Towards Better Methods of Stereoscopic 3D Media Adjustment and Stylization

Stereoscopic 3D (S3D) media is pervasive in film, photography and art. However, working with S3D media poses a number of interesting challenges arising from capture and editing. In this thesis we address several of these challenges. In particular, we address disparity adjustment and present a layer-based method that can reduce disparity without distorting the scene. Our method was successfully used to repair several images for the 2014 documentary “Soldiers’ Stories” directed by Jonathan Kitzen. We then explore consistent and comfortable methods for stylizing stereo images. Our approach uses a modified version of the layer-based technique used for disparity adjustment and can be used with a variety of stylization filters, including those in Adobe Photoshop. We also present a disparity-aware painterly rendering algorithm. A user study concluded that our layer-based stylization method produced S3D images that were more comfortable than previous methods. Finally, we address S3D line drawing from S3D photographs. Line drawing is a common art style that our layer-based method is not able to reproduce. To improve the depth perception of our line drawings we optionally add stylized shading. An expert survey concluded that our results were comfortable and reproduced a sense of depth

A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials of peer support for people with severe mental illness

BACKGROUND: Little is known about whether peer support improves outcomes for people with severe mental illness. METHOD: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted. Cochrane CENTRAL Register, Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, and CINAHL were searched to July 2013 without restriction by publication status. Randomised trials of non-residential peer support interventions were included. Trial interventions were categorised and analysed separately as: mutual peer support, peer support services, or peer delivered mental health services. Meta-analyses were performed where possible, and studies were assessed for bias and the quality of evidence described. RESULTS: Eighteen trials including 5597 participants were included. These comprised four trials of mutual support programmes, eleven trials of peer support services, and three trials of peer-delivered services. There was substantial variation between trials in participants\u27 characteristics and programme content. Outcomes were incompletely reported; there was high risk of bias. From small numbers of studies in the analyses it was possible to conduct, there was little or no evidence that peer support was associated with positive effects on hospitalisation, overall symptoms or satisfaction with services. There was some evidence that peer support was associated with positive effects on measures of hope, recovery and empowerment at and beyond the end of the intervention, although this was not consistent within or across different types of peer support. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the promotion and uptake of peer support internationally, there is little evidence from current trials about the effects of peer support for people with severe mental illness. Although there are few positive findings, this review has important implications for policy and practice: current evidence does not support recommendations or mandatory requirements from policy makers for mental health services to provide peer support programmes. Further peer support programmes should be implemented within the context of high quality research projects wherever possible. Deficiencies in the conduct and reporting of existing trials exemplify difficulties in the evaluation of complex interventions

Crisis resolution and home treatment: stakeholders\u27 views on critical ingredients and implementation in England

BACKGROUND: Crisis resolution teams (CRTs) can provide effective home-based treatment for acute mental health crises, although critical ingredients of the model have not been clearly identified, and implementation has been inconsistent. In order to inform development of a more highly specified CRT model that meets service users\u27 needs, this study used qualitative methods to investigate stakeholders\u27 experiences and views of CRTs, and what is important in good quality home-based crisis care. METHOD: Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with service users (n = 41), carers (n = 20) and practitioners (CRT staff, managers and referrers; n = 147, 26 focus groups, 9 interviews) in 10 mental health catchment areas in England, and with international CRT developers (n = 11). Data were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Three domains salient to views about optimal care were identified. 1. The organisation of CRT care: Providing a rapid initial responses, and frequent home visits from the same staff were seen as central to good care, particularly by service users and carers. Being accessible, reliable, and having some flexibility were also valued. Negative experiences of some referral pathways, and particularly lack of staff continuity were identified as problematic. 2. The content of CRT work: Emotional support was at the centre of service users\u27 experiences. All stakeholder groups thought CRTs should involve the whole family, and offer a range of interventions. However, carers often feel excluded, and medication is often prioritised over other forms of support. 3. The role of CRTs within the care system: Gate-keeping admissions is seen as a key role for CRTs within the acute care system. Service users and carers report that recovery is quicker compared to in-patient care. Lack of knowledge and misunderstandings about CRTs among referrers are common. Overall, levels of stakeholder agreement about the critical ingredients of good crisis care were high, although aspects of this were not always seen as achievable. CONCLUSIONS: Stakeholders\u27 views about optimal CRT care suggest that staff continuity, carer involvement, and emotional and practical support should be prioritised in service improvements and more clearly specified CRT models

Crisis resolution teams for people experiencing mental health crises: the CORE mixed-methods research programme including two RCTs

