Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Feature-based object modelling for visual surveillance

This paper introduces a new feature-based technique for implicitly modelling objects in visual surveillance. Previous work has generally employed background subtraction and other image or motion based object segmentation schemes for the first step in identifying objects worthy of attention. Given that background subtraction is a notoriously noisy process, this paper investigates an alternative strategy by instead employing feature (SIFT [1]) clustering to characterise objects. The segmentation step is therefore performed on the sparse feature space instead of the image data itself. The paper also presents an application employing this idea for automatic detection of illegal dumping from CCTV footage. The Viterbi algorithm then allows robust tracking [2] of objects generated from the spatial clustering of these sparse foreground feature maps.
Mental Health Education: An Evaluation of a Classroom Based Strategy to Modify Help Seeking for Mental Health Problems

The current study assessed the impact of a brief psychoeducational intervention on participants' attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help. The 40-minute intervention focused on dispelling myths and stigmas associated with mental illness, modifying expectations about psychotherapy effectiveness, and providing students with information regarding treatment options. Compared to the control condition, participants in the classroom group showed significant improvements in attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help, as well as in some of their opinions about mental illness, for up to one month following the intervention. These finding suggest that the use of a brief, classroom-based mental health education program is a promising method to modify help-seeking attitudes and negative opinions of the mentally ill.
American Hegemony and Business Education in the Arab World

To what extent is American business education “hegemonic” in the Arab world? To answer this, the authors examine whether Lebanese people exposed to American-style business education share the values implicit in their textbooks and teaching resources. Finding evidence for such values among Lebanese business students and working people alike, they argue that American business education is not only externally dominant; it is also internally hegemonic in its influences on local Arab values. The authors examine the problems American hegemony causes in Arab classrooms and discuss how problem-based learning provides an alternative and more relevant learning experience for Arab students.
Design of single stage single switch switch mode rectifier based on equal area criterion

The family of power factor corrected (PFC) switching power supplies normally consists of two stages in the power circuit, viz. the input PFC stage and the output dc-dc converter stage. By integrating the PFC stage and dcdc converter stage using a single switch, the new class of power supplies known as single stage single switch switch mode rectifier (S4SMR) has been emerged. A major problem associated with the S4SMR is strong dependency of DC bus voltage stress with the output load. A design solution to avoid this problem is presented by suitable selection of boost inductor using equal area criterion (EAC) and by implementing closed loop control. Converter topology is selected in such a way that the input PFC stage is discontinuous current mode (DCM) boost converter and the output stage is continuous mode converter providing wide band width response. Analytical expressions are derived for boost inductance, critical inductance of output flyback converter, and voltage transfer function. Based on this a 100 W, 230 V, 50 Hz A.C / 50 V D.C S4 SMR was designed, fabricated and tested. Simulation results using SABER software package and actual test results are compared and analyzed. The problem of voltage stress was found almost eliminated.
Multilingual and Crosslingual Speech Recognition

This paper describes the design of a multilingual speech recognizer using an LVCSR dictation database which has been collected under the project GlobalPhone. This project at the University of Karlsruhe investigates LVCSR systems in 15 languages of the world, namely Arabic, Chinese, Croatian, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Tamil, and Turkish. For our experiments we used six of these languages to train and test several recognition engines in monolingual, multilingual and crosslingual setups. Based on a global phoneme set we built a multilingual speech recognition system which can handle five different languages. The acoustic models of the five languages are combined into a monolithic system and context dependent phoneme models are created using language questions.
Fluvoxamine augmentation of antipsychotics improves negative symptoms in psychotic chronic schizophrenic patients: a placebo‐controlled study

&NA; The efficacy and safety of adding fluvoxamine to antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenic patients with mixed positive and negative symptoms was examined. Fifty‐three patients selected for persistent negative and positive symptoms who were receiving antipsychotic treatment were randomly allocated to additional fluvoxamine (50‐100 mg / day) or placebo in a double‐blind manner. Fluvoxamine was associated with significant improvement in negative symptoms (Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms) compared to placebo. The combination was well tolerated. Fluvoxamine augmentation of antipsychotics is safe in chronic schizophrenic patients with mixed positive and negative symptoms and may ameliorate negative symptoms in such patients.
Soil organic matter estimation in precision agriculture using wireless sensor networks

