Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Meetings in Smart Environments: Implications of Progressing Technology

Meetings are often inefficient. They are numerous and unavoidable. If we look at the technological developments in this area we quickly see that along with the introduction of the microphone and the data projector, the execution of a meeting for the participants has become much easier. Yet there are still many aspects of a meeting that can be improved, where technology in its current stage has not contributed much. There is for instance hardly any technology that is able to autonomously interpret, or analyze, aspects of the meeting process. An automatic analysis of a meeting could provide valuable insights for both the attendants, as well as for those interested parties who could not attend. These insights hypothetically could in turn lead again to more successful meeting processes. It is, for example, often the case that one or two dominant participants can monopolize a complete meeting in a way that they make it impossible for others to contribute. Another example is that the argumentation that has been put forward and that led to a certain decision is often forgotten and lost, not to mention that during a discussion just one line of argumentation can be in the center of attention. It is investigated to what extent the latest technological developments can provide automatic insights into both, so-called higher-level meeting phenomena. To enable the automatic recognition, a descriptive and computationally accessible model has been created for the phenomenon of dominance hierarchy as well as for argument structure. Whereas the model for a dominance hierarchy did not require more than a ranking of the participants, the model that describes the argumentation structure requires interpretation of the individual contributions, as well as the knowledge of how to label contributions in the context of the discussion.
Initial application of reduced port surgery using the single port access technique for laparoscopic canine ovariectomy.

OBJECTIVE To describe the Single port access (SPA) laparoscopic entry technique for canine ovariectomy (OVE), report complications, and outcomes. STUDY DESIGN Pilot study. ANIMALS Intact female dogs (n = 6). METHODS With owner consent, 6 intact female dogs had SPA laparoscopic OVE. Data, including signalment, surgical time (from incision to completion of closure), size and location of port placement, need for conversion (both to standard multiport laparoscopy and laparotomy), as well as any intraoperative complications including blood loss or tissue injury were recorded. RESULTS Mean surgical time was 52.5 minutes (range, 45-60 minutes) and mean incision length, 1.8 cm (range, 1.5-2.0 cm). In an 18-kg mix breed dog (dog 3), a "single port rescue" was required and located on midline 2-cm caudal to the umbilicus. Close positioning of the trocars caused instrument interference, limited viewing, and prevented safe ligation of the ovarian vessels vein with a vessel-sealing device. OVE was successfully completed laparoscopically in all dogs. CONCLUSION The SPA laparoscopic entry technique can be used in dogs, although instrument and camera interference can occur if trocar placement is too consolidated within the initial skin incision.
Parametric Bayesian Filters for Nonlinear Stochastic Dynamical Systems: A Survey

Nonlinear stochastic dynamical systems are commonly used to model physical processes. For linear and Gaussian systems, the Kalman filter is optimal in minimum mean squared error sense. However, for nonlinear or non-Gaussian systems, the estimation of states or parameters is a challenging problem. Furthermore, it is often required to process data online. Therefore, apart from being accurate, the feasible estimation algorithm also needs to be fast. In this paper, we review Bayesian filters that possess the aforementioned properties. Each filter is presented in an easy way to implement algorithmic form. We focus on parametric methods, among which we distinguish three types of filters: filters based on analytical approximations (extended Kalman filter, iterated extended Kalman filter), filters based on statistical approximations (unscented Kalman filter, central difference filter, Gauss-Hermite filter), and filters based on the Gaussian sum approximation (Gaussian sum filter). We discuss each of these filters, and compare them with illustrative examples.
How do the victims respond to bullying

Reactions to harassment of victims of bullying were studied. One issue was, what kind of behavior on the part of the victim is likely to a) make the others start or continue bullying or b) diminish bullying or put an end to it. Altogether 573 pupils (286 girls, 287 boys) from 11 Finnish schools served as subjects: 67 of them (33 girls, 34 boys) were identified as victims of bullying. Both peer- and self-evaluations were used as methods of the study. Three subscales, describing counteraggressive, helpless, and nonchalant behavioral responses to bullying were established on the basis of peer-evaluations of the victims' behavior. Three different subtypes of victims (the Counteraggressive, the Helpless, and the Nonchalant) were identified. Helplessness and nonchalance were found to be typical responses of the girl victims, while boy victims tended to react to bullying with counteraggression or nonchalance. The victims' self-evaluations of their behavior supported these views. Helplessness and counteraggression in the case of girl victims and counteraggression in the case of boy victims were perceived as making the bullying start or continue. The absence of helplessness in the case of girl victims, and nonchalance as well as the absence of counteraggression in the case of boy victims were perceived as making the bullying diminish or stop.
Speech overlap detection and attribution using convolutive non-negative sparse coding

