Aesthetic Highlight Detection in Movies Based on Synchronization of Spectators’ Reactions.

Detection of aesthetic highlights is a challenge for understanding the affective processes taking place during movie watching. In this paper we study spectators’ responses to movie aesthetic stimuli in a social context. Moreover, we look for uncovering the emotional component of aesthetic highlights in movies. Our assumption is that synchronized spectators’ physiological and behavioral reactions occur during these highlights because: (i) aesthetic choices of filmmakers are made to elicit specific emotional reactions (e.g. special effects, empathy and compassion toward a character, etc.) and (ii) watching a movie together causes spectators’ affective reactions to be synchronized through emotional contagion. We compare different approaches to estimation of synchronization among multiple spectators’ signals, such as pairwise, group and overall synchronization measures to detect aesthetic highlights in movies. The results show that the unsupervised architecture relying on synchronization measures is able to capture different properties of spectators’ synchronization and detect aesthetic highlights based on both spectators’ electrodermal and acceleration signals. We discover that pairwise synchronization measures perform the most accurately independently of the category of the highlights and movie genres. Moreover, we observe that electrodermal signals have more discriminative power than acceleration signals for highlight detection

The Ultraluminous X-ray Sources near the Center of M82

We report the identification of a recurrent ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX), a highly absorbed X-ray source (possibly a background AGN), and a young supernova remnant near the center of the starburst galaxy M82. From a series of Chandra observations taken from 1999 to 2005, we found that the transient ULX first appeared in 1999 October. The source turned off in 2000 January, but later reappeared and has been active since then. The X-ray luminosity of this source varies from below the detection level (~2.5e38 erg/s) to its active state in between ~7e39 erg/s and 1.3e40 erg/s (in the 0.5-10 keV energy band) and shows unusual spectral changes. The X-ray spectra of some Chandra observations are best fitted with an absorbed power-law model with photon index ranging from 1.3 to 1.7. These spectra are similar to those of Galactic black hole binary candidates seen in the low/hard state except that a very hard spectrum was seen in one of the observations. By comparing with near infrared images taken with the Hubble Space Telescope, the ULX is found to be located within a young star cluster. Radio imaging indicates that it is associated with a H II region. We suggest that the ULX is likely to be a > 100 solar mass intermediate-mass black hole in the low/hard state. In addition to the transient ULX, we also found a highly absorbed hard X-ray source which is likely to be an AGN and an ultraluminous X-ray emitting young supernova remnant which may be related to a 100-year old gamma-ray burst event, within 2 arcsec of the transient ULX.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap

Recognizing Induced Emotions of Movie Audiences: Are Induced and Perceived Emotions the Same?

Predicting the emotional response of movie audi- ences to affective movie content is a challenging task in affective computing. Previous work has focused on using audiovisual movie content to predict movie induced emotions. However, the relationship between the audience’s perceptions of the affective movie content (perceived emotions) and the emotions evoked in the audience (induced emotions) remains unexplored. In this work, we address the relationship between perceived and in- duced emotions in movies, and identify features and modelling approaches effective for predicting movie induced emotions. First, we extend the LIRIS-ACCEDE database by annotating perceived emotions in a crowd-sourced manner, and find that perceived and induced emotions are not always consistent. Second, we show that dialogue events and aesthetic highlights are effective predictors of movie induced emotions. In addition to movie based features, we also study physiological and be- havioural measurements of audiences. Our experiments show that induced emotion recognition can benefit from including temporal context and from including multimodal information. Our study bridges the gap between affective content analysis and induced emotion prediction

