Accurate and robust image superresolution by neural processing of local image representations

Image superresolution involves the processing of an image sequence to generate a still image with higher resolution. Classical approaches, such as bayesian MAP methods, require iterative minimization procedures, with high computational costs. Recently, the authors proposed a method to tackle this problem, based on the use of a hybrid MLP-PNN architecture. In this paper, we present a novel superresolution method, based on an evolution of this concept, to incorporate the use of local image models. A neural processing stage receives as input the value of model coefficients on local windows. The data dimension-ality is firstly reduced by application of PCA. An MLP, trained on synthetic se-quences with various amounts of noise, estimates the high-resolution image data. The effect of varying the dimension of the network input space is exam-ined, showing a complex, structured behavior. Quantitative results are presented showing the accuracy and robustness of the proposed method

Let’s start talking the walk:Capturing and reflecting on our limits when working with gig economy workers

Gig economy platforms are having profound impacts on when and how much we work. But it is not just the qualities of work that are changing, as these platforms have also eroded workers’ rights in disempowering workers around the world whilst making use of discourses of empowerment (e.g. flexibility, entrepreneurial values) to promote themselves. `Switch-Gig’ aimed to explore this tension by promoting empowerment and justice through discussions of the future with couriers, focusing on the role of technology in this. By doing this it hoped to provide a more just response to the attempts by digital platforms (e.g. Deliveroo, UberEats) to marginalise and control workers. But this sort of activist work is hard, and it is made harder by the lack of discussion in the LIMITS community about how to weather through the challenges inherent in the processes of ethical and activist research. It is through discussions of the challenges that we can learn not only more about the communities in focus, but also from one another. In order to make space for this discussion within LIMITS, the authors focus primarily on reflecting on their approach to the research and the process itself, over the empirical data of the study. In doing this, they hope to begin a discussion of why LIMITS’ researchers should share the pains of their processes, and more effectively mobilise the understandings of the communities we research, to move together along the path to Meadows’ vision of 2030, and to start challenging the powerful structures that prevent sustainable change

Scheduling Algorithms for Procrastinators

This paper presents scheduling algorithms for procrastinators, where the speed that a procrastinator executes a job increases as the due date approaches. We give optimal off-line scheduling policies for linearly increasing speed functions. We then explain the computational/numerical issues involved in implementing this policy. We next explore the online setting, showing that there exist adversaries that force any online scheduling policy to miss due dates. This impossibility result motivates the problem of minimizing the maximum interval stretch of any job; the interval stretch of a job is the job's flow time divided by the job's due date minus release time. We show that several common scheduling strategies, including the "hit-the-highest-nail" strategy beloved by procrastinators, have arbitrarily large maximum interval stretch. Then we give the "thrashing" scheduling policy and show that it is a \Theta(1) approximation algorithm for the maximum interval stretch.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figure

Petrografia e química mineral do Stock Granítico Serra do Barriga (Sobral, CE, nordeste do Brasil)

