Reviewerly/exHarmony huggingface dataset:
Residual Neural Networks for Human Action Recognition from RGB-D Videos

Recently, the RGB-D based Human Action Recognition (HAR) has gained significant research attention due to the provision of complimentary information by different data modalities. However, the current models have experienced still unsatisfactory results due to several problems including noises and view point variations between different actions. To sort out these problems, this paper proposes two new action descriptors namely Modified Depth Motion Map (MDMM) and Spherical Redundant Joint Descriptor (SRJD). MDMM eliminates the noises from depth maps and preserves only the action related information. Further SRJD ensures resilience against view point variations and reduces the misclassifications between different actions with similar view properties. Further, to maximize the recognition accuracy, standard deep learning algorithm called as Residual Neural Network (ResNet) is used to train the system through the features extracted from MDMM and SRJD. Simulation experiments prove that the multiple data modalities are better than single data modality. The proposed approach was tested on two public datasets namely NTURGB+D dataset and UTD-MHAD dataset. The testing results declare that the proposed approach is superior to the earlier HAR methods. On an average, the proposed system gained an accuracy of 90.0442% and 92.3850% at Cross-subject and Cross-view validations respectively.
A Case Study of Transformative Learning of Autobiography Class Participants at a Government-sponsored Seniors' Job Program

This study is a qualitative case study that explores the context of life and transition learning of elderly learners in the autobiography writing program. The study participants were nine people who participated in the 12-time elderly autobiography writing program held at B Welfare Center in A City from September to November 2022. The researcher collected and analyzed handwritten books and individual interview data of research participants while participating in the autobiography writing program. As a result of the study, it was possible to confirm the case of conversion learning in the process of changing perspectives in the life of the study participants and conducting an autobiography writing program. Participants participated in the autobiography writing program in a non-voluntary situation, but through active communication with other participants, they reflected on their thoughts and lives and listened to other people's lives with an open mind. In this process, changes in perception occurred, finding the meaning of life experiences that have passed and showing an attitude to plan for the future life with a more open and receptive attitude. This study aims to emphasize the significance of the elderly autobiography writing program for low-educated elderly learners and the importance of writing elderly autobiographies in terms of lifelong education.
Analysis of the contents of the University Textbooks for the Childcare Practice

Objectives The purposes of this study is to analyze ‘childcare practice’ university textbooks and provide them as basic data for writing university textbooks to strengthen the expertise of prospective childcare teachers.&#x0D; Methods To this end, a total of 19 books of childcare practice university textbooks published from August 2016 to February 2023, when the qualification standards for childcare teachers were revised, were collected. The collected textbooks were analyzed by subject matter and sub-subject of university textbooks by compared using a taxonomic system analysis. In addition, before and after the 2019 revised Nuri curriculum was compared and analyzed to see if the philosophy of the current curriculum was reflected. The analysis data was analyzed with frequency using the Excel program.&#x0D; Results First, the contents of childcare practice university textbooks were “preparation for childcare practice,” “basic contents for childcare practice,” “implementation of childcare practice (6 weeks), ”evaluation of childcare practice,” “follow-up management of childcare practice,” and “other.” Second, in the content of each textbook, the proportion of the content of each textbook was very different. Third, the frequency of content changed before and after the 2019 revised Nuri curriculum. In particular, it was confirmed that the content of play, play support, and observation emphasized in the revised Nuri curriculum increased.&#x0D; Conclusions Through these results, the basic foundation was laid for presenting the direction of writing university textbooks for childcare practice subjects.
Productivity Improvement Strategy Using DX for Japanese Small and Medium Manufacturing Companies