Background Crisis resolution teams (CRTs) seek to avert hospital admissions by providing intensive home treatment for people experiencing a mental health crisis. The CRT model has not been highly specified. CRT care is often experienced as ending abruptly and relapse rates following CRT discharge are high. Aims The aims of CORE (Crisis resolution team Optimisation and RElapse prevention) workstream 1 were to specify a model of best practice for CRTs, develop a measure to assess adherence to this model and evaluate service improvement resources to help CRTs implement the model with high fidelity. The aim of CORE workstream 2 was to evaluate a peer-provided self-management programme aimed at reducing relapse following CRT support. Methods Workstream 1 was based on a systematic review, national CRT manager survey and stakeholder qualitative interviews to develop a CRT fidelity scale through a concept mapping process with stakeholders (n = 68). This was piloted in CRTs nationwide (n = 75). A CRT service improvement programme (SIP) was then developed and evaluated in a cluster randomised trial: 15 CRTs received the SIP over 1 year; 10 teams acted as controls. The primary outcome was service user satisfaction. Secondary outcomes included CRT model fidelity, catchment area inpatient admission rates and staff well-being. Workstream 2 was a peer-provided self-management programme that was developed through an iterative process of systematic literature reviewing, stakeholder consultation and preliminary testing. This intervention was evaluated in a randomised controlled trial: 221 participants recruited from CRTs received the intervention and 220 did not. The primary outcome was re-admission to acute care at 1 year of follow-up. Secondary outcomes included time to re-admission and number of days in acute care over 1 year of follow-up and symptoms and personal recovery measured at 4 and 18 months’ follow-up. Results Workstream 1 – a 39-item CRT fidelity scale demonstrated acceptability, face validity and promising inter-rater reliability. CRT implementation in England was highly variable. The SIP trial did not produce a positive result for patient satisfaction [median Client Satisfaction Questionnaire score of 28 in both groups at follow-up; coefficient 0.97, 95% confidence interval (CI) –1.02 to 2.97]. The programme achieved modest increases in model fidelity. Intervention teams achieved lower inpatient admission rates and less inpatient bed use. Qualitative evaluation suggested that the programme was generally well received. Workstream 2 – the trial yielded a statistically significant result for the primary outcome, in which rates of re-admission to acute care over 1 year of follow-up were lower in the intervention group than in the control group (odds ratio 0.66, 95% CI 0.43 to 0.99; p = 0.044). Time to re-admission was lower and satisfaction with care was greater in the intervention group at 4 months’ follow-up. There were no other significant differences between groups in the secondary outcomes. Limitations Limitations in workstream 1 included uncertainty regarding the representativeness of the sample for the primary outcome and lack of blinding for assessment. In workstream 2, the limitations included the complexity of the intervention, preventing clarity about which were effective elements. Conclusions The CRT SIP did not achieve all its aims but showed potential promise as a means to increase CRT model fidelity and reduce inpatient service use. The peer-provided self-management intervention is an effective means to reduce relapse rates for people leaving CRT care. Study registration The randomised controlled trials were registered as Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN47185233 and ISRCTN01027104. The systematic reviews were registered as PROSPERO CRD42013006415 and CRD42017043048. Funding The National Institute for Health Research Programme Grants for Applied Research programme

A Simple, Stroke-Based Method for Gesture Drawing

Background: Gesture drawing is a type of fluid, fast sketch with loose and roughly drawn lines which capture the motion and feeling of a subject. While style transfer methods, which are able to learn a style from an input image and apply it to a secondary image, can reproduce many styles, they are currently unable to produce the flowing strokes of gesture drawings. Method: In this paper, we present a method to produce gesture drawings, which roughly depict objects or scenes with loose, dancing contours, and frantic textures. Our method adapts stroke-based painterly rendering algorithms to produce long, curved strokes by following the gradient field. A rough, overdrawn appearance is created through progressive refinement. Additionally, we produce rough hatch strokes by altering stroke direction. These add optional shading to the gesture drawings. Results: The wealth parameters that provide users the ability to adjust the output style from short, rapid strokes to long, fluid strokes, from swirling to straight lines. Potential stylistic outputs also include pen-and-ink and coloured pencil. We present several generated gesture drawings and discuss how our method can be applied to video. Conclusion: Our stroke-based rendering algorithm produces convincing gesture drawings with numerous controllable parameters permitting the creation of a variety of styles

Recovery in a mental health setting: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of how an individual experiences a Peer-Supported Self-Management Intervention.

Peer support workers are people with lived experience of mental health distress who provide mental health interventions or services to people with mental health problems who are at an earlier stage in their recovery journey (Davidson et al., 2006). Disclosing personal strategies with a recipient is seen as one beneficial aspect of the peer support model. However minimal research has been conducted to explore how the individual experiences this relationship. This remains an important question due to the increase in recovery-orientated services operating peer support models in UK mental health settings. Literature Review: The act of self-disclosure (SD) within the peer model may be seen as a critical ingredient to the models success. Qualitative studies examining client’s perception of therapist SD were reviewed using the meta-ethnographic process. Seven studies were found to meet inclusion criteria. Themes identified were that SD could simultaneously strengthen and also impede the alliance formed between therapist and client. Findings overlap with the salient components of effective therapeutic alliance, but also that SD can trigger early unhelpful attachment experiences leading to alliance ruptures. Research Report: Little is known about the circumstances in which the peer support model works (Repper & Carter, 2011). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven individuals who had been in receipt of peer support self-management intervention as part of a Randomised Controlled Trial. Interviews were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Findings indicated that internal and external stigmatising attitudes and concealment of mental health identity contributed to ambivalent identification with the peer. Contrary to this, individuals also used the relationship to challenge stigmatising attitudes. Results are also considered in light of criticisms of the recovery model. Critical Appraisal: Critique of the research methodology and limitations are discussed. The trainee reflects on a psychology of humanistic values, counter to the experimental/positivist psychological tradition

