New Moments Based Fuzzy Similarity Measure for Text Detection in Distorted Social Media Images

A trend towards capturing or filming images using cellphone and sharing images on social media is a part and parcel of day to day activities of humans. When an image is forwarded several times in social media it may be distorted a lot due to several different devices. This work deals with text detection from such distorted images. In this work, we consider images pass through three mobile devices on WhatsApp social media, which results in four images (including the original image) Unlike the existing methods that aim at developing new ways, we utilize the results detected by the existing ones to improve performances. The proposed method extracts Hu moments and fuzzy logic from detected texts of images. The similarity between text detection results given by three existing text detection methods is studied for determining the best pair of texts. The same similarity estimation is then used in a novel way to remove extra background or non-texts and restoring missing text information. Experimental results on own dataset and benchmark datasets of natural scene images, namely, MSRA-TD500, ICDAR2017-MLT, Total-Text, CTW1500 dataset and COCO datasets, show that the proposed method outperforms the existing methods

Applying Reversibility Theory for the Performance Evaluation of Reversible Computations

Reversible computations have been widely studied from the functional point of view and energy consumption. In the literature, several authors have proposed various formalisms (mainly based on process algebras) for assessing the correctness or the equivalence among reversible computations. In this paper we propose the adoption of Markovian stochastic models to assess the quantitative properties of reversible computations. Under some conditions, we show that the notion of time-reversibility for Markov chains can be used to efficiently derive some performance measures of reversible computations. The importance of time-reversibly relies on the fact that, in general, the process’s stationary distribution can be derived efficiently by using numerically stable algorithms. This paper reviews the main results about time-reversible Markov processes and discusses how to apply them to tackle the problem of the quantitative evaluation of reversible computationsReversible computations have been widely studied from the functional point of view and energy consumption. In the literature, several authors have proposed various formalisms (mainly based on process algebras) for assessing the correctness or the equivalence among reversible computations. In this paper we propose the adoption of Markovian stochastic models to assess the quantitative properties of reversible computations. Under some conditions, we show that the notion of time-reversibility for Markov chains can be used to efficiently derive some performance measures of reversible computations. The importance of time-reversibly relies on the fact that, in general, the process's stationary distribution can be derived efficiently by using numerically stable algorithms. This paper reviews the main results about time-reversible Markov processes and discusses how to apply them to tackle the problem of the quantitative evaluation of reversible computations

Bath Breakfast Project (BBP) - Examining the role of extended daily fasting in human energy balance and associated health outcomes: Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial [ISRCTN31521726]

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Current guidance regarding the role of daily breakfast in human health is largely grounded in cross-sectional observations. However, the causal nature of these relationships has not been fully explored and what limited information is emerging from controlled laboratory-based experiments appears inconsistent with much existing data. Further progress in our understanding therefore requires a direct examination of how daily breakfast impacts human health under free-living conditions.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>The Bath Breakfast Project (BBP) is a randomised controlled trial comparing the effects of daily breakfast consumption relative to extended fasting on energy balance and human health. Approximately 70 men and women will undergo extensive laboratory-based assessments of their acute metabolic responses under fasted and post-prandial conditions, to include: resting metabolic rate, substrate oxidation, dietary-induced thermogenesis and systemic concentrations of key metabolites/hormones. Physiological and psychological indices of appetite will also be monitored both over the first few hours of the day (i.e. whether fed or fasted) and also following a standardised test lunch used to assess voluntary energy intake under controlled conditions. Baseline measurements of participants' anthropometric characteristics (e.g. DEXA) will be recorded prior to intervention, along with an oral glucose tolerance test and acquisition of adipose tissue samples to determine expression of key genes and estimates of tissue-specific insulin action. Participants will then be randomly assigned either to a group prescribed an energy intake of ≥3000 kJ before 1100 each day or a group to extend their overnight fast by abstaining from ingestion of energy-providing nutrients until 1200 each day, with all laboratory-based measurements followed-up 6 weeks later. Free-living assessments of energy intake (via direct weighed food diaries) and energy expenditure (via combined heart-rate/accelerometry) will be made during the first and last week of intervention, with continuous glucose monitors worn both to document chronic glycaemic responses to the intervention and to verify compliance.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Current Controlled Trials <a href="http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN31521726">ISRCTN31521726</a>.</p