Purpose: Digital technologies, which have played a major role in driving the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, are now not only a means of maximizing their competitiveness to small and medium manufacturing companies, but also use them to deepen their ties with related parties such as producers, suppliers, and consumers. Therefore, these digital technologies make it possible to create new values and higher values for small and medium manufacturing companies in Japan today. The purpose of this paper is to focus on what is the fundamental purpose of promoting digital transformation by small and medium Japanese manufacturing companies in recent years, and what are the effects of promoting such digital transformation. In addition, the characteristic that appears in the process of developing digital transformation by introducing such digital technology to its management activities is to analyze cases using the operation model of digital transformation.&#x0D; Research design, data, and methodology: Based on previous studies so far, this study presents a DX operation analysis model of Japanese small and medium manufacturing companies to identify and analyze the characteristics of Japanese small and medium manufacturing companies’ introduction and operation of DX in their production activities, and focuses on the cases of small and medium manufacturing companies corresponding to the three types in such models.&#x0D; Results: In order to enable Japanese small and medium manufacturing companies to develop production activities suitable for the new digital era amid rapidly changing environmental changes in the era of the 4th industrial revolution, above all, a change in the business model is required to maximize the productivity and added value of their products. Through the DX operation cases of small and medium manufacturing companies in Japan, we were able to see how effectively and efficiently they are coping with the challenges related to productivity improvement and technology succession, which were their ultimate problems, by using digital technologies such as IoT, AI, big data, and cloud.&#x0D; Implications: Since the problem of low birth rate and aging population is emerging as a serious social problem in Korea, the technology succession problem related to the manufacture of molds by skilled engineers in Japanese small and medium manufacturing companies is thought to be a phenomenon that may soon occur in Korea. Therefore, the various DX operation cases of small and medium manufacturing industries in Japan have great implications for small and medium manufacturing companies in Korea.
Exploring the use of eye tracking for the Multimodal Literacy of Struggling Readers

Purpose: This study explored the possibility of using an eye-tracking device to study the multimodal literacy of struggling readers.&#x0D; Methods: For this purpose, literature on how multimodal texts are handled in the education plan for struggling readers was reviewed, and the researchers examined how multimodal literacy has been reviewed in studies of Korean language education using current eye tracking devices.&#x0D; Results: In the current eye tracking research, there were few studies that focused on the struggling readers, and among the eye tracking indicators, data related to fixation was mainly used. The results of this study indicate that rather than solely drawing upon quantitative data derived through tracking in the moment, the focus on utilizing qualitative data derived from this, such as post-reading examination for oral statements has validity.&#x0D; Conclusion: The study revealed that there is a need to closely explore several aspects of the reading of multi-modal texts by poor readers, and when using eye tracking devices, it is necessary to consider the characteristics of struggling readers and explore their reading processes.
UAV Vehicle Detection Method and Application Based on Improved TOOD

In the intelligent management of city traffic, the object detection of UAV vehicles plays a crucial role. Fixed-view cameras cannot comprehensively monitor urban road traffic, and using the flexibility and wide-area view of UAV can supplement the monitoring range of fixed cameras, improve intelligent traffic management and enhance urban traffic management efficiency. However, the limited resources of the UAV load platform and the unique viewpoint and flexibility of UAV imaging lead to image degradation and uneven sample distribution. To address these problems, a UAV vehicle obejct detection method based on TOOD was proposes in this study, where we use a lightweight network, RegNet-800M, as the feature extraction backbone network to reduce computational overhead and improve feature extraction. At the same time, we incorporate an attention mechanism module based on RegNet-800M to optimize the information processing capability of the model through both spatial and channel dimensions. The results show that the proposed method achieves an average accuracy of 55% and a detection speed of 31.6 FPS on the VisDone-2019 subset, and by balancing accuracy and speed, the method meets real-time standards and practical industry requirements.
GoGoHand+: Designing Haptic Feedback to Enhance the GoGoHand Interaction Technique

This paper investigates the use of haptic feedback in the GoGoHand technique for intuitive virtual object manipulation in virtual reality (VR). Our study explores the impact of haptic design on enhancing body ownership and assesses the effectiveness of haptic feedback. A haptic design pattern and hardware implementation are proposed, providing feedback based on users’ arm and hand movement. We conduct a design workshop to identify design dimensions for haptic feedback and implemented design examples to demonstrate their effectiveness. These findings inform the design of haptic feedback systems for immersive 3D virtual interaction, enhancing the embodiment of VR users.
A qualitative research on the educational practice experience of non-college of education students

Objectives This study attempted to examine the experiences of educational practice and meanings of pre-service teachers who were not from the College of Education, which had a large proportion in the teacher training process but lacked interest.&#x0D; Methods To this end, in-depth interviews were conducted with five pre-service teachers who are currently completing teaching courses to become teachers after graduating from college, not from the College of Education at University A in Seoul.&#x0D; Results The study participants evaluated their career and simulated instruction focusing on interaction with students rather than a broad perspective on the overall teaching profession. And they were embarrassed to see the unexpected school field due to a lack of sufficient learning and experience in the teaching process, and negatively perceived theory-oriented teaching subjects. In addition, the study participants were not from the College of Education, so they overcame the problem by themselves because they did not have colleagues or advisors to help them with the problem that occurred in the process of completing the teaching process. And in the difficult process of completing the major and teaching profession together, the study participants recognized that they were not an expert in both the major and teaching profession. However, the background that the study participants were not a college of education served as an opportunity to cherish students more in the educational practice process, and they also had a positive experience in which major knowledge became their own specialty.&#x0D; Conclusions Based on these research results, the meaning of educational practice experience was discussed, and implications for improving educational practice and teaching completion process were proposed.
Nursing college student's experience in virtual reality(VR) simulating nursing practice: Q methodological approach

