Unsupervised Deep Single-Image Intrinsic Decomposition using Illumination-Varying Image Sequences

Machine learning based Single Image Intrinsic Decomposition (SIID) methods decompose a captured scene into its albedo and shading images by using the knowledge of a large set of known and realistic ground truth decompositions. Collecting and annotating such a dataset is an approach that cannot scale to sufficient variety and realism. We free ourselves from this limitation by training on unannotated images. Our method leverages the observation that two images of the same scene but with different lighting provide useful information on their intrinsic properties: by definition, albedo is invariant to lighting conditions, and cross-combining the estimated albedo of a first image with the estimated shading of a second one should lead back to the second one's input image. We transcribe this relationship into a siamese training scheme for a deep convolutional neural network that decomposes a single image into albedo and shading. The siamese setting allows us to introduce a new loss function including such cross-combinations, and to train solely on (time-lapse) images, discarding the need for any ground truth annotations. As a result, our method has the good properties of i) taking advantage of the time-varying information of image sequences in the (pre-computed) training step, ii) not requiring ground truth data to train on, and iii) being able to decompose single images of unseen scenes at runtime. To demonstrate and evaluate our work, we additionally propose a new rendered dataset containing illumination-varying scenes and a set of quantitative metrics to evaluate SIID algorithms. Despite its unsupervised nature, our results compete with state of the art methods, including supervised and non data-driven methods.Comment: To appear in Pacific Graphics 201

A three decade mixed-method bibliometric investigation of the IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management

This paper offers a comprehensive overview of the IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management (IEEE TEM) from 1985 to 2017. This paper employs a mixed-method examination based on an in-depth interview with the new editor-in-chief regarding the challenges for the future of IEEE TEM, along with a bibliometric analysis of the journal. By using Web of Science Core Collection data, the analysis maps the knowledge produced and disseminated by IEEE TEM, revealing the most cited papers, the most frequently occurring keywords and the interconnection between them, the most prolific authors and their coauthorship network, and the most prolific countries for published articles. This paper also shows the main avenues of research covered by IEEE TEM and their evolution through the analysis of the correlation of keywords. This paper offers an example application of a mixed-method bibliometric analysis, seeking to extend the quantitative findings by including other sources of data

Cauchy's residue theorem for a class of real valued functions

Let $[a,b]$ be an interval in $\mathbb{R}$ and let $F$ be a real valued function defined at the endpoints of $[a,b]$ and with a certain number of discontinuities within $[a,b]$. Having assumed $F$ to be differentiable on a set $[a,b] \backslash E$ to the derivative $f$, where $E$ is a subset of $[a,b]$ at whose points $F$ can take values $\pm \infty$ or not be defined at all, we adopt the convention that $F$ and $f$ are equal to 0 at all points of $E$ and show that $\mathcal{KH-}vt\int_{a}^{b}f=F(b) -F(a)$%, where $\mathcal{KH-}$ $vt$ denotes the total value of the \textit{% Kurzweil-Henstock} integral. The paper ends with a few examples that illustrate the theory.Comment: 6 page

A trophic model of the coastal fisheries ecosystem off the west coast of Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysia

A mass-balance steady-state trophic model of the coastal fisheries ecosystem off the West Coasts of Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysia (10 - 60 m depth) was constructed using the Ecopath software. The ecosystem models were partitioned into 29 ecological/trophic groups. The input values (e.g. biomasses) for selected groups were obtained from the research (trawl) surveys conducted in the area in 1972. The estimated mean trophic level of the fisheries catch for both models is about 3.3. The biomass values obtained from Ecopath when compared with the estimates of the fishery catch indicate a low level of exploitation of coastal fisheries resources in 1972.Fishery resources, Demersal fisheries, Fishery surveys, Biomass, Population density, Shrimp fisheries, Catch/effort, Trawling, Mathematical models, Coastal fisheries, Marine fisheries, Ecosystems, Trophic structure, ISEW, Malaysia, Sarawak, ISEW, Malaysia, Sabah,

Fisheries rehabilitation in post-tsunami Aceh: Status and needs from participatory appraisals

