Reflection Point Research Articles

An Improved Cross-Ratio Based Gaze Estimation Method Using Weighted Average and Polynomial Compensation

The cross-ratio (CR)-based method exploits the invariance property of CRs in projective transformation to determine a screen point corresponding to the pupil center. However, this point is essentially the intersection of the eyeball optical axis (OA) and the screen, rather than the actual point-of-regard (POR). In addition, the premise of CR calculation is that the corneal reflection points of four on-screen light sources are coplanar with the 3D pupil center, but they are only assumed to be coplanar. To solve these issues, this paper proposes an improved CR-based gaze estimation method using weighted average and polynomial compensation. Under the configuration of a single camera and two light sources, the 3D corneal center and the normal vector of virtual pupil plane are first estimated using the eyeball imaging model, and then four reference planes parallel to the virtual pupil plane are determined based on the geometric model of pupil and screen corner points. The screen point corresponding to the intersection of each reference plane and the line connecting the camera optical center and the imaging pupil center is calculated using the conventional CR-based method. Thus, the point where the OA intersects the screen is determined by the weighted average of these four points. Finally, a polynomial is learned to compensate it to the POR. The experimental results show that the gaze accuracy can reach 1.33° when the more accurate eye is selected, and it would be improved by 24% by calculating the joint POR, which is competitive with the state-of-the-art methods using more complex systems. On the basis of simplifying the system configuration of CR-based methods, the proposed method avoids the non-coplanarity of 3D pupil center and corneal reflection plane, and improves the gaze estimation performance.

The dispersing of the Lubomirski Collection from Przeworsk

This article concerns the post-war fate of elements of historical furnishings of the Lubomirski family palace in Przeworsk owned by successive Tenants-in-Possession, who were also literary curators of the Ossolineum. The ownership structure of the collections stored in the palace and outbuildings was uneven. Some items belonged to the Przeworsk Entailed Estate, and some were personal property of Andrzej Lubomirski. A significant share belonged to his wife, Eleonora née Hussarzewska and originated from her family’s collection, and from a donation her husband made in 1932. The outbreak of the Second World War initiated the process of dispersing items that had survived in the Przeworsk residence of the Lubomirski family until the autumn of 1939. After the looting perpetrated by the Nazis, land reform proved equally painful in its consequences. As a result, the so-called Museum Storehouse was set up in the Lubomirski residence in Przeworsk to house its nationalised equipment. It was a temporary repository for the remaining elements of the Tenants-in-Possession and family collection in Przeworsk. The decision by the communist central authorities led to the dispersion of the most valuable items, distributed among museums in Warsaw (antiquities), Łańcut (paintings, graphics, furniture and artistic craftsmanship) and Rzeszów (jewellery for the Polish costume). The pieces considered useful were left in place. This text, along with its accompanying tables, represents an attempt to wrap up the existing knowledge regarding the post-war fate of the items that remained in the Przeworsk Palace until 1944 and can serve as a starting point for further detailed investigations. This text could also serve as a starting point for deeper reflection on the political and administrative mechanisms of dispersal of the land owners’ and aristocrats’ collections and the establishment of new museum collections after the Second World War.

Ludzkość odczłowieczona, supergrypa i smutny los żurawi. Jak się żyje na Planecie Friedman?

The subject of the literary study presented in the article is Josip Mlakić’s Planet Friedman — a novel that follows the convention of the futurological anti-utopia. The work provides research material amenable to the application of diverse, interdisciplinary methodological tools. The starting point of refl ection on the post-apocalyptic vision of a totalitarian world after an ecological catastrophe is the concept of improved humanity (G. Lindenberg), while its main part concerns the public’s ambivalent attitudes towards new developments in biotechnology, seen by F. Fukuyama as “the end of man.” The literary dystopia presented by the Bosnian-Herzegovinian author also reflects the current dilemmas over the state of the world “managed” by man, which are becoming increasingly apparent in the fields of the new humanities (ecocriticism and animal studies). Moreover, in his novel Mlakić criticises the neoliberal policies related to globalisation, marginalisation and exclusion. The result of the conducted analysis is an attempt to show the function of literature as the source of reflection and the medium of expression (an invention ascribed to humans), in relation to the concept of the end of the man, cyborgisation and the twilight of anthropocentrism.

