Linear Facial Expression Transfer With Active Appearance Models

The issue of transferring facial expressions from one person's face to another's has been an area of interest for the movie industry and the computer graphics community for quite some time. In recent years, with the proliferation of online image and video collections and web applications, such as Google Street View, the question of preserving privacy through face de-identification has gained interest in the computer vision community. In this paper, we focus on the problem of real-time dynamic facial expression transfer using an Active Appearance Model framework. We provide a theoretical foundation for a generalisation of two well-known expression transfer methods and demonstrate the improved visual quality of the proposed linear extrapolation transfer method on examples of face swapping and expression transfer using the AVOZES data corpus. Realistic talking faces can be generated in real-time at low computational cost

An investigation of latent fingermark residues and their development on porous substrates using physical developer and nile red

University of Technology Sydney. Faculty of Science.The detection of fingermarks on porous surfaces that have been wet is currently limited to only one routine technique, Physical Developer (PD). PD is a well-established fingermark development method that has a plethora of issues associated with its use, principally based around the preparation and relative instability of the working solution and lack of contrast on dark substrates as it is non-luminescent. While these issues have been mostly addressed at an operational level, in-depth chemical remedies for the PD process cannot be devised because the mechanisms and specific targets of PD remain largely unknown. This highlights the need to understand the fundamental chemistry of the technique to recognise what may be improved and what complementary detection methods could be applied to ensure that the maximum number of available fingermarks are developed in casework. This research has also considered nile red (NR), a technique known to develop fingermarks on porous substrates that have been wet that remain undeveloped by treatment with PD. An investigation of the optimisation of the NR working solution was undertaken. An oil-in-water microemulsion containing NR was prepared using the solvent-diffusion method. The optimized NR solution was demonstrated to be effective in developing fresh latent fingermarks. The working solution is prepared with the slow addition of a NR in dichloromethane stock solution to a dual surfactant solution to create a lactescent dual organic-aqueous phase intermediate. Stirring promotes the evaporation of the solvent, resulting in a transparent NR microemulsion. The solution contains less hazardous solvents than the previously published formulation, with an extended shelf life and at a much lower cost. The optimized microemulsion was shown to outperform a previously reported aqueous nile blue working solution on both natural and groomed fingermarks, with shorter exposure times for image capture after development. The storage, ageing and concentration of the components of a PD working solution was evaluated to determine the most effective formulation and protocol for the use of PD. A more thorough understanding of the working solution components of PD has allowed a refinement of the development method and the formulation itself, resulting in increased development success and a better understanding of when fingermarks will and will not be effectively developed by the technique. A revised PD working solution formulation and development protocol has been established that has been successfully utilised by undergraduate forensic science students. An investigation of the chemical targets of PD contained in latent fingermark deposits through reactivity assessments of various lipid, eccrine and lipid–eccrine mixtures in the residue was undertaken. Experimental results showed that silver deposition from the PD working solution occurs in the presence of an emulsion of both lipid and eccrine constituents. PD was interestingly shown to also be reactive towards emulsions of oleic acid and water, indicating that the silver deposition may occur as a result of nucleation sites at the emulsion phase boundary, or as a result of desorption of constituents from the substrate that promote silver reduction. These results explain the anomalies seen with the selective development by PD of a proportion of fingermarks on a substrate, and the development of other fingermarks by other techniques when used in sequence, such as Oil Red O (ORO) or NR. A consideration of the various processes that emulsions undergo also helps to rationalise the fluctuating developmental effectiveness of PD on ageing fingermarks. A better understanding of the PD technique permits a more informed selection of alternative or complementary detection methods. This research provides further insight into not only the application of the PD technique but, more importantly, into the reasons behind the observed development. This increased understanding highlights the need to sequence PD with a lipid sensitive technique, such as NR, for the development of latent fingermarks on porous substrates that have been wet as the two techniques have discrete and complementary targets. It also emphasizes the need to develop a better understanding of latent fingermark residue–substrate interactions

