and 10 greater omenta of deceased people from peritonitis taken in accordance with the cooperation agreement. Pieces of greater omenta were fixed with a 10% solution of neutral formalin. Paraffin blocks were made according to the traditional method, followed by making sections that were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Histological specimens were studied using a light microscope "MICROmed" XS-3320 in transmitted light using an increase of ×40, ×100, ×400 with the photographing of micropreparations on the camera Ningero Sheng Heng Optics and Electronics Co. Results and discussion. The findings of the study showed that the histological structure of the tissue of the greater omentum in women and men of these ages has common structural features. Histological sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin revealed that normally the outside of the greater omentum is covered with a solid layer of mesotheliocytes, located on the basal plate, deeper there were “milk spots”, white adipocytes, which formed individual fat particles, separated by connective tissue fibers. “Milk spots” do not have capsules, in contrast to lymph nodes, and contain lymphocytes and macrophages that emerge from their fenestrated postcapillary venules and migrate into the abdominal cavity through “stigmas”. Normally, active and inactive “milk spots” are present in the greater omentum in adults. “Milk spots” had an oval, irregular and spherical shape and different sizes. In the thickness of the tissue of the greater omentum there were lymph nodes, which, in contrast to the "milk spots" on the outside were covered with a connective tissue capsule. In the thickness of the nodule, trabeculae extend from the capsule. Marginal and medullary sinuses were determined. Lymphocytes were the main cellular component of lymph nodes. Conclusion. In peritonitis, disruption of the continuous mesothelial cover of the greater omentum, resulted from disintegration of mesothelial cells; some areas of their adhesion and desquamation were observed. Areas with inflammatory infiltration, plethora of arterial and venous microvessels and an increase in active “milk spots” with a high content of lymphocytes were found in the fat particles of the greater omentum

Feature Fusion Network for Low-Light Image Enhancement

With the popularity of electronic cameras, we can get pictures under various lighting conditions in our daily life. The images which obtained in low illumination environment will lose contrast, colour, and content details which will bring obstacles for understanding the image. To tackle this problem, a method is proposed in this paper to tackle low-light image enhancement. This method fuses the high level and the low level feature, uses an attention module to model the context information and selects the critical feature to supplemented the high level feature to reconstruct the enhanced image. A number of experiments demonstrate that our method can get images with improved and reduced noise.

Sub-3 Å Cryo-EM Structures of Necrosis Virus Particles via the Use of Multipurpose TEM with Electron Counting Camera.

During this global pandemic, cryo-EM has made a great impact on the structure determination of COVID-19 proteins. However, nearly all high-resolution results are based on data acquired on state-of-the-art microscopes where their availability is restricted to a number of centers across the globe with the studies on infectious viruses being further regulated or forbidden. One potential remedy is to employ multipurpose microscopes. Here, we investigated the capability of 200 kV multipurpose microscopes equipped with a direct electron camera in determining the structures of infectious particles. We used 30 nm particles of the grouper nerve necrosis virus as a test sample and obtained the cryo-EM structure with a resolution as high as ∼2.7 Å from a setting that used electron counting. For comparison, we tested a high-end cryo-EM (Talos Arctica) using a similar virus (Macrobrachium rosenbergii nodavirus) to obtain virtually the same resolution. Those results revealed that the resolution is ultimately limited by the depth of field. Our work updates the density maps of these viruses at the sub-3Å level to allow for building accurate atomic models from de novo to provide structural insights into the assembly of the capsids. Importantly, this study demonstrated that multipurpose TEMs are capable of the high-resolution cryo-EM structure determination of infectious particles and is thus germane to the research on pandemics.

A New Method for Aerosol Measurement Using Wide-field Photometry

Abstract We present a new method to measure the vertical aerosol optical depth (VAOD) during clear nights using a wide-field imager—a CCD camera with a photographic lens on an equatorial mount. A series of 30 s exposures taken at different altitudes above the horizon can be used to measure the VAOD with a precision better than 0.008 optical depths within a few minutes. Such a measurement does not produce any light and is thus suitable for use at sites where other astronomical instruments are located. The precision of the VAOD measurement depends on the laboratory calibration of spectral properties of the system and of the response of the camera electronics to varying illumination levels, as well as careful considerations of the details of stellar photometry and modeling of the dependence of the measured stellar flux, the star color, and the position within the field of view. The results obtained with robotic setups at the future sites of the Cerenkov Telescope Array show good internal consistency and agreement with simultaneous measurements from a Sun/Moon photometer located at the same sites.

