Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Challenges for video communications in remote and rural communities

For Canadapsilas remote and rural communities, video communications provide a vital lifeline. This study explores the challenges for video communications in remote and rural First Nation (Indigenous) communities. Central to our analysis are social and technical issues as well as the ICT experiences of community-based organizations and community members. We use an analytical framework to identify challenges in four categories: technical infrastructure, the interactions of the users with the technical infrastructure, the production and reception of audio-visual content, and the organizational and social relations. Our findings underline the need for community capacity building to address these challenges and use video communications to its full potential.
Improving Distance Courses: Understanding Teacher Trainees and Their Learning Styles for the Design of Teacher Training Courses and Materials at a Distance.

Literature on distance education and teacher education seems to show that what we do not know about Distance Teacher Trainees 1 ( DTT ) and their learning process involved exceeds what we know about it. As more DTT enroll in distance education programmes globally, distance education providers and institutions will witness trainees coming with different backgrounds and experiences begin to take advantage of this learning opportunities. One important variable in the effectiveness of distance learning is the preference of the distance learner for a particular learning mode. A key to maintaining distance learners participation in learning lies in understanding the Learning Styles Preferences ( LSP ) and the processes involved. This is also true for teacher training. There is much greater variation in the range of LSP and how to address them when preparing distance training materials and courses. The primary purpose of this paper is to propose ways in which individual learning differences should be accommodated when designing instructional learning materials in print for DTTs. Kolb’s ( 1984 )model on learning cycle and styles are discussed to provide instructional design guidelines which accommodate each stage of the learning cycles and individual differences between DTT in processing and presenting information and knowledge. In addition, issues on teacher education, distance learning, individual differences, and ways in which the ‘differences’ can be accommodated when designing learning materials for DTT are also discussed. This paper resonates the idea and belief that if attempts are made to match learning styles of DTTs and andragogy with content to be learned, distance teacher educators ( DTEs )and instructors can develop better instructional materials with greater prospects of success. Getting to know and understand the teacher trainees and their learning process involved must first be addressed to facilitate the diverse needs of the Malaysian teacher trainees.
Real-time hierarchical scene segmentation and classification

We present an extension to our previously reported real-time scene segmentation approach which generates a complete hierarchy of segmentation hypotheses. An object classifier traverses the hypotheses tree in a top-down manner, returning good object hypotheses and thus helping to select the correct level of abstraction for segmentation and avoiding over- and under-segmentation. Combining model-free, bottom-up segmentation results with trained, top-down classification results, our approach improves both classification and segmentation results. It allows for identification of object parts and complete objects (e.g. a mug composed from the handle and its inner and outer surfaces) in a uniform and scalable framework. We discuss its advantages compared to existing approaches and present qualitative results. Finally, the approach is applied in an interactive robotics scenario to help the robot grasp objects in response to verbal commands.
Folding spatial image filters on the CM-5

This paper presents an efficient data-parallel algorithm for general convolutions, and compares its performance on the CM-5 to FFT frequency filtering. Sequential FFT filters are faster than sequential convolutions for windows beyond a very small size, typically 6/spl times/6 pixels. Our folded convolution algorithm shifts the convolution/FFT performance crossover to much larger filter sizes. For 256/spl times/256 images on a 512 node CM-5, the folded convolution is faster than FFT-filtering up to 36/spl times/36 windows. Results are reported for a naively implemented convolution, our folded convolution with default and optimized memory layouts, and FFT filtering using FFTs from the CM-5 scientific library (CMSSL). The data yield two important results: 1. Parallel convolutions on the CM-5 are faster than FFT filtering for a substantial and important range of window sizes. This is in contrast to sequential systems, where convolutions are more efficient only for very small windows. 2. Considerable performance gains are realized by folding the convolution and optimizing layout. <<ETX>>
METHADONE DOSE, PLASMA LEVEL, AND CROSS‐TOLERANCE TO HEROIN IN MAN

The development of cross-tolerance between methadone and heroin was studied in postaddict volunteers who had been drug-free for at least 6 weeks. Two methadone dose schedules were used; each was employed in six subjects. One schedule brought the subjects to a dose of 40 mg, while the other brought them to 80 mg of methadone a day. Subjects received injections of heroin (0.214 mg/kg) and placebo at various times before and during methadone treatment. Pupillary and subjective effects of injections were measured. Plasma levels of methadone were determined concurrently. Subjects on both treatment schedules developed an incomplete cross-tolerance to this dose of heroin. As the dose and plasma level of methadone increased with time, the cross-tolerance to all heroin effects increased. Plasma levels did not affect the development of cross-tolerance independently of methadone dose. The most important contribution to the cross-tolerance to pupillary effects was made by the duration of methadone treatment. Furthermore, the cross-tolerance to the subjective effects of heroin developed earlier than that to the pupil effect.
Feature point tracking based on RLS and MAP filter

