A Relaxation Scheme for Mesh Locality in Computer Vision.

Parallel processing has been considered as the key to build computer systems of the future and has become a mainstream subject in Computer Science. Computer Vision applications are computationally intensive that require parallel approaches to exploit the intrinsic parallelism. This research addresses this problem for low-level and intermediate-level vision problems. The contributions of this dissertation are a unified scheme based on probabilistic relaxation labeling that captures localities of image data and the ability of using this scheme to develop efficient parallel algorithms for Computer Vision problems. We begin with investigating the problem of skeletonization. The technique of pattern match that exhausts all the possible interaction patterns between a pixel and its neighboring pixels captures the locality of this problem, and leads to an efficient One-pass Parallel Asymmetric Thinning Algorithm (OPATA\sb8). The use of 8-distance in this algorithm, or chessboard distance, not only improves the quality of the resulting skeletons, but also improves the efficiency of the computation. This new algorithm plays an important role in a hierarchical route planning system to extract high level typological information of cross-country mobility maps which greatly speeds up the route searching over large areas. We generalize the neighborhood interaction description method to include more complicated applications such as edge detection and image restoration. The proposed probabilistic relaxation labeling scheme exploit parallelism by discovering local interactions in neighboring areas and by describing them effectively. The proposed scheme consists of a transformation function and a dictionary construction method. The non-linear transformation function is derived from Markov Random Field theory. It efficiently combines evidences from neighborhood interactions. The dictionary construction method provides an efficient way to encode these localities. A case study applies the scheme to the problem of edge detection. The relaxation step of this edge-detection algorithm greatly reduces noise effects, gets better edge localization such as line ends and corners, and plays a crucial rule in refining edge outputs. The experiments on both synthetic and natural images show that our algorithm converges quickly, and is robust in noisy environment

Equilibrium Analysis of Customer Attraction Games

We introduce a game model called "customer attraction game" to demonstrate the competition among online content providers. In this model, customers exhibit interest in various topics. Each content provider selects one topic and benefits from the attracted customers. We investigate both symmetric and asymmetric settings involving agents and customers. In the symmetric setting, the existence of pure Nash equilibrium (PNE) is guaranteed, but finding a PNE is PLS-complete. To address this, we propose a fully polynomial time approximation scheme to identify an approximate PNE. Moreover, the tight Price of Anarchy (PoA) is established. In the asymmetric setting, we show the nonexistence of PNE in certain instances and establish that determining its existence is NP-hard. Nevertheless, we prove the existence of an approximate PNE. Additionally, when agents select topics sequentially, we demonstrate that finding a subgame-perfect equilibrium is PSPACE-hard. Furthermore, we present the sequential PoA for the two-agent setting

Competition among Parallel Contests

We investigate the model of multiple contests held in parallel, where each contestant selects one contest to join and each contest designer decides the prize structure to compete for the participation of contestants. We first analyze the strategic behaviors of contestants and completely characterize the symmetric Bayesian Nash equilibrium. As for the strategies of contest designers, when other designers' strategies are known, we show that computing the best response is NP-hard and propose a fully polynomial time approximation scheme (FPTAS) to output the $\epsilon$-approximate best response. When other designers' strategies are unknown, we provide a worst case analysis on one designer's strategy. We give an upper bound on the utility of any strategy and propose a method to construct a strategy whose utility can guarantee a constant ratio of this upper bound in the worst case.Comment: Accepted by the 18th Conference on Web and Internet Economics (WINE 2022

Two new species of the genus Teredorus Hancock, 1906 (Orthoptera, Tetrigidae) from China, with a key to the species of the genus

Taxonomy of a tetrigid genus Teredorus Hancock is reviewed. Two new species, Teredorus parvipulvillus sp.n. and Teredorus hunanensis sp. n. are described from China and an updated identification key to all known species of the genus is given, as well as brief comments on phylogenetic relationships, biology and ecology

FIGURE 2 – 9. 2 in A systematic study of the genus Paragavialidium Zheng (Orthoptera: Tetrigoidea: Scelimeninae)

