Borrow from Anywhere: Pseudo Multi-modal Object Detection in Thermal Imagery

Can we improve detection in the thermal domain by borrowing features from rich domains like visual RGB? In this paper, we propose a pseudo-multimodal object detector trained on natural image domain data to help improve the performance of object detection in thermal images. We assume access to a large-scale dataset in the visual RGB domain and relatively smaller dataset (in terms of instances) in the thermal domain, as is common today. We propose the use of well-known image-to-image translation frameworks to generate pseudo-RGB equivalents of a given thermal image and then use a multi-modal architecture for object detection in the thermal image. We show that our framework outperforms existing benchmarks without the explicit need for paired training examples from the two domains. We also show that our framework has the ability to learn with less data from thermal domain when using our approach. Our code and pre-trained models are made available at https://github.com/tdchaitanya/MMTODComment: Accepted at Perception Beyond Visible Spectrum Workshop, CVPR 201

Arithmetic properties of blocks of consecutive integers

This paper provides a survey of results on the greatest prime factor, the number of distinct prime factors, the greatest squarefree factor and the greatest m-th powerfree part of a block of consecutive integers, both without any assumption and under assumption of the abc-conjecture. Finally we prove that the explicit abc-conjecture implies the Erd\H{o}s-Woods conjecture for each k>2.Comment: A slightly corrected and extended version of a paper which will appear in January 2017 in the book From Arithmetic to Zeta-functions published by Springe

Differential roles of push and pull factors on escape for travel: Personal and social identity perspectives

This study examines the effects of push and pull motivations linked to an individual's personal and social identities as key antecedents to escape for travel. In terms of push factors, escape for travel is driven from a personal identity perspective by the need for evaluation of self and regression and from a social identity perspective by the need for social interaction but not enhancement of kinship. Cultural motives that reflect personal identity positively influence escape for travel than destination pull factors linked to social identity. Overall, the study contributes to the existing knowledge on push and pull tourist motivations

On the existence of supergravity duals to D1--D5 CFT states

We define a metric operator in the 1/2-BPS sector of the D1-D5 CFT, the eigenstates of which have a good semi-classical supergravity dual; the non-eigenstates cannot be mapped to semi-classical gravity duals. We also analyse how the data defining a CFT state manifests itself in the gravity side, and show that it is arranged into a set of multipoles. Interestingly, we find that quantum mechanical interference in the CFT can have observable manifestations in the semi-classical gravity dual. We also point out that the multipoles associated to the normal statistical ensemble fluctuate wildly, indicating that the mixed thermal state should not be associated to a semi-classical geometry.Comment: 22 pages, 2 figures. v2 : references added, typos correcte

Hydrogen Bond Dynamics Near A Micellar Surface: Origin of the Universal Slow Relaxation at Complex Aqueous Interfaces

The dynamics of hydrogen bonds among water molecules themselves and with the polar head groups (PHG) at a micellar surface have been investigated by long molecular dynamics simulations. The lifetime of the hydrogen bond between a PHG and a water molecule is found to be much longer than that between any two water molecules, and is likely to be a general feature of hydrophilic surfaces of organized assemblies. Analyses of individual water trajectories suggest that water molecules can remain bound to the micellar surface for more than a hundred picosecond. The activation energy for such a transition from the bound to a free state for the water molecules is estimated to be about 3.5kcal/mole.Comment: 12 pages. Phys. Rev. Lett. (Accepted) (2002

CHARACTERIZATION OF URATE OXIDASE EXPRESSED IN ESCHERICHIA COLI

The biological market is increasing day by day, so the regulatory bodies are becoming more stringent to maintain the quality of the product. To meet the highest quality standards, it is necessary to assess the quality of the product, in each and every step of the bio-therapeutic drug manufacturing. Originator molecule manufactures usually define their own standards, but where as a biosimilar producer should do head to head comparison with the standard molecule, in order to prove it as closely similar to the standard with respect to structure and function. In this paper, we compared urate oxidase produced in E. coli with the marketing Elitek which is expressed in yeast. We used various methods to determine its molecular weight, structural integrity, In-vitro bioassay and other methods to compare with the standard. Integrity by DSS cross linking is first of its kind for urate oxidase, expressed in E.coli

A ‘3P’ soft power model: an agile approach to diplomatic strategy

Soft power is the ability to shape the preferences of others through appeal and attraction rather than coerce using hard power. Today, most countries are embracing the notion of soft power. Managing soft power resources at the disposal of governments and deploying them effectively is critical for an agile government to build an attractive country image, and thereby enhancing their competitiveness in today’s dynamic and competitive global landscape. This includes but not limited to promoting their country’s products and services globally, attract foreign investors, and promoting international tourism. In this study, we develop and validate a novel ‘3P’ soft power model, using the perceptions about a country’s ‘products’, ‘places’, and ‘people’. Using 167 usable responses obtained from a structured country-wide survey in the UAE, the 3P model developed from the literature was tested for reliability, validity, and model-fitness. While Cronbach’s alpha values confirmed the reliability of first-order constructs (products, place and people), the second-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) established the convergent and discriminant validity of the constructs, and operationalization of ‘3P Soft Power’ as a higher (second)-order model. The results have implications for governments and researchers in promoting soft power by leveraging its products, places and people. A robust higher-order factor model for soft power using 3P’s has not been developed previously and constitutes the novelty of this study

Deconstruction and Holography

It was recently pointed out that the physics of a single discrete gravitational extra dimension exhibits a peculiar UV/IR connection relating the UV scale to the radius of the effective extra dimension. Here we note that this non-locality is a manifestation of holography, encoding the correct scaling of the number of fundamental degrees of freedom of the UV theory. This in turn relates the Wilsonian RG flow in the UV theory to the effective gravitational dynamics in the extra dimension. The relevant holographic c-function is determined by the expression for the holographic bound. Holography in this context is a result of the requirements of unitarity and diffeomorphism invariance. We comment on the relevance of this observation for the cosmological constant problem.Comment: 11 pages, LaTe