DPDGS: Dynamic scene rendering via spatio-temporal physical constraints with decomposition and camera motion deblurring

This discussion of Hastrich’s 2019 memoir, Night fishing, examines the author’s inter-relational exchanges with materiality and natural, non-human forms. In considering her textured cognitive engagements with frames, including man-made material artifacts such as the television camera and visual art, as well as literary framing devices, my analyses underscore the frequently overlooked, yet integral dimension of materiality in the writing process. Drawing on Karenleigh A. Overmann’s and Thomas Wynn’s interdisciplinary investigation into materiality and cognition (focusing specifically on the interplay of stone tools, writing and materiality), I use these scholars’ explication of our evolutionary progression from “thinking through materiality”, to “thinking about it” (2019, p. 458) to illuminate Hastrich’s intriguing insights into the nature of her material engagements. By foregrounding her competing psychological approaches, I show how Hastrich’s life writing highlights both the challenges and rewards of pushing against this evolutionary progression—in terms of both the mental processes involved and their narrative explication. Informed by Jane Bennett’s philosophical perspectives on the distributive qualities of agency between human and non-human entities, the article also examines how this memoir draws out the agentic and vibrant dimensions of materiality and natural forms, including the ocean and its tidal forces. I suggest that Hastrich’s calibrated autobiographical investigation into the psychological minutia of her material engagements, and her marked ability to elevate the visibility of agency in non-human forms, can increase our understanding of, and sensitivity to, the competing modes of thought that can impact our material engagements, and the varying degrees of agency and energy that are intrinsic components of our inter-relational exchanges with both man-made material artifacts and non-human forms.

Synthesizing novel perspectives of complex scenes in high quality using sparse image sequences, especially for those without camera poses, is a challenging task. The key to enhancing accuracy in such scenarios lies in sufficient prior knowledge and accurate camera motion constraints. Therefore, we propose an end-to-end novel view synthesis network named BP-NeRF. It is capable of using sequences of sparse images captured in indoor and outdoor complex scenes to estimate camera motion trajectories and generate novel view images. Firstly, to address the issue of inaccurate prediction of depth map caused by insufficient overlapping features in sparse images, we designed the RDP-Net module to generate depth maps for sparse image sequences and calculate the depth accuracy of these maps, providing the network with a reliable depth prior. Secondly, to enhance the accuracy of camera pose estimation, we construct a loss function based on the geometric consistency of 2D and 3D feature variations between frames, improving the accuracy and robustness of the network's estimations. We conducted experimental evaluations on the LLFF and Tanks datasets, and the results show that, compared to the current mainstream methods, BP-NeRF can generate more accurate novel views without camera poses.

Territorial herbivorous (or 'farming') damselfish are ubiquitous on coral reefs and, through their defensive and farming behaviours, maintain algal assemblages within their territories that are distinct from adjacent areas. Whereas their influence on the composition of benthic communities and their defensive behaviours have been widely studied, comparatively little is known of their time allocation among different behaviours or how these patterns vary temporally. This study investigates the temporal variation (morning vs. afternoon; September vs. March) in the behaviours of the honeyhead damsel, Dischistodus prosopotaenia, on an inshore reef in the central Great Barrier Reef. Remote underwater video cameras were used to record the behaviours (farming/feeding, swimming, hovering and defending) of D. prosopotaenia in the absence of divers. D. prosopotaenia generally allocated the majority of their time to farming/feeding; however, the time allocation towards behaviours varied temporally. Individuals spent greater time farming/feeding in the afternoons (39.5%-59.3%) compared to the mornings (24.7%-42.3%). This pattern is consistent with the diel feeding hypothesis, whereby herbivorous fish feed at higher rates in the afternoon due to the greater nutritional quality of algae. The time spent farming/feeding was also positively related to the cover of turfs (primarily filamentous algae and cyanobacteria) within D. prosopotaenia territories. Interestingly, larger-bodied roving herbivorous fishes were among the least frequent fishes to enter D. prosopotaenia territories, yet they were the most frequently chased (46.7%) compared to omnivores (25.4%), planktivores (14.6%), carnivores (12.2%) and corallivores (9.4%). This likely reflects the ability of D. prosopotaenia to identify species with overlapping diets and alter their defensive response accordingly. These findings provide a more holistic appreciation of the behaviours of a farming damselfish and contribute to our understanding of their importance in coral reef processes.

