Single-Shot Multi-Person 3D Pose Estimation From Monocular RGB

We propose a new single-shot method for multi-person 3D pose estimation in general scenes from a monocular RGB camera. Our approach uses novel occlusion-robust pose-maps (ORPM) which enable full body pose inference even under strong partial occlusions by other people and objects in the scene. ORPM outputs a fixed number of maps which encode the 3D joint locations of all people in the scene. Body part associations allow us to infer 3D pose for an arbitrary number of people without explicit bounding box prediction. To train our approach we introduce MuCo-3DHP, the first large scale training data set showing real images of sophisticated multi-person interactions and occlusions. We synthesize a large corpus of multi-person images by compositing images of individual people (with ground truth from mutli-view performance capture). We evaluate our method on our new challenging 3D annotated multi-person test set MuPoTs-3D where we achieve state-of-the-art performance. To further stimulate research in multi-person 3D pose estimation, we will make our new datasets, and associated code publicly available for research purposes.Comment: International Conference on 3D Vision (3DV), 201

XNect: Real-time Multi-Person 3D Motion Capture with a Single RGB Camera

We present a real-time approach for multi-person 3D motion capture at over 30 fps using a single RGB camera. It operates successfully in generic scenes which may contain occlusions by objects and by other people. Our method operates in subsequent stages. The first stage is a convolutional neural network (CNN) that estimates 2D and 3D pose features along with identity assignments for all visible joints of all individuals.We contribute a new architecture for this CNN, called SelecSLS Net, that uses novel selective long and short range skip connections to improve the information flow allowing for a drastically faster network without compromising accuracy. In the second stage, a fully connected neural network turns the possibly partial (on account of occlusion) 2Dpose and 3Dpose features for each subject into a complete 3Dpose estimate per individual. The third stage applies space-time skeletal model fitting to the predicted 2D and 3D pose per subject to further reconcile the 2D and 3D pose, and enforce temporal coherence. Our method returns the full skeletal pose in joint angles for each subject. This is a further key distinction from previous work that do not produce joint angle results of a coherent skeleton in real time for multi-person scenes. The proposed system runs on consumer hardware at a previously unseen speed of more than 30 fps given 512x320 images as input while achieving state-of-the-art accuracy, which we will demonstrate on a range of challenging real-world scenes.Comment: To appear in ACM Transactions on Graphics (SIGGRAPH) 202