Below 3\xa0\xc5 structure of apoferritin using a multipurpose TEM with a side entry cryoholder

Recently, the structural analysis of protein complexes by cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) single particle analysis (SPA) has had great impact as a biophysical method. Many results of cryo-EM SPA are based on data acquired on state-of-the-art cryo-electron microscopes customized for SPA. These are currently only available in limited locations around the world, where securing machine time is highly competitive. One potential solution for this time-competitive situation is to reuse existing multi-purpose equipment, although this comes with performance limitations. Here, a multi-purpose TEM with a side entry cryo-holder was used to evaluate the potential of high-resolution SPA, resulting in a 3 Å resolution map of apoferritin with local resolution extending to 2.6 Å. This map clearly showed two positions of an aromatic side chain. Further, examination of optimal imaging conditions depending on two different multi-purpose electron microscope and camera combinations was carried out, demonstrating that higher magnifications are not always necessary or desirable. Since automation is effectively a requirement for large-scale data collection, and augmenting the multi-purpose equipment is possible, we expanded testing by acquiring data with SerialEM using a β-galactosidase test sample. This study demonstrates the possibilities of more widely available and established electron microscopes, and their applications for cryo-EM SPA.

The linearization of the relationship between scene luminance and digital camera output levels

The linearization of the relationship between scene luminance and digital camera output levels

Progress on final design of ITER radial X-ray camera

The design of ITER Radial X-ray Camera (RXC) is nearly finished. The design of internal camera was updated using gas detector modules and considering the mechanical, electrical and gas interfaces with Diagnostic Shielding Module (DSM). The design of camera structure was optimized for the purpose of easy maintenance, safety and simplification, including support flange, Be window flange, boron carbide shielding module, external camera chamber, back flange assembly, cooling and feedthrough. The design of camera electronics was also optimized. The pre-amplifiers and mid-amplifiers are more resistant to disturbances. The chassis facilitates the maintenance and provides efficient cooling to the components inside.

Digital Technologies and Coercion in Psychiatry.

Psychiatry has a contentious history of coercion in the care of patients with mental illness, and legal frameworks often govern use of coercive interventions, such as involuntary hospitalization, physical restraints, and medication over objection. Research also suggests that informal coercion, including subtle inducements, leverage, or threats, is prevalent and influential in psychiatric settings. Digital technologies bring promise for expanding access to psychiatric care and improving delivery of these services; however, use and misuse of digital technologies, such as electronic medical record flags, surveillance cameras, videoconferencing, and risk assessment tools, could lead to unexpected coercion of patients with mental illness. Using several composite case examples, the author proposes that the integration of digital technologies into psychiatric care can influence patients' experiences of coercion and provides recommendations for studying and addressing these effects.

A comparative assessment of disruptive behaviors among users in selected university libraries in Kwara State, Nigeria

This study engaged the use of a survey research method. The target population for the study consists of 150 staff from various divisions in three selected university libraries in Kwara State. Purposive sampling technique was adopted for this study. This means only staff with experiences on the various accounts of disruptive behaviours that users exhibit in their libraries were considered most suitable to participate in the study. They are the staff in readers’ services, serials, reference units, and electronic library responsible for the caring, security, and custody of library materials and facilities. A structured questionnaire was used to generate information. Before the instrument was used, it went through face validation and reliability test. Using the Cronbach alpha method, the result of the reliability test yielded r=.074. A total of 62 copies of the questionnaire were distributed to selected staff, out of which 57(92%) were completed and retrieved representing a high return rate. The data generated were analyzed with SPSS, using tables, simple percentages, and frequency count. All of the values were calculated such that they enhance a better understanding of the proportions in terms of particular responses. The findings revealed that the most practiced disruptive behaviours exhibited by users in the libraries were incessant noisemaking, theft and mutilation of library materials as well as struggle, fight, and misuse of library space. The perceived factors influencing users into exhibiting disruptive behaviours among others revealed a lot of security breaches as a result of non-installation of CCTV around and in the library for effective surveillances and negligence on the part of both the security personnel and library staff in observing constant supervision. Based on the findings of the study, it is concluded that disruptive behaviours have been identified to have negative impact on the orderly use of the selected university libraries as learning environments. One of the recommendations is that, instead of relying only on manual method of monitoring, the use of electronic surveillance camera also known as closed-circuit television (CCTV) system for close surveillance within and outside the library premises should be considered to effectively monitor the users as a way of being proactive in disruptive behaviours containment.

