Word level Bangla Sign Language Dataset for Continuous BSL Recognition

An robust sign language recognition system can greatly alleviate communication barriers, particularly for people who struggle with verbal communication. This is crucial for human growth and progress as it enables the expression of thoughts, feelings, and ideas. However, sign recognition is a complex task that faces numerous challenges such as same gesture patterns for multiple signs, lighting, clothing, carrying conditions, and the presence of large poses, as well as illumination discrepancies across different views. Additionally, the absence of an extensive Bangla sign language video dataset makes it even more challenging to operate recognition systems, particularly when utilizing deep learning techniques. In order to address this issue, firstly, we created a large-scale dataset called the MVBSL-W50, which comprises 50 isolated words across 13 categories. Secondly, we developed an attention-based Bi-GRU model that captures the temporal dynamics of pose information for individuals communicating through sign language. The proposed model utilizes human pose information, which has shown to be successful in analyzing sign language patterns. By focusing solely on movement information and disregarding body appearance and environmental factors, the model is simplified and can achieve a speedier performance. The accuracy of the model is reported to be 85.64%

Respecting the deal: how to manage co-opetitive actors in open innovation

Platforms like E-bay allow product seekers and providers to meet and exchange goods. On the same way in open innovation, as defined by Chesbrough, an enterprise can collect ideas from outside the company. But on E-bay, the seeker can return the product if it does not correspond to the expectations, since E-bay is the third-party actor in charge of assuring that the agreement between seekers and providers will be respected. So who does provide the same service for what concerns open innovation, where specifications might not fully defined? In this paper we shall describe the business model of an organizational structure to support the elicitation and respect of agreements between actors, who have conflicting interests but that gain from cooperating together. The concepts of the model will be illustrated to derive a set of propositions and a simple example will illustrate one of its possible instantiations. The description of our first evaluation phase shall find place at the end

The effectiveness of Stepping stones Triple P: the design of a randomised controlled trial on a parenting programme regarding children with mild intellectual disability and psychosocial problems versus care as usual

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Children with an intellectual disability are at increased risk of psychosocial problems. This leads to serious restrictions in the daily functioning of the children and to parental stress. Stepping Stones Triple P aims to prevent severe behavioural, emotional and developmental problems in children with a (intellectual) disability by enhancing parenting knowledge and skills, and the self-confidence of parents. This paper aims to describe the design of a study of the effectiveness of parenting counselling using Stepping Stones Triple P compared to Care as Usual.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>The effects of Stepping Stones Triple P will be studied in a Randomised Controlled Trial. Parents of children aged 5-12 years with an IQ of 50-85 will be recruited from schools. Prior to randomisation, parents complete a screening questionnaire about their child's psychosocial problems and their parenting skills. Subsequently, parents of children with increased levels of psychosocial problems (score on Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire ≥ 14) will be invited to participate in the intervention study. After obtaining consent, parents will be randomised either to the experimental group (Stepping Stones Triple P) or to Care as Usual. The primary outcome is a change in the child's psychosocial problems according to parents and teachers. The secondary outcome is a change in parenting skills. Data will be collected before the start of the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and six months after.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>This paper presents an outline of the background and design of a randomised controlled trial to investigate the effectiveness of Stepping Stones Triple P, which aims to decrease psychosocial problems in children with a mild intellectual disability. Stepping Stones Triple P seems promising, but evidence on its effectiveness for this population is still lacking. This study provides evidence about the effects of this intervention in a community-based population of children with a mild intellectual disability.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Netherlands Trial Register (NTR): <a href="http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=NTR2624">NTR2624</a></p

