Depth View Research Articles

Computational Multi-View Imaging with Kinect

The lack of 3-D content has become a bottleneck for the advancement of three-dimensional television (3-DTV), but conventional multicamera arrays for multiview imaging are expensive to setup and cumbersome to use. This paper proposes a lightweight multiview imaging approach with Kinect, a handheld integrated depth-color camera, under the depth-image-based rendering framework. The proposed method consists of two components: depth restoration from noisy and incomplete depth measurements and view synthesis from depth-color pairs. In depth restoration, we propose a moving 2-D polynomial approximation via least squares to suppress quantization errors in the acquired depth values, and propose a progressive edge-guided trilateral filter to fill missing areas of the depth map. Edges extracted from color image are used to predict the locations of depth discontinuities in missing areas and to guide the proposed trilateral filter avoiding filtering across discontinuities. In view synthesis, we propose a low-rank matrix restoration model to inpaint disocclusion regions, fully exploiting the nonlocal correlations in images, and devise an efficient algorithm under the augmented lagrange multiplier (ALM) framework. Disocclusion areas are inpainted progressively from the boundaries of disocclusion with an estimated priority consisting of four terms: warping term, reliability term, texture term, and depth term. Experimental results show that our method restores high quality depth maps even for large missing areas, and synthesizes natural multiview images from restored depth maps. Strong 3-D visual experiences are observed when the synthesized multiview images are shown in two types of stereoscopic displays.

Sustainable development

Purpose – Despite the surge of interest in construction sustainability and the many Government initiatives encouraging reform in the UK construction industry (CI), the prevalence of sustainable development (SD) in the industry is still largely lagging behind that of other industries. Given the amount of focus and activity identified nationally in this area, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the reasons why this is not being translated into action and to seek counsel from industry professionals as to how they believe change can be achieved with a particular focus on how they believe higher education institutions (HEIs) can contribute. Design/methodology/approach – An explorative, qualitative study using three focus groups was of construction professionals. Findings – Despite a lack of action, many in industry support sustainability and actively attempt to engage in sustainable practices but a number of barriers preclude successful implementation. Government initiatives are having a positive impact, with participants believing that both Government and HEIs are imperative in driving the sustainability agenda forward. Research limitations/implications – Whilst limited in scale, this paper highlights the current state of the CI in relation to SD and evidences that progress is being made albeit slowly. The findings may help both Government and HEIs alongside industry in achieving how this can be overcome. Originality/value – Previous research in this area has generally adopted a quantitative approach. Adopting a qualitative approach provides a more in depth view as to why the status quo remains with regards to SD in the CI.

Experimental investigation of flow instabilities in a laminar separation bubble

The present paper reports the results of a detailed experimental study aimed at investigating the dynamics of a laminar separation bubble, from the origin of separation up to the breakdown to turbulence of the large scale coherent structures generated as a consequence of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability process. Measurements have been performed along a flat plate installed within a double contoured test section, designed to produce an adverse pressure gradient typical of Ultra-High-Lift turbine blade profiles, which induces the formation of a laminar separation bubble at low Reynolds number condition. Measurements have been carried out by means of complementary techniques: hot-wire (HW) anemometry, Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). The high accuracy 2-dimensional LDV results allow investigating reverse flow magnitude and both Reynolds normal and shear stress distributions along the separated flow region, while the high frequency response of the HW anemometer allows analyzing the amplification process of flow oscillations induced by instability mechanisms. PIV results complement the flow field analysis providing information on the generation and evolution of the large scale coherent structures shed as a consequence of the separated shear layer roll-up, through instantaneous velocity vector maps. The simultaneous analysis of the data obtained by means of the different measuring techniques allows an in depth view of the instability mechanisms involved in the transition/reattachment processes of the separated shear layer.