MABAN: Multi-Agent Boundary-Aware Network for Natural Language Moment Retrieval.

The amount of videos over the Internet and electronic surveillant cameras is growing dramatically, meanwhile paired sentence descriptions are significant clues to select attentional contents from videos. The task of natural language moment retrieval (NLMR) has drawn great interests from both academia and industry, which aims to associate specific video moments with the text descriptions figuring complex scenarios and multiple activities. In general, NLMR requires temporal context to be properly comprehended, and the existing studies suffer from two problems: (1) limited moment selection and (2) insufficient comprehension of structural context. To address these issues, a multi-agent boundary-aware network (MABAN) is proposed in this work. To guarantee flexible and goal-oriented moment selection, MABAN utilizes multi-agent reinforcement learning to decompose NLMR into localizing the two temporal boundary points for each moment. Specially, MABAN employs a two-phase cross-modal interaction to exploit the rich contextual semantic information. Moreover, temporal distance regression is considered to deduce the temporal boundaries, with which the agents can enhance the comprehension of structural context. Extensive experiments are carried out on two challenging benchmark datasets of ActivityNet Captions and Charades-STA, which demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach as compared to state-of-the-art methods. The project page can be found in https://mic.tongji.edu.cn/e5/23/c9778a189731/page.htm.

Physics-Based Noise Modeling for Extreme Low-Light Photography.

Enhancing the visibility in extreme low-light environments is a challenging task. Under nearly lightless condition, existing image denoising methods could easily break down due to significantly low SNR. In this paper, we systematically study the noise statistics in the imaging pipeline of CMOS photosensors, and formulate a comprehensive noise model that can accurately characterize the real noise structures. Our novel model considers the noise sources caused by digital camera electronics which are largely overlooked by existing methods yet have significant influence on raw measurement in the dark. It provides a way to decouple the intricate noise structure into different statistical distributions with physical interpretations. Moreover, our noise model can be used to synthesize realistic training data for learning-based low-light denoising algorithms. In this regard, although promising results have been shown recently with deep convolutional neural networks, the success heavily depends on abundant noisy-clean image pairs for training, which are tremendously difficult to obtain in practice. Generalizing their trained models to images from new devices is also problematic. Extensive experiments on multiple low-light denoising datasets - including a newly collected one in this work covering various devices - show that a deep neural network trained with our proposed noise formation model can reach surprisingly-high accuracy. The results are on par with or sometimes even outperform training with paired real data, opening a new door to real-world extreme low-light photography.

Atomic-Resolution Imaging of Fast Nanoscale Dynamics with Bright Microsecond Electron Pulses.

Atomic-resolution electron microscopy is a crucial tool to elucidate the structure of matter. Recently, fast electron cameras have added the time domain to high-resolution imaging, allowing static images to be acquired as movies from which sample drift can later be removed computationally and enabling real-time observations of atomic-scale dynamics on the millisecond time scale. Even higher time resolution can be achieved with short electron pulses, yet their potential for atomic-resolution imaging remains unexplored. Here, we generate high-brightness microsecond electron pulses from a Schottky emitter whose current we briefly drive to near its limit. We demonstrate that drift-corrected imaging with such pulses can achieve atomic resolution in the presence of much larger amounts of drift than with a continuous electron beam. Moreover, such pulses enable atomic-resolution observations on the microsecond time scale, which we employ to elucidate the crystallization pathways of individual metal nanoparticles as well as the high-temperature transformation of perovskite nanocrystals.

Single-particle cryo-EM at atomic resolution.