Natural Ground Information Detection Method Based on GNSS Ground Reflection Delay Signal

For natural surface disasters in key areas, if small deformations such as surface subsidence and displacement can be continuously monitored, it can provide early warning and effectively protect people's lives. In the past, small deformations were mainly measured by using GNSS direct signal to calculate displacement changes or by using SAR information, which can only measure one point. To monitor the deformation of an area, multiple monitoring points need to be deployed. Based on this, this paper mainly adopts GNSS ground reflection delay signal, and according to the different information of direct and reflection signal paths, combined with the geometry of receiver and ground reflection point and satellite, it can solve the small deformation of the ground surface, and realize the original point measurement to surface measurement while maintaining the original measurement accuracy, so as to improve the high-precision monitoring range and reduce the number of monitoring points.

Optimum number of actuators to minimize the cross-sectional area of prestressable cable and truss structures

This paper describes a new computational method for determining the optimum number of actuators to design the optimal and economic cross-sectional area of pin-jointed assemblies based on the conventional force method. The most active members are selected to be prestressed to redistribute stress in the whole structure, resulting in regulating the internal force of bars that face high stress. Reducing stress in critical members allows the designers to select smaller cross-sectional areas than before. Furthermore, the maximum absolute displacement of the structures before the optimization is set as a limit for the displacement of the optimized structures. The derived equations from the force method are subjected to the optimization algorithms (i.e., sequential quadratic programming (SQP), trust-region reflective, active set, and interior point) to minimize the necessary number of actuators for prestressing. The optimization procedure is done in two ways: first, by minimizing the number of actuators for prestressing through implementing the fmincon function, and second, by selecting the most economical area via prestressing the structure before loading. The method is applied to the numerical models of two cable and four truss structures that were previously studied. The outcomes show that by actuating as few actuators as possible, the area of cable and truss structures can be minimized up to 17% and 27 %, respectively. Moreover, 5% improvement can be obtained applying the current technique to the optimized trusses by quoted methods. The outcomes are compared with results from the literature. Moreover, the results obtained from MATLAB are verified by SAP2000 software.

Estimation of Ground Subsidence Deformation Induced by Underground Coal Mining with GNSS-IR

In this paper, GNSS interferometric reflectometry (GNSS-IR) is firstly proposed to estimate ground surface subsidence caused by underground coal mining. Ground subsidence on the main direction of a coal seam is described by using the probability integral model (PIM) with unknown parameters. Based on the laws of reflection in geometric optics, model of GNSS signal-to-noise (SNR) observation for the tilt surface, which results from differential subsidence of ground points, is derived. Semi-cycle SNR observations fitting method is used to determine the phase of the SNR series. Phase variation of the SNR series is used to calculate reflector height of ground specular reflection point. Based on the reflector height and ground tilt angle, an iterative algorithm is proposed to determine coefficients of PIM, and thus subsidence of the ground reflection point. By using the low-cost navigational GNSS receiver and antenna, an experimental campaign was conducted to validate the proposed method. The results show that, when the maximum subsidence is 3076 mm, the maximum relative error of the proposed method-based subsidence estimation is 5.5%. This study also suggests that, based on the proposed method, the navigational GNSS instrument can be treated as a new type of sensor for continuously measuring ground subsidence deformation in a cost-effective way.

