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Revolutionizing Art Education: Leveraging Diffusion Models for High-Fidelity 360° Panoramic Image Synthesis in Immersive Virtual Reality
Get PDFThe advent of virtual reality (VR) technologies has revolutionized numerous fields, including education. This paper introduces the Diffusion Model Enhanced Panoramic Synthesis in Virtual Reality (DiffusionPSVR) framework, which leverages text-to-image diffusion models to generate high-fidelity 360° panoramic images designed for immersive VR educational environments. By combining generative diffusion models with neural style transfer techniques, DiffusionPSVR enables the creation of realistic and customized learning landscapes. In a study involving non-art major students, our framework enhanced their engagement and comprehension of artistic concepts through interactive and immersive experiences. The results demonstrate that the DiffusionPSVR framework not only improves educational outcomes but also advances the learning process by offering a dynamic and visually interactive platform
Diffusion models for generative artificial intelligence: an introduction for applied mathematicians
Get PDFGenerative artificial intelligence (AI) refers to algorithms that create synthetic but realistic output. Diffusion models currently offer state of the art performance in generative AI for images. They also form a key component in more general tools, including text-to-image generators and large language models. Diffusion models work by adding noise to the available training data and then learning how to reverse the process. The reverse operation may then be applied to new random data in order to produce new outputs. We provide a brief introduction to diffusion models for applied mathematicians and statisticians. Our key aims are (a) to present illustrative computational examples, (b) to give a careful derivation of the underlying mathematical formulas involved, and (c) to draw a connection with partial differential equation (PDE) diffusion models. We provide code for the computational experiments. We hope that this topic will be of interest to advanced undergraduate students and postgraduate students. Portions of the material may also provide useful motivational examples for those who teach courses in stochastic processes, inference, machine learning, PDEs or scientific computing
The volcano and the vampire: the case for a volcanic gothic
Get PDFThis article charts the cultural connections between the vampire and the volcano as gothic symbols. Covering the period between the eighteenth century – when increased volcanic activity on Etna and Vesuvius as well as the excavations at Pompeii sparked a cultural fascination with volcanos – and the publication of Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897), which originally featured a sensational volcanic ending, I argue that the volcano and the vampire become culturally interconnected and share much of the same symbolic coding and signifying power. Both threaten social orders and even civilizations through the destruction of human bodies, relationships, and property. Both are portals in time – sites where ancient horrors might be spewed forth to menace the present. And both produce uncannily petrified people, from the undead body of the vampire to the human remains from Pompeii. This article makes the case for the volcano as an important and previously overlooked gothic symbol, and for a Volcanic Gothic as a mode through which writers could articulate cultural fears
Association between visceral adiposity index and cancer risk in the UK Biobank cohort
Get PDFBackground:
The visceral adiposity index (VAI) is a marker of visceral fat accumulation and metabolic dysfunction, but there is limited evidence of its association with cancer. The objective of this study was to investigate associations between the VAI and both incident cancer at 23 sites and all-cause cancer.
Methods:
In total, 385,477 participants (53.3% women; mean age, 56.3 years) from the UK Biobank prospective cohort were included in this study. The median follow-up was 8.2 years (interquartile range, 7.3–8.9 years). The VAI was calculated using formula the published by Amato et al. and was categorized into sex-specific tertiles. Twenty-four incident cancers were the outcomes. Cox proportional hazard models were adjusted for sociodemographics, lifestyle factors, and multimorbidity counts.
Results:
Over the follow-up period, 47,882 individuals developed cancer. In the fully adjusted models, the VAI was associated with a higher risk of six cancer sites. Individuals in the highest tertile, compared with those in the lowest tertile, had higher risks of uterine (hazard ratio [HR], 2.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.76–2.49), gallbladder (HR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.26–2.66), kidney (HR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.18–1.64), liver (HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.00–1.56), colorectal (HR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.05–1.24), and breast (HR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.03–1.19) cancers and of all-cause cancer (HR, 1.05). There was no evidence of a nonlinear association between the VAI and cancer risk.
