A video object generation tool allowing friendly user interaction

In this paper we describe an interactive video object segmentation tool developed in the framework of the ACTS-AC098 MOMUSYS project. The Video Object Generator with User Environment (VOGUE) combines three different sets of automatic and semi-automatic-tool (spatial segmentation, object tracking and temporal segmentation) with general purpose tools for user interaction. The result is an integrated environment allowing the user-assisted segmentation of any sort of video sequences in a friendly and efficient manner.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Image sequence analysis for emerging interactive multimedia services - The European COST 211 framework

Cataloged from PDF version of article.Flexibility and efficiency of coding, content extraction, and content-based search are key research topics in the field of interactive multimedia. Ongoing ISO MPEG-4 and MPEG-7 activities are targeting standardization to facilitate such services. European COST Telecommunications activities provide a framework for research collaboration. COST 211bis and COST 211ter activities have been instrumental in the definition and development of the ITU-T H.261 and H.263 standards for videoconferencing over ISDN and videophony over regular phone lines, respectively. The group has also contributed significantly to the ISO MPEG-4 activities. At present a significant effort of the COST 211ter group activities is dedicated toward image and video sequence analysis and segmentation—an important technological aspect for the success of emerging object-based MPEG-4 and MPEG-7 multimedia applications. The current work of COST 211 is centered around the test model, called the Analysis Model (AM). The essential feature of the AM is its ability to fuse information from different sources to achieve a high-quality object segmentation. The current information sources are the intermediate results from frame-based (still) color segmentation, motion vector based segmentation, and changedetection-based segmentation. Motion vectors, which form the basis for the motion vector based intermediate segmentation, are estimated from consecutive frames. A recursive shortest spanning tree (RSST) algorithm is used to obtain intermediate color and motion vector based segmentation results. A rule-based region processor fuses the intermediate results; a postprocessor further refines the final segmentation output. The results of the current AM are satisfactory; it is expected that there will be further improvements of the AM within the COST 211 project

Increased 30-Day Mortality in Very Old ICU Patients with COVID-19 Compared to Patients with Respiratory Failure without COVID-19

Purpose: The number of patients ≥ 80 years admitted into critical care is increasing. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) added another challenge for clinical decisions for both admission and limitation of life-sustaining treatments (LLST). We aimed to compare the characteristics and mortality of very old critically ill patients with or without COVID-19 with a focus on LLST. Methods: Patients 80 years or older with acute respiratory failure were recruited from the VIP2 and COVIP studies. Baseline patient characteristics, interventions in intensive care unit (ICU) and outcomes (30-day survival) were recorded. COVID patients were matched to non-COVID patients based on the following factors: age (± 2 years), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score (± 2 points), clinical frailty scale (± 1 point), gender and region on a 1:2 ratio. Specific ICU procedures and LLST were compared between the cohorts by means of cumulative incidence curves taking into account the competing risk of discharge and death. Results: 693 COVID patients were compared to 1393 non-COVID patients. COVID patients were younger, less frail, less severely ill with lower SOFA score, but were treated more often with invasive mechanical ventilation (MV) and had a lower 30-day survival. 404 COVID patients could be matched to 666 non-COVID patients. For COVID patients, withholding and withdrawing of LST were more frequent than for non-COVID and the 30-day survival was almost half compared to non-COVID patients. Conclusion: Very old COVID patients have a different trajectory than non-COVID patients. Whether this finding is due to a decision policy with more active treatment limitation or to an inherent higher risk of death due to COVID-19 is unclear.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

INVINET. Teilvorhaben: Netzuebergreifender Informationszugriff und videobasierte Kommunikation mit mobilen benutzerfreundlichen Endgeraeten Abschlussbericht

Originator's Report No. SB-INVINET-200209Available from TIB Hannover: F03B1076+a / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEBundesministerium fuer Bildung und Forschung, Berlin (Germany); DLR Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., Koeln (Germany)DEGerman

Partition-based image representation as basis for user-assisted segmentation

This paper discusses the usefulness of a partition-based image representation in the context of user-assisted segmentation, and compares it with the two other most common image representations in this framework: pixel-based and transition-based. Partition-based image representations allow user-interaction at the region level, which is a very natural and friendly manner to interact with images. The paper describes various region-based implementations of the most common types of user interaction; namely, initial object selection, object refinement, imposing object characteristics, selection of specific objects, selection of objects that are similar to a previously selected one. In all cases, partition-based image representations, and their associated region-based tools for user interaction, show up to be very suitable for interactive image segmentation.Peer Reviewe

VOGUE: The MoMuSys Video Object Generator with User Environment

The video object manipulation context set by the MPEG-4 standard has raised a need for respective content creation tools. This demand is expected to grow with the availability of MPEG-4 applications and devices in the marketplace as well as with the developmentoffuture content-based standards like MPEG-7, which is currently under development. In this paper a Video Object Generator with User Environment#VOGUE# is described comprising spatial and temporal segmentation and object tracking algorithms. The separate algorithms have been integrated in a common graphical user interface and thus can be combined to perform the necessary tasks for user-assisted video object generation. The related work has been carried out in the framework of the European ACTS-MoMuSys project. 1 Introduction The success of the content-based audiovisual multimedia coding and representation standards MPEG-4 #1# and MPEG-7 #2# will strongly depend on the availabilityof respectivemultimedia content. This..

Partition-based image representation as basis for user-assisted segmentation

This paper discusses the usefulness of a partition-based image representation in the context of user-assisted segmentation, and compares it with the two other most common image representations in this framework: pixel-based and transition-based. Partition-based image representations allow user-interaction at the region level, which is a very natural and friendly manner to interact with images. The paper describes various region-based implementations of the most common types of user interaction; namely, initial object selection, object refinement, imposing object characteristics, selection of specific objects, selection of objects that are similar to a previously selected one. In all cases, partition-based image representations, and their associated region-based tools for user interaction, show up to be very suitable for interactive image segmentation.Peer Reviewe