The Housing Question a century and a half later: Notes from New York City

New York City serves as an entry point for a brief reflection on today’s housing question. Drawing on Friedrich Engels’ inspiring work in the late 19th century, it is argued that some issues he pointed out are still present and have become endemic to the capitalist city, while others have emerged amidst recent economic and health crises. In the US economic growth machine and in one of the global capitals, working-class, vulnerable, and unemployed populations still suffer precarious and unworthy dwelling conditions, and finding a place to live is gradually becoming more complex. With many people struggling after the pandemic, homelessness is also growing. The situation comes after decades of defunding public housing, dismantling rent regulations, and neglecting welfare protections in an increasingly financialized housing market that privileges profits over human rights. However, these issues are not unique to NYC; similar accounts can be found throughout urban geographies worldwide. We need to think locally and globally about the current housing question, improve cooperation across housing justice groups and social movements, and prompt a debate about ways to rethink the tenancy regime alongside the capitalist system that has proven incapable of providing housing for everyone.

Use and Reception of Varieties of Spanish in Videogames

With more than 585 million speakers, Spanish promises to be a profitable target language for videogame sales. However, as Spanish has such a wide geographical distribution, the question of varieties deserves some attention. Companies and websites alike have recently started to differentiate between European Spanish and Latin American Spanish. This paper presents a three-phase study to delve into the matter. Based on a catalogue of 3003 videogames available on Steam in Spanish and published between 2006 and 2016, a survey among 172 developers is carried out to confirm the companies’ preferred varieties. Then, the analysis of a small corpus extracted from the catalogue shows whether in‑game text actually represents the chosen variety of Spanish. Finally, a survey among 569 gamers provides some insight into their tolerance for foreign varieties. This paper aims to describe the current situation and provide a starting point for further reflection on some of the questions posed by the results of this study. Lay summary Videogame localisation is the process of adapting a videogame from one market to another. This includes the translation of the script and sometimes the adaptation of images and other aspects. Because Spanish is one of the most spoken languages in the world, localising a game into Spanish can often be profitable, but different countries speak different forms of Spanish. Each form of Spanish is called a variety. This article is divided in three parts. First, we have created a catalogue from the games published in a video game website (Steam) in Spanish between 2006 and 2016. Then we have asked the developers of the games to confirm which variety of Spanish they wanted to use. Second, we have analysed some of these games to check if the variety of Spanish used in the games is the variety the developers wanted. Finally, we have asked 569 gamers if they care about the variety of Spanish used in videogames. The objective of this article is to describe the current situation. This way we will start to understand whether the chosen variety of Spanish is represented in games, and whether the variety of Spanish is important for gamers. The final objective of the research is to help the developers to choose the best option for their game.

The influence of novel beam shapes on melt pool shape and mechanical properties of LPBF produced Al-alloy

New generation of multi-core fiber laser sources provide in-source dynamic beam shaping. Such sources can switch between Gaussian and ring beams, providing new irradiance profiles. The new irradiance profiles add up to the process flexibility for controlling the temperature fields generated in the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) process. On the other hand, they bring further complexity as new process parameters should be defined and their influence on the mechanical properties unveiled. Accordingly, this work studies the use of seven different beam shapes provided by a multi-core industrial fiber laser source with beam diameters varying between 47 μm to 144 μm during the LPBF of AlSi7Mg0.6 alloy. The beam spatial profiles were measured and descriptive irradiance parameters were defined. The Al-alloy constituted a challenging material type due to its high reflectivity and low melting point, hence, more prone to lack-of-fusion and keyhole defects. LPBF experiments were conducted at fixed energy density and peak irradiance levels investigating the influence of the beam shapes on the melt pool geometry in prismatic samples. The results showed that the peak irradiance and the ring intensity had a direct impact on the melt pool aspect ratio (AR) and melt pool depth to layer thickness ratio (h/z). With all the conditions providing adequately dense parts (>99.5 %), the mechanical properties were found to be correlated to the melt pool geometry. The results confirm that the beam shape can be tuned between the central peak and the ring to further manipulate the material properties in LPBF.

Stepping into the unknown: Reflections and learnings from the journey from social worker to researcher


 
 
 
 Whilst social workers have skills and experiences that could be well suited to a research environment, moving from frontline social work to research can be daunting. Drawing from my own journey, I reflect on initial misconceptions and provide potential reflection points for others interested in undertaking research. I also suggest a selection of resources which may be relevant to social workers. By sharing my experiences, I offer an example of a journey from social worker to researcher. Future opportunities to expand this conversation are necessary and could be pursued by the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers.
 
