From 3D Point Clouds to Pose-Normalised Depth Maps

We consider the problem of generating either pairwise-aligned or pose-normalised depth maps from noisy 3D point clouds in a relatively unrestricted poses. Our system is deployed in a 3D face alignment application and consists of the following four stages: (i) data filtering, (ii) nose tip identification and sub-vertex localisation, (iii) computation of the (relative) face orientation, (iv) generation of either a pose aligned or a pose normalised depth map. We generate an implicit radial basis function (RBF) model of the facial surface and this is employed within all four stages of the process. For example, in stage (ii), construction of novel invariant features is based on sampling this RBF over a set of concentric spheres to give a spherically-sampled RBF (SSR) shape histogram. In stage (iii), a second novel descriptor, called an isoradius contour curvature signal, is defined, which allows rotational alignment to be determined using a simple process of 1D correlation. We test our system on both the University of York (UoY) 3D face dataset and the Face Recognition Grand Challenge (FRGC) 3D data. For the more challenging UoY data, our SSR descriptors significantly outperform three variants of spin images, successfully identifying nose vertices at a rate of 99.6%. Nose localisation performance on the higher quality FRGC data, which has only small pose variations, is 99.9%. Our best system successfully normalises the pose of 3D faces at rates of 99.1% (UoY data) and 99.6% (FRGC data)

Issue 16: Irregular Migration to Canada: Addressing Current Policy Responses that Impact Refugee Claimants’ Arrival and Settlement in the Country

The unexpected influx of refugee claimants irregularly crossing the US-Canada border since 2016 has strained Canada’s immigration system. According to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB), 47,425 claims were referred to the IRB in 2017, and more than 43,000 were still pending at the end of the year (IRB, 2017). This only increased in the following years; in 2018, 55,388 claims were referred to the IRB and as of June of 2019 more than 74,000 were still pending. Compared to the total claims referred to the IRB in 2016 (23,350) and 2015 (16,592), these numbers represent a significant increase which consequently strains Canadian settlement services (IRB, 2019a). While Canada has a global reputation for humanitarianism and human rights leadership (Atak, et. al 2018), the lack of coordination to effectively manage the increase in inland claims during recent years reflects systemic limitations of the reception and processing of spontaneous and irregular arrivals. This Policy Points discusses Canadian policy changes and responses to refugee claimants and analyzes how these are detrimental for their arrival and settlement in Canada

Project 150

Project 150 is designed to provide for homeless high school students. It was established in December of 2011 they provide teens with meal bags and school supplies.https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/educ_sys_202/1059/thumbnail.jp

Circle actions and geometric quantisation

The aim of this article is to present unifying proofs for results in geometric quantisation with real polarisations by exploring the existence of symplectic circle actions. It provides an extension of Rawnsley's results on the Kostant complex, and gives an alternative proof for Sniatycki's and Hamilton's theorems; as well as, a partial result for the focus-focus contribution to geometric quantisation.Comment: 28 pages; issues concerning flat hermitian line bundles were addressed, results unchange

Modality is Not Explainable by Essence

Some metaphysicians believe that metaphysical modality is explainable by the essences of objects. In §II, I spell out the definitional view of essence, and in §III, a working notion of metaphysical explanation. Then, in §IV, I consider and reject five natural ways to explain necessity by essence: in terms of the principle that essential properties can't change, in terms of the supposed obviousness of the necessity of essential truth, in terms of the logical necessity of definitions, in terms of Fine's logic of essence, and in terms of the theory of real definitions. I will conclude that the present evidence favours rejecting the hypothesis that modality is explainable by essence

An Eye-Opening Experience

2014 essay contest winner Kevin Romero\u27s An Eye-Opening Experienc