Human motion tracking is crucial for many important applications. In this paper we propose an approach to human motion tracking from monocular image sequences. First, a system is developed for solving the occlusion problems. The system is based on recursive least square (RLS) and genetic algorithm (GA) that introduced a new way to eliminate occlusion. Then, in order to reduce the noise of position coordinates, the maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimator is jointed into the system. The tracking capability of proposed algorithm is proved. Experimental results on image sequences of different human motion, including walking and running, demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach.
Unsupervised deep semantic and logical analysis for identification of solution posts from community answers

These days' discussion forums provide dependable solutions to the problems related to multiple domains and areas. However, due to the presence of huge amount of less-informative/inappropriate posts, the identification of the appropriate problem-solution pairs has become a challenging task. The emergence of a variety of topics, domains and areas has made the task of manual labelling of the problem solution-post pairs a very costly and time consuming task. To solve these issues, we concentrate on deep semantic and logical relation between terms. For this, we introduce a novel semantic correlation graph to represent the text. The proposed representation helps us in the identification of topical and semantic relation between terms at a fine grain level. Next, we apply the improved version of personalised pagerank using random walk with restarts. The main aim is to improve the rank score of terms having direct or indirect relation with terms in the given question. Finally, we introduce the use of the node overlapping version of GAAC to find the actual span of answer text. Our experimental results show that the devised system performs better than the existing unsupervised systems.
[Heart failure as a predictor of functional dependence in hospitalized elderly].

OBJECTIVE Identify whether Heart Failure (HF) is a predictor of functional dependence for Basic Activities of Daily Living (BADL) in hospitalized elderly. METHODS We investigated medical records and assessed dependence to BADL (by the Katz Index) of 100 elderly admitted to a geriatric ward of a university hospital. In order to verify if HF is a predictor of functional dependence, linear regression analyzes were performed. RESULTS The prevalence of HF was 21%; 95% of them were dependent for BADLs. Bathing was the most committed ADL. HF is a predictor of dependence in hospitalized elderlies, increasing the chance of functional decline by 5 times (95% CI, 0.94-94.48), the chance of functional deterioration by 3.5 times (95% CI, 1.28-11.66; p <0.02) and reducing 0.79 points in the Katz Index score (p <0.05). CONCLUSION HF is a dependency predictor of ADL in hospitalized elderly, who tend to be more dependent, especially for bathing.
The Commodification of Self-Esteem: Branding and British Teenagers

This study explores the role of consumption in the lives of British adolescents, with a particular focus on its role in forming and maintaining self-esteem. Through a large qualitative study, over 100 adolescents revealed their attitudes and feelings toward consumption—particularly fashion. It was found that as a result of peer pressure and the importance of conformity among adolescents, consuming the correct possessions at the right time, is essential for social acceptance, gaining and maintaining friendships and thus self-esteem. This paper argues that self-esteem has been commodified. The consequences of failing to “keep up” with consumption trends were revealed; these include social exclusion, negative peer evaluation, and reduced self-esteem. Moreover, these negative consequences were particularly pronounced among adolescents from low-income families who, in contrast to their financial status, were eager to purchase the more expensive brands. Adolescents appear to have a striking awareness of the role of branding, advertising, and peer pressure in forming their consumption attitudes, yet they are unable to resist them. The findings from this study highlight the need for a rethinking of the more traditional components of adolescent self-esteem.
What is the Role of Intertextuality in Media Depictions of Mental Illness? Implications for Forensic Psychiatry

This article offers a practical account of intertextuality and its impacts on media portrayals of violent crimes by persons living with a mental illness. We analysed interrelationships across reports, on the same page, of violent crimes by two different individuals diagnosed with a mental illness. The materials were drawn from a practically complete, prospectively collected national sample of print materials (600 items). Reports utilised complementary understandings of mental illness as either pushing a competent person out of control or as associated with routine incompetence and violent criminal action. Three themes relevant to forensic psychiatrists were identified: patient rights versus public safety; community members — active or passive; and mental illness and agency. Photographs, texts and page layouts, rendered each depiction more threatening, enhancing perceived threats of violence and crime associated with mental illness. An appreciation of such interrelationships would appear to be necessary for more effective engagement with lay understandings of mental illnesses and media reports of violent crimes.
Neuroendocrine changes in sleep apnea

