Informedia at TRECVID 2003: Analyzing and searching broadcast news video

We submitted a number of semantic classifiers, most of which were merely trained on keyframes. We also experimented with runs of classifiers were trained exclusively on text data and relative time within the video, while a few were trained using all available multiple modalities. 1.2 Interactive search This year, we submitted two runs using different versions of the Informedia systems. In one run, a version identical to last year's interactive system was used by five researchers, who split up the topics between themselves. The system interface emphasizes text queries, allowing search across ASR, closed captions and OCR text. The result set can then be manipulated through: • storyboards of images spanning across video story segments • emphasizing matching shots to a user’s query to reduce the image count to a manageable size • resolution and layout under user control • additional filtering provided through shot classifiers such as outdoors, and shots with people, etc. • display of filter count and distribution to guide their use in manipulating storyboard views. In the best-performing interactive run, for all topics a single researcher used an improved version of the system, which allowed more effective browsing and visualization of the results of text queries using

Coupling of CFD and semiempirical methods for designing three-phase condensate separator: case study and experimental validation

This study presents an approach to determine the dimensions of three-phase separators. First, we designed different vessel configurations based on the fluid properties of an Iranian gas condensate field. We then used a comprehensive computational fluid dynamic (CFD) method for analyzing the three-phase separation phenomena. For simulation purposes, the combined volume of fluid–discrete particle method (DPM) approach was used. The discrete random walk (DRW) model was used to include the effect of arbitrary particle movement due to variations caused by turbulence. In addition, the comparison of experimental and simulated results was generated using different turbulence models, i.e., standard k–ε, standard k–ω, and Reynolds stress model. The results of numerical calculations in terms of fluid profiles, separation performance and DPM particle behavior were used to choose the optimum vessel configuration. No difference between the dimensions of the optimum vessel and the existing separator was found. Also, simulation data were compared with experimental data pertaining to a similar existing separator. A reasonable agreement between the results of numerical calculation and experimental data was observed. These results showed that the used CFD model is well capable of investigating the performance of a three-phase separator

Improving Network-on-Chip-based Turbo Decoder Architectures

In this work novel results concerning Networkon- Chip-based turbo decoder architectures are presented. Stemming from previous publications, this work concentrates first on improving the throughput by exploiting adaptive-bandwidth-reduction techniques. This technique shows in the best case an improvement of more than 60 Mb/s. Moreover, it is known that double-binary turbo decoders require higher area than binary ones. This characteristic has the negative effect of increasing the data width of the network nodes. Thus, the second contribution of this work is to reduce the network complexity to support doublebinary codes, by exploiting bit-level and pseudo-floatingpoint representation of the extrinsic information. These two techniques allow for an area reduction of up to more than the 40 % with a performance degradation of about 0.2 d

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora spp. Infections in Arab Horses, Southwest of Iran

Background: Because of the economic importance of the Arab race horses and also the role of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora spp. in abortion and reproductive failure of these animals, we decided to perform this study. Objectives: We designed this study to investigate the seroprevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii and anti-Neospora spp. antibodies in Arab horses from 12 cities of Khuzestan province in southwest of Iran. Materials and Methods: From October 2009 to March 2011, a total of 235 blood samples were collected from jugular veins of Arab horses of different ages and genders from 12 cities of Khuzestan province. All the sera were tested for anti-Toxoplasma antibodies using the modified agglutination test (MAT) and the existence of anti-Neospora antibodies were tested using N-MAT for Neospora spp. Results: According to the MAT results, antibodies to T. gondii were found in 114 (48.5%) of 235 sera with titers of 1:20 in 84, 1:40 in 19, 1:80 in four, 1:160 in four, and 1:320 in three horses. According to the N-MAT results, antibodies to Neospora spp. were found in 47 (20%) of 235 sera with titers of 1:40 in 39, 1:80 in five, and 1:160 in three horses. We did not observe any statistically significant differences regarding age groups and genders between seropositive and seronegative horses for Neospora spp. using chi-square (chi(2)) test, but it seemed that anti-Toxoplasma antibodies were more prevalent in older horses ( >= 10 years old). Conclusions: The results indicated that Arab horses are exposed to these parasites in southwest of Iran. Further research is required to determine the genomic structures of these parasites in Arab horses in southwest of Iran

The TA Framework: Designing Real-time Teaching Augmentation for K-12 Classrooms

Recently, the HCI community has seen increased interest in the design of teaching augmentation (TA): tools that extend and complement teachers' pedagogical abilities during ongoing classroom activities. Examples of TA systems are emerging across multiple disciplines, taking various forms: e.g., ambient displays, wearables, or learning analytics dashboards. However, these diverse examples have not been analyzed together to derive more fundamental insights into the design of teaching augmentation. Addressing this opportunity, we broadly synthesize existing cases to propose the TA framework. Our framework specifies a rich design space in five dimensions, to support the design and analysis of teaching augmentation. We contextualize the framework using existing designs cases, to surface underlying design trade-offs: for example, balancing actionability of presented information with teachers' needs for professional autonomy, or balancing unobtrusiveness with informativeness in the design of TA systems. Applying the TA framework, we identify opportunities for future research and design.Comment: to be published in Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 17 pages, 10 figure

Characterization of hemolysins of Staphylococcus strains isolated from human and bovine

Summary The staphylococci are important pathogenic bacteria causing various infections in animals and human. Hemolysin is one of the virulence factors of coagulase-positive (CPS) and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS). The aims of the study were to characterize hemolysins of Staphylococcus spp. isolated from human and bovine origin, phenotypic-and genotypically. Characterization of hemolysin phenotypically based on hemolysis pattern of Staphylococcus spp. was done on the sheep, horse and rabbit blood agar plates. Genes encoding hemolysin were amplified with specific primers by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. Hemolytic activities phenotypically were determined in 60 and 90% of the total bovine and human isolates, respectively. All non hemolytic isolates were CNS (P≤0.05). In all isolates, hla and hld genes were determined by PCR amplification. None of the bovine and human isolates showed phenotypically and genotypically gamma hemolysin. The results from this study suggest that, in accordance with what is generally believed, some differences are apparent in hemolysin types among Staphylococcus strains of bovine and human origin. Furthermore, this study showed that CNS can be important as new pathogens