bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Detecting and Shadows in the HSV Color Space using Dynamic Thresholds
Authors: Hdioud Boutaina , Haj Tirari Mohammed El , Haj Thami Rachid Oulad , Faizi Rdouan 
Published: July 2018

The detection of moving objects in a video sequence is an essential step in almost all the systems of vision by computer. However, because of the dynamic change in natural scenes, the detection of movement becomes a more difficult task. In this work, we propose a new method for the detection moving objects that is robust to shadows, noise and illumination changes. For this purpose, the detection phase of the proposed method is an adaptation of the MOG approach where the foreground is extracted by considering the HSV color space. To allow the method not to take shadows into consideration during the detection process, we developed a new shade removal technique based on a dynamic thresholding of detected pixels of the foreground. The calculation model of the threshold is established by two statistical analysis tools that take into account the degree of the shadow in the scene and the robustness to noise. Experiments undertaken on a set of video sequences showed that the method put forward provides better results compared to existing methods that are limited to using static thresholds.
Herb Leaves Recognition using Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix and Five Distance-based Similarity Measures
Authors: Isnanto R. Rizal , Riyadi Munawar Agus , Awaj Muhammad Fahmi 
Published: July 2018

Herb medicinal products derived from plants have long been considered as an alternative option for treating various diseases. In this paper, the feature extraction method used is Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM), while for its recognition using the metric calculations of Chebyshev, Cityblock, Minkowski, Canberra, and Euclidean distances. The method of determining the GLCM Analysis based on the texture analysis resulting from the extraction of this feature is Angular Second Moment, Contrast, Inverse Different Moment, Entropy as well as its Correlation. The recognition system used 10 leaf test images with GLCM method and Canberra distance resulted in the highest accuracy of 92.00%. While the use of 20 and 30 test data resulted in a recognition rate of 50.67% and 60.00%.
<b>Intraguild predation of green lacewing larvae (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) on spider eggs and spiderlings</b>
Authors: Srikumar K. K. , Smitha S. , Kumar B. Suresh , Radhakrishnan B. 
Published: July 2018

The Green Lacewing Mallada desjardinsi (Navas) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) is the common chrysopid in tea plantations of the Anamallais (southern India). Guava trees dispersed in tea plantations accommodate a large population of this predator. Seasonality and intraguild predation of this chrysopid was investigated between December 2014 and November 2015. Spider eggs and spiderlings were important prey for this predator. Mallada desjardinsi preferred 22% eggs of Chrysso nigra, 20% of Neoscona mukerjei, 11% of Chrysso argyrodiformis and Cyrtarachne sp. and below 10% of the other spider species recorded. This is the first intraguild predation studies of M. desjardinsi on tea.
<b>Status survey and conservation of the House Sparrow <I>Passer domesticus</I> (Aves: Passeriformes: Passeridae) through public participation in Kannur, Kerala, India</b>
Authors: Roshnath R. , Arjun C. P. , Ashli J. , Sethu D. , Gokul P. 
Published: July 2018

House Sparrows Passer domesticus are one of the most widespread passerines in the world. A survey was conducted to find out their status in Kannur District, Kerala. The survey recorded 553 sparrows in 35 sites in the district. The perspectives of the public were recorded through a questionnaire survey and conservational inputs from the public were noted. Most of the respondents (47%) suggested the provision of nest boxes for the enhanced breeding of sparrows. Thus, our NGO along with the support of students, the public and the Kerala Forest Department, placed 100 nest boxes in various identified sparrow dwelling places in the district and it was found effective in the conservation of sparrows.
<b>Root holoparasite <I>Balanophora polyandra</I> Griff. (Balanophoraceae) in eastern Himalaya (Sikkim, India): distribution, range, status and threats</b>
Authors: Chhetri Prem K. , O’Neill Alexander R. , Chhetri Bijoy 
Published: July 2018