High Resolution mid-Infrared Imaging of SN 1987A

Using the Thermal-Region Camera and Spectrograph (T-ReCS) attached to the Gemini South 8m telescope, we have detected and resolved 10 micron emission at the position of the inner equatorial ring (ER) of supernova SN 1987A at day 6067. ``Hot spots'' similar to those found in the optical and near-IR are clearly present. The morphology of the 10 micron emission is globally similar to the morphology at other wavelengths from X-rays to radio. The observed mid-IR flux in the region of SN1987A is probably dominated by emission from dust in the ER. We have also detected the ER at 20 micron at a 4 sigma level. Assuming that thermal dust radiation is the origin of the mid-IR emission, we derive a dust temperature of 180^{+20}_{-10} K, and a dust mass of 1.- 8. 10^{-5} Mo for the ER. Our observations also show a weak detection of the central ejecta at 10 micron. We show that previous bolometric flux estimates (through day 2100) were not significantly contaminated by this newly discovered emission from the ER. If we assume that the energy input comes from radioactive decays only, our measurements together with the current theoretical models set a temperature of 90 leq T leq 100 K and a mass range of 10^{-4} - 2. 10^{-3} Mo for the dust in the ejecta. With such dust temperatures the estimated thermal emission is 9(+/-3) 10^{35} erg s^{-1} from the inner ring, and 1.5 (+/-0.5) 10^{36} erg s^{-1} from the ejecta. Finally, using SN 1987A as a template, we discuss the possible role of supernovae as major sources of dust in the Universe.Comment: aastex502, 14 pages, 4 figures; Accepted for publication in ApJ Content changed: new observations, Referee's comments and suggestion

Observing Supernova 1987A with the Refurbished Hubble Space Telescope

Observations with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), conducted since 1990, now offer an unprecedented glimpse into fast astrophysical shocks in the young remnant of supernova 1987A. Comparing observations taken in 2010 using the refurbished instruments on HST with data taken in 2004, just before the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph failed, we find that the Ly-a and H-a lines from shock emission continue to brighten, while their maximum velocities continue to decrease. We observe broad blueshifted Ly-a, which we attribute to resonant scattering of photons emitted from hotspots on the equatorial ring. We also detect NV~\lambda\lambda 1239,1243 A line emission, but only to the red of Ly-A. The profiles of the NV lines differ markedly from that of H-a, suggesting that the N^{4+} ions are scattered and accelerated by turbulent electromagnetic fields that isotropize the ions in the collisionless shock.Comment: Science, accepted. Science Express, 02 Sept 2010. 5 figures. Supporting online material can be found at http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/sci;science.1192134/DC

Computational Modeling and Experimental Characterization of Martensitic Transformations in Nicoal for Self-Sensing Materials

Fundamental changes to aero-vehicle management require the utilization of automated health monitoring of vehicle structural components. A novel method is the use of self-sensing materials, which contain embedded sensory particles (SP). SPs are micron-sized pieces of shape-memory alloy that undergo transformation when the local strain reaches a prescribed threshold. The transformation is a result of a spontaneous rearrangement of the atoms in the crystal lattice under intensified stress near damaged locations, generating acoustic waves of a specific spectrum that can be detected by a suitably placed sensor. The sensitivity of the method depends on the strength of the emitted signal and its propagation through the material. To study the transition behavior of the sensory particle inside a metal matrix under load, a simulation approach based on a coupled atomistic-continuum model is used. The simulation results indicate a strong dependence of the particle's pseudoelastic response on its crystallographic orientation with respect to the loading direction and suggest possible ways of optimizing particle sensitivity. The technology of embedded sensory particles will serve as the key element in an autonomous structural health monitoring system that will constantly monitor for damage initiation in service, which will enable quick detection of unforeseen damage initiation in real-time and during onground inspections

Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based observations of SN 1993J and SN 1998S: CNO processing in the progenitors

