Evaluation of image features using a photorealistic virtual world

Image features are widely used in computer vision applications. They need to be robust to scene changes and image transformations. Designing and comparing feature descriptors requires the ability to evaluate their performance with respect to those transformations. We want to know how robust the descriptors are to changes in the lighting, scene, or viewing conditions. For this, we need ground truth data of different scenes viewed under different camera or lighting conditions in a controlled way. Such data is very difficult to gather in a real-world setting. We propose using a photorealistic virtual world to gain complete and repeatable control of the environment in order to evaluate image features. We calibrate our virtual world evaluations by comparing against feature rankings made from photographic data of the same subject matter (the Statue of Liberty). We find very similar feature rankings between the two datasets. We then use our virtual world to study the effects on descriptor performance of controlled changes in viewpoint and illumination. We also study the effect of augmenting the descriptors with depth information to improve performance.Quanta Computer (Firm)Shell ResearchUnited States. Office of Naval Research. Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (Grant N00014-06-1-0734)United States. Office of Naval Research. Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative. CAREER (Award Number 0747120)United States. Office of Naval Research. Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (Grant N000141010933)Microsoft CorporationAdobe SystemsGoogle (Firm

Matching and Predicting Street Level Images

The paradigm of matching images to a very large dataset has been used for numerous vision tasks and is a powerful one. If the image dataset is large enough, one can expect to nd good matches of almost any image to the database, allowing label transfer [3, 15], and image editing or enhancement [6, 11]. Users of this approach will want to know how many images are required, and what features to use for nding semantic relevant matches. Furthermore, for navigation tasks or to exploit context, users will want to know the predictive quality of the dataset: can we predict the image that would be seen under changes in camera position? We address these questions in detail for one category of images: street level views. We have a dataset of images taken from an enumeration of positions and viewpoints within Pittsburgh.We evaluate how well we can match those images, using images from non-Pittsburgh cities, and how well we can predict the images that would be seen under changes in cam- era position. We compare performance for these tasks for eight di erent feature sets, nding a feature set that outperforms the others (HOG). A combination of all the features performs better in the prediction task than any individual feature. We used Amazon Mechanical Turk workers to rank the matches and predictions of di erent algorithm conditions by comparing each one to the selection of a random image. This approach can evaluate the e cacy of di erent feature sets and parameter settings for the matching paradigm with other image categories.United States. Dept. of Defense (ARDA VACE)United States. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NEGI-1582-04- 0004)United States. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (MURI Grant N00014-06-1-0734)France. Agence nationale de la recherche (project HFIBMR (ANR-07-BLAN- 0331-01))Institut national de recherche en informatique et en automatique (France)Xerox Fellowship Progra

Budget Policy of Social Development

The monograph is devoted to the development of methodological and institutional framework for the formation of fiscal policy to ensure social development. The essence and role of budget regulation in supporting the processes of endogenous economic growth are revealed. The experience of the implementation of fiscal policy in countries with developed and transformational economies is systematized. The directions of increasing the efficiency and strengthening the regulatory potential of the state tax policy are proposed. An assessment of the tax burden on labor and consumption in 2001–2017 is carried out; a comparative analysis of the values of the corresponding indicators in Ukraine and the European Union member countries is carried out. The factors that affect the fiscal significance of the value added tax, excise tax, income tax, personal income tax are identified. Provisions for enhancing the effectiveness of the institutional architectonics of the budget system are improved. Directions for improving the efficiency of budget expenditures are substantiated. The analysis of the influence of the main factors on the dynamics of changes in the ratio of public debt to GDP is carried out; it is established that inflation affected the most, and the exchange rate influenced the increase. An approach to assessing the state of debt security of the country is proposed, the conceptual framework for managing the budget deficit and public debt is defined. Provisions for the implementation of long-term budget planning and forecasting are developed. Institutional framework for the formation of the budget strategy is improved. The conceptual foundations of state financial support for human development are defined. A long-term budget strategy is developed, taking into account the cyclical nature of economic development. The conducted scientific research allows identifying the possibilities of positive influence of the budget policy on social development in the context of improving the quality of the institutional environment

Infiltrazione macrofagica e densità capillare nel carcinoma della laringe. Studio su 52 casi

L’angiogenesi è uno dei sei principali meccanismi alla base del cancro, ed è stato studiato approfonditamente negli ultimi 20 anni. L’obiettivo del presente studio è stato quello di determinare sia la densità capillare sia l’infiltrato macrofagico nei campioni di carcinoma laringeo e di determinarne la correlazione con gli aspetti clinici e patologici. Sia la densità capillare (CD34) sia l’infiltrato macrofagico (CD68) sono stati determinati con metodiche immunoistochimiche mediante microarray. Il nostro campione ha mostrato una densità capillare media di 14,27 ± 12,92 vasi su campo ingrandito a 200×, e l’infiltrato macrofagico medio è stato di 5,19 ± 4,32. La densità capillare si è dimostrata superiore nei pazienti metastatici. Inoltre uno studio di regressione lineare ha mostrato che l’entità dell’infiltrato macrofagico poteva predire la densità capillare del campione di carcinoma laringeo preso in esame. Non abbiamo invece individuato una correlazione fra ambo i fattori studiati e l’incidenza delle recidive o gli altri fattori clinici presi in esame. Il nostro studio aggiunge dati ad un problema che per quanto studiato a fondo negli ultimi 20 anni resta nella sostanza controverso

KLK3 SNP-SNP interactions for prediction of prostate cancer aggressiveness.

