A distribution-dependent Mumford-Shah model for unsupervised hyperspectral image segmentation

Hyperspectral images provide a rich representation of the underlying spectrum for each pixel, allowing for a pixel-wise classification/segmentation into different classes. As the acquisition of labeled training data is very time-consuming, unsupervised methods become crucial in hyperspectral image analysis. The spectral variability and noise in hyperspectral data make this task very challenging and define special requirements for such methods. Here, we present a novel unsupervised hyperspectral segmentation framework. It starts with a denoising and dimensionality reduction step by the well-established Minimum Noise Fraction (MNF) transform. Then, the Mumford-Shah (MS) segmentation functional is applied to segment the data. We equipped the MS functional with a novel robust distribution-dependent indicator function designed to handle the characteristic challenges of hyperspectral data. To optimize our objective function with respect to the parameters for which no closed form solution is available, we propose an efficient fixed point iteration scheme. Numerical experiments on four public benchmark datasets show that our method produces competitive results, which outperform two state-of-the-art methods substantially on three of these datasets

Of constructive patriots and black sheep : national identification and commitment against hostility to foreigners

Cohrs JC. Von konstruktiven Patrioten und schwarzen Schafen : nationale Identifikation und Engagement gegen Fremdenfeindlichkeit. Bielefeld (Germany): Bielefeld University; 2003.This research examines whether identification with Germany is compatible with benevolent attitudes toward foreigners and can motivate commitment against hostility to foreigners. For this purpose, on the basis of psychological research on types of nation-related orientations, a configurative model of constructive patriotism is developed. According to this model, constructive patriots are people who identify with Germany, endorse prosocial and democratic values, and show a readiness for political participation. Inspired by social psychological research on the black sheep effect (Marques et al., 1988) it is assumed that constructive patriots are motivated to act against hostility to foreigners because they regard xenophobic Germans as "black sheep" - as Germans, who violate identity-relevant norms, thereby threaten positive identity of the group of Germans and therefore call for political counteraction. With three different data sets individuals are classified according to specific configurations of national identification, political values, and readiness for political participation. In all three studies constructive patriots can be identified. They are not characterized by hostile but rather benevolent attitudes toward foreigners. In studies 2 and 3 further analyses are possible. In study 2, using data from a project on psychological consequences of the German unification ("GiP"), constructive patriots show the highest level of readiness to commitment against hostility to foreigners. This result is based in part on the fact that constructive patriots in comparison with other groups perceive a higher level of threat to national identity by hostility to foreigners. In study 3, an Internet experiment on evaluation of violent behavior, constructive patriots again are those who react most negatively and with the strongest readiness for commitment. Simultaneously, all participants reacted more strongly to violent acts committed by German perpetrators than to acts committed by foreigners. This effect can be explained by the fact that threat to national identity is perceived as higher for German than for foreign perpetrators. Contrary to predictions, however, this black sheep effect is not stronger in constructive patriots than in the other groups. The results show that national identification in a constructive way is compatible with benevolent attitudes toward foreigners and fosters the readiness to act against hostility to foreigners. However, because non-patriotic people are as little or even less hostile to foreigners, it cannot be concluded on a normative level that from a democratic perspective, calling for stronger national feelings is desirable.In dieser Arbeit wird die Frage untersucht, ob die Identifikation mit Deutschland mit fremdenfreundlichen Einstellungen kompatibel ist und dazu motivieren kann, sich gegen Fremdenfeindlichkeit einzusetzen. Dazu wird auf der Basis psychologischer Forschung zu Formen nationsbezogener Orientierungen ein konfiguratives Modell des konstruktiven Patriotismus entwickelt. Nach diesem Modell sind konstruktive Patrioten Menschen, die sich mit Deutschland identifizieren, die prosoziale und demokratische Werte vertreten und die bereit sind, sich politisch zu engagieren. Inspiriert von der sozialpsychologischen Forschung zum Black-Sheep-Effekt (Marques et al., 1988) wird angenommen, dass konstruktive Patrioten motiviert sind, sich gegen Fremdenfeindlichkeit einzusetzen, weil sie fremdenfeindliche Deutsche als "schwarze Schafe" ansehen - als Deutsche, die mit ihrem Verhalten gegen identitätsrelevante Normen verstoßen, dadurch die positive Identität der Gruppe der Deutschen bedrohen und somit ein politisches Gegensteuern verlangen. An drei unterschiedlichen Datensätzen wird eine Klassifikation von Personen vorgenommen, die sich durch spezifische Konfigurationen von nationaler Identifikation, politischen Werten und politischer Engagementbereitschaft auszeichnen. In allen drei Studien lassen sich konstruktive Patrioten identifizieren. Sie sind nicht durch ausländerfeindliche, sondern eher durch ausländerfreundliche Einstellungen gekennzeichnet. Die Studien 2 und 3 ermöglichen weitere Analysen. In Studie 2, die auf Daten aus dem Projekt "Gerechtigkeit als innerdeutsches Problem" basiert, weisen die konstruktiven Patrioten die stärkste Bereitschaft zum Engagement gegen Fremdenfeindlichkeit auf. Dieses Ergebnis ist zum Teil darauf zurückführbar, dass die konstruktiven Patrioten eine stärkere Bedrohung der nationalen Identität durch Fremdenfeindlichkeit wahrnehmen als die anderen Gruppen. In Studie 3, einem Internetexperiment zur Bewertung von Gewalttaten, sind die konstruktiven Patrioten ebenfalls diejenigen, die am negativsten und mit der stärksten Bereitschaft zum Engagement reagieren. Zugleich reagieren alle Befragten besonders stark auf Gewaltvorfälle, in denen die Gewalt von deutschen Tätern ausgeht. Dieser Effekt ist dadurch erklärbar, dass bei deutschen Tätern eine stärkere Bedrohung der nationalen Identität wahrgenommen wird als bei ausländischen Tätern. Entgegen den Erwartungen ist dieser Black-Sheep-Effekt aber bei den konstruktiven Patrioten nicht stärker ausgeprägt als bei den anderen Gruppen. Die Ergebnisse werden so interpretiert, dass nationale Identifikation in einer konstruktiv-patriotischen Form mit Fremdenfreundlichkeit kompatibel ist und die Bereitschaft zum Engagement gegen Fremdenfeindlichkeit fördert. Da nicht-patriotische Menschen aber ebenso wenig oder sogar weniger ausländerfeindlich sein können, kann man nicht den normativen Schluss ziehen, dass die Förderung von Nationalgefühlen von einem demokratischen Standpunkt aus erwünscht ist

