Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Large-scale, Fast and Accurate Shot Boundary Detection through Spatio-temporal Convolutional Neural Networks

Shot boundary detection (SBD) is an important pre-processing step for video manipulation. Here, each segment of frames is classified as either sharp, gradual or no transition. Current SBD techniques analyze hand-crafted features and attempt to optimize both detection accuracy and processing speed. However, the heavy computations of optical flow prevents this. To achieve this aim, we present an SBD technique based on spatio-temporal Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN). Since current datasets are not large enough to train an accurate SBD CNN, we present a new dataset containing more than 3.5 million frames of sharp and gradual transitions. The transitions are generated synthetically using image compositing models. Our dataset contain additional 70,000 frames of important hard-negative no transitions. We perform the largest evaluation to date for one SBD algorithm, on real and synthetic data, containing more than 4.85 million frames. In comparison to the state of the art, we outperform dissolve gradual detection, generate competitive performance for sharp detections and produce significant improvement in wipes. In addition, we are up to 11 times faster than the state of the art.
Efficient Approach for Compression in Data Warehouse

Data compression has become most requisite and necessary part of data warehousing as it helps in saving disk space and improves query performance as well. Different compression techniques exist at different levels and each type of compression is either best from query processing point of view or compression ratio. This paper focuses on lossless compression for relational databases at attribute level. Efficient compression techniques allow transferring more data on a given bandwidth. The proposed technique in this paper is used at attribute level by compressing three types of attribute (string, integer and date type) and the most interesting feature is that it automatically identifies the type of attribute.
Foraging Decisions by Eavesdropping Bats

The mating calls of male túngara frogs, Physalaemus pustulosus, attract intended (conspecific females) and unintended (eavesdropping predators and parasites) receivers. The calls are complex, having two components: a frequency modulated “whine” followed by 0-7 harmonic bursts or “chucks”. The whine is necessary and sufficient to elicit phonotaxis from females and the chuck enhances call attractiveness when it follows a whine. Although chucks are never made alone, females perceptually bind the whine and chuck over spatial separation. We tested whether an unintended receiver with independent evolution of phonotaxis, the frog-eating bat, Trachops cirrhosus, has converged with frogs in its auditory grouping of the call components. In contrast to frogs: bats approached chucks broadcast alone; when the chuck was spatially separated from the whine the bats preferentially approached the whine; and bats were sensitive to whinechuck temporal sequence. This contrast suggests that although disparate taxa may be selected to respond to the same signals, different evolutionary histories, selective regimes, and neural and cognitive architectures may result in different weighting and grouping of signal components between generalist predators and conspecific mates. 1 Published as: Jones PL, Farris HE, Ryan MJ, Page RA (2013) Do frog-eating bats perceptually bind the complex components of frog calls? Journal of Comparative Physiology A 199:279-283. Author Contributions: Jones designed the experiment, conducted the research and wrote the manuscript. Farris, Ryan and Page provided advice on experimental design and edited the manuscript.
Research in strategy–structure–performance construct: Review of trends, paradigms and methodologies

With rising unpredictability of the business environment, the strategyâ€“structureâ€“performance construct is being questioned afresh. But cutting edge research evidence is still difficult to come by. One of the possible reasons is that few researchers are adopting new and innovative methodologies. This paper carries out a paradigmatic and methodological review of research on the topic for the last 10 years after classifying published research into three broad categories of enquiry. The study finds that contrary to expectations, the logical positivistic/empiricist paradigm of enquiry into the one way linear causality in the strategyâ€“structureâ€“performance relationship was still the favorite among researchers and may explain the lack of breakthrough contribution of recent research. This paper makes a case for more research on the challenging two-way causality using innovative designs and archival data, and suggests some future directions for research.
Robust PCA micro-doppler classification using SVM on embedded systems

In this paper, a novel feature extraction technique for micro-Doppler classification and its real-time implementation using a support vector machine classifier on a low-cost, embedded digital signal processor are presented. The effectiveness of the proposed technique is improved through exploitation of the outlier rejection capabilities of robust principal component analysis (PCA) in place of classic PCA.
Chemotherapy alone versus endocrine therapy alone for metastatic breast cancer.