Purpose of review To review recent investigations examining the effects of neuroendocrine changes in obstructive sleep apnea. Recent findings Gonadal hormones have long been implicated in the pathogenesis of obstructive sleep apnea. Recently, exogenous testosterone has been shown to exacerbate obstructive sleep apnea, whereas hormone replacement therapy in menopausal women may be protective in obstructive sleep apnea. Effective treatment of obstructive sleep apnea with nasal continuous positive airway pressure has been associated with improved insulin sensitivity and testicular function in individuals with obstructive sleep apnea. Summary It is important to consider the potential development of sleep apnea in any patient who has an endocrine disorder or is receiving certain hormonal therapies. Effective assessment and management of obstructive sleep apnea with nasal continuous positive airway pressure may lead to a reduction in insulin resistance and hypertension as well as other markers of vascular risk in patients with metabolic syndrome.
Old age mortality and macroeconomic cycles

Background As mortality is more and more concentrated at old age, it becomes critical to identify the determinants of old age mortality. It has counter-intuitively been found that mortality rates at all ages are higher during short-term increases in economic growth. Work-stress is found to be a contributing factor to this association, but cannot explain the association for the older, retired population. Methods Historical figures of gross domestic product (Angus Maddison) were compared with mortality rates (Human Mortality Database) of middle aged (40–44 years) and older people (70–74 years) in 19 developed countries for the period 1950–2008. Regressions were performed on the de-trended data, accounting for autocorrelation and aggregated using random effects models. Results Most countries show pro-cyclical associations between the economy and mortality, especially with regard to male mortality rates. On average, for every 1% increase in gross domestic product, mortality increases with 0.36% for 70-year-old to 74-year-old men (p<0.001) and 0.38% for 40-year-old to 44-year-old men (p<0.001). The effect for women is 0.18% for 70-year-olds to 74-year-olds (p=0.012) and 0.15% for 40-year-olds to 44-year-olds (p=0.118). Conclusions In developed countries, mortality rates increase during upward cycles in the economy, and decrease during downward cycles. This effect is similar for the older and middle-aged population. Traditional explanations as work-stress and traffic accidents cannot explain our findings. Lower levels of social support and informal care by the working population during good economic times can play an important role, but this remains to be formally investigated.
Naturally-Acquired Immune Response against Plasmodium vivax Rhoptry-Associated Membrane Antigen

Rhoptry-associated membrane antigen (RAMA) is an abundant glycophosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored protein that is embedded within the lipid bilayer and is implicated in parasite invasion. Antibody responses against rhoptry proteins are produced by individuals living in a malaria-endemic area, suggesting the immunogenicity of Plasmodium vivax RAMA (PvRAMA) for induction of immune responses during P. vivax infection. To determine whether PvRAMA contributes to the acquisition of immunity to malaria and could be a rational candidate for a vaccine, the presence of memory T cells and the stability of the antibody response against PvRAMA were evaluated in P. vivax-exposed individuals. The immunogenicity of PvRAMA for the induction of T cell responses was evaluated by in vitro stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). High levels of interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-10 cytokines were detected in the culture supernatant of PBMCs, and the CD4+ T cells predominantly produced IL-10 cytokine. The levels of total anti-PvRAMA immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody were significantly elevated, and these antibodies persisted over the 12 months of the study. Interestingly, IgG1, IgG2 and IgG3 were the major antibody subtypes in the response to PvRAMA. The frequency of IgG3 in specific to PvRAMA antigen maintained over 12 months. These data could explain the immunogenicity of PvRAMA antigen in induction of both cell-mediated and antibody-mediated immunity in natural P. vivax infection, in which IFN-γ helps antibody class switching toward the IgG1, IgG2 and IgG3 isotypes and IL-10 supports PvRAMA-specific antibody production.
Research Statement Direction 1: Optimization-based Controller Design

The modernization of the power grid is driven by two major trends: the increasing penetration of renewable generation, and the integration of information technologies and advanced power electronics. The former trend introduces large, rapid, and frequent variations in power supply, making it costly to stabilize the grid. The latter trend creates a tremendous number of distributed endpoints such as smart buildings and appliances, electric vehicles, storage devices, and inverters that can sense, compute, communicate, and actively participate in power system control. The goal of my research is to exploit endpoint-based control to enhance power system robustness and efficiency in the presence of highly volatile renewable generation. My previous research focused on distributed frequency control, where I have established a theoretical framework for controller design and stability analysis in dynamic power networks. Moving forward, I aim to build an endpoint-based control architecture to overcome challenges from the decreasing inertia and increasing heterogeneity of future power systems, taking into account practical issues on information acquisition, communication, et cetera. The central approach in my research is to utilize and develop mathematical tools from control, dynamical systems, and optimization to interpret physical laws and improve engineering mechanisms of power systems. Combining this approach with empirical studies, I will cultivate a research program that thrives on foundational theories and rigorous analysis, and has a real impact on the power industry. In the future, the tools developed in my work can be adapted for more general networked control systems and cyber-physical systems, and hence make contributions to a wide spectrum of application fields.
Noise to extract independent causes

