End-to-end people detection in crowded scenes

Current people detectors operate either by scanning an image in a sliding window fashion or by classifying a discrete set of proposals. We propose a model that is based on decoding an image into a set of people detections. Our system takes an image as input and directly outputs a set of distinct detection hypotheses. Because we generate predictions jointly, common post-processing steps such as non-maximum suppression are unnecessary. We use a recurrent LSTM layer for sequence generation and train our model end-to-end with a new loss function that operates on sets of detections. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach on the challenging task of detecting people in crowded scenes.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures. Submitted to NIPS 2015. Supplementary material video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeWl0h3kQ2

Tourism in New Zealand : some observations on the patterns and processes of a summer recreation pursuit, with particular reference to Napier : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Geography at Massey University

This thesis presents an account of the domestic tourism process in New Zealand, compiled through the identification and measurement of some of the elements that characterise this particular form of outdoor recreation. While overseas tourism continues to attract increasing Government attention as an industry with some promise of diversifying New Zealand's economy, it is apparent that holiday-making by New Zealanders has received practically no attention from geographers or, for that matter, from economic and social planning organisations in this country. The first section of this thesis defines tourism end identifies, through the support of survey studies, its general characteristics of seasonality in occurrence, individuality and spontaneity in expression, and the great range and extent of mobility afforded by the private motor vehicle. Contrasts are drawn between overseas tourism and domestic tourism, and comments are made on the disparity evident in the degree of attention accorded the two forms, end in the growth of national tourist centres compared to regional holiday resorts. Section Two considers the nature and function of three recreation resources - climate, water and location - in providing the framework within which outdoor recreation activities are pursued. In this, as in later sections, these resources are related to their role in creating a favourable climate for tourism in Napier. The section on recreation amenities describes in detail the urban amenities and tourist attractions that Napier possesses for recreation. Exercises are conducted on the provision of vehicle parking space at amenities, on attendance frequencies at Marineland performances by Napier residents, and on the annual account of the Hawke's Bay Aquarium and Planetarium Board. The role of holiday information and tourist publicity services, accommodation, and essential services as they prevail in the tourism process, is discussed in Section Four. The importance of accommodation services is recognised and comments here have been directed towards supply and demand factors. The distinct seasonality of domestic tourism in New Zealand increases pressure on the utilisation of recreation services during the summer, and this situation is compounded by the national close-down of many retail, trade and professional services over the peak Christmas-New Year period. The case study of visitors staying in motels in Napier ever the 1970-71 summer is used as a basis for presenting material in support of observations made throughout the preceding parts of the thesis as to the nature of the domestic tourism process in New Zealand, and the extent to which its expression is typified in Napier. The concluding section is used to isolate briefly the problems that have become apparent in both the study of tourism as a recreation pursuit, and in the process of tourism itself in New Zealand

The political shaping of energy technology:combined heat and power in Britain

There has been negligible adoption of combined heat and power (CHP) for district heating (DH) in Britain, despite continued advocacy. This thesis constructs an account of the treatment of the option, and devises a framework for explanation. Analysis of technological development and adoption, it is argued, should be similar to that of other social processes, and be subject to the same requirements and criticisms. They will, however, show features peculiar to the institutions developing and selecting technologies, their relation to different social groups, and the forms of knowledge in and about technology. Conventional approaches - organisation and interorganisation theories, and analyses of policy-making - give useful insights but have common limitations. Elements of an analytical framework situating detailed issues and outcomes in a structured historical context are derived from convergent radical critiques. Thus activity on CHP/DH is essentially shaped by the development and relations of energy sector institutions: central and local government, nationalised industries and particularly the electricity industry. Analysis of them is related to the specific character of the British state. A few CHP and DH installations were tried before 1940. During postwar reconstruction, extensive plans for several cities were abandoned or curtailed. In the 1960s and 70s, many small non-CHP DH schemes were installed on housing estates. From the mid-70s, the national potential of CHP/DH has been reappraised, with widespread support and favourable evaluations, but little practical progress. Significant CHP/DH adoption is shown to have been systematically excluded ultimately by the structure of energy provision; centralised production interests dominate and co-ordination is weak. Marginal economics and political commitment have allowed limited development in exceptional circumstances. Periods of upheaval provided greater opportunity and incentive for CHP/DH but restructuring eventually obstructed it. Explanation of these outcomes is shown to require analysis at several levels, from broad context to detailed action

Virtually Ready? Pre-service teachers' perceptions of a virtual internship experience

oai:ojs.www.ressat.org:article/1The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of six secondary pre-service teachers that completed a semester long internship with a supervising mentor at a virtual school in the Southeastern United States. The secondary pre-service teachers in this study voluntarily chose a placement in the virtual school over a traditional classroom placement for completion of their initial licensure field experience. This study sought to examine why secondary pre-service teachers chose a virtual internship and what their experiences were like as online instructors. A total of six participants completed a sixty-minute semi-structured interview at the completion of the semester long virtual school internship. Results of the study indicated that secondary pre-service teachers' primary motivation for entering a virtual internship experience was "œconvenience". Additionally, participants felt prepared for future employment in virtual schools, but had some reservations about their prospects in a traditional classroom setting

A Landmark Decision: The Stouffer Valley Forge Hotel

The information presented in this article is derived from the testimony and exhibits offered in connection with the trial of Auger, et a1 v. The Stouffer Corporation, et al., Civil Action No. 93-2529, which took place in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The authors of this article served as expert consultants and expert witnesses to the plaintif

Results of the Mariner 6 and 7 Mars occultation experiments

Final profiles of temperature, pressure, and electron density on Mars were obtained for the Mariner 6 and 7 entry and exit cases, and results are presented for both the lower atmosphere and ionosphere. The results of an analysis of the systematic and formal errors introduced at each stage of the data-reduction process are also included. At all four occulation points, the lapse rate of temperature was subdadiabatic up to altitudes in excess of 20 km. A pronounced temperature inversion was present above the surface at the Mariner 6 exit point. All four profiles exhibit a sharp, superadiabatic drop in temperature at high altitudes, with temperatures falling below the frost point of CO2. These results give a strong indication of frozen CO2 in the middle atmosphere of Mars