#Super-Resolution

[bpod-bpod]

POLCAM Action!

POLCAM, a modification of a method for super-resolution microscopy called SMOLM by detecting polarisation with the addition of a polarising camera to any wide-field fluorescence microscope, plus open-source analysis software

Read the original research article here

Image from work by Ezra Bruggeman and colleagues

Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Published in bioRxiv, May 2024 (not peer reviewed)

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[guillaumelauzier]

The World of Pixel Recurrent Neural Networks (PixelRNNs)

Pixel Recurrent Neural Networks (PixelRNNs) have emerged as a groundbreaking approach in the field of image generation and processing. These sophisticated neural network architectures are reshaping how machines understand and generate visual content. This article delves into the core aspects of PixelRNNs, exploring their purpose, architecture, variants, and the challenges they face.

Purpose and Application

PixelRNNs are primarily engineered for image generation and completion tasks. Their prowess lies in understanding and generating pixel-level patterns. This makes them exceptionally suitable for tasks like image inpainting, where they fill in missing parts of an image, and super-resolution, which involves enhancing the quality of images. Moreover, PixelRNNs are capable of generating entirely new images based on learned patterns, showcasing their versatility in the realm of image synthesis.

Architecture

The architecture of PixelRNNs is built upon the principles of recurrent neural networks (RNNs), renowned for their ability to handle sequential data. In PixelRNNs, the sequence is the pixels of an image, processed in an orderly fashion, typically row-wise or diagonally. This sequential processing allows PixelRNNs to capture the intricate dependencies between pixels, which is crucial for generating coherent and visually appealing images.

Pixel-by-Pixel Generation

At the heart of PixelRNNs lies the concept of generating pixels one at a time, following a specified order. Each prediction of a new pixel is informed by the pixels generated previously, allowing the network to construct an image in a step-by-step manner. This pixel-by-pixel approach is fundamental to the network's ability to produce detailed and accurate images.

Two Variants

PixelRNNs come in two main variants: Row LSTM and Diagonal BiLSTM. The Row LSTM variant processes the image row by row, making it efficient for certain types of image patterns. In contrast, the Diagonal BiLSTM processes the image diagonally, offering a different perspective in understanding and generating image data. The choice between these two depends largely on the specific requirements of the task at hand.

Conditional Generation

A remarkable feature of PixelRNNs is their ability to be conditioned on additional information, such as class labels or parts of images. This conditioning enables the network to direct the image generation process more precisely, which is particularly beneficial for tasks like targeted image editing or generating images that need to meet specific criteria.

Training and Data Requirements

As with other neural networks, PixelRNNs require a significant volume of training data to learn effectively. They are trained on large datasets of images, where they learn to model the distribution of pixel values. This extensive training is necessary for the networks to capture the diverse range of patterns and nuances present in visual data.

Challenges and Limitations

Despite their capabilities, PixelRNNs face certain challenges and limitations. They are computationally intensive due to their sequential processing nature, which can be a bottleneck in applications requiring high-speed image generation. Additionally, they tend to struggle with generating high-resolution images, as the complexity increases exponentially with the number of pixels. Creating a PixelRNN for image generation involves several steps, including setting up the neural network architecture and training it on a dataset of images. Here's an example in Python using TensorFlow and Keras, two popular libraries for building and training neural networks. This example will focus on a simple PixelRNN structure using LSTM (Long Short-Term Memory) units, a common choice for RNNs. The code will outline the basic structure, but please note that for a complete and functional PixelRNN, additional components and fine-tuning are necessary.

PixRNN using TensorFlow

First, ensure you have TensorFlow installed: pip install tensorflow Now, let's proceed with the Python code: import tensorflow as tf from tensorflow.keras import layers def build_pixel_rnn(image_height, image_width, image_channels): # Define the input shape input_shape = (image_height, image_width, image_channels) # Create a Sequential model model = tf.keras.Sequential() # Adding LSTM layers - assuming image_height is the sequence length # and image_width * image_channels is the feature size per step model.add(layers.LSTM(256, return_sequences=True, input_shape=input_shape)) model.add(layers.LSTM(256, return_sequences=True)) # PixelRNNs usually have more complex structures, but this is a basic example # Output layer - predicting the pixel values model.add(layers.TimeDistributed(layers.Dense(image_channels, activation='softmax'))) return model # Example parameters for a grayscale image (height, width, channels) image_height = 64 image_width = 64 image_channels = 1 # For grayscale, this would be 1; for RGB images, it would be 3 # Build the model pixel_rnn = build_pixel_rnn(image_height, image_width, image_channels) # Compile the model pixel_rnn.compile(optimizer='adam', loss='categorical_crossentropy') # Summary of the model pixel_rnn.summary() This code sets up a basic PixelRNN model with two LSTM layers. The model's output is a sequence of pixel values for each step in the sequence. Remember, this example is quite simplified. In practice, PixelRNNs are more complex and may involve techniques such as masking to handle different parts of the image generation process. Training this model requires a dataset of images, which should be preprocessed to match the input shape expected by the network. The training process involves feeding the images to the network and optimizing the weights using a loss function (in this case, categorical crossentropy) and an optimizer (Adam). For real-world applications, you would need to expand this structure significantly, adjust hyperparameters, and possibly integrate additional features like convolutional layers or different RNN structures, depending on the specific requirements of your task.