The Serra do Barriga Granitic Stock (SGSB), located at NNW of the Ceará, northeast of Brazil, presents faciological variation that permits commercial exploitation in four types of ornamental rocks: Rosa Iracema (RI), Rosa Olinda (RO), Branco Savana (BS) and White Crystal Quartz (BCQ). The aim of this paper is to investigate mineral association, chemical composition and classification of the main minerals phases, as well as genetic relationships among the granitic facies. Petrographic analyzes were made using thin section and analyzes of mineral chemistry through electron microprobe. Petrographic and mineral chemistry analyzes show that SBGS lithotypes varies from inequigranular to porphyritic syenogranites and monzogranites and different facies do not show significant differences in mineral composition, except for small variations of Or amount in K-feldspar. Potassium feldspar is orthoclase and plagioclase ranges from albite to oligoclase (Ab-Or- to Ab-Or). Biotite corresponds to annita to siderophyllite, while amphibole corresponds to iron-edenite. Post-magmatic or hydrothermal mineral transformations such as exsolution, potassification, albitization, chloritization, sericitization and neoformation of fluorite are common and control discoloration from the pink to the white facies (BS and BCQ). In the plagioclase of the white granites frequent sericitization occurs superimposed to the microclinization, with neoformation of fluorite. The whole data converge to the knowledge that all the facies were formed at the same magmatic event, being the syenogranites (RI, RO and BCQ) originated by an unique magma, followed by a new, more mafic magmatic pulse, represented by porphyritic monzogranite (RO).O Stock Granítico Serra do Barriga (SGSB), localizado a NNW do Ceará, nordeste do Brasil, apresenta variação faciológica que permite exploração comercial em quatro tipos de rochas ornamentais: Rosa Iracema (RI), Rosa Olinda (RO), Branco Savana (BS) e Branco Cristal Quartzo (BCQ). O objetivo deste trabalho é determinar a paragênese, a composição química e a classificação dos principais minerais, além das relações genéticas entre as fácies graníticas. Foram realizadas análises petrográficas, utilizando-se lâminas delgadas e análises de química mineral através de microssonda eletrônica. As análises petrográfica e de química mineral mostram que o SGSB varia de sienogranitos e monzogranitos inequigranulares a porfiríticos e não ocorrem diferenças significativas nas composições dos minerais entre as fácies, exceto ligeiras variações no teor de Or nos KF. O feldspato potássico é ortoclásio, o plagioclásio mostra transição de albita para oligoclásio. A biotita corresponde a annita com tendência a siderofilita, enquanto o anfibólio corresponde a ferro-edenita. As transformações minerais pós-magmáticas ou hidrotermais como exsolução, potassificação, albitização, cloritização, sericitização e neoformação de fluorita são comuns no SGSB e contribuem na “descoloração” das fácies rosas para as brancas. No plagioclásio dos granitos brancos ocorre frequente sericitização sobreposta à microclinização, com neoformação de fluorita. Todos os dados convergem para a ideia de que as fácies foram formadas por um mesmo evento magmático, sendo que os sienogranitos (RI, RO e BCQ) correspondem à faciologias originadas por um mesmo magma, seguido por um novo pulso magmático mais máfico, representado pelo monzogranito porfirítico (RO)

Camera motion estimation through planar deformation determination

In this paper, we propose a global method for estimating the motion of a camera which films a static scene. Our approach is direct, fast and robust, and deals with adjacent frames of a sequence. It is based on a quadratic approximation of the deformation between two images, in the case of a scene with constant depth in the camera coordinate system. This condition is very restrictive but we show that provided translation and depth inverse variations are small enough, the error on optical flow involved by the approximation of depths by a constant is small. In this context, we propose a new model of camera motion, that allows to separate the image deformation in a similarity and a ``purely'' projective application, due to change of optical axis direction. This model leads to a quadratic approximation of image deformation that we estimate with an M-estimator; we can immediatly deduce camera motion parameters.Comment: 21 pages, version modifi\'ee accept\'e le 20 mars 200

Minocycline rescues decrease in neurogenesis, increase in microglia cytokines and deficits in sensorimotor gating in an animal model of schizophrenia

Adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus is impaired in schizophrenic patients and in an animal model of schizophrenia. Amongst a plethora of regulators, the immune system has been shown repeatedly to strongly modulate neurogenesis under physiological and pathological conditions. It is well accepted, that schizophrenic patients have an aberrant peripheral immune status, which is also reflected in the animal model. The microglia as the intrinsic immune competent cells of the brain have recently come into focus as possible therapeutic targets in schizophrenia. We here used a maternal immune stimulation rodent model of schizophrenia in which polyinosinic-polycytidilic acid (Poly I:C) was injected into pregnant rats to mimic an anti-viral immune response. We identified microglia IL-1{beta} and TNF-{alpha} increase constituting the factors correlating best with decreases in net-neurogenesis and impairment in pre-pulse inhibition of a startle response in the Poly I:C model. Treatment with the antibiotic minocycline (3mg/kg/day) normalized microglial cytokine production in the hippocampus and rescued neurogenesis and behavior. We could also show that enhanced microglial TNF-{alpha} and IL-1{beta} production in the hippocampus was accompanied by a decrease in the pro-proliferative TNFR2 receptor expression on neuronal progenitor cells, which could be attenuated by minocycline. These findings strongly support the idea to use anti-inflammatory drugs to target microglia activation as an adjunctive therapy in schizophrenic patients

Psychological response and quality of life after transplantation: a comparison between heart, lung, liver and kidney recipients