The demand for analyzing images from sources such as closed-circuit television cameras has increased significantly. Conventional analyses, including gait and soft biometrics, typically require the comparison of two video footage clips, as these methods are predicated on video-to-video comparisons. Moreover, numerous prerequisites often limit their applicability, particularly in the field of gait biometrics. To address these limitations, this paper introduces a simple yet effective image-to-person comparison method, leveraging image reproduction from a structure from motion (SfM)/photogrammetry-based three-dimensional (3D) computer graphics reference virtual avatar. This avatar is generated from a reference real person. It is demonstrated that the proposed method, by applying 3D joint manipulations to the reference virtual avatar, qualitatively reproduces a person captured in a target image with high fidelity. Furthermore, quantitative silhouette comparisons successfully confirm distributions for forensic image-to-person comparison. The proposed method holds promise as a body shape-based forensic image-to-person comparison tool in scenarios where a real person can be used as a reference.

Human behavioural research is often clouded with the risk that study results may be contaminated by the participant's awareness that they are being observed. Direct observation by a person is associated with this phenomenon, but limited data exists evaluating this Hawthorne Effect when less invasive video recording devices are used. Here we present the first quantitative analysis to identify the extent to which this occurs, based on self-reported behavioural change when cameras are used. Searches of MEDLINE, Embase, Emcare, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Google Scholar were performed on 01/12/2022. No limitations were set. The primary outcome was the proportion of participants who changed their behaviour due to awareness of being recorded. Two blinded reviewers performed screening in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. I2 statistic was used to assess for heterogeneity and a random effects model was subsequently applied for the meta-analysis. Preliminary searches identified 1728 publications. After screening, twenty-eight studies were included in the final analysis involving 2586 participants. Nine publications were suitable for quantitative analysis of the primary outcome. Pooled analysis using a random-effects model demonstrated the proportion of participants who reported behavioural change because of the camera was 15% (95% CI 0.08, 0.23) [I2 = 96.16%]. The presence of a video camera may cause behavioural change in a small proportion of study participants. Cameras may cause a much lower rate of reactivity compared to a direct human observer. The heterogeneity and high risk of bias of the publications highlight the need for further high-quality research into this subject area. PROSPERO CRD42022370498.

This study aimed to provide an anatomical description of the endoscopic transorbital (ETO) transconjunctival approach to the pterygopalatine fossa (PPF). Five formalin-fixed, silicone-injected human cadaver heads were studied at the Rhoton Anatomy Laboratory, Bahçeşehir University Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey. By using the ETO transconjunctival route, the authors performed dissections on 10 PPFs (both orbits of each specimen). A 0° Olympus endoscope, along with a fiberoptic system, light source, camera, and digital video recording, was used for documentation. The procedure consisted of three main stages. 1) In the orbital conjunctival stage, a transconjunctival incision was made in the infraorbital region, followed by posterior subperiosteal dissection. 2) In the orbitomaxillary stage, osteotomy of the infraorbital floor was performed using posterior compression, exposing the orbitomaxillary segment of the infraorbital nerve (ION) and providing access to the maxillary sinus. 3) In the pterygopalatine stage, removal of the posterior maxillary wall allowed visualization of the PPF. The pterygopalatine segment of the ION and other regional structures were identified. The mean ± SD distance from the inferior orbital rim to the distal infraorbital canal was 21.8 ± 1.6 mm. The trajectory of the ION and maxillary branch of the trigeminal nerve (CN V2) to the foramen rotundum was mean ± SD 47.3 ± 4.4 mm. The minimal amount of posterior maxillary wall removed to access the ION-to-CN V2 transition measured 12.7 ± 3.5 mm vertically and 11.9 ± 1.5 mm horizontally. The ETO transconjunctival approach offers a viable alternative for accessing the PPF in selected cases, with potential benefits of reduced complication risk and a more straightforward approach compared to other methods. Further anatomical studies are warranted due to limited existing data.

The aim of this article is to show methods for dissection of the neck. In the summer of 2017 a group of students of the University of Palermo that have already passed the exam of Human Anatomy took a 4 weeks dissection course at the University of Malta. The students were provided with a dissection kit, video recording equipment and cameras for taking pictures. They dissected the skin, the subcutaneous tissue, the muscular bundles, the muscles, the vascular and nervous bundles, the nerves, the larynx, the trachea and the esophagus. This paper presents the results of the dissection course and a small and simple guide to young students and medical doctors who want to learn the bases of neck dissection

In dynamic settings such as security, autonomous driving, and robotics, effective motion detection and classification are crucial for accurate tracking amidst target and background movements. Traditional approaches, typically designed for static environments, face challenges in complex scenes with multiple types of motion. This research presents a robust algorithm for motion detection in fully dynamic scenarios, utilizing the macro block technique to generate motion vectors, followed by motion vector analysis to classify distinct types of motion. These include camera motion, object motion, background motion, and complex motion, where both background and foreground move simultaneously. By segmenting and categorizing these motion types, the proposed approach improves detection precision in cluttered, real-world environments. Furthermore, the algorithm adapts to lighting variations and is independent of specific sensor setups. Moreover, the high agreement with human judgment, achieving a 90% accuracy rate, underscores the model’s robustness and potential applicability in real-world scenarios where dynamic backgrounds are prevalent. This establishes a framework for future research in dynamic motion detection and classification.