New light on old fingermarks: The detection of historic latent fingermarks on old paper documents using 1,2-indanedione/zinc

This study explores trends in the effectiveness of 1,2-indandione/zinc chloride (IND/Zn) for visualizing latent fingermarks on paper substrates of various ages. Preliminary investigation of contemporaneous documents showed that high quality fingermarks could be deposited through incidental handling, although smudging and overlapping were evident. IND/Zn was then applied to incidentally handled documents up to 80 years old and successfully developed potentially identifiable fingermarks, significantly increasing the established timescale for fingermark detection with amino acid sensitive reagents. The results indicate that IND/Zn remains effective over longer periods than has been previously demonstrated, although a comparison between documents of different ages suggest that progressive diffusion of the target amino acids occurs over time, affecting the proportion of potentially identifiable marks. The findings of this study reinforce the applicability of IND/Zn for the detection of historic latent fingermarks on old paper documents

An effective Physical Developer (PD) method for use in Australian laboratories

© 2018, © 2018 Australian Academy of Forensic Sciences. Physical Developer (PD) is an underutilized technique for the development of latent marks on porous surfaces that have been wet, or as a subsequent technique in a development sequence. It is a multistep technique that works by selectively reducing silver ions to silver metal at nucleating sites in fingermark residue. Its use is associated with a plethora of issues, largely surrounding the inherent instability of the working solution. Recently, one of the components of the working solution, Synperonic N, has ceased production, and the recommended replacement is Tween 20. This article addresses factors during PD processing using Tween 20, other than reagent formulations that should be considered when using the technique

UK Nutrition Research Partnership (NRP) workshop:Forum on advancing dietary intake assessment

The development of better and more robust measures of dietary intake in free living situations was identified as a priority for advancing nutrition research by the Office of Strategic Coordination for Health Research (OSCHR) Review of Nutrition and Human Health Research in 2017. The UK Nutrition Research Partnership (NRP) sponsored a workshop on Dietary Intake Assessment methodology alongside its series of ‘Hot Topic’ workshops designed to accelerate progress in nutrition research by bringing together people from a range of different disciplines. The workshop on Dietary Intake Assessment methodology took place via Zoom over two half‐days in January 2021 and included 50 scientists from a wide range of disciplines. The problems with current methods of dietary assessment and how emerging technologies might address them were set out in pre‐recorded presentations and explored in panel discussions. Participants then worked in breakout groups to discuss and prioritise the research questions that should be addressed to best further the field and lead to improvements in dietary assessment methodology. Five priority research questions were selected. Participants were asked to brainstorm potential approaches for addressing them and were then asked to focus on one approach and develop it further. At the end of these sessions, participants presented their project ideas to the rest of the workshop and these will be reported back to the Medical Research Council. It is hoped that potential collaborative projects arising from these discussions will be taken forward in response to future funding calls

25-Hydroxyvitamin D Threshold for the Effects of Vitamin D Supplements on Bone Density:Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Most trials of vitamin D supplementation have shown no benefits on bone density (BMD), though severe vitamin D deficiency causes osteomalacia which is associated with profound BMD deficits. Recently, the ViDA-BMD study from New Zealand demonstrated a threshold of baseline 25-hydroxyvitamin D (30 nmol/L) below which vitamin D supplementation did benefit BMD. We have now re-examined data from a similar trial in Aberdeen to determine whether a baseline 25-hydroxyvitamin D threshold of 30 nmol/L is also observed in that database. The Aberdeen study recruited 305 postmenopausal women in late winter and randomized them to receive placebo, vitamin D 400 IU/day or vitamin D 1000 IU/day over one year. As previously reported, BMD loss at the hip was reduced by vitamin D 1000 IU/day only, and there was no significant treatment effect of either dose at the lumbar spine. In the present analysis, when the trial participants were grouped according to whether their baseline 25-hydroxyvitamin D was ≤30 nmol/L or above this threshold, significant treatment effects were apparent at both the spine and hip in those with baseline 25-hydroxyvitamin D ≤30 nmol/L, but no significant effects were apparent in those with baseline 25-hydroxyvitamin D above this level. There was evidence of a similar threshold for effects on parathyroid hormone, but no groups showed changes in bone turnover markers during the study. It is concluded that vitamin D supplements only increase bone density in adults with nadir 25-hydroxyvitamin D ≤30 nmol/L. This moves us further towards a trial-based definition of vitamin D deficiency in adults with adequate calcium intakes, and suggests that supplement use should be targeted accordingly. Future trials of vitamin D supplementation should focus on individuals with 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations in this range