Overlapping speech is known to degrade speaker diarization performance with impacts on speaker clustering and segmentation. While previous work made important advances in detecting overlapping speech intervals and in attributing them to relevant speakers, the problem remains largely unsolved. This paper reports the first application of convolutive non-negative sparse coding (CNSC) to the overlap problem. CNSC aims to decompose a composite signal into its underlying contributory parts and is thus naturally suited to overlap detection and attribution. Experimental results on NIST RT data show that the CNSC approach gives comparable results to a state-of-the-art hidden Markov model based overlap detector. In a practical diarization system, CNSC based speaker attribution is shown to reduce the speaker error by over 40% relative in overlapping segments.
On the diagnostic properties of linear feedback shift registers

The authors study the relation between the length of the linear feedback shift register (LFSR), the size of the circuit (which defines the size of the fault list), and the quality of diagnostic resolution. They present an analytical model that is used to obtain a simple formula determining the fraction of faults that are uniquely diagnosed for a given circuit size and the LFSR length. The model is verified through extensive experiments on benchmark circuits. >
Development of a Modified Margaria-Kalamen Anaerobic Power Test for American Football Athletes

Hetzler, RK, Vogelpohl, RE, Stickley, CD, Kuramoto, AN, DeLaura, MR, and Kimura, IF. Development of a modified Margaria-Kalamen anaerobic power test for American football athletes. J Strength Cond Res 24(4): 978-984, 2010-This study examined a modification of the Margaria-Kalamen test for football players. The football stair climb test (FST) protocol used in this study increased the vertical displacement (20 steps, 3.12 m) so that the mean best time for the test was 2.048 ± 0.267 seconds. Fifty-eight Division I-A football players volunteered to participate (mean ± SD age = 20.2 ± 1.8 yr, height = 184.1 ± 7.7 cm, weight = 102.5 ± 19.4 kg). Subjects performed 25 trials with 30 to 40 seconds of rest between trials. Test-retest reliability was determined using 34 subjects by way of intraclass correlation coefficients with a value of 0.73 for peak power and SEM of 105.4 W, indicating an acceptable level of reliability. Subjects were divided into 3 groups by position: linemen (Line), skill, and linebackers (LB). Alpha level was p < 0.05. Peak power was 1674.5 ± 300.8, 1712.6 ± 251.5, and 1388.6 ± 210.4 W for the LB, Line, and Skill groups, respectively. Groups were significantly different (p < 0.0001), with the LB and Line found to be more powerful than the Skill group. Peak power continued to increase throughout the 25 trials in the Skill and LB group but plateaued after approximately 17 trials in the Line group. It was concluded that the FST was a reliable test for measuring peak anaerobic power in collegiate football players, which, theoretically, should provide more accurate measures of peak power caused by increased vertical displacement and longer duration, resulting in a decreased influence of cheating strategies during test administration. To achieve maximal power in stair climbing tasks, coaches may need to incorporate a greater number of trials or a more intense warm-up than has been previously reported.
Batch based Monocular SLAM for Egocentric Videos

Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) from a monocular camera has been a well researched area. However, estimating camera pose and 3d geometry reliably for egocentric videos still remain a challenge. Some of the common causes of failures are dominant 3D rotations and low parallax between successive frames, resulting in unreliable pose and 3d estimates. For forward moving cameras, with no opportunities for loop closures, the drift leads to eventual failures for traditional feature based and direct SLAM techniques. We propose a novel batch mode structure from motion based technique for robust SLAM in such scenarios. In contrast to most of the existing techniques, we process frames in short batches, wherein we exploit short loop closures arising out of to-and-fro motion of wearer's head, and stabilize the egomotion estimates by 2D batch mode techniques such as motion averaging on pairwise epipolar results. Once pose estimates are obtained reliably over a batch, we refine the 3d estimate by triangulation and batch mode Bundle Adjustment (BA). Finally, we merge the batches using 3D correspondences and carry out a BA refinement post merging. We present both qualitative and quantitative comparison of our method on various public first and third person video datasets, to establish the robustness and accuracy of our algorithm over the state of the art.
A Relational Encounter with Race