BACKGROUND Both chemotherapy and endocrine therapy can be used as treatments for metastatic breast cancer. OBJECTIVES To review the evidence and determine whether chemotherapy or endocrine therapy has the most beneficial effect on treatment outcomes (survival, response rate, toxicity and quality of life). SEARCH STRATEGY The specialised register maintained by the Editorial Base of the Cochrane Breast Cancer Group was searched on 16th September 2002 using the codes for "advanced breast cancer", "chemotherapy" and "endocrine therapy". Details of the search strategy applied by the Group to create the register, and the procedure used to code references, are described in the Group's module on the Cochrane Library. SELECTION CRITERIA Randomised trials comparing the effects of chemotherapy alone with endocrine therapy alone on pre-specified endpoints in metastatic breast cancer. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Data were collected from published trials. Hazard ratios were derived for survival analysis and a fixed effect model was used for meta-analysis. Response rates were analysed as dichotomous variables. Toxicity and quality of life data were extracted where present. MAIN RESULTS The primary analysis of overall effect using hazard ratios derived from published survival curves involved six trials (692 women). There was no significant difference seen (HR=0.94, 95%CI 0.79-1.12, p=0.5). A test for heterogeneity was p=0.1. A pooled estimate of reported response rates in eight trials involving 817 women shows a significant advantage for chemotherapy over endocrine therapy with RR=1.25 (1.01-1.54, p=0.04). However the two largest trials showed trends in opposite directions, and a test for heterogeneity was p=0.0018. There was little information available on toxicity and quality of life. Six of the seven fully published trials commented on increased toxicity with chemotherapy, mentioning nausea, vomiting and alopecia. Three of the seven mentioned aspects of quality of life, with differing results. Only one trial formally measured quality of life, concluding that it was better with chemotherapy. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS In women with metastatic breast cancer and where hormone receptors are present, a policy of treating first with endocrine therapy rather than chemotherapy is recommended except in the presence of rapidly progressive disease.
Taiwanese medical and nursing student interest levels in and attitudes towards geriatrics.

INTRODUCTION To investigate the attitudes of medical and nursing student towards the older Chinese population. MATERIALS AND METHODS A reliable and valid Chinese language version of Kogan's Attitudes toward Older People (KAOP) with 17 matched item pairs (34 items) was completed by 275 medical and nursing students. Descriptive data analysis was employed. RESULTS Participants reported slightly to have a more positive attitudes (Mean, 144.30 +/- 17.89) than those reported from studies in other countries (Jordanian: Mean, 110.6 +/- 21.79). Students who were females (Mean, 148.27 +/- 18.97), younger (Mean, 146.01 +/- 18.59) and studying nursing (Mean, 156.86 +/- 17.56) were more likely to have a more positive attitudes than older (Mean, 140.04 +/- 15.31), males (Mean, 140.47 +/- 15.93), studying medicine (Mean, 138.77 +/- 15.04). DISCUSSION Results show that students may have greater ambivalence attitudes on 10 out of 17 matched item pairs which provides useful information for faculty involved in aged care curriculum design. Working as a volunteer in the university hospital may increase students' interactions with the elderly and may positively influence attitudes towards the elderly.
Improving Preservice Teachers’ Knowledge and Application of Functional Behavioral Assessments Using Multimedia

Functional behavioral assessment (FBA) is an empirically supported intervention associated with decreasing problem behavior and increasing appropriate behavior. To date, few studies have examined multimedia approaches to FBA training. This paper provides the outcomes of a randomized controlled trial across three university sites and evaluates whether preservice teachers can learn the core features of the FBA process through short multimedia vignettes compared to a traditional method (i.e., in-person lecture with PowerPoint). Based on our previous research, we hypothesized that the multimedia group (n = 97) would outperform the traditional method group (n = 102). Results indicated statistically significant differences in FBA knowledge favoring the students who participated in the multimedia condition, F(1, 198) = 9.61, p = . 002, d = 0.45. Findings are discussed along with implications for practice and subsequent research.
Ecomorphological analysis of the astragalo-calcaneal complex in rodents and inferences of locomotor behaviours in extinct rodent species

Studies linking postcranial morphology with locomotion in mammals are common. However, such studies are mostly restricted to caviomorphs in rodents. We present here data from various families, belonging to the three main groups of rodents (Sciuroidea, Myodonta, and Ctenohystrica). The aim of this study is to define morphological indicators for the astragalus and calcaneus, which allow for inferences to be made about the locomotor behaviours in rodents. Several specimens were dissected and described to bridge the myology of the leg with the morphology of the bones of interest. Osteological characters were described, compared, mechanically interpreted, and correlated with a “functional sequence” comprising six categories linked to the lifestyle and locomotion (jumping, cursorial, generalist, fossorial, climber and semi-aquatic). Some character states are typical of some of these categories, especially arboreal climbers, fossorial and “cursorial-jumping” taxa. Such reliable characters might be used to infer locomotor behaviours in extinct species. Linear discriminant analyses (LDAs) were used on a wider sample of species and show that astragalar and calcaneal characters can be used to discriminate the categories among extant species whereas a posteriori inferences on extinct species should be examined with caution.
Fast algorithms for identification of periodically varying systems