Balanophora J.R. Forster & G. Forster (Balanophoraceae) is a poorly studied genus of root holoparasite native to temperate and tropical regions of Asia and the Pacific. The occurrences of Balanophora polyandra Griff. were first reported within two protected areas in eastern Himalaya (Sikkim, India), namely, Khangchendzonga National Park and Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary. The study assessed the distribution range of B. polyandra in Sikkim using data collected from both field surveys and herbarium records, and discussed the threats faced by Balanophora populations in the region.
Constitutionalisation of International Human Rights Law in the Jurisprudence of the Egyptian Supreme Constitutional Court
Authors: Chiha Islam Ibrahim 
Published: July 2018

Abstract
This article examines the status of international human rights law in the Egyptian legal system and investigates how Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC) uses international and foreign law in its constitutional interpretation of fundamental rights and freedoms. I argue that integrating international human rights law into the jurisprudence of the SCC is imperative both for protecting the rights and freedoms of Egyptian people and for resolving potential conflicts between national law and international law. I rely on cases covering rights to marriage, development, education and equality (especially for persons with disabilities).
Analytical Study of United Arab Emirates Copyright Federal Law No. 7, 2002
Authors: Al Nusair Fayez , Massadeh Firas 
Published: July 2018

Abstract
This article presents a comprehensive examination and analysis of copyright protection under the provisions of the United Arab Emirates’ Federal Law No. 7, 2002 concerning copyrights and neighbouring rights in preparation for the accession of relevant international conventions. The law revoked Federal Law No. 40, 1992 regarding intellectual property copyright. The nature of copyright and its economic justification, the scope of its protection in the United Arab Emirates’ legal framework, the concepts of originality and creativity, and the author’s moral and economic rights are scrutinized in comparison with the provisions of related international intellectual property treaties and conventions (i.e. the TRIPS Agreement and the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works 1886, last revised in Paris, 24 July 1971).
Empirical Return Periods of the Most Intense Vapor Transports during Historical Atmospheric River Landfalls on the U.S. West Coast
Authors: Dettinger Michael D. , Ralph F. Martin , Rutz Jonathan J. 
Published: July 2018

Abstract
Atmospheric rivers (ARs) come in all intensities, and clear communication of risks posed by individual storms in observations and forecasts can be a challenge. Modest ARs can be characterized by the percentile rank of their integrated water vapor transport (IVT) rates compared to past ARs. Stronger ARs can be categorized more clearly in terms of return periods or, equivalently, historical probabilities that at least one AR will exceed a given IVT threshold in any given year. Based on a 1980–2016 chronology of AR landfalls on the U.S. West Coast from NASA’s Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, version 2 (MERRA-2), datasets, the largest instantaneous IVTs—greater than 1700 kg m−1 s−1—have occurred in ARs making landfall between 41° and 46°N with return periods longer than 20 years. IVT values with similar return periods are smaller to the north and, especially, to the south (declining to ~750 kg m−1 s−1). The largest storm-sequence IVT totals have been centered near 42.5°N, with scatter among the top few events, and these large storm-sequence totals depend more on sequence duration than on the instantaneous IVT that went into them. Maximum instantaneous IVTs are largest in the Pacific Northwest in autumn, with largest IVT values arriving farther south as winter and spring unfold, until maximum IVTs reach Northern California in spring.
Precipitation and Mesoscale Convective Systems: Radiative Impact of Dust over Northern Africa
Authors: Martínez Irene Reinares , Chaboureau Jean-Pierre 
Published: July 2018