Newman’s Theory of Health as Expanding Consciousness

In this article, the authors demonstrate the value of using Newman's theory of health as expanding consciousness for nurses and the clients they serve. A review of the conception and evolution of the theory and its link to spiritual ideology provides a multi-dimensional perspective of Newman's ideas. Additionally, an exploration of the central concepts of the theory offers an in-depth view of the philosophical and practical tenets on which the theory is based. The authors also chronicle one nurse's journey and evolution as a healthcare provider whose practice is rooted in Newman's theory.

Modern agricultural practices and analysis of socio-economic and ecological impacts of development in agriculture sector, Punjab, India - A review

Agriculture is a backbone of economy in the Indian state of Punjab where Green revolution was introduced early in 1960s and has contributed largely to make India self-sufficient in food production. Although, Green Revolution has enhanced food production and consequently the economic returns in agriculture sector, but it has many backlash effects. This study analyses the modern agriculture systems that were introduced with Green Revolution largely at the expense of over-and misuse of land and water resources and loss of biodiversity. It evaluates the impact of changes in agricultural systems on the breakdown of socio-cultural fabric. Rural people, particularly agricultural communities, are facing many serious problems including farmer's suicides, health problems such as cancer, loss of work culture among the youngsters, excessive use of alcohol and drugs and loss of cultural identity for people. Punjab, which used to be one of the progressive states in India, is suffering from the loss of natural, social and health capital. This study applies an integrated approach to assess the various costs and benefits of the current agricultural system in terms of well-being of people and of associated ecological and economic perspectives. It further suggests some innovative solutions for the current problems. A holistic approach applied in this study to assess Green Revolution from socio-cultural, economic and ecological perspectives provides an in depth view of the problems that people are facing in so called economically developed state of Punjab in India.

A Holistic Approach to Assess the Coets and Benefits of Modern Agriculture System in Punjab, India and Some Solutions

Agriculture is a backbone of economy in the Indian state of Punjab where Green revolution was introduced early in 1960s and has contributed largely to make India self-sufficient in food production. Although, Green Revolution has enhanced food production and consequently the economic returns in agriculture sector, but it has many backlash effects. This study analyses the modern agriculture systems that were introduced with Green Revolution largely at the expense of over-and misuse of land and water resources and loss of biodiversity. It further evaluates the impact of changes in agricultural systems on the breakdown of socio cultural fabric. Rural people, particularly agricultural communities, are facing many serious problems including farmer’s suicides, health problems such as cancer, loss of work culture among the youngsters, excessive use of alcohol and drugs and loss of cultural identity for people. Punjab, which used to be one of the progressive states in India, is suffering from the loss of natural, social and health capital. This study applies an integrated approach to assess the various costs and benefits of the current agricultural system in terms of well-being of people and of associated ecological and economic perspectives. It further suggests some innovative solutions for the current problems. A holistic approach applied in this study to assess the Green Revolution from socio-cultural, economic and ecological perspectives provides an in depth view of the problems that people are facing in so called economically developed state of Punjab in India.

Regional Bit Allocation and Rate Distortion Optimization for Multiview Depth Video Coding With View Synthesis Distortion Model

In this paper, we propose a view synthesis distortion model (VSDM) that establishes the relationship between depth distortion and view synthesis distortion for the regions with different characteristics: color texture area corresponding depth (CTAD) region and color smooth area corresponding depth (CSAD), respectively. With this VSDM, we propose regional bit allocation (RBA) and rate distortion optimization (RDO) algorithms for multiview depth video coding (MDVC) by allocating more bits on CTAD for rendering quality and fewer bits on CSAD for compression efficiency. Experimental results show that the proposed VSDM based RBA and RDO can improve the coding efficiency significantly for the test sequences. In addition, for the proposed overall MDVC algorithm that integrates VSDM based RBA and RDO, it achieves 9.99% and 14.51% bit rate reduction on average for the high and low bit rate, respectively. It can improve virtual view image quality 0.22 and 0.24 dB on average at the high and low bit rate, respectively, when compared with the original joint multiview video coding model. The RD performance comparisons using five different metrics also validate the effectiveness of the proposed overall algorithm. In addition, the proposed algorithms can be applied to both INTRA and INTER frames.