 
 

Novel Interrogation Method for Fully Distributed LCFBG Sensor Based on Microwave Photonic Filtering

A novel interrogation method for linearly chirped fiber Bragg grating (LCFBG) based fully distributed strain sensor which can simultaneously determine strain value and recognize position is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Compared with the traditional distributed grating interrogation systems by analyzing the reflection spectrum of the LCFBG, the system is mainly based on frequency domain measurement from a microwave photonic filter (MPF) configuration, which has the features of fast responding and high resolution. By using this structure, when distributed strain is applied to the LCFBG, the reflective point on the LCFBG for a certain wavelength as well as the frequency response of the MPF will change. By detecting the resonance frequency shift of the MPF, the strain value can be achieved. Combined with the one-to-one correspondence between the wavelength and the spatial position of the LCFBG, the distributed strain profile along the LCFBG can be reconstructed. In a proof of concept experiment, interrogation of fully distributed grating sensors with ununiform strain distributions is experimentally demonstrated. A spatial resolution of ~0.2 mm over a gauge length of 27mm and a strain resolution of <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$ &lt; 1\text{u}\varepsilon $ </tex-math></inline-formula> have been achieved.

Human Rights in Childbearing 4. Supporting Autistic Midwives in the Workplace

As an autistic midwife I am often asked for advice to support autistic women accessing maternity care. Recently my advice was sought for an autistic midwife. This experience was a turning point for reflection on my own experiences of once being an autistic student and my current role of practising midwife. This led me to consider the experiences of autistic workers and the ensuing discrimination and bullying that can occur, and how my experiences evidenced the need for midwives to be aware of their own and others’ human rights. I also researched the support available for NHS midwives and offer ideas for compassionate reasonable adjustments.

Extraction Method of Stand Density Based on High-Resolution Remote Sensing Imagery

In this paper, a stand density extraction method is proposed based on QuickBird high-resolution satellite image data of Baisha artificial forest farm in Minhou, Fujian. Firstly, through the analysis band canopy image of QuickBird panchromatic, it is known that there is a maximum reflectivity point in the canopy. Then, the vegetation-covered area was extracted by the normalized difference vegetation index ( NDVI ). The canopy image of the forest was extracted through the decision tree classification algorithm. The texture information and spectral information were comprehensively utilized to classify the images. Then, the number of stand trees was extracted by the maximum filtering method, and the stand density was calculated to produce the stand density map. The experiment verified that this method can meet the needs of a stand density survey.

Behavior Psychology and Body Weight Reduction of a Type 2 Diabetes Patient Using GH-Method: Math-Physical Medicine or Mentality-Personality Modeling (No. 308)

In this article, the author used his 10-year data of body weight and some prominent lifestyle details, mainly food portions, and daily exercise, to address his weight reduction trend pattern and his progressive lifestyle behavior modifications. The research methodology used here is the GH-Method: math-physical medicine (MPM) approach which has been developed by the author during the past decade. This “Progressive Behavior Modification” concept is also a part of his Mentality-Personality Modeling (MPM). He addresses the quantitative linkage between physiological obesity phenomena and behavior psychological influences of an obese patient. He created a geometric presentation model with the meal portion percentage as the x-axis, daily walking steps as the y-axis, and daily weight as the z-axis (Figure 1). He decided to “fold over” the z-axis and superimpose it with the x-y planar space in a form of a “radio wave” format. Under this created 3D presentation on a 2D planar space, the weight reduction trend pattern becomes ultra-clear. These x-axis and y-axis values represent his progressive lifestyle behavior modifications (mentality-personality model) over the past 10 years, while the z-axis values present his obesity physiological outcomes (math-physical medicine). Over the past 10 years, the path of his annual weight movement started from the upper right corner (subregion E5 in 2010), moving with a ~45-degree downward angle before arriving at the near upper middle portion (subregion D4 in 2013), and then continue dropping to the lower middle location (subregion C1 in 2018). In summary, his entire body weight moving path is a 45-degree downward angle to the left and then straight down to the bottom. His annualized average daily weight has been reduced from the starting point of 220 lb. in 2010 through the “reflection point” of 183 lb. in 2013, and then straight down to the ending point of 171-173 lb. in 2018-2020. The triangular relationship among diet, exercise, and daily weight can be easily observed on this “weight reduction trend pattern” diagram (Figure 1). Figure 1: Weight Reduction Trend Pattern Diagram Among Body Weight, Meal Portion %, and Daily Walking Steps in 10 years (2010-2020) Through analyzing the distinctive daily glucose trend patterns, the personality traits and behavior psychological characteristics of this T2D patient can be revealed instantly and clearly. As a result, a more practical guidance of “progressive behavior modification” can be provided to other T2D patients in order to improve their medical conditions for chronic diseases, where some are caused by obesity.