Race remains one of the most highly charged subjects of discourse in our society. At a cultural level, white racial identity has become dissociatively split off from the rest of identity formation. A racialized subjectivity is usually carried by those with darker skin colors, whereas whiteness is experienced as an unmarked and invisible state. The author argues that whites have dissociated the historical position of the oppressor from collective consciousness, due to our inability to tolerate an identification with the aggressor. Our disavowal of race as constitutive of subjectivity ensures that race becomes a site for enactments. This paper follows the transference-countertransference dynamics between an African American patient mandated to treatment and the author, a white analyst born in South Africa. The haunting presence of racial trauma infused the analysis. Focus is placed on the rich, often unmetabolizable experiences of race, including the ways in which the structure of the treatment recreated the racial dynamics of slavery.
Role of the Envelope Genetic Context in the Development of Enfuvirtide Resistance in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1-Infected Patients

ABSTRACT Acquired human immunodeficiency virus type 1(HIV-1) resistance to the fusion inhibitor enfuvirtide (ENF) is primarily associated with mutations within the highly conserved first heptad repeat (HR1) region of gp41. Viral env sequences, however, are remarkably variable, and the envelope genetic background could have an important impact on optimal expression of HR1 mutations. We have examined the genetic evolution of env sequences, ENF susceptibility, and Env replicative capacity in patients failing ENF treatment. Sequential plasma-derived virus populations, obtained from six patients initiating ENF treatment as part of a salvage therapy, were studied using a recombinant phenotypic assay evaluating the entire gp120 and the gp41 ectodomains. Regardless of major differences in the baseline ENF susceptibilities, viral populations with similar phenotypic ENF resistance (50% inhibitory concentration, >3,000 ng/ml) were selected under treatment in four of six patients. As expected, in all patients ENF-resistant viruses harbored one or more HR1 mutations (positions 36, 38, and 43). Interestingly, in five patients the emergence of resistance mutations was not associated with reduced Env replicative capacity. Phylogenetic analysis of env sequences in sequential samples from two patients showed that the HR1 mutations had emerged in the context of env quasi-species that were different from those prevalent at baseline. Thus, the envelope genetic context appears to play a critical role in the selection of HR1 mutations and the expression of ENF resistance, thereby conditioning the evolution of HIV-1 under fusion inhibitor selective pressure.
Research on Organizations and the Natural Environment, 1992-Present: A Review

The literature on organizations and the natural environment, published since 1992, is reviewed, with the purpose of determining if and what the contributions have been to strategy and organizational theory. The author performs the review at three levels—firm, industry, and organizational environment. Subsequently, he discusses empirical and conceptual constraints on the production of quality research and highlights research that successfully overcomes these barriers.
Invariant method of locating graphics objects in flat scenes

The proposed localization method for graphical objects of scene image is invariant to the illuminance conditions, scale, offset and rotation of the objects. The method is based on a vector representation of scene image and searched object. Model for building of object pattern and algorithm of its recognition are represented. Experimental results for real images are shown.
Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases Mediate Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 Expression in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Abstract—Expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 has been linked to the progression of plaque rupture and intimal formation in arterial lesions. In this study, we determined which factors and signaling pathways are involved in regulating the MMP-9 gene. Rat carotid arterial smooth muscle cells treated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-&agr; showed a marked increase in MMP-9 activity and mRNA level, whereas platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) showed a slight induction of the MMP-9 mRNA level. TNF-&agr; treatment caused an increase in c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), and extracellular signal–regulated kinase (ERK) activities, whereas PDGF treatment caused an increase in ERKs and p38 MAPK activities without any effect on JNK activity. Treatment with either SB203580 (inhibitor of p38 MAPK) or U0126 (inhibitor of the ERK pathway) downregulated the TNF-&agr;–induced MMP-9 expression in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment of cells with TNF-&agr; and PDGF together stimulated the MMP-9 expression at a level higher than that observed with either factor alone, suggesting that TNF-&agr; and PDGF have a synergistic effect on MMP-9 expression in arterial smooth muscle cells. Furthermore, suboptimal inhibitory concentrations of SB203580 and U0126 together almost completely inhibited the MMP-9 expression. These results suggest that p38 MAPK and ERK pathways contribute to the transcriptional regulation of MMP-9 in arterial smooth muscle cells.
The Effects of the Business Model on Object-Oriented Software Development Productivity

Unless the business model that governs software production adjusts to new technology, it is unlikely that an investment in the technology will result in real productivity benefits. Commercial development always takes place in the context of a business model, and in that context an understanding of how business constraints influence commercial software development is imperative. As software markets become more competitive and business pressures shorten software development cycles, improved software development productivity continues to be a major concern in the software industry. Many believe that new software technology, such as object-oriented development, provides a breakthrough solution to this problem. Unfortunately, there is little quantitative evidence for this belief. In this paper we explore the relationship between the business model and the productivity that a software development methodology can achieve in a commercial environment under that model. We first examine empirical data from several commercial products developed using object-oriented methods. The results indicate that object-oriented development may not perform any better than “procedural” development in environments that lack incentives for early completion of intermediate project tasks. We then model and simulate the impact of the software task-completion incentives and deadlines on the productivity that might be expected from a technology with high-performance potential. We show how and why some common business practices might lower project productivity and project completion probability. We also discuss to what extent poor software process control and (im)maturity of the technology compounds the problem.
Life in this Fat Body: Exploring the multiple realities of fat embodiment

