Classification of human motion based on affective state descriptors

Cataloged from PDF version of article.Human body movements and postures carry emotion-specific information. On the basis of this motivation, the objective of this study is to analyze this information in the spatial and temporal structure of the motion capture data and extract features that are indicative of certain emotions in terms of affective state descriptors. Our contribution comprises identifying the directly or indirectly related descriptors to emotion classification in human motion and conducting a comprehensive analysis of these descriptors (features) that fall into three different categories: posture descriptors, dynamic descriptors, and frequency-based descriptors in order to measure their performance with respect to predicting the affective state of an input motion. The classification results demonstrate that no single category is sufficient by itself; the best prediction performance is achieved when all categories are combined. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Religion, Law, War

This course will expose participants to fundamental understanding of religion, law and war focusing on the nexus of the three. It will do so in a highly participatory manner. The course will focus on the three terms separately and in relation to each other. As both CORE and Diplomacy course, students from different background will be encouraged to learn from one another and be aware of their own learning. The course will encourage a critical subjective response from participants. It will invite an analysis of three original documents: the Vatican II document ‘Nostra Aetate’; the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights; and the UNESCO document on peace as well as actual cases of interest

Out-of-plane dynamic stability analysis of curved beams subjected to uniformly distributed radial loading

The out-of-plane stability of tapered cross-sectioned thin curved beams under uniformly distributed radial loading is investigated by using the Finite Element Method. Solutions referred to as Bolotin’s approach are investigated for the dynamic stability analysis and the first unstable regions are examined. Out-of-plane vibrations and out-plane buckling analyses are also considered. In addition, the results obtained in this study are compared with the results of other investigators in existing literature for the fundamental frequency and critical lateral buckling load. The effects of subtended angle, variations of cross-section and dynamic load parameter on the stability regions are shown in graphics.За допомогою методу скінчених елементів проаналізовано бокову стійкість викривленої звуженої у кінці тонкої балки при однорідно розподіленому радіальному навантаженні.Розв‘язки у вигляді наближення Болотіна досліджені в рамках аналізу динамічної стійкості. Також вивчені бокові коливання і бокове випучення балки. Отримані результати щодо основної частоти та критичного навантаження при боковому випученні порівняні з іншими опублікованими результатами. На рисунках показано вплив утвореного дугою кута зміни поперечного перерізу та параметру динамічного навантаження на область стійкості

Evaluation of the length and angulation of the styloid process in the patient with pre-diagnosis of Eagle syndrome

Clinical symptoms caused by the elongated styloid process (SP) or calcified stylohyoid ligament were first described by W. Eagle and they are now known as Eagle syndrome (ES). Normal length of SP was stated by Eagle as 2.5 cm. The objective of this study was to determine and discuss the length of SP and medial angulation degree with computed tomography (CT), which is an affective modality in the identification of ES, and a comparison with related studies. Three-dimensional (3D) images obtained from the axial CT scans of 22 cases (11 males and 11 females) aged between 24 and 80 years, who referred to Cumhuriyet University Hospital, Department of Radiology for multi slice CT with the pre-diagnosis of ES, were used. Lengths of the SP and medial angulations were measured on the obtained images. Inter- and intra-group comparisons were carried out using Wilcoxan and Mann-Whitney U tests. The mean length of the SP was found as 4.1 &#177; 1.1 cm. When inter- and intra-group lengths of the right and left SP were compared, the difference was not significant (p > 0.05). The mean medial angulation of the SP was found as 67.5 &#177; 5.1°. There was a significant difference found between the right side medial angulation and left side medial angulation in all persons (p < 0.05). Lengths of the right and left SP of the patients with pre-diagnosis of ES were close to each other. However, the right-side angulation was observed to be smaller than the left medial angulation in all the patients. Similarly, right side medial angulation of the females was smaller than the left side medial angulation, but this difference was absent in the males. Eagle syndrome should be kept in mind in patients with a sore throat radiating to the ears with swallowing and an observed non-compliance between the complaints such as feeling a foreign body in the throat and facial pain, and physical examination of those who do not have a response to long-term medical therapy should be performed. (Folia Morphol 2011; 70, 4: 295&#8211;299

Utjecaj dodatka laktoferina i lizozima izoliranih iz mlijeka magarice na svojstva jogurta