Neural Point Catacaustics for Novel-View Synthesis of Reflections

View-dependent effects such as reflections pose a substantial challenge for image-based and neural rendering algorithms. Above all, curved reflectors are particularly hard, as they lead to highly non-linear reflection flows as the camera moves. We introduce a new point-based representation to compute Neural Point Catacaustics allowing novel-view synthesis of scenes with curved reflectors, from a set of casually-captured input photos. At the core of our method is a neural warp field that models catacaustic trajectories of reflections, so complex specular effects can be rendered using efficient point splatting in conjunction with a neural renderer. One of our key contributions is the explicit representation of reflections with a reflection point cloud which is displaced by the neural warp field, and a primary point cloud which is optimized to represent the rest of the scene. After a short manual annotation step, our approach allows interactive high-quality renderings of novel views with accurate reflection flow. Additionally, the explicit representation of reflection flow supports several forms of scene manipulation in captured scenes, such as reflection editing, cloning of specular objects, reflection tracking across views, and comfortable stereo viewing. We provide the source code and other supplemental material on https://repo-sam.inria.fr/fungraph/neural_catacaustics/

Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar and His Role in Nation-building for Modern India

Dr. Bhimrao Ramji (Babasaheb) Ambedkar is seen in many lights, such as the champion of the Dalit cause, a traditional reformer, an anthropologist, a political leader, a constitutionalist, a historian, and many more. However, his intellectual acumen cannot be condensed into a few terms; because all his strides in life were in itself an igneous testament of time. Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar’s ideal revolved around the notion of providing social justice to the “the last, the lost and the least”, since he supposed that there could be no successful nation lest every individual within it were equal. Being a politician from the marginalised sect, he was also most critical of the mainstream political discourses due to the lack of minority representations at the higher levels. His ideas and philosophies are still ignored by the academic sphere, citing them as too polemic. But upon further detailed research, his life can be divided into eight folds which have invoked myriad approaches toward nation-building. Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar’s work shaped the contours of modern India which offers this collection of vantage points for continual reflection on concerns of social justice and its relation to other values. This is predominantly pertinent or might be indispensable, in contemporary times, not only in India but also across the world.

Modelling Analysis on Dietary Patterns and Oral Health Status among Adolescents.

Adolescence is a crucial stage between childhood and adulthood during which an individual learns new behaviours and practices including dietary patterns. This study aimed to examine the diet and oral health status among adolescents, and employed a structured questionnaire with three sections, namely, demographic, Adolescents' Food Habits Checklist (AFHC) and the Kayser-Jones Brief Oral Health Status Examination (BOHSE). The AFHC was formulated consisting of 23 items to collect information about dietary patterns with respect to food purchase, preparation and consumption habits. Meanwhile, the BOHSE contained nine items to evaluate the oral conditions of adolescents. The relationship between dietary pattern and oral health in adolescents was investigated. A total of 160 adolescents were randomly selected in this study. The data analysis was presented in the form of tables. This study adhered to the STROBE checklist's Guidelines for Systematic Reporting of Examination. According to the findings, food consumption dietary patterns among adolescents had the highest mean score (4.475). This demonstrates that adolescents practiced healthy food consumption. A significant positive correlation was found between food purchase, food preparation, food consumption and dietary patterns. Moreover, females had a slightly higher mean score than males, showing that females have a healthier diet status than males. This study can serve as points of reflection and recommendations on dietary patterns and oral health status.