The problem of identification/tracking of periodically varying systems is considered. When system coefficients vary rapidly with time, the most frequently used weighted least squares (WLS) and least mean squares (LMS) algorithms are not capable of tracking the changes satisfactorily. To obtain good estimation results, one has to use more specialized adaptive filters, such as the basis function (BF) algorithms, which are based on explicit models of parameter changes. Unfortunately, estimators of this kind are numerically very demanding. The paper describes new recursive algorithms that combine low computational requirements, which are typical of WLS and LMS filters, with very good tracking capabilities, which are typical of BF filters.
The Dynamics of Earmark Requests for the Women and Men of the US House of Representatives

ABSTRACT Data on the number of earmark requests made by men and women of the 111th House of Representatives provide a framework for predicting women’s substantive representation. Three main issue areas were examined: women’s health, women’s economic empowerment, and violence against women. Control variables for ideology, partisanship, race, committee member, and congressional tenure further clarify the relationship between gender and earmarks requests. These analyses of different categories of women’s issue earmark requests illustrated the complexity of women’s issues and the fluctuating effect of a representative’s gender on substantive representation.
Parental Optimism and Progeny Choice: When is Screening for Offspring Quality Affordable.

Three general classes of fitness incentives have been proposed for parental overproduction of offspring: (1) tracking environmental variation; (2) developmental facilitation; and (3) replacements for failed or defective members of the core brood. In one version of this last category, called the progeny choice hypothesis, parents are seen as creating an enlarged array of offspring from which a genetically superior subset is chosen for full investment. In the selection process, parents may eliminate the victims either through personal effort (filial infanticide) or by proxy (by allowing or even encouraging fatal sibling rivalry). Because the culling process is non-random, it can elevate average offspring quality. Progeny choice, however, is only cost-effective if the expenses of early overproduction (including elevated levels of sibling competition) do not outweigh the eventual upgrade in offspring quality. A fair competition within the offspring "arena" offers the greatest potential for discriminating on the basis of intrinsic quality, but may be overwhelmed by high costs of sibling rivalry. Conversely, while parentally managed competition (conferring handicaps to some and advantages to others) can discount those rivalry costs, it simultaneously diminishes the system's capacity for distinguishing good offspring from bad. Ceteris paribus, one would expect to find progeny choice mechanisms in species with cheap sibling rivalry, large cohorts of evenly matched offspring, and exaggerated variation in offspring genetic quality. Conversely, this class of incentives of parental overproduction seems least suited to taxa in which parents dole out marked advantages or handicaps to various concurrent offspring (e.g. asynchronously hatching birds). Copyright 1998 Academic Press Limited
An empirical exploration of mass interaction system dynamics: individual information overload and Usenet discourse

The large-scale adoption of computer mediated communication technologies has resulted in what has been described as "mass interaction": shared discourse between hundreds, thousands or more individuals. A number of theoretical papers have made the argument that because of the existence of various technological and psychological constraints, the forms that mass interaction takes, can be understood partly in terms of system dynamics. In particular, it has been suggested that user information overload results in nonlinear feedback loops which impacts on discourse structure. This paper describes an empirical examination of three hypothesized effects of such loops by the analysis of 2.65 million USENET messages posted to 600 newsgroups over a 6-month period. Statistical analysis of the data demonstrated the existence of the hypothesized effects and support the assertion that individual 'information overload' coping strategies have an observable impact on mass interaction discourse dynamics. This in turn suggests that the usability of computer mediated communication technologies can be examined in terms of group-level usability.
nergy efficient telemonitoring of physiological signals via ompressed sensing : A fast algorithm and power consumption valuation

Wireless telemonitoring of physiological signals is an important topic in eHealth. In order to reduce on-chip energy consumption and extend sensor life, recorded signals are usually compressed before transmission. In this paper, we adopt compressed sensing (CS) as a low-power compression framework, and propose a fast block sparse Bayesian learning (BSBL) algorithm to reconstruct original signals. Experiments on real-world fetal ECG signals and epilepsy EEG signals showed that the proposed algorithm eywords: ow-power data compression ompressed sensing (CS) lock sparse Bayesian learning (BSBL) lectrocardiography (ECG) lectroencephalography (EEG) has good balance between speed and data reconstruction fidelity when compared to state-of-the-art CS algorithms. Further, we implemented the CS-based compression procedure and a low-power compression procedure based on a wavelet transform in field programmable gate array (FPGA), showing that the CS-based compression can largely save energy and other on-chip computing resources. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. ield programmable gate array (FPGA)
Development and test of Nb/sub 3/Sn cos-theta dipoles based on PIT strands

Fermilab is involved in the development of new generation high-field accelerator magnets using state-of-the-art Nb/sub 3/Sn strands produced using different technologies. Two 1-m long models-mirror configuration and dipole magnet-were fabricated recently at Fermilab based on powder-in-tube (PIT) Nb/sub 3/Sn strands with small effective filament size. This paper describes the parameters of superconducting strands and cable, the details of magnet design and fabrication procedure, and reports the results of PIT coil testing.
Ieee Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence Comprehensive Use of Curvature for Robust and Accurate Online Surface Reconstruction

