CounTR: Transformer-based Generalised Visual Counting

In this paper, we consider the problem of generalised visual object counting, with the goal of developing a computational model for counting the number of objects from arbitrary semantic categories, using arbitrary number of "exemplars", i.e. zero-shot or few-shot counting. To this end, we make the following four contributions: (1) We introduce a novel transformer-based architecture for generalised visual object counting, termed as Counting Transformer (CounTR), which explicitly capture the similarity between image patches or with given "exemplars" with the attention mechanism;(2) We adopt a two-stage training regime, that first pre-trains the model with self-supervised learning, and followed by supervised fine-tuning;(3) We propose a simple, scalable pipeline for synthesizing training images with a large number of instances or that from different semantic categories, explicitly forcing the model to make use of the given "exemplars";(4) We conduct thorough ablation studies on the large-scale counting benchmark, e.g. FSC-147, and demonstrate state-of-the-art performance on both zero and few-shot settings.Comment: Accepted by BMVC202

Transforming the Interactive Segmentation for Medical Imaging

The goal of this paper is to interactively refine the automatic segmentation on challenging structures that fall behind human performance, either due to the scarcity of available annotations or the difficulty nature of the problem itself, for example, on segmenting cancer or small organs. Specifically, we propose a novel Transformer-based architecture for Interactive Segmentation (TIS), that treats the refinement task as a procedure for grouping pixels with similar features to those clicks given by the end users. Our proposed architecture is composed of Transformer Decoder variants, which naturally fulfills feature comparison with the attention mechanisms. In contrast to existing approaches, our proposed TIS is not limited to binary segmentations, and allows the user to edit masks for arbitrary number of categories. To validate the proposed approach, we conduct extensive experiments on three challenging datasets and demonstrate superior performance over the existing state-of-the-art methods. The project page is: https://wtliu7.github.io/tis/.Comment: Accepted to MICCAI 202

Annotation-free Audio-Visual Segmentation

The objective of Audio-Visual Segmentation (AVS) is to locate sounding objects within visual scenes by accurately predicting pixelwise segmentation masks. In this paper, we present the following contributions: (i), we propose a scalable and annotation-free pipeline for generating artificial data for the AVS task. We leverage existing image segmentation and audio datasets to draw links between category labels, image-mask pairs, and audio samples, which allows us to easily compose (image, audio, mask) triplets for training AVS models; (ii), we introduce a novel Audio-Aware Transformer (AuTR) architecture that features an audio-aware query-based transformer decoder. This architecture enables the model to search for sounding objects with the guidance of audio signals, resulting in more accurate segmentation; (iii), we present extensive experiments conducted on both synthetic and real datasets, which demonstrate the effectiveness of training AVS models with synthetic data generated by our proposed pipeline. Additionally, our proposed AuTR architecture exhibits superior performance and strong generalization ability on public benchmarks. The project page is https://jinxiang-liu.github.io/anno-free-AVS/.Comment: Under Revie

Boosting the thermoelectric performance of p-type heavily Cu-doped polycrystalline SnSe via inducing intensive crystal imperfections and defect phonon scattering

In this study, we, for the first time, report a high Cu solubility of 11.8% in single crystal SnSe microbelts synthesized via a facile solvothermal route. The pellets sintered from these heavily Cu-doped microbelts show a high power factor of 5.57 μW cm−1 K−2 and low thermal conductivity of 0.32 W m−1 K−1 at 823 K, contributing to a high peak ZT of ∼1.41. Through a combination of detailed structural and chemical characterizations, we found that with increasing the Cu doping level, the morphology of the synthesized Sn1−xCuxSe (x is from 0 to 0.118) transfers from rectangular microplate to microbelt. The high electrical transport performance comes from the obtained Cu+ doped state, and the intensive crystal imperfections such as dislocations, lattice distortions, and strains, play key roles in keeping low thermal conductivity. This study fills in the gaps of the existing knowledge concerning the doping mechanisms of Cu in SnSe systems, and provides a new strategy to achieve high thermoelectric performance in SnSe-based thermoelectric materials

Evaluation of resistance of banana genotypes with AAB genome to Fusarium Wilt Tropical Race 4 in China

Banana cultivars with the AAB genome group comprise diverse subgroups, such as Plantain, Silk, Iholena, and Pisang Raja, among others, which play an important role in food security in many developing countries. Some of these cultivars are susceptible to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 (Foc TR4), the most destructive pathogen threatening banana production worldwide, and some of them are still largely unknown. We evaluated the resistance of 37 banana genotypes, including Plantain, Silk, Iholena, Maia Maoli/Popoulu, Pisang Raja, Pome, and Mysore, to Foc TR4 under both greenhouse and field conditions. Genotypes from the Silk and Iholena subgroups were highly susceptible to Foc TR4. Pome and Mysore showed resistance and intermediate resistance, respectively. However, Pisang Raja ranged from susceptible to intermediate resistance. One cultivar from the Maia Maoli/Popoulu subgroup was highly susceptible, while the other displayed significant resistance. Most Plantain cultivars exhibited high resistance to Foc TR4, except two French types of cultivar, 'Uganda Plantain' and 'Njombe N°2', which were susceptible. The susceptibility to Foc TR4 of some of the AAB genotypes evaluated, especially Plantain and other cooking bananas, indicates that growers dependent on these varieties need to be included as part of the prevention and integrated Foc TR4 management strategies, as these genotypes play a crucial role in food security and livelihoods