Abstract
The radiative effect of dust on precipitation and mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) is examined during a case of dust emission and transport from 9 to 14 June 2006 over northern Africa. The same method to identify and track different cloud types is applied to satellite observations and two convection-permitting simulations (with grid mesh of 2.5 km), with and without the radiative effect of dust, performed with the MesoNH model. The MCSs produce most of the observed total precipitation (66%), and the long-lived systems (lasting 6 h or more) are responsible for 55% of the total. Both simulations reproduce the observed distribution of precipitation between the cloud categories but differ due to the radiative effects of dust. The overall impacts of dust are a warming of the midtroposphere; a cooling of the near surface, primarily in the western parts of northern Africa; and a decrease in precipitation due to a too-low number of long-lived MCSs. The drop in their number is due to the stabilization of the lower atmosphere, which inhibits the triggering of convection. The long-lived MCSs are a little longer lived, faster, and more efficient in rainfall production when accounting for the dust–radiation interaction. This higher degree of organization is due to the larger convective available potential energy and an intensified African easterly jet. The latter is, in turn, a response to the variation in the meridional gradient of the temperature induced by the dust.
Two Cases of Bilateral Vocal Fold Mobility Impairment After LMA Use In 7 Months
Authors: Gorbea Enrique , Mori Matthew 
Published: July 2018

Objectives: To increase awareness of vocal fold mobility impairment secondary to laryngeal mask airway (LMA) use in the operating room. Methods: We report 2 cases of bilateral vocal fold mobility impairment after LMA use within 7 months of each other. One patient is a 52-year-old female who developed this complication after orthopedic elbow surgery. The second case is a 75-year-old male who presented after undergoing inguinal hernia repair. Results: The patient from the first case required a 7-day hospital stay in the SICU due to airway compromise with spontaneous resolution of right-sided vocal fold immobility and improvement of symptoms. The 75-year-old male required direct laryngoscopy and bilateral true vocal fold injection medialization to correct his bilateral vocal fold paresis causing dysphonia and aspiration of liquids. Conclusions: Bilateral vocal fold immobility secondary to LMA use is likely an underreported phenomenon of which otolaryngologists and anesthesiologists should be aware. Presentation may be severe, requiring hospitalization or operative intervention.
The Artist Views Creativity: Conformity and Creativity
Authors: Hoffa Harlan 
Published: July 2018

“The amount of eccentricity in a society has generally been proportioned to the amount of genius, mental vigor, and moral courage it contained. That so few men dare to be eccentric marks the chief danger of our time.” John Stuart Mill, 1859 “… our national apotheosis of the group means that we systematically lop off the eccentrics, the originals, the proud, imaginative, lonely people from whom new ideas come. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., 1958
The Modular Game: The Only Game in Town
Authors: Milroy John D. , Polos Nicholas C. 
Published: July 2018

Efficient and effective use of school time has long been the goal of educators. In the present article, the authors describe a program instituted at Nordhoff High School, Ojai, California whose aim was to optionally utilize all available resources at the school's disposal. Viewing time in school as a resource for expanding learning opportunity, the authors, in establishing their program, hoped to find and recover more time and to develop ways in which that newly recovered time could be used to best effect learning. While rescheduling school time is an important part of increased learning, it is not the cure for all the ills encountered in school. It is a starting point to help teachers, administrators and students in encouraging self-activation and increasing efficiencies.
Students Rights and Responsibilities: A Point of View
Authors: Hoyt William L. 
Published: July 2018

Authority as it existed in public schools is discussed and redefined in light of cultural changes, judicial decisions, and state law. Particular attention is given to the “Tinker formula” which led to the greatest recognition of First Amendment rights without concern for age or maturity. Accordingly, the implication of Fourteenth Amendment rights for disciplinary practices in schools are included. An approach to strengthening student government and developing policy guidelines for rights and responsibilities in school communities is proposed. Emphasis is on involvement of school and community, the role of the school as an agent of change and educational leadership. “Permit me to observe,” said Nikolay Petrovich, “that if you deny everything, or to put it more precisely, if. you destroy everything, then you must also construct, you know.” — Turgenev, Fathers and Sons
Feminism and the Education of Women
Authors: Howe Florence 
Published: July 2018

This essay grew out of an attempt to discover, through a search in the archives of nine colleges and universities, whether curriculum could be found that was not male-centered and male-biased. While the search for curriculum that included women's history and achievements proved fruitless, the research illuminated controlling feminist assumptions behind three phases of women's education: the seminary movement that established secondary education for women; the movement that established elite women's colleges; and the current women's studies movement. The author also reviews some aspects of coeducation — at Oberlin and at Kansas State University — that reflect the first phase. In its first phase, feminists interested in the education of women claimed only that women needed higher education in order to teach young children, either as paid teachers (until they married) or as mothers. The curriculum offered to women was, therefore, different from (and less demanding than) that being offered to men in colleges at the time. Indeed, seminaries could not claim to be colleges for women. In its second phase, feminists interested in the education of women insisted that women could and should study what men did: the curriculum was the “men's curriculum.” Today, we have both tendencies present, along with a third, the seven-year old women's studies movement that for the first time in the history of higher education for women has challenged male hegemony over the curriculum and over knowledge itself. The movement aims to transform the curriculum through the study of women's history, achievements, status, and potential.
Translation, cultural adaptation and validation of the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Activity Questionnaire (SLAQ) in a cohort of Italian systemic lupus erythematosus patients
Authors: Tani C , Vagelli R , Stagnaro C , Carli L , Lorenzoni V , Drago F , Doherty W , McSorley M R , Marconcini L , Della Rossa A , Turchetti G , Mosca M 
Published: July 2018

Introduction The Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Activity Questionnaire (SLAQ) is a patient-reported instrument for the assessment of disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The aims of the present study are translation, cultural adaptation and validation of an Italian version: the SLAQit. Methods The process of translation and cultural adaptation followed published guidelines. SLAQit was pretested in a group of 35 SLE patients to evaluate acceptability, comprehension and feasibility. Internal consistency, test–retest validity and external validity were tested on consecutive SLE patients attending the clinic. Results In total, 135 SLE patients were enrolled in this study. The pilot test provided a 99.9% response rate and demonstrated feasibility and comprehensibility of the questionnaire. A good internal consistency was found among the three components of the score (SLAQ score, numerical rating scale (NRS), patient global assessment question (PGA); α = 0.79). SLAQit showed very high reliability (test–retest α > 0.8). NRS and PGA showed a strong positive correlation with both Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) ( p = 0.002 and p < 0.001, respectively) and European Consensus Lupus Measurement (ECLAM) scores ( p = 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively), while the SLAQ score did not. A significant agreement was observed between the physician's intention to treat and both the NRS and PGA scores, while no significant association was reported with the SLAQ score. Conclusions SLAQit was demonstrated to be a reliable and valid instrument for self-assessment of disease activity in SLE patients.
Biomarkers and the diagnosis of preclinical dementia
Authors: Lilford Philippa , Hughes Julian C. 
Published: July 2018

SUMMARYAlzheimer's disease pathology accumulates years before the onset of clinical symptoms and has been termed ‘preclinical dementia’. Biomarkers have been developed to detect this pathology – namely, brain amyloid deposition and markers of neurodegeneration. In this article we describe these biomarkers and review the evidence for their clinical use in predicting risk both in the cognitively ‘normal’ and in those who already have established cognitive decline. We also discuss the limitations and ethical considerations of these tests and consider whether we should start incorporating Alzheimer's disease biomarkers into clinical practice. We find that, because many cognitively healthy people will have Alzheimer's pathology, and it is not clear whether this does help predict future risk of Alzheimer's disease, diagnosing preclinical dementia carries numerous ethical implications and is currently not being advocated outside research settings.LEARNING OBJECTIVES•Understand the concepts of preclinical and prodromal Alzheimer's disease and the use of biomarkers in this context•Analyse the supporting evidence for the use of biomarkers in prodromal and preclinical dementia•Apply this information to everyday clinical practiceDECLARATION OF INTERESTJ. C. H. works in the Research Institute for the Care of Older People (RICE), which undertakes clinical drug trials for drug companies. He is a sub-investigator on a number of trials (some of which involve neuroimaging and biomarkers) and principal investigator and chief investigator on two trials (neither of which involves biomarkers). All of these trials concern Alzheimer's disease or dementia. He does not receive any direct personal payment from the trials: the payment goes to RICE, which does, however, fund almost half of his post. RICE is an independent charity and separate from the University of Bristol.
Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Biopsy-Proven Primary Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Experience of Patients With Inoperable Cancer at a Single Brazilian Institution
Authors: Abreu Carlos E.C.V. , Moraes Fabio Y. , Miranda Fabiana A. , Siqueira Gabriela S.M. , Gadia Rafael , Haddad Cecilia K. , Carvalho Heloisa A. 
Published: July 2018

Purpose Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) has emerged as a treatment option for patients with non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We report the clinical outcomes and toxicity for patients with inoperable primary NSCLC treated with SBRT. Methods Between 2007 and 2015, 102 consecutive lung lesions were treated with SBRT at our center, of which 59 primary NSCLC lesions (from 54 patients with inoperable disease) were retrospectively reviewed (43 lesions were excluded because of metastases or because there was no biopsy specimen). We report infield local control (LC) per SBRT target, regional or distant failure-free survival, and overall survival (OS) per patient, using Kaplan-Meier estimates. Serious toxicity was retrospectively scored using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4. Results Most of the 54 patients were men (n = 41; 76%), median age was 75 years; stage IA (n = 36; 66%) and adenocarcinoma (n = 43; 80%) were the most common stage and histologic diagnosis, respectively. Five patients had two lung lesions. A median of three fractions (range, 3 to 5 fractions) and a total median dose of 54 Gy (range, 45 to 60 Gy) per lesion were prescribed. The median follow-up was 17.8 months (range, 4 to 56.4 months). The 2-year rates of LC, regional or distant failure-free survival, and OS were 89.1% (95% CI, 72.2% to 96%), 79% (95% CI, 59.8% to 89.8%), and 80% (95% CI, 64% to 89.8%), respectively. Grade 3 to 4 toxicities were observed in two patients (3%): grade 3 pneumonitis (n = 1) and grade 4 skin toxicity (n = 1). Conclusion SBRT results in high rates of 2-year LC, regional or distant failure-free survival, and OS with low rates of severe toxicity in patients with inoperable primary NSCLC disease.
Screen and Triage by Community Extension Workers to Facilitate Screen and Treat: Task-Sharing Strategy to Achieve Universal Coverage for Cervical Cancer Screening in Nigeria
Authors: Awolude Olutosin A. , Oyerinde Sunday O. , Akinyemi Joshua O. 
Published: July 2018

PurposeUniversal coverage of cervical cancer screening remains elusive in most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), home to the greatest burden of this preventable disease. Implementation of a cytology-based screening strategy in these countries is challenging. Also, there is shortage of health care workers (HCWs) to implement the low-technology, cheaper, but equally effective, methods like visual inspection with acetic acid. However, the implementation of HIV programs in LMICs has introduced the innovation of task shifting and task sharing, using the community health extension workers (CHEWs) and community health officers (CHOs) to complement clinical HCWs, especially at the primary health care, level with good outcome. Hence, this study leveraged this strategy.MethodsWe piloted a study to improve knowledge and practice skills of CHEWs and CHOs in a rural community of Oyo state, Nigeria, through training and participatory supervision to screen for cervical cancer using visual inspection with acetic acid and link positive cases for treatment with cryotherapy.ResultsA total of 51 HCWs, including doctors, nurses, CHEWs, and CHOs, were trained during the study to provide cervical cancer screening services. After the training, cervical cancer and its prevention knowledge improved from 52.4% before training to 91.5% immediate after training. Over 12 months, 950 eligible women were screened, of whom 848 (89.3%) were screened by CHEWs and CHOs. Of the 63 rescreened by CHEWs and CHOs (data grouped), and nurses, 88.1% and 92.3%, respectively, agreed with expert team review, with κ statistics of 0.76 and 0.84, respectively.ConclusionThis pilot project showed the ability of CHEWs and CHOs to identify cervical dysplasia was good and that of nurses was very good with appropriate competency training to achieve universal coverage of cervical cancer screening in LMICs.