The dominant Anopheles vectors of human malaria in the Asia-Pacific region: occurrence data, distribution maps and bionomic précis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The final article in a series of three publications examining the global distribution of 41 dominant vector species (DVS) of malaria is presented here. The first publication examined the DVS from the Americas, with the second covering those species present in Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Here we discuss the 19 DVS of the Asian-Pacific region. This region experiences a high diversity of vector species, many occurring sympatrically, which, combined with the occurrence of a high number of species complexes and suspected species complexes, and behavioural plasticity of many of these major vectors, adds a level of entomological complexity not comparable elsewhere globally. To try and untangle the intricacy of the vectors of this region and to increase the effectiveness of vector control interventions, an understanding of the contemporary distribution of each species, combined with a synthesis of the current knowledge of their behaviour and ecology is needed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Expert opinion (EO) range maps, created with the most up-to-date expert knowledge of each DVS distribution, were combined with a contemporary database of occurrence data and a suite of open access, environmental and climatic variables. Using the Boosted Regression Tree (BRT) modelling method, distribution maps of each DVS were produced. The occurrence data were abstracted from the formal, published literature, plus other relevant sources, resulting in the collation of DVS occurrence at 10116 locations across 31 countries, of which 8853 were successfully geo-referenced and 7430 were resolved to spatial areas that could be included in the BRT model. A detailed summary of the information on the bionomics of each species and species complex is also presented.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This article concludes a project aimed to establish the contemporary global distribution of the DVS of malaria. The three articles produced are intended as a detailed reference for scientists continuing research into the aspects of taxonomy, biology and ecology relevant to species-specific vector control. This research is particularly relevant to help unravel the complicated taxonomic status, ecology and epidemiology of the vectors of the Asia-Pacific region. All the occurrence data, predictive maps and EO-shape files generated during the production of these publications will be made available in the public domain. We hope that this will encourage data sharing to improve future iterations of the distribution maps.</p

Non-affirmative Theory of Education as a Foundation for Curriculum Studies, Didaktik and Educational Leadership

This chapter presents non-affirmative theory of education as the foundation for a new research program in education, allowing us to bridge educational leadership, curriculum studies and Didaktik. We demonstrate the strengths of this framework by analyzing literature from educational leadership and curriculum theory/didaktik. In contrast to both socialization-oriented explanations locating curriculum and leadership within existing society, and transformation-oriented models viewing education as revolutionary or super-ordinate to society, non-affirmative theory explains the relation between education and politics, economy and culture, respectively, as non-hierarchical. Here critical deliberation and discursive practices mediate between politics, culture, economy and education, driven by individual agency in historically developed cultural and societal institutions. While transformative and socialization models typically result in instrumental notions of leadership and teaching, non-affirmative education theory, previously developed within German and Nordic education, instead views leadership and teaching as relational and hermeneutic, drawing on ontological core concepts of modern education: recognition; summoning to self-activity and Bildsamkeit. Understanding educational leadership, school development and teaching then requires a comparative multi-level approach informed by discursive institutionalism and organization theory, in addition to theorizing leadership and teaching as cultural-historical and critical-hermeneutic activity. Globalisation and contemporary challenges to deliberative democracy also call for rethinking modern nation-state based theorizing of education in a cosmopolitan light. Non-affirmative education theory allows us to understand and promote recognition based democratic citizenship (political, economical and cultural) that respects cultural, ethical and epistemological variations in a globopolitan era. We hope an American-European-Asian comparative dialogue is enhanced by theorizing education with a non-affirmative approach