Beneficial effects of replacing diet beverages with water on type 2 diabetic obese women following a hypo-energetic diet: a randomized, 24-week clinical trial

Abstract AIMS: To compare the effect of replacing diet beverages (DBs) with water or continuing to drink DBs in patients with type 2 diabetes during a 24-week weight loss program. The primary endpoint was the effect of intervention on weight over a 24-week period. The main secondary endpoints included anthropometric measurement and glucose and fat metabolism during the 24-week period. METHODS: A total of 81 overweight and obese women with type 2 diabetes, who usually consumed DBs in their diet, were asked to either substitute water for DBs or continue drinking DBs five times per week after lunch for 24 weeks (DBs group) during a weight loss program. RESULTS: Compared with the DBs group, the water group had a greater decrease in weight (water, -6.40 ± 2.42 kg; DBs, -5.25 ± 1.60 kg; P = .006), in BMI (water, -2.49 ± 0.92 kg/m2 ; DBs, -2.06 ± 0.62 kg/m2 ; P = .006), in FPG (water, -1.63 ± 0.54 mmol/L; DBs, -1.29 ± 0.48 mmol/L, P = .005), in fasting insulin (water, -5.71 ± 2.30 m lU/mL; DBs, -4.16 ± 1.74 m lU/mL, P = .011), in HOMA IR (water, -3.20 ± 1.17; DBs, -2.48 ± 0.99, P = 003) and in 2 hour postprandial glucose (water, -1.67 ± 0.62 mmol/L; DBs, -1.35 ± 0.39 mmol/L; P = 0.027) over the 24-week period. However, there was no significant time × group interaction for waist circumference, lipid profiles and HbA1c within both groups over the 24-week period. CONCLUSION: Replacement of DBs with water after the main meal in obese adult women with type 2 diabetes may lead to more weight reduction during a weight loss program

The relationship between habitual breakfast consumption frequency and academic performance in British adolescents

Breakfast has been shown to be beneficial for cognitive and academic performance in school children. However, there is a paucity of studies which examine the relationship between breakfast consumption and academic performance and a complete absence of studies in UK school children. The aim of this study, therefore, was to examine the association between habitual breakfast consumption frequency and Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) performance, a reasoning test routinely used in UK schools. Adolescents aged 11–13 years (n = 292; males: 53.8%) completed a questionnaire to report usual weekly breakfast intake frequency. Breakfast was subjectively defined by the participants. Habitual weekly breakfast consumption frequency was categorized as rare (0–2 days), occasional (3–4 days), or frequent (5–7 days). Participants’ CAT performance was used as a proxy measure of academic performance. The CAT has three components: verbal, non-verbal, and quantitative reasoning. Normative standard age scores (SAS) for verbal, non-verbal, quantitative reasoning, and overall mean SAS were obtained from school records and hierarchical linear regression models were applied, adjusting for the confounders: gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, English as an Additional Language, and body mass index. Habitual breakfast consumption frequency did not significantly predict any CAT SAS in all models (crude and adjusted). However, methodological considerations which could account for this disagreement with previous research, were identified. These included the isolation of school-day breakfast consumption, use of a standard definition of breakfast, and measurement of actual academic performance. The findings of the current study suggest more comprehensive ways in which future studies might investigate the relationship between habitual breakfast consumption and academic performance