The three-dimensional positions of atoms in protein molecules define their structure and their roles in biological processes. The more precisely atomic coordinates are determined, the more chemical information can be derived and the more mechanistic insights into protein function may be inferred. Electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) single-particle analysis has yielded protein structures with increasing levels of detail in recent years1,2. However, it has proved difficult to obtain cryo-EM reconstructions with sufficient resolution to visualize individual atoms in proteins. Here we use a new electron source, energy filter and camera to obtain a 1.7Å resolution cryo-EM reconstruction for a human membrane protein, the β3 GABAA receptor homopentamer3. Such maps allow a detailed understanding of small-molecule coordination, visualization of solvent molecules and alternative conformations for multiple amino acids, and unambiguous building of ordered acidic side chains and glycans. Applied to mouse apoferritin, our strategy led to a 1.22Å resolution reconstruction that offers a genuine atomic-resolution view of a protein molecule using single-particle cryo-EM. Moreover, the scattering potential from many hydrogen atoms can be visualized in difference maps, allowing a direct analysis of hydrogen-bonding networks. Our technological advances, combined with further approaches to accelerate data acquisition and improve sample quality, provide a route towards routine application of cryo-EM in high-throughput screening of small molecule modulators and structure-based drug discovery.

On the Memory of Ice: An Interview with Jonathan Marquis by Kathy Kasic

When I discovered Jonathan Marquis’s cameraless photographic work, I found myself entranced. As a filmmaker primarily focused on environmental documentary narratives, I often record digital images of a world I fear we are losing. Perhaps especially because camera electronics transform light and dark shapes into digital pixels, I try to make my images as tactile and sensory as possible so that we may become within a place. Jonathan Marquis’s cyanotype series, Downwaste, created in Glacier National Park, raises questions about photography, time, place, and agency as the climate changes and the glaciers melt. I had the good fortune to spend some time interviewing him about his work. What follows is our discussion.

High Resolution Optical Remote Sensing Satellites Challenges and Techniques

High spatial resolution satellite data is essential to identify small objects and extract minute details of the terrain. This data is provided by many satellites and being used in numerous applications. The realization of high resolution satellite is a challenging task. Significant complexity lies in the realization of high spatial resolution camera starting from material selection, high stiffness-low mass opto-mechanical system design, detector selection to high speed camera electronics design. The mass and size of camera increase with the improvement in spatial resolution. Alternate methods such as Step and Stare, and time delay integration methods can be used to achieve high signal to noise ratio images. The performance of satellite bus subsystems like structure, the data handling, and storage system, the data transmission system, attitude sensors and actuators should also be improved to achieve good quality data. The data handling system has to be designed to handle high data rate and data volume. The capacity of the data storage system has to be increased to cater the high data volume storage requirement. The data transmission system needs to be sufficiently capable to transmit the high volume imaging data to the ground station. As the spatial resolution improves, the spacecraft pointing accuracy and drift rate requirements become stringent. Improved attitude sensors and high capacity actuators are essential to meet these stringent requirements. Generally, high resolution cameras are combined with high speed electronics to handle high data rates which need more power. In this paper, we discuss various techniques being employed to obtain high resolution data with reasonable SNR. The challenges involved and the improvements required in various spacecraft subsystems to support these high resolution cameras are presented. Techniques employed by different space agencies to obtain high spatial resolution images are also discussed. The characteristics of high resolution satellites are also tabulated and compared.

Aerial mapping based on arrangement of optical electron cameras

Subject of Research. The paper proposes an approach to aerial mapping that provides the photogrammetric quality of images necessary for creating orthophotoplans with high cartographic similarity. The topicality of the approach is determined by cartographic similarity reduction of the area orthophotoplans in case of automated processing of images obtained from an unmanned aerial vehicle in disturbed flight conditions. In particular, artifacts are formed on orthophotoplans that reduce the area representation adequacy in the image and prevent the correct visual interpretation of images. We propose an approach that provides planned area images, and after their automated processing orthophotoplans of places are formed with improved cartographic similarity. Method. The aerial mapping approach is based on the idea of applying the arrangement of optical-electronic cameras that analyze navigation measurement data. The proposed approach gives the possibility to minimize image perspective geometric distortions on pitch, roll and yaw that occur when an unmanned aircraft turns around during flight. Consequently, the conditions for planned aerial photography are met and, as a result, aerial images with the required photogrammetric quality are obtained. The absence of perspective geometric distortions in the images provides the creation of the area orthophotoplan without visible distortions. Main Results. A model of an aerial image geometric distortions has been developed that analyzes the effect of the optical- electronic camera sight line deviation from the direction to nadir on the occurrence of perspective geometric image distortions. Calculation results are presented for parameters of the frame projection on the earth surface for lenses with different angular fields of view. Following on from the results, an approach to aerial mapping is proposed using an optical-electronic camera arrangement that provides planned area images in the conditions of an unmanned aerial vehicle maneuvering. Practical Relevance. The arrangement of optoelectronic cameras in aerial mapping makes it possible to get planned images without additional technical means of shooting equipment stabilization and ensures the aerodynamic quality of an unmanned aerial vehicle airframe. In addition, the application of the proposed technical solution maintains the transfer characteristics of lenses of optoelectronic cameras installed in the body of an unmanned aerial vehicle and functioning in conditions of significant changes in the ambient temperature. The results of experiments demonstrate an increase in the cartographic similarity of orthophotoplans when selecting images obtained by applying the arrangement of optoelectronic cameras for aerial photography.

