The kindest cut: Enhancing the user experience of mobile tv through adequate zooming

The growing market of Mobile TV requires automated adaptation of standard TV footage to small size displays. Especially extreme long shots (XLS) depicting distant objects can spoil the user experience, e.g. in soccer content. Automated zooming schemes can improve the visual experience if the resulting footage meets user expectations in terms of the visual detail and quality but does not omit valuable context information. Current zooming schemes are ignorant of beneficial zoom ranges for a given target size when applied to standard definition TV footage. In two experiments 84 participants were able to switch between original and zoom enhanced soccer footage at three sizes - from 320x240 (QVGA) down to 176x144 (QCIF). Eye tracking and subjective ratings showed that zoom factors between 1.14 and 1.33 were preferred for all sizes. Interviews revealed that a zoom factor of 1.6 was too high for QVGA content due to low perceived video quality, but beneficial for QCIF size. The optimal zoom depended on the target display size. We include a function to compute the optimal zoom for XLS depending on the target device size. It can be applied in automatic content adaptation schemes and should stimulate further research on the requirements of different shot types in video coding

Deposition, strain, and microcracking of the cuticle in developing 'Riesling' grape berries

The objectives of this study were to quantify deposition, strain, and microcracking of the cuticular membrane (CM) in developing 'Riesling' (Vitis vinifera L.) berries. Mass of the CM, the cutin matrix (DCM), and wax increased pre-veraison (26 to 65 days after anthesis, DAA) on a berry (+ 236, + 211, and + 332 %, respectively) and a surface area basis (+ 11, + 3, and + 43 %, respectively). Post-veraison (65 to 138 DAA), CM and DCM mass per berry remained about constant at 3.4 (± 0.16) and 2.4 (± 0.11) mg per berry, respectively, while wax mass continued to increase from 0.8 (± 0.02) to 1.1 (± 0.02) mg per berry. On an area basis, however, CM and cutin mass decreased from 5.0 (± 0.13) to 4.6 (± 0.04) g·m-2 and from 3.5 (± 0.10) to 3.2 (± 0.03) g·m-2 between 65 and 138 DAA, respectively, but wax mass remained constant at about 1.5 (± 0.04) g·m-2. The calculated rate of cutin and wax deposition peaked at about 40 DAA, and declined continuously thereafter. There was no strain and no microcracking of the CM up to veraison. Post-veraison strain of the CM and microcracking in the stylar scar region increased linearly with time. The data suggest that the cessation of cutin deposition in post-veraison berries and the ongoing berry expansion resulted in increased strain of the CM which in turn caused microcracking in the CM.

Water induces microcracks in the grape berry cuticle

Research Note

The Identification of cis-II, I2-Methylene-2-hydroxyoctadecanoic Acid from \u3ci\u3eThiobacillus thiooxidans\u3c/i\u3e

A polar fatty acid has been observed as a component of an ornithine-containing lipid of Thiobacillus thiooxidans. A comparison of thin layer chromatographic mobilities of reference compounds to those of the natural acid and its derivatives suggested that the acid was a 2-hydroxy fatty acid. The presence of a cyclopropane function in the acid was indicated by l4e-Iabeling experiments and infrared spectroscopy. Mass spectrometry of the methyl ester and the acetylated methyl ester of the natural acid provided a molecular weight for the acid. Equivalent chain lengths were determined for the natural acid, the acid obtained by oxidative decarboxylation of the natural acid with permanganate, and the acids derived through reductive ring cleavage of the cyclopropane group in the ester of the oxidatively decarboxylated natural acid. The mass spectral data, the equivalent chain length determinations, and the permanganate oxidation study clearly indicated that the acid possessed an 18- carbon chain with a methylene bridge and a 2-hydroxyl function. The equivalent chain length determinations further suggested that the cyclopropane group had the cis configuration. Mass spectrographic analysis of the branched chain esters obtained by reductive cleavage of the ester which was in turn derived through oxidative decarboxylation of the natural acid allowed the assignment of the 11,12 position for the cyclopropane group. Based on these data, the polar acid is proposed to be cis-ll, 12-methylene-2- hydroxyoctadecanoic acid

Parent Engagement during Home Visits in Early Head Start and Head Start: Useful Strategies for Practitioners

This study explores strategies used by early childhood professionals (ECPs) involved in a school readiness intervention to support parent engagement in young children’s learning. In this study, we used video recordings to understand the ECP-parent interactions during Early Head Start and Head Start home visits. We coded the videos for the number of parent engagement strategies that were used by ECPs as well as the quality of parent engagement during visits, including the amount of parent-child interaction that took place during the visits. Findings have implications for the implementation of the Head Start Parent, Family and Community Engagement (PFCE) Framework, and the professional development of early childhood professionals

Parent-Child Relationships in Early Learning.

Parental behavior during a child’s first five years of life is critical for the development of important social and cognitive outcomes in children that set the stage for life-long adaptation and functioning. This chapter will review some of the key findings about the importance of parent-child relationships in early learning. Three dimensions of parent behavior will be described as “parental engagement”: (a) warmth and sensitivity, (b) support for a child’s emerging autonomy, and (c) active participation in learning. Cross cultural variations in which the styles of these behaviors are expressed are also considered, contrasting physical, social, and cognitive styles of communicating parental care

Surface moisture increases microcracking and water vapour permeance of apple fruit skin

Surface moisture induces microcracking in the cuticle of fruit skins. Our objective was to study the effects of surface moisture on cuticular microcracking, the permeance to water vapour and russeting in developing ‘Pinova’ apple fruit. Surface moisture was applied by fixing to the fruit a plastic tube containing deionized water. Microcracking was quantified by fluorescence microscopy and image analysis following infiltration with acridine orange. Water vapour permeance was determined gravimetrically using skin segments (ES) mounted in diffusion cells. Cumulative water loss through the ES increased linearly with time. Throughout development, surface moisture significantly increased skin permeance. The effect was largest during early development and decreased towards maturity. Recovery time courses revealed that following moisture treatment of young fruit for 12 days, skin permeance continued to increase until about 14 days after terminating the moisture treatment. Thereafter, skin permeance decreased over the next 28 days, then approaching the control level. This behaviour indicates gradual healing of the impaired cuticular barrier. Nevertheless, permeance still remained significantly higher compared with the untreated control. Similar patterns of permeance change were observed following moisture treatments at later stages of development. The early moisture treatment beginning at 23 DAFB resulted in russeting of the exposed surfaces. There was no russet in control fruit without a tube or in control fruit with a tube mounted for 12 days without water. The data demonstrate that surface moisture increases microcracking and water vapour permeance. This may lead to the formation of a periderm and, hence, a russeted fruit surface