Sommergrundlinien 2010

Das DIW Berlin prognostiziert ein Wirtschaftswachstum von 1,9 Prozent im Jahresdurchschnitt 2010 und 1,7 Prozent im Jahresdurchschnitt 2011. Die Inflation bleibt mit knapp 1,5 Prozent im Prognosezeitraum moderat. Nach einem schwachen ersten Quartal, in dem die konjunkturelle Entwicklung durch das Auslaufen von stimulierenden Maßnahmen und durch ungünstige Wetterbedingungen gehemmt wurde, erlebt die deutsche Wirtschaft ab dem zweiten Quartal einen stärkeren Aufschwung als ursprünglich erwartet. Dabei sind 2010 vor allem die Exporte für die wirtschaftliche Erholung verantwortlich. Erst 2011 wird das Wachstum von einer wieder erstarkten Binnennachfrage getragen werden. Die Zuwächse bei den Exporten sind einer stark wachsenden Weltwirtschaft zu verdanken. Wie schon in den vergangenen Jahren expandieren die Schwellenländer, darunter insbesondere China und Indien, besonders kräftig. Aber auch die von der Krise stark getroffenen entwickelten Volkswirtschaften Japan und USA erholen sich unerwartet schnell. Weniger robust ist das Wachstum in Europa. Nicht nur die Verunsicherung im Zuge der Schuldenkrise, sondern auch die absehbare notwendige Konsolidierung der öffentlichen Haushalte schwächt hier die Konjunktur. Risiko für die weltwirtschaftliche Entwicklung geht zusätzlich von einer zu beobachtenden neuen Blasenbildung auf den Vermögensmärkten in einigen Schwellenländern - insbesondere in China - aus. Die Binnennachfrage in Deutschland wird 2010 nur leichte Zuwächse verzeichnen und erst 2011 das Wirtschaftswachstum ankurbeln können. Investoren halten sich angesichts des ungewissen Aufschwungs und der geringen Kapazitätsauslastung zurück. Auch der private Verbrauch wird durch das Auslaufen von Stützungsmaßnahmen, die Verunsicherung durch die Schuldenkrise und nur geringe Einkommenszugewinne gehemmt. Die Entwicklung auf dem Arbeitsmarkt ist vor allem im Dienstleistungssektor positiv, ein spürbarer Rückgang der Arbeitslosigkeit dürfte aber nicht vor 2011 einsetzen. Obwohl das Defizit des öffentlichen Haushalts in diesem Jahr niedriger ausfällt als erwartet, besteht kein Grund zur Entwarnung. Ein Großteil des Defizits ist strukturell bedingt und wird eine energische Konsolidierung erforderlich machen. Die von der Bundesregierung eingeleiteten Schritte sind hierfür keinesfalls ausreichend. Für die Zukunft werden sowohl eine Kürzung der Staatsausgaben, etwa bei Subventionen, als auch Steuererhöhungen notwendig sein, um die öffentlichen Haushalte ins Gleichgewicht zu bringen.Business cycle forecast, Economic outlook

Cre-Recombinase Induces Apoptosis and Cell Death in Enterocyte Organoids

The culture of primary intestinal epithelia cells is not possible in a normal culture system. In 2009 a three-dimensional culture system of intestinal stem cells was established that shows many of the physiological features of the small intestine, such as crypt-villus structure, stem cell niche and all types of differentiated intestinal epithelial cells. These enteroids can be used to analyze biology of intestinal stem cells, gut homeostasis and the development of diseases. They also give the possibility to reduce animal numbers, as enteroids can be cryo-conserved and cultivated for many passages. To investigate the influence of genes such as NADPH oxidases on the gut homeostasis, transgenic approached are the method of choice. The generation of enteroids from knockout mice allows real-time observations of knockout effects. Often conditional knockout or overexpression strategies using inducible Cre recombinase are applied to avoid effects of adaption to the knockout. However, the Cre recombinase has many known caveats from unspecific binding and its endonuclease activity. In this study, we show that although NADPH oxidases are important for in vivo differentiation and proliferation of the intestine, their expression is drastically reduced in the organoid system. Activation of Cre recombinase by 4-hydroxy tamoxifen in freshly isolated enteroids, independently of floxed genes, leads to decreased diameter of organoids. This effect is concentration-dependent and is caused by reduced cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis and DNA damage. In contrast, constitutive expression of Cre has no impact on the enteroids. Therefore, reduction of tamoxifen concentration and treatment duration should be carefully titrated, and appropriate controls are necessary

Improving the safety of the Manchester triage system for children with congenital heart disease

This study is a prospective evaluation of the validity of a Manchester triage system (MTS) modification for detecting under-triaged pediatric patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). Children with CHD visiting the emergency unit of the Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University Hospital Vienna in 2014 were included. The MTS modification updated the prioritization of patients with complex syndromic diseases, specific symptoms related to chronic diseases, decreased general condition (DGC), profound language impairment, unknown medical history, or special needs. A four-level outcome severity index based on diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, admission to hospital, and follow-up strategies was defined as a reference standard for the correct clinical classification of the MTS urgency level. Of the 19,264 included children, 940 had CHD. Of this group, 266 fulfilled the inclusion criteria for the modified triage method. The MTS modification was significantly more often applied in under-triaged (65.9%) than correctly or over-triaged (25%) children with CHD (p-value χ2 test <0.0001, OR 5.848, 95% CI: 3.636–9.6). Conclusion: The MTS urgency level upgrade modification could reduce under-triage in children with CHD. Applying a safety strategy concept to the MTS could mitigate under-triage in such a high-risk patient group

Epithelial cells as active player in fibrosis: findings from an in vitro model.