—Interactive real-time scene acquisition from hand-held depth cameras has recently developed much momentum, enabling applications in ad-hoc object acquisition, augmented reality and other fields. A key challenge to online reconstruction remains error accumulation in the reconstructed camera trajectory, due to drift-inducing instabilities in the range scan alignments of the underlying iterative-closest-point (ICP) algorithm. Various strategies have been proposed to mitigate that drift, including SIFT-based pre-alignment, color-based weighting of ICP pairs, stronger weighting of edge features, and so on. In our work, we focus on surface curvature as a feature that is detectable on range scans alone and hence does not depend on accurate multi-sensor alignment. In contrast to previous work that took curvature into consideration, however, we treat curvature as an independent quantity that we consistently incorporate into every stage of the real-time reconstruction pipeline, including densely curvature-weighted ICP, range image fusion, local surface reconstruction, and rendering. Using multiple benchmark sequences, and in direct comparison to other state-of-the-art online acquisition systems, we show that our approach significantly reduces drift, both when analyzing individual pipeline stages in isolation, as well as seen across the online reconstruction pipeline as a whole.
Chemotherapy response evaluation with FDG-PET in patients with colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the value of F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) for early assessment of chemotherapy response in patients with advanced colorectal cancer. METHODS Dynamic FDG-PET was carried out before and at 2 (n = 50) and 6 months (n = 19) after the start of treatment. Quantitative Patlak analysis [metabolic rate of glucose (MRGlu)] and a simplified method to measure glucose metabolism [standardized uptake value (SUV)] were evaluated. The predictive value of changes in glucose metabolism was assessed with Cox proportional regression analysis. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were calculated using Kaplan-Meier estimates. RESULTS There was an increase in the rates of death (P = 0.049 for DeltaMRGlu PET1-2; P = 0.017 for DeltaSUV PET1-2; P = 0.032 for DeltaMRGlu PET1-3; P = 0.048 for DeltaSUV PET1-3) and progression (P = 0.026 for DeltaMRGlu PET1-2; P = 0.035 for DeltaSUV PET1-2; P = 0.041 for DeltaMRGlu PET1-3; P = 0.081 for DeltaSUV PET1-3) associated with worse response as assessed by PET on Cox proportional regression analysis. The OS and PFS analysis showed a significant predictive value at broad ranges of DeltaMRGlu and DeltaSUV cut-off levels. CONCLUSION The degree of chemotherapy-induced changes in tumor glucose metabolism is highly predictive for patient outcome. The use of FDG-PET for therapy monitoring seems clinically feasible since simplified methods (SUV) are sufficiently reliable.
Decision analysis of prophylactic mastectomy and oophorectomy in BRCA1-positive or BRCA2-positive patients.

PURPOSE Young Ashkenazi Jewish women or those from high-risk families who test positive for BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutant genes have a significant risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer by the age of 70 years. Many question whether they should have prophylactic surgical procedures, ie, bilateral mastectomy and/or oophorectomy. METHODS A Markov model was developed to determine the survival, quality of life, and cost-effectiveness of prophylactic surgical procedures. The probabilities of developing breast and ovarian cancer were based on literature review among women with the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene and mortality rates were determined from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data for 1973 to 1992. The costs for hospital and ambulatory care were estimated from Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) payments in 1995, supplemented by managed care and fee-for-service data. Utility measures for quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were explicitly determined using the time-trade off method. Estimated risks for breast and ovarian cancer after prophylactic surgeries were obtained from the literature. RESULTS For a 30-year-old woman, according to her cancer risks, prophylactic oophorectomy improved survival by 0.4 to 2.6 years; mastectomy, by 2.8 to 3.4 years; and mastectomy and oophorectomy, by 3.3 to 6.0 years over surveillance. The QALYs saved were 0.5 for oophorectomy and 1.9 for the combined procedures in the high-risk model. Prophylactic surgeries were cost-effective compared with surveillance for years of life saved, but not for QALYs. CONCLUSION Among women who test positive for a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation, prophylactic surgery at a young age substantially improves survival, but unless genetic risk of cancer is high, provides no benefit for quality of life. Prophylactic surgery is cost-effective for years of life saved compared with other medical interventions that are deemed cost-effective.
Analysis of Risk Factors for Abnormal Pulmonary Function in Pediatric Cancer Survivors

Childhood cancer survivors are at increased risk for pulmonary‐related morbidity and mortality. The Children's Oncology Group Long‐Term Follow‐Up (COG‐LTFU) guidelines recommend pulmonary function testing after treatment with bleomycin, busulfan, carmustine, lomustine, thoracic radiation, bone marrow transplant, or pulmonary surgery. The aim of this analysis was to determine the prevalence of pulmonary function abnormalities in a pediatric survivor cohort.