In order to achieve the ever increasing quantity and quality demands for agricultural products, technological innovations must be explored. In most cases, low cost and high quality sensing options are a top priority. This paper addresses the problem of predicting soil organic matter content in an agriculture field using information collected by a low-cost network of mobile, wireless and noisy sensors that can take discrete measurements in the environment. In this context, it is proposed that the spatial phenomenon of organic matter in soil to be monitored is modeled using Gaussian processes. The proposed model then enables the wireless sensor network to estimate the soil organic matter field at all unobserved locations of interest. The estimated values at predicted locations are highly comparable to those at corresponding points on a realistic image that is aerially taken by a very expensive and complex remote sensing system.
A Scoring Procedure for Sex-Role Orientation Based On Profile Similarity Indices

This paper presents a scoring procedure for sex-role orientation that is based on indices of profile similarity reflecting how similar an individual is to androgynous, undifferentiated, masculine, and feminine sex-role types. Data is presented to show that the profile scores are reasonably reliable and consistent with a widely used typological scoring procedure in how sex-role types are defined. Because it yields continuous scores, the profile scoring procedure permits finer comparisons between individuals with different sex-role orientations and may therefore be useful in research in this area.
Self-esteem, Attentiveness, and Helping Behavior

False feedback on a personality test was used to pro duce temporary loss in self-esteem. Pilot data indicated a dif ference in self-reported explanations of failure to help; nega tive feedback subjects were significantly more likely than posi tive feedback or no feedback subjects to report not noticing an emergency. In the first experiment negative feedback subjects were found to be significantly less responsive to a white noise than positive and no feedback subjects. In the second exper iment, in addition to the feedback manipulations, half the sub jects were exposed to a helping situation in which the confeder ate called attention to herself by making a slight noise. The remaining half of the subjects were not exposed to a noise. Re sults indicated that the noise manipulation had no effect on helping in the positive and no feedback groups; helping was sig nificantly lower in the negative feedback group when no noise occurred.
Design of Subthreshold SRAMs for Energy-Efficient Quality-Scalable Video Applications

The design of embedded subthreshold SRAMs for a quality-scalable H.264 video decoder IP is presented in this paper. In addition to the conventional 7T SRAM bitcell, we adopted power-gating techniques and multi-output dynamic circuits in order to achieve a low VDDmin, a small area overhead, and a higher operating speed. A 256 × 32 90-nm SRAM macro was designed for verifying the proposed design techniques. The H.264 IP provides energy-efficient scalable video decoding of 42.8 pJ/cycle for QCIF and 235 pJ/cycle for HD720 at 0.3 V and 0.7 V, respectively.
A digital trimmable comparator for high precision ADCs in wireless sensor nodes

A new concept of a digital trimmable comparator for high precision analog-to-digital converters is presented. The rail-to-rail comparator structure leads to a higher resolution of the ADC compared to other comparator concepts due to its innovative mismatch cancellation. Conventional comparators have a discrepancy between the simulated resolution and the extracted or produced structure. Due to the presented bit-programmable trimming mechanism the mismatch problem can be significantly reduced. The new structure consisting of a comparator and a bit programmable delay is shown. This building block is suitable for low-power, high-precision ADCs with an LSB (Least significant bit) of only some hundred microvolts, which are frequently used in the receiving path of high performance wireless sensor nodes.
The bilocated mind: new perspectives on self-localization and self-identification

Does the human mind allow for self-locating at more than one place at a time? Evidence from neurology, cognitive neuroscience, and experimental psychology suggests that mental bilocation is a complex, but genuine experience, occurring more frequently than commonly thought. In this article, we distinguish between different components of bilocated self-representation: self-localization in two different places at the same time, self-identification with another body, reduplication of first-person perspective. We argue that different forms of mental bilocation may result from the combination of these components. To illustrate this, we discuss evidence of mental bilocation in pathological conditions such as heautoscopy, during immersion in virtual environments, and in everyday life, during social interaction. Finally, we consider the conditions for mental bilocation and speculate on the possible role of mental bilocation in the context of social interaction, suggesting that self-localization at two places at the same time may prove advantageous for the construction of a shared space.
Working-aged population's mental symptoms and the use of the Internet

The aim was to study how the working-age population's mental symptoms had a relation to the using of the Internet. In addition, the aim was to analyze how the mental symptoms had a relation to background information. The study was carried out as a cross-sectional study by posting a questionnaire to 15,000 working-age (18–65) Finns. Mental symptoms of responses (6121) were analysed using the model factors age, gender and use of the Internet. Only 0.06% mentioned that they were somehow addicted to the Internet. Based on statistical analyses, age and marital status had an influence on many mental symptoms. The use of the Internet at leisure had an influence on substance addiction and fear situations. The importance of the Internet only had an influence on the fear situations. In the future it will be essential to take into account that the use of the internet can affect mental symptoms.
Considering the Economic Value of Nursing