Recent Developments

Over time, the field of PixelRNNs has seen significant advancements. Newer architectures, such as PixelCNNs, have been developed, offering improvements in computational efficiency and the quality of generated images. These developments are indicative of the ongoing evolution in the field, as researchers and practitioners continue to push the boundaries of what is possible with PixelRNNs. Pixel Recurrent Neural Networks represent a fascinating intersection of artificial intelligence and image processing. Their ability to generate and complete images with remarkable accuracy opens up a plethora of possibilities in areas ranging from digital art to practical applications like medical imaging. As this technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more innovative uses and enhancements in the future.

🗒️ Sources

- dl.acm.org - Pixel recurrent neural networks - ACM Digital Library - arxiv.org - Pixel Recurrent Neural Networks - researchgate.net - Pixel Recurrent Neural Networks - opg.optica.org - Single-pixel imaging using a recurrent neural network - codingninjas.com - Pixel RNN - journals.plos.org - Recurrent neural networks can explain flexible trading of… Read the full article

[kokoasci]

so then the only person kamui can be is...

[idle-compy]

@yasammyweek (late) day 5 - track meet

[ectasymk]

Bowser, King of The Koopas

Someone asked for screenshots of Bowser in 8k res, and all I could do was deliver. So here are a few Bowser in the highest resolution possible. Enjoy <3

[clownsuu]

More bug appreciation smhhhh

[notsocharmingmagician]

Happy 17th birthday Super Paper Mario!!

[green199213]

grandpa finds youtube.mp4

[arcanegifs]

Battle of the Arcane Daddies Poll Winner: Vander ↳ "A bit of advice. Don’t threaten the guy who pours the drinks."

[agenderduck]

This is one of many posts I have planned on electricity. For this post specifically, I’m touching on the lack of autonomy the puppets have, and the unhealthy coping mechanisms and regression they fall into. If you listen closely, duck and red are talking about stain edwards, specifically how they had been used as a replacement for duck, in the background while yellow is preparing to climb the staircase. Considering the bigger boys actions later on in the episode, this feels more significant than just a joke or a piece of background dialogue (it probably is, just bear with me for the sake of over analysis). It’s a detail I don’t see brought up often, but an interesting one nonetheless. Not just because it’s funny, but because it serves as insight for what’s to come. This conversation is barely audible as yellow stares up into the black abyss above him. A divide between the trio is set up here, they are not on the same page. As yellow scales the staircase, base level red and duck fiddle with electricity. Theres a lack of care for the objects, or even living things around them showcasing that have that potential to do worse like the big and bigger boys. On a smaller scale, yes, but there’s a colder quality to the scene. Electracy warns them that what they’re doing is too much, but they are ignored. This ultimately leads to the power outage, spurred on by the two’s reckless over usage of electricity

The limited use of technology, and by contrast overconsumption is intentional, as it showcases a real lack of freedom. The puppets are stuck in a cycle regardless of what they do. They desperately want to feel in control of something even if it’s trivial. When they’re not doing that, the trio find themselves waiting for things like having access to a computer once a year. It’s worth noting that Colin is an older model of computer, as is pretty much every other piece of technology in the house. Interestingly, the trio do actually own a laptop, which is a lot more modern in appearance. They are never seen doing anything with it however. The few things that do take on a more modern appearance are either unusable or serve as a distraction. So the choice of duck having a hand held device in the void feels significant. It’s almost like a reminder to the audience that in theory, knowledge is right outside of their grip but they will never have it. Everything they do is limited.

