Virtual view synthesis using layered depth image generation and depth-based inpainting for filling disocclusions and translucent disocclusions

View synthesis is an efficient solution to produce content for 3DTV and FTV. However, proper handling of the disocclusions is a major challenge in the view synthesis. Inpainting methods offer solutions for handling disocclusions, though limitations in foreground-background classification causes the holes to be filled with inconsistent textures. Moreover, the state-of-the art methods fail to identify and fill disocclusions in intermediate distances between foreground and background through which background may be visible in the virtual view (translucent disocclusions). Aiming at improved rendering quality, we introduce a layered depth image (LDI) in the original camera view, in which we identify and fill occluded background so that when the LDI data is rendered to a virtual view, no disocclusions appear but views with consistent data are produced also handling translucent disocclusions. Moreover, the proposed foreground-background classification and inpainting fills the disocclusions with neighboring background texture consistently. Based on the objective and subjective evaluations, the proposed method outperforms the state-of-the art methods at the disocclusions.     

No reference image blurriness assessment with local binary patterns

In this paper, we put forward an effective and efficient no reference image blurriness assessment metric on the basis of local binary pattern (LBP) features. In this proposal, we reveal that part of the LBP histogram bins present monotonously with the degree of blurriness. The proposed method contains the following steps. Firstly, the LBP maps of an input image are extracted with multiple radiuses. And then, the frequency of pattern histogram is analyzed before part of bins are chosen as the features. In addition, we also take the entropy of these bins as another feature. Finally, we learn the extracted features to predict the image blurriness score. Validation of the proposed method is conducted on the blurred images of LIVE-II, CSIQ, TID2008, TID2013, LIVE3D IQA Phase I and LIVE3D IQA Phase II. Experimental results demonstrate that compared with the state-of-the-art image quality assessment (IQA) methods, the proposed algorithm has notable advantage in correlation with subjective perception and computational complexity.     

Performance evaluation of conductivity wire-mesh sensors in vertical channels

This article presents a comprehensive and critical discussion of available literature on conductivity wire–mesh tomography as well as some complementary original analysis. Wire-mesh tomographs were first classified into different categories, depending on their principles of operation, and then the discussion was focused on the most commonly used type, namely, the wire–mesh sensor (WMS) in vertical channel flows. The main applications of WMS were outlined and the properties that can be determined from WMS signals were identified, together with the corresponding procedures. WMS performance and the factors that affect this performance were evaluated in detail using results of previous investigations as well as new analysis and data. The principles of operation and main applications of global wire–mesh tomographs were then described. This article finally presents several examples of wire–mesh tomography applications in multicomponent flows.     

Neural Style Transfer for image within images and conditional GANs for destylization

In this paper, the feature representation of an image by CNN is used to hide the secret image into the cover image. The style of the cover image hides the content of the secret image and produce a stego image using Neural Style Transfer (NST) algorithm, which resembles the cover image and also contains the semantic content of secret image. The main technical contributions are to hide the content of the secret image in the in-between hidden layered style features of the cover image, which is the first of its kind in the present state-of-art-technique. Also, to recover the secret image from the stego image, destylization is done with the help of conditional generative adversarial networks (GANs) using Residual in Residual Dense Blocks (RRDBs). Further, stego images from different layer combinations of content and style features are obtained and evaluated. Evaluation is based on the visual similarity and quality loss between the cover-stego pair and the secret-reconstructed secret pair of images. From the experiments, it has been observed that the proposed algorithm has 43.95 dB Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR)), .995 Structural Similarity Index (SSIM), and .993 Visual Information Fidelity (VIF) for the ImageNet dataset. The proposed algorithm is found to be more robust against StegExpose than the traditional methods.     

Quantification of Entrainment Using an Optical Inline Probe

In distillation and absorption processes, entrainment above trays or packings reduces stage and column efficiency. A modified version of the optical multimode online probe enables a seminal insight and, thus, quantification of entrained droplets on various axial and radial positions. A purging mechanism inhibits precipitation of droplets on the front lenses, while telecentric optics and illumination provide distance‐independent and precise imaging of entrained droplets between two valve trays. Experiments were performed in a DN 450 cold flow (air‐water) test rig. The results were compared with noninvasive phase Doppler anemometry data.     