IntroductionGlobally, half of all 6.2 million deaths in children are caused by acute illnesses which can be prevented if diagnosed and treated in time. We hypothesise that long elapsed travel time and delay in care can be tackled using telemedicine. The objective of this study is to determine the acceptability of linking ambulances that transport acutely ill children to a remote paediatric emergency physician using a simple audiovisual device.MethodsWe conducted a qualitative study to determine the acceptability of ambulance-based teleconsultation for the emergency care of acutely ill children informed by the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability. We developed semistructured guides using this framework and conducted five interviews with telemedicine physicians (TMPs), 18 interviews with parents of children who recently needed an ambulance and four focused groups with emergency medical technicians (EMTs) who transport children.ResultsAll participants were supportive of using the telemedicine consultation during ambulance transport in the proposed trial as they felt that having access to a video-based physician would offer prompt intervention, particularly for critically ill children in crowded cities and remote regions with scarce resources. Parents believed that ambulance-based telemedicine would enhance their trust in EMTs and reduce their stress. The concerns related to the intervention included parental reluctance in using video cameras due to privacy issues, doubts about doctors’ treatment reliability, risk of miscommunication and inadequate parental education. To address these challenges, the groups proposed solutions such as joint training for EMTs and TMPs, educating parents about intervention processes, improving telecommunication infrastructure and promoting public awareness.ConclusionParents, EMTs and TMPs mutually agreed that the use of telemedicine during ambulance transport can be successfully implemented through proper training and is acceptable in our population. All participants agreed that this intervention holds great potential to improve the survival of critically ill children.

The landing error scoring system (LESS) was developed to screen healthy individuals for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury risk factors using a jump landing task. The purpose of this study was to evaluate unique landing error components of a modified LESS scoring criteria to determine its clinical utility in patients following ACL reconstruction (ACLR). An observational cross-sectional study design was implemented to determine if each individual error component of the modified LESS provided unique information in an ACLR patient population. Post-ACLR patients (N = 194 [47.9% female]) completed the LESS 7.91 (1.80)months after surgery. To complete the LESS, patients stood on a 30-cm plyometric box and jumped down to a ground target, at 50% of their height in front of the box, then completed a maximal vertical jump. The LESS was repeated 3 times. Two video cameras positioned 3m from the landing area at a height of 1m above the floor (frontal and sagittal) recorded all trials. Video analysis of landing kinematics was performed to determine scores for each error item using the modified LESS. Itemized error scores for each patient were evaluated using an exploratory factor analysis, and factors were retained if eigenvalues were greater than 1. Our exploratory factor analysis yielded 2 factor groupings. The first factor (λ = 1.61) was comprised of 4 biplanar error items (ie,errors that occur in both the frontal and sagittal plane) that evaluated body segment positioning (eg,hip and knee flexion during landing). The second factor (λ = 1.02) was comprised of 2 errors occurring in the frontal plane that evaluated knee valgus and the overall impression of their landing strategy. Reducing the modified LESS errors to 6-items could improve the efficiency and clinical utilization of the LESS in ACLR patients. An abbreviated version of the modified LESS may guide clinicians' decision making in gauging patients' readiness to return to play after ACLR.

We present a novel Mixed Reality (MR) remote collaboration system that integrates a telepresence drone to overcome viewpoint limitations in previous approaches. Current remote collaboration systems often restrict remote users to the local user's perspective or a fixed viewpoint, which may reduce spatial awareness and collaboration effectiveness. Our proposed system enables a remote user wearing a VR headset to independently navigate the local environment through a drone while guiding a local AR headset user. The drone represents the remote user physically and virtually with an AR avatar. The system provides the remote user with a 3D reconstruction of the local environment, the local user's avatar, and real-time drone camera video to facilitate drone operation and collaboration. A user study comparing our drone-enhanced MR system with 2D video and 360-degree video MR systems during inspection tasks revealed that the telepresence drone significantly improved collaboration efficiency and enhanced users' social presence and spatial presence. However, the remote users perceived a higher workload. Our findings demonstrate the benefits of independent spatial navigation through drones in remote collaboration and offer insights for future drone-enhanced MR remote collaboration systems.

