Natural and Realistic Single Image Super-Resolution with Explicit Natural Manifold Discrimination

Recently, many convolutional neural networks for single image super-resolution (SISR) have been proposed, which focus on reconstructing the high-resolution images in terms of objective distortion measures. However, the networks trained with objective loss functions generally fail to reconstruct the realistic fine textures and details that are essential for better perceptual quality. Recovering the realistic details remains a challenging problem, and only a few works have been proposed which aim at increasing the perceptual quality by generating enhanced textures. However, the generated fake details often make undesirable artifacts and the overall image looks somewhat unnatural. Therefore, in this paper, we present a new approach to reconstructing realistic super-resolved images with high perceptual quality, while maintaining the naturalness of the result. In particular, we focus on the domain prior properties of SISR problem. Specifically, we define the naturalness prior in the low-level domain and constrain the output image in the natural manifold, which eventually generates more natural and realistic images. Our results show better naturalness compared to the recent super-resolution algorithms including perception-oriented ones.Comment: Presented in CVPR 201

Self-supervised Image Denoising with Downsampled Invariance Loss and Conditional Blind-Spot Network

There have been many image denoisers using deep neural networks, which outperform conventional model-based methods by large margins. Recently, self-supervised methods have attracted attention because constructing a large real noise dataset for supervised training is an enormous burden. The most representative self-supervised denoisers are based on blind-spot networks, which exclude the receptive field's center pixel. However, excluding any input pixel is abandoning some information, especially when the input pixel at the corresponding output position is excluded. In addition, a standard blind-spot network fails to reduce real camera noise due to the pixel-wise correlation of noise, though it successfully removes independently distributed synthetic noise. Hence, to realize a more practical denoiser, we propose a novel self-supervised training framework that can remove real noise. For this, we derive the theoretic upper bound of a supervised loss where the network is guided by the downsampled blinded output. Also, we design a conditional blind-spot network (C-BSN), which selectively controls the blindness of the network to use the center pixel information. Furthermore, we exploit a random subsampler to decorrelate noise spatially, making the C-BSN free of visual artifacts that were often seen in downsample-based methods. Extensive experiments show that the proposed C-BSN achieves state-of-the-art performance on real-world datasets as a self-supervised denoiser and shows qualitatively pleasing results without any post-processing or refinement

Atypical iliac vein compression in patients with symptomatic May–Thurner syndrome

PURPOSEWe aimed to investigate the incidence, etiology, treatment, and clinical course of atypical iliac vein compressions (AIVCs) among patients with May–Thurner syndrome (MTS).METHODSA total of 173 patients who presented with MTS were retrospectively analyzed at a single center. Computed tomographic venography (CTV) was used to diagnose MTS. An AIVC was defined as the compression of the left common iliac vein (LCIV) by structures other than the right common iliac artery (RCIA) or the compression of other venous structures in the pelvic cavity instead of the LCIV. The patients with AIVC were categorized into the LCIV compression group (category A) and non-LCIV compression group (category B).RESULTSTen patients with AIVC were identified (5.8%; male/female, 5/5), five in category A and five in category B. The median age of patients was 76 years (range, 51–94 years), and the median follow-up duration was 388 days (range, 12–4694 days). In category A, the LCIVs were compressed by the left common iliac artery (LCIA) (n=2), uterine leiomyoma (n=1), LCIA aneurysm (n=1), and RCIA aneurysm (n=1). In category B, the right common iliac veins were compressed by the RCIA (n=4) and L5 osteophyte (n=1). Endovascular treatment, including balloon angioplasty and stent placement, was performed in six patients, three from each group. Three patients underwent conservative treatment due to their advanced age and comorbidities. Endovascular aneurysm repair was performed in one patient with RCIA aneurysm. Follow-up images were available for six patients, and all of them had patent venous flow.CONCLUSIONThe AIVC had an incidence of 5.8% (10/173) among symptomatic MTS patients and wide spectrum of etiologies. Pathogenesis-tailored endovascular treatments are safe and effective

Global Dissemination of a Single Mutation Conferring White Pericarp in Rice

Here we report that the change from the red seeds of wild rice to the white seeds of cultivated rice (Oryza sativa) resulted from the strong selective sweep of a single mutation, a frame-shift deletion within the Rc gene that is found in 97.9% of white rice varieties today. A second mutation, also within Rc, is present in less than 3% of white accessions surveyed. Haplotype analysis revealed that the predominant mutation originated in the japonica subspecies and crossed both geographic and sterility barriers to move into the indica subspecies. A little less than one Mb of japonica DNA hitchhiked with the rc allele into most indica varieties, suggesting that other linked domestication alleles may have been transferred from japonica to indica along with white pericarp color. Our finding provides evidence of active cultural exchange among ancient farmers over the course of rice domestication coupled with very strong, positive selection for a single white allele in both subspecies of O. sativa