It is quite challenging to think about specifying the economic value of the nurse-patient process. What are the true costs and benefits of professional nursing and how do organizations view these costs and benefits? In this column by Marian C. Turkel and Marilyn A. Ray, a model called relational complexity describes a self-organizing pattern formed by the interconnections among nurses, patients (clients), and admini-s trators. The model of relational complexity, also referred to by the authors as a theory, was conceptualized through a grounded theory research project. The model shows concepts that help clarify the complexity encompassing nurse-patient relations within an economic context. Turkel and Ray describe some familiar ideas about nursing and human science and pose some unusual connections among ideas in describing their approach to creating the relational complexity model. For instance, many readers, especially nurses who work in hospital settings, may be familiar with the idea that restructuring initiatives around the globe have had a significant and sometimes negative impact on nursing practice. Unusual in this column is the way the authors synthesized and combined ideas from the human becoming theory, human science, complexity science, chaos theory, and grounded theory to develop the relational complexity model. Clarity about the relationship of these complex, and sometimes contradictory, belief systems will undoubtedly unfold when nurses ponder the important questions raised in the column. Turkel and Ray introduce provocative questions about the connections among nurses, patients, and administrators. For instance: How are economic theories and their consequences integrated into the nurse-patient process? What control, if any, do nurses have over their practices in hospital settings where profit is valued more than quality of care? How do nurses cocreate their realities and what meanings do they value in practice? If the practice of nursing is the practice of relatedness, how can administrators create systems that value this relatedness as a resource intimately linked to quality and success? This column is full of challenging points and points to be challenged. Each point deserves consideration and critique by nurses, administrators, and consumers of healthcare services. There is little doubt that healthcare is continuing to change and the delivery of service is continuing to move to the community, where new corporate interests will emerge and exert their influence on nursing practice with individuals and groups. The challenge of defining the economic value of nursing is certainly not limited to the hospital setting. As suggested by Turkel and Ray, nurses need to be knowledgeable about the complexity of coexisting systems and how they interrelate, since nurses’ choices will shape the meaning and the meaningfulness of nursing practice in an economic context.
Functional Dissection of Intersubunit Interactions in the EspR Virulence Regulator of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

ABSTRACT The nucleoid-associated protein EspR, a chromosome organizer, has pleiotropic effects on expression of genes associated with cell wall function and pathogenesis in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In particular, EspR binds to several sites upstream of the espACD locus to promote its expression, thereby ensuring full function of the ESX-1 secretion system, a major virulence determinant. The N terminus of EspR contains the helix-turn-helix DNA-binding domain, whereas the C-terminal dimerization domain harbors residues involved in intersubunit interactions. While direct binding to DNA appears to be mediated by an EspR dimer-of-dimers, where two helix-turn-helix motifs remain free for long-range interactions, the mechanism of EspR higher-order organization and its impact on chromosome structure and gene expression are not understood. To investigate these processes, we identified seven amino acid residues using molecular dynamics and replaced them with Ala in order to probe interactions at either the dimer or the dimer-of-dimers interfaces. Arg70, Lys72, and Arg101 were important for protein stability and optimal DNA-binding activity. Moreover, the Arg70 mutant showed decreased dimerization in a mycobacterial two-hybrid system. To correlate these defects with higher-order organization and transcriptional activity, we used atomic force microscopy to observe different EspR mutant proteins in complex with the espACD promoter region. In addition, complementation of an M. tuberculosis espR knockout mutant was performed to measure their impact on EspA expression. Our results pinpoint key residues required for EspR function at the dimer (Arg70) and the dimer-of-dimers (Lys72) interface and demonstrate that EspR dimerization and higher-order oligomerization modulate espACD transcriptional activity and hence pathogenesis.
Update on Ion Transport in Pollen Tubes Signaling with Ions : The Keystone for Apical Cell Growth and Morphogenesis in Pollen Tubes 1 [ OPEN ]

Pollen tubes (PTs) are one of the best characterized plant cell types in many respects. The identification of key players involved in tube growth offers the perspective of an integrative understanding of cell morphogenesis processes. One outstanding feature of PTs is their prominent dependence on ion dynamics to promote and regulate growth. Many reports have identified and characterized membrane transport proteins, such as channels, transporters, and pumps, as well as their regulatory mechanisms, some of which themselves are dependent on ions such as Ca and H. The signaling network that governs growth is based on a strict spatial distribution of signaling molecules, including apical gradients of Ca, H, and reactive oxygen species. A central role for ion homeostasis, and more generally membrane transport systems, is proposed to underlie the spatiotemporal establishment of the signaling network that controls the PT self-organization and morphogenesis. Here, we review the latest progress on understanding tube growth from the perspective of membrane transporters and ion homeostasis. The ongoing molecular characterization of the Ca-signaling pathways, as well as the recent identification of female external cues and corresponding receptors on the pollen that control growth orientation, offer a firm biological context to boost the field even further.
A framework for comparing processes of speciation in the presence of gene flow