Role of particle shape on the shear strength of sand-GCL interfaces under dry and wet conditions

Interface shear strength of geosynthetic clay liners (GCL) with the sand particles is predominantly influenced by the surface characteristics of the GCL, size and shape of the sand particles and their interaction mechanisms. This study brings out the quantitative effects of particle shape on the interaction mechanisms and shear strength of GCL-sand interfaces. Interface direct shear tests are conducted on GCL in contact with a natural sand and a manufactured sand of identical gradation, eliminating the particle size effects. Results showed that manufactured sand provides effective particle-fiber interlocking compared to river sand, due to the favorable shape of its grains. Further, the role of particle shape on the hydration of GCL is investigated through interface shear tests on GCL-sand interfaces at different water contents. Bentonite hydration is found to be less in tests with manufactured sand, leading to better interface shear strength. Grain shape parameters of sands, surface changes related to hydration and particle entrapment in GCL are quantified through image analysis on sands and tested GCL surfaces. It is observed that the manufactured sand provides higher interface shear strength and causes lesser hydration related damages to GCL, owing to its angular particles and low permeability.     

RXDNFuse: A aggregated residual dense network for infrared and visible image fusion

This study proposes a novel unsupervised network for IR/VIS fusion task, termed as RXDNFuse, which is based on the aggregated residual dense network. In contrast to conventional fusion networks, RXDNFuse is designed as an end-to-end model that combines the structural advantages of ResNeXt and DenseNet. Hence, it overcomes the limitations of the manual and complicated design of activity-level measurement and fusion rules. Our method establishes the image fusion problem into the structure and intensity proportional maintenance problem of the IR/VIS images. Using comprehensive feature extraction and combination, RXDNFuse automatically estimates the information preservation degrees of corresponding source images, and extracts hierarchical features to achieve effective fusion. Moreover, we design two loss function strategies to optimize the similarity constraint and the network parameter training, thus further improving the quality of detailed information. We also generalize RXDNFuse to fuse images with different resolutions and RGB scale images. Extensive qualitative and quantitative evaluations reveal that our results can effectively preserve the abundant textural details and the highlighted thermal radiation information. In particular, our results form a comprehensive representation of scene information, which is more in line with the human visual perception system.     

A new image encryption algorithm based on non-adjacent coupled map lattices

We propose a new image encryption algorithm which is based on the spatiotemporal non-adjacent coupled map lattices. The system of non-adjacent coupled map lattices has more outstanding cryptography features in dynamics than the logistic map or coupled map lattices does. In the proposed image encryption, we employ a bit-level pixel permutation strategy which enables bit planes of pixels permute mutually without any extra storage space. Simulations have been carried out and the results demonstrate the superior security and high efficiency of the proposed algorithm.     

A human visual system-driven image segmentation algorithm

This paper presents a novel image segmentation algorithm driven by human visual system (HVS) properties. Segmentation quality metrics, based on perceptual properties of HVS with respect to segmentation, are integrated into an energy function. The energy function encodes the HVS properties from both region-based and boundary-based perspectives, where the just-noticeable difference (JND) model is employed when calculating the difference between the image contents. Extensive experiments are carried out to compare the performances of three variations of the presented algorithm and several representative segmentation and clustering algorithms available in the literature. The results show superior performance of our approach.     

Impact of meibomian gland width on successful contact lens use

PurposeTo evaluate meibomian gland (MG) width and determine its impact on successful contact lens (CL) use and ocular health.MethodsA five-site study was conducted by recruiting 18- to 45-year-old subjects who had dropped out of CLs because of discomfort. CL dropouts were compared to age- and sex-matched successful CL wearers. Right eyes were evaluated for tear break-up time, tear meniscus height, MG expressibility, meibum quality, and meibography. Central MG widths were evaluated with a custom MATLAB program.ResultsCL dropouts (n = 56) and successful CL (n = 56) wearers had similar grades for upper (p = 1.0) and lower (p = 0.22) MG atrophy, upper (p = 0.07) and lower (p = 0.89) MG tortuosity, and upper (p = 0.92) and lower (p = 0.97) MG widths. Upper eyelid MG widths were narrower than lower eyelid MG widths (p = 0.03). Upper and lower MG tortuosity (p < 0.001) and widths (p = 0.03) were associated, but not atrophy (p = 0.42). Lower eyelid MG widths were associated with MG expressibility (p = 0.01), but MG widths were not with any other factors.ConclusionsSuccessful CL wear does not appear to be clinically influenced by MG width or other measures of MG structural integrity. Lower eyelid MGs were wider than upper eyelid MGs and narrower lower eyelid MGs were associated with worse MG expressibility, suggesting that narrower MGs may produce abnormal meibum. Data also suggests that MG factors of both eyelids should be evaluated in practice.