The fridge scene is a rare moment where we see the puppets speak their genuine feelings, no strings attached. Not at all one sided or hollow. Duck and Red sit beside each other in the fridge scene knowing this is not something they’re allowed to have, but you can tell they want to scoot closer. They live in an unforgiving routine where the mere act of looking at each other feels like rebellion. They’re something more tangible and warm than their bigger counterparts, even if through skin made of cheap felt and faux fur. Compare this to the cold emptiness of the big and bigger boys and how duck and red seem to grow further apart despite always being paired together. Even if they’re sitting at a similar length in both rooms, the bigger boys seem to be magnetically pulled apart rather than together. The big boys sit side by side with their limbs tangled, in defiance maybe, but they don’t question their environment anymore and the walls have gotten smaller. The bigger boys live in a pseudo- futuristic prison. They have become the technology seen being fiddled with before. They play into each other’s antics, but lack any real emotion which greatly upsets yellow once he comes across them. He watches as they poke and prod at a suspiciously stain edwards shaped hunk of meat as their only source of entertainment, thinking that this is as good as it gets. Technology prodding at flesh. A parallel between Stain Edwards and the puppets can be drawn here.

Stain Edwards, in their initial appearance clearly craves more in life, but their sole purpose is to be moldable, to be shaped into anything the hands that grasp them want them to be. The trio are the same way, though they don’t know it. They’re obviously not aware of their true situation, but each of them have their own level of awareness, albeit in different areas, but that’s a different post for a different time. Red and duck comply and mold to their environments out of fear, a fear of losing that false sense of control. So, the bigger boys become the perpetrators of violence. They let bitterness consume them until they’re unrecognizable. Their egos get the better of them, fully encompassing them and leaving nothing but mechanical empty husks behind. Red and Duck are tricked into believing they’re in control, when in reality they’ve dug themselves into an even deeper hole than before. They expect yellow to join them, as this is just the way things are, and this horrifies him. Here before him are creatures that sound vaguely like his friends but in a completely unrecognizable form. Ultimately, no matter what form they take on, yellow’s urge to search for answers will always scare them. Yellow’s batteries means change, and change means bad things will happen. No more false sense of control. Yellow literally has his awareness stolen from him time and time again through his batteries. Without them, not only can’t he properly articulate himself, but he also can’t remember what happened before.

Yellow loves his friends, he knows that they’re flawed, and he can’t help but scale back down the staircase time and time again to help them. They’re all he has. He knows that they’re smart to an extent, but is that enough? Will they be able to handle it this time? I think he knows the answer to this already, though he desperately wants it not to be true. He knows that it’s not their fault that they get like this, but also maybe it is. Because truthfully the two like to let it get worse. Yellow sees the good in Duck and red and he wants them to do better, even if his efforts are in vain. Because the puppets do not have autonomy. He shreds the book because he can’t bear a reality where his friends don’t love him, but also because that’s where his strings are pulling him to begin with. He looks to duck as he does so knowing it will make him happy, as if to say he’s not wrong anymore. All he ever wants is to please him. Truthfully, that book had nothing that could truly help them , as such a thing doesn’t exist. Still there’s that small thought in the back of his mind that it could, and ultimately he chooses his friends over knowledge every time. It was never his choice to begin with. It was inevitably going to end this way, and a small part of yellow knows that, even if he can’t express it. The puppets are prisoners here, prisoners to another prisoner. She too participates in the same routines everyday, she too has strings that hold her back, but that’s a post for another day.

[desultory-novice]

Apologies AU - Good Ending Drop

Hey, everyone. It was my goal to finish Apologies in tandem with the Tournament, but for health reasons, I won't be able to as I planned. Because I tied the story to the tournament and don't feel like untangling it again and making everyone wait more, I'm going to give you all the ending spoilers, as I promised I would if I became unable to finish the story.

What I'm about to describe is THE Good Ending. The True Ending I had planned out almost from the beginning!

-

In the main-verse...

Susie, who sees too much of herself in Adeleine, decides to take matters into her own hands to bring the girl's older brother back.

She takes the vial of Dark Matter Swordsman DNA that was harvested from King Dedede. Meta Knight catches up with her and argues against it. It's foolish, dangerous, and liable to be nothing but painful to all parties involved. But Susie anticipated interference and asked Zan to bodyguard her. When Zan arrives (late) to the lab, the argument has caused the vial to begin to react to all the negativity in the room. Zan recognizes its contents as Dark Matter and insists on calling Lord Hyness, who in his own quirky way, analyzes their problem and suggests that while the contents are too weak to survive on their own, a resurrection could be possible, using Void's powers to mimic a hive queen, supplying whatever creature emerges the power to survive on Popstar without burning up into ash...

-

In the tourney-verse...

White-Haired Noir is at peace with his life and has come to accept the death of his precious little sister many years ago, but...a part of him still wishes to make Adeleine happy.