GILZ inhibits the mTORC2/AKT pathway in BCR-ABL+ cells

The malignant phenotype of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is due to the abnormal tyrosine kinase activity of the BCR-ABL oncoprotein, which signals several downstream cell survival pathways, including phosphoinositide 3-kinase/AKT, signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2. In patients with CML, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are used to suppress the BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase, resulting in impressive response rates. However, resistance can occur, especially in acute-phase CML, through various mechanisms. Here, we show that the glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper protein (GILZ) modulates imatinib and dasatinib resistance and suppresses tumor growth by inactivating the mammalian target of rapamycin complex-2 (mTORC2)/AKT signaling pathway. In mouse and human models, GILZ binds to mTORC2, but not to mTORC1, inhibiting phosphorylation of AKT (at Ser473) and activating FoxO3a-mediated transcription of the pro-apoptotic protein Bim; these results demonstrate that GILZ is a key inhibitor of the mTORC2 pathway. Furthermore, CD34+ stem cells isolated from relapsing CML patients underwent apoptosis and showed inhibition of mTORC2 after incubation with glucocorticoids and imatinib. Our findings provide new mechanistic insights into the role of mTORC2 in BCR-ABL+ cells and indicate that regulation by GILZ may influence TKI sensitivity

Knowledge Boundary Spanning Mechanisms in a Shared Services Centre Context

This study focuses on the roles of knowledge boundary spanning mechanisms and intellectual capital (human, structural, and relational) in managing knowledge sharing in an IT-specialized shared services centre (IT-SSC) context. Although the literature stresses the growing utilization of the SSC as an outsourcing model, there is a lack of studies that examine the dynamic process of knowledge sharing across the organizational boundaries in this specific business model. Drawing on the literatures on SSC and on cross-boundary knowledge sharing we propose a conceptual framework based on four research propositions that were validated with primary and secondary data. The results suggest that IT-SSCs present high human capital, but encounter challenges developing relational and structural capitals. It also appears that IT-SSC management tends to prefer the utilization of boundary spanners and boundary objects instead of boundary discourses and boundary practices as mechanisms for efficient boundary spanning

Transformation to cloud services sourcing: Required it governance capabilities

The sourcing of cloud services is a relatively new type of service delivery model in which an organization gets access to IT services via a cloud service provider that is delivering services over the web to many users on a pay per use or period basis. Even though the importance of IT governance is often underlined, there is limited literature available regarding the required IT governance capabilities that public sector organizations need to have in place to successfully implement and manage a cloud service delivery model. Using an existing governance framework of IT core capabilities as basis, the required cloud computing capabilities are investigated using interviews and studying reports. The analyses helped to identify 16 discriminating capabilities that are essential when effectively implementing and managing cloud services in the public sector. Different factors, including the cloud service and deployment model, the strategic intent underlying cloud sourcing, the degree and complexity of cloud sourcing and the IT governance structure, were found to influence the relevance of cloud capabilities and the relevance might also change over time.Infrastructures, Systems and ServicesTechnology, Policy and Managemen

Ethical Framework for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technologies

YesThe use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Digital technologies (DT) is proliferating a profound socio-technical transformation. Governments and AI scholarship have endorsed key AI principles but lack direction at the implementation level. Through a systematic literature review of 59 papers, this paper contributes to the critical debate on the ethical use of AI in DTs beyond high-level AI principles. To our knowledge, this is the first paper that identifies 14 digital ethics implications for the use of AI in seven DT archetypes using a novel ontological framework (physical, cognitive, information, and governance). The paper presents key findings of the review and a conceptual model with twelve propositions highlighting the impact of digital ethics implications on societal impact, as moderated by DT archetypes and mediated by organisational impact. The implications of intelligibility, accountability, fairness, and autonomy (under the cognitive domain), and privacy (under the information domain) are the most widely discussed in our sample. Furthermore, ethical implications related to the governance domain are shown to be generally applicable for most DT archetypes. Implications under the physical domain are less prominent when it comes to AI diffusion with one exception (safety). The key findings and resulting conceptual model have academic and professional implications.The full-text of this article will become publicly available at the end of the publisher embargo on 5 Oct 2023