Senzala Insurgente: Malungos, Parentes E Rebeldes Nas Fazendas de Campinas (1832)

The history of Brazil has been shaped by a slave system fed by the massive importation of Africans. Over the last several decades, the study of slavery in Brazil has exploded. In Senzala insurgente, Ricardo Figueiredo Pirola has added to that body of knowledge, providing a detailed and important examination of slavery in an emerging sugar zone.The heart of the book is a slave revolt planned in Campinas in 1832 that was discovered before it could be implemented. The resulting criminal investigation, combined with provincial censuses, inventories, and parish registers, provides the documentary base for this book. Pirola effectively weaves these together to provide the reader with an in- depth view of the inner dynamics of the slave community and its relationship to the slaveholding class. At the same time, Pirola connects this slave community with their home in West Central Africa.In meticulously unraveling this slave plot, Pirola places it within the context of broader historiographical issues. He argues for the combined centrality of class and religion — two main historiographical themes often considered separately — to the revolt. In addition, he argues for the significance of Bantu- led plots in southeastern Brazil, a point that allows him to show how slaves were aware of broader movements in Brazil during the turbulent decades around independence.The scene of the projected revolt, Campinas, underwent rapid transformation from a subsistence economy to one dominated by sugar exports in the first three decades of the nineteenth century. This brought tremendous demographic changes: by 1832 the enslaved population had surpassed the free population; a balanced creole/African population had become heavily African; a reasonably balanced community in terms of gender had become male dominated; the slave community had become younger; and slave ownership had become increasingly concentrated (the majority owned in units of 50 or more). Almost all the identified participants in the plot lived on 15 fazendas, whose 11 heads were themselves frequently connected by family ties. We get to see two communities internally linked.There were 32 active participants in the plot (plus 1 ex- slave), only 3 of whom were born in the area. Twenty- five were Africans, 80 percent of whom were from the northern Congo region (identified as Congo, Monjolo, and Cabinda). This region produced 90 percent of the key plotters, with 6 of the 11 described as Monjolos. The plotters were individuals enslaved for a decade in Campinas, time enough to establish social connections with other slaves. These ladino slaves were mature in age and experience. They also had, Pirola argues, the strongest links to the slaveholding class due to their work as craftsmen, domestic slaves, and skilled workers.This foiled revolt allows the author to provide a valuable insight into important elements of Brazilian society. Senzala insurgente is a good example of “thick description,” as Pirola reconstructs the social links that wove together the sugar elite and the slave community. He documents the formation of a sugar elite in Campinas in the period after 1792, confirming much known about this process. More novel and important is his exploration of the construction of the slave community and the role of community ties in the projected revolt. Importantly, Pirola reconstructs the family ties built around marriage and godparentage that linked together slaves on a number of sugar properties. Godparentage was particularly useful for allowing slaves to connect to the free population as well as for cementing ties within the slave community. Through these ties Pirola explores the process of creating in Brazil a West Central African identity transcending ethnic differences, analyzing the nature of West Central African societies and cultures and relating those characteristics and values to those that evolved in Brazil.The author also adds to our knowledge of individual slaves when he examines the lives of two key plotters, Diogo Rebolo and the ex- slave João Barbeiro. Pirola’s reading of the spiritual world of the slave community is particularly deft: Diogo Rebolo is presented as a spiritual leader connecting the religious culture to the plot itself.Pirola connects this failed plot to a large number of important issues. He demonstrates an understanding of the historiography of slavery and places his views within that context. Given the paucity of key sources of information, Pirola mixes speculation into his analysis, but these forays are clearly identified and generally flow from the discussion. Finally, Pirola provides a transcription of the criminal investigation that served as the starting point for this study.Senzala insurgente demonstrates what can be gained by closely reading local sources and placing that analysis into the context of broader issues and situations. It is a very good example of microhistory, providing rich insights into a wide range of issues of historiographical importance.

