Modeling Camera Effects to Improve Visual Learning from Synthetic Data

Recent work has focused on generating synthetic imagery to increase the size and variability of training data for learning visual tasks in urban scenes. This includes increasing the occurrence of occlusions or varying environmental and weather effects. However, few have addressed modeling variation in the sensor domain. Sensor effects can degrade real images, limiting generalizability of network performance on visual tasks trained on synthetic data and tested in real environments. This paper proposes an efficient, automatic, physically-based augmentation pipeline to vary sensor effects --chromatic aberration, blur, exposure, noise, and color cast-- for synthetic imagery. In particular, this paper illustrates that augmenting synthetic training datasets with the proposed pipeline reduces the domain gap between synthetic and real domains for the task of object detection in urban driving scenes

Pemerhatian arus ionosfera semasa suar suria kuat menggunakan data magnetometer dasar

Suar suria merujuk kepada aktiviti matahari yang ditafsirkan sebagai cahaya terang yang meletus secara tiba-tiba dari permukaan matahari. Ia mampu menjejaskan sistem ionosfera bumi justeru mengganggu mana-mana arus yang mengalir di lapisan tersebut. Kejadian ini dapat diperhatikan melalui pemerhatian data magnetometer yang dicerap di bumi. Kesan umum suar suria adalah peningkatan kekonduksian ionosfera seterusnya meningkatkan keamatan arus namun didapati terdapat beberapa suar suria mampu memberikan kesan sebaliknya. Terdapat kajian yang melaporkan bahawa satu suar suria mampu meningkatkan keamatan arus di sesetengah kawasan dan pengurangan keamatan pada kawasan yang lain. Kajian lepas pula lebih tertumpu kepada kesan suar suria pada kawasan sektor tertentu atau setempat. Walau bagaimanapun, kajian ini mengambil pendekatan untuk menganalisis sifat suar suria dan kesannya menggunakan taburan data yang lebih meluas iaitu melibatkan stesen magnetometer yang dipasang di lima sektor. Data yang digunakan adalah daripada jaringan Magnetic Data Acquisition System/Circum Pan Magnetometer Network Pacific (MAGDAS/CPMN) dan suar suria dikenal pasti melalui data fluks sinar-X yang dicerap daripada satelit Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite 15 (GOES 15). Keputusan kajian menunjukkan kesan suar suria yang tidak pernah ditemui sebelum ini iaitu pengurangan keamatan arus pada semua data cerapan di khatulistiwa magnetik dan punca yang dicadangkan adalah kewujudan arus elektrojet berlawanan. Selain itu, keputusan kajian turut mendapati bahawa suar suria tersebut berlaku pada fasa pemulihan ribut geomagnet semasa soltis Jun dalam fasa suria menaik

AEROBIOLOGY OF MULBERRY FIELDS IN VELLORE DISTRICT

ABSTRACT Mulberry which forms the exclusive source of food for commercial silk producing silk worm (Bombyx mori L.) is affected by a number of diseases and pests. The aerobiology of crop field was very limited and much of the fields were to be opened for investigation. It affects the nutrition, growth and cocoon production of silkworm. Hence a detailed investigation was carried out on the aerobiology of mulberry fields in Vellore district. The Vellore district comprises of eight taluks, 14 ranges and 64 subdivisions. Much of the Vellore district land area is cultivated by Mulberry as a cottage industry. It is found that from October to January rainfall was maximum, Vaniyambadi, Tirupattur and Gudiyattam receives maximum rain. The humidity is relatively maximum during the period of October to September 1999. The temperature was maximum from March to June. This helps for the spread and growth of various microflora and airspores in Vellore district environs. From these data, the causative organisms of various diseases of Mulberry were identified. This data will be helpful for the treatment, management of the much useful plant Mulberry in Vellore district

Antihypercholesterolemic and Antioxidative Potential of an Extract of the Plant, Piper betle

Hypercholesterolemia is a dominant risk factor for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. In the present study, the putative antihypercholesterolemic and antioxidative properties of an ethanolic extract of Piper betle and of its active constituent, eugenol, were evaluated in experimental hypercholesterolemia induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of Triton WR-1339 (300 mg/kg b.wt) in Wistar rats. Saline-treated hypercholesterolemic rats revealed significantly higher mean blood/serum levels of glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low density and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol, and of serum hepatic marker enzymes; in addition, significantly lower mean serum levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol and significantly lower mean activities of enzymatic antioxidants and nonenzymatic antioxidants were noted in hepatic tissue samples from saline-treated hypercholesterolemic rats, compared to controls. However, in hypercholesterolemic rats receiving the Piper betle extract (500 mg/kg b.wt) or eugenol (5 mg/kg b.wt) for seven days orally, all these parameters were significantly better than those in saline-treated hypercholesterolemic rats. The hypercholesterolemia-ameliorating effect was better defined in eugenol-treated than in Piper betle extract-treated rats, being as effective as that of the standard lipid-lowering drug, lovastatin (10 mg/kg b.wt). These results suggest that eugenol, an active constituent of the Piper betle extract, possesses antihypercholesterolemic and other activities in experimental hypercholesterolemic Wistar rats