PRINCIPLES: Various non-specific questionnaires were used to measure quality of life and psychological wellbeing of patients after organ transplantation. At present cross-organ studies dealing specifically with the psychological response to a transplanted organ are non-existent in German-speaking countries. METHODS: The Transplant Effects Questionnaire TxEQ-D and the SF-36 Quality of Life Questionnaire were used to examine the psychological response and quality of life of 370 patients after heart, lung, liver or kidney transplantation. The organ groups were compared with regard to psychosocial parameters. RESULTS: 72% of patients develop a feeling of responsibility for the received organ and its function. This feeling is even stronger towards the patient's key relationships i.e. family, friends, the treatment team and the donor. 11.6% worry about the transplanted organ. Heart and lung patients report significantly fewer concerns than liver and kidney patients. Overall, only a minority of patients report feelings of guilt towards the donor (2.7%), problems in disclosing their transplant to others (2.4%), or difficulties in complying with medical orders (3.5%). Lung transplant patients show significantly better adherence. CONCLUSIONS: A feeling of responsibility towards those one is close to and towards the donor is a common psychological phenomenon after transplantation of an organ. Conscious feelings of guilt and shame are harboured by only a minority of patients. The fact that heart and lung patients worry less about their transplant might have primarily to do with the greater medical and psychosocial support in this group

Chromosome differentiation patterns during cichlid fish evolution

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cichlid fishes have been the subject of increasing scientific interest because of their rapid adaptive radiation which has led to an extensive ecological diversity and their enormous importance to tropical and subtropical aquaculture. To increase our understanding of chromosome evolution among cichlid species, karyotypes of one Asian, 22 African, and 30 South American cichlid species were investigated, and chromosomal data of the family was reviewed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Although there is extensive variation in the karyotypes of cichlid fishes (from 2n = 32 to 2n = 60 chromosomes), the modal chromosome number for South American species was 2n = 48 and the modal number for the African ones was 2n = 44. The only Asian species analyzed, <it>Etroplus maculatus</it>, was observed to have 46 chromosomes. The presence of one or two macro B chromosomes was detected in two African species. The cytogenetic mapping of 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) gene revealed a variable number of clusters among species varying from two to six.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The karyotype diversification of cichlids seems to have occurred through several chromosomal rearrangements involving fissions, fusions and inversions. It was possible to identify karyotype markers for the subfamilies Pseudocrenilabrinae (African) and Cichlinae (American). The karyotype analyses did not clarify the phylogenetic relationship among the Cichlinae tribes. On the other hand, the two major groups of Pseudocrenilabrinae (tilapiine and haplochromine) were clearly discriminated based on the characteristics of their karyotypes. The cytogenetic mapping of 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) gene did not follow the chromosome diversification in the family. The dynamic evolution of the repeated units of rRNA genes generates patterns of chromosomal distribution that do not help follows the phylogenetic relationships among taxa. The presence of B chromosomes in cichlids is of particular interest because they may not be represented in the reference genome sequences currently being obtained.</p

DMSO and Temperature Contributions to Synthesis of Silver Nano-Particles by the Bacterium Shewanella oneidensis

Nanomaterial are widely used in different areas such as optical device, drug delivery, chemicals, mechanics, magnetics, catalysis, energy science, Nano therapeutics and space industries depend on the special physical properties. However, most methods to produce nanoparticles are expensive or environmental unfriendly which can involve in toxic chemical. Another reason is that the nanoparticles from bio-based protocols are hydrophilic which is compatible with biological materials. In this project, we chose Shewanella oneidensis which is Gram-negative bacterium as the organism to produce sliver nanoparticles from sliver nitrate solution. The mechanism of bacterial of ion metal ion reduction to stable metal nanoparticles is unclear, but the NADH-dependent reeducates, quinines, and soluble electron-shuttles are thought to play an important role in metal reduction. This research focused on the temperature and DMSO affects the synthesis of silver nanoparticles by Shewanella Oneidensis. At various temperatures, the bio-activity of bacterium is different which can affect the silver nanoparticles reducing rate and the spherical size and nanoparticle geometry. DMSO is an aprotic, polar solvent which can penetrate skin and other membranes without damaging the cells. Due to this property of DMSO, DMSO was utilized as a co-solvent, which may change biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles. The synthesis processes were carried out at different temperatures and DMSO concentration and the nanoparticle formation monitored by using UV-vis spectrometer scans of the aqueous layer of reaction at 0 hr, 24 hr and 48 hr.https://ecommons.udayton.edu/stander_posters/1429/thumbnail.jp