A Critical Review of K Means Text Clustering Algorithms

Text clustering is a text mining technique used to group text documents into groups (or clusters) based on similarity of content. This organization (i.e. clustering) is so as to make documents more understandable and easier to search the relevant information, easier to process, and even more efficient in utilizing communication bandwidth and storage space. An example is clustering results of a web search engine operation into groups of similar documents. Many text clustering algorithms have been developed using different approaches, but none can be said to be the best. The choice of a particular algorithm is a big issue to text clustering system developers. K Means is arguably the most popular text clustering algorithm. However, just like the others, it must be having its own weaknesses. In this paper, we explore the K Means algorithm as well as its variants and discuss their appropriateness in text clustering. We describe the characteristics of the algorithms accompanied by some examples and illustrations in an attempt to discover the strengths and weaknesses. The paper thus gives an in depth view of the K Means algorithms, discusses the appropriateness of the algorithms, and also gives guidance to researchers of text mining concerning the choice of K Means for text clustering. Keywords: text mining, text clustering, clusters, and K Means.

Synthetic Routes to Symmetric Bisbenzimidazoles: A Review

Bisbenzimidazoles, have shown various biological activities viz. antineoplastic, anti-tumor, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemia treatment and physiological disorders, besides other pharmacological effects. Structural modifications of the benzimidazole nucleus are being carried out in several ways in order to anticipate enhanced biological activities. The synthesis of bis-benzimidazoles is one such attempt, where the two benzimidazole nuclei are united together using a variety of linkers and points of linkages. These structural permutations and combinations have given a large number of available bisbenzimidazole compounds for pharmacological and biological research. A number of reviews have been published over the past decade on the compilation of the biological activities of bisbenzimidazoles. However, we could not locate any report covering the general strategies followed for the synthesis of these compounds. The present review provides an in depth view of synthetic routes for preparation of symmetric bisbenzimidazoles.

Unilateral View Synthesis Prediction for Even View Rate Overhead Reduce in MVC

View synthesis is introduced into MVC for improving odd views’ coding performance. By synthesizing virtual odd views as reference views, view synthesis prediction (VSP) wins considerable coding gains for odd views. This kind bilateral view synthesis for odd views needs two adjacent views at both sides. Even views have only one reference view according to MVC coding order, and the bilateral view synthesis prediction technique is not suitable then. However, we may try using the only adjacent view to synthesize a virtual view and use it as one additional reference view to improve even views’ coding performance. In this paper, we first present a unilateral view synthesis method based on only one adjacent view. To raise the virtual view's quality, we modify our unilateral view synthesis method with Gaussian background modeling. Eventually, we take it into MVC and try to improve even views’ coding performance. Experimental results show that our scheme raises the even depth views’ coding quality by 0.6 to 1.2dB, and even texture views less than 0.5dB comparing with MVC.

Non-reference virtual view quality evaluation of MVD

The quality of virtual view based on multi-view video (MVD) plus depth format is often evaluated by PSNR or subjectively judged. However, due to synthesizing arbitrary view images, the virtual view images mostly have no reference images and are only assessed using non-reference. Virtual view images synthesized by depth estimation reference software (DERS) and view synthesis reference software (VSRS) often accompanied with blockiness and other distortions on the edge. In addition, matching level for the depth map and the corresponding texture maps of left and right views also affects the quality of the virtual view. This paper compares the edge similarity of the depth and the corresponding texture maps which generate the intermediate virtual view and combined with the virtual view’s blockiness which causing blur to evaluate the quality of the virtual view. Experiment results show that the proposed method can reflect the quality of the virtual view better.

Efficient multiview depth video coding using depth synthesis prediction

The view synthesis prediction (VSP) method utilizes interview correlations between views by generating an additional reference frame in the multiview video coding. This paper describes a multiview depth video coding scheme that incorporates depth view synthesis and additional prediction modes. In the proposed scheme, we exploit the reconstructed neighboring depth frame to generate an additional reference depth image for the current viewpoint to be coded using the depth image-based-rendering technique. In order to generate high-quality reference depth images, we used pre-processing on depth, depth image warping, and two types of hole filling methods depending on the number of available reference views. After synthesizing the additional depth image, we encode the depth video using the proposed additional prediction modes named VSP modes; those additional modes refer to the synthesized depth image. In particular, the VSP_SKIP mode refers to the co-located block of the synthesized frame without the coding motion vectors and residual data, which gives most of the coding gains. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed depth view synthesis method provides high-quality depth images for the current view and the proposed VSP modes provide high coding gains, especially on the anchor frames.