Kidney fibrosis, a scarring of the tubulo-interstitial space, is due to activation of interstitial myofibroblasts recruited locally or systemically with consecutive extracellular matrix deposition. Newly published clinical studies correlating acute kidney injury (AKI) to chronic kidney disease (CKD) challenge this pathological concept putting tubular epithelial cells into the spotlight. In this work we investigated the role of epithelial cells in fibrosis using a simple controlled in vitro system. An epithelial/mesenchymal 3D cell culture model composed of human proximal renal tubular cells and fibroblasts was challenged with toxic doses of Cisplatin, thus injuring epithelial cells. RT-PCR for classical fibrotic markers was performed on fibroblasts to assess their modulation toward an activated myofibroblast phenotype in presence or absence of that stimulus. Epithelial cell lesion triggered a phenotypical modulation of fibroblasts toward activated myofibroblasts as assessed by main fibrotic marker analysis. Uninjured 3D cell culture as well as fibroblasts alone treated with toxic stimulus in the absence of epithelial cells were used as control. Our results, with the caveats due to the limited, but highly controllable and reproducible in vitro approach, suggest that epithelial cells can control and regulate fibroblast phenotype. Therefore they emerge as relevant target cells for the development of new preventive anti-fibrotic therapeutic approaches

Monitoring and manipulating cellular crosstalk during kidney fibrosis inside a 3D in vitro co-culture

In pharmacological research the development of promising lead compounds requires a detailed understanding of the dynamics of disease progression. However, for many diseases, such as kidney fibrosis, gaining such understanding requires complex real-time, multi-dimensional analysis of diseased and healthy tissue. To allow for such studies with increased throughput we established a dextran hydrogel-based in vitro 3D co-culture as a disease model for kidney fibrosis aimed at the discovery of compounds modulating the epithelial/mesenchymal crosstalk. This platform mimics a simplified pathological renal microenvironment at the interface between tubular epithelial cells and surrounding quiescent fibroblasts. We combined this 3D technology with epithelial reporter cell lines expressing fluorescent biomarkers in order to visualize pathophysiological cell state changes resulting from toxin-mediated chemical injury. Epithelial cell damage onset was robustly detected by image-based monitoring, and injured epithelial spheroids induced myofibroblast differentiation of co-cultured quiescent human fibroblasts. The presented 3D co-culture system therefore provides a unique model system for screening of novel therapeutic molecules capable to interfere and modulate the dialogue between epithelial and mesenchymal cells.ISSN:2045-232

NoxO1 Controls Proliferation of Colon Epithelial Cells

AimReactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by enzymes of the NADPH oxidase family serve as second messengers for cellular signaling. Processes such as differentiation and proliferation are regulated by NADPH oxidases. In the intestine, due to the exceedingly fast and constant renewal of the epithelium both processes have to be highly controlled and balanced. Nox1 is the major NADPH oxidase expressed in the gut, and its function is regulated by cytosolic subunits such as NoxO1. We hypothesize that the NoxO1-controlled activity of Nox1 contributes to a proper epithelial homeostasis and renewal in the gut.ResultsNoxO1 is highly expressed in the colon. Knockout of NoxO1 reduces the production of superoxide in colon crypts and is not subsidized by an elevated expression of its homolog p47phox. Knockout of NoxO1 increases the proliferative capacity and prevents apoptosis of colon epithelial cells. In mouse models of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis and azoxymethane/DSS induced colon cancer, NoxO1 has a protective role and may influence the population of natural killer cells.ConclusionNoxO1 affects colon epithelium homeostasis and prevents inflammation