Character and spatial distribution of OH/H<SUB>2</SUB>O on the surface of the moon seen by M<SUP>3</SUP> on Chandrayaan-1

The search for water on the surface of the anhydrous Moon had remained an unfulfilled quest for 40 years. However, the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) on Chandrayaan-1 has recently detected absorption features near 2.8 to 3.0 micrometers on the surface of the Moon. For silicate bodies, such features are typically attributed to hydroxyl- and/or water-bearing materials. On the Moon, the feature is seen as a widely distributed absorption that appears strongest at cooler high latitudes and at several fresh feldspathic craters. The general lack of correlation of this feature in sunlit M3 data with neutron spectrometer hydrogen abundance data suggests that the formation and retention of hydroxyl and water are ongoing surficial processes. Hydroxyl/water production processes may feed polar cold traps and make the lunar regolith a candidate source of volatiles for human exploration

Overexpression of alpha-synuclein at non-toxic levels increases dopaminergic cell death induced by copper exposure via modulation of protein degradation pathways

Gene multiplications or point mutations in alpha (α)-synuclein are associated with familial and sporadic Parkinson’s disease (PD). An increase in copper (Cu) levels has been reported in the cerebrospinal fluid and blood of PD patients, while occupational exposure to Cu has been suggested to augment the risk to develop PD. We aimed to elucidate the mechanisms by which α-synuclein and Cu regulate dopaminergic cell death. Short-term overexpression of WT or A53T α-synuclein had no toxic effect in human dopaminergic cells and primary midbrain cultures, but it exerted a synergistic effect on Cu-induced cell death. Cell death induced by Cu was potentiated by overexpression of the Cu transporter protein 1 (Ctr1) and depletion of intracellular glutathione (GSH) indicating that the toxic effects of Cu are linked to alterations in its intracellular homeostasis. Using the redox sensor roGFP, we demonstrated that Cu-induced oxidative stress was primarily localized in the cytosol and not in the mitochondria. However, α-synuclein overexpression had no effect on Cu-induced oxidative stress. WT or A53T α-synuclein overexpression exacerbated Cu toxicity in dopaminergic cells and yeast in the absence of α-synuclein aggregation. Cu increased autophagic flux and protein ubiquitination. Impairment of autophagy by overexpression of a dominant negative Atg5 form or inhibition of the ubiquitin/proteasome system (UPS) with MG132 enhanced Cu-induced cell death. However, only inhibition of the UPS stimulated the synergistic toxic effects of Cu and α-synuclein overexpression. Our results demonstrate that α-synuclein stimulates Cu toxicity in dopaminergic cells independent from its aggregation via modulation of protein degradation pathways

Alternative low-cost adsorbent for water and wastewater decontamination derived from eggshellwaste: an overview

As the current global trend towards more stringent environmental standards, technical applicability and cost-effectiveness became key factors in the selection of adsorbents for water and wastewater treatment. Recently, various low-cost adsorbents derived from agricultural waste, industrial by-products or natural materials, have been intensively investigated. In this respect, the eggshells from egg-breaking operations constitute significant waste disposal problems for the food industry, so the development of value-added by-products from this waste is to be welcomed. The egg processing industry is very competitive, with low profit margins due to global competition and cheap imports. Additionally, the costs associated with the egg shell disposal (mainly on landfill sites) are significant, and expected to continue increasing as landfill taxes increase. The aim of the present review is to provide an overview on the development of low-cost adsorbents derived from eggshell by-products

Towards a Rosetta Stone for translating data between information systems

This article was accepted for publication in the journal, Business Information Review [Sage Publications / © The Authors]. The definitive version is available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0266382115616235Information systems are an important organizational asset and offer numerous benefits. However, organizations face continued challenges when upgrading ageing information systems, and the data contained within, to newer platforms. This article explores, through conversations with information systems professionals in four organizations, the potential development of a ‘Rosetta Stone’, which can translate data between systems and be used to help overcome various challenges associated with their modernization. Despitemixed feedback regarding theRosetta Stone concept from interviewees, solutions highlighted in literature combinedwith participant feedback presented theories for its development, primarily as a tool to enable meaningful interpretation of data, rather than direct translation. The conclusion reflects on data collected to recommend a framework for how the tool might be developed and has the potential to be of significant interest to practitioners, open-source communities and organizations