High-resolution imaging of organic pharmaceutical crystals by transmission electron microscopy and scanning moiré fringes.

SummaryFormulation processing of organic crystalline compounds can have a significant effect on drug properties, such as dissolution rate or tablet strength/hardness. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has the potential to resolve the atomic lattice of these crystalline compounds and, for example, identify the defect density on a particular crystal face, provided that the sensitivity of these crystals to irradiation by high‐energy electrons can be overcome. Here, we acquire high‐resolution (HR) lattice images of the compound furosemide using two different methods: low‐dose HRTEM and bright‐field (BF) scanning TEM (STEM) scanning moiré fringes (SMFs). Before acquiring HRTEM images of furosemide, a model system of crocidolite (asbestos) was used to determine the electron flux/fluence limits of low‐dose HR imaging for our scintillator‐based, complementary metal‐oxide semiconductor (CMOS) electron camera by testing a variety of electron flux and total electron fluence regimes. An electron flux of 10 e−/(Å2 s) and total fluence of 10 e−/Å2 was shown to provide sufficient contrast and signal‐to‐noise ratio to resolve 0.30 nm lattice spacings in crocidolite at 300 kV. These parameters were then used to image furosemide which has a critical electron fluence for damage of ≥10 e−/Å2 at 300 kV. The resulting HRTEM image of a furosemide crystal shows only a small portion of the total crystal exhibiting lattice fringes, likely due to irradiation damage during acquisition close to the compound's critical fluence. BF‐STEM SMF images of furosemide were acquired at a lower electron fluence (1.8 e−/Å2), while still indirectly resolving HR details of the (001) lattice. Several different SMFs were observed with minor variations in the size and angle, suggesting strain due to defects within the crystal. Overall BF‐STEM SMFs appear to be more useful than BF‐STEM or HRTEM (with a CMOS camera) for imaging the crystal lattice of very beam‐sensitive materials since a lower electron fluence is required to reveal the lattice. BF‐STEM SMFs may thus prove useful in improving the understanding of crystallization pathways in organic compounds, degradation in pharmaceutical formulations and the effect of defects on the dissolution rate of different crystal faces. Further work is, however, required to quantitatively determine properties such as the defect density or the amount of relative strain from a BF‐STEM SMF image.

An ultra-compact particle size analyser using a CMOS image sensor and machine learning

Light scattering is a fundamental property that can be exploited to create essential devices such as particle analysers. The most common particle size analyser relies on measuring the angle-dependent diffracted light from a sample illuminated by a laser beam. Compared to other non-light-based counterparts, such a laser diffraction scheme offers precision, but it does so at the expense of size, complexity and cost. In this paper, we introduce the concept of a new particle size analyser in a collimated beam configuration using a consumer electronic camera and machine learning. The key novelty is a small form factor angular spatial filter that allows for the collection of light scattered by the particles up to predefined discrete angles. The filter is combined with a light-emitting diode and a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor image sensor array to acquire angularly resolved scattering images. From these images, a machine learning model predicts the volume median diameter of the particles. To validate the proposed device, glass beads with diameters ranging from 13 to 125 µm were measured in suspension at several concentrations. We were able to correct for multiple scattering effects and predict the particle size with mean absolute percentage errors of 5.09% and 2.5% for the cases without and with concentration as an input parameter, respectively. When only spherical particles were analysed, the former error was significantly reduced (0.72%). Given that it is compact (on the order of ten cm) and built with low-cost consumer electronics, the newly designed particle size analyser has significant potential for use outside a standard laboratory, for example, in online and in-line industrial process monitoring.