Ground-based and Hubble Space Telescope observations are presented for SN 1993J and SN 1998S. SN 1998S shows strong, relatively narrow circumstellar emission lines of N III-V and C III-IV, as well as broad lines from the ejecta. Both the broad ultraviolet and optical lines in SN 1998S indicate an expansion velocity of ∼7000 km s -1. The broad emission components of Lyα and Mg II are strongly asymmetrical after day 72 past the explosion and differ in shape from Hα. Different models based on dust extinction from dust in the ejecta or shock region, in combination with Hα from a circumstellar torus, are discussed. It is concluded, however, that the double-peaked line profiles are more likely to arise as a result of optical depth effects in the narrow, cool, dense shell behind the reverse shock than in a torus-like region. The ultraviolet lines of SN 1993J are broad, with a boxlike shape, coming from the ejecta and a cool, dense shell. The shapes of the lines are well fitted by a shell with inner velocity ∼7000 km s -1 and outer velocity ∼10,000 km s -1. For both SN 1993J and SN 1998S a strong nitrogen enrichment is found, with N/C ≈ 12.4 in SN 1993J and N/C ≈ 6.0 in SN 1998S. From a compilation of all supernovae with determined CNO ratios, we discuss the implications of these observations for the structure of the progenitors of Type II supernovae. © 2005. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved,.published_or_final_versio

Using exomarkers to assess mitochondrial reactive species in vivo

Background: The ability to measure the concentrations of small damaging and signalling molecules such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vivo is essential to understanding their biological roles. While a range of methods can be applied to in vitro systems, measuring the levels and relative changes in reactive species in vivo is challenging. Scope of review: One approach towards achieving this goal is the use of exomarkers. In this, exogenous probe compounds are administered to the intact organism and are then transformed by the reactive molecules in vivo to produce a diagnostic exomarker. The exomarker and the precursor probe can be analysed ex vivo to infer the identity and amounts of the reactive species present in vivo. This is akin to the measurement of biomarkers produced by the interaction of reactive species with endogenous biomolecules. Major conclusions and general significance: Our laboratories have developed mitochondria-targeted probes that generate exomarkers that can be analysed ex vivo by mass spectrometry to assess levels of reactive species within mitochondria in vivo. We have used one of these compounds, MitoB, to infer the levels of mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide within flies and mice. Here we describe the development of MitoB and expand on this example to discuss how better probes and exomarkers can be developed. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Current methods to study reactive oxygen species - pros and cons and biophysics of membrane proteins. Guest Editor: Christine Winterbourn. Abbreviations: EPR, electron paramagnetic resonance; GFP, green fluorescent protein; 4-HNE, 4-hydroxynonenal; MitoB, 3-(dihydroxyboronyl)benzyltriphenylphosphonium bromide; MitoP, (3-hydroxybenzyl)triphenylphosphonium bromide; ROS, reactive oxygen species; SOD, superoxide dismutase; TPMP, methyltriphenylphosphonium; TPP, triphenylphosphonium catio

Limits from the Hubble Space Telescope on a Point Source in SN 1987A

We observed supernova 1987A (SN 1987A) with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in 1999 September, and again with the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) on the HST in 2003 November. No point source is observed in the remnant. We obtain a limiting flux of F_opt < 1.6 x 10^{-14} ergs/s/cm^2 in the wavelength range 2900-9650 Angstroms for any continuum emitter at the center of the supernova remnant (SNR). It is likely that the SNR contains opaque dust that absorbs UV and optical emission, resulting in an attenuation of ~35% due to dust absorption in the SNR. Taking into account dust absorption in the remnant, we find a limit of L_opt < 8 x 10^{33} ergs/s. We compare this upper bound with empirical evidence from point sources in other supernova remnants, and with theoretical models for possible compact sources. Bright young pulsars such as Kes 75 or the Crab pulsar are excluded by optical and X-ray limits on SN 1987A. Of the young pulsars known to be associated with SNRs, those with ages < 5000 years are all too bright in X-rays to be compatible with the limits on SN 1987A. Examining theoretical models for accretion onto a compact object, we find that spherical accretion onto a neutron star is firmly ruled out, and that spherical accretion onto a black hole is possible only if there is a larger amount of dust absorption in the remnant than predicted. In the case of thin-disk accretion, our flux limit requires a small disk, no larger than 10^{10} cm, with an accretion rate no more than 0.3 times the Eddington accretion rate. Possible ways to hide a surviving compact object include the removal of all surrounding material at early times by a photon-driven wind, a small accretion disk, or very high levels of dust absorption in the remnant.Comment: 40 pages, 5 figures. AAStex. Accepted, ApJ 04/28/200