Noisy threshold activation functions are used to force sparse responses on the output neurons of an unsupervised neural network enabling the network to identify the underlying independent factors of visual data. The addition of noise into the network enables us to control the response of the network to the data so we can force only as many outputs to respond to the data as there are signi(cid:12)cant factors in the data. Noise is also used to modularise the response of the network so that factors with temporal correlation may be coded in the same module of the output space.
A rare case of pituitary chromophobe carcinoma in a dog: clinical, tomographic and histopathological findings

A 9 year old male mixed-breed dog was presented for progressive aggressiveness towards the owner. The neurological evaluation was consistent with a forebrain syndrome. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the brain revealed enlargement of the third ventricle and presence of a large spheroidal neoplasm in the sellar/parasellar region suggestive of a pituitary macroadenoma. On the owner request, the dog was euthanized. Histopathological examination revealed the presence of a pituitary chromophobe carcinoma. To the author’s knowledge, pituitary carcinomas have been rarely described in dogs, especially the chromophobe subtype.
Attribution Theory: How is it Used?

Attribution theory is defined as the way that individuals envision the success or failure of their own behavior or the behavior of others. This 4-page fact sheet explains how instructors, whether formal or informal, can use this theory in their learning environment to enhance their learners’ knowledge and comprehension. Written by Eric D. Rubenstein and Andrew C. Thoron, and published by the UF Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, September 2014. AEC498/WC162: Attribution Theory: How Is It Used? (ufl.edu)
Adaptativité et interactivité - Vers un système de vision comportemental

Current vision systems are highly capable but are too specialized and lack adaptivity. These limitations are due to the fact that we are still unable to build systems that would be adaptive and at the same time have high performances. In this article we describe the limitations of such systems and propose a behavioural vision architecture that despite not reaching the performances of the human visual system will be able to react and learn from any visual environment.
Stress Management and Coping Embedded in the Bhagwad Gita

People are living stress ridden lives, be it stress arising from occupations, career, relationships or finance. Thus they are suffering from various psychosomatic problems because of increasing stressors in life. With the advancement of psychological treatment and planning, we have many kinds of therapies available such as psychotherapy, behavior therapy, cognitive behavior therapy etc. But, our ancient scriptures like the Bhagwad Gita have already described our human day to day worries and how a man should tackle day to day problems. The Bhagwad Gita is a key to all worries and anxieties which was spoken by Lord Krishna in the battle of Kuruksehtra- Mahabharata. Bhagwad Gita shows practical and real life applications of ways to cope with day to day stressors humans face in their day to day life. This paper emphasizes basic understanding of the principles of the Bhagwad Gita and its application in day to day life as an effective tool for management and coping of stress.
DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE SERVICES FOR YOUNG CHILDREN WITHIN A SERVICE-INCLUSIVE SOCIAL CONTEXT

Providers of services for young children need to consider the diverse attributes of young children at distinct developmental stages in providing developmentally appropriate services within a service-inclusive social context. This review examines the broad concept of developmental appropriateness in terms of a system of concepts with the two dimensions of age appropriateness and individual appropriateness and relevant issues to provide researchers and service providers with operational guidelines and suggestions. Developmentally appropriate activities such as gestural representation, drawing, dance, musical expression, drama, and play are proposed to enhance the child’s developmental benefits. To conclude the review, a contextual perspective of provision and consumption of services for young children is represented graphically to depict the system in which crucial factors relevant to service provision and consumption interact within a service-inclusive social
Visual Learning Alters the Spontaneous Activity of the Resting Human Brain: An fNIRS Study

Resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) has been widely used to investigate spontaneous brain activity that exhibits correlated fluctuations. RSFC has been found to be changed along the developmental course and after learning. Here, we investigated whether and how visual learning modified the resting oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO) functional brain connectivity by using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). We demonstrate that after five days of training on an orientation discrimination task constrained to the right visual field, resting HbO functional connectivity and directed mutual interaction between high-level visual cortex and frontal/central areas involved in the top-down control were significantly modified. Moreover, these changes, which correlated with the degree of perceptual learning, were not limited to the trained left visual cortex. We conclude that the resting oxygenated hemoglobin functional connectivity could be used as a predictor of visual learning, supporting the involvement of high-level visual cortex and the involvement of frontal/central cortex during visual perceptual learning.