How common is speciation‐with‐gene‐flow? How much does gene flow impact on speciation? To answer questions like these requires understanding of the common obstacles to evolving reproductive isolation in the face of gene flow and the factors that favour this crucial step. We provide a common framework for the ways in which gene flow opposes speciation and the potential conditions that may ease divergence. This framework is centred on the challenge shared by most scenarios of speciation‐with‐gene‐flow, i.e. the need for coupling among different components of reproductive isolation. Using this structure, we review and compare the factors favouring speciation with the intention of providing a more integrated picture of speciation‐with‐gene‐flow.
Elucidating the Role of Biliverdin Reductase in the Expression of Heme Oxygenase-1 as a Cytoprotective Response to Stress

Many types of enzymes in living systems use hemin as a prosthetic group to catalyze oxidation/reduction reactions or for the binding/transport of reactive molecules (e.g. oxygen). For instance, several cytochromes of the mitochondrial electron transport chain are “heme” enzymes as are the major drug/xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes of the endoplasmic reticulum, the cytochromes P450 (CYP or P450). The heme group of the P450s allows these enzymes to use redox chemistry to bind molecular oxygen and cleave the O-O bond, thus forming a reactive, high-valent oxygen species that can insert oxygen into otherwise stable carbon-hydrogen bonds of drugs/xenobiotics (White and Coon, 1980). The unfavorable thermodynamics of this type of reaction has caused the P450s to be likened to “catalytic blowtorches” (Schlichting et al., 2000), and the process is essential for the elimination and clearance of many lipophilic compounds ingested from the environment. Catalase is an important protective heme enzyme that is responsible for degrading N N
Developing a learning organization through management education by action learning

Explores ideas and issues related to management education and development for the new learning organization and presents an example of a course design for experienced managers who wish to make a considerable contribution to their organization and receive a university degree in recognition of their work. This MBA (Executive) course by action learning is a work‐integrated, learner‐centred, problem‐focused, interdisciplinary degree, designed on adult learning principles. It aims at organizational learning and development as well as personal and professional development of senior managers, who can upgrade their knowledge and skills and exchange their work experience and ideas with fellow executives in small groups. Invites readers to provide feedback and ideas.
Learning to Inhibit: Moving From Fable to Fact?

Kuhn and Pease (p. 279, this issue) provide evidence for a change in learning as a result of increasing executive control during later childhood. Although the ability to inhibit information that biases answers in a reasoning task may account for their findings, the opportunity to gain specific experiences and engage different strategies in approaching the problem merits further consideration. Exploration of the influence on learning of all of these factors should be undertaken in future research.
Leukodystrophies: recent developments in genetics, molecular biology, pathogenesis and treatment*

The combined application of recently developed techniques for genetic and biochemical analysis, neuroimaging and the ability to create animal models has led to remarkable advances in the field of leukodystrophy research. The present review focuses on recent developments in X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy, Alexanders disease, Canavans disease, metachromatic leukodystrophy, globoid cell leukodystrophy (Krabbes disease) and Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease, and briefly discusses new data on six other rare inherited leukodystrophies. Of the leukodystrophies, 12 can now be diagnosed precisely using noninvasive techniques, and the molecular defect has been identified in nine of these. Disease incidence can be reduced through genetic counselling. Presymptomatic diagnosis provides an opportunity for therapeutic intervention. Study of animal models facilitates elucidation of pathogenic mechanisms and identifies pathways that could be targeted by future therapies.
Nitric oxide synthase inhibition decreases pontine acetylcholine release

THIS study tested the hypothesis that inhibition of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the medial pontine reticular formation (mPRF) would cause decreased acetylcholine (ACh) release. Microdialysis of cat mPRF permitted measurement of ACh during states of wakefulness, non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. ACh release during microdialysis with Ringers (control) was compared to ACh release during microdialysis with 10 mM NG-nitro-L-arginine (NLA). The NOS inhibitor NLA caused a significant reduction in ACh released from the mPRF during wakefulness, NREM sleep, and REM sleep. This reduction in mPRF ACh release elicited by NLA suggests that nitric oxide (NO) contributes to cholinergic neurotrans-mission in the pontine reticular formation.