An Improved Color Video Super-Resolution Using Kernel Regression and Fuzzy Enhancement

An improved color video super-resolution technique using kernel regression and fuzzy enhancement is presented in this paper. A high resolution frame is computed from a set of low resolution video frames by kernel regression using an adaptive Gaussian kernel. A fuzzy smoothing filter is proposed to enhance the regression output. The proposed technique is a low cost software solution to resolution enhancement of color video in multimedia applications. The performance of the proposed technique is evaluated using several color videos and it is found to be better than other techniques in producing high quality high resolution color videos

Can commercialization of NTFPs alleviate poverty? A case study of Ricinodendron heudelotii (Baill.) Pierre ex Pax. kernel marketing in Cameroon

Ricinodendron heudelotii (Baill.) Pierre ex Pax. kernel (njansang) commercialization has been promoted by the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) in project villages in Cameroon with the aim to alleviate poverty for small-scale farmers. We evaluated to what extent development interventions improved the financial situation of households by comparing project and control households. The financial importance of njansang to household livelihoods between 2005 and 2010 was investigated through semi-structured questionnaires with retrospective questions, focus group discussions, interviews and wealth-ranking exercises. The importance of njansang increased strongly in the entire study region and the increase was significantly larger in project households. Moreover, absolute numbers of income from njansang commercialization as well as relative importance of njansang in total cash income, increased significantly more in project households (p < 0.05). Although the lower wealth class households could increase their income through njansang trade, the upper wealth class households benefited more from the projects' interventions. Group sales as conducted in project villages did not lead to significantly higher prices and should be reconsidered. Hence, promotion of njansang had a positive effect on total cash income and can still be improved. The corporative actors for njansang commercialization are encouraged to adapt their strategies to ensure that also the lower wealth class households benefit from the conducted project interventions. In this respect, frequent project monitoring and impact analysis are important tools to accomplish this adaptation.

A Note on the Generalization Performance of Kernel Classifiers with Margin

We present distribution independent bounds on the generalization misclassification performance of a family of kernel classifiers with margin. Support Vector Machine classifiers (SVM) stem out of this class of machines. The bounds are derived through computations of the $V_gamma$ dimension of a family of loss functions where the SVM one belongs to. Bounds that use functions of margin distributions (i.e. functions of the slack variables of SVM) are derived.

Sparse Correlation Kernel Analysis and Reconstruction

This paper presents a new paradigm for signal reconstruction and superresolution, Correlation Kernel Analysis (CKA), that is based on the selection of a sparse set of bases from a large dictionary of class- specific basis functions. The basis functions that we use are the correlation functions of the class of signals we are analyzing. To choose the appropriate features from this large dictionary, we use Support Vector Machine (SVM) regression and compare this to traditional Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for the tasks of signal reconstruction, superresolution, and compression. The testbed we use in this paper is a set of images of pedestrians. This paper also presents results of experiments in which we use a dictionary of multiscale basis functions and then use Basis Pursuit De-Noising to obtain a sparse, multiscale approximation of a signal. The results are analyzed and we conclude that 1) when used with a sparse representation technique, the correlation function is an effective kernel for image reconstruction and superresolution, 2) for image compression, PCA and SVM have different tradeoffs, depending on the particular metric that is used to evaluate the results, 3) in sparse representation techniques, L_1 is not a good proxy for the true measure of sparsity, L_0, and 4) the L_epsilon norm may be a better error metric for image reconstruction and compression than the L_2 norm, though the exact psychophysical metric should take into account high order structure in images.

On the V(subscript gamma) Dimension for Regression in Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Spaces

This paper presents a computation of the $V_gamma$ dimension for regression in bounded subspaces of Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Spaces (RKHS) for the Support Vector Machine (SVM) regression $epsilon$-insensitive loss function, and general $L_p$ loss functions. Finiteness of the RV_gamma$ dimension is shown, which also proves uniform convergence in probability for regression machines in RKHS subspaces that use the $L_epsilon$ or general $L_p$ loss functions. This paper presenta a novel proof of this result also for the case that a bias is added to the functions in the RKHS.

A comparison of the alr and ilr transformations for kernel density estimation of compositional data

In a seminal paper, Aitchison and Lauder (1985) introduced classical kernel density estimation techniques in the context of compositional data analysis. Indeed, they gave two options for the choice of the kernel to be used in the kernel estimator. One of these kernels is based on the use the alr transformation on the simplex SD jointly with the normal distribution on RD-1. However, these authors themselves recognized that this method has some deficiencies. A method for overcoming these dificulties based on recent developments for compositional data analysis and multivariate kernel estimation theory, combining the ilr transformation with the use of the normal density with a full bandwidth matrix, was recently proposed in Martín-Fernández, Chacón and Mateu- Figueras (2006). Here we present an extensive simulation study that compares both methods in practice, thus exploring the finite-sample behaviour of both estimators

Genotipificación de HLA-B en pacientes colombianos afectados por el síndrome Stevens-Johnson y la Necrólisis Epidérmica Tóxica

Las reacciones alérgicas a medicamentos cutáneas severas (RAM) como el Síndrome Stevens Johnson (SJS) y la Necrólisis Epidérmica Tóxica (NET),caracterizadas por exantema, erosión de la piel y las membranas mucosas, flictenas, desprendimiento de la piel secundario a la muerte de queratinocitos y compromiso ocular. Son infrecuentes en la población pero con elevada morbi-mortalidad, se presentan luego de la administración de diferentes fármacos. En Asia se ha asociado el alelo HLA-B*15:02 como marcador genético para SJS. En Colombia no hay datos de la incidencia de estas RAM, ni de la relación con medicamentos específicos o potenciales y tampoco estudios de aproximación genómica de genes de susceptibilidad.

Apertura de la operación comercial de CS Johnson Son en el mercado boliviano

Después de cierto tiempo de funcionamiento bajo este sistema de comercialización, las empresas buscan obtener un mayor control del mercado mediante el establecimiento de oficinas para la comercialización directa de sus productos.

Una conferencia del profesor Johnson.

Resumen de la conferencia que pronunció el profesor Ernest Alfred Johnson, del Amherst College, el 24 de febrero de 1954, sobre el tema 'Estudios humanísticos en los Estados Unidos'. Para el profesor, los objetivos de los cursos humanísticos eran: 1. Evitar o paliar lo máximo posible los males inherentes a la superespecialización que impone la vida actual. 2. Estimular y preparar el espíritu para la mutua comprensión entre los hombres, lo que hace que el estudio humanístico tenga una adecuación notables con los ideales democráticos, capitales para la sociedad norteamericana. El profesor Johson desarrolla el plan de estudios del trabajo humanista englobándolo en uno o más cursos a lo largo, principalmente, del primer año universitario. A colación de esto, habla de la necesario preparación del profesorado para impartir estos cursos, requiriéndose así a literatos, helenistas, latinistas, romanistas, etc. Cuestiona la novedad del concepto de 'Humanidades' frente al especialismo de la sociedad moderna. Seguidamente, Mr. Johson analiza la necesidad de establecer un sistema equitativo de evaluación a través de exámenes. Finalmente, hace un repaso a la tradición pedagógica y humanista americana.

Validaci??n de los criterios de Johnson y Johnson (1992) como indicadores de evaluaci??n de actitudes cooperativas

Resumen basado en el de la publicaci??n