Using his fairy-born dimension sight, he discovers an Alternate Noir who is 98% percent compatible with main-verse Noir. This is the Purgatory!Noir from the Re_Birthday post. And he drags this unstable, utterly clueless Noir out of this peaceful void without his permission and secretly "volunteers"  the massively confused, un-alive but un-dead teen boy for the Kirby OC Tournament.

It is White-Haired Noir that is the "good" voice on phone and in Noir's head, encouraging rationality. His goal? Get Noir some friends. Get him to face up to/open up to people about his past. And get him caring about his life enough that he wants to live...! 

White-Haired Noir has seen what the main-verse Star Allies are attempting and knows that the odds of them actually bringing "Noir" back instead of just an emotionless monster are low without a compatible "Noir Soul" (haha) to inhabit the new vessel.

Over the course of many in-tourney events, including Noir learning to have faith in the sibling bonds he built with Gooey despite being Dark Matter at the time, learning to separate himself and Adeleine as individuals instead of clinging to her to his own neglect, privately opening up to King Dedede, who put the pieces together post-possession, about some awful stuff Noir put up with for years in secret from Raquelle's father (who privately loathed Neichel AND her kids and took it out on Noir) to "pay" for Adeleine's good life...

And lastly, using the power of wishes to interrogate if THIS Noir's true wish is to die and be free, to have never been born, to have had a normal "perfect" life, or if he simply wishes for a second chance to be with those he cares about... White-Haired Noir determines that Tourney!Noir is ready and reveals his plan to him. Noir confesses to him that he really does want to live and be with his family again and offers up his stronger soul for Susie and the gang's vessel.

-

Back in the main-verse...

The experiment is a success! They have brought, well, something back. It is not quite like Dark Matter Swordsman in form, nor is it exactly a human boy. It looks a little bit like a spiky haired-Gooey.

After some tense questioning of the emotionless, memoryless, unresponsive goo, it...suddenly seems to awaken. With the voice of a deeply shaken and scared young boy, the violet-eyed blob questions the mad scientist, cultists, and masked man surrounding him... Where the hell is he? And where are his little brother and sister?

Meta Knight welcomes Noir back to the world of the living.

Later, after Noir has time to dress himself in an appropriate scarf, Adeleine and Gooey are brought in and it is a happy and tear-filled reunion all around as Noir confirms that, while this form is strange, it's not dangerous and he's not in pain. He is then re-introduced to King Dedede, whereupon it's revealed that even though Noir likes him, he's still a snarky teen punk at heart, as he sasses the king horribly. (Dedede has gained another kid, but at what cost? XD)

...And that's it.

That's the ending to Apologies I've held onto for nearly a year.

For reading through all that, here is a short comic I drew a while back of the reunited family having a snowball fight in White Wafers.

-

(Not to unnecessarily over-explain the story but because the comic is a little vague, I have to tell you that no, Noir does not ever return to human after his revival. I meant it when I wrote in several places that their parting on Shiver Star was the last time they'd see each other "...in this form." This is merely meant to depict a moment in which Adeleine, seeing her brother alive and smiling and laughing and having real fun for the first time in so long, is able to imagine his old self smiling and is at peace that her brother is finally free from the hurt and misery he bore up with for so long.)

(...And yes, he has a long, silly tongue just like Gooey. Which is why he hides all but his eyes behind the scarf. Gotta keep up that cool older brother look even as a little goo creature! While Noir can't become human - frankly, he doesn't miss having a human body, given the stuff in his adolescence and being over-stressed, underfed, under-slept and just overall sick all the time in his later teens - he does eventually acquire the ability to shift into his old "Swordsman" form for short bursts of time.)

-

(Lastly, you might wonder how I could have had this exact ending in mind from almost the beginning when so much of it is tied up in recent posts like the tourney? ...Well, originally what was going to happen to allow Noir to be properly resurrected into the Dark Matter Goo body is that the Dream Rod from Star Allies was going to appear in response to a grieving Adeleine's wishes to see her brother again, bringing Noir-as-Swordsman back. At least for a LITTLE while, as it would be revealed that with Zero dead, Noir, who was entirely composed of Dark Matter at this point, couldn't survive on Popstar. Every moment he was there, his body was burning.)

(Still, he lasts long enough to have one final talk with Adeleine that helps heal him from the torturous events of DL 3 - in which we learn a highly disappointed Zero drove Noir to the absolute breaking point, shattering his mind and his newly regained soul. Adeleine also tells Noir she has finally realized everything he did for her during their childhood and apologizes to him for not seeing it before. With dawn on the horizon, Noir asks to look over Adeleine's sketchbooks with her before the end... He dies one last time, peacefully, while Adeleine finally gets to properly mourn him.)