Avant #Metoo : la lutte contre le harcèlement sexuel dans les universités de l’Ontario, 1979–1984

This article examines the campaign against sexual harassment conducted at Ontario universities between 1979 and 1994, looking closely at four universities: York, Queen’s, Toronto, and Carleton. Sources examined included campus newspapers, national media, and the CAUT Bulletin. The term “sexual harassment” was only coined in 1975, but it was quickly taken up by campus feminists in Ontario who successfully fought to have universities adopt policies and procedures to combat sexual harassment. By the late 1980s, they had broadened their campaign to look beyond predatory instructors, focusing on actions and behaviours that created a sexist climate that hindered women’s learning and their full participation in campus life. The arguments of both the supporters and the opponents of the campaign are examined. The article concludes with the failure of the Ontario government to impose a “zero tolerance” policy on sexual harassment at universities. While sexual harassment continues to exist at Ontario universities, campus feminists made significant progress during these years.Cet article analyse la campagne contre le harcèlement sexuel menée dans les universités ontariennes entre 1979 et 1994, examinant de près quatre universités : York, Queen’s, Toronto et Carleton. Les sources étudiées comprenaient les journaux des campus, les médias nationaux et le Bulletin de l’ACPPU. L’expression « harcèlement sexuel » n’a été inventée qu’en 1975, mais elle a rapidement été reprise par les féministes des campus de l’Ontario qui se sont battues avec succès pour que les universités adoptent des politiques et des procédures pour lutter contre le harcèlement sexuel. À la fin des années 80, elles avaient élargi leur campagne; elles allaient au-delà de la dénonciation des instructeurs prédateurs, se concentrant sur les actions et les comportements à l’origine du climat sexiste qui empêchait l’apprentissage des femmes et leur pleine participation à la vie du campus. Les arguments des partisans et des opposants à la campagne sont tous deux pris en considération. L’article conclut à l’échec du gouvernement ontarien d’imposer une politique de « tolérance zéro » sur le harcèlement sexuel dans les universités. Toutefois, bien que ce dernier persiste au sein des universités ontariennes, les féministes des campus ont réalisé d’importants progrès au cours de ces années

Morphological change and phenotypic plasticity in response to water velocity in three species of Centrarchidae

Morphological responses to flowing water have been documented in many fishes, but rarely reported in species with gibbose body types, despite their use of riffles in rivers and streams. In this study, we compared morphological responses to water flow in three gibbose centrarchids; the bluegill Lepomis macrochirus (Rafinesque, 1819), pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus (L., 1758), and rock bass Ambloplites rupestris (Rafinesque, 1817). Flow-through plexiglass units, set to either a sustained flow or static conditions, were used to rear juveniles from each species for an 80-day period. All three species developed more streamlined body forms, longer and thinner caudal peduncles and longer pectoral fins when reared in sustained current. The pumpkinseed exhibited the highest level of phenotypic plasticity in response to water flow, followed closely by bluegill; rock bass was the least plastic species. Rock bass developed longer pre-dorsal and pre-pectoral lengths, which differ from the morphological changes observed in the bluegill and pumpkinseed. The findings not only suggest that some gibbose fishes are capable of exhibiting strong phenotypic responses to water flow, but that many morphological changes are species specific, even within the same taxonomic family. Lastly, all three species developed shorter dorsal fin base lengths when reared under flowing condition, which differs from some previously documented work on fusiform fishes. The results of this study provide a better understanding of how morphology in three closely related species varies in response to environmental conditions.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Inspirations d’ici : acquisitions récentes œuvres de la collection d’œuvres d’art de l’Université de Montréal

Catalogue préparé sous la direction de Christine Bernier. Catalogue de l’exposition tenue au Carrefour des arts et des sciences, FAS, Université de Montréal du 10 avril au 24 mai 2024 et à la Galerie de l’Université de Montréal, Salle A du 18 avril au 15 juin 2024.Rédaction des textes du catalogue : Sarah Blaquart, Annie-Pier Brunelle, Marianne Charlebois, Pauline de Chabannes la Palice, Simon Desmeules, Malorie De Stéphano, Émilia Istead, Cédric Lamonde-Boulet, Camille Langlade, Marie Pascal, Alice Perron-Savard, Drinalba Shérifi, Sara Zeini Hassanvand, Jie Zhan