Generic 3D Representation via Pose Estimation and Matching

Though a large body of computer vision research has investigated developing generic semantic representations, efforts towards developing a similar representation for 3D has been limited. In this paper, we learn a generic 3D representation through solving a set of foundational proxy 3D tasks: object-centric camera pose estimation and wide baseline feature matching. Our method is based upon the premise that by providing supervision over a set of carefully selected foundational tasks, generalization to novel tasks and abstraction capabilities can be achieved. We empirically show that the internal representation of a multi-task ConvNet trained to solve the above core problems generalizes to novel 3D tasks (e.g., scene layout estimation, object pose estimation, surface normal estimation) without the need for fine-tuning and shows traits of abstraction abilities (e.g., cross-modality pose estimation). In the context of the core supervised tasks, we demonstrate our representation achieves state-of-the-art wide baseline feature matching results without requiring apriori rectification (unlike SIFT and the majority of learned features). We also show 6DOF camera pose estimation given a pair local image patches. The accuracy of both supervised tasks come comparable to humans. Finally, we contribute a large-scale dataset composed of object-centric street view scenes along with point correspondences and camera pose information, and conclude with a discussion on the learned representation and open research questions.Comment: Published in ECCV16. See the project website http://3drepresentation.stanford.edu/ and dataset website https://github.com/amir32002/3D_Street_Vie

Understanding first-year students’ curiosity and interest about physics : Lessons learned from the HOPE project

This paper focuses on results of an interview based survey of first-year university physics students, carried out within the EU Horizons in Physics Education (HOPE) project (http://hopenetwork.eu/). 94 interviews conducted in 13 universities have been analyzed to investigate the factors that inspire young people to study physics. In particular, the main motivational factor, which was proven to consist of personal interest and curiosity, was unfolded into different categories and detailed interest profiles were produced. The results are arguably useful to help academic curriculum developers and teaching personnel in physics departments to provide guidance to students in developing and focusing their interest towards specific sub-fields and/or to design targeted recruitment and outreach initiatives.Peer reviewe

Sodium-Dependent Vitamin C Transporter 2 (SVCT2) Expression and Activity in Brain Capillary Endothelial Cells after Transient Ischemia in Mice

Expression and transport activity of Sodium-dependent Vitamin C Transporter 2 (SVCT2) was shown in various tissues and organs. Vitamin C was shown to be cerebroprotective in several animal models of stroke. Data on expression, localization and transport activity of SVCT2 after cerebral ischemia, however, has been scarce so far. Thus, we studied the expression of SVCT2 after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in mice by immunohistochemistry. We found an upregulation of SVCT2 after stroke. Co-stainings with Occludin, Von-Willebrand Factor and CD34 demonstrated localization of SVCT2 in brain capillary endothelial cells in the ischemic area after stroke. Time-course analyses of SVCT2 expression by immunohistochemistry and western blots showed upregulation in the subacute phase of 2–5 days. Radioactive uptake assays using 14C-labelled ascorbic acid showed a significant increase of ascorbic acid uptake into the brain after stroke. Taken together, these results provide evidence for the expression and transport activity of SVCT2 in brain capillary endothelial cells after transient ischemia in mice. These results may lead to the development of novel neuroprotective strategies in stroke therapy

Calosphaeria canker of sweet cherry caused by Calosphaeria pulchella in California and South Australia

California is the second largest sweet cherry producer in the United States with annual revenues up to $200 million. The South Australian cherry industry generates about 10% of Australia's overall production with approximately 1,500 metric tons of cherries produced yearly. In California, perennial canker diseases and subsequent branch dieback are responsible for extensive damage throughout sweet cherry orchards, reducing annual yields and tree longevity. Surveys of cherry orchards and isolation work were conducted in California to identify the main canker-causing agents. Calosphaeria pulchella was the main fungus isolated from cankers, followed by Eutypa lata and Leucostoma persoonii, respectively. Preliminary surveys in cherry orchards in South Australia documented C. pulchella and L. persoonii in cankers. The pathogenicity of C. pulchella in sweet cherry was confirmed following field inoculations of 2- to 3-year-old branches. C. pulchella was able to infect healthy wood and produce cankers with as much virulence as E. lata or L. persoonii. Spore trapping studies were conducted in two sweet cherry orchards in California to investigate the seasonal abundance of C. pulchella spores. Experiments showed that rain and sprinkler irrigation were important factors for aerial dissemination. Finally, this study illustrates the symptoms and signs of the new disease Calosphaeria canker.F. P. Trouillas, F. Peduto, J. D. Lorber, M. R. Sosnowski, J. Grant, W. W. Coates, K. K. Anderson, J. Caprile and W. D. Guble

RRIL - Presentation of the Course: : Introduction to Responsible & Sustainable Innovation -Course Presentation

Responsible Research & Innovation is a genius concept developed by the European Commission for the governance of research and innovation processes with a view on the (ethical) acceptability, sustainability and societal desirability of the innovation process and its marketable products. It aims to shape, maintain, develop, coordinate and align existing and novel research and innovation-related processes, actors and responsibilities with a view to ensuring desirable and acceptable research outcomes. In the Horizon 2020 programmes, there were and are some projects focusing on related training needs. But there is no substantial attempt observable to develop continuous higher education programmes supporting the implementation of this concept and the respective reorganisation processes in universities, research centres, research and innovation oriented enterprises and public authorities like cities or regional governments. This project pretends to fulfil this gap through the co-creation of higher education modules between different research and innovation actors. RRIL especially focus on public engagement, gender equality and ethics (in the knowledge fields Energy and Economy) testing the learning modules in innovative environments based on interactive real-problem approaches. The modules developed are offered to research and innovation actors supporting the implementation of RRI principles in the organisations capacitating the learners to develop jointly innovative solution for societal problems. RRIL is based on co-creation and open innovation processes giving a prominent role to the learners. The co-creation is conceived as multidisciplinary and transversal among different kinds of actors as HEI, research centres, NGO’s and cities paving the way for knowledge exchange between them. It consists in informed learning among practitioners considering learners as a knowledgeable and critical partners in designing and implementation of the learning means. Under this perspective, the potential learners – programme coordinators and tutors - are considered peers working collaboratively on the project outputs. (PDF) RRIL: Introduction to Responsible & Sustainable Innovation -Course Presentation. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354598521_RRIL_Introduction_to_Responsible_Sustainable_Innovation_-Course_Presentation [accessed Sep 15 2021].publishedVersio

Toward Wafer Scale Inductive Characterization of Spin-Transfer Torque Critical Current Density of Magnetic Tunnel Junction Stacks

We explore the prospects of wafer-scale inductive probing of the critical current density j(c0) for spin-transfer torque (STT) switching of CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunnel junctions with varying MgO thickness. From inductive measurements, magnetostatic parameters and effective damping are derived and j(c0) is calculated based on STT equations. The inductive values compare well with the values derived from current-induced switching measurements on individual nanopillars. Using a wafer-scale inductive probe head could enable wafer probe station-based metrology of j(c0) in the future