Food industry has mostly focused on natural preservatives due to the undesirable effects of chemical additives on the human health. Among milk proteins, lactoferrin and lysozyme are the best-known for their antimicrobial. In this study, lactoferrin and lysozyme were extracted from donkey milk and applied on the yoghurt surface by spraying. The obtained yoghurt samples enriched with antimicrobial proteins were compared with the control sample produced without the addition of any preservatives as well as the samples treated with natamycin, a commercial preservative used in dairy products. Thereby physicochemical, microbiological and textural properties of the samples were investigated during the 30 days of storage. Yoghurt samples treated with antimicrobial agents had lower microbial load than control samples, which indicated that the donkey milk lactoferrin and lysozyme inhibit microbial activity in yoghurts. However, the addition of the mentioned preservatives did not change the gross composition and the textural properties of the yoghurt samples. Most importantly, the incorporation of lactoferrin or lysozyme did not adversely affect the sensory properties of yoghurt samples, but achieved higher appreciation points than the control sample on the 30th day of storage. In brief, lactoferrin and lysozyme extracted from donkey milk could be used to control the undesirable microbial growth, hence extending the shelf life of yoghurt.Zbog neželjenih učinaka kemijskih konzervansa na zdravlje ljudi, prehrambena se industrija uglavnom usredotočila na primjenu prirodnih konzervansa. Laktoferin i lizozim ubrajaju se u mliječne proteine najjačeg antimikrobnog djelovanja. U ovom su istraživanju ti proteini izolirani iz mlijeka magarice te prskanjem naneseni na površinu jogurta. Tako dobiveni uzorci jogurta obogaćeni proteinima s antimikrobnim djelovanjem uspoređivani su s kontrolnim uzorkom proizvedenim bez dodatka ikakvih konzervansa, kao s i uzorcima tretiranim natamicinom kao komercijalnim konzervansom, a koji se često koristi u mliječnim proizvodima. Svim uzorcima su ispitivana fizikalno-kemijska, mikrobiološka i teksturalna svojstva tijekom 30 dana skladištenja. Prema dobivenim rezutatima, uzorci jogurta tretirani antimikrobnim sredstvima imali su manje mikroorganizama od kontrolnog uzorka, što ukazuje da laktoferin i lizozim izolirani iz mlijeka magarice djeluju inhibitorno na mikrobnu aktivnost u uzorcima jogurta. S druge strane, dodatak spomenutih konzervansa nije promijenio sastav ni teksturalna svojstva ispitivanih uzoraka jogurta. Međutim, najvažniji rezultati odnose se na senzorska svojstva jogurta koja su ostala nepromijenjena odnosno dodatak laktoferina ili lizozima nije negativno utjecao na njih. Naprotiv, jogurti s dodatkom laktoferina ili lizozima su nakon 30 dana skladištenja bolje ocijenjeni od kontrolnog uzorka. Uzimajući sve rezulatte u obzir, laktoferin i lizozim izolirani iz mlijeka magarice mogli bi se koristiti za kontrolu rasta neželjenih mikroorganizama te za produljenje roka trajanja jogurta

Oxidative stress biomarkers and acetylcholinesterase activity in human erythrocytes exposed to clomazone (in vitro)

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of clomazone herbicide on oxidative stress biomarkers and acetylcholinesterase activity in human erythrocytes in in vitro conditions. The activity of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE), as well as the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and reduced glutathione (GSH) were measured in human erythrocytes exposed (in vitro) to clomazone at varying concentrations in the range of 0, 100, 250 and 500 µg/L for 1 h at 37 °C.TBARS levels were significantly higher in erythrocytes incubated with clomazone at 100, 250 and 500 µg/L. However, erythrocyte CAT and AChE activities were decreased at all concentrations tested. SOD activity was increased only at 100 µg/L of clomazone. GSH levels did not change with clomazone exposure. These results clearly showed clomazone to induce oxidative stress and AChE inhibition in human erythrocytes (in vitro). We, thus, suggest a possible role of ROS on toxicity mechanism induced by clomazone in humans

Loss of C2orf69 defines a fatal autoinflammatory syndrome in humans and zebrafish that evokes a glycogen-storage-associated mitochondriopathy

Summary Human C2orf69 is an evolutionarily conserved gene whose function is unknown. Here, we report eight unrelated families from which 20 children presented with a fatal syndrome consisting of severe autoinflammation and progredient leukoencephalopathy with recurrent seizures; 12 of these subjects, whose DNA was available, segregated homozygous loss-of-function C2orf69 variants. C2ORF69 bears homology to esterase enzymes, and orthologs can be found in most eukaryotic genomes, including that of unicellular phytoplankton. We found that endogenous C2ORF69 (1) is loosely bound to mitochondria, (2) affects mitochondrial membrane potential and oxidative respiration in cultured neurons, and (3) controls the levels of the glycogen branching enzyme 1 (GBE1) consistent with a glycogen-storage-associated mitochondriopathy. We show that CRISPR-Cas9-mediated inactivation of zebrafish C2orf69 results in lethality by 8 months of age due to spontaneous epileptic seizures, which is preceded by persistent brain inflammation. Collectively, our results delineate an autoinflammatory Mendelian disorder of C2orf69 deficiency that disrupts the development/homeostasis of the immune and central nervous systems

Organization and training at national level of antimicrobial stewardship and infection control activities in Europe: an ESCMID cross-sectional survey

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) and Infection prevention and control (IPC) are two key complementary strategies that combat development and spread of antimicrobial resistance. The ESGAP (ESCMID Study Group for AMS), EUCIC (European Committee on Infection Control) and TAE (Trainee Association of ESCMID) investigated how AMS and IPC activities and training are organized, if present, at national level in Europe. From February 2018 to May 2018, an internet-based cross-sectional survey was conducted through a 36-item questionnaire, involving up to three selected respondents per country, from 38 European countries in total (including Israel), belonging to the ESGAP/EUCIC/TAE networks. All 38 countries participated with at least one respondent, and a total of 81 respondents. Education and involvement in AMS programmes were mandatory during the postgraduate training of clinical microbiology and infectious diseases specialists in up to one-third of countries. IPC was acknowledged as a specialty in 32% of countries. Only 32% of countries had both guidance and national requirements regarding AMS programmes, in contrast to 61% for IPC. Formal national staffing standards for AMS and IPC hospital-based activities were present in 24% and 63% of countries, respectively. The backgrounds of professionals responsible for AMS and IPC programmes varied tremendously between countries. The organization and training of AMS and IPC in Europe are heterogeneous and national requirements for activities are frequently lacking