Objectives The purpose of this study was to understand the characteristics of nursing students by type, provide evidence for improving the quality of nursing education and developing programs, and present strategies for practical education development by examining and categorizing the structure of nursing students' perception of virtual reality(VR)-based nursing practice experiences through Q methodology.&#x0D; Methods In order to form a method Q population, a literature review related to VR based simulation nursing practice was conducted after making nursing students write thoughts and feelings about virtual reality based simulation nursing practice experiences. Based on the results derived through this, a total of 34 Q statements were extracted through the work of selecting duplicate or ambiguous sentences. The Q sample statement was classified into a normal distribution table on a 9-point scale by 41 nursing students, and the data collected through this were analyzed using the pc-QUANAL program.&#x0D; Results As a result of the analysis of the results, four types of VR based simulation nursing practice experienced by nursing students were identified. The first type was VR experience curiosity type, the second type was the nursing knowledge lack awareness type, the third type was the practice content self-reflection type, and the fourth type was the desire type for various clinical experiences.&#x0D; Conclusions Through this study, it is believed that VR media can be used as basic data for the development of educational programs that can be effectively used in nursing practice and the development of educational media to help them grow as practical experts.
Problems of Personal Communication Using a European Language Among Sudanese Immigrants in Application to the English Language

This study aimed to show the problems faced by the sample members when they carried out personal communication using English, one of the European languages spoken by the countries hosting Sudanese immigrants. The quantitative and qualitative approaches were applied, and the questionnaire was distributed to the selected sample, which numbered 100 people. The most important findings are that most of the study sample's ages ranged between 35 and less than 45, and this category is classified as one of the active groups that can integrate into the indigenous societies in the host country. University degree holders form the highest percentage among the study sample, among them doctors and engineers, and most of them believe that communicating with others using the language of the host country is important. Their presence in the host country led nearly half of the study sample to strongly agree that learning the language in their country helped form a building block for learning the language in the host country, and nearly three-quarters of the sample believe that the solution to communication problems with others is speaking in English and minimizing speaking to Arabic speakers. This study recommends the necessity of carrying out more studies in this field due to its scarcity and the consideration of different angles in this study, especially since the number of immigrants from Sudan is on the rise due to many circumstances, including political, economic, social, and security. Using relevant authorities for such studies and implementing their findings and recommendations, which have led to many solutions to problems in this field.
The Application of Drone Technology in Micro-Watershed Evaluation

The application of drone technology in micro-watershed evaluation in Sub- Saharan Africa may potentially attract sustainable management of watersheds and limit practices that encourage pollution, erosion, flooding, deforestation and afforestation, among others. This paper employs data from literature sources to establish the significance of adopting drone application technology in the evaluation of micro-watersheds in Kenya to discourage the alteration of the specified ecosystems and enhance their general functioning. Of the reviewed literature, 80% sources were from developed nations; and 20% were from developing countries. The results suggest that the application of drones in micro-watershed evaluation has a wide range of benefits; including the provision of real time assessment, offering comprehensive visual information, enhancing agricultural productivity, enhancing decision-making capabilities; promoting optimal and sustainable utilization of resources; promoting improved food security and socio-economic wellbeing; attracting cost effectiveness; fostering innovation; promoting efficient data collection; reducing crop and environmental damages; ensuring controlled utilization of agricultural inputs; and the provision of accurate data, large amount of data, and real-time data. Moreover, the application of drones in micro-watersheds ensures unlimited coverage, high accuracy and speed; endurance and controlled range; and replicability and availability. The results conclude that drones are useful, reliable and effective in the evaluation of micro-watersheds, and may thus protect watersheds from being altered.
A study on the narrative technique of ‘peeping’ and ‘eavesdropping’ in Korean long piece novel