Biological Activities of Quinoline Derivatives

Quinoline and its fused heterocyclic derivatives tested with diverse pharmacological activity functional groups constitute an important class of compounds for new drug development. Therefore, many researchers have synthesized these compounds as target structures and evaluated their biological activities. The present review provides an in depth view of work done so far on quinolines and its biological activities covering anticancer, antimycobacterial, antimicrobial, anticonvulsant, antiinflamatory and cardiovascular activities.

Latency in Electronic Securities Trading: A Proposal for Systematic Measurement

1. Miroslav Budimir 1. is a strategy developer and market microstructure expert at Deutsche Börse Group in Frankfurt, Germany 2. Uwe Schweickert 1. is a senior vice president at Deutsche Börse Group in Frankfurt and a postgraduate student at E-Finance Lab Frankfurt am Main e.V. House of Finance, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany. (uwe.schweickert{at}deutscheboerse.com) <!-- --> 1. To order reprints of this article, please contact Dewey Palmieri at dpalmieri{at}iijournals.com or 212-224-3675. Latency is one of the major issues in today’s electronic securities trading. The demand for low latency services has increased tremendously since the advent of algorithmic trading. Milliseconds are a competitive edge, both for the demand and the provision of electronic execution services. Speed is important to sophisticated market participants because it impacts the profitability of their innovative trading strategies. It is equally important to marketplace operators because algorithmic trading is a major source of order flow. The sound understanding of latency is important to all concerned parties. However, the term latency still lacks a common definition and a transparent methodology for measurement in securities trading.After reviewing the literature, we define latency and develop a benchmarking methodology to comprehensively assess latency. We analyse the observed latency of 18.4 million order actions in the electronic trading system Xetra. Our results show that trading activity, time of day and distance are the main drivers of latency. The descriptive section gives an in depth view on trading at light speed. TOPICS: [Statistical methods][1], [equity portfolio management][2], [security analysis and valuation][3] [1]: https://www.pm-research.com/topic/statistical-methods [2]: https://www.pm-research.com/topic/equity-portfolio-management [3]: https://www.pm-research.com/topic/security-analysis-and-valuation-0

Development and neurogenic potential of Müller glial cells in the vertebrate retina.

Considerable research on normal and diseased states within the retina has focused on neurons. Recent research on glia throughout the central nervous system, including within the retina where Müller glia are the main type of glia, has provided a more in depth view of glial functions in health and disease. Glial cells have been recognized as being vital for the maintenance of a healthy tissue environment, where they actively participate in neuronal activity. More recently, Müller glia have been recognized as being very similar to retinal progenitor cells, particularly when compared at the molecular level using comprehensive expression profiling techniques. The molecular similarities, as well as the developmental events that occur at the end of the genesis period of retinal cells, have led us to propose that Müller glia are a form of late stage retinal progenitor cells. These late stage progenitor cells acquire some specialized glial functions, but do not irreversibly leave the progenitor state. Indeed, Müller glia appear to be able to behave as a progenitor in that they have been shown to proliferate and produce neurons in several instances when an acute injury has been applied to the retina. Enhancement of this response is thus an exciting strategy for retinal repair.

Vulnerability to HIV/AIDS among women of reproductive age in the slums of Delhi and Hyderabad, India

This report explores how vulnerability to HIV/AIDS applies to women in the reproductive age range living in the slum areas of Delhi and Hyderabad. The paper is based on a qualitative study of AIDS awareness levels conducted during the summer of 2006. It offers insightful narratives from a sample of 32 women, providing an in depth view of their vulnerability to HIV/AIDS due to their precarious socioeconomic conditions and low AIDS awareness. The women cited lack of education, low empowerment in expressing and accessing information related to sexual matters, and poverty as key factors to vulnerability.