FIGURE 2 – 9. 2: Head and pronotum of P. orthacanum Zheng, dorsal view; 3: Head and pronotum of P. emeiensis Zheng et Cao, dorsal view; 4: Head and pronotum of P. longzhouensis Zheng et Jiang, dorsal view; 5: Body of P. tridentatum Zheng, dorsal view; 6: Head and pronotum of P. serrifemura Zheng et Cao, dorsal view; 7: Head and pronotum of P. curivispinum Zheng, dorsal view; 8: Head and pronotum of P. sichuanensis Zheng, Wang et Shi, dorsal view; 9: Head and pronotum of P. hainanensis (Zheng et Liang), dorsal view

Hf-O isotope characteristics for ore-related intrusions of typical iron deposits in Zhonggu ore field, Ningwu basin

Zhonggu iron ore field is located in south part of Ningwu basin. The ore filed occurred diorite and monzonite intrusions (132 ～ 129Ma) which are related to iron deposits. The origin and evolution of these intrusions still need to be further studied. Here, we conduct LA-ICP-MS zircon Hf isotope and SHRIMP zircon O isotope test focus on the Gushan porphyritic gabbrodiorite, the Longshan gabbrodiorite, the Baixingshan diorite, the Zhongjiu diorite and the Taipingshan monzonite. 176 Hf/ 177 Hf ratios of these intrusions are 0.282425 ～ 0.282695 (t DM2 = - 1.26 ? 1.86Ga). The range of zircons have ～ 18 O ranging from 3.34 to 8.05 and ～ Hf (t) ranging from - 12.3 to -3.9. 176 Hf/ 177 Hf ratios of inherited zircons in Taipingshan monzonite are 0.282324 ～ 0.282487 (t DM2 = 1.72 ? 20.8 Ga). The range of inherited zircons have ～ 18 O ranging from 5.90 to 6.51 and ～ Hf (t) ranging from - 15.8 to -10.1. Zhonggu magmatic rocks are derived from enriched lithospheric mantle. Hf-O isotope imply the magma in this area are consistent with the Early Cretaceous period of lithospheric thinning and extension influenced by the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate. Magmatic rocks in Middle and Lower Yangtze Metalloic Belt include Ningwu have the same origin, magmatic rocks in iron districts such as Ningwu and Luzong are mainly directely framed by enriched lithospheric mantle, while magmatic rocks in copper-polymetallic districts represented by Tongling and Fancang contaminated with more Paleoproterozoic and neoproterozoic earth crust

Dexmedetomidine Attenuates Apoptosis and Neurological Deficits by Modulating Neuronal NADPH Oxidase 2-Derived Oxidative Stress in Neonates Following Hypoxic Brain Injury

Hypoxic–ischemic brain injury is an important cause of neonatal neurological deficits. Our previous study demonstrated that dexmedetomidine (Dex) provided neuroprotection against neonatal hypoxic brain injury; however, the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely elucidated. Overactivation of NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) can cause neuronal apoptosis and neurological deficits. Hence, we aimed to investigate the role of neuronal NOX2 in Dex-mediated neuroprotection and to explore its potential mechanisms. Hypoxic injury was modeled in neonatal rodents in vivo and in cultured hippocampal neurons in vitro. Our results showed that pre- or post-treatment with Dex improved the neurological deficits and alleviated the hippocampal neuronal damage and apoptosis caused by neonatal hypoxia. In addition, Dex treatment significantly suppressed hypoxia-induced neuronal NOX2 activation; it also reduced oxidative stress, as evidenced by decreases in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, malondialdehyde, and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine, as well as increases in the antioxidant enzymatic activity of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in neonatal rat hippocampi and in hippocampal neurons. Lastly, the posthypoxicneuroprotective action of Dex was almost completely abolished in NOX2-deficient neonatal mice and NOX2-knockdown neurons. In conclusion, our data demonstrated that neuronal NOX2-mediated oxidative stress is involved in the neuroprotection that Dex provides against apoptosis and neurological deficits in neonates following hypoxia