The object of this study is to discuss function and effects of the narrative technique of ‘peeping’ and ‘eavesdropping’ in Korean long piece novel. In order to facilitate the study, the aspects of narrative, function and effects of ‘peeping’ and ‘eavesdropping’ in Sohyunseongrok, Youhyogon-gseonhengrok, Youssisamdaerok, Hyunmongssangyongki, Jossisamdaerok, Seonghyungongsukyeolki, Imssisamdaerok are discussed. Those novels belongs to a subtype of Korean Long piece novel, Samdaerok long piece novel. First, the narrative aspects of ‘peeping’ and ‘eavesdropping’ in Korean long piece novel are divided into catalyst narrative of captivation and lovesick, catalyst narrative of conspiracy and misunderstanding, catalyst narrative of settlement and disillusion and catalyst narrative of relief and laughter in respect of situation, subject, object and its result. Furthermore, their characteristics are analyzed. The narrative technique of ‘peeping’ and ‘eavesdropping’ in Korean long piece novel accelerates or decelerates the rate of narrative progression in terms of narrative elements. It also diversifies narrative elements and terminates narrative. Moreover, it secures the function of probabilities simplifying the complicated framework of events in the long piece novel. The narrative technique of ‘peeping’ and ‘eavesdropping’ is able to illuminate reader’s desire allowing main agent’s desire of affection and acknowledgement in terms of bibliopsychology. Readers can relieve the curiosity of ‘peeping’ and ‘eavesdropping’ and feel amusing pleasure through main agent’s eyes and ears. Due to the function and effects mentioned above, ‘peeping’ and ‘eavesdropping’ have been used consistently in Korean long piece novel.
Effective Utilization of Pre-Trained Models in Ad-Hoc Video Search

In recent years, image and text retrieval in the zero-shot learning setting has increasingly become more accurate by utilizing pre-trained image and text embedding models. By adapting these models to the task of video retrieval, we were able to achieve the world's highest retrieval accuracy in the 2022 ad-hoc video search task of TRECVID, a video retrieval and evaluation benchmark conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. This paper reports on an investigation and experiments to determine the effectiveness of a number of trained image and text embedding models currently available to the public for video retrieval tasks, using a large set of over 1.4 million test videos used in the TRECVID benchmark.
Cassiopeia: Practical On-Chain Witness Encryption

Witness Encryption is a holy grail of cryptography that remains elusive. It asks that a secret is only revealed when a particular computational problem is solved. Modern smart contracts and blockchains make assumptions of “honest majority”, which allow for a social implementation of Witness Encryption. The core idea is to make use of a partially trusted committee to carry out the responsibilities mandated by these functionalities - such as keeping the secret private, and then releasing it publicly after a solution to the computational puzzle is presented. We propose Cassiopeia, a smart contract Witness Encryption scheme (with public witness security) and provide an open source composable implementation that can be utilized as an oracle by others within the broader DeFi ecosystem. We devise a cryptoeconomic scheme to incentivize honest participation, and analyze its security under the honest majority and rational majority settings. We conclude by measuring and optimizing gas costs and illustrating the practicality of our scheme.
Publicly Verifiable Auctions with Privacy

Online auctions have a steadily growing market size, creating billions of US dollars in sales value every year. To ensure fairness and auditability while preserving the bidder’s privacy is the main challenge of an auction scheme. At the same time, utility driven blockchain technology is picking up the pace, offering transparency and data integrity to many applications. In this paper, we present a blockchain-based first price sealed-bid auction scheme. Our scheme offers privacy and public verifiability. It can be built on any public blockchain, which is leveraged to provide transparency, data integrity, and hence auditability. The inability to double spend on a blockchain is used to prevent bid replay attacks. Moreover, our scheme can achieve non-repudiation for both bidders and the auctioneer without revealing the bids and we encapsulate this concept inside the public verification of the auction. We propose to use ElGamal encryption and Bulletproofs to construct an efficient instantiation of our scheme. We also propose to use recursive zkSNARKs to reduce the number of comparison proofs from $$N-1$$ to 1, where $$N$$ is the number of bidders.
On the Auditability of the Estonian IVXV System

The development and auditing processes around electronic voting implementations are much too often deficient; this is particularly true for the measures taken to prevent cryptographic errors – potentially with grave consequences for security. To mitigate this, it is common to make the code public in order to allow independent experts to help uncover such flaws. In this paper we present our experiences looking at the IVXV system used for municipal and national elections in Estonia as well as European parliament elections. It appears that, despite the code being public for over five years, the cryptographic protocol has not seen much scrutiny at the code level. We describe in detail the (lack of) auditability and incentives which have contributed to this situation. We also present a previously unknown vulnerability which contradicts the claimed individual verifiability of the system; this vulnerability should be patched in the next version of IVXV system.