Conclusions:
The VAI was associated with six cancer sites and with all-cause cancer. The prognostic and etiologic roles of visceral fat accumulation and dysfunction in cancer warrant further research
From principles to practice: responsible implementation of emerging technologies through innovation dilemmas
Get PDFThis article explores the imperative role of responsible innovation (RI) in guiding the development and integration of emerging technologies within society. With technological progress rapidly advancing, it becomes ever more imperative to confront the complex ethical, social, economic, and environmental challenges that accompany these innovations. This research highlights the significance of RI practices, advocating for a principle-based approach to technology development. It asserts that such an approach, which is rooted in societal values and ethical standards, is crucial for nurturing long-term societal well-being and fostering trust in new technologies, as opposed to relying solely on rule-based technology development governed by regulations. Our analysis begins with the definition of each RI principle, followed by an exploration of its relevance in addressing innovation dilemmas. Our case studies involve various sectors, including artificial intelligence, connected autonomous vehicles, and quantum computing, to showcase the practical application of these principles in real-world contexts. Through these instances, we highlight the efficacy of RI in both mitigating risks and maximizing the benefits of new technologies. In addition, the article investigates the dynamics of implementing RI within organizational frameworks and innovation processes. It provides strategic recommendations for technology managers and policymakers on how to operationalize RI principles effectively, emphasizing the need for an adaptive approach that is responsive to the rapid changes in the technology landscape. The study contributes to the academic discourse by highlighting that proactive engagement with RI can lead to more sustainable and socially acceptable technology outcomes. Ultimately, this research underscores the importance of responsible practices in innovation, proposing that a principled approach to technology development is essential for fostering long-term societal well-being and trust in new technologies
'Neither here, nor there:' Riverscapes in films on migration
Get PDFThis article examines how visual representations of riverscapes in films on migration inform our understanding of displacement, identities, and border-making processes not only on people on the move but local communities as well. The analysis is informed by three films from different cinematic traditions, The Melon Route (dir. by Branko Schmidt, 2006, Croatia), Frozen River (dir. by Courtney Hunt, 2008, US), and Morgen (dir. by Marian Crişan, Romania). The article suggests that, in opposition to maritime environments, Mediterranean crossings in particular, riverscapes remain medially and scholarly less exposed and less examined sites of violence and death. Yet, cinematic representations of rivers, the artistic documentation of their transformation from natural to biopolitical, and often weaponised landscapes, introduce context-specific perspectives on globally shared experiences of displacement and loss. Finally, drawing from Diana Sorensen’s concept of epistemological locations (2018), the article suggests an alternative way of looking at the widely discussed notion of circulation within literary and cultural theory, usually understood in terms of movement, fluidity, and transmission. It argues that any discussion of circulation would benefit from consideration of stasis, and examination of complex reasons beyond impossibility of crossing, staying behind, and confinement within space, understood in both physical and ontological terms
Planning a European racial city: dealing (with) dread in 21st-Century Berlin
Get PDFIn this article I examine a participatory planning initiative in contemporary Berlin to propose a theoretical reflection on the entanglements between race and urban futures in the German capital. The promoters of the planning initiative aimed to solve the problem of drug dealing in an inner-city park. Motivated by no economic interests or concerns, they framed the problem they aimed to solve as the long-time residents’ dread of the figure of ‘the dealer’. The initiative ultimately gained broad consensus among residents, civil society and state institutions alike within an ‘affective economy’, which I call a ‘dread economy’. Such an ‘economy’, as I show, functioned as a cover-up device for race to remain the unspoken rationale of the initiative. Against the backdrop of Berlin’s liberal and progressive (self-)image, I phenomenologically interrogate the conditions under which racial conceptions could be the rationale of a popular planning initiative. I argue that the ‘dread economy’ went unnoticed—and was therefore effective—because it was predicated on a counterintuitive combination of cultural tropes belonging to two seemingly unrelated forms of racism—anti-Black racism and anti-Jewish racism. I then extend my argument by analysing three cases of twenty-first-century Berlin planning, in which various racial conceptions quietly shaped citywide planning visions. In my conclusion, I call for further critical analysis of relational articulations of race in shaping European urban futures, and for comparative research with settler-colonial and postcolonial urban regions where different (combinations of) racial conceptions may structure dominant visions of the future
Exploring the impact of gamification on engagement in a statistics classroom
Get PDFIn recent years, the integration of gamification into educational settings has garnered significant attention as a means to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes. By leveraging gamified elements such as points and leaderboards, educators aim to promote active participation, motivation and deeper understanding among students. This study investigates the effect of gamification on student engagement in a flipped statistics classroom environment. The findings suggest that gamification strategies, when effectively implemented, can have a positive impact on student motivation and engagement. This paper concludes with recommendations for educators, potential challenges such as superficial engagement and demotivation and future directions for research to address these challenges and further explore the potential of gamification in fostering student success
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