Spousal concordance in adverse childhood experiences and the association with depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older adults: findings across China, the US, and Europe

BackgroundAdverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with higher depressive risks in adulthood. Whether respondents’ ACEs are associated with their own depressive symptoms in adulthood and whether this association extends to their spouses’ depressive symptoms remain unexplored.MethodsData were from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), and the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). ACEs were categorized into overall, intra-familial, and extra-familial ACEs. Correlations of couples’ ACEs were calculated using Cramer’s V and partial Spearman’s correlation. Associations of respondents’ ACEs with spousal depressive symptoms were assessed using logistic regression, and mediation analyses were conducted to explore the mediating role of respondents’ depressive symptoms.ResultsSignificant associations between husbands’ ACEs and wives’ depressive symptoms, with odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of 2.09 (1.36–3.22) for 4 or more ACEs in CHARLS, and 1.25 (1.06–1.48) and 1.38 (1.06–1.79) for 2 or more ACEs in HRS and SHARE. However, wives’ ACEs were associated with husbands’ depressive symptoms only in CHARLS and SHARE. Findings in intra-familial and extra-familial ACEs were consistent with our main results. Additionally, respondents’ depressive symptoms mediated more than 20% of the effect of respondents’ ACEs on spousal depressive symptoms.ConclusionWe found that ACEs were significantly correlated between couples. Respondents’ ACEs were associated with spousal depressive symptoms, with respondents’ depressive symptoms mediating the association. The bidirectional implications of ACEs on depressive symptoms should be considered within household and effective interventions are warranted

Are Perfectionists Always Dissatisfied with Life? An Empirical Study from the Perspective of Self-Determination Theory and Perceived Control

Compared to non-perfectionists, perfectionists may not be satisfied with the growing needs in their lives to the same extent. To test whether perfectionists are dissatisfied with their lives, we investigated whether trait perfectionism attenuates the relationship between basic psychological needs, perceived control, and life satisfaction. A total of 574 college students self-reported basic psychological needs, perceived control, life satisfaction, and perfectionistic strivings and concerns, with a mean age of 19.53 (SD = 1.61), including 299 women and 275 men. A correlation analysis showed that perfectionistic strivings were significantly positively related to life satisfaction, while perfectionistic concerns were significantly negatively related to life satisfaction. The moderation analysis showed that perfectionistic strivings not only moderated the relationship between basic psychological needs and life satisfaction but also moderated the relationship between perceived control and life satisfaction. Individuals with high perfectionistic strivings generally reported high levels of life satisfaction. Perfectionistic strivings, however, reduced the positive relationship between perceived control and life satisfaction. Perfectionistic concerns moderated the relationship between perceived control and life satisfaction—the higher the perfectionistic concerns, the weaker the positive relationship between perceived control and life satisfaction. The study found that individuals with high perfectionistic tendencies are not always dissatisfied with life, but that perfectionism weakens the relationship between basic psychological needs, perceived control, and life satisfaction. We argue that one way to improve happiness is by coaching individuals who are highly perfectionistic to become self-aware of their personality so both their perfectionistic strivings and concerns are more coherent with their values and goals or character

Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation Study on Aerodynamic Characteristics under Unfavorable Conditions during Flight Phase in Ski Jumping

Objective: The stability of the flight phase in ski jumping is crucial for athletes’ performance and safety. This study aims to investigate the influence of unfavorable conditions on aerodynamic characteristics and flight stability through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) numerical simulations. Methods: The ski jumper and the skis are considered a multi-body system. A detailed three-dimensional (3D) model of this multi-body system under a commonly observed posture during flight is established. The Partially Averaged Navier–Stokes (PANS) turbulence model is employed, and CFD simulations are conducted to predict the aerodynamic characteristics of the multi-body system under lateral environmental wind and asymmetric postures during the flight phase. The conditions of asymmetric postures include yaw rotation and roll rotation. Results: (1) Lateral environmental wind generated a yaw force, yaw moment, and roll moment, which influenced the lift, drag, and pitch moment of the athlete. These forces and moments were relatively small at lower wind speeds (less than 3 m/s) and became more significant at higher wind speeds (greater than 4.5 m/s). (2) Under the influence of yaw rotation or roll rotation, the multi-body system exhibited a noticeable yaw force, yaw moment, and roll moment, all showing a monotonic increasing trend. Moreover, they had a significant impact on the lift, drag, and pitch moment of the multi-body system. Conclusion: (1) The influence of unfavorable conditions was complex, resulting in a significant yaw force, yaw moment, and roll moment on the multi-body system. The adverse effects of roll rotation were generally greater than those of yaw rotation. (2) The multi-body system exhibited self-stabilizing tendencies in yaw and roll. This phenomenon can provide a solution to maintain flight stability by employing appropriate yaw or (and) roll rotation angles, effectively compensating for or even eliminating the adverse effects of lateral environmental wind. (3) Understanding the mechanisms of how unfavorable conditions affect aerodynamic characteristics and stability during flight in ski jumping can provide valuable assistance for real-time prediction and decision making during competitions, as well as scientific guidance for training athletes’ stable flight control and techniques for improving their sport performance