Video browsing interfaces and applications: a review

We present a comprehensive review of the state of the art in video browsing and retrieval systems, with special emphasis on interfaces and applications. There has been a significant increase in activity (e.g., storage, retrieval, and sharing) employing video data in the past decade, both for personal and professional use. The ever-growing amount of video content available for human consumption and the inherent characteristics of video data—which, if presented in its raw format, is rather unwieldy and costly—have become driving forces for the development of more effective solutions to present video contents and allow rich user interaction. As a result, there are many contemporary research efforts toward developing better video browsing solutions, which we summarize. We review more than 40 different video browsing and retrieval interfaces and classify them into three groups: applications that use video-player-like interaction, video retrieval applications, and browsing solutions based on video surrogates. For each category, we present a summary of existing work, highlight the technical aspects of each solution, and compare them against each other

CREATING A COHERENT SCORE: THE MUSIC OF SINGLE-PLAYER FANTASY COMPUTER ROLE-PLAYING GAMES

This thesis provides a comprehensive exploration into the music of the ludic genre (Hourigan, 2005) known as a Computer Role-Playing Game (CRPG) and its two main sub-divisions: Japanese and Western Role-Playing Games (JRPGs & WRPGs). It focuses on the narrative category known as genre fiction, concentrating on fantasy fiction (Turco, 1999) and seeks to address one overall question: How do fantasy CRPG composers incorporate the variety of musical material needed to create a coherent score across the JRPG and WRPG divide? Seven main chapters form the thesis text. Chapter One provides an introduction to the thesis, detailing the research contributions in addition to outlining a variety of key terms that must be understood to continue with the rest of the text. A database accompanying this thesis showcases the vast range of CRPGs available; a literature review tackles relevant existing materials. Chapters Two and Three seek to provide the first canonical history of soundtracks used in CRPGs by dissecting typical narrative structures for games so as to provide context to their musical scores. Through analysis of existing game composer interviews, cultural influences are revealed. Chapters Four and Five mirror one another with detailed discussion respectively regarding JRPG and WRPG music including the influence that anime and Hollywood cinema have had upon them. In Chapter Six, the use of CRPG music outside of video games is explored, particularly the popularity of JRPG soundtracks in the concert hall. Chapter Seven concludes the thesis, summarising research contributions achieved and areas for future work. Throughout these chapters, the core task is to explain how the two primary sub-genres of CRPGs parted ways and why the music used to accompany these games differs so drastically

Getting up: an ethnography of hip hop graffiti writers, their art, and perceptions of society\u27s reactions.

This ethnographic analysis of the modern hip hop graffiti writing subculture connects the separate but complementary theoretical constructs of serious leisure (Stebbins 1982), dark leisure (Smith and Raymen 2016), recreational specialization theory (Bryan 1977), and edgework (Lyng 1990) and situates the writer “standpoint” (Smith 1987) in terms of interrelations of policy and written discourse. Past research found that writers were motivated by fame and status, to express artistic skills, and to control and destroy space (Brewer and Miller 1990). Others found that writers sought to express contestant notions of style and resist economic and political authority (Ferrell 1996; 2006), and some emphasize affective aspects of accomplishment and desire in graffiti (Halsey and Young 2006). Policy research indicates wide misunderstandings of graffiti and its inclusion under a ‘gang’ label (Ferrell 1996), and cities increasingly favor “wars on graffiti” (Iveson 2010) where ineffective anti-graffiti campaigns justified in “broken windows” ideals often result in increasing illegal graffiti (Haworth, Bruce, and Iveson 2013). Interviews of policy officials of a mid-sized Midwestern city revealed varying views, preferences, and understandings of graffiti, and city ordinance criminalized all unsanctioned graffiti. Interview data from a snowball sample of writers indicated dynamic motives, views, and practices and three writer classes. A key finding is as writers specialized on a career trajectory, a shift in focus occurred from writing for thrill to writing for flow. Motives were consistent with past research, and the subculture regulated its membership via social control and mentoring. Further, socialization was a central part of progression, and writing occurred as “everyday forms of resistance” (Scott 1984), edgework, serious leisure, and recreation specialization. To acknowledge these nuances through policy may benefit the public, engage writer voices, and reduce fear by increasing awareness and public exposure to graffiti, potentially disassociating it from ‘master vandal’ or gang status

Influencing Attitudes Toward People with Developmental Disabilities Using Arts Based Research

This study was conducted given as an inquiry about influencing attitudes toward people with developmental disabilities. Because resistance to homes for people with developmental disabilities situated in typical neighborhoods is still a problem, I seek a way to better assimilate people with different abilities into communities. For an historical foundation, I researched literature on the marginalization of this ethnographic group-people with developmental disabilities-and defined quality of life. In establishing groundwork for choice of methodology, I elaborate on arts used for social change. Arts based research methods were used to conduct the research. I created an exhibit using objects and photographs and words in a public space, intended to provoke thought and emotions. In order to evaluate the effectiveness, I used criteria outlined in Arts Based Research by Tom Barone and Elliot Eisner (2012), who indicate that the art piece should contain the following elements: incisiveness, concision, coherence, generativity, social significance, and evocation and illumination (p. 148). Findings affirmed that the arts-influenced installation successfully provoked and influenced attitudes toward people with developmental disabilities, as evidenced in written and oral responses. Implications for future research in this area of study using qualitative methods include: various arts based venues for research with other marginalized populations, participatory action research using the arts and many other provocative arts performances. Keywords: arts based research, qualitative research, disability, marginalization, resistance, and quality of life. The electronic version of this dissertation is accessible through the OhioLINK ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu

New spirituality, atheism, and authenticity in Finnish underground rap

In this dissertation, I study the discourses of new spirituality, atheism, and authenticity in Finnish underground rap in the twenty-first century. The study maps the worldviews and audiovisual aesthetics of four Finnish artists, Ameeba, Khid, Julma Henri, and RPK (the latter two forming the duo Euro Crack), while exploring larger issues such as contemporary Western religious trends and the relationship between artists, their audience, and the music industry. The study’s data consist of field research (ten interviews, observation at concerts and in social media 2013–2017), and sonic and audiovisual material (recordings, three music videos). Theoretically, the study draws from religious studies theories on Western alternative spirituality and atheism, popular musicology, hip hop studies, and theories on musical authenticity. Methodologically, the study relies on ethnographic data collection, discourse analysis, and close reading. The study indicates that while the four Finnish rappers emphasize the individuality of their worldviews, their views reflect a mixture of ideas and traditions present in contemporary Western religious landscape, including non-dualistic Eastern religions, New Age environmentalism, and scientific atheism. The artists also outline an aesthetic for their music and underground rap more generally as defying rap music, pop music, and music industry norms, as independent music making, and as drawing from alternative electronic genres and deeper philosophical content. The artists construct authenticity by claiming that their music reflects their personal worldviews and aesthetic preferences. Further, the study increases understanding about the interrelationship of rap and postmodern worldviews and advances research on the connections between popular music and religion.Uushenkisyys, ateismi ja autenttisuus suomalaisessa underground-rapissa Väitöskirjassani tutkin 2010-luvun suomenkielistä underground-rap-musiikkia ja siinä ilmeneviä autenttisuuden, uushenkisyyden ja ateismin diskursseja. Tutkimuksen kohteena on neljä suomalaista rap-artistia (Ameeba, Khid, Julma Henri, sekä RPK, joka Julma Henrin kanssa muodostaa Euro Crack -duon), ja heidän ilmaisussaan rakentuvat maailmankatsomukset ja audiovisuaalinen estetiikka. Tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan myös laajempia kysymyksiä liittyen länsimaiseen uskontokehitykseen sekä artistien suhteeseen yleisöön ja musiikkialaan. Tutkimuksen aineisto koostuu kenttätutkimuksesta (10 haastattelua, havainnointi konserteissa ja sosiaalisessa mediassa 2013–2017) sekä äänellisestä ja audiovisuaalisesta materiaalista (äänitteet, kolme musiikkivideota). Tutkimuksen teoreettinen viitekehys hyödyntää uskontotieteen teorioita koskien länsimaista uushenkisyyttä ja ateismia, populaarimusiikintutkimusta, hiphop-tutkimusta, sekä teorioita autenttisuudesta. Menetelmällisesti tutkimus nojaa etnografisiin aineistonkeruumetodeihin sekä diskurssianalyysiin ja lähilukuun. Tutkimus osoittaa, että vaikka artistien maailmankatsomukset painottavat yksilöllisyyttä, ne heijastavat myös laajempia nykyhetken länsimaisessa uskontokentässä toisiinsa sekoittuvia ideoita ja traditioita. Näihin kuuluvat erityisesti non-dualistiset itämaiset uskonnot, New Age -vaikutteinen ympäristötietoisuus, sekä tiedeuskoon nojaava ateismi. Artistit myös rakentavat omaa sekä underground rap-musiikkia koskevan estetiikan ihannetta rap- ja pop-musiikin sekä musiikkialan normeja vastustavana, itsenäisenä, sekä elektronisista genreistä ammentavana

Semantic discovery and reuse of business process patterns

Patterns currently play an important role in modern information systems (IS) development and their use has mainly been restricted to the design and implementation phases of the development lifecycle. Given the increasing significance of business modelling in IS development, patterns have the potential of providing a viable solution for promoting reusability of recurrent generalized models in the very early stages of development. As a statement of research-in-progress this paper focuses on business process patterns and proposes an initial methodological framework for the discovery and reuse of business process patterns within the IS development lifecycle. The framework borrows ideas from the domain engineering literature and proposes the use of semantics to drive both the discovery of patterns as well as their reuse

Cultures of Citizenship in the Twenty-First Century: Literary and Cultural Perspectives on a Legal Concept

In the early twenty-first century, the concept of citizenship is more contested than ever. As refugees set out to cross the Mediterranean, European nation-states refer to "cultural integrity" and "immigrant inassimilability," revealing citizenship to be much more than a legal concept. The contributors to this volume take an interdisciplinary approach to considering how cultures of citizenship are being envisioned and interrogated in literary and cultural (con)texts. Through this framework, they attend to the tension between the citizen and its spectral others - a tension determined by how a country defines difference at a given moment