The Motivational Bases of Right-Wing Authoritarianism and Social Dominance Orientation: Relations to Values and Attitudes in the Aftermath of September 11, 2001

Research suggests that different motivational dynamics underlie right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) and social dominance orientation (SDO). These differences may be framed in the theory of basic human values. RWA may trace back to conservation versus openness-to-change values, and SDO to self-enhancement versus self-transcendence values. Based on a large-scale German survey, associations of RWA and SDO with personal values and attitudes in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, were analyzed. Results indicated that RWA related more strongly than SDO to conservation values and threat-related attitudes toward Islam as an expression of the motivational goals of social control and security, whereas RWA and SDO related equally to self-enhancement versus self-transcendence values and concern for negative consequences of military action as an expression of the motivational goal of altruistic concern. Thus, the motivational bases of RWA and SDO appear to be only partly different

Your flaws are my pain: Linking empathy to vicarious embarrassment

People vicariously experience embarrassment when observing others' public pratfalls or etiquette violations. In two consecutive studies we investigated the subjective experience and the neural correlates of vicarious embarrassment for others in a broad range of situations. We demonstrated, first, that vicarious embarrassment was experienced regardless of whether the observed protagonist acted accidentally or intentionally and was aware or unaware that he/she was in an embarrassing situation. Second, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we showed that the anterior cingulate cortex and the left anterior insula, two cortical structures typically involved in vicarious feelings of others' pain, are also strongly implicated in experiencing the ‘social pain’ for others' flaws and pratfalls. This holds true even for situations that engage protagonists not aware of their current predicament. Importantly, the activity in the anterior cingulate cortex and the left anterior insula positively correlated with individual differences in trait empathy. The present findings establish the empathic process as a fundamental prerequisite for vicarious embarrassment experiences, thus connecting affect and cognition to interpersonal processes. “When we are living with people who have a delicate sense of propriety, we are in misery on their account when anything unbecoming is committed. So I always feel for and with Charlotte when a person is tipping his chair. She cannot endure it.” [Elective Affinities, J. W. Goethe]