This thesis is an anthropological enquiry of the fat body. It explores the narratives of eleven individuals in New Zealand and Australia who are fat, or who have experienced life as a fat person. In the midst of an ‘obesity epidemic’, biomedical narratives dominate public understandings of ‘obesity’ and present fat individuals as a picture of poor-health, as lazy and morally irresponsible. This discourse dominates current discussions of ‘obesity’ to the extent that narratives engaging with lived experiences of the fat body are frequently excluded from public discussion and popular thought. Using Annemarie Mol’s (2002) claim that reality is multiple, this thesis challenges this dominant discourse through a combination of personal narrative and photography. Participants were asked to take photographs and provide images that represent their experience of fat. Using their stories, I argue that understanding fat bodies is best explored through participants’ narratives of the multiple bodies they occupy and experience. My findings are used to challenge current representations of fat bodies in western society as I explore the multiple ways in which fat bodies are experienced, felt and negotiated. This thesis reveals that there are diverse types of bodies that emerge in different ethnographic moments, settings and relationships and these are political, social and embodied.
A new pressure ulcer conceptual framework

Aim This paper discusses the critical determinants of pressure ulcer development and proposes a new pressure ulcer conceptual framework. Background Recent work to develop and validate a new evidence-based pressure ulcer risk assessment framework was undertaken. This formed part of a Pressure UlceR Programme Of reSEarch (RP-PG-0407-10056), funded by the National Institute for Health Research. The foundation for the risk assessment component incorporated a systematic review and a consensus study that highlighted the need to propose a new conceptual framework. Design Discussion Paper. Data Sources The new conceptual framework links evidence from biomechanical, physiological and epidemiological evidence, through use of data from a systematic review (search conducted March 2010), a consensus study (conducted December 2010–2011) and an international expert group meeting (conducted December 2011). Implications for Nursing A new pressure ulcer conceptual framework incorporating key physiological and biomechanical components and their impact on internal strains, stresses and damage thresholds is proposed. Direct and key indirect causal factors suggested in a theoretical causal pathway are mapped to the physiological and biomechanical components of the framework. The new proposed conceptual framework provides the basis for understanding the critical determinants of pressure ulcer development and has the potential to influence risk assessment guidance and practice. It could also be used to underpin future research to explore the role of individual risk factors conceptually and operationally. Conclusion By integrating existing knowledge from epidemiological, physiological and biomechanical evidence, a theoretical causal pathway and new conceptual framework are proposed with potential implications for practice and research.
A Fast Mode Decision Algorithm and Its VLSI Design for H.264/AVC Intra-Prediction

In this paper, we present a fast mode decision algorithm and design its VLSI architecture for H.264 intra-prediction. A regular spatial domain filtering technique is proposed to compute the dominant edge strength (DES) to reduce the possible predictive modes. Experimental results revealed that the proposed fast intra-algorithm reduces 40% computation with slight peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) degradation. The designed DES VLSI engine comprises a zigzag converter, a DES finite-state machine (FSM), and a DES core. The former two units handle memory allocation and control flow while the last performs pseudoblock computation, edge filtering, and dominant edge strength extraction. With semicustom design fabricated by 0.18 mum CMOS single-poly-six-metal technology, the realized die size is roughly 0.15 times 0.15 mm2 and can be operated at 66 MHz.
Administering the Implicit Association Test in an Ecological Momentary Assessment Study

The Implicit Association Test (IAT) is widely used to assess automatic associations in memory. The feasibility of administering the test in an Ecological Momentary Assessment setting was examined with 15 smokers and 15 nonsmokers who carried a handheld computer for 1 wk. as they went about their daily lives. They completed the Implicit Association Test on the computer at random times 4 times a day and whenever they felt suddenly anxious. Overall, participants completed 80.4% of random assessments (M = 23.4 assessments). Nonsmokers initially exhibited a more negative IAT Effect than smokers. Over repeated testing, however, the IAT Effect of nonsmokers (but not smokers) became less negative, and the between-group difference disappeared. The data show that it is feasible to administer the Implicit Association Test in an Ecological Momentary Assessment setting, and that the IAT Effect can change with extensive testing.