Learning 3D Human Pose from Structure and Motion

3D human pose estimation from a single image is a challenging problem, especially for in-the-wild settings due to the lack of 3D annotated data. We propose two anatomically inspired loss functions and use them with a weakly-supervised learning framework to jointly learn from large-scale in-the-wild 2D and indoor/synthetic 3D data. We also present a simple temporal network that exploits temporal and structural cues present in predicted pose sequences to temporally harmonize the pose estimations. We carefully analyze the proposed contributions through loss surface visualizations and sensitivity analysis to facilitate deeper understanding of their working mechanism. Our complete pipeline improves the state-of-the-art by 11.8% and 12% on Human3.6M and MPI-INF-3DHP, respectively, and runs at 30 FPS on a commodity graphics card.Comment: ECCV 2018. Project page: https://www.cse.iitb.ac.in/~rdabral/3DPose

Auto-labelling of Markers in Optical Motion Capture by Permutation Learning

Optical marker-based motion capture is a vital tool in applications such as motion and behavioural analysis, animation, and biomechanics. Labelling, that is, assigning optical markers to the pre-defined positions on the body is a time consuming and labour intensive postprocessing part of current motion capture pipelines. The problem can be considered as a ranking process in which markers shuffled by an unknown permutation matrix are sorted to recover the correct order. In this paper, we present a framework for automatic marker labelling which first estimates a permutation matrix for each individual frame using a differentiable permutation learning model and then utilizes temporal consistency to identify and correct remaining labelling errors. Experiments conducted on the test data show the effectiveness of our framework

Child Under-weight and Agricultural Productivity in India: Implications for Public Provisioning and Women’s Agency

This study is part of the ongoing research program on Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia (LANSA) funded by UK Aid from the Department for International Development, UK. The authors are consultants or regular staff of M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, India, one of the six partner institutions of LANSA.A recent global hunger index indicated a 12 percent decline in child underweight rates. This study attempts an empirical explanation of the factors that influence child underweight rates at the district level. Agricultural land productivity, share of women educated above the secondary level and participating in work, maternal, and child health seem to contribute to the reduction in child underweight. However government health and water supply facilities turn out to be ineffective

Using Relational Verification for Program Slicing

Program slicing is the process of removing statements from a program such that defined aspects of its behavior are retained. For producing precise slices, i.e., slices that are minimal in size, the program\u27s semantics must be considered. Existing approaches that go beyond a syntactical analysis and do take the semantics into account are not fully automatic and require auxiliary specifications from the user. In this paper, we adapt relational verification to check whether a slice candidate obtained by removing some instructions from a program is indeed a valid slice. Based on this, we propose a framework for precise and automatic program slicing. As part of this framework, we present three strategies for the generation of slice candidates, and we show how dynamic slicing approaches - that interweave generating and checking slice candidates - can be used for this purpose. The framework can easily be extended with other strategies for generating slice candidates. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of slicing approaches that use our framework

1.55 µm InAs/GaAs Quantum Dots and High Repetition Rate Quantum Dot SESAM Mode-locked Laser

High pulse repetition rate (≥10 GHz) diode-pumped solid-state lasers, modelocked using semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors (SESAMs) are emerging as an enabling technology for high data rate coherent communication systems owing to their low noise and pulse-to-pulse optical phase-coherence. Quantum dot (QD) based SESAMs offer potential advantages to such laser systems in terms of reduced saturation fluence, broader bandwidth, and wavelength flexibility. Here, we describe the development of an epitaxial process for the realization of high optical quality 1.55 µm In(Ga)As QDs on GaAs substrates, their incorporation into a SESAM, and the realization of the first 10 GHz repetition rate QD-SESAM modelocked laser at 1.55 µm, exhibiting ∼2 ps pulse width from an Er-doped glass oscillator (ERGO). With a high areal dot density and strong light emission, this QD structure is a very promising candidate for many other applications, such as laser diodes, optical amplifiers, non-linear and photonic crystal based devices

“There was something very peculiar about Doc…”: Deciphering Queer Intimacy in Representations of Doc Holliday

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in American Nineteenth-Century History on 8-12-14, available online: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14664658.2014.971481This essay discusses representations of male intimacy in life-writing about consumptive gunfighter John Henry “Doc” Holliday (1851-1887). I argue that twentieth-century commentators rarely appreciated the historical specificity of Holliday’s friendships in a frontier culture that not only normalized but actively celebrated same-sex intimacy. Indeed, Holliday lived on the frayed edges of known nineteenth-century socio-sexual norms, and his interactions with other men were further complicated by his vicious reputation and his disability. His short life and eventful afterlife exposes the gaps in available evidence – and the flaws in our ability to interpret it. Yet something may still be gleaned from the early newspaper accounts of Holliday. Having argued that there is insufficient evidence to justify positioning him within modern categories of hetero/homosexuality, I analyze the language used in pre-1900 descriptions of first-hand encounters with Holliday to illuminate the consumptive gunfighter’s experience of intimacy, if not its meaning

Understanding the nature and mechanism of foot pain

Approximately one-quarter of the population are affected by foot pain at any given time. It is often disabling and can impair mood, behaviour, self-care ability and overall quality of life. Currently, the nature and mechanism underlying many types of foot pain is not clearly understood. Here we comprehensively review the literature on foot pain, with specific reference to its definition, prevalence, aetiology and predictors, classification, measurement and impact. We also discuss the complexities of foot pain as a sensory, emotional and psychosocial experience in the context of clinical practice, therapeutic trials and the placebo effect. A deeper understanding of foot pain is needed to identify causal pathways, classify diagnoses, quantify severity, evaluate long term implications and better target clinical intervention

Plantar Flexor Muscle Stretching depresses the Soleus Late Response but not Tendon Tap Reflexes

The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in muscle spindle sensitivity with early and late soleus reflex responses via tendon taps and transcranial magnetic stimulation, respectively, after an acute bout of prolonged static plantar flexor muscle stretching. Seventeen healthy males were tested before and after 5 min (5 × 60-s stretches) of passive static stretching of the plantar flexor muscles. Maximal voluntary isometric torque and M wave-normalized triceps surae muscle surface electromyographic activity were recorded. Both soleus tendon reflexes, evoked by percussion of the Achilles tendon during rest and transcranial magnetic stimulation-evoked soleus late responses during submaximal isometric dorsiflexion were also quantified. Significant decreases in maximal voluntary isometric plantar flexion torque (−19.2 ± 13.6%, p =.002) and soleus electromyographic activity (−20.1 ± 11.4%, p .05). Significant reductions in soleus late response amplitudes (−46.9 ± 36.0%, p =.002) were detected, although these changes were not correlated with changes in maximal electromyographic activity, torque or tendon reflex amplitudes. No changes in soleus late response latency were detected. In conclusion, impaired neural drive was implicated in the stretch-induced force loss; however, no evidence was found that this loss was related to changes in muscle spindle sensitivity. We hypothesize that the decrease in soleus late response indicates a stretch-induced reduction in a polysynaptic postural reflex rather than spindle reflex sensitivity.</p