The widespread and long-term nature of the tsunami damage in Aceh province, Indonesia has threatened the continued use of coastal and fisheries resources. This article describes the application of the Rapid Appraisal of Fisheries Management System (RAFMS) methodology and presents key findings from the participatory appraisals in 15 study sites. The focus is on changes in the number and types of fishing boats and fishing effort, consumption and marketing flow patterns and community perspectives on livelihood options. The level of aid (for new boats), mainly from international organizations, has been unevenly distributed with the number of boats in 13 of 15 villages still being well below the pre-tsunami levels. A focus on supplying small vessels may put increased fishing pressure on the near-shore zone. Consumption data and marketing flows suggest that most fishing villages are supplying outside markets and adding considerably to the wider food security of the province. Despite the tsunami, marine fisheries-related livelihoods are still preferred, although there are indications for the potential expansion of livelihoods into the culture of new species. Alternative resource-based livelihoods need to be tested and refined to fit the needs of the current conditions in Aceh to provide viable options for eliminating hunger and reducing poverty

Crop-based irrigation operations in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. Vol.II: Research approach and interpretation. Final Report

Irrigation management / Crop-based irrigation / Research / Irrigation canals / Water demand / Performance evaluation / Agricultural production / Pakistan / North West Frontier Province

Relación angular radiológica de las superficies articulares de la tibia en sujetos asintomáticos

Se efectuó un estudio radiológico para determinar la relación angular existente entre las superficies articulares proximal y distal de 108 tibias correspondientes a 54 pacientes asintomáticos, de edades entre 14 y 72 años (media: 29,8). La medición se llevó a cabo con un «cobbometro» de Oxford en proyección anteroposterior y lateral. El ángulo medio entre ambas superficies fue de 3,3 ± 2,6° (intervalo de confianza al 95%: 2,8-3,8°) en proyección anteroposterior y de 5,5 ± 3,9° (intervalo de confianza: 4,7-6,3°) en proyección lateral. Cuando se consideró para cada paciente, la diferencia media de esta relación angular entre las tibias derechas e izquierdas fue inferior a 0,5° en ambas proyecciones.The angular relationship between proximal and distal articular surfaces was determined, through an Oxford Cobbometer, in 108 tibiae of 54 asymptomalic patients aging 14 to 72 years (mean: 30). Mean angle between both surfaces was 3.3 ± 2.6° (95% confidence interval: 2.8-3.8°) for the anteroposterior view and 5.5 ± 3.9° (95% confidence interval: 4.7-6.3°) for the lateral view. When considered individually for each patient, mean difference of this angular relationship among right and left tibiae was lesser than 0.5° for both projections

Estudio comparativo de dos métodos de radiografías forzadas para detectar la insuficiencia del ligamento cruzado anterior

En 32 pacientes con rotura unilateral de ligamento cruzado anterior (LCA) comprobada mediante artroscopia se efectuó previamente una radiografía forzada de ambas rodillas para estudiar el desplazamiento anterior de la tibia. Cada paciente fue estudiado mediante dos métodos diferentes, Lachman activo radiológico (LAR) y TelosR. Se asumió el diagnóstico radiológico de inestabilidad cuando la diferencia en el desplazamiento entre la rodilla lesionada y su control fue superior a 3 mm. Los resultados demuestran que la diferencia media del desplazamiento entre la rodilla lesionada y la normal fue superior a 3 mm con ambos métodos. En el lado interno 3,7 ± 3,7 mm con el LAR y 4,8 ± 5,8 mm con el Telos (diferencias no significativas). En el lado externo esta diferencia fue de 4,3 ± 4,7 nun con el LAR y de 6,8 ± 6 mm con el Telos (p < 0,05). A pesar de estos resultados, ambos métodos mostraron una sensibilidad para la detección de la insuficiencia ligamentosa inferior al 70%, lo que cuestiona su valor para el diagnóstico de la misma.In a prospective study, 32 patients with arthroscopically proved anterior cruciate ligament rupture were previously stressradiographied on both knees through two methods: the quadriceps-contraction technique (QCT) and the TelosR device. Instability was assumed when radiological differential displacement between injured and normal knee was greated than 3 mm. Results showed that this differential displacement was greater than 3 mm with both methods: 3,7 ± 3,7 mm v.s. 4,8 ± 5,8 mm in the medial side (differences not significant) and 4,3 ± 4,7 mm v.s. 6,8 ± 6 mm (p < 0.05) for the lateral side with the QCT and TelosR respectively. In spite of these differences, both methods showed a sensitivity lower than 70%