BACKGROUND.Despite the active development of electric transport, transient operating modes of electric drives in wheeled self-propelled machines remain insufficiently studied, especially under real-world operating conditions. AIMS:The purpose of this work is to develop experimental research methods for electric wheeled self-propelled vehicles in transient conditions and real-world operating conditions, as well as to establish patterns of influence of design and operational parameters on drive characteristics (using the example of a category AII self-propelled vehicle). METHODS.The experimental studies were carried out on a category AII electric self-propelled machine equipped with a series-wound DC motor and a four-speed gearbox. The tests included acceleration on different gears under varying degrees of accelerator pedal depression and with different load conditions. All parameters were recorded using digital measuring instruments and a high-speed video camera. The studied parameters included motor current, voltage at the battery and motor terminals, motor speed, and acceleration time. RESULTS.As a result of the experimental studies, patterns of the influence of gear ratios, the mass of a self-propelled vehicle and the longitudinal slope of the road on the electromechanical characteristics of the drive were established. The experimental data obtained are presented in the form of graphs of the dependence of current strength on time during acceleration in a fixed-length section: with maximum pressure on the accelerator pedal, with partial (50%) pressure on the accelerator pedal, and also when accelerating to a fixed speed with an empty and fully loaded cabin. Critical operating modes of the drive were also identified, characterized by high amperage values, with sudden acceleration at elevated gears III and IV and upward movement. CONCLUSION.The results confirm the high sensitivity of drive performance to external factors and justify the application of the developed methodology for validating mathematical models and optimizing the design of electric drives for self-propelled machines.

Over the past two decades, walking pilgrimages have undergone a profound transformation, evolving beyond their strictly religious origins into complex experiences shaped by contemporary cultural, psychological, and environmental values. Today, longdistance routes such as the Via Francigena attract individuals motivated not only by spiritual renewal but also by physical well-being, mental health, introspection, a desire for contact with nature, and a slower pace of life. These changes reflect a broader redefinition of pilgrimage as a hybrid and plural phenomenon in which the sacred and the secular often intersect. Understanding this evolution is essential to interpreting the meaning of modern pilgrimage and developing sustainable policies for the management of historical walking routes. This study focuses on the Tuscan section of the Via Francigena, one of the most symbolically and scenically rich segments of the route, with the dual aim of exploring the motivations and lived experiences of contemporary walkers and testing a complementary system for monitoring user flows. To achieve this, a mixed-methods approach was adopted that integrates qualitative and quantitative data. The research combined two primary methods. First, self-administered paper questionnaires were voluntarily completed by walkers encountered along the route during their journey. This approach ensured both immediacy of response and authenticity of experience. Second, a pilot monitoring system based on fixed-position video cameras was deployed at selected locations to anonymously register the frequency and direction of pedestrian traffic. The system was designed in full compliance with ethical standards, avoiding the collection of personal data or identifiable images. The results confirm a clear predominance of non-religious motivations among participants. The most commonly cited reasons for walking included immersion in natural landscapes, physical and psychological well-being, the appeal of solitude or social interaction, and the intrinsic pleasure of walking. Less frequently mentioned but still relevant were motivations related to cultural exploration, spiritual reflection, transitional life moments, and the need to disconnect from everyday routines. By combining direct user feedback with anonymous observational data, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of contemporary pilgrimage practices and contributes to the ongoing redefinition of the relationship between faith, heritage, and mobility in 21st-century Europe.

This research examined the integration of high-speed video analysis with the Framecount application to enhance Mathayomsuksa 4 students' understanding of free fall motion. Three objectives were pursued: 1) to study free fall motion using high-speed video analysis, 2) to develop supplementary learning activities based on this technique, and 3) to assess the impact of these activities on students' conceptual understanding and academic achievement. A high-speed video camera (using a smartphone at 60 fps) and the Framecount application were employed to record and analyze free fall experiments. The results demonstrated the feasibility of determining gravitational acceleration with an error of less than 5%. Furthermore, students who engaged in the developed learning activities exhibited significantly improved problem-solving skills and academic achievement compared to a control group (p < .05). This study highlights the potential of combining active learning strategies with technology-enhanced analysis to deepen students' conceptual understanding of physics.

