Blind Estimation and Suppression of Additive Spatially Correlated Gaussian Noise in Images

The paper is devoted to the task of estimation of the parameters of spatially correlated noise and noise suppression in images. Several schemes of noise removal, including multiscale ones, are considered. A convolutional neural network (CNN) for blind estimation of the spectrum of spatially correlated noise images is proposed. It is shown that the proposed network in combination with the BM3D filter provides more efficient noise suppression than existing solutions. A CNN for prediction of the denoising parameters for DRUNet denoiser is also proposed and analyzed. It is shown that the usage of this network and DRUNet for multiscale denoising in comparison with other methods provides better quality of image denoising and processing speed for a wide range of sizes of 'noise grain'.acceptedVersionPeer reviewe

Developing training program for remotely piloted aircraft operators in the sphere of border protection

The study reveals the theoretical and practical approaches of developing training programs for Remotely Piloted Aircraft operators in the sphere of border surveillance of the state border protection agencies of the European Union and Ukraine using multicriteria optimization to find required rational parameters. The results of the study within the educational grant of Frontex Agency conducted by the team of experts from the Border Guard Services of Ukraine and EU countries were used to enhance the training program of air reconnaissance units of border protection bodies at the Main Training Centre of the Border Guard Service of Ukraine based on the best EU practices, in order to ensure obtaining of knowledge and practical skills by personnel of the border guard Remotely Piloted Aircraft external crews, which will increase the level of interoperability and professional competence of border guards while conducting border surveillance tasks

Additional lossless compression of JPEG images based on BPG

The task of additional lossless compression of JPEG images is considered. We propose to decode JPEG image and recompress it using lossy BPG (Better Portable Graphics) codec based on a subset of the HEVC open video compression standard. Then the decompressed and smoothed BPG image is used for calculation and quantization of DCT coefficients in 8x8 image blocks using quantization tables of the source JPEG image. A difference between obtained quantized DCT coefficients and quantized DCT coefficients of the source JPEG image (prediction error) is calculated. The difference is lossless compressed by a proposed context modeling and arithmetical coding. In this way the source JPEG image is replaced by two files: compressed BPG image and the compressed difference which needed for lossless restoration of the source JPEG image. It is shown that the proposed approach provides compression ratios comparable with state of the art PAQ8, WinZip and STUFFIT file archivers. At the same time BPG images may be used for fast preview of compressed JPEG images.Peer reviewe

Study of Hybrid Modification with Humic Acids of Environmentally Safe Biodegradable Hydrogel Films Based on Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose

The possibility of increasing the complexity of the operational properties of environmentally safe biodegradable polymer hydrogel materials based on hydroxypropyl methylcellulose due to modification by humic acids from lignite is considered. As a result of this research, environmentally safe hybrid hydrogel films with antibacterial properties were received. In the framework of physicochemical studies, it was determined by IR spectroscopy that hydroxypropyl methylcellulose modified with humic acids hybridmaterials are received by the mechanism of matrix synthesis, which is accompanied by hydroxypropyl methylcellulose crosslinking through multipoint interaction with the carboxyl group of humic acids. Regularities in terms of changes in water absorption, gelation time, and mold emergence time regarding the environmentally safe biodegradable polymer hydrogel materials based on hydroxypropyl methylcellulose depending on the humic acid content were revealed. It was established that the optimal humic acid content in environmentally safe biodegradable hydrogel films with bactericidal properties based on hydroxypropyl methylcellulose is 15% by mass. It was also established that the hybrid modification of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose with humic acids allows them to preserve their biodegradation properties while giving them antibacterial properties. The environmentally safe biodegradable hydrogel films with bactericidal properties based on hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and humic acids are superior in their operational characteristics to known similar biodegradable hydrogel films based on natural biopolymers