Risk classification for prostate cancer (PCa) aggressiveness and underlying mechanisms remain inadequate. Interactions between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) may provide a solution to fill these gaps. To identify SNP-SNP interactions in the four pathways (the angiogenesis-, mitochondria-, miRNA-, and androgen metabolism-related pathways) associated with PCa aggressiveness, we tested 8587 SNPs for 20,729 cases from the PCa consortium. We identified 3 KLK3 SNPs, and 1083 (P < 3.5 × 10-9) and 3145 (P < 1 × 10-5) SNP-SNP interaction pairs significantly associated with PCa aggressiveness. These SNP pairs associated with PCa aggressiveness were more significant than each of their constituent SNP individual effects. The majority (98.6%) of the 3145 pairs involved KLK3. The 3 most common gene-gene interactions were KLK3-COL4A1:COL4A2, KLK3-CDH13, and KLK3-TGFBR3. Predictions from the SNP interaction-based polygenic risk score based on 24 SNP pairs are promising. The prevalence of PCa aggressiveness was 49.8%, 21.9%, and 7.0% for the PCa cases from our cohort with the top 1%, middle 50%, and bottom 1% risk profiles. Potential biological functions of the identified KLK3 SNP-SNP interactions were supported by gene expression and protein-protein interaction results. Our findings suggest KLK3 SNP interactions may play an important role in PCa aggressiveness

Re-branding Abu Dhabi: From oil giant to energy titan

This article presents a case study of Abu Dhabi\u27s \u27energy re-branding\u27 since 2005 when it declared its intention to transform itself from an oil exporter to a total energy giant that also embraces alternative (renewable and nuclear) energy. The first part of the article identifies the benefits of this policy for Abu Dhabi\u27s external diplomacy but argues that the real driver is the emirate\u27s domestic gas shortage and its effects on economic diversification and political legitimacy. The second part of the article discusses the motivations and interactions of local and foreign agents by focusing on the implementation of alternative energy platforms. It therefore provides a rare glimpse of the policy-making process in Abu Dhabi. The final part of the article examines the extent to which energy re-branding may be linked to a process by the government to reiterate, reinterpret and repudiate Emirati identity in order to enhance regime legitimacy in the twenty-first century. © 2012 Macmillan Publishers Ltd

Rationale, design and methodology of APPROACH-IS II: International study of patient-reported outcomes and frailty phenotyping in adults with congenital heart disease.

In recent years, patient-reported outcomes (PROs) have received increasing prominence in cardiovascular research and clinical care. An understanding of the variability and global experience of PROs in adults with congenital heart disease (CHD), however, is still lacking. Moreover, information on epidemiological characteristics and the frailty phenotype of older adults with CHD is minimal. The APPROACH-IS II study was established to address these knowledge gaps. This paper presents the design and methodology of APPROACH-IS II. APPROACH-IS II is a cross-sectional global multicentric study that includes Part 1 (assessing PROs) and Part 2 (investigating the frailty phenotype of older adults). With 53 participating centers, located in 32 countries across six continents, the aim is to enroll 8000 patients with CHD. In Part 1, self-report surveys are used to collect data on PROs (e.g., quality of life, perceived health, depressive symptoms, autonomy support), and explanatory variables (e.g., social support, stigma, illness identity, empowerment). In Part 2, the cognitive functioning and frailty phenotype of older adults are measured using validated assessments. APPROACH-IS II will generate a rich dataset representing the international experience of individuals in adult CHD care. The results of this project will provide a global view of PROs and the frailty phenotype of adults with CHD and will thereby address important knowledge gaps. Undoubtedly, the project will contribute to the overarching aim of improving optimal living and care provision for adults with CHD

A Genetic Risk Score to Personalize Prostate Cancer Screening, Applied to Population Data

Background: A polygenic hazard score (PHS), the weighted sum of 54 SNP genotypes, was previously validated for association with clinically significant prostate cancer and for improved prostate cancer screening accuracy. Here, we assess the potential impact of PHS-informed screening. / Methods: United Kingdom population incidence data (Cancer Research United Kingdom) and data from the Cluster Randomized Trial of PSA Testing for Prostate Cancer were combined to estimate age-specific clinically significant prostate cancer incidence (Gleason score ≥7, stage T3–T4, PSA ≥10, or nodal/distant metastases). Using HRs estimated from the ProtecT prostate cancer trial, age-specific incidence rates were calculated for various PHS risk percentiles. Risk-equivalent age, when someone with a given PHS percentile has prostate cancer risk equivalent to an average 50-year-old man (50-year-standard risk), was derived from PHS and incidence data. Positive predictive value (PPV) of PSA testing for clinically significant prostate cancer was calculated using PHS-adjusted age groups. / Results: The expected age at diagnosis of clinically significant prostate cancer differs by 19 years between the 1st and 99th PHS percentiles: men with PHS in the 1st and 99th percentiles reach the 50-year-standard risk level at ages 60 and 41, respectively. PPV of PSA was higher for men with higher PHS-adjusted age. / Conclusions: PHS provides individualized estimates of risk-equivalent age for clinically significant prostate cancer. Screening initiation could be adjusted by a man's PHS. / Impact: Personalized genetic risk assessments could inform prostate cancer screening decisions