The effects of multiview depth video compression on multiview rendering

This article investigates the interaction between different techniques for depth compression and view synthesis rendering with multiview video plus scene depth data. Two different approaches for depth coding are compared, namely H.264/MVC, using temporal and inter-view reference images for efficient prediction, and the novel platelet-based coding algorithm, characterized by being adapted to the special characteristics of depth-images. Since depth-images are a 2D representation of the 3D scene geometry, depth-image errors lead to geometry distortions. Therefore, the influence of geometry distortions resulting from coding artifacts is evaluated for both coding approaches in two different ways. First, the variation of 3D surface meshes is analyzed using the Hausdorff distance and second, the distortion is evaluated for 2D view synthesis rendering, where color and depth information are used together to render virtual intermediate camera views of the scene. The results show that—although its rate-distortion (R-D) performance is worse—platelet-based depth coding outperforms H.264, due to improved sharp edge preservation. Therefore, depth coding needs to be evaluated with respect to geometry distortions.

Pathophysiologie und Therapie der benignen Prostata-Hyperplasie

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and benign prostatic enlargement (BPE) are among the most frequent medical disorders of elderly men and cause a number of annoying symptoms of the lower urinary tract (LUTS), leading to reduced quality of life and severe complications, including acute urinary retention. Nodular overgrowth of the epithelium and in particular the fibromuscular tissue is observed in the transition zone and periurethral areas. In particular, functional and phenotypic transdifferentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts is a hallmark of the tissue remodeling in the benign hyperplastic prostate. BPH/BPE have a complex pathophysiology with a multitude of endocrine and local factors involved. Two risk factors, namely aging and circulating androgens, contribute significantly to risk of BPH/BPE. One of the primary initiating mechanisms appears to be a consequence of age-related changes in systemic sex steroid hormone levels accompanied by alterations in local androgen metabolism. This results in the disruption of the delicate balance of interacting growth factor signaling pathways and stromal/epithelial interactions generating a growth promoting and tissue remodeling microenvironment that leads to an increase in prostate volume. Secondarily, altered cytokine and chemoattractant production by the remodeled stroma promotes local inflammation that may further contribute to disease progression via lymphocyte-derived inflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen/nitrogen species. Local hypoxia as a result of increased oxygen demands of proliferating cells may induce low levels of reactive oxygen species promoting neovascularization and fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transdifferentiation. Medical therapies for LUTS due to BPH/BPE have changed little over the past 15 years with mainstay treatments being alpha-adrenoreceptor blockade and 5alpha-reductase inhibitors. We provide an in depth view of the mechanisms underlying BPH/BPE and relate new research findings to the clinical picture with the prospect of novel therapeutic targets, including selective hormone antagonists/agonists, anti-stromal therapy, vitamin-D analogues and approaches to redress the redox imbalance.

Image-Based Rendering and Synthesis

One of the most important applications in multiview imaging (MVI) is the development of advanced immersive viewing or visualization systems using, for instance, 3DTV. With the introduction of multiview TVs, it is expected that a new age of 3DTV systems will arrive in the near future. Image-based rendering (IBR) refers to a collection of techniques and representations that allow 3-D scenes and objects to be visualized in a realistic way without full 3-D model reconstruction. IBR uses images as the primary substrate. The potential for photorealistic visualization has tremendous appeal, and it has been receiving increasing attention over the years. Applications such as video games, virtual travel, and E-commerce stand to benefit from this technology. This article serves as a tutorial introduction and brief review of this important technology. First the classification, principles, and key research issues of IBR are discussed. Then, an object-based IBR system to illustrate the techniques involved and its potential application in view synthesis and processing are explained. Stereo matching, which is an important technique for depth estimation and view synthesis, is briefly explained and some of the top-ranked methods are highlighted. Finally, the challenging problem of interactive IBR is explained. Possible solutions and some state-of-the-art systems are also reviewed.