Culture is Digital and the shifting terrain of UK cultural policy

ABSTRACT In this paper, a change to the remit and title of a UK government department provides a starting point for reflection on the growing role of digital technologies in the re-imagination of UK cultural policy. An early strategic report produced by the re-named DCMS was entitled Culture is Digital. Identifying the UK’s cultural and technology sectors as ‘the ultimate power couple,’ this report directs the cultural sector towards the use of technology to enhance public engagement and to improve technical skills through the development of collaborations with technology companies. Reflecting on the place of DCMS in UK cultural policymaking and drawing on analysis of this report and associated strategic documents, including responses and updates produced in the light of the Covid pandemic, the paper analyses the claims made about the elision between culture and the digital and their consequences for the status of cultural policy within the British state.

ClueDepth Grasp: Leveraging positional clues of depth for completing depth of transparent objects.

Obtaining accurate depth information is key to robot grasping tasks. However, for transparent objects, RGB-D cameras have difficulty perceiving them owing to the objects' refraction and reflection properties. This property makes it difficult for humanoid robots to perceive and grasp everyday transparent objects. To remedy this, existing studies usually remove transparent object areas using a model that learns patterns from the remaining opaque areas so that depth estimations can be completed. Notably, this frequently leads to deviations from the ground truth. In this study, we propose a new depth completion method [i.e., ClueDepth Grasp (CDGrasp)] that works more effectively with transparent objects in RGB-D images. Specifically, we propose a ClueDepth module, which leverages the geometry method to filter-out refractive and reflective points while preserving the correct depths, consequently providing crucial positional clues for object location. To acquire sufficient features to complete the depth map, we design a DenseFormer network that integrates DenseNet to extract local features and swin-transformer blocks to obtain the required global information. Furthermore, to fully utilize the information obtained from multi-modal visual maps, we devise a Multi-Modal U-Net Module to capture multiscale features. Extensive experiments conducted on the ClearGrasp dataset show that our method achieves state-of-the-art performance in terms of accuracy and generalization of depth completion for transparent objects, and the successful employment of a humanoid robot grasping capability verifies the efficacy of our proposed method.

‘Don't cross the line, you're a researcher and not an educator’: Incorporating indigenous researchers' moral perspectives to improve ethical protocols in health research

Given that researchers from North America and Europe author most global scientific publications, indigenous frontline researcher perspectives are rarely incorporated in the general research enterprise and ethics. Addressing this shortcoming, we analyzed a subset of data from a larger study. We present results from semi-structured in-depth ethnographic interviews with nine indigenous research assistants (RAs) conducted in Southern Africa four years after implementing a national HIV/AIDS study collaboratively implemented by national, U.S., and European-based stakeholders. The aim is to elucidate how these frontline researchers understand and interpret the task of maintaining their role as researchers and when they felt it more appropriate to cross to prevention educator or interventionist. The obtained results demonstrate how practices intended to protect participants and produce minimally biased ethical data create a conflict for frontline researchers by pitting operational ethics against their humanity. RAs understood and accepted the standard study procedures and the need to maintain their role as researchers. Nevertheless, a majority chose to provide unsolicited information or advice to participants despite the risk of potentially losing their job or causing harm to participants. RAs justified their decision to intervene by the lack and questionable quality of local resources/referrals and the long turnaround from data collection to prevention programming. This article demonstrates how practical exigencies in fulfilling IRB/ethics oversight and designing studies that produce the expected standard of evidence to influence policy and programmatic decisions inadvertently stifle opportunities to translate research into action. We offer specific points of reflection for researchers trained in High Income Country (HIC) perspectives towards decolonizing and improving practices in designing ethical research and establishing reflexive work environments with indigenous researchers.