Successful treatment of type I endoleak of common iliac artery with balloon expandable stent (Palmaz XL stent) during endovascular aneurysm repair

Type 1 endoleak of common iliac artery (type Ib endoleak) should be treated during endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). An 86-year-old female was diagnosed with abdominal aortic aneurysm measuring 6.6 cm in diameter and right internal iliac artery aneurysm measuring 4.0 cm in diameter. She underwent EVAR after right internal iliac artery embolization. There was type Ib endoleak, which was repaired by balloon-expandable stent, Palmaz XL stent (Cordis). We report successful treatment of type Ib endoleak with Palmaz XL stent, which may be considered as an alternative option for type Ib endoleak after EVAR

Coupling characteristics of surface modes in truncated two-dimensional photonic crystals

On 1 February, 1994 the Republic of Austria concluded the Accession Treaty and on 1 January, 1995 became a full member of the European Union. Membership obliged Austrians to ‘provide’ the Community with appropriate personnel to take up different posts in various EU authorities, as well as in the European Parliament. The most important issue was to alter particular statutory regulations and the Austrian Constitution to adjust to the new situation.The paper aims at presenting the Austrian solutions in this matter in the context of European Union law, with particular emphasis on regulations which are uncommon or specific to the Republic of Austria. The matter of interest is the constitutional practice of EU member states and the reader’s perspective is taken into account. The latter approach not only evaluates the Austrian solutions in the context of the electoral law to the European Parliament contained in the Election Code, but could also suggest some ideas in regard to prospective amendments. The authors would, in particular, like to pay attention to two issues: the lowering of the voting age, and the single constituency electoral system. The Austrian solutions might be valuable to refer to in the countries where a system of correspondence voting is just being introduced. These resolutions are particularly interesting taking into consideration prospective, possible amendments to the electoral laws of the EU member states.Republika Austrii, 1 lutego 1994 r. podpisała traktat akcesyjny i z dniem 1 stycznia 1995 r. stała się pełnoprawnym członkiem Unii Europejskiej. Członkostwo zobowiązało Austriaków do “dostarczenia” Wspólnocie odpowiednich osób do objęcia różnych stanowisk w różnych unijnych organach. Nie inaczej było także w przypadku Parlamentu Europejskiego. Ważnym aspektem stało się dostosowanie poszczególnych norm ustawowych i własnej konstytucji do nowych rozwiązań. Celem niniejszego opracowania jest właśnie przedstawianie austriackich rozwiązań w tym temacie na tle rozwiązań europejskich, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem unormowań rzadko spotykanych lub wręcz odrębności sytemu Republiki Austrii. Rzecz wydaje się być interesująca zarówno z punktu widzenia praktyki ustrojowej państw członkowskich Unii Europejskiej, jak i z punktu widzenia czytelnika. To drugie podejście pozwoli na ocenę austriackich rozwiązań na tle niedawno wprowadzonej ordynacji wyborczej do PE zawartej w Kodeksie Wyborczym, ale również może podsunąć pewne pomysły, co do przyszłych nowelizacji. Autorzy zwrócili szczególną uwagę na dwa rozwiązania: obniżenie cenzusu wieku czynnego prawa wyborczego oraz jednookręgowy system wyborczy. Austriackie doświadczenia mogą być również pomocne państwom, które wprowadzają możliwość głosowania korespondencyjnego. Są to propozycje szczególnie interesujące z punktu widzenia przyszłych, możliwych nowelizacji systemów wyborczych państw członkowskich

Regenerative Medicine for Neurological Disorders

The annual meeting of the American Society for Neural Therapy and Repair (ASNTR) has always introduced us to top-notch and up-to-date approaches for regenerative medicine related to neuroscience, ranging from stem cell–based therapy to novel drugs. The 16th ASNTR meeting focused on a variety of different topics, including the unknown pathogenesis or mechanisms of specific neurodegenerative diseases, stem cell biology, and development of novel alternative medicines or devices. Newly developed stem cells, such as amniotic epithelial stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, as well as well-known traditional stem cells, such as neural, embryonic, bone marrow mesenchymal, and human umbilical cord blood–derived stem cells, were reported. A number of commercialized stem cells were also covered at this meeting. Fetal neural tissues, such as ventral mesencephalon, striatum, and Schwann cells, were investigated for neurodegenerative diseases or spinal cord injury. A number of studies focused on novel methods for drug monitoring or graft tracking, and combination therapy with stem cells and medicine, such as cytokines or trophic factors. Finally, the National Institutes of Health guidelines for human stem cell research, clinical trials of commercialized stem cells without larger animal testing, and prohibition of medical tourism were big controversial issues that led to heated discussion