(Then, all the "main-verse" sections proceed to happen as stated above!)

-

(...Okay, okay. One last thing. There was also an alternate ending planned where Magolor, taking advantage of the fact that Merry Magoland was built on a nexus point, finds a way to reunite Adeleine and White-Haired Noir - still a teen in this version - using his theme park as a union point, as special birthday gift for Adeleine.)

(I was kinda fond of this one for reuniting the timelines, but it opened up a lot of questions such as, if Magolor made it so that Noir and Adeleine from two different dimensions can see each other as long as they're both in Magoland, could others from the WH Noir-verse see the main-verse this way? It invited too many questions, so that's why I scrapped that one and just let White-Haired Noir grow up instead.)

[the-gaping-wound-of-christ]

the malkuth tarot deck (1/2)

[curatoroffiction]

Overprotective (Part 1)

Based off of this post It all came to a head with The Incident™.

You were frustrated, having just left Levi's room. You'd brought him a series that you thought he'd love, it was much more like some of the stuff he used to be into, which had heartbreak and drama, but you'd heard it had a good resolution, even if it was sad. But the second things started turning sour emotionally, he began to panic. And when he asked if you knew what would happen, and you said "I've heard about the ending, but I saved actually knowing it for you", you didn't expect what he did next. He stopped the show and took the DVD out. This started a long fight that you barely understood. Him being upset that you weren't 'taking care of yourself', and you being upset that he was trying to micro-manage what you watched! You even jabbed at him telling him that "Avoiding the sad stuff isn't healthy!" which only made him more upset. You didn't understand why, so you just left. You ran into Asmodeus, who started worrying about the stress you were visibly under. Stress isn't good for one's health. He first asked if you wanted to take a soothing bath with him, which you shrugged off, thinking that would be the end of it. But it wasn't. He kept badgering you to let him help you destress. It started very flirty at first... Until it became desperate. You continued to decline, and he became more worried, which caught Satan's attention. When Satan heard you were stressed out, several stress-related illnesses flashed through his memory and he became very serious trying to give you other options. If anything, their insistence on controlling another aspect of your life was making it worse. You were on the verge of exploding when Belphegor came around. You called out to him, but he turned right around and walked away. You frustratedly chased after him, but when you turned the corner he disappeared behind, he was gone. Instead, you found Mammon. With the shadiest bag of vitamins you've ever seen. No label, just some random supplement in a plastic bag. "You want some vitamins?" The sight would have made you laugh a week ago, but right now, it was just frustrating. "No! I want everyone to stop badgering me! And for Belphegor to stop AVOIDING me!" "Sounds like you could eat. Lemme cook you up something." Mammon was the one who was the best at reaching out. He'd been slyly learning how to cook on the side, so he could get more veggies and fruits into your diet. And the food he's learned to cook was really yummy. Begrudgingly, you accept, and he takes you to the kitchen, also giving Asmo and Satan a covert thumbs up. The two let him take care of you, seeing that your stress instantly began to melt at the idea of food. That is.. Until you got to the kitchen. Mammon begins pulling out veggies and fruit to make you a few dishes, but Beelzebub keeps hovering around to try to control your portions. No matter how much you told him it was insulting, he just couldn't bring himself to stop worrying. Mammon always makes you too much food, seeing as how he keeps trying to pack in the nutrients like they're going to culminate in prolonging your life indefinitely. Once again, you're pissed, and this time with new vigor. You finally storm out of the kitchen and out of the house, only to see Lucifer coming in from the walkway. And he's blinded by how dangerous it is for you to walk around Devildom alone. He tells you as much and you just shout "WELL I HOPE I DIE THEN, BECAUSE IT'D BE BETTER THAN THIS HELLSCAPE" while trying to brush past him in frustration. You didn't even mean the words, but no one had been listening to you and no one was giving you a chance to control anything in your life without supervision. They've been so controlling and so accidentally belittling, making you feel less-than, making you feel like a child in a house without love. Part 2

[front-facing-pokemon]

[existentiol]

something that pisses me off in RA is that Flanagan will occasionally hype up Pauline as this super important and prominent figure in Will’s life, even treat her as a proxy for the mother he never knew, and yet will just refuse to show it beyond the like. two or three (personal) conversations that they have in canon. I get that he was attempting to make her an important person in Will’s life but why not do that by actually making her an important person in Will’s life

[booasaur]

Ted Lasso - 3x07

Bonus: