Augmenting cattle tracking efficiency through monocular depth estimation

We present a method for 3D cattle tracking and inter-camera pose transformation using depth information from monocular depth estimation with deep networks. Camera-based animal monitoring offers a minimally invasive and easily adaptable solution for tracking and welfare monitoring, relying solely on commercial RGB camera systems. However, environmental factors and inter-animal occlusion often hinder tracking efficacy and consistency. To address these challenges, we developed a pipeline to extract 3D point cloud data of individual cows in a straw-bedded calving yard environment, generating quasi-3D bounding boxes (x, y, z, height, width, θ), where θ is the polar angle. We then estimate the camera system extrinsic parameters by minimising the rotation, translation, and scale discrepancies between the apparent motion of animals across different frames of reference. This approach demonstrates a strong agreement between the 3D centroids of tracked animals in motion. Our work advances the development of algorithmic occlusion handling and object handover techniques in multi-camera systems, particularly pertinent to the high-occlusion, low-locomotion scenario of animals within barn environments

What difference does a social practice approach to adult literacies education make to adult learners' quality of life in Western Rwanda?

Provision of quality adult education has the potential to make a difference in the lives of adult learners especially those from poor and marginalised backgrounds. In this chapter, we report on the effect of implementing a social practice approach to adult literacies education in rural communities in three districts in Western Rwanda. Following the implementation of a social practice approach to adult literacies education, we interviewed a sample of 32 participants, two or three years after they completed adult classes, to understand what impact the classes may have had on improving their lives and wider capabilities. The findings indicate that a social practice approach to adult literacies education impacted participants in connection with health, hygiene and sanitation, nutrition, improved marital relationships, better support for children's education, and greater community involvement. Adult learners developed greater understanding and practical grasp of life skills, social competence, positive self-image, and personal and family wellbeing while developing their literacies. They retained and used the knowledge and skills to improve their lives, that of their immediate households and the wider community. Implications of the findings are discussed

Characterisation of colloidal structures and their solubilising potential for BCS class II drugs in fasted state simulated intestinal fluid

A suite of fasted state simulated intestinal fluid (SIF), based on variability observed in a range of fasted state human intestinal fluid (HIF) samples was used to study the solubility of eight poorly soluble drugs (three acidic drugs (naproxen, indomethacin and phenytoin), two basic drugs (carvedilol and tadalafil) and three neutral drugs (felodipine, fenofibrate, griseofulvin)). Particle size of the colloidal structures formed in these SIF in the presence and absence of drugs was measured using dynamic light scattering and nanoparticle tracking analysis. Results indicate that drug solubility tends to increase with increasing total amphiphile concentration (TAC) in SIF with acidic drugs proving to be more soluble than basic or neutral drug in the media evaluated. Dynamic light scattering showed that as the amphiphile concentration increased, the hydrodynamic diameters of the structures decreased. The scattering distribution confirmed the polydispersity of the simulated intestinal fluids compared to the monodisperse distribution observed for FaSSIF v1). There was a large difference in the size of the structures found based on the composition of the SIF, for example, the diameter of the structures measured in felodipine in the minimum TAC media was measured to be 170 ± 5 nm which decreased to 5.1 ± 0.2 nm in the maximum TAC media point. The size measured of the colloidal structures of felodipine in the FaSSIF v1 was 86 ± 1 nm. However, there was no simple correlation between solubility and colloidal size. Nanoparticle tracking analysis was used for the first time to characterise colloidal structures within SIF and the results were compared to those obtained by dynamic light scattering. The particle size measured by dynamic light scattering was generally greater in media with a lower concentration of amphiphiles and smaller in media of a higher concentration of amphiphiles, compared to that of the data yielded by nanoparticle tracking analysis. This work shows that the colloidal structures formed vary depending on the composition of SIF which affects the solubility. Work is ongoing to determine the relationship between colloidal structure and solubility

Adaptive fault-tolerant tracking control for multi-joint robot manipulators via neural network-based synchronization

In this paper, adaptive fault-tolerant control for multi-joint robot manipulators is proposed through the combination of synchronous techniques and neural networks. By using a synchronization technique, the position error at each joint simultaneously approaches zero during convergence due to the constraints imposed by the synchronization controller. This aspect is particularly important in fault-tolerant control, as it enables the robot to rapidly and effectively reduce the impact of faults, ensuring the performance of the robot when faults occur. Additionally, the neural network technique is used to compensate for uncertainty, disturbances, and faults in the system via online updating. Firstly, novel robust synchronous control for a robot manipulator based on terminal sliding mode control is presented. Subsequently, a combination of the novel synchronous control and neural network is proposed to enhance the fault tolerance of the robot manipulator. Finally, simulation results for a 3-DOF robot manipulator are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller in comparison to traditional control techniques

Vision-based motion capture for the gait analysis of neurodegenerative diseases : a review

Background: Developments in vision-based systems and human pose estimation algorithms have the potential to detect, monitor and intervene early on neurodegenerative diseases through gait analysis. However, the gap between the technology available and actual clinical practice is evident as most clinicians still rely on subjective observational gait analysis or objective marker-based analysis that is time-consuming. Research Question: This paper aims to examine the main developments of vision-based motion capture and how such advances may be integrated into clinical practice. Methods: The literature review was conducted in six online databases using Boolean search terms. A commercial system search was also included. A predetermined methodological criterion was then used to assess the quality of the selected articles. Results: A total of seventeen studies were evaluated, with thirteen studies focusing on gait classification systems and four studies on gait measurement systems. Of the gait classification systems, nine studies utilized artificial intelligence-assisted techniques, while four studies employed statistical techniques. The results revealed high correlations of gait features identified by classifier models with existing clinical rating scales. These systems demonstrated generally high classification accuracies and were effective in diagnosing disease severity levels. Gait measurement systems that extract spatiotemporal and kinematic joint information from video data generally found accurate measurements of gait parameters with low mean absolute errors, high intra- and inter-rater reliability. Significance: Low cost, portable vision-based systems can provide proof of concept for the quantification of gait, expansion of gait assessment tools, remote gait analysis of neurodegenerative diseases and a point of care system for orthotic evaluation. However, certain challenges, including small sample sizes, occlusion risks, and selection bias in training models, need to be addressed. Nevertheless, these systems can serve as complementary tools, equipping clinicians with essential gait information to objectively assess disease severity and tailor personalized treatment for enhanced patient care

Solution structure of the N-terminal extension domain of a Schistosoma japonicum asparaginyl-tRNA synthetase

Several secreted proteins from helminths (parasitic worms) have been shown to have immunomodulatory activities. Asparaginyl-tRNA synthetases are abundantly secreted in the filarial nematode Brugia malayi (BmAsnRS) and the parasitic flatworm Schistosoma japonicum (SjAsnRS), indicating a possible immune function. The suggestion is supported by BmAsnRS alleviating disease symptoms in a T-cell transfer mouse model of colitis. This immunomodulatory function is potentially related to an N-terminal extension domain present in eukaryotic AsnRS proteins but few structure/function studies have been done on this domain. Here we have determined the three-dimensional solution structure of the N-terminal extension domain of SjAsnRS. A protein containing the 114 N-terminal amino acids of SjAsnRS was recombinantly expressed with isotopic labelling to allow structure determination using 3D NMR spectroscopy, and analysis of dynamics using NMR relaxation experiments. Structural comparisons of the N-terminal extension domain of SjAsnRS with filarial and human homologues highlight a high degree of variability in the β-hairpin region of these eukaryotic N-AsnRS proteins, but similarities in the disorder of the C-terminal regions. Limitations in PrDOS-based intrinsically disordered region (IDR) model predictions were also evident in this comparison. Empirical structural data such as that presented in our study for N-SjAsnRS will enhance the prediction of sequence-homology based structure modelling and prediction of IDRs in the future

Institutional Rights Retention Policy (IRRP) at Strathclyde : An Introduction

Slides delivered at the 25 Jan 2024 introductory talk on the brand new Strathclyde Institutional Rights Retention Policy (IRRP) within the LIR Staff Training Week 2024. The Strathclyde IRRP was approved by Senate on 15 Nov 2023 and kicked-in as of 1 Jan 2024. The policy applies to manuscripts submitted by Strathclyde academics on or after 1st January 2024. This policy aims to make immediate Open Access possible in cases where the Green Open Access route is applied. The presentation explains the rationale and the origins for rights retention policies, which were first introduced in the UK by cOAlition S-member funders like the Wellcome Trust (1 Jan 2021) and the UK Research and Innovation (1 Apr 2022). Some hints are provided on how the Strathclyde IRRP will actually be implemented and on the kind of input that will be needed from academics in order for the implementation to work smoothly

Reducing discrepancies between actual and ideal affect across adulthood : the roles of activity flow conduciveness, pleasantness, and familiarity

Previous findings demonstrate that people often do not feel how they want to feel, supporting the distinction between “actual affect” and “ideal affect.” But are there certain activities that reduce the discrepancy between actual and ideal affect? Based on flow theory and socioemotional selectivity theory, we examined whether the discrepancy between people’s actual and ideal positive affect would be smaller during activities that were more conducive to flow (a state of intense absorption and concentration), pleasant, and familiar. In Study 1, U.S. participants aged 17–79 (N = 393) reported their ideal affect and how they felt during activities with varying degrees of challenges and skills. For both low-arousal positive affect (LAP) and high-arousal positive affect (HAP), participants reported smaller actual-ideal affect discrepancies during flow-conducive activities (when skills matched challenges). Study 2 was a 14-day experience sampling study, in which Hong Kong participants aged 18–83 (Nindividual = 109) reported their momentary actual and ideal affect, and how pleasant and familiar their activities were (Nexperience= 3,815). Greater activity familiarity was associated with smaller discrepancies in actual-ideal LAP, while greater activity pleasantness was associated with smaller discrepancies in actual-ideal HAP. These findings provide insights on the activities that help people achieve their ideal affect more easily

Dishonesty, neutralisation and nudging

E-banking offers clients unparalleled convenience but also exposes them to potential fraud from cyber criminals. Traditionally, banks use technical security measures to ameliorate these kinds of threats. These measures, while essential, are not universally efficacious in preventing fraud. It would be wise to augment technical measures with softer measures such as behavioural interventions (i.e., nudges). In this paper, we report on the effectiveness of behavioural nudges designed to dissuade opportunistic “others” from committing e-banking fraud. Here, we report on an investigation into the impact of the deployment of a number of behavioural nudges in an e-banking customer interface. We evaluated their impact through semi-structured interviews with e-banking customers in the United States of America. We found that nudges which emphasise empathy and heightened awareness of traditional security measures were remarkably effective in dissuading dishonesty. Notably, deployment immediately after login yielded optimal results. Our findings highlight the potential of behavioural nudges to reduce e-banking fraud, thereby augmenting traditional technical countermeasures. We conclude with recommendations for future research

Sexting the billions : on post-internet sonnets

Contemporary sonnets offer a mushrooming textual economy capable of metabolising our deep, mycelial experience of post-internet (il)legibility and exchange. What forms of identity, desire, attention, turn, and excess are found coiled in the sonnet? Taking in a selection of contemporary poets, this piece is not a comprehensive essaying towards something called ‘the post-internet sonnet’ but rather an experiment in post-internet ways of reading the ‘overdetermined’ form through its proliferating feeds, scrolls and voltaic refreshes. Taking its cue from Craig Dworkin’s Reading the Illegible (2003), the strategies of this essay follow a ‘Smithsonian criticism’, encompassing the internet’s noise economies of desire, attention and knowledge