Computer vision-based technologies significantly enhance surgical automation by advancing tool tracking, detection, and localization. However, Current data-driven approaches are data-voracious, requiring large, high-quality labeled image datasets. Our Work introduces a novel dynamic Gaussian Splatting technique to address the data scarcity in surgical image datasets. We propose a dynamic Gaussian model to represent dynamic surgical scenes, enabling the rendering of surgical instruments from unseen viewpoints and deformations with real tissue backgrounds. We utilize a dynamic training adjustment strategy to address challenges posed by poorly calibrated camera poses from real-world scenarios. Additionally, automatically generate annotations for our synthetic data. For evaluation, we constructed a new dataset featuring seven scenes with 14,000 frames of tool and camera motion and tool jaw articulation, with a background of an exvivo porcine model. Using this dataset, we synthetically replicate the scene deformation from the ground truth data, allowing direct comparisons of synthetic image quality. Experimental results illustrate that our method generates photo-realistic labeled image datasets with the highest PSNR (29.87). We further evaluate the performance of medical-specific neural networks trained on real and synthetic images using an unseen real-world image dataset. Our results show that the performance of models trained on synthetic images generated by the proposed method outperforms those trained with state-of-the-art standard data augmentation by 10%, leading to an overall improvement in model performances by nearly 15%.

Evaluating Vision Transformers in End-to-End Steering Angle and Speed prediction of Autonomous Vehicles Using Monocular Camera Video Input on Highways

Purpose. To develop and carry out experimental testing of a laboratory testbench for remote control of a diaphragm compressor with PID control capability, integrated into the architecture of a WebHMI-based SCADA system, suitable for educational and research purposes in the field of automated electric drive and control engineering. Methodology. Methods of critical analysis and logical generalisation of research results in the field of remote control, automatic control theory, computer modelling, and experimental verification of the functional characteristics of the system were used. The developed methodology included architecture design, integration of hardware and software components, tuning of PID controller parameters, and verification of system performance under remote access conditions. Findings. The structural architecture of the stand was implemented, combining a programmable logic controller, frequency converter, Raspberry PI, video cameras and WebHMI into a single information environment. Real-time monitoring and control, data archiving and experimental scenario playback were provided. Verification tests confirmed the correctness of data exchange, the stability of PID control to changes in settings and external disturbances, as well as the operability of the web interface in conditions of global access. Originality. An architectural solution has been proposed that integrates a web-oriented SCADA platform with industrial-level control algorithms, enabling the implementation of a remote laboratory complex for compressor units and other similar systems with the ability to control and visualise the process in a multi-user environment. Practical value. The developed testbench can be used in the educational process to develop practical skills in the field of automated electric drive, control engineering, as well as in scientific research to test control algorithms and analyse the characteristics of compressor systems. The results obtained create the prerequisites for further scaling of the system and expanding its functionality.

Abstract Pedestrian trajectory prediction from egocentric monocular video is hindered by camera motion, intermittent occlusions, and complex social interactions. We present NIM-STGCN, a unified framework whose core contribution is a differentiable view normalization(GVN) that couples an enhanced differentiable PnP layer (ED-PnP) with an $$\textrm{SE}(3)$$ SE ( 3 ) warp to align past observations into a single virtual static camera frame. Because GVN is trained end-to-end, forecasting losses back-propagate to pose estimation, yielding geometrically cleaner inputs. On the normalized histories, a lightweight Gated Convolutional Imputation Module (GCIM) recovers missing bounding-box measurements while preserving observed entries, and an efficient spatio-temporal GCN encodes agent dynamics and interactions (optionally augmented by a physics-guided kinematics–interaction prior, PKIM). A Gaussian-mixture predictor produces multi-modal futures and is optimized with a sequence-level negative log-likelihood together with a time-weighted position loss. Extensive experiments on the JAAD and PIE benchmarks show that NIM-STGCN reduces Average Displacement Error (ADE) and Final Displacement Error (FDE) by 12–18 % compared to state-of-the-art methods. Code is available at https://github.com/fantot/NIM-STGCN . Graphical abstract

This study investigates the application of film camera techniques within the framework of the film "The Next Store 2". This study examines how the film's camera techniques foster a distinctive and immersive viewing experience, emphasizing visual and narrative innovation. This study employs a qualitative approach to analyze diverse camera approaches, including framing, composition, camera movement, and the application of atypical lenses. The findings indicate that the application of these camera methods not only improves the film's visual appeal but also deepens the narrative and emotional impact on the audience. This study examines the obstacles and opportunities encountered by filmmakers in employing experimental camera techniques, along with the impact of these approaches on the audience's perception and interpretation of the narrative. This study offers significant insights for filmmakers, critics, and researchers focused on the evolution of camera methods in contemporary cinema.